Has this ever happened to you? You’re walking through your plant nursery or garden centre and your eyes lock on to a fabulous plant. In that moment you know you have to have one. You’re stopped dead in your tracks, admiring the foliage of something like Canna Tropicanna® and at the same time another part of your brain is saying, how will I fit this in at home? Here are 3 ways to make space in your garden for new plants, even when you thought there wasn’t any…

1. Do a bit of thinning: take a brutal view of your garden. Look for plants that are spreading out and taking over. They’re still worth having, but maybe it’s time to thin them out a little. So dig up those monster-clumps and divide them, replanting smaller bits and giving the left overs to friends and family (or the compost heap). Not only will your clumps be refreshed, but you’ll have made some space in your garden for those new gorgeous treasures you’ve just brought home from the garden centre.

2. Try a bit of a shuffle: this is where you evict some of your container plants and move them on into the garden. Lots of plants that grow in pots will thank you for the opportunity to make the move into the soil where they’ll thrive and grow into refreshed good looks. The pots that have just been vacated should be given a scrub out if you have the time, before filling them with fresh potting mix (it really makes a difference, drainage and nutrient-wise). And there you have it – empty pots just waiting for your newest garden-centre-favourites to call home.

3. Buy more pots: of course you can always buy a container at the same time as you get your new favourite plant. Just be sure to get one that’s big enough – but not too big – to give the plant room to grow. If you haven’t a stash of potting mix at home, grab some of that as well. And if you like growing things in pots, it’s a good idea to make it a habit to check out the containers on sale each time you’re at the garden centre.