One thing I always do when I go to DIY stores and garden centres is look out for the nearly dead stuff. If it's a perennial it's usually fine really - a lot of the plants haven't been watered sufficiently most of the time. There's also the double bonus if you can divide the plants
One of our local garden centres really looks after their plants exceptionally well, so real bargains can be had when plants have passed their flowering period or aren't looking their best. They have massive reductions of up to 75% but aren't on their last legs.
Other GCs just seem to chuck such plants in a corner and forget about them.
If your local council collects garden waste, get up early and rummage in your neighbours' bags. You can find prunings from which you can take cuttings, seed heads, bits of overgrown perennials that have been divided. (I've just acquired a big clump of pinks which I've been able to split to make several.) And if you're short of green material to fill your compost bin, scavenge on waste ground in spring for nettles, goosegrass etc. But do it before they flower and set seed, and make sure there are no roots. And don't waste money for beer for slug traps. Just add sugar and baking yeast to a jar of warm water and leave it for a few days. They will drown themselves in the resulting brew just as readily as in real beer.
Register with your local Freecycle group: sometimes there are plants, gardening materials and equipment on offer for nothing. You'll usually have to go and collect it. And in my experience, you have to respond quickly to claim it, because lots of people want it.
I agree with previous comments buy small and be patient with plant growth. Buy 9cm potted plants 4 for say £10. But then, on the other hand, you could but a bigger potted perennial costing much more, say a geranium and find by dividing the plant you get 5 or 6 new plants.
On a practical note, make plant supports buy using old wire cost hangers and 2 bamboo canes. Open up the coat hanger and make a large u shape. Bend the end pieces to a right handle and insert in to the top of the bamboo can. I spray paint mine dark green so they blend in and you have e very effective plant support for pennies
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One of our local garden centres really looks after their plants exceptionally well, so real bargains can be had when plants have passed their flowering period or aren't looking their best. They have massive reductions of up to 75% but aren't on their last legs.
Other GCs just seem to chuck such plants in a corner and forget about them.
If your local council collects garden waste, get up early and rummage in your neighbours' bags. You can find prunings from which you can take cuttings, seed heads, bits of overgrown perennials that have been divided. (I've just acquired a big clump of pinks which I've been able to split to make several.) And if you're short of green material to fill your compost bin, scavenge on waste ground in spring for nettles, goosegrass etc. But do it before they flower and set seed, and make sure there are no roots. And don't waste money for beer for slug traps. Just add sugar and baking yeast to a jar of warm water and leave it for a few days. They will drown themselves in the resulting brew just as readily as in real beer.
My local charity shop sells plants - some real bargains / gems can be found there!
Register with your local Freecycle group: sometimes there are plants, gardening materials and equipment on offer for nothing. You'll usually have to go and collect it. And in my experience, you have to respond quickly to claim it, because lots of people want it.
I agree with previous comments buy small and be patient with plant growth. Buy 9cm potted plants 4 for say £10. But then, on the other hand, you could but a bigger potted perennial costing much more, say a geranium and find by dividing the plant you get 5 or 6 new plants.
On a practical note, make plant supports buy using old wire cost hangers and 2 bamboo canes. Open up the coat hanger and make a large u shape. Bend the end pieces to a right handle and insert in to the top of the bamboo can. I spray paint mine dark green so they blend in and you have e very effective plant support for pennies