Cheaper ways of buying plants?

[MonsteraCheeseplant]

I'm wondering if there are cheaper ways like buying plugs and in the green plants? But where and how? Any ideas?

growing from seed.

or the 'shelf if doom' in the garden centre.

Grow from seeds, Lidl, village shops, fetes (when they are back on), FB community pages

I’m lucky in that I have a green thumb. So I pick up bargain offers, supermarket tat and school fair/boot sale plants. Then I pamper them for a few months or so, put them in the garden and they thrive.
With a lot of plants, they do better if you divide them every few years, so that’s an easy way of obtaining more of the same.
Cheapest way is seeds, free cuttings or plant swaps with friends and neighbours. The problem is cheap or free often involves more input afterwards, and many don’t have the time.

Morrisons often have good cheap plug plants .Mine had two trays of 6 bizzie lizzies for 3 pounds .

It is a bit hit and miss ,I never know when plants are coming in .

Lidls can also be good for some stuff - eg geraniums - but some of their plants aren't named which is tricky for me .

If your patient then supermarket plants are a good deal. Often only £1 but are at the smallest stage you wouldn't get in a garden centre

There are quite a few roadside stalls around my area which are very cheap and sometimes give away freebies.

Find out if you have a local Horticultural Society. They often have plant sales. Or get on their Facebook page - you might find members giving away surplus seedlings. Planty people like to share and swap with fellow enthusiasts!

I normally keep an eye on the special offers online with Hayloft and J Parker. If you're buying several of the same plant you often end up paying less than £1 each. Naturally, the best offers will tend to be at the start and end of the year when demand is lower.

I've just started growing some from seed using the jiffy propagation pellets, which feels like a good compromise. No messing around with filling pots with compost and takes up less space.

If you have gardening neighbours they may have surplus plants. I was kindly gifted some perennials last autumn by a neighbour who was thinning out her garden.

I always have a really good look at plants before I buy them as most perennials can divided, things like hardy geraniums and cirsium can be pulled to pieces in to multiple pieces and will grow. I once got 6 decent sized clumps from a cheap geranium!

Cuttings are easy too. Carole Kleins book Grow Your Own Garden is really good.

This doesn’t work for all plants, but taking cuttings is a cheap and relatively easy way to get new plants.

I took some cuttings of fuchsia, clematis and budleigha at Easter and most of those are almost big enough to be planted out now. I grow mine on a shady window sill, so no need to have a greenhouse or any special equipment like that. Just some potting compost and a little tub of rooting powder if you can get hold of some

I mainly use plants from my own garden, but some of my friends and family are kind enough to let me loose with a pair of scissors in their garden too 😄

Cuttings! carol Kline had a segment on gardeners world a couple of weeks ago that explained the process very clearly.

Local allotment plant sales

Depends what plants. Annuals from local stalls (school fete etc). For perennials I’d strike up conversation with some neighbours with nice gardens. Ask them what they plant. Mention that if they ever divide plants then you’d love some if it’s going spare....

Allotment plant sales sounds interesting.

I've always failed at growing from cuttings because I inadvertently choose things that won't grow from cuttings. Still must try again.

Try asking on sites like Freegle and Freecycle.

Pick things that are easy to grow from cuttings.

All of the above, and I'd second joining your local gardening or allotment society, as they often have plant sales, where real bargains can be had.