Gardening is one of the greatest joys during the summer and one way to get some great starter plants for your garden if you are starting late this year is to head to the local nursery. This is also a great place to go if you are making potted plant arrangements for your landscaping and decks. It can be a challenge to save money at the nursery, but here are some simple tips to do just that.

How to Save Money at the Nursery

1. Buy the smallest sizes possible. It is very tempting to want to buy to larger, more mature plants, but in just a few weeks, these smaller ones could be nearly the size of the larger ones and cost less to begin with.

2. Look for the “damaged” section of the nursery. These are often plants that may have not gotten enough sun, food or have been exposed to cold. These are usually containers that originally contained 6 seedlings but may now only contain 3-4 and a couple dead ones. They are often discounted up to 50%. If your nursery does not have a discounted section, ask the gardeners who work there if they have any plants they are willing to sell at a lower price.

3. Check out farmer’s markets for seedlings. You can get great, hearty plants from farmer’s markets at a low price because you are buying from the farmer directly. You may be able to even negotiate on the price, easier or even barter.

4. Buy seedlings online. Yes, you can buy live plants from an online retailer and have them shipped to your home! It is very important to check reviews from others when considering this option, however, because you want to know if the plants they received came in good shape and in good quality.

5. If you have gardening clubs or community botanical gardens  in your area, ask them if they do sales on plants and seedlings. These are usually in June for summer plants and again at the end of the year for winter/fall plants in most cases and you can save money at these events because they are usually run as fundraisers.

6. For seeds, if you are looking for heirloom ones, consider joining online forums and communities that trade these. You may even be able to find some folks willing to just give you some to start your garden with as long as you agree to pass some on when you harvest.

7. Nurseries often sell gardening supplies such as pots at a good discount if they are slightly damaged. If a small chip doesn’t bother you, scoop up some great deals on slightly damaged containers.

8. Divide your plants. There are several varieties that you can divide and not damage as long as you are careful. This involves removing the plant when it is healthy from the ground and dividing the rooms carefully