| Alongside big garden stores, specialist nurseries and | | | | "Yellow Honeysuckle" but many more will be attracted |
| mail-order suppliers there is an informal network that | | | | to a more informative label reading, for example, |
| supplies many of us with our favourite plants. Think of | | | | "Honeysuckle "Sweet Sue" very free-flowering and |
| the market plant stall, village fete, church or school | | | | compact with fragrant flowers that open |
| bazaar - all of these are a great source of every kind | | | | creamy-white and age to yellow." This is a lot of |
| of plant. You've probably bought plants from these | | | | information to put onto a small label, so unless your |
| events, but have you ever considered selling your own | | | | handwriting is very neat, or you have access to the |
| - either to make money or perhaps to help a charity or | | | | right IT to prepare printed labels, then you might want |
| other good cause? | | | | to invest in large size labels. |
| Growing plants for sale can be as simple as just | | | | Don't fall into the trap of labeling your plants as |
| growing on surplus seedlings instead of discarding | | | | "organically-grown" even if they are as this is a legal |
| them, or perhaps potting up unwanted herbaceous | | | | minefield. Much better to say simply that your plants |
| plants when you're dividing overgrown specimens. | | | | have been grown without the use of chemical |
| Save your plastic pots or beg them from neighbours - | | | | fertilisers or pesticides (if that's true of course). |
| then put them to good use. When reusing plant pots | | | | Whether you're selling plants for yourself or as a |
| though, be sure to wash them thoroughly to avoid | | | | fund-raising venture, then presentation is of the utmost |
| spreading pests or diseases. | | | | importance. Clean pots and healthy plants are |
| If you're planning to grow plants to make money, then | | | | absolutely essential. You'll also have an advantage |
| do start small, spending as little as possible on your | | | | over the competition if you make your plant stall look |
| new venture while you test your market and discover | | | | as attractive as possible. A wooden trestle table looks |
| whether or not you enjoy growing plants to sell. | | | | great, and you could try and obtain some rustic |
| Remember that quality is better than quantity - it's | | | | wooden boxes to put your plants in to conceal the |
| much better to have ten healthy, well-grown young | | | | plastic containers they're growing in. You'll want to look |
| plants that are crying out "buy me!" rather than 50 | | | | good too, and you will in one of our great canvas |
| weedy specimens that look as though they need | | | | gardening aprons, sure to draw business to your stall! |
| rescuing. To produce good specimens you must pot | | | | Finally, once you've made your sale, your customers |
| them on regularly and water and feed often - rather | | | | will need something to carry home their plants. Why |
| than just when you remember! Plants also need space | | | | not use strong brown paper carrier bags stamped |
| and air around them, with good lighting - cramped | | | | with your details for their future reference. And why |
| plants will become leggy and be much more prone to | | | | not pop in a card too - we could customize one of our |
| problems from pests and diseases. | | | | designs and print it on business cards for you - just the |
| Labeling is important too. Some people will be quite | | | | ticket for further sales or to promote your charity or |
| happy to take a chance and buy a plant labeled | | | | good cause! |