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When do you use online, Local garden centre, large garden centre chain, supermarket to buy plants.

crispin evanscrispin evans Posts: 5
in Plants
Due to size of garden I do not have space for greenhouse so I tend to priorities windowsills for vegetables. 
I am looking at purchasing annuals and companion plants, such as Marigolds, fuchsias and antirrhinums. But trying to decide whether to order now online or to wait until they appear in the shops. 
I often find online as quality hit and miss, however at least I know what colours and varieties will be available. Never certain whether its cheaper or more expensive.
I like supporting the local small garden centre but never certain what they will have in and price. But feel guilty when using supermarkets or large diy stores.
I was wondering how other people decide when to go online or wait till in shops. 
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Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    If you can, whatever at all you buy, it's better to see , touch, smell it live.
    I'm fortunate that I don't need to buy online. I buy plants in supermarkets if I can get them while they're still fresh, DIY stores  rarely and garden centres mostly. Unfortunately in the last couple of years most of the small  the independents have gone.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @crispin evans One of the best places to buy plants is at a garden opening. The 'Yellow Book' NGS have gardens open all over the UK. Most have plant stalls with plants that have been grown in the garden. It is a chance to buy something different at a fraction of the price. It is also for charity. I would say a third of the plants in my garden are from these open days.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    I used online during lockdown but the plants were very small.

    I like the family run local garden centre best, always good quality, and I also use a couple of bigger garden centres. I have occasionally bought plants in supermarkets but they often aren't in a good state.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    And the opposite view, I buy almost everything on line, because I want very specific things that you can’t normally get in garden centres.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,957
    I use them all. Supermarkets for cheap perennials (normally 3 for a fiver), local indie GCs for most other stuff, online for things the local GCs don’t stock, DIY stores for reduced stuff, don’t really buy much from the chain GCs as the locals are cheaper and/or better looked after. 
  • Dirty HarryDirty Harry Posts: 1,048
    Garden centres seem to be absolutely extorionate now. I'm looking to use supermarkets and there's a local guy in the town who sells his own plants for a fraction of the garden centre prices.
  • NoSlugsPleaseNoSlugsPlease Posts: 120
    I've tried them all. Buying online was hit-and-miss and I would now only buy only from online nurseries that have been recommended. We are lucky to have a good family-run nursery only half an hour away that sell cheap plants and we bought many of our shrubs & perennials from them.
    I've bought the occasional small tray of annuals from supermarkets in the past but have decided not to buy from DIY stores and supermarkets anymore after seeing how some of them neglected their plants the last 2 summers; such a shame to see all those dead plants at the end of the season. I don't know why they don't just reduce their prices earlier to get rid of their stock.
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    There is a biggish Tesco I pop into most days on my way to work and they almost always have to reduce plants because they neglect them so badly, starts with pansies and primulas and goes on all through the summer they must lose a lot of money because the plants are just never watered. I save as many as I can carry, bring them home, water them then often end up giving them away because I don’t actually need them. 
    Other than that I use local garden centres and go online for specific plants. Just had 2 gorgeous rhododendrons from Millais nursery for instance. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'm just wondering what size @crispin evans' windowsills are!
    I rarely go to GCs - too busy for me- and too expensive.
    I mainly use my 'local' nursery [which supplies most of them anyway] 45 mins away, or online for specific plants. Just received two lovely new Iris from Woottens yesterday, for the pond side. 

    Occasionally supermarket, depending on what I want, or B&Q/Homebase etc. They can be good too. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • SueG1SueG1 Posts: 41
    Am I the only one who hates garden centres? All that 'stuff' they sell with actual plants as a sideline. Give me an old fashioned nursery any day, one that doesn't have any garden furniture, BBQs, household and pet paraphernalia and fashion clothing!
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