plant swaps
end of season sales
mooching from friends (offer to help them divide overgrown perennial beds)
cuttings and seeds
farmer's markets

...and grocery leftovers. I have a nice ginger plant from a 10-cent hunk of ginger root.

Here is a link that might be useful: Grocery Growing

I've gotten literaly hundreds of free plants by asking on Freecycle.
I just advertise that I'm willing to come to their house and do the digging for them and my inbox fills right up with people that have too much to deal with, or little old ladies that can't do the hard work anymore.
You'd be suprised at the variety you can get for a little hard work.
Barter for the win!!!

I brought some amazing roses from Home Depot. They are the kind that are suppose to go inside the house. People buy them, let them bloom until they fade--then they are tossed out. The ones I got have the most amazing blooms. Each pot has 4 plants created by cuttings. The cost $3.27! I bought some earlier, and they are now tall, wide and blooming like crazing. I intend to buy more.

talk about gardening, a lot. ask everyone you know to ask everyone they know for divisions and seeds. it is amazing how gardeners are willing to help eachother out.

put up a flyer at the post office,gas station, church.

also never turn down a division, even if it isn't something you want.

amanda

i posted aboveabout talking to other gardeners and getting things. well today i walked up the street to compliment a neighbor on his garden while he was out working in it and thru talking found out he has access to free plum trees. he will be delivering two of them to me in a day or two! it works! amanda

Look in the phone book and find a company that tears down houses and buildings. One such company has let me dig up the plants that were near the foundation and would be killed anyway.

Watch craigslist. I see people offering plants all of the time. craigslist.org then click on the city you are closest to. Look under the for sale heading then click on free.

Here is a link that might be useful: craigslist

garage sales/home plant sales. I have several home plant sales a year. They are very popular and I sell the plants way cheaper than any nursery.

community gardens. Many have plant sales

Many churches also have plant sales. We have one once a month.

Our farmers and consumers market bulletin here in Georgia (for all you Georgia gardeners) is chock full of plants and seeds for sale, all locally grown and very inexpensive.

You can find very unusual or oldfashioned plants by going this route!!

GGG