Look for Bargains

Garden centers often put perennials on clearance at the end of the season. Though the plants may look tired, they'll bounce back in spring. Annuals typically go on sale in early to midsummer and often put on good growth within a few weeks of planting.

Exception: Ornamental grasses. Buy young grasses early in the season and let them mature through the summer into the larger plants nurseries often sell at four times the cost.

When you need to cover a lot of ground, select spreading plants. Whether it's a vine or creeping ground cover, spreaders fill voids in your garden. And they often look a lot better than mulch. (Just make sure they have room to roam without smothering their neighbors.)

You can grow almost any plant for free from a cutting. And cuttings are a great way to grow lots of plants at once. Note: Different plants grow best from different types of cuttings. Do some research so you can have success by taking the right types cuttings in the proper season.