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how to be a gardener - The complete online guide BBC Homepage Lifestyle Gardening Part One Part Two Are you signed in? Go here for more information Practical planting Preparing the ground Buying plants Choosing healthy plants How to read the label Planting Test your knowledge Go further Plant lists Interactives Glossary Credits Programme information Help with plugins Gardening newsletter Site map
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4 - Buying plants Print page
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Buying plants - annuals © Buying plants Thanks to the plastic flowerpot, plants are grown, sold and planted all year round. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking advantage of someone else’s labour and buying ready-grown plants. Visiting garden centres and especially nurseries will introduce you to new plants you might not otherwise come across. Garden centres These days many garden centres are like department stores. Plant sales are only one aspect of their business. Nevertheless, a good one will sell a reasonable range of ‘everyday’ plants, and you can choose the best plants.
Nursery plants Nurseries Usually small businesses run by enthusiasts who specialise in a particular plant type; alpines , clematis, old-fashioned perennials , herbs, rhododendrons, and so on. Nurseries are fantastic places to buy unusual plants, and owners are often generous with their knowledge. Online and mail order Both options are becoming increasingly popular and the internet is a great source for locating specialist nurseries. But you don’t get to see what you have ordered until it arrives. This isn’t such a problem with specialist nurseries. It is also a popular way to buy young plants (also known as ‘plugs’ ) which are easy to pack and cheap to mail. Watch the clips Watch the clips on choosing healthy plants , planting preparation and sealing your fertiliser . Previous next
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4. Practical planting Introduction Preparing the ground Buying plants Choosing healthy plants How to read the label Planting Test your knowledge Go further
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Plant lists View plant lists on: Alpines Bulbs Clematis Evergreen plants Grafted plants Find thousands more plants in the BBC Gardening database .
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