Schreiner's is having a clearance ($6.95 per iris) but I keep changing the contents of my cart. I only have room for a couple new iris & can't make up my mind. It's lovely to have too many choices but I need to be decisive & click send.

brothergarm(Ont-6b)

I understand. I spread my garden budget around. I try to support my local nursery too. This year I will not be able to support them. In years past they stocked the unusual not to be found at the big box, This year they have ordered the same plants as Lowes at double the price.

Lots of online nurseries have clearance sales as well. I picked up some things from Santa Rosa Gardens, one of my favorite suppliers.

This year I've started verifying whether a vendor has a no-neonicotinoid policy. I prefer to buy from ones that do, since one of my main gardening goals is to create a pollinator-friendly habitat.

I just picked up 3 fruit trees at Lowe's, 75% off. Two of them looked a little rough, and I will be posting on the fruit forum for pruning advice -- but I couldn't resist that price. Also they had a table of annuals at half price, and 4 big carts of perennials and bedding plants (tons of salvia and gaillardia). We had a week plus of very dry and hot weather which always accelerates the markdowns. In the past 3 weeks I've gotten 2 gallon containers of lupines, a butterfly bush, a rose, an oriental lily, 2 coneflowers in new to me colors (marmalade and cantaloupe, which frankly look identical to me, maybe mislabeled?), 2 heuchera, and more

Also ordered some clearance items from mail order and stopped by our semi-local mail order company's outlet seeking bargains (hit the jackpot there for toad lilies, unnamed daylilies, iris, a bush cherry, hellebore, and hydrangea. They had lots of gallon shrubs, and lots of vegetable plants, but not a big selection of perennials)

This is a weakness of mine. I hit the "love me tender" plant racks every Friday. This past week, I picked up a multipack of coleus plants and a boston fern for $3 and $5 respectively, Proven Winner annuals for $1, unmarked peonies for $5, and 2 Proven Winner Phlox plants for $3. In previous years, I have bought hydrangeas, clematis, roses (my $5 pink knockout is FABULOUS), azaleas, and day lilies. Most of my purchases flourish. I do admit that I can get carried away and a couple of things have perished because I procrastinated. For those that brave the clearance racks, happy hunting.

Local market with a big flat of healthy pepper plants (at least 2 dozen plants), $5. Of course, they are unmarked, mystery peppers! So we will either be freezing a lot of sweet peppers or making a lot of hot sauce. Time will tell!

Not so sure whether clearance deals are the most cost effective way to purchase perennials. Often the choice plants have already been chosen.

Still I do agree it's worth checking out what's left. It's a good feeling to get something you actually need (often a shrub or packaged soil with me) at a reduced price. My greatest find in 30 years was a late truck that had just come into the local Canadian Tyre garden centre from Quebec with a wide variety of garden phlox cultivars, in flower, at late-in-the-season prices.

I've been avoiding the sales... if I don't I'll never finish planting!

Curses on Santa Rosa, after bravely facing the start of their summer clearance I see they've further reduced a Japanese painted fern to $2.22 I don't know if my bravery will get me past that offer but I'm going to take this hour by hour.

I have so many awesome clearance plants growing in the garden. Trust me that I'm still tempted by plenty of full price stuff but when the sales start I already know I'm going to break down over something :)

The clearance racks at my nearest Lowes rarely have subpar plants. Usually they are just past full bloom, but are otherwise healthy, or there is overstock so they are just making room. Not a darn thing wrong with 'em. I go once a week and have filled my garden up with $1-$3 perennials. I'll be heading there Friday to see what I can snag. Last week it was poppies which I have been wanting for $1. Woohoo!

I have been sorely tempted by the Santa Rosa clearance, but... and this may be just me... the two orders I got from them in the spring were not all that great. The plants were small and lacked vigor, and some never broke out of dormancy. So I guess it really does depend on where you buy from whether clearance plants are worth it. Theirs just aren't for me.

@brothergarm and marquest

I went to a mainly native plant sale early in the season with different mixed vendors. The one who did the best, sold out, was the one who looked like a small version of a big box - mostly standard non-native plants that were pumped up and ready to go. This particular nursery used to stock some of the more interesting stuff in the day too - not any more. One of my shopping buddies and I have decided they are no longer worth our regular trips there :-(

Okay, hit pay dirt yesterday. I decided to return the same Lowes to see if they had more bulbs - of course, the good ones all gone. Glad I got first choice when I was there on Sunday! But decided to drop in to the Canadian Tire which I missed on the first trip. Got a whole bunch of rare elephant ears (alocasia) for $4 and a huge 4 foot Stuttgart canna which was in a damaged pot for $2. Hilarious because, again, the elephant ears look flimsy, but I know that's because they only really take off in an outdoor environment when it consistently heats up to the temps we have now. Bwahaha!

