Why do they think we buy a 100 foot instead of the less expensive shorter ones?!

Our Lowe's has been going back and forth on using that weird new pricing for clearance plants. If the plant you are looking at was originally priced near the top of the range, it might be better than half off. If it's at the bottom of the range, it could only be $1 off... I'd rather get a healthy $6 plant than an iffy one for $5. I did get some shrubs at 80-90% off last fall, though.

Oh why don't those places all just do the 50% or less off clearance plants? At least they would manage to sell them all instead of throwing them in the trash. I buy reduced plants not because I need them but (this may sound stupid) because it breaks my heart to see something that took time and effort to grow just being binned because the stores were to tight to let them go at 1/2. Us gardeners attempt to resuscitate plants that are dehydrated, broken, etc. just because we don't want to see them die.

Jill, agreed. No plant is a bargain if it's sickly - or not in a desirable pot.

I have no sympathy for sub-par plants, but if it's healthy and just finished blooming for the moment (perennials only, in this category), in a worthwhile pot, or just thirsty, that's when I am interested.

This obsession @ BBS's to sell only blooming plants is maddening. What about the joy of watching that happen from the beginning? I think some of the health is sometimes sacrificed, plants so often seem stunted lately.

but for most people, the eye-catching blooms are what sell a plant. I think there can be extra stress when a plant is greenhouse-forced to bloom early for quick sales, too.

IKR! All we can do as twigs along the shoulders of the mighty stream is trade $ for plant when it looks like a fair price, on a plant-by-plant basis.

It is pretty nice to have a local nursery that produces it's own annuals. You can visit when the seedlings are just beginning to bloom, to see what they look like. Not uncommon to see only one blossom in a whole flat.
Both the HD and the Lowes, nearest to me, have drastically reduced the indoor plant material they carry. Lowes used to be a fun destination. Now, not so much.