Texas Gardening: Mother Lode on the "Rescue Me Aisle" @ Lowe's, 1 by UniQueTreasures

UniQueTreasures wrote:
Hello fellow plant lovers,

Earlier this week, Connie and I went to Lowe's. We really like to shop the plants at Lowe's because they are the only place in town that actually marks their plants down when they no longer are worth the money they originally asked. There is usually someone going through the plants and moving them to what Connie and I call the "Rescue Me Aisle". We've found many a nice plant there over the past few years for 25 - 50 cents. I've even gone so far as to pay half price on some of the plants that I felt were still worth it. Last month I found several orchids for $5 each. I gave them to Connie to put in her greenhouse. That's a whole 'nother story though.

We were watching the plants being moved to the Rescue Me Aisle and were picking some of them up, just as soon as she walked away to get more. The lady told us they'd be half price. We put a half a dozen or so plants into the buggy.

When we got to the register, they said that the guy that puts his "dab of spray paint" (not the person that pulls the plants) hadn't dabbed any of the plants yet (AND he'd gone to lunch) so she couldn't sell them to us for half price. We left Lowe's with some hibiscus and the gardening supplies that we went for and a whole lot of disappointment that we weren't going to get the plants we wanted at half price. Truth be told, we didn't have very many nice words to say about the dabbing dude! HAHAHAHA We know that it's a checks and balances thing for Lowe's, but still.....

OK, so yesterday, we're sitting talking and decide to make another trip to Lowe's to see if they've marked the plants down yet, and to see if there were any left that we wanted.

There were 3 racks of plants that had all seen better days. We knew though that with a little loving and tender care, they'd be beautiful once again. Used to be, they had a color chart (of sorts) on each rack, showing what each color of paint dab would be priced. There was no chart so I asked one of the "little guys" with a Lowe's vest walking by how much for a big hanging basket of petunias. He said they are all half price. Usually the hanging baskets are $4.98 when marked down. Well, I'm sorry but that plant didn't look like it was worth $5 to me, so I put it back. Lord that makes me sound cheap!

I continued to look through the racks. I must have gone around each rack 3-4 times trying to decide if I REALLY needed more plants (like a hole in the head!). It was hot and I was about to tell Connie that it was time to get outta the heat and go to Goodwill instead. (It is right down the road, and since we were close, we wouldn't want to pass up an opportunity to go! HAHAHAHA) Suddenly, there was another rack of plants that hadn't been there before. The lady that pushed them over said, "Any plant on these racks is 25 cents." I looked at her and asked, "All of these racks?" She said, "YES!" GASP!! A QUARTER???? Oh My!

Connie and I started loading up plants into the buggy. When I saw that the buggy was getting full, kidding around, I told her to get her OWN buggy. She left for a few minutes and came back with one of those two shelf rolling carts. So, since I always get carried away when something like this happens, whereas Connie contains herself, I transferred my plants to the new cart. She's more "controlled" in her colors, etc. than I am. She's an enabler though because she kept showing me things I hadn't seen and they were things that I wanted! HAHAHAHAHA Oh, remember the big basket of petunias? It went home with Connie! HAHAHA

When I couldn't find room for one more pot on that cart, we headed to the register. You'll have to read to the end of this to see how much I paid for my "mother lode"! I will post some individual photos of the plants, etc. next.

This is what I brought home yesterday. Mostly Perennials, so they will come back again and again.

Included are:

Container planters with unknown plants 2
Some type of Purple Nemesia 1
Lantana Camara Confetti 2
Vera Jameson Sedum 2
Furman's Red Salvia 4
Forest Fire Red Salvia 1
Purple Autumn Sage 1
Calla Lily - White 1
Sea Pink 3
Verbena 1
Plumbago 1
Ornamental Pepper 1
Trailing Purple Petunia with tiny blooms all over 1
White/Pink Vinca 1
Vinca Nirvana Series 1
Bat Face Cuphea 2
Unknown Cuphea 1
Rudbeckia Goldstrum 1
Potentilla Dede de Oro 1

Fortunately, most of these plants had tags with them. Some though didn't have any tags, but for a measley quarter, I figured I could find out here what they are.

YEAH!!!!! What a deal!!!

I've got BIG PLANS for these plants!


Janet