Free Gardening Stuff – Seeds, Plants, Soil & Tools

How to Get Free Gardening Stuff

I love to garden — but I hate paying for all the supplies. Seeds, plants, soil, mulch, pots and tools add up fast, especially when you’re starting a new garden.

Luckily, gardeners are also some of the best people at sharing. Between seed libraries, plant swaps, community programs, local giveaways and things you can reuse or propagate yourself, there are plenty of ways to garden for free (or pretty close to it).

Here are some of my favorite places to look for free gardening supplies.

Free Seeds

Seeds are probably the easiest gardening freebie to find. Libraries, seed swaps, community gardens and local gardening groups often have seeds available for free.

You can also save seeds from your own garden. Beans, peas and many tomatoes and herbs are great places to start. Once you begin saving and swapping seeds, one packet can turn into years of plants.

See our complete guide to getting free seeds →

Free Plants & Cuttings

Before buying another starter plant, check your local gardening community. Gardeners regularly divide perennials, thin seedlings and propagate plants — which means they often have extras to give away.

Buy Nothing and neighborhood groups
Local gardening clubs
Plant and seed swaps
Community gardens
Friends and neighbors
City and community plant or tree giveaways

You can also make new plants from ones you already have. Many herbs and houseplants can be propagated from cuttings, while established perennials can often be divided into multiple plants.

See our complete guide to getting free plants →

Person shoveling mulch into wheelbarrow for gardening.

Free Mulch, Compost & Soil

Mulch and compost can get expensive when you’re filling large garden beds. Check your city or county first. Some communities offer residents free mulch, compost or other recycled yard materials.

Tree services, local gardening groups and neighborhood giveaway groups can also be good sources. People frequently give away leftover fill dirt, compost, mulch and partially used bags of garden soil after finishing projects.

See our guide to finding free mulch →

Free Gardening Tools & Supplies

Tools are harder to find completely free than seeds and plants, but secondhand gardening supplies are everywhere if you know where to look.

Ask friends and family: People who no longer garden may have pots, tools, hoses or other supplies sitting unused.
Buy Nothing groups: Watch for shovels, pots, planters, hoses and hand tools.
Community gardens: Some maintain shared tools for members or volunteers.
Tool libraries: Some communities have lending libraries where residents can borrow garden and home-improvement tools.
Reuse what you have: Buckets, food containers, milk jugs and other household items can often become planters, watering containers or garden organizers.

Free Garden Pots & Containers

Don’t overlook containers. Gardeners accumulate pots like crazy, so local giveaway groups are a great place to find them.

You can also reuse buckets, nursery pots and food-safe containers for container gardening. Just make sure anything used as a planter has adequate drainage. Just think outside the box!

Free Gardening Printables & Resources

You don’t have to buy a fancy garden planner either. Seed-starting charts, planting calendars, garden planners, plant markers and other gardening printables are widely available for free.

Your local extension service is another great resource for free planting calendars and gardening information tailored to your area.

Free Garden Classes, Events & Giveaways

Keep an eye on libraries, extension offices, garden clubs, community gardens and local stores for free gardening events and workshops. Depending on the event, you may come home with seeds, starter plants or other gardening supplies.

Earth Day, Arbor Day and the beginning of the spring growing season are especially good times to look for plant and tree giveaways.