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If I followed my every plant purchasing impulse, I would have to get a real job. Admittedly I am mesmerized by low-price tags. But I think I also feel a bit self-righteous in saving the dogeared victims of too many days on a table. Clearance shopping for perennials, bulbs, shrubs and tropicals is a great strategy for the gardener who wants to invest a little more time in shopping and caring for new plants, and a lot less money.
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 Why are plants put in clearance? Just like shoes or books, plants are clearanced for several reasons. Nurserymen try to guess the interest of the buying public, but flowers don't always sell as anticipated. That must have been the case last fall when my store had a table full of perennial Montauk daisies for 50 cents each. Sellers like to keep displays attractive by weeding out the odds and ends, especially in big, high volume stores. Some plants are just showing the strain of less than ideal care, and others take a tumble and get a little smashed. 
This Nipponanthemum nipponicum has come through the winter looking happy. It may have been on sale simply because none were in bloom at the right time in the nursery.
What to look for
Special stickers or signs will draw your attention to the discount greenery. These cheap plants might be labeled and left in their display area, especially if there is a large quantity offered, or they may be moved to a separate rack. I often find the rejects at the back of the outdoor garden department or greenhouse. Make a habit of checking that sale cart at each visit; you'll become familiar with typical offerings and how quickly they may change. Orchids whose flowers have dropped, for example, are clearance "frequent flyers" in a store I visit. In their small pots, they still seem pricey. Some day I'll learn about their special needs and bring one home for the challenge of nurturing it back into bloom.  I had just read an interesting article about Sanseverias by palmbob when I found this huge but slightly damaged one at half price. I dressed it up in a new basket and found it a perfect spot in my home. Occasionally you may find a rack full of apparent rejects still sporting their full-price stickers. Find a manager and ask about it. She may not have had time to retag the pots after pulling them from the regular display. Recently my smile and innocent inquiry were rewarded with this delightful response: "Those roses? Take them all, for a dollar apiece! Give them to all your neighbors! Get them OUT OF HERE!" I would suggest that you're more likely to find the manager in a pleasant mood and with time to chat (or even bargain) at off-peak hours, rather than on a crazy Saturday morning at the height of planting season. Glossy, perfect, un-blackspotted foliage on a one-dollar rose bush Good buys by the season Spring - Good bets are forced daffodils, lilies and hyacinths. Give the bulbs good care at home, letting the foliage grow. Although I did not really need more "Tete a Tete" daffodils, I almost bought a few pots of them for one dollar each, just to get the plastic pot and pretty gift foil for later reuse. Summer - Find annuals, perennials, foliage and shrubs overstocked or slightly damaged, or six-packs with an empty or dead cell. Fall - In early fall, get the last of the perennials; you still have time to plant. Watch them over winter to push them back into the soil if heaved. Consider cannas and other tropicals that you can allow to go dormant and store over the winter. Later, browse bulbs and check out the shrubs and trees before they get tossed to make way for Christmas merchandise. Here's what I did with my clearance hyacinth bulbs last fall. Throughout the year - Indoor plants and tropicals come and go; you might find one suffering from mild mistreatment or leaf loss. Shop for gift plants marketed especially for a holiday. Once that holiday has passed, so has the chance that a customer will pay the premium price. 
A marked-down Kalanchoe tomentosa "Golden Girl" was unfamiliar to me. I loved it, but an unenlightened store clerk may have looked at the markings and thought it was sick.
What to avoid Now I don't recommend that you scoop up every cheap perennial or shrub you can fit in your vehicle. If that's what you're considering, I would advise you to first read this entertaining article by JaxFlaGardener. You'll either change your mind or feel reassured that you're "not alone."
