I love browsing nurseries and garden centers especially in summer when every inch of retail space is packed with plants. High-end stores with rare plants and artisan made pottery give me so much inspiration. If I let myself, I could spend a lot, but a spending  hangover would take the fun out of it. Instead I’ve grown a large indoor plant collection by cultivating the plants I own and finding bargains. Here’s how to grow your plant collection without shrinking your bank account. 

Scan Craigslist & Offer Up

Type “plants” in the search bar of your local Craigslist, and you’ll usually find a mix of affordable or even free houseplants. People often list plants during the chaos of a move when, “everything must go.” Use this to your advantage. Sellers expect to negotiate, so decide what you’d like to pay and make them an offer.

Look For Clearance Rack Plants

If you are confident about rehabilitating a plant, look for a clearance rack at your local Lowe’s or Home Depot. The plants might be struggling, but the prices will be lower.  If you don’t see a clearance rack, you can take a damaged or neglected plant to customer service, and ask for a discount. 

Check Your Refrigerator 

Avocado seeds, celery roots, and pineapple parts are future houseplants. An avocado seed actually produces a beautiful plant. Support your seed with toothpicks, submerge half of the seed in water, and wait. The seed will split and send a pretty green shoot up, that you can later  transfer to a pot. 

Share Cuttings With Friends 

Big beautiful plants need trimming at some point. Most people won’t mind giving you a tiny snippet of their healthy plant. Succulents like jades and burro’s tails propagate easily, and vining plants root in water. Roots take time to grow, but it’s rewarding to raise a plant from a cutting.

Attend Plant Swaps

Plant swaps are fun!  Local garden centers and plant shops often host these gatherings, so check their community board or join their mailing list for notices. Collectors bring houseplants they’d like to trade, put them on display, and swap with other plant enthusiasts. Don’t be shy, plant people are good people. 

Shop Your Own Collection

Sometimes you already have what you need. My hoya carnosa compacta looked old and weathered. I really wanted a fresh one. Currently, these particular hoyas are scarce and expensive – $40. for a small one. Instead of spending, I cut my old hoya back, saved the healthy stem sections, and used them to grow a new plant. I ended up with two fresh-looking “new” plants instead of overpaying.

You really don’t have to spend a lot to have a big beautiful plant collection. Plants are accessible to everyone and just waiting for good homes. Buying plants is fun, but it’s also fun to acquire plants in unique ways. This way your plant has a story and your wallet stays full.