BUY NOW, SAVE MONEY

Fill your garden with spring- and summer-flowering plants without spending a fortune. It’s possible to buy them for very affordable prices if you know where to look.

★ Shop locally – it’s a great way to get cheap or even free plants. Look for plants swaps, plant fairs or on local recycling websites.

★ You can often find seeds at the local supermarket or online. Visit dobbies.com for a huge selection at low prices, while moreveg.co.uk supplies seeds in smaller numbers.

★ Consider the discount tables at garden centres, where plants that have been neglected are sold off cheaply. With care they’ll usually recover.

★ Plants sold in supermarkets and discount shops are often cheap, but may not have been well-cared for, so keep your eye out for newly arrived stock in good condition.

★ For bedding or vegetables, buy small plants, such as plug plants, to save money and time as the really hard work of germination is done for you.

★ With slower-growing shrubs, don’t buy tiny. A small specimen may not flower for years.

★ Look out for special offers on websites and sign up with online nurseries as they frequently have flash sales and discounts.

★ When buying plants, look out for these signs that tell you they’re healthy: lots of leaves and shoots; the top of the compost is weed-free, moist and a dark colour; and there are no yellowing roots poking through the base of the pot.