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.

I got a hydrangea from Tesco for £5 in January, it is already starting to look like a tiny bush. I got another last week also from Tesco looking similar to the first one how it is now, for £7. They go quickly I’ve noticed

Ooh much cheaper

Following, on the look out for some climbing plants and some shrubs. In the process of having some very overgrown trees dealt with and everything suddenly look bare.

Morrisons here seems to have a good selection, as does Asda but it's mostly bedding or annuals.

At Home Bargains today there were lots of shrubs including Camelia, Photinia, dogwood, azaleas, hydrangeas, cordylines etc. Limited annuals (mostly pansies) and perennials (eg Hebe, saxifraga), but the lovely nursery woman said they expect a lot more stock this week to cope with Easter weekend demand.

B&M near me has stocked up for Easter I think. Lots of acers - little 10cm pots for £4, bonsai for £20, 1m shrubs for £37.50, big bonsai for £50. (Yes I took notes for you all.)

Lots of alpines, oriental lilies, herbs, clematis montana + white ones, ranunculus, aquilegia, rhubarb, climbing hydrangea, a few fuchsias, the usual 3 for £10 small clematis and honeysuckle. Though the fuchsias only say 'pyramid fuchsia' which isn't an actual variety, quite annoying. I think it's 3 different varieties. Red/pink outer petals, white or purple inner. The purple comes in big round pregnant flowers, and pointy ones. (Can you tell I'm new to fuchsias?)

Still far too many pansies, primroses, wallflowers, and gerberas though - and it looks like someone forgot to water last week's plants, poor dicentras.

Instead of having dinner at a normal time I just spent £30 on 2 clematis, a climbing hydrangea and a fuchsia 😅

Following, on the look out for some climbing plants

@DeathMetalMum Aldi had decent sized clematis Montana (I think, looked very like it, didn't have my glasses with me to read the label), in flower, for £6.99.

yes it was montana, I had a look

Thanks @TheSerpentQuine I picked one up today just about to flower. Just need to put up my trellis and I can plant it out. I also picked up a small Camelia from Tesco for £3.50, and Asda had three for £5 on a range of shrubs although very small. They also had fruit trees for £7.98 all approx 4-5 ft in height. A couple of types of apple, conference pear and I think a cherry variety too.

The Range really don't label their plants well! Luckily I had my Plant ID app on hand today and was able to work out that the plants simply labelled as "Alpine Plant" (!) were various herbs and sempervivum.

Went to the Botanics in Edinburgh today looking for inspiration. It's free entry and plenty of toilets but the Queen Mother Garden, the Alpine Garden and the Hothouses are all closed medium/long term.

I had a right good go with my patio knife today but fear what I have mostly done is destroy the pointing between the paving slabs! Oops!

I suspect that The Range, B&M and Home Bargains all use the same supplier that doesn't do proper labels. I wish there was a public database of plant passport numbers giving data om genus, species, and variety.

B&M gave small fruit bushes, 3 for £10. The normal raspberries and currants, but also gojiberry, honeyberry, Tayberry etc

Waitrose has three hollyhocks for £12. Very healthy looking plants so I bought six.

Also, can I recommend Charles Taylor planters, arches, benches etc?
Often has a sale on.

They sell direct but places such as Mole Valley stock them too.

I have lots of Charles Taylor stuff and it great quality, lasts forever.

Heaps of stuff in B&Q now.

I got a nice big sempervivum and a bay plant.

Absolutely everything under the sun now available in Dobbies.

I got an olive tree to experiment with. As a Scotland-dweller, I have to accept this is more in hope than expectation.

Tesco had Kilmarnock willows.

Just found this thread. On the look out for banana plants- I’ve had lovely ones from Tesco in the past and a flat hosepipe which I got from Aldi last year.

Most of the good plants (hostas, hebes) outside Tesco have been bought up now.

Most of the good fertilisers (eg the manure-based rose feed) and all the own brand ones varieties have been bought up at B&Q.

Got some lovely annuals from Home Bargains today - Calibrachoa, Osteospermum, snapdragons, pelargoniums and lobelia.

@Rhosiedo you have a local WhatsApp group? I would ask if anyone has free bananas to give away. They produce a lot of pups (new trees) that are easy to divide from the mother plant.

Tesco had lots of plants today, some in a sorry state already, but they've got their £4 acers again. I have so many of those trees in my garden that started as these little supermarket ones - go on plant fans, try one 😍(I have no shares in any supermarkets 😉).