Fall is a great time of year to pick up a huge discount on plants at the local nursery and home improvement center on clearance. There are a couple of tips to choosing plants that will give you healthy growth into next year, and we have our favs that you should try this fall!

 

Tips:

• Call your nursery ahead of time, and find out when their clearance starts. First come, first served! (And best selection!)

• Ask if they have any particular type of plants that they are clearing out. One nursery might have lots of ornamental grasses, while another only has fall annuals.

• Choose plants that have a good root system, but are not too root bound. You expect to have some root tightness in a pot by the end of the season, but if the root mass is like a brick, pass…

• Don’t buy plants that have obviously not been cared for. Wilting or burned plants have probably got compromised systems and may not survive.

•  Don’t buy too late in the season. Plants need to have a chance to get acclimated before the winter cold hits, even if they are hardy varieties.

• Plant as soon as you get them home, water well for the rest of fall, and mulch for winter.

OUR TOP PICKS FOR PLANTS

Ornamental Grasses

Grasses tend to do very well as late fall transplants, and there are usually many varieties in clearance sales. There also tends to be the less obvious choices left in clearance so you won’t have the same ones as every other person on the block!

 

Hardy Herbs

Any hardy herbs are great for clearance, and I try to get them in gallon containers so I can divide them and plant them as several plants. Thyme, sage and bee balm are my favorites for fall sales.

 

Daylilys

Hardy and tough, these tubers can withstand almost anything… consider trying a whole bed at these prices!

 

Yarrow

We love yarrow. Not only does it give you great foliage and flowers, it can be easily divided, and in some areas is semi evergreen! In yellow, pinks, reds and whites, we can’t get enough of this one. Did we mention it’s drought tolerant too?

 

Any hardy perennial you have never tried, but wanted to. It’s much easier to take a chance on a perennial you always wanted to try when its 75% off… so if you are drawn to it, now is the time to take a chance!

So take advantage of fall plant clearance sales and get a little garden candy for next season for very little money…Just remember, you have to have a place to plant it! Getting carried away will not help in the long run. Trust me. :)