Another couple of weeks and the garden centres will be stocked full of pretty perennials to tempt us to spend money.
The seed and flower catalogues are already doing the rounds and we are all thinking about what we are going to fill our borders with this year.
It can be an expensive business gardening, and it’s always tempting to cut a few corners. There are many ways of gardening on a budget, but one thing that seems to have become common lately is the sale of plug plants.
Last year three of my clients were lured into buying “72 garden perennials for only £19.99”, not realising that these were literally 2cm high plug plants. That’s as big as my thumb nail!
Unless you have a greenhouse, 72 plant pots, a couple of bags of compost and a year’s worth of patience (at the very least), I seriously suggest you give these offers a wide berth.
You can’t put them straight in the ground and expect them to be a foot high and fill your border, it doesn’t work like that! Remember the motto “too good to be true” and heed it.
I know the ads make them look so attractive and cheap, but unless you are a gardener that can nurture and nourish these tiny little plantlings, you are not gardening on a budget, you are wasting £19.99.
There are plenty more ways to fill your garden without spending a fortune, trust me I love a bargain. So here are a few of my “gardening on a budget” tips to help you on your way.
· Go to your garden centre in winter and find the marked down area. These are all perfectly healthy plants, that are out of season. Some may look dead or like an empty pot of compost but can be less than half price. I bought a 5ltr pot of leucanthemum (daisies) worth £16.99 for £5 and split it into 4 plants! You just need to read the label and have a bit of imagination.
· Go to the garden centre early spring and grab the 3 for £12 offers (garden centres prices differ on location). These will be way ahead of the plug plants and great for filling gaps.
· Buy seeds like cornflower, nigella, or nasturtium for a few quid and sprinkle them between your perennials in late April. They germinate easily in the ground. Or you can plant something like cosmos on a windowsill in a seed tray and prick out in May when they are a couple of inches high, also great for pots.
· Take cuttings and split perennials in Autumn, this way you can double your plants for the next year. Things like penstemon cuttings take easily, and delphinium and day lilies split well. You can find out how here.
· Find your local plant sale, flower shows, local nursery and market stalls to pick up some real bargains. I’m hoping to hold a plant sale and plant and seed swap late spring, if you would like to keep updated sign up to my newsletter below. Subscribers will get the opportunity to buy my stock first.
· Plant swap with friends and family. If you see a plant you like, ask for a cutting or pot of it in the autumn so it is ready to plant in spring.
· Don’t buy annuals for your borders, they only last a year, then you have to buy something else. Always try to fill your borders with perennials that come back each year. Although more expensive, your saving money in the long run.
If you have any other tips on gardening on a budget please feel free to leave a comment below and I can add it to the post
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