Nothing big this week, but I did get a Sweet Summer hydrangea for half off and three corkscrew rush for my water garden for $1 each. I was also gifted a lovely hollyhock, so I'm set to do some gardening tomorrow!

The local nurseries are definitely starting to discount things. Mostly 25%-30% off, so not the greatest deal, but a nice discount for a specimen someone might be having their eye on.

It has been a long and arduous battle to resist buying plants because I like them...with no idea where they are going to fit in my gardens. I wouldn't say I was no longer addicted...but I can now walk into a nursery and come away empty-handed. And this is with plants which are full of bloom and vigour...so I am definitely not going to fall back into bad habits for subprime, neglected, non-choice rubbish...because it is cheap!

I do allow my greedy instincts full reign when it comes to seed though.

I can proudly say that a good chunk of my garden was built on a good clearance (and school/garden club sales). I wouldn't have it any other way! There's just something immensely satisfying for me about scoring something significant that was going to be otherwise thrown out, and bringing it back to its true form.

I visited a nursery that was doing a tiered clearance thing (3 weeks of saving: the first week 30% off, second week 40% off, third week 50% off). I went on the last day of the 50% off, just because I happened to be passing by. Picking were slim, but it was a nice day to just plant shop, so ended up picking up 3 perennials, worked out to $7.50 each. When I took them to the cash, the cashier said something like these ones were full price or some nonsense. I responded confused because weren't there perennials half off?? Anyway, she just ended up giving to me at the half price - I honestly would have just put them back, because they honestly were not worth paying full price anyway. And then a few days later, I ended up going to another nursery, where everything was (and always is) $6.99 and saw more lush versions of what I picked up anyway! Ah well...

Found liatris and astilbe for $1 per gallon sized pot today. Also got a large Valentine bleeding heart and an assortment of cordyline, petunias, verbena, hens and chicks, and a massive annual salvia to fill out a few new pots. $18 for 13 plants is not bad at all.

I've noticed that some Lowes have shrubs already on half-off clearance while others have only the "special" annuals marked down. Not counting the clearance racks. I was sorely tempted by a large Cecile Brunner climbing rose, but I had doubts it would fit where I would have put it.

I found amazing deals at Shopko yesterday! I normally hate juniper, but I have a large maple in the center of my garden and wanted to "frame" it with some juniper that matched the one that is already there. I found the same shrub in a 1/2 gallon small size for $2 each! Also found a mandarin northern lights azalea for $6 - I have no idea where I will put this, but I will find a place. I am breaking down/building up a large amount of gardening space that was in chaos when I moved in, so I was able to stock up on basics like perennial salvia for uber cheap. also found two pink hydrangeas for $3 each and a really pretty yellow dianthus for $2. I bet I walked away with about $200 in plants for $65.

Unbeknownst to me, a local place that is kind of expensive also had 40% off perennials for rewards club members (that's me!). I didn't know this until they told me at checkout, so I will probably go back today to grab a few things I held back on.

I got a 5,00 Elephant Ear at Lowes yesterday and a clematis at Home Depot for 4.00. It was one that reblooms in the fall. I have been looking for climbing plants so I have been buying every clematis and honeysuckles when I see them on sale. They are asking 24,00 for the clematis they are in big pots.

As we are able to plant pretty much any time of year we want, there are no end of season bargain sales in my neck of the woods. Even those nurseries that used to offer "fall planting " sales seldom do so now. Usually just a progressive sale on summer blooming annuals to clear the way for the cool season fall crops like pansies and mums. That's it!!

And I have never seen a clearance rack at any local HD. For one, they don't carry much of any value so sell out what they do have at full price. Or dump it if it starts to go south.

I agree about HD. I have seen very little real markdowns in my area at HD

Lowes has 1.00, 3.00, and 50% rack from Spring to Fall. In the Fall they do a dump sale at Fire prices. I got nice shrubs last yr for 1.00. These were Proven Winners that were 24.00 - 36.00. I had a very nice Spring showing this year. I purchased a new house 8 yrs ago and have a couple of acres I am trying to fill and get rid of some of this grass. It is so expensive I am catching every sale I can catch.

