Irma, I got a lot of those for 90% off at Dollar General a couple of years ago, and I still have some. They will get more gardening stuff in soon. Most of that stuff comes from up north, and it isn't even above freezing up there yet. Sadly, Dollar General has stopped marking stuff down to 90% off, and they are ordering very little gardening stuff now, so there is hardly ever anything worth having at the end of the year.

I bought seeds at dollar tree recently....Rainbow Swiss chard, collards, California poppies, and cleome. 25¢ each

Dollar General also has seeds at two price points: 4/$1 for the more common ones and 2/$1 for the better ones. Our Dollar Tree doesn't have as good a selection, but all theirs are 4/$1.

Hmm. I'll have to check out what Dollar General has. Do they have their garden supplies for the season out too?

They have some out here. They may have more there, because you plant earlier. They have seeds and a few other things here, but they're gearing up for Valentine's day, and still have Christmas stuff on sale.

Thanks for reminding me about the seeds at the various type dollar stores! I discovered them last year but had forgotten. I liked the box of zinnias for $1 and the wildflower blend for the same. Somehow I felt freer with a whole box of seeds than with 4 packets and had some fun surprises popping up. Some have reappeared already. It's hard to believe how hardy those tiny zinnias have been... straggly but they keep on keeping on. Kinda endearing. (Can you tell I talk to them?)

Irma, my grandmother adored zinnias and would plant hundreds of seeds every year. I used to do the same and want to restart that tradition. I'm adding marigolds and cosmos to the mix.

Went to dollar general, no seeds. Just soil ,pots, etc.

Darn it, this thread had me all excited, so I ran down to our local dollar tree and all they had was gloves, plastic trugs, and some dubious-looking tools. Only seeds were impatiens, which I think should be illegal in FL because they're such water hogs (regular, not New Guinea type).

I have loved the $1 Dollar Store spades - metal with blue or chartreuse grip on the handle.

That's good to know, irma. I don't happen to need any right now, but nice to know the quality is acceptable if I ever do.

Those $1 spades are metal with wooden handles with brightly colored foam grip, and come in 2 widths. Or did last year. My vote for best designed/constructed tool in my collection.

Dollar Tree is still carrying the $1 hand clippers I like - actually a couple of styles. And gloves. And sometimes scissors with large thumb hole. I seem to make disappear my gloves and small garden tools, I guess into the garbage with weeds and trimmings.

Thanks for telling us, I've been waiting for the clippers.

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> "spades are metal with wooden handles" - - Does the shaft/stem not bend or break from prying?

Good question! Here is a pic of one still unused; it says "Transplanter: Foam Grip, Steel Head". I also have one with a wider steel head. There is a ring of metal grasping the visible metal, don't know what is under the wood after that, but it is so heavy that it feels like metal-wrapped steel is under the wood all the way to the end of the foam, before the hole for hanging.

I also have a $1 one that is all (a strong) plastic that is more like a scoop; I use that in to transfer dirt I have loosened with a steel spade.

Here's a picture from mid-May 2019 (2 years ago) of $1 box small zinnias. I just shook the whole box into the planter. At top of box are $1 store wildflowers about to bloom.

This fall I container-started some $1 store small zinnias and transplanted them to my garden in December. They're blooming. Perky and hardy little things! 3" tall, flower 1-1/2" dia.

I got a pretty plastic pot, a pair of tiny trimmers (I call the my rose clippers) and four packs of seeds from my dollar tree Friday.

Also from there (or maybe from a Dollar General for $2) I've found handy a black plastic container, looks like a pan used for changing car oil. I use it for toting things to a planting site -- spade, gloves, container of soil, etc. It's pretty strong.

3 new plants bought yesterday are soaking in it until the cold winds pass by: 2 Cleomes and a Salvia Haematodes.

I love those cheap oil pans. They make good pans for feeding animals or last spring I used one for a baby duck swimming pool lol.

You can also plant mini lotus tubers in them.

Sultry, I love the mind-image of a baby duck swimming in the little pool, so here's my version for now:

Went back yesterday and got another pretty pot to match the first one, and 4 sets of the stacking pots. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them yet. I was thinking herbs, but I'd need trailing herbs and there just aren't that many of those. I may just do mints in them, and maybe some kind of small, trailing flowers. I'll see what comes out in the garden centers when the spring flowers come out in force.

Irma I like your version of the ducky swimming pool lol.

I may have to go and get some of those roller pans. I dont kn9w exactly what I'd use them for but they are one of those things that just seem Useful, so I bet I would think of something haha. Ive been meaning to get to the dollar store again. It is out if the way for me.

The last time I went to Dollar Tree, I got a bunch of little baskets and tubs organized all my cupboards and pantry.

This time I want to look for some cheap plastic pitchers and bowls that I can use for soap making.

I found these red mini tubs with handles too, last time I was there. I planted waterlilies in them and sunk them into waterpots. It worked out great because I can pull them out by the handles when I have to repot them every yr or so. Once the waterlily grows pads and flowers, you can no longer see the tacky red tubs lol.

Sultry, Beautiful waterlily! What do you use in your lily pond to discourage mosquitoes?

I break up Mosquito Dunks and keep a little piece in each water tub. Theres lots of little frogs and dragonflies around to eat the adult mosquitoes that show up too.

What goes on in the Waterlily Tubs at night lol

Heres a few more waterlilies. I think these tubs have really encouraged the little Squirrel Tree Frogs and Green Tree Frogs here. They eat lots of bugs for me at night when they are active.

During the day, they find a nice fluffy rose to sleep in.

Yesterday I disturbed a pale green frog of exceptional size, not quite as large as Cuban Tree Frog. Soon I saw it in the spot to which it had leaped. Not exceptionally large ! In identifying it ("Barking Treefrog"), I read the following in a UFL publication : "When these frogs feel threatened, they are known to inflate with air to appear larger".