Garden expert reveals how you can 'save a fortune' on new plants this month

Although this season sees many plants starting to go dormant, that doesn't mean you can't add even perennials to your garden and start building it again for spring next year. And if you're looking to save pennies, then now is a great time to get started.

Whether you want to make your garden look more expensive or are simply a plant collector, buying plants at the garden centre can become dear pretty quickly. Luckily, this time of year is actually the best for saving money in the garden whilst adding some more plants to it.

If you are looking to add to your plant collection, Ish Kamran, garden designer and content creator on Instagram @gardening.with.ish, has shared his advice for snapping up bargains at the garden centre.

It's no secret that most plants aren't looking their best as we head into the winter months; in fact, whilst you've been sorting your garden out, you've probably noticed many going dormant.

The same is true at the shops and garden centres; many plants are discounted because they don't look as good as they do in season. But that's great news for gardeners looking to save some money.

"One of the best pieces of advice I can give you for buying plants on a budget is to buy some of them right now, just before winter. Which, when you're looking at them, seems a little bit mad," says Ish.

"But actually, these, instead of being 13 pounds, 15 pounds and nearly 20 pounds, were one pound fifty. Which is absolutely ludicrous on the side of it, but what have I got here? I've got a hosta, a dahlia and a salvia; let's see what we've gotta do with it," he adds.

"The hosta is actually looking okay; it's just come to the end of its season; it had a little bit of a flower. All you have to do is remove some of this spent foliage, and I'd probably store it either in the ground right now or in the greenhouse until springtime, and I'll plant it back out. We'll have a big mature hosta for 50p," Ish explains.

Salvias are a great plant to find on discount; they're incredibly hardy and can make a big impact in a smaller garden thanks to their tall growth and vibrant colour.

"Now, the salvia has had a little bit of stress, but it has recovered quite well. What I'll do is leave this be. I'm not going to do anything; I'll probably have this out in the garden. It's hardy enough, and when it comes to spring, I'll take the top third of it off, encourage it to side shoot. No doubt this will be a huge salvia bush in spring and summer," says Ish.

Learning how to grow dahlias does require a little more effort when it comes to their tubers and storing them over winter, but the payoff is definitely worth it.

"The dahlia is a really interesting one because normally, when that kinda of a bit spent and rotten, you think that probably not going to do. But I do have an alive stem," he adds.

"And if you're not 100%, grab the plant right out of the pot and have a look for the tuber. If it's spongy and moist, it's too far gone, but if it's still quite solid, which means it's fine. Cut that stem off, let it dry out and plant it back up in the spring," Ish says.

"So, I've saved, what, 50 pounds on plants, and all I had to do is simply rescue them for five minutes," Ish points out.

Although these plants need a little more attention and care when you first get them, the discounts you can get far outweigh the effort needed to help them thrive.