I got "schooled" @ HDepot this am.
 

So as I am going to grab orchid pot mix I look over and see a Phal with a bent spike in the "bucket" on the floor aka garbage.

I nearly had a heart attack. I saw the flower lady who was putting up orchids and asked her
" is that the garbage, can I have it for free" ?
No I cant do that, she exclaimed !

"can I have it for 1$ or 5$"?

My supervisor is not here , she is the only one who can price it.

"its going in the garbage and I want it !
sorry I have no choice she replied.

So I said fine , I went to purchase my items and left.

I got to my car and put my bag in and went back in.
I asked an associate if I could speak to a manager because I wanted to buy an orchid that was being thrown out.

So I went to the Orchid Lady again and told her I wouls speak to the store manager about the Orchid.

"You wouldnt want that orchid ,the spike is broken it wont do anything for you anymore".!!!!!!


I said its a PLANT !!! It will rebloom!!!
She called her manager after I said I would.wait.20 minutes for her to arrive.

Well and behold $9.98!!!! I said yes because I shouldnt have to be.thrown out !!!! If it wasnt for my 6th Anniversary yesterday.and me being in such a good mood I would have.given her and her manager a Piece.of my f.mind! Over pricing me a phal that they were throwing out. I will post pictures later ;)
Thanks for reading

It may have been that she was a temporary hire, and afraid of losing her job. For the most part, the bix box store guys will make deals onplants they do not think they can sell due to cosmetic problems.

Thats what I mean ,.usually Lowes and Home.Depot have the clearance racks but this one didnt.

I was just shocked when she said this plant can not do anything for you the spike is broken!

I would have bartered them down to $5. But more and more, these big box stores are negotiating agreements with orchid growers where the growers will buy back all plants that aren't sold by the time the flowers die, for whatever reason. So the stores don't sell off wilted and damaged plants.

This is happening in Ontario, with all HD and Walmart stores, and Lowes won't be far behind. So enjoy your bargains while you can.

I don't blame you a bit - good for you and good luck with the baby...those guys are a@@holes...

I am lucky and negotiated to buy a bunch of near-death phals from my Home Depot for 1/2 price - so far, so good... also, I just bought a nice dendrobium from my local nursery after finding out that they give 75% off non-blooming orchids (yesssss)

---------- Post added at 07:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:31 PM ----------

You also have to remember these are some of the same folks who drench them in water everyday...:(

If its in the garbage it's free....its the law....it no longer belongs to Home Depot. Technically, I guess you would just have to wait until its in the dumpster. Dive, Dive, Dive!

Its not what the plant can do for me , its what I can do for her !

A bandaid on the bent part at the top :)
New medium :)
New home :)

It has another small spike and 2 blooms left.

The spike is thick and tall and if the top part dies its ok because its still a plant that will rebloom.

This lady was not a Homedepot Associate . She was the actual person who brings in the orchids I guess the company who supplies orchids to Home Depot.

My Husband said she was probably upset bc she would have bagged it for herself!


Im not cheap to say I wouldnt pay $10 for an Orchid but this was in the garbage literally so I knew I was being taken advantage of. I knkw TJ has $12 Orchids I could have gotten but my heart was broken :(

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Reminds me of when I was at Lowe's two days ago. Found a not-impressive-looking Phal with a really pathetic root system (felt like most of its roots were gone), was curious to see what kind of deal I could get for it, took it up to the cashier. Cashier took it over to the manager to ask about it, then brought it back, said they could take off 50%. That would've been $7.50. I said "nope, it doesn't seem worth that much" and went to put it back. Both of the Phals I already had were cheaper AND better-looking (especially the one I'd gotten from that same store for $4; that one was really handsome, aside from the torn leaf which was my fault anyway).

Went to my mom's favorite grocery store afterwards that was selling blooming Phals for Valentine's Day, for $10. They still had two left by the time we got there.

This makes it even worse - heck, I'm betting your hubby was spot on...I know they are just plants and all, but I prob would have done the same thing...$10 well spent, IMO

Actually, I think you will find that once it is in the dumpster it is often considered the property of the municipality or waste hauler that will take it away. And there could be trespass laws involved. Is one mass-market noid Phal worth mug shots and finger prints, DNA swab, cavity search, a night in a holding cell with special company?