I don’t like to waste my money buying plants that I can easily grow from seed by myself. But there are some kinds of plants that are difficult or impossible for the home gardener to grow from seed. These are the kinds of plants I like to occasionally purchase at a reputable garden store when plants start going on sale.
Hostas come in a variety of different sizes and colors and are beautiful shade loving plants. Even though some Hostas produce seeds, it is rare that a hosta seed grows true to it’s parent. The seeds usually produce the plain green hostas with small leaves. Because of the difficulty with growing these plants, they are a great frugal buy when they are on sale.
Bulbs that live through the winter and are unattractive to critters are a great frugal buy when on sale. It is often difficult to find out which bulbs the critters leave alone, which bulbs can be left in the ground throughout the winter, and which bulbs are relatively pest/disease free. But if you have that information, you can make a wise purchase that will last many years. Here in zone 5, dahlias and gladiolas don’t survive the winter outside, but many lilies, tulips, crocuses and daffodils do survive the winter. Some varieties are pest/disease free and unattractive to critters and others are not. Research bulbs before you buy them so you don’t waste your money.
Other perennials that you’ve personally found challenging to grow, such as clematis, are great candidates to look for at garden store sales. Good luck and happy shopping at local garden nurseries.