Don't bring home disease or insects. Refuse a specimen with anything fuzzy, slimy, or crawling on any part of the plant or its soil. Don't buy it if you can't care for it. Try to be realistic about whether you're ready to commit to caring for your new acquisition at short notice. I was kicking myself last year when my half price shrubs sat in the hot sun and had their roots burned in the pots. Don't buy a struggling plant and count on its immediate recovery. Some may bounce back with a drink of water, but generally assume these things have been stressed. After all, if they had been flying off the shelves fresh from the grower they wouldn't have ended up on sale. Give adequate care, or TLC if you can, to encourage fresh growth. Is this for "green thumbs" only? Nope. I'm not familiar with every plant I buy. But I am more willing to take a chance on a new plant at one dollar than five, five dollars than ten. And I can read comments and feedback on virtually any plant when I log on to Dave's Garden. Maybe you'll research and then run back before the bargains are all snatched up. I'll admit to one blunder- I spent a mere seven dollars on a hearty winterberry holly, only to find out from Dave's Plantfiles that I had a male cultivar of the bush and would get no berries. I'll share the blame for that mistake on the nursery tag with the big picture of the fruit. Overall, my marked-down purchases have recovered well and proven to be fine additions to my stock. Do I always buy on clearance? No. For example, I always splurge on a flat of fall pansies from a nearby, independent nursery. Richardson's Nursery pansies, like everything they sell, appear well cared for and grow beautifully for me. Are you willing to water, remove a few crushed leaves or broken stems, be patient and cross your fingers? Buying tropicals or landscape material from a nursery clearance rack can be a cheap yet successful way to fulfill your need for a variety of green things to nurture, learn about and enjoy. All of the pictures for this article were taken by me at my house. All are items bought on clearance except the pansies.
 | I grew up playing in the Maryland woods, and would still do it often if life allowed! Being outside in a garden or natural area gives endless opportunity for learning and wonder. Naturally (pun intended,) my garden style leans towards the casual, with lots of perennials and bulbs, some native plants, and with small fruits and vegetables thrown in. I want to always see something new when I go in the yard, and always like to try new plants. I thank my parents for passing along their love of gardening and nature, and my husband and kids for allowing me to pursue and share my interests. |
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Subject: clearance plants
Posted by amandaemily (from Colville, WA) on May 14, 2008 at 7:31 PM:Scouring garden centers for clearance plants is also a hobby of mine.
Normally I pick up various perennials - but the best I've acquired was a large named variety Japanese maple that was marked down from $150 to $30 because winter was approaching and the managed couldn't keep it over the winter. ... Posted by sallyg (from Millersville, MD) on May 14, 2008 at 7:50 PM: wow- bet that made your day- I would have to make room in the yard for a find like that.
Thanks for reading! ...
Subject: Good Article!
Posted by Plantedz (from Marlborough, MA) on May 13, 2008 at 8:55 AM:Thanks for the article! I'm very much like you - I buy many plants at discount prices and have had very good luck - most of the times.
Thanks again. ... Posted by sallyg (from Millersville, MD) on May 13, 2008 at 5:45 PM: Quite welcome- glad that you have similar good results!
Thanks for commenting ...
Subject: clearance plants
Posted by mary0520 (from Olive Branch, MS) on May 12, 2008 at 9:33 PM:I always buy my plants on clearance. I have gotten some really pretty $1.00 knock out rosebushes too! they are huge now and full of blooms. ...
Subject: Good advice, Sally!
Posted by gessiegail (from Taft, TX) on May 9, 2008 at 10:21 PM:I really like what you said about being willing to nurture them back to good health. They will require extra TLC but well worth the effort. Thanks
gail ...
Subject: Go Sally Go...
Posted by Chantell (from Middle of, VA) on May 9, 2008 at 8:33 PM:Needless to say - "High Five" - Kudos to another clearance queen
Signed,
El Cheapo ...
Subject: My kind of artical!!
