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Autumn sales - worth bothering with ??

muckyhandsmikemuckyhandsmike Posts: 239
in Plants
I keep seeing offers from various companies like farmer Gracey etal offering what appear to be marvellous discounts on all sorts of plants. 
Being a bit of an old sceptic I usually think I won’t bother as I’ll let them look after them through winter rather than allowing them to destock and pass the responsibility on to me.
I don’t have a greenhouse however I do have some domed plastic planters which might be of use over winter but all I ever do is move a few pots into my garage to overwinter them eg  geraniums.
so my question is do others here take advantage of these offers and, if so, what plants and does it work out well ?
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  • EmptyheadtimeEmptyheadtime Posts: 366
    edited October 2023
    For me it depends what they are selling. I use farmer gracy and last year bought some bulbs in their winter sale and planted them as soon as they arrived and all was good, maybe flowered a bit later. I usually wait for one of their free shipping offers to make it an even better deal. I also bought some summer bare roots in their summer sale, they are fine but as it was late in the season they never came to much this year but are now a good size, should survive winter and will romp away next year.
    I would not be buying small plants/bare roots etc just now as I have no where to over winter them.
    So for me I would happily buy plants in a summer sale but just bulbs in a winter sale.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I would go for perennials, sometimes bare root, sometimes potted. Only things that l know are happy in my garden such as salvias like "Caradonna", Heleniums etc. I wouldn't buy things that l'm not sure about, but l can't resist a bargain. 
    I have a coldframe though which possibly makes them easier to overwinter, but if you have a sheltered spot such as by a house wall then they are worth a try.
    I would say l have a 98% survival rate  :)
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Same as any ' bargain' . Do you really need it? Would you have wanted it if it wasn't cheap? Are they offloading rubbish? Sometimes it's better to let die in the garden centre at their expense rather than in your garden. There again, sometimes you get a real bargain from the online dead trolley .
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    "Do you really need it ?" You mean the answer isn't always "yes" @B3 ?  B)
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited October 2023
    The thing to keep an eye on is the delivery costs. If you can get a a 10 or 15% discount (on top of the sale reduction) this might cover delivery. Check the pot size carefully too. I would say to stick to specialists for things like trees, clems, roses and bulbs. Super-hardy plants will be the lowest risk over winter, obvs.




  • DaveGreigDaveGreig Posts: 189
    I bought large a £65 Hammamellis from Dobbies on Autumn sale for £15 a couple of years ago and it’s going strong. Ok it was a bit stressed having been in the pot too long but it made a full recovery so I considered that a bargain. The price drop was such that it was worth a punt.

    I tend not to buy bargain late season bulbs however because my experience is that they usually come with long leggy too early sprouts because they’ve been lying out for too long. If they survive it takes them a while to recover.

    Potted Perennials are a bit of a mixed bag because it really depends on how hardy/vigorous the species. They have also been constrained in the pot for longer than is healthy and are extremely stressed by the time they reach the bargain shelf.

    The bargain bin is ok for the odd visit but what you get is quite often a lot  more effort than it’s worth.
  • PerkiPerki Posts: 2,527
    Autumn sales are always worth it for bulbs , can't say on perennials I don't buy them off the usual large companies .  Seen as bulbs can be planted way up to beginning of January its always worth a punt on something you fancy but is to expensive or to try something new , down sides of buying late is more chance of frost which makes it harder to get them in the ground and less choice. Farmer gracy are a bit pricey for my pocket until they start giving vast discounts on them.
  • DaveGreigDaveGreig Posts: 189
    “Autumn sales are always worth it for bulbs.”
    No they’re often not so that’s a pretty bold statement. 

    “Seen as bulbs can be planted way up to beginning of January”
    Many bulbs these days are already poking through the soil in January so that’s another bit of ill-considered advice.

    As suppliers go it’s all in the storage after lifting and some are no doubt better at this than others. The longer after lifting the more chance of drying out or starting to grow in storage. My experience with late bargain bulbs, crocus in particular has not been positive.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Agree with you, @Perki, bargain bulbs are nearly always a good deal.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • EscarpmentEscarpment Posts: 53
    I shall really miss Wilko for the bargain bulbs. Got loads last year and had a great display on the patio, until the rain flattened the tulips!
    Seeds as well, they sold off lots at 5p a pack, all well within their dates. All the ones I've planted so far have done well - I think every seed in the packet of cornflowers must have produced a flower, I had so many.
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