Low priced gardening containers found in supermarkets?
Keep your eyes open and you will find super deals for gardening products in unlikely places such as your local grocery store.
This is one of my favorite stories of how I "stole" some garden pots from my grocery store!
To the left of the entrance doors of my local Pavillions supermarket is the floral department.
It's offerings are nothing special, just your typical mini roses, gift azaleas and "foliage plants."
Oh yeah, they have balloons there too.
On the day I "stole" the garden pots, there was a big box jutting into the entrance area.
I had to walk around it to enter the store.
A young, lanky clerk was busy moving the box and I could tell he was exerting himself.
Whatever was in that box was HEAVY!
The young mans forehead was dotted with sweat and he spoke in short sentences as he tried to conserve his energy for the laborious task before him.
"What's in the box?" I asked, typical of my nosey self.
"Ah, I don't know…some stuff for gardening," the teen answered with dispassion.
"What kind of stuff for the garden?" My curiosity was piqued.
Anytime I hear the word "garden," I'm all ears.
"Some garden pots..I'm not sure. It's a special shipment for a sale we are having." he continued.
"A sale on pots? Since when does Pavillions sell garden pots?
Can I see them?" I asked
"Would you mind waiting until I take them out of the box?
If you are shopping for stuff, why don't you come back in 20 minutes?"
The young clerk seemed to be running out of patience to continue the conversation with me.
There was no preciseness to his language, everything was just "stuff."
The pots that were on sale are a glazed terra cotta and large enough for my container-planted tomatoes!
The clerks impatience with me just made me more curious!
The words "pots" and "sale" in the same sentence had a lot to do with it.
"Here, let me help you. I have to leave soon and want to see what you have."
I started pushing the box out of the way before he could accept my offer.
The clerk froze in silence as I had my way with the box of mysterious gardening "stuff."
A cardboard sign that read, "$39.99" sat on top of a stack of garden containers?
I picked it up to see what was underneath.
Bingo!
There were some huge glazed terra cotta pots that provoked a closer look.
I asked him to help me take a pot out of the box.
He agreed but was not happy about it.
As the container was lifted, I could see that it was a beauty and not a bad deal for $39.99!
I started sweating…not from the heavy lifting, but from excitement!
I spoke with bated breath.
"Wow, this is gorgeous!
Such a deal for $40 dollars.
How many do you have?"
I was willing to take the whole box full.
"I have six of them but the price is wrong, I have to make a new sign."
"Oh, great," I thought to myself, the price did seem too good to be true.
The clerk continued, "They are supposed to be $9.99, not $39.99"
I couldn't believe my ears!
There was no way these pots could cost only $9.99.
I buy pots all the time at wholesale prices and I never paid $9.99 for pots of this size and quality!
It had to be a mistake.
I knew I had to move swiftly and with purpose before any of the other shoppers saw them.
This was the steal of the century!
"Don't take them out of the box, I'll take them all!
(There was no way I was going to pass up this opportunity).
"Let me get someone to help load these to your car.
Do you need to make a couple of trips for them?" He asked.
"No, I can take everything now. I have a truck.
"I can help you," I said with a smile.
I'm used to heavy lifting, this is no big deal."
The young clerk thought I was weird.
He didn't say a word but his baffled expression revealed his feelings.
Maybe I had a deranged look on my face.
The kind of expression someone has before they are about to commit a crime….like "stealing" some garden pots from the supermarket!
Explore More!
Read my post on "How To Make A Thriving Container Garden With Less Soil" on SnapGuide.
Hello Shirley!
Pots are having a traditional look. Really these are awesome and you got only in $9.99, What a deal! 🙂
Hi Eddie,
Great to hear from you! How have you been?
Yes, I missed GWA this year but will be there next year in Arizona. Thank you for thinking of me.
Planter theft is on the rise, your story is not the first one I’ve heard about lately.
Shirley, I was hoping to see you at the GWA conference this year because I have something for you but you weren’t there. I’ll need an address to send it to. You didn’t really steal those planters, you got a super deal on them. Someone did steal the heavy concrete planters from in front of my brother’s Printing Company in Covington, Georgia. Much Love, Eddie Rhoades http://www.bittersweetgardens.com.
THanks Robert. Trash day sounds like a great opportunity that I would take advantage of as well.
