Carboot Sales ~ Something of an Untapped Source of Plants?

Over the last few weeks I've been managing to get round a few carboot sales and there's been impressive amounts of plant stalls, especially yesterday and today. More often than not the prices are very good too and far cheaper than garden centres, there's a regular stall at one I visit that sells perennials at £2-£3 depending on the variety and these are good sized plants in 2lt pots not little things in 8cm pots.

Today we visited a carboot sale that is only held once every 6 weeks and it was huge and very busy. I got talking to a lovely old gentleman that was selling alpine plants at 50p to £1 a plant, I bought 6 for £3.50 , turned out he used to supply the local garden centres with alpines but he's now retired and just does it for a hobby now - he really knew his stuff

Off another stall I got a small clay alpine 'pan' and 2 small clay pots for £1 for all 3 and a bag of small gravel off another for 50p. So in one morning, for £5 I managed to knock these up when I got home (excuse the weeds in the patio )



Worth a visit if you have local carboot sales, you just don't know what you might find

 

Tut, tut, weeds in the patio, grass too, here on Gardener's Corner we prefer a higher class of patio weed, dandelions, couch, wood avens, dock, the real big tenacious boys, not tame, whip-it-out-in-seconds weeds like grass, oh no.

Fab bargains, haven't been to a car boot in years, must try to get to one now it's high booting season.

 

I'm a complete convert! I have never got up on a Sunday morning with so much enthusiasm. In the last 2 weeks I have bought about 15 various plants for £25. I'll update my diary soon so you can see my bargains.

 

Not been to a car boot since I was about 15 when my mum used to drag me up out of my bed on Sundays
Those type of bargains might tempt me back though

 

I used to sell veg plants at a car boot sale, folk used to try to knock you down from 50p a tray around here

 

I am a regular at the car boot sales. Yesterday and today I stocked up on Fuchsias (80p each) and also got a dozen good hanging baskets.

 

Never been to a car boot sale, I thought they only sold junk.
A mate got me one or two good tools though, at one round his way.

Nice plants Bilbo

 

I know, I know, shameful it is but I have so many other things to be doing they'll have to wait

Also at the carboot I picked up 25 2-3lt pots for £1

 

I've recently got some Sempervivum for 50p a pot - three different species/varieties. plus a good sized Gaura lindheimeri for £1.50 from one of the small nurseries that do the car boots around here. They were selling good sized Clematis and Passiflora for £4 too.

 

Most of it is Pete. We went as I wanted a couple of large rugs - worth checking the booties out before buying new (the one that I saw in a shop was £175). Nowt worth having rug wise, but left with a few bits and bobs, including a working (and accurate now) mantle place clock for 50p (I like clocks that tick).

 

I got some strawberry plants about 6 years ago for about 25pence each. I want some more now and went to a couple of garden centres and they are between £1.50 and £1.80 each. I need 10 so I think I will look at the local car boot, I may even get some other bargain plants

Rusty

 

Heck, Rusty, in a few months I'll have so many new strawberry plants running around that I'll pay you to give 20 a good home! Not exactly shy in the reproduction department, strawberries. It's a crime to charge for them, really.

Obviously, they wouldn't give you a crop this year but you'll get better results from September established plants with good root systems, anyway.

 

50p each fro 10-off (inc postage) off eBay.

35p each if you buy 35-off ...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-20-OR-...AINSEASON-LATES-AND-EVERBEARERS-/190834314956

Just the first link that I turned up ... but they've sold quite a few already

 

I love car-booting, you can usually find something useful, you might not need it, but it`s useful I always say to my friend " I am NOT going to buy any plants" and come home with half a dozen "must haves"

 

Know what you mean Zigs, I sold plants to a friend (no more) for his garden, but he was selling them on again at 3 times the price, seen him, then when he came back for more i asked him are you selling them on, No, was the answer, so he had no more plants after that