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I saw them today. Watermelon was the color I think. Huge leaves and flowers. Like something from Little House of Horrors. Would it be hardy in Chapel Hill, N.C. zone 7b? Paperhouse???you there???
Anybody know anything about it?
This is news to me, but be very careful about a Lowes plant purchase. Inspect the plant thoroughly for pests or signs of disease before you pay for it. I have known several people that have struggled with big Box store plant purchases----looking good then developing fungus, disease , or what have you after they brought it home.
I googled and found many people saying theirs reverted back to regular size blooms. How disappointing that would be since they sell for about $27 for one plant in a very nice planter. Still want to know if anybody has had them come back and what size flower they are.
Somebody's blog last year said they went on sale May 31 for $8 and somebody else said they paid only $1 for the.
Is each store responsible for marking things down or it is pretty much uniform throughout the country?
I love Gerbera's but with my experience after their initial bloom they take a while for a re bloom-they are not continuous rebloomers.
And on another note-Lowe's/Home Depot have big sales on perennials-but it is always on plants where the season for the plant is ending. That's great if you need need fill in plants for the next year!
I know as the past week end we bought beautiful rhododendrons for the back bone of newly created woodland garden at 1/2 the price!
Is each store responsible for marking things down or it is pretty much uniform throughout the country?
If it's anything like the place I work for the markdown is based on number of leftover units. Store A with 20 plants would get a lower price than store B with only 8 plants to get rid of. Of course there are always the rogue managers who override what the "official" markdown price is and slash prices to the bone regardless of what the corporate office says.
Lowe's policy on markdowns is that each Nursery Specialist is supposed to walk the garden center and pull distressed plants and those 80% bloomed out. That's what every store should be doing. 50% off is the first markdown, though many stores will go deeper if you ask. The more you buy at our store, the bigger the discounts. If you find a plant that you're not willing to pay full price for, just ask to speak to the Nursery Specialist. If they are not there, ask to speak to the Zone 1 manager. Inform them that this plant is distressed, or bloomed out, or whatever seems to be the problem. Tell them what you're willing to pay. Worse case, they decline your offer. Best case, you get it for what you want to pay. Whether that's $1 or 50% off. Just be polite and courteous. If they work with you and you establish a relationship, call 1-800-44Lowes and brag about your experiences. You can also use that number to complain if you feel something is lacking. Speaking to the store manager helps in many cases as well. Toss out words like "shrink" and "non-sellable". They'll respond quickly, in most cases. Especially after Memorial Day when sales drop drastically.
Now, about the Lollipops...Horrid plants. They're very prone to powdery mildew like most Gerbers in our zone. But, if you plant it where it receives full sun and good drainage with lots of open space around them, they might do okay. Normal gerbers usually return for me in my area. Even after this winter, I have several that came back, although they took their sweet time doing so. I've not grown the lollipops. I have enough problems with powdery mildew and refuse to add more plants that need too much work to keep them blooming and alive. But if you can get it for $1 or even $5, I'd say give it a shot if you like it. Just get it in the ground for the winter. It won't survive in the container. If the roots freeze, they're dead.
I opted for some smaller ones at my local nursery and so far they seem fine. They put out several flowers and then went on a hiatus, but new buds seem to be forming. On the other hand a friend down the road bought the bigger ones (not sure which of the box stores she got it from) and out of 6 that she bought 5 look pretty sad.
Last winter was tough on a lot of my garden. We live at the foothills of the Smoky Mtns and on top of a ridge. Winter was unusually cold, with a warm up followed by deep cold and a lot of drying wind. Several hardy glads sent up shoots that were desicated and I lost several young dwarf loropetelums I'm hoping the next winter might let the new Gerberas survive. Anyone want to share any special tricks with Gerberas?
Paperhouse. thanks for all the inside info about Lowes and especially about the lollipoops. I was mostly in shock when I saw them but not really tempted to buy one. Just too freaky for me and my garden.
My Lowes has some of the lollipops on the clearance rack for $9 today.
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