You got that right Kylee. Thanks for visiting Eden Makers!
What a nice read and a gardener’s dream story! We often go out hunting on bulk trash day. Its a monthly ritual where you can place anything by the street and they will haul it away.
Well, Shirley, you know what they say, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” LOL! Fabulous deal you got there! Good going!
Hi Antonia! Welcome to Eden Makers! I just visited your blog and see that you are quite the nature enthusiast yourself….perhaps an eden maker too?
I’m happy to read that you enjoyed my little adventure at Pavillions. Come back and visit soon.
Shirley
That was hilarious! What an awesome find! Good for you!
I would have done the same as well, truth be told! lol
Antonia
Hi Debra,
Yes, you did see these containers proudly displayed in my yard! I’ll make sure to keep an eye on you next time you visit my garden!
Hi Kathryn,
I’m glad you got a kick out of this story. I still smile when I think about this little adventure! Hope you are well and your scarf project is moving along.
Shirley
This is funny, Shirley! I would have done the same thing from start to finish! Kathryn xox
Okay, folks…I spied these pots with my own eyes, sitting innocently in Shirley’s backyard last week – but she was too attentive (couldn’t sneak one out the side gate to my Subaru!). Your confession, Shirley, is a good reminder to be alert and observant wherever one may be…because great stuff for the garden is hard to come by.
You hit a home run with these tactile, ornamental vessels. I can vouch for them!
cheers, deb
Hi Philip-
So happy to see you dropped in and enjoyed the post! I’m full of adventures like this one. I visited your blog and was wowwed by your garden. Thanks for your comment.
Shirley
This story made me laugh. I loved it.
Regards,
Philip
Hi Steve,
Now THAT is a funny story, (and hearwarming). Hey, the guy was happy with his price and you really did have the deal of the century and a new friendship to top it off! Thanks for stopping by.
Shirley
LMAO, Shirley!!!! God, that’s funny. I once visited an old Estonian guy who had come from Estonia to Vancouver, B.C. way back before the war – yes, THAT war, lol, in the 30’s at some point. He had a personal habit of growing rhododendrons. Well, I had just seen those rhodies from driving by and had stopped to see what it was all about. As I walked up to the house, I could see him sitting in an old car out back. I introduced myself and asked him if he minded if I looked around. He was delighted! He accompanied me, talking on about each plant, practically. Now listen, these plants were large, many over 20-30 years old. When I saw the leather-leafed Chinese Rhodie, I had to stop. “I’m sure you know what this is, but do you have any idea of its value?” I asked him.
“Yup,” he said. “75 bucks!” (It was 5 feet across and 8 feet high, well worth $500.)
I said, “Well, you’re wrong. That thing is easily worth $300.” He started arguing with me, lol, seriously. I was laughing – I already loved the guy – and told him I’d give him $200 and I didn’t want to hear any less. (I should have warned you the story would be weird 😉 I ended up his sole buyer. He had over 300 of the finest rhodies I had ever seen outside of parks. The funniest part was his wife told me he was guilty about “ripping me off”. So I had to eat dinner there on top of it all!
He died soon after that, unfortunately, but he may have been the best – and most unknown – master gardener I ever met.
Hi:), Just stopping by with a few of my friends!!
Hi to Nancy, Anna, Josh and Ms. “Mother Nature!” Thanks for dropping in and commenting. I’m still enjoying my steal. Everyone who sees these pots always asks me where I bought them because they are truly beautiful! I had to blog on them.
Shirley
It was your lucky day. How exciting it is to find such a great deal. I thought I was doing well when I went to the cashier and what I bought was on for 50 percent off.
What a great steal!
Shirley, you are a thief. You took advantage of that situation and we are so proud of you! What a steal! The pots look beautiful and would have been a good buy at $39. I think it’s great that you helped that poor guy make his decisions and take action. You know he was hoping someone else had to deal with it and you would go away. Wish I had been there to see it.
I bought some deer once like that. I loaded them up and got out of there before anyone could take their second breathe and figure out what the heck happened.
I’m going to Virginia over the weekend. I’m going to see the fall color. I’ll tell you all about it when I get back. Hugs to ya
Wow, those really are beautiful, Shirley. What a find…er, I mean, what a steal!! 😉