A very dear coworker told me the other day that Lowe's had some great deals on plants. So on my way to the farm, I stopped off at a Lowe's.
Sure enough, they had a huge section of plants on sale. The sign showed 75% off. Great deal. I got my cart and walked around and picked out 15 plants and headed to the checkout.
I got up there and she rang them up and they were only $1.00 each! I started to go back and get more but I had to get on the road to the farm in case it started raining.
Sorry about this picture, the green colors kind of blended together. The final haul was:
Six rainbow lantana
Three yellow lantana
Three radio red salvia
Three blue butterfly bush
I'm going to stop again this weekend and see if they have anything else I might could use. These are all good plants for our area, drought tolerant and mostly freeze tolerant as well (lantana will freeze but usually comes back). I won't be getting them in the ground this Fall, it's a bit late in the season as we're getting cooler now for me to be able to safely put them in the ground. I'll just keep them on the porch until next Spring. It will be instant plants without having to go to the store to buy new. Hoping for some more this weekend, though fifteen new ones for next Spring planting isn't bad.
Anyone else buy the "clearance plants" in Winter?
What a deal! I also have noticed that the nurseries as well as the box stores; Home Depot & Lowes have their plants all marked down. They all want to clearance them out and make room for their new winter plants
ReplyDeleteNice haul and all plants you picked out; the butterflies love and will enjoy:}
You can gain even more savings (and more plants) by dividing the clumps into two or three sections before planting them in the ground or by putting in containers as they are probably all root bound by buying them late in season.
By diving up the plants,this will shift the majority of the plant's energy into establishing roots and increase the likelihood that they survive the winter.
Check for healthy roots. Make sure that all of your potential purchases have a strong, healthy root system. It is not uncommon to see roots peeking out of drainage holes this time of year. As long as the roots look healthy and not overly pot bound, they should be okay. If the roots are not visible, carefully slide the plant out of the pot to examine them. Pass on plants with roots that look rotted, dried out, discolored, or moldy.
Checking your plants Before leaving the store:
Check plants carefully for obvious signs of insect infestation. Examine the undersides of the leaves and stems, and then test for flying insects by brushing over the top of the plant with your hand. Another trick is to tap the foliage over a small sheet of white paper to see if any insects drop out (I've found plenty of thrip-infected chrysanthemums this way). If a swarm of insects takes to the air, or falls out on the paper, you may want to look elsewhere for plants, as they may have spread to other plants in the store.
You always find the best advice to give. Thanks. I did know to check roots and all actually looked good and not overly root bound. I did NOT think about insects though. Thanks for the tip!!
Deletegreat deal. i've done this in the past. i got maple and oak trees one year for 25 cents each!
ReplyDeleteOMG I think I'd go crazy if I found trees (no matter the size) for 25 cents each. I'd have a new forest growing ha.
DeleteWow, you got an excellent deal on those plants! A great headstart for Spring planting! I love all of the plants you selected - they are great for our area.
ReplyDeleteThat's good to hear. Glad to know they are good for you too.
DeleteNice! Plant them now. Get them in the ground so they can develop good roots before cold weather. They'll be ok, trust me 😃
ReplyDeleteOh, I didn't think about that. I know we're still a bit away from our first freeze. Thanks, I'll have to see what I can do. I do know where I want a few of them. Thank you (as always!)
DeleteI second Deb's comment about planting now. It's not as though your soil will be freezing solid. The plants will grow and get a head start for Spring. Much more likely then babying them all winter.
ReplyDeleteCool, thank you for this. I guess in my mind I just kind of think "winter is coming, not a time to plant" but year our ground rarely even freezes.
DeleteJust an FYI: lantana is highly toxic to cattle, so be careful where you plant it. Birds can carry the seeds and it germinates easily, so it's a menace even if the cattle are aways off.
ReplyDeleteReally? Thank you for this info. I know there are not cows that can get to it personally but the bird angle is an interesting thought. Thanks for this.
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