Save money when filling your garden with plants
How I have saved money in my rented garden
The UK government obsessed with “growth growth growth”, and so am I! But for me, only the gardening kind of growth. I also like to “save save save!” Save money, save the planet, save our sanity. And as the growing season is now in full swing, I’m planning to write up some of the things I’ve been learning in the rented garden over the past 2 years.
It’s been a while since I wrote a blog post, I was a bit busy last year, finishing my masters and job hunting. Winter felt very long. But I’ve been working away in the garden and Spring has me full of inspiration, so let’s get into it.
Even if I wasn’t a renter, I would be very budget conscious about buying plants for the garden. I was raised in a house of bargain hunters. And from talking to other renters, it seems cost is a huge barrier for gardening. I don’t think it has to be, but, saving money in the garden can make you feel a bit conflicted, Firstly, one of the best ways to save money is to be patient: gardens grow slowly and take years to establish. But renters often don’t know they will be in their homes for long, so growing a slow garden might seem not just unappealing, but impossible.
Spending money upfront can save time, but there can also be an environmental cost to quick fixes. Bigger plants take more resources to move around. Getting mature plants on the cheap mighty mean your plants have been grown in peat, in greenhouses, and involve a lot of plastic. Or, even worse, they might fail and not actually grow.
It’s easy to feel a bit conflicted. Gardening doesn’t have to be about shopping, it can be about growing slowly and connecting with your community to bring more plants into your space. With all this in mind, here are the ways I save money when buying plants for my rented garden.
Save money on plants by getting them for free
Getting free plants from your own garden
If you’re new to your garden, take the time to do an audit. I’ve had a lot of fun finding, splitting and moving plants to get the effect I want. For example, I’ve moved fox gloves and ferns from the sunny border into shadier areas. I’ve also divided peonies, geraniums, hostas, crocosmia that were already planted.
Dividing plants in Spring will have impact within a couple of months. This process takes a bit of time to get to know your garden so you know what’s a weed and what’s not. I use the PlantNet app for this, and have spent a lot of time distinguishing between Creeping Buttercup, Geraniums and Wood Avens. Look up to see if the plant will tolerate being moved (I don’t move poppies, for example).
Another way to get free plants from the garden is to propagate. I’ve taken cuttings from my own garden to increase the number of plants: rosemary, sage, lavender, jasmine, Aguja reptans, chamomile lawn and roses. Sometimes it’s as easy as cutting off a bit of plant and sticking it in the soil. Taking cuttings takes longer for results, but you can keep your cuttings in pots, so you can take plants from your old garden with you if you have to move.
Getting free plants from people you know
If you’re not lucky to find any gems in your garden, start talking to neighbours and friends. In fact, tell everyone you know that you’re getting into gardening. I’ve found gardeners love to share and they always end up with gluts. It honestly is one of the joys of gardening to share your plants with other people. Autumn and Spring are great times for this because it’s when you can dig up and split perennials - if you help somebody divide their overgrown geraniums, you might be doing them a favour.
An amazing aspect of gardening it is a multigenerational hobby. I’ve had gifts of plants from friends and neighbours who are older than me and have more mature gardens. When I first started gardening, my neighbour gave me a daylily and I helped her trim the hedge. That was in London and we might never have spoken otherwise.
Getting free plants from people you don’t know
I’ve seen people successfully get plants and gardening equipment just by posting in a local Facebook group explaining they’re starting a garden. People want to help!
You can do this more formally by going to plant swaps or seed swaps. Look on Facebook or check with nearby allotment societies, community centres and community gardens.
Save money on mature plants by shopping smart
Local Plant Sales and Trust Boxes
I don’t live in Heeley in Sheffield, but it’s a neighbourhood that loves gardening and I’ve picked up good plants from people’s front gardens for a few pounds. They leave them on tables and you pop the money through the post box. Similarly, I’ve also got plants from table top sales and community gardens, even from libraries. Allotment societies also often do sales. Usually you can find these best by searching on Facebook.
Saving money on online plant suppliers
I could write a whole post about buying plants online. But here is what I’ve successfully done to save money:
Buy collections instead of individual plants. Website usually offer random mixes (“nurseryman’s mix” or just “geranium/foxglove collection) that are cheaper
Combine these collections with discount codes. You can usually find discount codes online by Googling “[shop name] discount codes”. I never buy anything without doing this! I currently have a discount codes for ann extra 10% off at Farmer Gracy: SARAHROSEGROWS*. I am trying to get more to share!
Search the Gardeners World offers page. I think these are good when you can get a discount on a mixed perennial collection. They also often do “only pay P&P” deals on plant collections, but check the plant size - 24 x lavender plug plants for £5.99 postage might not be better value than buying a mature lavender plant and taking your own cuttings.
Use website filters (position, colour etc) to really choose plants carefully. I think there’s less impulse buying online than a garden centre.
But remember, websites show plants when mature. They look gorgeous in photos but they won’t arrive like that, they’ll arrive small and in need of care.
ALWAYS check quality on arrival. If you have any doubts, take a photo and send to the website. They usually replace them immediately without question.
The biggest way to waste money is buying plants you just won’t be able to care for. If you buy 72 plug plants you need the time and resources to pot up 72 plants! And honestly, it is a fun thing to do but be realistic 😂
Saving money at the garden centre/nursery
Ok if you go to the garden centre you are immersing yourself in ultimate temptation. The best way to save money at the garden centre is… don’t go!
I like to check out multibuy deals on 2L pots or 9cm pots. This can be a good way to get a bunch of good quality herbs or perennials. Check the quality of the roots and look for pots that have multiple plants in (bonus!).
Save money on plants by the way you grow them
Start from Seed or Cuttings
Growing from seed is cheap up front. It’s amazing to look a £2 packet of seeds and think, I could grow 500 foxgloves from this!
But for beginner gardeners I really encourage to think about the following when growing from seed
Choose “easy to grow” plants with big seeds OR
Choose plants you can sow direct into the ground instead of having to start indoors
Just try a few seeds and don’t overwhelm yourself 😅
Growing plants from seed is a magical miracle. But it can be hit and miss. Perhaps this is an unpopular opinion but, people always say to save money by growing from seed. But if you don’t have loads of pots and compost and time, growing from seed can be disappointing and a false economy. If you’re starting growing from seed, ask a gardening friend to do it together as they might already have pots ☺️
Buy Bare-Root Plants in Early Spring
Bare-root perennials are a bit easier than seeds. They already have the roots so they are bigger and more reliable. You have to soak them and either put them in pots or straight in the ground.
I’ve generally had really good experience with bare roots. I would say, the supplier is important. I bought a bunch from a supplier that were badly packaged and they all died. Whereas I bought a bunch from Thompson and Morgan and nearly all of them grew. This year I’m growing from Farmer Gracy and so far, so good.
If you buy bare roots, in the second year, you can divide your plants and get more for free!
Conclusion
I hope this was helpful. What did I miss? Please let me know if mega long post was useful or if you have questions!
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