Having a nice yard doesn’t have to cost a lot. You can create a beautiful garden for very little money if you know where to buy things. We are going to share with you where to buy cheap plants and trees to make your yard stand out.
Not only can you make your yard look better, but you can help the environment by repopulating it with plants and trees. This is especially true if you live in a newer subdivision or area where the trees have been cut down and plants removed.
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1. Buy Cheap Plants at Local Greenhouses
Now that fall is here, many local greenhouses will have sales on perennials.
One local greenhouse near us was selling plants buy one – get one free. That is a great deal if you are looking for some cheap plants.
A greenhouse typically has higher prices than a department store greenhouse, but it also has a lot more variety and harder to find plants.
You can get some unique plants at your local greenhouse if you know the right time to buy them.
2. Buy Cheap Plants at Department & Home Improvement Stores
These places clear out most of their plants in the fall. These are stores like Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, Meijer, etc.
They have limited varieties of plants, but their plants are generally cheaper than a greenhouse. So, it is a great place to find some deals.
Distressed Plants
If it is spring or summer, look for a rack that has distressed plants. These are the plants that look almost dead.
We bought some purple fountain grass in June for a dollar. It was mostly brown with only a hint of purple.
Most of the smaller ornamental grasses were $8.00 a pot. We thought for a dollar we could take a chance on it.
We brought it home, planted it right away, and kept it watered. It turned out beautiful.
Clearance Plants
Also, look for clearance rack plants.
At the end of the summer, the outdoor greenhouse area is usually getting read to close for the fall and winter.
My daughter was able to buy a very nice rhododendron bush for half price. It was normally $25 but marked down to $12.50.
With cheaper prices, you can buy a plant that you might have thought was too expensive earlier in the growing season.
3. Get Cheap Plants from the Arbor Day Foundation
If you really like trees, you can become a member of the Arbor Day Foundation.
It only costs $10 to become a member for 6 months or $15 for a whole year.
In return, they will send you 10 free trees, give you discounts on more than 100 types of trees, and a subscription to the Arbor Day newsletter.
You can sign up to become a member here.
There are different types of trees to choose from.
One of our 10 trees that we received about 15 years ago was a hawthorn tree. It is still doing well all these years later.
4. Trade Plants with Friends
Instead of spending money on plants, you can actually get plants for free if you trade with your friends and family.
Some flowers and plants need to be divided because they don’t have enough space after several years.
We have irises (that were given to us) that we have given away.
Other plants just spring up in unwanted places. We have a lot of catnip. It is contained in one spot now, but it originally appeared in our yard from some nearby woods.
I have given some of our plants away because our cats don’t need that much catnip.
My mom has lilac shoots and Rose of Sharon trees that just come up randomly in her yard. She has given both of them to us.
It is such an easy way to acquire plants, and it benefits others as well.
You can help each other by giving and taking plants that are unwanted.
Where do you like to purchase your plants? Do you do any of these things? Comment down below!
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