With many trees and shrubs at the dormant stage right now in early spring, garden beds and borders are left looking a bit empty and sparse before everything gets growing again. But March can be a good time to take stock, and while borders are bare, you can see where there are gaps and what might need filling.
After losing a large shrub in one of my borders last summer, there’s a hefty space that needs filling up, and I’ve had my eye on buying a magnolia tree to bridge the gap. A magnolia is the ultimate high-impact plant when it is in bloom, but buying a mature plant, it can work out pretty pricey.
But with a bit of savvy shopping around at the garden centre, I’ve managed to bag a good-sized magnolia for a bargain price, and early spring is a great time to pick up similar bargains.
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1. Check the clearance area
March is when garden centres clear out any leftover winter stock to make space for spring arrivals so it’s a great time to pick up any bargains.
Trees and shrubs that have sat there over winter, are still at the dormant stage in March, so will look quite bare and unexciting, but as long as the plant is still healthy, once planted out it will start actively growing again as the weather warms up.
The magnolia I bagged was marked down by 50%, so cost me under £40, but it’s healthy and a generous size and will fill out over time once it gets growing again.
2. Visit early in the day
Persistence pays off when you’re after a bargain. Visit garden centres early in the morning to get the best choice of plants as sale items move fast. And visit regularly, as stock often gets moved around and different plants brought out at different times of the day or week.
And make use of any garden centre reward cards or special ‘double discount’ days to get more money off if you can.
3. Buy bare root plants
Another way of getting an early-spring bargain is to buy bare root plants. These are sold without pots or soil around the roots and bare root roses and trees are generally a cheaper option (although they are dormant between November and March).
As March is the last month of dormancy for bare root plants before the growing season begins again, it’s a good time to pick them up cheaply as garden centres will often mark them down heavily to clear their stock.
4. Inspect before buying
While it’s great to pick up a bargain, always check they are healthy before rescuing plants from the sale area. It’s not a bargain if plants are diseased or half dead.
Dormant plants should have firm, flexible stems that bend easily without breaking or feeling brittle. Do the ‘scratch test’ and use your fingernail to scratch a small section of the stem – it should be green and moist underneath rather than brown and dry.
Healthy roots should be firm, white or light tan in colour and smell quite earthy, not brown, slimy, mushy or too spindly.
The magnolia I bought has plenty of firm, fuzzy buds, which will come into bloom later in the spring when it starts growing again.
5. Ask the experts
Make friends with the garden centre staff if you visit often. They’re super-knowledgeable about the plants and are happy to advise before you buy. I picked up some useful tips when choosing the magnolia for my garden.
And if you’re a regular visitor, they may give a heads-up about when plants are likely to be ‘marked down’.
6. Be ready to plant
Be prepared to plant out as soon as you get plants home, especially bare root plants. For a temporary measure plants can be ‘heeled in’ which involves digging a shallow trench, placing the roots inside and covering with compost or sand to protect them and keep them moist.
Shop these planting essentials
Spear & Jackson Stainless Steel Border Spade
This spade is ightweight and has a smaller head for easy digging
Verve Ericaceous Peat-free Compost
Most magnolias prefer slightly acidic conditions so a peat-free compost like this will work a treat.
Ensure that trees stay secure when planting with a tree stake.
Do you have any money-saving tips when buying plants?
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