I found the clearance rack at my Lowes yesterday, it they were not as low priced as what you found.
I came home with one mini phal for $4.00

Sometimes it's a deal just for the pot.

Bob

You guys are lucky. I went to Wal-Mart yesterday and found this phals for $7.88 and thought I died and went to haven! Normally they were $14.99. I thought I didn't want to have any more phal but for the price and the color I couldn't resist.

Tanie

Here's another one.

PRETTY!!! They sure are like potato chips arn't they!! I am starting back up with my African Violets now too (last time I lost all 326 of my AVs in an ice storm when the power was out for 4 days), just ordered 35 pairs of leaves...it starts..........

Lowe's is great for clearance plants I have found.
In fact, my first ever orchid was from a clearance rack at lowe's and I have babied it back to life!

As for prime specimen orchids, Trader Joe's is the absolute best place to buy! Every week they have at least 100 new orchids to choose from, and they range from 7.99 to 12.99 for large phals. (these are normally $20 or more at other grocery stores or garden centers. They are always in perfect condition too!

I bought 5 small Phaleonopsis at Trader Joe's for $7.99 a great price for Phals!! I may go in and get more after I get a rack set up for the orchids (running out of windowsills)...after I switch all my current orchids over to semi-hydroponics, after I get all the AV leaves I ordered potted up....UGH!!! ;0)

I love lowes too! I just bought one big phal for 6.99 for a Labor Day sale. My husband also purchased a mini phal for 1.00 as well. They take forever to bloom again. The bigger phalaenopsis are just so easy to get to bloom again. I also have an oncidium. Another easy one I highly recommend to people. I haven't ever been to a Trader Joe's but I think one just opened somewhere in my area. I need another plant stand between my orchids and plumerias.

Trader Joe's is terrific. They have a great selection of Phalaenopsis and other orchids/ house plants. Great rescue site for Phals out of bloom :-)>

Shoosh people, stop talking about Trader Joe's for orchids, or thousands of people may hear, and the secret will be out!

The only gripe I have with them is I wish they'd label their orchids with names of crosses. But yeah, the plants are absolutely gorgeous, and cheap. In New York area, you cannot buy things like Oncidiums and Brassia and Miltonia and Dendrobiums anywhere else, unless it's tripple the price at specialized flower stores, and not even most of them. Nothing but Phals are sold at Lowes and Home Depots here, ever.

I have never seen Lowes (or Home Depot for that matter) discount their plants anywhere even close to a dollar in stores close to me. My very first orchid was a Lowes Phal at 50% off, from $25 to $12.50, and I was as happy as can be. It was out of bloom, drowning under drenching rain, and as it turned out at home, had just a couple of root stumps that looked half-dead. In retrospect now, more than a year later, it was not a good deal at all - even though the plant is alive and doing well, although it has not flowered yet.

Apparently, very often big box stores here have a "Pay by Scan" agreement with their nursery suppliers where they pay to nurseries only for the plants they sell. Those plants on the shelves do not even belong to the store, I hear. In that game, it never makes sense for stores to discount plants too much - they just return them to the nursery instead or chuck them and never pay a dime for them.

When I was returning a plant I changed my mind on (not an orchid, and in a perfectly fine condition), the Lowes returns lady just extended her trash can to me and said to put it there. They are not allowed to put returned plants back on the shelves. This is crazy talk! (And way to feel your customers guilty, Lowes!)

I am not much of a "plant saver"; personally think it's not worth it for me or even generally (plants can be propagated very easily and cheaply) - but it's the business practices of these stores that are often appalling to me. Of course, with their sales reach and volume, they can dictate to nurseries pretty much any terms they want.