Money-saving garden deals

Late summer and early fall are good times to reap substantial savings for your yard if you know what and where to buy. Nurseries start putting perennials on sale. In many areas, bargains on trees abound as growers make way for new arrivals. Follow our expert advice to get the biggest bloom for your buck.

Annuals and Perennials

• Go dormant with roses. Rosebushes are cut-rate in many parts of the country because it's too late to plant them this season. But you can buy them now to enjoy next year if you store them properly. Put them in your basement or garage, and water them just once a month so they'll go dormant. They'll be ready to plant in the spring, says Alissa Shanley, a landscape designer with B.Gardening, in Denver.

• Pot tropicals. Bougainvillea, passionflower, and many other delicate tropicals won't last outdoors much longer in most climates. Buy them now while they're discounted, and put them in pots to spiff up your home this fall and winter, suggests Shanley. Care for them as you would any houseplant. Come spring, put the pots outside to fill in garden bare spots.

• Don't be a neat freak. A common practice is to pinch back, or deadhead, spent annuals once they've flowered and faded. Don't do it. Rather, let these supposedly one-shot blooms such as petunias, pansies, and violas go to seed. The seeds will scatter and may take hold, producing a second round of blossoms in early fall.

Bulbs

• Buy the best. If you want to get lots of big blooms year after year, it's worth investing in quality bulbs. (Remember, fall is the time to plant spring-flowering bulbs.) They should be plump, not overly dry, and with no soft spots. The bulbs you find in open bins at home and garden centers are often substandard, says Lance Walheim, a garden expert with Bayer Advanced, which makes home and garden pest-control products. Better to order from a bulb specialist such as Van Bourgondien (800-622-9997) or Breck's (513-354-1511). Van Bourgondien offers Web-only specials, as well as $5 and $10 deals. Breck's accepts reservations for popular bulbs and offers a lifetime guarantee: If you are unhappy with anything you order, even after you have planted it and it has bloomed, the company will send you a replacement or a full refund.
  

• Multiply and divide. Choose bulbs that "self-naturalize" (divide underground), such as daffodils, freesias, grape hyacinths, and snowdrops. You'll get more plants each year without buying new bulbs. And if your friends and neighbors are avid gardeners, see if they'll be digging up bulbs to separate and replant. They might have extras to trade or give away.

Landscape Trees

• Plant a tree. Although prime tree-planting season is yet to come, some nurseries begin discounting trees by as much as 50 to 75 percent in the fall, says Charlie Nardozzi, a senior horticulturist with the NGA. The key is to avoid plants that are "root bound," says Walheim. How to tell? Knock the plant out of its container. If all you see are white roots and hardly any dirt, the tree is root bound and probably stressed by being in its container too long. It may not survive the winter. Also, don't waste money on tightly staked trees, which aren't likely to last, either. A too-restrictive stake inhibits tree growth and weakens the trunk. And stay away from trees with foliage that's brown at the edges. That can mean the plant has been allowed to dry out and might not be healthy, according to Walheim.

• Be part of the club. Join the National Arbor Day Foundation for a mere $10,and you'll get 10 free 6- to 12-inch starter trees, postage paid. The foundation will make sure the trees are suitable for your climate and will ship them at the appropriate time for fall or spring planting. For detailed information, go to the foundation's Web site.

Go Wholesale

• Look in your phone book under "Plants, Wholesale." Some outlets catering to landscapers also sell to the public at near-trade prices. Signage might not be detailed and you might not get much personal assistance, but you will probably save a bundle.

Essential information: Make fall cleanup less of a chore with the expert advice in our end-of-season guide, which also includes tips for maintaining your lawn gear. And read our latest report on power blowers for advice on finding the right model for your yard.

This article first appeared in the August 2006 issue of Consumer Reports Money Adviser.