Where to Buy Plants
Whilst many gardeners may choose to grow their plants from seeds, others may choose to purchase starter plans from nurseries. If you decide to buy starter plants, as an organic gardener one of your responsibility is to find if pesticides has been uses on these plants. If any has been used on your intended purchase, you should go for plants that are organically grown and free from pesticides. You should consider the following factors before purchasing your plants.
1. Your budget, how much you have to spend will determine how many plants you can purchase.
2. The level of your gardening knowledge will determine how well you are able to evaluate a plant.
3. You should always go prepared with an idea of the type of plants you want, this will prevent impulse buying.
4. Do your research about each plant before hand to ensure that they are suitable for the climate and design of your garden. This will save you the wasted effort of purchasing a plant that cannot thrive in your garden.
5. Look for plants that are labelled with the Award of Garden Merit. These plants have been extensively tested and are known for their resilience and immunity to pests and disease.
6. The amount of time you have to spend on your garden and waiting for your plants to grow, will also determine the type of plants you purchase.
Garden Centres and Nurseries
I found these are the best places to search for your desired plants, they stock a variety of plants from bulbs to fully grown trees. You need to look for nurseries or garden centres that specializes in organic plants. These centres will do the work of checking out the conditions of the plants before selling it. They will also continue to provide organic care to each plant until sold.
Evidence that they are organic centres is that they will have some type of nationally approved certification from an organic organization. However, the drawback to this is that the prices in independent nurseries are usually higher because you are buying from smaller specialty growers who may limited resources. The positive is that they will provide very high level of care to their plants to prevent wastage.
You should also try to visit as many garden centres as possible before making a final decision on your desired plants. Consider shopping with Online garden nurseries which are becoming a growing industry for people who prefer to purchase their plants and seedlings from the comfort of their own home. You can easily search for rare varieties of plants and the nurseries will deliver your desired plants. The only drawback with online nurseries is that you cannot check the quality of the plant before making your purchase, however majority of online nurseries will allow you the option of returning your plants if they arrive in poor condition or do not grow as directed.
Visiting local and national plant fairs in the UK such as Gardening and Flower Shows/UK Gardening Events (www.rhs.org.uk), UK County Shows (www.ukcountyshows.co.uk), UK Flowers and Horticultural Events, http://www.letsgogardening.co.uk/shows.htm and Plants Fair (www.planthuntersfairs.co.uk, are also a great way to gain educational tips and socialise with other gardeners to get expert advice from gardeners from all around the country. Rare plant varieties are the highlight of such fairs and it can be very pleasing to discover species of plants you have never seen or heard of before.
Before you purchase any plants make sure you inspect each potential plant, edge the plant very gently out of its container and look at its roots. An ideal plant will often fill up the pot, but won't be restricted by it. You should avoid the plants with severely tangled roots, or are so tightly packed that no room is left for soil.
You should also ensure that the leaves of the plants are a healthy green shade unless they are supposed to be otherwise. You must also be wary of any signs of pests or disease. Plants to avoid are those with holes, ragged edges or discolouration. When buying from a large selection of the same type of plants, don't feel pressured to choose the first plant you see. Go over the individual plants carefully and choose one with a healthy firm stem and solid roots. On a whole, Independent garden centres are without doubt the best places to buy plants or shrubs because they will be well cared for.