janet, I do the same. Seems that many in my orchid collection have come off the "death racks" at the Big Box places.

hi we have a diy store called B&Q they have a whole stand of discount outdoor plants, i take a trolley and fill up with summer bedding and then with winter bedding and bulbs
the other week there was a 3 boxes of plants in the sale (two good plants in each box) so i was bad girl but all the good ones together and got the lot for £1 even the till lady said you sure i said yes price right its on the box!!
i bought a orchid the other week with dead flowers label said £4 my friend said i bet i can get it half price, so i went and found him (got it for £1)

Janet!! that is some admirable plant rescuing!

Janet ...

You are my kind of person!!

hi yes i do like my rescue ideas they only go in the bin anyway
seen one lady fill a complete trolley up clearance garden plants, i take off all dead leaves chop them down give them liquid seaweed drink followed by a rest, and then tomoto feed, brand new plants. Most retailers dont water them, bulbs dry up and orchids what a waste
give them orchid Grow for new leaves, then orchid bloom for flowers, water weekly i put mine in a pot 10 minutes
asda usually got some dirt cheap start at £15 and finish up at £2 ( mummy coming plants)

I went to HD yesterday looking for allium bulbs. I found some Gladiator and Purple Sensation at regular price (which was the best I had found) Had to look at the clearance racks. Came home with 3 very nice galon sized Autumn Ferns for only $1.48 each!

hi thats great, search the clearance racks, i save a plant every week beat the retailers they give the poor plants no love!!

Good buys!

Wow, that's an amazing price for gallon-sized anything, and those are nice ferns!

I don't do dumpster=diving, but I was famous in the office for bringing abandoned office plants back to life. And for keeping gifted plants alive.

I have spider plants, rat-tail cactus, and snake plants that are 30 years old and all came from office trashcans. I have a house-warming plant that I think is a waxy hoya hanging on my kitchen windowsill that was given to me in 1982. Its in the original soil, LOL! I dare not disturb it...

I grow a LOT of seedlings in flats and some of them don't get used and I sometimes forget to water the little 6 packs as often as I should. A 6 pack of looked dead. But I gave them some attention and 4 of 6 are sprouting new leaves. And you should see the yuccas. I transplanted one 2 years ago (still haven't decided where to put it), but there was also a dried up chunk of root leftover sitting on the patio wall. So I stuck it in a pot and SPROUTS!

Let's hear a cheer for "Green Thumbs"! And let's applaud the plants too. A little attention and sometimes they "return from the dead". LOL!

I started with a local nursery that had a corner called 'Ugly Ducklings' and got 3 NOID Hellebores for $3 each. I'd never grown them before. Here's a shot of of 1 to show how nicely they've been growing. I know they should get much bigger.


Lowe's always has racks of plants that they've almost killed. I only shop the $1 racks but they also have a $3 and a $5 rack. Had good luck with Turks Cap and some salvias. But even better, for me anyway, torn bags of mulch are 1/2 price. This apparently is only true of the Lowes that's very close to my house. HD is across the street from that Lowes and they never put their dead or dying plants on sale.
Here's a Turks Cap that is 2 years old now.



Several times I bought $1 plants only b/c I wanted the hanging baskets that there were in.

Guess I've been pretty lucky.

My local stores don't have those specials. I did overhear some employees complaining they were blamed for "$13,000 of dead plants". I went over and said I would take a lot of them at a dollar each, but they said they were all disposed of.

I even asked if they would email about future trashings, but they said "NO".

Well, I would love to TRY to same some.

Oh, what a topic!
A few years ago I came across a Christmas cactus display at walmart for 2 cents a 4" pot. I couldn't believe my luck! As I ran to get a cart, the clerk said "hurry, I'm throwing these out". I got 7 pots and within two months those plants started blooming and have not stopped yet. I keep them on my windowsill at work, they have become famous.

A couple of years back, I was strolling the aisles at Lowes in mid-December. I came across the rack of holiday cactus that were headed for the dumpster because they were past their prime bloom. Yep! Still have 10 of them!

The clearance racks are always my first stop. I've gotten quite a few nice plants for next of nothing. Of course, it also persuades me to buy other unusual things at 'retail'. I lucked into two varieties of rhododendron that I was wanting. I paid regular price as I figured they wouldn't last long, and they didn't. Didn't care. I got my Vulcans and Capistranos! Unfortunately, they didn't have anything different this year. But, spring's not that far away.

Now, if only Home Depot would wise up and reduce their plants. Heck, even my local nursery has a $5 lot now. I picked up a nice Lonicera shrub a few days ago for $5.00, regularly $25.

Home Depot sends their plants back to the vendors if the don't sell. The garden dept. manager told me that they do not have the authority to discount their plants. She was not happy with that policy either. But there's nothing she can do. It's almost as though they only display and sell the plants for the vendor.

At Home Depot only the vendors can reduce the price of a plant. Plants are owned by the vendors not the store. I guess some do it and some do not I have picked up a lot of good deals this year.

The Home Depot near me reduces their trees and perennials as low as 50% off.

Lowe's, Walmart, and Home Depot will give me a 1 year guarantee even on their clearance items. If I bring back a dead plant they will give me store credit.

I keep all pots and receipts.

Those sales have not started around here yet , but should be happening soon. Walmart around here do not have plants other then mums this time of year. They stop bringing in plants around mid Summer.

hi got 18 violas today for £2 normally £4 for 9, thought good deal
in uk the council looks after roundabouts, and change plants twice a year, if you there right time they will give you loads of plants, all you have to do is get a box, bag and take them. Mind you there is the risk and going across the road to get them on the roundabout

Good deal. You will see landscapers change commercial plantings here, too. I don't know if anyone has ever posted about asking for their rejects. Mostly they don't seem worth it- all bloomed out.

Going to stop this morning, looking for blueberry bushes and fall pansies