Big Box Bargains

I've had very good luck with my Big Box Store bargains, so periodically I'll stop in just to see what may need to be rescued. I consider it my organic duty to help a few plants out now and then and save them from the compost pile. Last week, I went twice. It had been awhile and I needed to make up for lost time. ;-)

Following our trip to the Botanical Conservatory in Fort Wayne on Sunday, Romie and I stopped at Lowe's and while I didn't find any orchids in need of rescuing, there was this yucca-looking thing. It had some damaged spears that needed to be cut off, so I asked a nearby sales associate if they would consider discounting it. He looked it up, noted that the original price was $15.53 and asked if $10 was okay with me. Sure! The green ceramic pot was worth that. So I went home with Bargain #1, even though I don't know exactly what it is I have. I like it though.

On Friday, after work, I visited another Lowe's on the east side of town that was on my way to an appointment and sure enough, there were two Phalaenopsis orchids just waiting for me to take them home and give them some tender loving care. As I was walking out of the garden department with them, the employee in charge smiled and said, "I wondered how long it would be before someone like you snatched those up."


One, labeled incorrectly 'Brother Little Yellowboy,' was in full bloom, with five healthy leaves. I'd read that Phalaenopsis normally have four or five leaves at a time, unless very healthy, in which case they can have as many as ten. For this one, I paid $10 and it came in a cream-colored ceramic pot.



The second one, labeled 'Wedding Promenade,' had me pretty excited because it had six healthy leaves and visible plump green roots, and TWO spikes with burgeoning flower buds on them! Price paid? $7.50.


I took them home and got them out of their soggy moss planting medium and repotted them in an orchid mix. As I was doing this, half of 'Not Yellowboy' fell into the sink. What the heck? Ahhhhh...there were TWO plants in that little pot! That meant I'd gotten two orchids for $5 each. Not bad, eh?

Oh, and as I had a 40% off Borders coupon, I just had to stop in there to see if there were any books that needed rescuing as well. (Isn't there always?) I found Plant by Janet Marinelli, a DK Publication that features native plants from all over the world. This will be a good book for reading about the origins of some of the parents of today's hybrids. This book lists for $50 and it was on the bargain table for $9.99.

I'd read about Down to Earth With Helen Dillon in Horticulture magazine and used my coupon to purchase it for $17.95.

So I guess that answers the question as to whether I got a new orchid or not...