If you enjoy finding a bargain, July can be one of the best times of year to visit your local garden centre.
As summer progresses, many retailers begin reducing perfectly healthy plants to make room for autumn stock. While some have simply finished flowering, others are still capable of putting on a fantastic display for weeks—or even years—with the right care.
Here are some of the plants worth looking out for when the discount labels start appearing.
1. Perennials
July is an excellent time to buy herbaceous perennials.
Many have already flowered, making them less eye-catching on the sales bench, but they’re often perfectly healthy. Once planted and watered well, they’ll establish before autumn and usually return stronger the following year.
Look for healthy foliage and firm stems rather than focusing on whether the plant is still in bloom.
2. Lavender
After their main flowering display, lavender plants are often reduced.
Although the flowers may be fading, the plants themselves are usually in excellent condition. Give them a light trim after flowering, plant them in a sunny, free-draining spot and they’ll reward you with fresh growth and another display next summer.
Avoid plants that have become excessively woody or show signs of poor health.
3. Roses
Many container-grown roses become discounted once their first flush of flowers has finished.
Don’t be put off if there are only a few blooms left. Healthy foliage, strong stems and plenty of new growth are much better indicators of quality.
With regular watering and feeding, many repeat-flowering varieties will bloom again later in the season.
4. Shrubs That Have Finished Flowering
Spring- and early summer-flowering shrubs often become less popular once their blooms fade.
Plants such as weigela, philadelphus and deutzia may be reduced despite being perfectly suitable for planting in July.
As long as they’re watered well while establishing, they’ll have plenty of time to settle in before winter.
5. Hardy Geraniums
Hardy geraniums are another bargain worth looking for.
They may look a little tired after their first flush of flowers, but many varieties respond well to being cut back, producing fresh foliage and sometimes another display later in summer.
They’re reliable, easy-to-grow perennials that come back year after year.
6. Herbs
Garden centres often reduce herb plants that have become slightly overgrown.
Provided they’re healthy, herbs such as thyme, rosemary, sage and oregano usually recover quickly with a light trim and regular watering while they establish.
They’re an inexpensive way to fill borders, containers or raised beds with useful edible plants.
7. Alpines
Many alpine plants have finished flowering by July, making them less attractive to casual shoppers.
However, this is often exactly when the best bargains appear.
Plant them into well-drained soil or rockeries, and they’ll spend the rest of the season establishing strong root systems ready for next year.
8. Hanging Basket and Bedding Plants
It’s common to find petunias, calibrachoa, bacopa and other bedding plants reduced during July.
Some may simply need deadheading, feeding and a light trim to produce another flush of flowers.
Choose plants with healthy green foliage rather than those that are completely dried out or badly neglected.
How to Spot a Genuine Bargain
Not every reduced plant is worth taking home.
Before buying, check that:
- The foliage is mostly healthy and free from serious disease.
- Stems are firm rather than shrivelled.
- The roots haven’t completely filled and distorted the pot.
- The compost isn’t bone dry or permanently waterlogged.
- There are signs of healthy new shoots or fresh leaves.
A plant that’s finished flowering can still be an excellent purchase, while one that’s unhealthy may never recover.
Final Thoughts
July is one of the smartest times to shop if you’re looking for value at the garden centre. Many perfectly healthy plants are reduced simply because they’ve passed their peak flowering display or retailers need space for new seasonal stock.
Choose healthy specimens, give them a little extra care while they settle in and you could save money while building a stronger, more colourful garden for next year.
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