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Bargains?

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Miss-polly (U14402803) on Friday, 13th August 2010

  Hi all
  
  I’ve really loved my garden this year, I’ve grown vegs for the first time and I’m loving it, and was thinking about my best buy.
  
  I bought some small herb kits, they look like large yogurt pots (basil, parsley and rocket) from a well know hardware store for 87p back in March but them on my kitchen window and they have flourished ever since, I’ve even split them so I’m very pleased with that. I also bought a bay plant from the bargain bin at my local GC for just a couple of pounds, it needed repotting that’s all which I’m going to shape into a cone.
  
  What’s has everyone else found has been a bargain or good buy?
  

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• Message 2

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  Posted by punpun (U14553477) on Friday, 13th August 2010

  Hi Miss polly,
  what a good threa to start today off, and what a question to reply to,
  
  I think so far the best buy for re-producing other plants must be the geranium plant i bout back in march from the garden centre and i just repotted it with good home made compost plus slow acting blood /fish/bone mixed in and ive had 35 cuttings off this one plant so far this year.
  
  The best buy for seed's is as always lettuce,
  you get so many for the price you pay and they grow so quick so if sown every 3 weeks you'll have lettuce all summer (outside) and you can have lettuce well through the winter if grown in the greenhouse,
  
  Machine wise!
  I treated myself to a mantis mini tiller, it saves a lot of weeding and gets inbetween the rows as this tiller is narrow in size, and keeps the soil nice and fluffy looking.

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  Posted by peonymad (U10815255) on Friday, 13th August 2010

  my best buy has to be the lovey peony Festiva Maxima, a pretty white double flower, with flecks of red at the edges of some petals.
  It was at a plant fayre, and in flower at the time, but labled 'peony red!' had it at a bargin price, and this autumn I will be dividing it, could have 3 plants.

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  Posted by grassisgreener (U14569661) on Friday, 13th August 2010

  I am fairly new to the garden so did not wont to spend a lot on flower plants went to my local diy store and bought lots of plants from the casualty dept. I got standard lavender down from £19.99 to 49p also standard daisys, a mexican palm, and several others none cheaper than £9.99 so i feel as though i have had a real bargain this year. All i lost is one lavender so will be on the lookout again soon for more.
  
  Sue

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  Posted by Miss-polly (U14402803) on Friday, 13th August 2010

  My garden resolution for next year - is to try and create more plants, cuttings and dividing and saving seeds for my vegs, but its surprising what you can find that other people think not worth buying, I too saw some large lavender at B & Q they were a good baragin but my flower boarder in the shade so didn't get them.

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  Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Sunday, 15th August 2010

  My best buys have been herbs and seeds.
  
  In March I bought a rosemary plant which I split in 3 and have since split each of them again.
  
  With herbs grown from seed this year I've potted up different combinations to make herb pots as presents for friends who like cooking. At a fraction of the cost of those in GC's they've been a real bargin and gone down really well.

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  Posted by gonewest (U14578881) on Sunday, 15th August 2010

  For some of my basic herbs I bought those pots you can get in supermarkets for cutting in your kitchen. They say they're not suitable to go in your garden, I think because they've been forced and would be too tender. I've found that with a bit of hardening off they can be fine and you tend to get loads of little plants in there so they can be split up into more pots. With basil I discovered I can have a pot indoors to cut and then when it looks like it needs a rest I put it out so it has time to bush up again, meanwhile I bring another one back in to use inside. Although some of them decide they've had enough I have some I bought last year still rotating having kept them in the greenhouse over winter.
  
  Also this year I got an agapanthus from the casualty area of a local garden centre. It looked a bit limp but it had a flower spike forming and it had loads more babies forming round it too. It perked up quite quickly after giving it a more suitable sized pot and a little bit of tlc. I've never had an agapanthus before though I used to admire my father in law's. I waited what seemed like ages for it to bloom, but even though it's only had one flower, what a spectacle and it has lasted for weeks and still going, the pride of my patio. I didn't realise they did that, so even for one flower it would have been a bargain at full price. But now I also have the knowledge that I will be able to split it off to increase my stock for next year.

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  Posted by michelle78 (U7007319) on Tuesday, 17th August 2010

  I love bargains, and will be out at DIY shops and GCs for the next month or so looking for some.
  
  But my best bargains are those that I have ordered from Peter Nyssen bulbs - used them last year and was very pleased with them, so since we've moved I put in a huge order for bulbs and it was extremely reasonable, I defy anyone to find anyone cheaper, but there's no lack of quality. I just need to get my bluebells and snowdrops in the green and I will be sorted for bulbs!
  
  I also like getting value packs of small plants that you grow on. Its the best way to get things like Hellebores and box.
  
  ***If anyone knows of a great value tree supplier, I would love to hear about it - my husband has given me an IOU for a Betula jaquemontii glade, but I don't want him spending a fortune.***
  
  Ta
  Mich

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  Posted by abbotsmillmo (U13936954) on Tuesday, 17th August 2010

  Hi Mich,
  Well Gardening Express.co.uk have this tree, but at £99, its hardly a bargain. Dont know really how much they usually are. Mo.

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  Posted by Miss-polly (U14402803) on Tuesday, 17th August 2010

  Zoomer
  
  I'm going to copy your idea for presents,they sound lovely, i'd be glad to receive something like that - I was also thinking of making some chillie oil, nice glass jars - as presents, if I get some chillis, they're only just started to fruit.
  
  I'd also like to get into doing cutting, I've bought one of those plastic greenhouses and so want to see what I can save for next year. I'm hoping to save my herbs over winter.

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• Message 11

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  Posted by Kathy (U898169) on Tuesday, 17th August 2010

  I got some free lettuce plants from a garden centre, they grew really well. I was going to feed it to the rabbit but my mam kept eating it.

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  Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Tuesday, 17th August 2010

  Miss-polly
  
  keeping in theme with pots for presents I was thinking next year of pots made up with strawberry plants for one friend whose already put in a request for her twins, they get out their little watering cans when they visit to water the pots.

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  Posted by gonewest (U14578881) on Wednesday, 18th August 2010

  I just noticed I have another bargain. I recently bought some french marigolds as part of an instant colour buy. After a week or so I noticed one of them had a bonus tomato plant that had germinated. Didn't expect anything as it was so late starting off, but I have a couple of little flowers trusses on it so it may even have time to develop. Still don't hold out too much hope as it's outside, but it's up on our balcony so will hopefully get the maximum sun our garden can offer. Not sure what type it is but it's only a short plant so hopefully it is a tub or basket variety.

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• Message 14

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  Posted by bookertoo (U3655866) on Wednesday, 18th August 2010

  I love buying plants that the seller thinks are dead or useless - our local B&Q ladies greet me, when there are lots of new things on the selling off area, with 'Oh hello, there are lots of dead plants for you to look at.....', and what good bargains I have had. A contorted hazel tree for £1, a golden bay for £2, both several years ago and now nice & mature and lovely plants. A witch hazel for next to nothing, ditto going well, lots of late annuals and perennials - hope they don't get to learn quite how much good stuff they are selling off for peanuts. Of course, the managers know little or nothing about the garden bit of their shop, and just want it to look tidy. Also some of the stuff isn't worth getting, and really is dead, but with an eagle eye and a willingness to spend a bit of time and TLC lots of goodies may be had.
  
  gone west, love the idea of your free tomato plant, if we have an Indian summer it may well fruit for you - great stuff.
  

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  Posted by gonewest (U14578881) on Wednesday, 18th August 2010

  And it's raining cats and dogs at the mo so I don't even have to go out there to water it tonight.

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