I love the Lowes fall sale. We came home with $300 worth of plants for maybe $80 last year. It was glorious. My happy score was two 2 gallon Amber Jubilee ninebark for $7.

I was out of town for the day and stopped at a Lowes on my way back that made me appreciate my local Lowes all the more. Their plants were all beat up and in serious need of a drink. Most of what was on the clearance rack was dried up and not worth the $3 they were asking for most of it. Huge contrast to the local place that has robust healthy stuff and is always watering their stock when I go in.

Yep, GG, this is exactly the scenario in the UK - these 'deals' are available nowhere...unless it is for some savaged, shrivelled non-living stick in Poundland.

When it comes to the big box stores, Lowes takes the take when it comes to clearance. Sometimes, what they put out are fried sticks, and it's truly funny they are trying to ask for money for them (especially if they are annuals), but often the stuff just needs a good shearing and a bit of water. When they are clearing out their planter baskets, that can be fun - but no more planters for me this season! Most of the big box buyers don't know a lot about the less mainstream plants, so even if they check through the clearance, they don't go for the gems :-)

I am really quite jealous of you all :-) I love sales and would never pass up the chance to score a good discount on something I wanted. But sales on plants around here are just not something one encounters often. And as I mentioned, even the box stores in my area seldom offer discounted plants. To be honest, my local Lowes is miles away so I seldom make the trek unless I am in the area for another reason. But I do visit HD fairly regularly and have yet to see a sale on living plants. I was at Ace hardware this week and their racks of plants - well picked over and looking a little peaked - were all still at full price! Even the annuals!

The saving grace is I do receive a very healthy professional discount from my nursery so I don't feel terrifically deprived when plant shopping and I always know the plants themselves are in excellent condition and properly tagged......not always the case with those found at the BB's and other discounters. But at this point in my gardening life, there is little I need or have room for so I get very picky about what I drag home. Did manage to acquire a couple clematis - like I need anymore of those!! - and a great colored striped cordyline. But that's been it for the last 6 weeks or so - not much!

I am lucky to live within reasonable driving distance of several good nurseries so I rarely visit HD or Lowes. One these nurseries was having 50% off on selected perennials so I picked up several choice plants: dicentra 'White Heart', brunnera 'Alexander the Great, geum triflorum, viola 'Silver Gem' and heuchera 'Black Pearl'. I am a plant sale junkie so I will start visiting these nurseries on a weekly basis as the season winds down and more plants go on sale.

I have or should say I had a great local nursery. This nursery is 5 min away. I have supported them with my money for years. This year they have a nursery full of HD and Lowes duplicate run of the mill regular plants. The reason I supported them is because they had plants I would normally have to order on line because they were not offered locally.

This year I will have to ask why would I give them 50% off price when I can get the same plant at HD or Lowes for 3,00 in stead of their 9.00 which it would cost at 50% off.

In another week or so, I'll go into hibernation mode on the plant buying and swear off buying more tulips - like I do every year. But there is just something about those yellow stickers, ya know? Yesterday, went to Lowes for paint, etc. Came out with paint and a Kordes Lavender rose and a very healthy Knock out for 2.50 each. Yes, I already have a few knockouts, but could I really just leave it there all healthy and full of buds for 2.50? And the Kordes still sporting buds staring me down like puppy dog eyes??? Well, I showed compassion and brought them home. Gotta find the perfect spot now :)

I stopped by Lowe's the other day and the plant racks were half empty -- and mostly only petunias and some other annuals on the clearance rack

I wish I could find some of the Kordes roses here. On clearance would be a great bonus. All I've seen so far are the Easy Elegance and Knockouts. The EE were on clearance for $5 at Lowes today, but I decided to pass.

Wonder why some Lowes have Kordes and others don't...?

Marquest brings up a good point. When I was a very newbie gardener, one of my friends and i would go to this nursery that was a bit out of the way, but we thought it was unique and interesting, good prices and just worthy of our support. Plus it was one of those fun excursion things that we would look forward to, once or twice a year. More recently, things have changed. What we once thought of as 'special' seems to have disappeared. The stock looks mainly like a small segment of what is in big box. Prices have gone up accordingly. And my friend didn't get the 'guarantee support' of a sickly tree which he had purchased from them a few years ago, and subsequently died.

