Free garden plants? It’s okay to spend hundreds of pounds to plant your house or garden. You can find many resources to help you connect with other gardeners to get free plants for your oasis. Here’s where I can get (and share) free plants for my garden!
Starting gardening is expensive, just like starting any new hobby. A trip to the local garden center to buy a few plants and topsoil could cost you $100.
How To Make A Fresh Wreath From The Garden
gardening is possible with a minimal initial investment. You can even start without any! It’s easy to find free garden plants. You have to be creative.
You don’t have to steal clippings of plants from your local park. You can also get them from other plant enthusiasts in your locality!
Here are some great places to find free garden plants. I always go to these places for new plants and to share my own. You can also find cheap or free gardening supplies and seeds.
You can find all the information you need below to start gardening.
The garden will fill up quickly after two years, even if the plants are small.
First! First!
Before you can have a productive garden, you need good topsoil. It can take time to build up good soil, and many of us need the funds to buy a large amount of topsoil from the garden center. Even when purchased in bulk!
It may be tempting to obtain free garden soil through some of the sources I list below, but you should avoid it. If you bring dirt in from another place, it is possible to introduce weed seeds, pests, and microorganisms. This can lead to disaster.
Instead, I encourage you to build on your soil. Mix in sand for clay soil and as much Compost as you can. Make your compost and work it into your soil. Most cities sell bulk compost if you need more.
You can fill raised garden beds and containers with other materials. There is a whole blog post about what to use in raised beds. You can save money by adding only a top layer of soil instead of filling it with potting dirt.
Routinely adding compost to your garden beds is the best way to great fertile and well-draining soil.
How to find free garden plants in your neighborhood
You can find free and inexpensive gardening supplies and plants if you’re willing to work and have good soil.
SEED LIBRARIES
I love seeds libraries. These libraries allow people to give away free seeds and share their surplus with others. Who needs 250 basil seeds?
Planting seeds is the cheapest way to create a garden from scratch. Even if you’re looking for various plants, the cost can add up. Seed libraries are a great way to save money.
It’s also great that some people share the plants they’ve saved for their seed library. This means that you can be sure that the plants will thrive in your area because they are native to your neighborhood.
You can find some seed libraries on Google Maps, where you can also search for them. Or you can get seeds directly from your local library. To learn more about where to find seed libraries, read this post.
I’ve seen tiny sheds that are very similar, except they’re used to share gardening tools rather than seeds.
You can also find plant cuttings and other gardening resources in some seed libraries.
SEED SWAPS
Many gardening groups, community centers, and horticultural clubs will host seed swaps. This is an event where people organize their collection of seeds and bring along any they don’t want.
This reduces the amount of seeds wasted, as many sources will not germinate after a certain age. You can exchange the extra seeds with some accessible sources from another gardener.
Contact your local gardening or horticultural organizations to locate a local seed exchange. Do you need help finding a local seed swap? Why not organize one yourself? Advertise the event in local gardening Facebook groups, or ask the community center or gardening group if they will add it to their newsletter.
Tanya, my friend at Lovely Greens, has a great article about how to host your seed exchange event.
I love sharing seeds. I have saved myself with others since they come from a robust and healthy plant.
Buy Nothing Group
The Buy Nothing Project encourages people to donate items they no longer use to those in their local community.
You may either ask for or list items. If you can’t find any seeds or plants, ask someone if they have some. You can connect with a local gardener and take cuttings or divisions for free.
You can find Buy Nothing groups on Facebook. Has a list of all the groups worldwide. Download the App to connect with other people in your community.
Try to find local gardening Facebook groups. In these groups, you can share gardening tips, experiences, and even free plants.
I gave away all my extra pots in my local Buy Nothing group on my recent move.
FREE SECTION ON CRAIGSLIST & FB MARKETPLACE
It’s like the Wild West in Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. Every man/woman is for themselves.
Free items are usually claimed within an hour of their listing. You can still find some real gems if you’re willing to check often and sort through the results.
If you’ve already claimed some complimentary plants, still message the seller and ask if there are any other plants they would be willing to share or if it is possible to take some clippings to reproduce into new garden plants. Plant lovers are generally very generous and will share their plants with others.
Most gardeners are happy to share plant cuttings, making it a quick way to grow a garden.
COMMUNITY GARDENS
Community Gardens can be beautiful places. Volunteering at a community garden or connecting with one is a good idea, even if you have your own space.
You can meet other gardeners who are also great and learn from them.
IAccessing many species you may not find in garden centers. is also possible. For example, my Egyptian walking onion came from volunteering at a local community garden. The plant is still in my garden years later.
