Here in this part of France it's not so easy as most people seem to be content to grow bananas, palms and yuccas rather than interesting perennials and shrubs so I'm growing stuff from seed but have also joined a gardening club and we do plant swaps. For specific plants I do use online nurseries.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I get summer bedding, compost and specific bits from a couple of good local nurserys then use a lot of online specialists for specific things e.g roses, bulbs, hellebore.
I do use gardening express deals section a lot too for bigger more established seasonal perennials e.g big pots of verbena bampton, big pots of established hellebore and secret garden club for small potted perennials, alpines etc.
After a few years of buying lots of plants, I got more interested in the sustainability aspect of it. Hence I get most of my plants now in the form of seeds. I like that they are not clonally propagated and will have the ability to set seed again. It is a form of selection too, I like not having to choose from large palettes of ever-new varieties many of which will only ever be very temporary passengers in a garden. I still buy plants, but far fewer than before. Raising plants from seeds is very satisfying, although not everyone will have the space or time to do so. I get my seeds mostly from Chiltern seeds - they have a fabulous catalogue with interesting descriptions of all their seeds. Each year I await it impatiently, then spend many evenings poring over it before ordering. Then at some point a very lightweight package arrives holding so many different sources of life. Each year the promise (winter/spring), the realisation (spring/summer/autumn) and reflections (autumn/winter) lift the gardening experience throughout the year. Can really recommend it!
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Here in this part of France it's not so easy as most people seem to be content to grow bananas, palms and yuccas rather than interesting perennials and shrubs so I'm growing stuff from seed but have also joined a gardening club and we do plant swaps. For specific plants I do use online nurseries.
I do use gardening express deals section a lot too for bigger more established seasonal perennials e.g big pots of verbena bampton, big pots of established hellebore and secret garden club for small potted perennials, alpines etc.