These tips from American site Frugillionaire apply just as well to British people.
Want a beautiful backyard on a budget? You don’t have to pay retail prices at the nursery or home improvement store.
Here are ten ways to get free plants:
1. Drive around your neighborhood on trash day. You’ll often find potted plants on the curbside, and healthy greenery amidst the landscaping “debris.”
2. Contact landscapers, and ask if you can have the plants they’re tearing out.
3. Ask local nurseries if you can have their old stock when they clear their shelves for new inventory.
4. Check community resources; some towns offer free trees for residents to plant.
5. Browse through offerings online at Freecyle.org and Craigslist.com.
6. Save seeds from your flowers and vegetables, and plant them.
7. Plant self-seeders. Your garden will grow fuller each year, with no additional work or expense.
8. Take cuttings from your current plants (or those of friends and neighbors), and grow new ones.
9. Make friends with gardeners. They’ll often give away extra plants when clearing their beds.
10. Invest in perennials. You may have to buy the first batch, but they’ll multiply over time. Individual plants can be divided about every three years.