Tips for Sourcing New Plants For Your Garden in a Sustainable Way

Now, while the summer season is in full swing, you should be making plans for your garden over the months to come. You might be thinking about ordering trees and shrubs to plant over the dormant period, buying seeds for winter cover crops, or even buying seeds in for next year.

But while you may well have a range of items you need to buy, here are some simple tips to make sure you source new plants for your garden in a sustainable and eco-friendly way:

First of all, try to reduce the amount you need to buy as much as possible:

• Collect your own seeds from annual crops and other annual plants.
• Take cuttings from existing plants to fill other areas of your garden. (Semi-ripe cuttings now, or hardwood cuttings in the autumn months.)
• Divide perennials for new plants.

Remember to think about asking friends or neighbours if you can propagate from their existing plants as well as using your own.

Where you do need to buy:

• Try to buy from as close to home as possible.
• Select seeds rather than plug plants.
• Buy bare-root rather than pot grown specimens.
• Try to avoid buying plants in plastic pots.
• Aim for peat-free gardening if possible and buy plants grown in peat-free media.

Seek out sustainable, organic suppliers wherever possible and look into the practices and principles of any company you deal with.