You know it's bad when the florist laughs at you...

By Yuki
@yukimori (10140)
United States
April 28, 2016 1:17pm CST
I walked up to the grocery store this morning, partly because I wanted to get out and moving and partly because I wanted to grab something quick and easy for breakfast. On my way to the produce department, I stopped to look at the markdown cart in the floral department. They had a few nice potted mums and some slightly wilted Gerbera daisies, but what caught my eye was the orchid with the bright green flowers. My six-year-old has been begging for one recently, so I picked it up and looked at the clearance sticker on the bottom of the pot. $2.99, when it was originally $29.99? Sold! Into the basket it goes... And I hear laughter from the floral counter behind me. Yep, the florist there knows me and my fondness for cheap orchids all too well. After all, this is only my 10th one in the last couple of months. I'm hoping my newfound green thumb will extend to the table scrap garden I've started in the kitchen window. So far I have two celery plants that I'm growing from the ends of the plants we've cooked this month, a window box full of garlic I found on the markdown shelf, and some basil cuttings that are happily taking root in water. I'm thrilled that my little plants are thriving, since I've never been able to keep anything but my little potted bamboo plant alive before now.
11 people like this
13 responses
@Rosekitty (19368)
• San Marcos, Texas
28 Apr 16
wow what a great deal you got from that mar down orchid..wish i could get deals like that..
1 person likes this
@yukimori (10140)
• United States
28 Apr 16
I find deals like that all the time at the grocery store down the street. The most that I've paid for one of the orchids I bought was about $7.50, and that was because it was one of the bright pink ones that my daughter really wanted to have. All of the other large ones have been $2.99 or less, and I have a bunch of small ones that were all marked down to $1 because their pots had broken. The key to finding them seems to be to go into the store frequently and look around, since a lot of the really good deals get scooped up almost as soon as they're put out. I've seen the entire shelf clear out in just a couple of hours.
1 person likes this
@Rosekitty (19368)
• San Marcos, Texas
28 Apr 16
@yukimori me too
1 person likes this
@yukimori (10140)
• United States
28 Apr 16
@Rosekitty Ah, rats! I hope you find some soon.
1 person likes this
@miniam (9154)
• Bern, Switzerland
28 Apr 16
Glad you found a bargain,my plants and flowers never grow nomatter how lovely they look in the shop,as soon as i plant them,they die
1 person likes this
@yukimori (10140)
• United States
28 Apr 16
@miniam She laughs because she knows I'm collecting them now. I think this one will do just fine--it looks great aside from a few of the flowers being a little past their prime.
@yukimori (10140)
• United States
28 Apr 16
I have no idea what I'm doing differently this time around. I used to have the same problem for years, but suddenly all of the plants I buy are doing great.
1 person likes this
@miniam (9154)
• Bern, Switzerland
28 Apr 16
@yukimori Good for you hope the cheaper options that made the florist laugh grow too
1 person likes this
@irishidid (8688)
• United States
28 Apr 16
I certainly wouldn't have passed that up either!
1 person likes this
@yukimori (10140)
• United States
28 Apr 16
I'm still debating going back for the other one I saw. I suppose if it's there when I go back tomorrow or Saturday it's meant to be.
• United States
28 Apr 16
Thats a great deal though!!
1 person likes this
• United States
28 Apr 16
@yukimori Hehe yes who can pass over that great deal. Orchids are beautiful!
1 person likes this
@yukimori (10140)
• United States
28 Apr 16
It was! And, you know... orchids! Pretty, pretty orchids... I may need to admit that I have an addiction to growing things before too long.
1 person likes this
@amnabas (13743)
• Karachi, Pakistan
28 Apr 16
Wow your kitchen must be looking too fresh due to these plants.
1 person likes this
@yukimori (10140)
• United States
28 Apr 16
It is! A lot of the orchids have gone into my daughters' room, too. They both love having plants in there.
@IvySaysHi (4469)
• United States
28 Apr 16
Congrats on the green thumb! And finding such an amazing sale
1 person likes this
@yukimori (10140)
• United States
28 Apr 16
Thanks! I probably shouldn't have spent the extra money on the orchid and the two mini roses I bought, but I love having them around the apartment.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (84638)
• United States
6 Jul 16
I salute anyone who can keep plants alive.
@shaggin (71572)
• United States
10 Jul 16
Well that sounds very frugal to me.
@yukimori (10140)
• United States
11 Jul 16
It would be if I stuck to having just one or two orchids... Oh, well... the more the merrier, right?
@vandana7 (98529)
• India
1 May 16
Well hopefully this one thrives...and changes your luck for the better..:)
@BelleStarr (61050)
• United States
29 Apr 16
I wish you good luck with your orchid, for that price it is certainly a bargain.
• United States
28 Apr 16
ya found'n orchid fer under 3 bucks?? mercy, i'd be willin' to take one'n fer that price, lol. best'f luck to ya 'n kudo's fer startin' yer own lil garden from "scraps". purty rewardin', aint it?
@yukimori (10140)
• United States
28 Apr 16
Oh, definitely! I laugh at how excited we get when we see the first leaves starting to grow on the celery, but it really does feel so rewarding. I've only paid more than $3 for one of them once, when we first spotted the bright pink ones marked down. That one was about $7.50. All the little ones were just a dollar each because they didn't have pots.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323744)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Apr 16
You're doing really well! And that's a great price on the orchid!
@Hanyouyomi (2187)
• Dallas, Texas
9 Jul 16
So the florist laughed because you're a regular who is a sucker for the cheap potted plants? Ma'am I think you might have a problem...
@yukimori (10140)
• United States
9 Jul 16
Hey now... that was actually the last potted orchid I bought! I've got my hands full with what I have now, unfortunately. I just realized yesterday that an entire colony of ants had moved into one of my orchids... yep, eggs and all!
• Dallas, Texas
9 Jul 16
@yukimori Okay, forget what I said, you're gonna need another orchid.... And maybe place the infested orchid in your yard or somewhere where they won't infest your house.
@yukimori (10140)
• United States
9 Jul 16
@Hanyouyomi I've actually had some success in convincing them to move out. They really didn't like it when I soaked that pot, so they've abandoned it in favor of a better location.