Smart money-saving strategies when buying houseplants

However, not everyone knows how to perfectly invest in their dream garden without spending a lot of money.

Here are a few tips to help you save money while still getting the plants you want.

Research the type of plant you want to grow before buying it.

Buying the wrong plants will inevitably lead to wasted money. Before you begin, you need to determine which plants are hardy enough to thrive in your area, depending primarily on the amount of sunlight and soil type you have. Doing this will help you avoid buying plants that won't survive because they're not suited to your climate or growing conditions.

Hillary Swetz, master gardener and creator of the website Homegrown Hillary, says: “Doing your research beforehand can tell you which plants are naturally disease-resistant, drought-tolerant, or beneficial to native pollinators. You should also make sure the plants you want to grow will have enough time to thrive in your area.”

Buy plants from local nurseries.

Local growers are often knowledgeable and specialized in the types of plants that thrive in your area. Therefore, they conduct extensive research, trial and error, and consult with experts to find the best species and varieties.

All of that means that buying plants at local nurseries and garden centers not only translates into better-quality plants suited to your area, but it's also likely to be more budget-friendly than buying through a large nationwide retailer.

“Local farmers also know the proper sowing techniques and how to keep the plants healthy for sale. If they sell seedlings, you can order and buy them at a slightly higher price, but it will be a really cost-effective option in the long run,” Swetz added.

Learn about the best time to buy plants.

Savvy gardeners know that spring is the most expensive time of year to buy plants. “That’s because everyone’s excited to get back in the garden after a long winter. But wait until after the spring rush, and you’ll find that there are still plenty of plants on sale in early summer,” says Amy Andrychowicz, author of the website Get Busy Gardening. “The selection might be smaller, but you’ll save a much larger amount of money compared to what you would have spent in the spring.”

Andrychowicz added that the late fall sales are another opportunity to shop at cheaper prices: “That’s when stores are trying to clear out inventory before winter, to make room on the shelves for the next season.” She also pointed out that fall is a great time to plant perennials, trees, and shrubs as the weather gets cooler.

It's better to buy seeds and smaller seedlings.

Nurseries have to pay for labor to start, grow, and maintain their plant stock. They also factor in the cost of risks (such as crop failure and drought) into their profit margins. These are some of the reasons why larger, more mature plants become expensive. Swetz suggests: “Accept that risk and do the labor yourself to save a considerable amount of money, which is equivalent to buying seeds and small seedlings.”

Yes, larger plants offer immediate satisfaction, but if the goal is to stretch your garden budget, buying smaller plants that suit your needs is one of the best ways to achieve this.

Look for plants that can be separated.

Look for plants that look particularly plump. After bringing them home, you can split them into several pieces, essentially giving you two (or more) plants for the price of one. This works best with annuals and perennials that have multiple stems growing out of the pot.

Andrychowicz said, "I always like to buy plants that are about to break out of their pots, meaning I can divide them into two or more sections before planting them in my garden."

Save the seeds and let the plants sprout.

The natural course of a plant is to try and produce more of itself. Let some of the plants you're growing sow seeds, then use those seeds elsewhere in your yard—this is also a way to save money on buying plants. Swetz explains, "Collecting and propagating cuttings, bulbs, tubers, and rhizomes from your existing plants is also a great way to get more of the plants you love without spending a lot of money buying them."

"If you want to propagate cuttings from your favorite plants, you can soak them in water until they root, then plant them in pots," Swetz added.

Learn from the experience of other gardeners.

Gardeners tend to enjoy sharing their experiences with others. Swetz says they often offer gardening tips and plant knowledge, and they also like to share plant parts, seeds, and seedlings. She says, “You can easily find gardening groups in your area on social media, or local gardening clubs.”