Clearance sale!!!!

18 years ago

I hit the annual 75% off clearance sale at my favorite local nursery this weekend. After a long dry summer and a perpetually empty wallet I finally splurged on end of the year plant buying.

Here's the Saturday purchases.... a five foot tall stewartia, 'Sky racer' ornamental grass, a golden leaved hypericum, seven sons shrub, plum crazy hibiscus.... all for $27 dollars.

I couldn't help thinking about the Harry Lauders walking stick I left behind. I tried to convince myself that the ratty summer foliage wouldn't work and that it would send up suckers, but still I wanted it. Sunday morning I called my partner in crime hoping he would talk me down from my regrets..... Instead he shows up at my door ready to go back to the nursery a second time.

soooooooo Sunday's purchases were as follows: a good sized Tonto crape myrtle, a hosta plantigenea(sp?), a white variegated euphorbia plychroma(?), a Becky shasta daisy, and a few new daffs.... all for $19!

The walking stick was gone. Oh well, I tried.

Other highlight purchases by friends were Ben Franklin trees, yellow magnolias (for $10 !!!!), fothergilla, various hydrangeas, dwarf conifers. I ALMOST picked up a paperbark maple. I should have done it.

I can't wait till next year. Now I know how my wife feels the day after Thanksgiving.

Comments (7)

skippy05
18 years ago
Kato,
WOW!!! Who would believe all this plant buying at the end of October! LOL
Now, do you have to plant all this asap?!
I noticed you didn't tell us the name of the nursery...
holding out, huh! :)
katob Z6ish, NE Pa
Original Author
18 years ago
Ok, It was Perrenial Point.... I figured up my way (Scranton-Wilkes Barre) most would know my secret already! Plus since they are now closed, I didn't want anyone to get too excited and show up Monday at a closed down nursery.

But if anyone else is interested, Dundee Gardens just upped their clearance to 50% off from 25% last week :)
I may not be done yet.... and there are still the bulb sales -I hope- although none of the box stores are tempting me this year.

OK and here's a gripe too... Home Depot never reduced their fall bulbs last year. They sat in the store all winter and then were mixed in with the dahlias and glads in the springtime. It P-ed me off a little as I thought of the people buying a few hyacinth bulbs in April and then assuming they did something wrong that killed them. I complained, but *duh* nothing happened.

-oh yeah, as far as planting goes..... I'm a bad person. I'm digging the things in pot and all, I'll plant them properly come springtime when I've had some time to think it over. Plus I think it's kind of late to disturb the roots, especially something borderline like a crape myrtle..... or at least that's what I'm telling myself so as not to feel guilty.
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stimpy926
18 years ago
Wow, those are some awesome prices! Good for you. It's probably Kismet or whatever, you missing the Walking Stick, it's a Jap. Beetle magnet, and by mid July you may wish you hadn't bought it. It's wonderful in early spring, but later on a not too great plant to look at. That's unfortunate about Home Depot doing that with their bulbs. I still miss Frank's Nursery & Crafts...they'd mark down all the bulbs to 75% off, and I'd buy a lot of tulip bulbs to use an annuals. I was lucky Sunday morning to run into my food store's marking down their leftover 12 pc. bulb packs to $1.00, so I planted 120 tulips that afternoon in the warm sunshine.
carol23_gw
18 years ago
That's a remarkable collection of plants, Kato! It's almost a steal.
Remember Paula's crape myrtle 'Tonto' photos this year?
I love the deep pink color of it.
Regarding 'Harry Lauder's', if you site it in morning sun only, the beetle problem should not happen. I had one for a number of years before some sort of borer killed off the top.
katob Z6ish, NE Pa
Original Author
18 years ago
Hi Carol, I sure do remember Paula's pictures.... that's how I knew it was Tonto I needed! I hope I can overwinter it, it will get plenty of mulch and a leaf filled cage. Some people in my area do ok with crape myrtles, but they're closer to the river and at the bottom of the valley. I'm a little higher, colder and have a north facing slope.... not that these obvious reasons to give up would influence my decision!

I'll have to get the H. Lauder's also. There can be a dozen reasons not to grow it, but once I get it in my head I'm a real dope about it! (see crape myrtle reasons above)

Bad Paula. See what your pictures do to people? I'm just one person admitting it.... imagine the others who are too embarassed to come forward.
stimpy926
18 years ago
lol!..thanks again for the compliments

Yes, thanks for correcting me Carol on exposure for the Walking Stick. I actually have a gargantuan task ahead of me next spring to dig and move my 5 foot Walking Stick (after the tassels of course!). I bought a big pot, and I'll put it on my back patio where it will get pm shade. I'm hoping the darn Jap. B's leave it ALONE next year.

Bought some more tulip and yellow crocus bulbs out front of K mart Tuesday 50% off, well they could've done better than that, oh well,,,but, more work ahead of me this weekend, wahoo.. the forecast looks wonderful though! Also bought 3 Sieboldiana Elegans hostas, and 2 Geranium sanguineum 'Striatum' for 1/2 off at Agway. I hope I'm not planting these too late in the season.
katob Z6ish, NE Pa
Original Author
18 years ago
I have to get up to Agway this weekend. They had bamboo this summer but I couldn't talk myself anywhere close to putting out $65 for a 2 gallon container.... but I think I stood there, circled the plant, touched it a few times, read the label. I hope I didn't scare anyone, at least I wasn't talking to it.

I Love the tassels on the Henry Lauder's walking stick. It's like the best part.