Do you want to expand your vegetable, herb or flower gardens but don’t have a lot of cash to spend? Over the years I’ve figured out quite a few ways to add plants to my gardens and landscaping around the property for free or cheap. Today I’m going to share with you my top seven ways how to source more plants for our gardens without spending a lot of cash.
Seven ways to find free or cheap garden plants:
1. Craigslist Free Ad
We check the free ads on Craigslist at least once a day and it has paid off. Things can go quick on Craigslist so the key is to respond fast if you see an ad for something you want. Over the years I’ve picked up a variety of herbs, perennial flowers and shrubs for free on Craigslist.
Last spring we picked up six large Pea Shrubs someone dug out. We planted them on our front fence line along the road to create a privacy hedge. They cost over $20 for a small shrub at the greenhouse in town so this was a great score!
2. Freecycle
If you haven’t signed up for Freecycle in your area, you totally need to do it! It is an online venue organized by communities to give things away. Over the years I’ve picked up quite a few vegetable plants, herbs and perennial flowers from folks downsizing. It is also a great venue to giveaway plants when you’re thinning or downsizing and I’ve done my fair share of this over the years!
3. Barter/trade
If you know other gardeners in the area, barter and trade with each other for plants. You can swap plants, seeds, or even swap produce in exchange for some plants. Several times I’ve volunteered time weeding in exchange for plants.
4. Clearance table at the greenhouse
A few years ago I discovered a 75% off table at a greenhouse in town. Every time I’m in that area, I stop in to see what they have. Typically the plants in there are either struggling, done blooming, or have a broken branch or two.
I look specifically for perennial herbs, flowers, and shrubs. This is the main way I’ve been able to grow my perennial herb and flower gardens over the years for very little cost. These plants typically need a little extra care, but if you have a green thumb this can pay off.
Last summer I bought a large black currant shrub for $4! There are a couple branches in the big pot that don’t have leaves but the rest is healthy. We planted it in our perennial fruit beds in the garden to provide us another fruit source.
5. Wild harvest and transplant
My mom taught me how to do this as a kid. If we saw perennial wildflowers growing in the fields by the house that were going to get mowed down with the alfalfa, we would dig them out and put them in our flower beds.
The key when doing this is to make sure you get as much of the root as possible and water, water, water. I always take a large shovel and try to dig up a big scoop of the soil with the root. Once you transplant it into your garden area, make sure you water it often in the first couple weeks.
6. Grow your own from seeds
Starting plants from seeds is more cost effective than buying the plants at the greenhouse. You can start your seeds indoors or you can start them in a greenhouse. I started out growing just vegetables and herbs from seeds. I found myself still buying flowers at the greenhouse and the cost was adding up.
Last year I started a variety of annual and perennial flowers from seed in my greenhouse. I can still enjoy the beauty of the flowers but it cost me a small fraction of the price since I didn’t buy the plants at a greenhouse. You can save even more money if you start saving your own heirloom seeds to plant so you don’t have to buy seeds at the store anymore!
7. Facebook and Nextdoor
A lot of folks have stared using Facebook and Nextdoor to give away free items. I’ve seen ads in local Facebook yard sale groups, local gardening groups, and there’s even a local Facebook group in our area just for free items. Facebook and Nextdoor are also great spots to look for advertisements for local seed or plant swap events in your area.
Do you have any tips to share on how to find free or cheap garden plants?
updated March 2023
Go to local nature areas and gather seeds for next years perennials. I’ve also gathered from our state botanical gardens and friends homes when plants are seeding. Another idea is asking neighbors and friends if you can take cuttings of there plants. You can even do cuttings on rose bushes.
Great tips here, thanks for sharing! This post was chosen as a favorite on our From the Farm blog hop
Great ideas…. we have used all of them, I think…. sometimes other gardeners are happy to share…. even without barter also…. if they have a lot and need to thin, they may be happy to have them not go to waste. 🙂 Thank you for posting this.
Great ideas! It’s not free, but some might be interested in heirloom seeds from Thomas Jefferson Monticello Estate @http://www.monticelloshop.org/farm-garden-seeds-vegetables.html. They have things not commonly available in standard garden shops or catalogs..
Also for cheap seeds 50 cents a pack, your local Dollar Tree is a good resource. I bought a pack of Rebeckia there that gave me like 30 plants and the Rubeckia I have now self seed, so they’re 3rd generation from that 50 cent pk.
I have a couple more ideas- etsy is a great resource for low cost bulbs and plant divisions, local garden clubs often have low cost plant sales as fundraisers, and if you go to your local garden center or big box store with a garden center towards the end of the season you will likely find shrubs and perennials marked way down.
Thanks for sharing this post at The Green Thumb Thursday Garden Blog Hop. We hope you will join us again this week.
These are great tips on where to find cheap plants. We are actually transplanting numerous grape vines on our property this year. They seem to be springing up everywhere, which is fine with us. 🙂
Every year I pinch off my dead marigold heads, dry them, open them up and save the seeds to plant in spring. Besides being free, they are awesome because each seed practically grows into a huge marigold BUSH, much bigger and prolific than the seedlings you buy at Lowes.
I have learned some really neat things – like growing your own citrus, apples, pears, avocadoes, etc. from seeds from (esp. organic) produce you buy. In your climate, you would have to have a spot for them indoors or greenhouse. One of the neatest is pumpkin and squash seeds but also growing your own sweet potato greens from sweet potatoes you buy.
Take cuttings from your tomatoes and winter them over in the house or greenhouse. Grow the bottoms of your onions (including green), celery, cabbage, lettuce, (where the roots are, leave a good portion of the part just above and plant in damp soil half way). Let some of your root crops (turnips, carrots, beets, etc) go to seed and transplant what grows next year. Grow a sunflower !
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Our local public library has a seed library that lets you check out seeds to plant and grow. After you harvest you bring the seeds back to “check them back in.”
When you see someone working their yard ask for ant plants they are getting rid of. Or if there’s a landscaping company redoing a yard do the same the worst they can say is no.
Thanks for posting this! I use Craigslist for everything else, but have never thought to check for plants there! I will definitely be searching there to see what I can find. What a great idea!
Great tips. I will check Freecycle and Craigslist. Thanks
Wonderful Tips. I love gardening & homesteading. I will check Craigslist. & Freecycle. Thanks 🙂
Take cuttings and many clumping plants can also be divided into two or more plants that will grow into new clumps.
Those are great tips, thanks for sharing!