Any ideas how to get plants, flowers, seeds inexpensively?

I would love to plant flowers and veggies in our yard, but they are so expensive. Is there a trick to getting them at a reasonable price. Do nurserys throw away plants that aren't in good shape? Any ideas???

Any ideas how to get plants, flowers, seeds inexpensively?
There are vegetables that are really easy to grow from seeds:





- all kind of pumpkin/zucchini etc.


- runner beans (slightly poisonous if not cooked thoroughly)


seeds are generally inexpensive








Then there are seed that you can virtually peek up from the street; easy to grow are:


- acer trees


- taxus trees (poisonous)








Then there are plants that are really easy to grow from cuttings your friends, neighbours or relatives could give you - just put a twig in the ground, and it'll root:





blackberries


hazelnut


forsythia (slightly poisonous)


some roses





geranium


ivy


all sorts of succulents: sempervivum, sedum, aptenia (if you live in the right zone), etc.











I once did pick up half-dead plants at a garden centre for 70% off; and they turned out to be beautiful at the end of summer; but you never hve the guarantee that they survive; and many garden centres do not like to do that - they rather burn that stuff to keep prices up.
Reply:Wal*Mart. i got seeds there and surprisingly they grow very very well. only 97 cents-$1.20 for a pack of seeds. and i got great plants for under $7 dollars each
Reply:get perrinials from folks who have them and start your own seeds
Reply:Most nursery's throw away plants that aren't in good shape or sell at a reduced cost, but you need to ask as they will want to sell the good ones at a good price first.
Reply:WELL DOWN HERE IN MISSISSIPPI---WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL PLANT SWAPS--IF YOU GOT PLENTY OF PLANTS THAT YOU DON'T WANT--AND SOME ONE ELSE HAS A DIFFERENT PLANT--THAT THEY GOT TOO MANY OF -- WE SWAP EM -- YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE SOME PLANTS TO SWAP--SOME PEOPLE WILL JUST GIVE AWAY THEIR EXTRAS--TO KEEP FROM LETTING EM JUST DIE---AFTER YOU GIT YOU SOME PLANTS STARTED--LEARN HOW TO SAVE THE SEEDS AND TO PROPAGATE OTHERS SO YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE SOME FOR NEXT YEAR--ALSO WE SWAP SEEDS FROM RARE PLANTS THE SAME WAY---CHECK AN AREA GARDENERING CENTER TO SEE IF THEY KNOW IF THERE S A PLANT AND SEED SWAP IN YOUR AREA