Pinchin’ Pennies, Clutching Plants

Inside this crazy girl is a nurturing gene. If you blink, you might miss it. But if you ever see me pushing a cart full of ugly plants out of Lowe’s you will believe it. It all started out as a game. I’d grab five dollars of change out of the change jar, go to Lowe’s and buy house plants off the clearance rack. Usually they are about a buck a piece. I’ve had some good luck and some bad luck with it. I’m not too bad at recouping. 

Towards the end of the summer season last year, I realized that since I have a grow light in the laundry room, I could do it on an outdoor level. I experimented with a couple of different plants. To my delight, several of them survived and a new level of populating our yard began.  Several of the perennials that I bought last year on their way out, are popping up through the dirt now! 

Today, I went to Lowe’s to get some plants for my planters out front. Looking at the sparse collection, I reminded myself that it IS a tad early in the season. The kids were thrilled to be walking up and down the aisles, adding their opinions on what to buy. At last, we came to the marked down section. It was like Christmas in there! (It always is in May, in Bend.) The cold nights have done their damage to their stock, but not enough that I can’t fix. After grabbing a few of the more healthy looking prospects, I went through their regularly marked selection again. I just couldn’t do it. 

I had talked myself into this big brave “I am going to populate my planters” frame of mind only to give in to the penny pincher in me. Walking slowly back towards the clearance section, I tried to convince myself to grab a few of the other ones to ‘intersperse’ and give in to the instant gratification. But that nagging cheapskate in my head said no. So I grabbed three more containers of ugly plants and clutching them to my chest, went to the checkout. 

I almost heard angels sing as I checked out. I am pretty sure. Because I rescued them and paid attention the miser in me. It may be debatable… but try it… I am pretty sure you might hear them, too. In a couple weeks or so, I may get some more plants to join them, from the non-ugly variety.