They actually were one of the vendors at a public plant sale a few months ago. They brought their big box, pumped up, nursery plants...and they said their sales were through the roof - sold out. So, obviously, this is what the general plant-buying public responds to.

The rare and unusual are going to get harder and harder to find if we stop supporting our local and specialty garden centres. If you love gardening, price cannot be the only thing that holds your loyalty. I am probably a bit extreme, but I refuse to buy from the big box stores, regardless of price. The happy medium would probably be somewhere in between. Who doesn't like a deal?

I know exactly where and what you are talking about Lennox, and there were some pretty specific reasons for why they were more generic the last two seasons. I know they've made some changes and I would expect to start seeing some more interesting stuff next year.

As for the tree, they have always had a no-refund on tree policy, because often they are selling them for a 1/3 of the price of places like Sheridan and Connon, who can afford to warranty because the warranty buy-back is built into the price.

They have always been fair with me, and yeah I've killed a couple trees, but it was always my fault, and even then they always helped out with the cost of a replacement.

I guess my point is more that even when we have some hiccups with our home base stores, we need to seek out new ones or really support the places that have the knowledge and the interesting stock, or else it won't be long before we all have the same 12 plants that we bought in a parking lot from some kid too busy sending selfies to learn even the basic knowledge of what they are selling.

Glad you know exactly where and what I am talking about - perhaps you knows some other details which I can't even begin to imagine. What I can say is that I feel very much an observer in this scenario - it was my friend whose loyalty was won - and subsequently lost.

Frankly, somewhere along the way, I found some other non-nursery sources for many of my needs, and I am happy to support those. And I'll do big box if I'm passing by and feel like it, and have a fun chat with that kid and maybe pose in selfie with him/her/they/it. And stop by that nursery on the way. All fine by me!

I admit I've moved on to full-snob and only swing through the box store nurseries when I think there will be a summer clearance going on or I'm in there to buy something else. Late fall I'll make another visit looking for clearance potting soil, last year I think I went back three times stocking up on big bags for $3 and $5. I was in heaven when I was potting stuff up this year.

On my usual trip to my favorite nursery I picked up two more caladiums to feed my newly budding caladium addiction. I told myself as long as I save the bulbs for next year I was worth the $7.50 a piece even though it was already August and these are hot weather plants. Super score at the register when they informed me annuals were buy one, get one. Since I already decided I was worth the $15 for the two I made the wise choice and went back for two more free ones ;)

Lowes has an awesome sale on planters if you're planning ahead for next season. I got several large planters for under $7. Since my backyard has a couple of maples, not much grows at the far end of the yard. I plan to add planters to that area in the Spring (with saucers of course!). Hope this helps someone.

Last year, passed by my big box grocery store...they were clearing out their soil. And they had the latest trendy soil, Promix - large bags for $2. So, I loaded up my stupid cart with 8 bags and brought them inside to ring up at the checkout (inconvenient, but they said that was the only way to do it). Of course, it rang up at the original price, $9. Annoying! I ended up having to go outside and get the sign which clearly said $2. And then of course a lineup was developing behind, but that was the fault of their own messed up system. And then when the cashier was ringing it up, I pointed out they had a scanning code of practice. The cashier was so flustered, it was crazy. Anyway, after all that, I think I ended up paying $10 for the 8 bags. I had to force myself to use all the soil by the end of the season :-)

No clearance sales as such but this (bank holiday) weekend is when we have our annual party in the wood. Lasts for 3 days...but on Sunday, I get to visit the nearby HPS plant fair in a nearby village hall. One of my shopping highlights (my only one, really, apart from the autumn bulbs). Last year, I had it up for crocosmia (they are sterling in my dry wood), anemones, salvias (as ever) and asters...but this year, I am going for hydrangeas. I was a true hydrangea virgin until last year. The quercifolia, paniculata and lacecap have performed rather well (although Miss Saori succumbed to wilt) so, along with sambucus and euonymous (I bought a gorgeous e.phellomanus last year and want more), I am planning a move into shrubbery.

Of course, after 2 hard days and nights of partying, my brain is often vague and confused so who knows what I end up with.

camp, I was just in a garden this week where the paniculata hydrangeas were self seeding into every nook and cranny. Hundreds to be weeded out, but if you were to do it on purpose I'm sure you could get into trouble.

I bought geraniums last week. All kinds of things on sale and I bought stupid geraniums, all of which look a little worse for wear. My grandmother would have been pleased but personally I think this must be a symptom of advancing age.

