These flowers are tiny. I have no clue what plants 3 and 4 are. We are letting 2-4 grow in the community garden bed for now; I'd hate to get rid of it only to find that it's something useful. I told my mom I knew 2 wasn't a weed but I wasn't sure about the others. Then I told her I'd ask my gardening friends online and they would probably know!

Its called salsify. I'm used to the weedy variety with yellow flowers, but if I'm not mistaken the purple flowered variety is cultivated for its edible taproot, but only from first year plants (its biennial so it flowers in the second growing season, and the root is then apparently too tough).

Thank you for you answer and time! Mystery Solved!

Bill, right after the holidays, these big box stores discount all their holiday plants that most people probably buy for temporary decoration and then throw out. But I can't resist saving them, so I will look for different colors; red, pink, magenta, white. They are really easy. I also keep an eye out for evergreens that they seem to sell as temporary decorations and are ready to give away after the holidays. (I've purchased nice sized laurels, holly bushes, Osmanthus, etc. that end up in the yard..) Regarding the holiday cacti, I hang mine in a strand of Eastern Hemlocks along with other epiphytes (ferns, bromeliads, etc). I leave them out from April through October and this year, they would have sailed through November so far. BTW, if you do leave them out, I learned two years ago can they are readily eaten by DEER, so, I started hanging them higher in the trees, LOL. I did put them recently into my garage/greenhouse (and we get a lot of winter sun). All are covered in buds. Not sure if it's the cooler temps for longer nights, or both, but it always works.