The name of the game, this month, was finding rare plants at on a budget! I’ve had my eye on a few rarer plants and my goal was to hunt around until I could find them at a reasonable price. And after visiting a couple of big box stores – I lucked up and found a few beautiful, unique plants, check out my haul!
While we love cute plant shops and know I can always find unique plants at these shops, shopping at these specialty shops can get to be pretty pricey. I totally get it though, these shops are full of the best, unique plants, so I know a lot goes into maintaining the plant inventory.
By putting in a little work though, you can find many of the rare plants from smaller plant shops at big box stores.
Tips for shopping at big box stores
Shopping at big box stores can be challenging, and for a while I’d never find unique plants there. I picked up a few tips though, helping me actually find some gems.
Shop the day after plant shipment day. I always ask the nursery team members when they get plants – so I know to pop in and check out the new plants before others.
Poke around and take your time. I’ve found that these stores can pack plants in and not necessarily organize them perfectly, so I take my time to move the plants around and make sure to check behind for hidden gems. Don’t be shy, get in there, move plants, and you may uncover something special.
Leave your plants in the plastic pot for a few weeks after you purchase them. I do this with most plants, but it’s especially important with big box plants as you need to let them acclimate to your home. They have been transported, then living in a big store, so let them adjust to your home first.
My Home Depot Haul
Ficus Tineke or white variegated rubber tree. We have a standard rubber tree, but have really been digging the multi-color plants, so when we saw this nice, full plant, we knew we had to get it! And it was a great price. It will need a little TLC, but I think it’ll do just fine.
Ficus decora ruby another variegated rubber tree. Again, we love our rubber tree and have been looking to add a rarer variety to our home. The pastel pink colors on this one really wowed me, and it was under $10!
Alocasia polly or elephant ear. This guy was the only one in the store, tucked away behind a few larger plants. This one was $12 and I’m totally ok with the price as I was seeing it for twice as much at the boutiques. This guy wasn’t in the best shape, but I’m hoping we’ll be able to help it thrive.
My Ikea Finds
Looking for a large plant? Stop by Ikea. They carry large plants at unbeatable prices! If you’re lucky enough to have a local Ikea, this is a great place to pop in and check out the new inventory. They are constantly rotating different plants, so there’s always something new. Check out what we picked up this month:
Strelitzia better known as Birds of Paradise – I got this beauty from Ikea for under $20. Such a steal for this awesome tropical plant that has been really hard to find here in the Bay Area at this size at a reasonable price.
Ficus Lyrata or fiddle leaf – Similarly, we found this 3-foot fiddle leaf for only $20. UNHEARD of here in the Bay Area, these go for closer to $100 at most shops. So, even though we already have one, we had to pick it up! Both pots are from Ikea, too.
xoxo, Jackie
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