Posted by pieohmy (from Independence, LA) on May 9, 2008 at 11:30 AM:I have a yard full of clearance plants and always will. I just can't pass up a .25 6 pack! ... Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on May 9, 2008 at 12:50 PM: Boo hoo. I don't know if it's just the Home Depot we frequent, or a Massachusetts law, or chronically bad timing, but the HD always seems to be able to sell things back to the grower if unsold. I WAS going to go Easter Monday for lilies, but I seem to have forgotten. Thanks for feeding my obsession, though, Sally! ... Posted by planolinda (from Plano, TX) on May 9, 2008 at 5:42 PM: carrie try lowes--our home depot never marks down but lowes does
i also have a yard of mark downs and they always do good--if not the first year well they do when they come back next year ... Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on May 10, 2008 at 9:10 AM: Oh, I'm not worried about how they'll do. We just have to get Lowes on our circuit. ... Posted by sallyg (from Millersville, MD) on May 10, 2008 at 11:00 AM: Thanks for reading- I'm glad my 'secret' is way out already. I was 'watching' fall bulbs and I heard that some guy snapped up the big remainder when they hit 75 percent off! I guess stores policies vary. carrie- hope you do get a Lowes- I like them better to be honest, besides all the clearance. ... Posted by pieohmy (from Independence, LA) on May 10, 2008 at 12:15 PM: I got some fall bulbs at 90% off last year. Our store never labeled them past 50% off and someone just happened to tell me. As a result, I had a good 100 dafs to plant in the fall. Sometimes clearance is not a good thing  ... Posted by sallyg (from Millersville, MD) on May 10, 2008 at 12:21 PM: oh boy I hate when that happens- too many plants
HAHA HA ... Posted by planolinda (from Plano, TX) on May 10, 2008 at 1:54 PM: how else to justify all the stuff we buy? "but it was only...", ... Posted by pieohmy (from Independence, LA) on May 10, 2008 at 3:03 PM: The clearance plants will spoil you too. My husband came home with a Ixora last weekend (so sweet!) I looked at the tag and wanted to balk. $16 for a plant! I didn't tell him that got the same plant for only $1 during the winter. He was so proud of himself for getting me something he thought I didn't already have. For $16 I could have got a whole bed full, LOL ... Posted by planolinda (from Plano, TX) on May 10, 2008 at 3:28 PM: oh those husbands! they just don't know how it goes!! by the way-i bought one of those last year on sale too--kept it all winter in atrium and now is out in the yard-- ...
Subject: clearance plants
Posted by larlienda (from Strasburg, VA) on May 9, 2008 at 7:53 AM:i love finding plants that need to be saved even though most of those said plants don't have a lot of faith in my abilities :-)
last year i bought a whole rack/cart of clearance plants at lowe's for $10
i know the sales staff working in the garden center had bets to see if i could fit all of the plants and my son....my little zachary was packed in with lot's of plants for cushion
one really nice thing at store's with a guarantee, like lowe's, is that they'll honor that on clearanced plants as well....leaves you with nothing to lose! ... Posted by Syrumani (from San Antonio, TX) on May 9, 2008 at 9:47 PM: Now, you know, I didn't intend to go past the seed rack inside Walmart, but I started walking around in the outside garden area. Went all the way to the back, and there were a few scraggly looking plants, but only a few marked down. Then, about halfway to the exit gate, there were two baskets full of sad looking plants. I was going to ask the guy at the gate what was going to happen to them, when I saw a 4 pack of elephant ear bulbs marked 50% off . . . so I got those instead! I was wanting to buy one anyway, now I get 4 for half the cost! ... Posted by flowerfreak37 (from Dunnville, ON) on May 12, 2008 at 11:39 AM: I live in Ontario Canada and I find Walmart marks plants down fairly quickly (by the middle of June). I got alot of good bargains there last year.
... Posted by sallyg (from Millersville, MD) on May 12, 2008 at 2:38 PM: Thanks all for reading and responding. I thought I might find a few kindred souls. Luckily we are not so close to each other that we overlap hunting grounds! ... Posted by larlienda (from Strasburg, VA) on May 12, 2008 at 3:29 PM: too funny! ... Posted by beachbum757 (from Portsmouth, VA) on May 13, 2008 at 8:53 AM: This spring I bought a Peace Lily for $1.99 at lowes, it had just outgrown it's pot and is now lovely.
It has tripled in size and has a bloom ready to open.
I also bought a struggling Butterfly Blue Pincushion for $1.00. I t was just drying out.
Put it in the yard, pinched off all the dried out pieces and it is already thriving.
My daughter started working at Lowe's about 2 months ago and she gave me the heads up on clearance plants!
Now I will check Walmart as well!
Thanks for this informative forum! ...
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