Purchasing indoor and outdoor plants is becoming more common as more people purchase online. Nowadays, a lot of nurseries provide a mail-order service via their website, which gives us the chance to buy plants that we may not be able to locate in our neighborhood garden centers.
There’s something to be said about going plant shopping in person; apart from being fun, it lets you see how healthy the plant is (you can check to make sure the leaves aren’t infected and the roots aren’t stuck to the container, for example). Many people don’t have the time to traipse around their local nurseries in search of the precise species or variety they want, and internet vendors are so vulnerable to feedback that it’s uncommon to get a sick specimen in the mail. Online nurseries are thus doing a booming business. We selected a few of our top picks for stunning, dependable, and unique plants.
For a variety of plants
Certain providers provide an extensive assortment of various plant species, ranging from trees to plug bedding plants, making it possible for you to complete your seasonal plant shopping with only one easy payment. One of the greatest for indoor and outdoor gardening is crocus. Beth Chatto offers a great selection, particularly if you’re looking for something a little odd or for a particular spot, like shade or gravel borders. Burncoose has a wide variety of plants, with a focus on magnolias and rhododendrons. Another excellent provider is Sarah Raven, who specializes in cutting plants, bulbs, and clematis and offers a wide variety of plant species.
Regarding evergreens
Herbaceous perennials, which include Sanguisorba, Achillea, and Salvia, bloom profusely in the summer before dying back in the fall. The selection provided by Beeches Nursery is good and includes a number of rare types. In addition, Claire Austin specializes in peonies and irises and offers an excellent assortment of perennials. Some nurseries are worth searching out for their specific forms and quality, even when they only provide one or two plant species. Blackmore and Langdon, for example, is a delphinium specialist.
Regarding roses
Roses may provide a fragrant touch to your garden throughout the summer, but there are so many types available, disease is a common problem, and many are unscented, that purchasing from a specialized rose nursery is highly recommended. David Austin has an excellent collection of climbers and shrub roses, including the brand’s own English roses, which can be very expensive but have impressive disease resistance and flower power. Trevor White specializes in old, historic roses, which are often more romantic and fragrant. Peter Beales offers a huge choice of different types of roses at reasonable prices.
When to purchase: Roses may be planted in containers at any time of year, but November to March is the ideal time to plant them since that’s when bare-root roses, which establish more quickly and at a lower cost, are available.
Regarding grasses
When combined with floriferous perennials, ornamental grasses provide a realistic meadow effect and prolong the season into the fall, when many of them take on copper, gold, or golden tones. Knoll Gardens provides an excellent collection, and Beth Chatto (above) has a decent assortment as well.
When to buy: While less hardy varieties like Miscanthus and Panicum are best planted in late spring, the hardiest grasses, such Stipa and Deschampsia, may be put in the ground in the fall.
Regarding herbs
It’s worthwhile to get herbs from a specialized source when growing a bed of herbs, particularly for culinary purposes, since they may provide uncommon flavors like lime and chocolate mint. Norfolk Herbs is an excellent source for fragrant pelargoniums and is also highly trustworthy.
When to purchase: Herbs may be planted any time of year, depending on the variety, but most people find that April is a good time to buy them, and September is the second-best month.
Regarding fruit
Produce from your own fruit tree is often sweeter than that found in stores, and in the spring, it produces beautiful clouds of blossoms. Purchasing fruit trees from a specialized nursery eliminates the hassle, however they might be challenging for first-time buyers. Keepers and Blackmoor are both excellent. They can advise you on the finest varieties and rootstock choices for the soil, size, climate, and other factors of your garden.
When to buy: Bare-root plants are available from November to March, and the majority of fruit trees and shrubs may be planted between fall and spring.
Regarding decorative trees
A tree is the ideal plant to add charm to a yard and attract birds; it also keeps you company throughout the year. A wonderful assortment is available at Bluebell Arboretum and Nursery, which includes a variety of acers, birches, cherries, and rowans.
When to buy: Fall and spring are the ideal seasons to plant trees that are cultivated in containers. Typically, bare-root trees are only accessible from November to March.
For those who climb
Cover walls, fences, pergolas, arches, and sheds with climbing plants to provide color and fragrance. Thorncroft has a nice selection of climbers, such as honeysuckles and jasmines, as well as a wide variety of clematis that blossom at various times of the year.
When to buy: Spring or fall are the ideal seasons to grow most climbing plants.
For light bulbs
These colorful flower bombs provide a burst of color to the yard all spring long and are often simple to cultivate. Purchasing bulbs from a specialized bulb provider like Broadleigh is advised since bulbs, tubers, and corms need careful storage. Some even specialize on just one kind; Trecanna, for example, is a specialist in crocosmia. Crocus and Sarah Raven (above) both have an excellent selection of bulbs.
When to buy: Daffodils prefer September, while tulips do best in October and November. Spring bulbs should be planted in the fall. Bulbs that bloom in the summer may be planted in the spring.
Regarding indoor plants
Nowadays, there is a wide selection of internet stores offering houseplants. Happy Houseplants, Daisies, and Beards are all dependable. The previously stated crocus is another excellent option. When purchasing cacti, make sure you choose plants cultivated in the UK (such as those found at C&V Cacti) as opposed to those that could have been stolen from the wild.