One of my favorite frugal outings is to scan the clearance rack at the big box stores for plants. This is really nothing to be afraid of if you know what you are doing. 1) Know your plant material. Never buy something that you are not sure will survive your climate in the first place. 2) Take a look at the roots.
Often the plant material can look pretty sad up on top due to irregular watering or just being past its seasonal prime. I always recommend you pop the plant out of its pot and take a look at the root ball. Healthy plants will show some white root growth and will never smell rotten.
Today I picked up three sedum for $1.00 each and 1 basket geranium for $2.75. The sedum were a steal. The only reason they look bad is because they are just past their flowering season and look rangy as a result. The geranium just needs a little dead heading to replace one of my peat baskets that got too dry and died. The geranium will also over winter nicely in the greenhouse! Go forth and save!
