It depends a lot on your level of knowledge and experience as well as your budget and time. If you have the time to spend and the knowledge to know what is a bargain as farmgardener appears to, shopping clearance and at big box stores may be great. However, in my area, often plants sold at big box stores aren’t appropriate for the growing conditions in my area. I often find zone 6 plants here. So you have to have some knowledge or have the time to look things up before you buy.

For folks with little knowledge of plants and gardening, I would suggest a good garden center that has trained staff. Or if you have a friend who is a good gardener, take them with you to help you make choices.

Farmgardener, thank you for your advice! I will check out Lowe’s! I think I may have plant addiction now too lol but I’m just starting out. I feel like it makes our house feel more like a home and I have all these dreams for the backyard, we shall see how it goes lol baby steps.

NHBabs, I do think I am in zone 7 and that’s about all I know at this point :) so I will definitely make sure to take some time looking at the plants at big box stores with caution. I do love going to Marcums Nursery down the road from me, but since I’m just starting out I don’t want to break the bank and then end up killing all my plants with my lack of knowledge/practice. So the $1 plants are very appealing right now :)

All I do is if I see a plant I am not familiar with at Lowes I just Google it on my phone. Also Craigslist or local Facebook group is a good way to get reasonable plants that grow well in your location. People thin out their gardens and offer the plants for sale. Also Aldis has bushes , trees and bulbs reasonable in the spring.

I would add the suggestion for garden clubs sales as well. Often the folks there are enthusiastic gardeners.

I look at plants carefully for pests. There is a particular greenhouse near me I no longer buy from because their plants failed. That is an experience thing.