Smart Succulent (or any plant) Purchasing

Are you here because of those totally dreamy succulents I posted on Instagram?

Whether you are or not, you're gonna want to hear this if you like a good deal. Now, first a little disclaimer: I am not a professional; in fact, I am a reformed black thumb. The only thing that's important though, is that I am working on being a true blue gardener slowly but surely...AND that there is a less expensive way to purchase plants.

Some of the succulents I purchased and re-potted today.

You may remember from this post how I said that I started a tree seedling business for/with my dad. Well, since then, I've kinda gained a newfound interest in plant life! Seeing my garden grow from seeds might have helped as well. Secretly, I've always loved succulents, but was too afraid to try growing my own. Since a few months ago when I bought an aloe plant-which has been thriving-I became convinced that I can indeed grow them.

Agh, get to it already Elisabeth! Okay, so today I went with Momma (the true gardener) to buy some succulents, and as I veered in that direction she said, "Wait, first we need a buggy, and then we're going to the specials."

Woe.

What?

Around my house, that means something. Dirt cheap. Saving money. Pinchin' pennies. Deals. Extra ice cream money y'all! So, at Lowe's (and other places like it-so I've heard) there are shelves with plants that are not doing well. They're significantly marked down in the hopes that they will sell quickly and not be a total loss. Big stores don't have time for one-on-one plant-sitting. Usually these will be in a less obvious place, so that IF you know about the specials you'll pass all the beautiful blossoming flowers first and find them irresistible. Today, lots of plants were marked down to a dollar!

So what are you waiting for? Oh, more tips! You know me well. If you have a specific plant in mind, find out when it is going out of season, or finished blooming. They become significantly less attractive and much more difficult to sell, and will likely be marked down. If you're a succulent hunter, look for plants that have had "babies" or spread; it is fairly common, and you're basically getting 2+ for the price of one-you can separate them at home like I did. Lastly, late fall is when stores are in a hurry to get rid of their live plants. During the winter, the people that rush in to beautify their yards in the spring (inexperienced) don't even bother the garden section, so the plants will be marked down like crazy.

Did that help you any at all? I hope so. I like to pass on anything that I learn, and I would love to hear any bits of knowledge you can add to this! Lemme know in the comments!