LaLennoxa good for you for sticking it out. Few things annoy me more than F ups at the register. I was so box-store annoyed once when it was a 3 for $10 on rhododendrons and mine came up over $30. I insisted they go look, stood there forever, they came back and said no. I foolishly didn't realize I had picked two plants which were mixed in that had pots .15liters larger and they were not on sale even though they were mixed in with the others and were labeled exactly the same (other than pot size). I don't need any rhododendrons anyway but did contact managers and corporate before cooling off and shunning that store for the next two years.

Sometimes clearance stuff can be annoying, especially when they don't update their computer system (as in my case), or are intentionally misleading (as in yours). I'd be peed off too if that had happened to me - and a good store shunning would definitely be in order! Though I've usually gotten great customer service when the complaining happens...one time, at the store with the red bullseye, there was a set of three large, high quality, planters with inserts. Everything was being discounted in that section, which was great, but there was no price to be found on the set. So I asked the worker in that area - she looked all around, couldn't find anything. She called a manager - he looked around, same deal. Finally, he just said make an offer. I didn't bat an eye and out of my mouth popped "$20 for all three". He said "Done!" My friend and I were looking at each other at what a crazy low offer I had made - a woman who was close by and watching the whole things whispered to me "that's a really good deal" and we chuckled. Later on I visited another bullseye store and that same set was $150.

So, my neighbour organized a bowling thing far in the suburbs. I figured if I were making the trip out there, I'd pass by one of the nurseries I like which is close to the bowling alley - all perennials being marked down 40%-60% with a clearance table $2-$5. Bought a $2 Butterfly Weed plant. A few days earlier I passed by another nursery - they are in their final 2 weeks of markdowns, where all perennials are 60% off. I bought a large blueberry bush for $8, which I actually discovered was 2 bushes when I took it out of the pot - so that was a bonus. And bulbs were 2 for one, so bought some of those. Love this time of year for the deals!

And another one bites the dust. A large nursery just across the border (States side) is closing. Happened to visit this past week, and dropped in because I couldn't resist the temptation - and only found out because another shopper commented to me. They kind of convert the store into a Christmas thing (as many nurseries do I think?) and then in the New Year, they are clearing things out. Most of their perennials were already 50% off and outside - don't know if those are going elsewhere because by next January I'm assuming they won't be much to look at.

Lowes near me has everything left in the garden center marked down to $1, even three gallon sized shrubs. Most of it is barberry no one wants anyway, but there was still a handful of nicer stuff. I didn't need any of them, but did come away with a selection of groundcover sedum and some helenium. They were even in nice fancy pots and had been $15 to start. I'm not complaining one bit.

If people supported their local independent nurseries rather than big box stores, they probably wouldn't be biting the dust...just sayin'...

Maybe. Usually the big box connection is brought up when it comes to nurseries; you'd probably have to take away peoples' Internet too, in order to force their hand.

The limited experience I have with nurseries closing has been a case where the owners retired and the kids didn't want to take over the business. Another did the same and couldn't find a buyer. It's not always due to failing sales because of Lowes or Walmart.

I purchased seven two gallon Bluebird hydrangeas for $3.50 each at a local garden center today. Score! They will be used to front a boxwood hedge at the public garden. DH will be astonished when he sees them lined up by the sidewalk tonight but he will gladly help plant them on Saturday.

Local $$$ nursery has a progressive sale in October to this weekend. Starts at 60% off, goes to 90%. At 70% off their prices become mostly a good deal. It's like a game going every fall. First day I just go an make a list, unless I see something I've been wanting. I research things then go back. If they have a lot of something I may wait til almost the end.

It's a game to me. Plus, what they still have in stock varies wildly from year to year. First few years, I scored a good number of miniature hostas. This year, almost sold out of minis before I arrived for 60% off. Last year, large hostas, pulmonarias and single peonies were my favorite scores. Lots of hydrangea choices but I couldn't choose one. This year, all pulmonarias and peonies were sold out before the sale. Ditto hydrangeas. I have to consider that that, too, is part of the game.

LOL Linnea we could go shopping together. I'd been hoping to find a few cheap peonies but no joy.

"It's a game to me."

Yup, that pretty much sums it up for me, too...

I've started at this house with pretty much a blank slate, which translates to this is going to cost a lot of $$$ . Although I was way spendier than I wanted to be this fall, I got a boatload of stuff for the amount of money I did end up spending.