Making money from growing plants

Julia_C

Hi Everyone,

I am looking to sell some plants I have grown from seed at a local car boot sale in a few weeks time. They are cottage garden plants, lupins, delphiniums, sweet peas and sun flowers. Has anyone seen or bought any such plants recently at car boots and if so, what were they selling for? I have only sown them this year, so they will be quite small. Similar sized plants in a garden centre were going for £3.49 each!

Julia

pineapple

Can't help with pricing but I have seen all sorts of plants at car boot sales.
Bear in mind a lot of younger garden centre plants are sold in punnets so one would have to be competitive on an individual plant basis. People expect something for nothing at car boot sales!

lincroft1710

Why don't you visit one or two local boot sales and see what prices are being charged?

craftier

Hi Julia

This will be my third year selling plants at car boot sales & school fairs. I grow some from seed, and some from plug plants from Thompson & Morgan etc. For bedding plants e.g. Petunias, I start selling at 50p each before they are in flower, and 60p/75p when bigger & in flower, so we know the colour. For something like Geraniums, perhaps 75p to start going to £1 when bigger. Plants grown from cuttings of garden plants would be 25p for a small rockery type plant up to £1 for a shrub. Herbs the same small 25p, large 50/75p. I sold a lot of pots of iris grown from bulbs, last year, for 80p for a pot of 5 (which cost me 30p to produce) they went so quickly, I think I'll put the price up this year!
My advice is to have a sign giving some information about the plants e.g size, colour, where best to plant, recipe suggestion for veg plants etc...
I get most of my pots free from freecycle, so only have to pay for compost.
Remember to sell items for a profit, you need to register with HMRC. I also sell novelty gifts & crafts during the winter months, so I have the required public/product liability insurance and am registered self-employed.

mrsyardbroom

I used to sell plants to shops and local garden centres. I just walked in and offered them what I'd grown and I sold most of them that way. I also sold some from the farm next door where they sold milk and eggs and I had a little stall outside a friends shop every Saturday. It was quite lucrative.

TrissyNorris

craftier wrote: »

Remember to sell items for a profit, you need to register with HMRC.

Hi craftier, Do you have to be HMRC registered in order to sell plants in aid of charity? I was thinking of doing this at some point but will have to rethink if it's a lot of hassle. thanks

rosiethedog

Dont think you have to be if you are not making money for yourself but not 100% sure?

fannyadams

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3668667
pippilongstocking who posts on this bit of the forum has an ebay shop where she sells her plants. maybe PM her and ask her how she does it?
HTH
FAxx