I know the feeling. You drive by these homes that are landscaped so well; flowers are everywhere. Next thing you know, you are at your favorite place to buy potted plants, and you walk out with one because that one alone costs you $20.
If you want to decorate your yard with potted plants for cheap, here is how I do it every year. Maybe this will be the year you finally sit back and feel pleased with your landscaping.
My favorite way to add pops of color around the homestead is to repot hanging plants. If you aren’t growing your own annual flower seeds, this is a great choice to save money on decorating your yard with flowers.
If you have been following the blog now, you know I adore clearance. I try to buy everything on sale or clearance or not buy it at all.
Check out the video I did on this process, or keep scrolling for images.
Hanging plants are one of those frequent clearance/sale items.
Read or Pin for later: How to Start Flower Garden on a Budget
In our area here in upstate New York, I have a few favorite places I’m sure to find clearance hanging plants.
- Home Depot/Lowes- ( I love their $5 pot sale)
- Walmart
- Tractor Supply
- Aldi
- BJ’s
My go-to place when I can’t get hanging plants at the price point I need is BJ’s wholesale club. During the spring/summer months, they carry hanging baskets outside the club.
These are priced around $15 for a larger basket, but I can usually pot at least three planters from one hanging basket. I aim to spend $5 or less per planter. This will vary based on the size of your planters.
Another frugal tip for decorating your yard is to have patience. I was in love when the Trisha Yearwood line first came to Tractor Supply.
The price wasn’t crazy high, but for this frugal girl, it was high enough that I could only buy one.
Then, I found two more on clearance during the end of summer. If you don’t have cheap blood, you can buy the number of planters you want and not think twice. For the rest of us, it will pain us to wait and pain us not to buy.
BUT when we wait and get them on clearance, we get them ALL! So, that patience reminds us to walk away and wait for a better deal.
Are you striving for a debt-free lifestyle? Check out our debt-free story here.
I love these planters that say Farm Market on the outside. They also have drain holes in them which is nice. Because they were on clearance last fall ( 2019), I don’t know if these same ones will be back in 2020. I can’t find them online for you.
BUT I do have some more frugal choices similar here. I’ve also gotten great deals on planters at Wegman’s after summer.
You can see a post of these planters and more farmhouse-type ones in my post here.
The first thing you need to do is pop the hangers right off the pot. Usually, they pinch off. You can always cut them if you can’t get the plastic to slide off.
TIP: If you are looking for really cheap BIG 16″ planters- BJ’s has the best price. A huge one was only $12.99. You can see the post I did on it here.
Take the entire plant right out. Then you will start to break apart each plant to re-pot.
Push around to find each plant in the pot. You will notice they are in little clusters. When you find one, you can use a little garden shovel to go around the plant carefully.
Once you have cut around the plant, you can pull it up and add it to your planter. This will feel like you just bought these annuals in single containers.
Read or Pin: How to Start Seeds Indoors
You can mix and match your planters and colors to your heart’s desire. This is the part where you get to be creative and do what works for you.
I hope this helps inspire you to look high for those hanging plants that just may be cheap and ready to spruce up the outside of your home- on a budget, nonetheless!
Check out these 5 mistakes to avoid when starting with potted plants.
If you love having planters all over but are not a fan of all the time it takes to water, try doing this as a kid’s chore. I absolutely love having my youngest daughter in charge of watering plants in the summer.
The best part is if you buy annuals at the beginning of the season, they will grow bigger. So you can leave room in your planters for the plants. I always do this with annuals in my flower window boxes.
Yep, the first couple weeks, they look a little empty, but before you know it, the flowers have grown and are full, and I spent less money by being patient.
Supplies Needed:
- Hanging Basket Plants– You can always reuse those hanging baskets too!
- Potting Soil
- Garden Shovel
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Great article! I own a small garden center in Kansas. Another way to save money when filling your planters is to buy a French garden that is used for Memorial Day. They are filled with several plants and can easily be divided to fill several planters
@Kristin Underwood, wow! Thank you for this awesome idea! I would think that maybe other holiday planters could work in the same way. Mother’s Day is right around the corner with possibly some nice spring flower planters.
@Kristin Underwood, what is a French garden ? Who carries them
When I pot a plant – I put some pebbles in the bottom, then a square cut from a disposable diaper, plastic side down, the size of the pot, then potting soil. The diaper acts as a water reservoir. You only need to water once a week- and then only if it hasn’t rained sufficiently. I have been doing this for 20 years. You don’t have to worry about either waterlogging the roots or the plant drying out. Also, I can go on vacation for a week without watering. I do this for my indoor plants as well. I appreciate your tips as not only am I too busy to spend all my time watering, but I love gardening on the cheap.
Oh, I love that idea! I’m so glad you shared it. I still have a big box of the Doggie Potty pads, I wonder if those would work just as well.
@Twaters, wow great tip I have new stone planters with no drainage holes I have problem with downy mildew on my impatiens will this solve my drainage issue in the future ?
@Grace Miller, I do this I put peddles in the bottom of my container never had no trouble haven’t done the disposal diaper thank I will try that also
@Twaters,Love this thank you
Does it work well out in the full sun planters?
@Twaters,
Fantastic ideal❤️
You are brilliant! Heading out to find hanging baskets on clearance now!!
@TerrieChastain, me too solves my budget issue flowers have doubled in price in my area
I like the designs but wish we had cute buckets like in the picture.
Very pretty but those tubs and plants plus soil cost more than buying potted plants on sale at the Home Depot or Lowe’s. Very pretty indeed.
I got those tubs on clearance at Tractor supply! I have a post about that on the blog too.