Shop Watch 2026

[AntiqueVases]

Hello

I hope you all don't mind but I thought I'd take the liberty of starting a thread designed to give each other the heads up when stuff arrives in shops!

This year I'm on the look out for: potted bluebells, peonies, hardy geraniums and, later in the year, more skimmias.

I've already bought potted snowdrops - those arrived in B&Q end of Dec.

I will be monitoring: Tesco, Lidl, B&Q and possibly The Range.

Primroses in flower in B&Q

Was underwhelmed by Asda today.

Still too early for bluebells it seems.

Potted english bluebells in my local garden centres now 😊.

I was really really excited to get potted snakeshead fritillaria too... none of the bulbs I planted showed up but the potted ones have been planted and seem to be doing ok.

Great idea for a thread. I have a B&M voucher to use so keeping my eyes open there. I got a few things there last year and they have all done great.

@dairydebris ooh! Noted on the bluebells, thanks! Hopefully they make their way to B&Q Edinburgh shortly! (That's my "local" in the same way other folk have pubs!)

Anyone got any good suggestions of where to buy clay / ceramic containers that don’t cost the earth?

Not plants, but Aldi have a few gardening Specialbuys tomorrow, see latter section of this leaflet. I’m going to pick up some blood fish and bone, and maybe a seed box if it looks sturdy in real life.

https://leaflet.aldi.co.uk/week-8-digital-leaflet/page/16

Got some crocosmia from Poundland, only 5 corms for £1 (used to be 10 corms I'm sure). They have about 10 other summer bulbs too. I'm sure they used to have a wider range, sadly all replaced by plastic garden.

B&M also has fruit trees, I think £7 each or 2 for £12. I got an Opal plum and a morello cherry. Various pears, apples, cherries, Victoria plum. I bought a Doyenné du Comice pear last year which is doing well, alas the cherry I bought then perished in the heat forgot to water it. They're bare root and kept indoors in the shop, so get them before they're too toasted.

Beyond fruit trees, I was rather underwhelmed by the offer at B&M and B&Q about a week ago, not much on offer. Of course I still bought the discounted primroses but I was hoping for more trees.

Re cheap ceramic plant pots @Sundaynightterrors - my local garden centre does the plain terracotta ones for £3 for a 21 cm pot. Sold as Deroma Cotto. Try secondhand too, Facebook marketplace, Gumtree, and asking neighbours tends to work where I live.

Not budget but David Austin has some retired roses back. D’arcey Bussell, Tess of the Durbivilles and Lady Emma Hamilton still in stock. Heritage gives 15% off.

Such a good thread thanks!

local garden centre was charging £30 for a skimmia! Off to b and Q for me

Prunus and magnolia at Tesco, c£7

I note with interest that you can buy bluebells "in the green" on B&Q's website. They come as 25, 50 or 100 mind you, so quite a sizeable order.

Curious then that they are not in store.

I was assuming I'd be able to buy just a few much like I did ready-potted daffs, tulips and snowdrops.

I wonder if they don't do so well in pots @AntiqueVases so the shops will make more money selling in the green than in the pots.

I was given some years ago in a grow your own kit so think they'd be okay as bulbs but these turned out to be Spanish bluebells.

@AntiqueVases B&Q online now includes a marketplace full of separate online sellers. In the filters there is 'Sold by' - tick B&Q to get a more accurate range.

Thanks both.

I thought "in the green" would come in pots? How do they come then?

I've ordered "3 bulbs in a 9cm pot" from B&Q website. English variety. MN doesn't seem to want me to post the link.

I just want a wee pot beside the door. I don't want hundreds of them in my flowerbeds.

Will be interested to see if they do spread and/or come back next year.

I think in the green would come as a bunch of bulbs with leaves still attached wrapped in newspaper, bare rooted anyway. Lighter and cheaper to send than in pots with earth.

fruit trees at Home Bargains and at Asda

also seeking suggestions for nice pots I can afford !

Any sightings of affordable hydrangeas? Too early?

Dunelm for pots?

@Newgirls I think I saw teeny tiny hydrangeas outside Tesco

Well my bluebells arrived! Very badly packaged so just a small pot with 3 green nubbins falling out. Have tidied it up and stuck it outside and we'll see what happens.

Hydrangeas at Aldi yesterday @Newgirls, blue and pink, £7.99. About 6-7 flowers. They must have forced them to flower this early?

@Madlentileaterlots of pots at Home Bargains

Ooh thank you!

dunelm has a good range of pots and deliver

I'm pleased with my ready-potted spring bulbs that I got from B&Q so I think I may look for some ready-potted summer flowering bulbs. Assuming they do them!

Nothing much floating my boat at Tesco or B&Q today. Same old, same old. Just rather bland bedding plants.

Waitrose have some nice things outside now - inc hydrangeas in all colours £15.