Hi CJ,
Glad you were able to get that off your chest ;-)

Let me enlighten you on their credit policy. They are not allowed to discount plants from vendors that give credit for plants that do not sell. Usually the vendor makes them sign a contract agreeing to not discount the unsaleable plants in exchange for credit on those plants. Most vendors don't issue credit and those are the plants that you can find marked down. Hope that cleared things up, although I'm sure it did not lessen your disappointment.

I never buy plants at Walmart. As far as I'm concerned, they can shut down that section. Mostly I go for the cheap gas or my prescription medications (they take my insurance, which not many will).

I have the solution: DON'T give your money to the world's crappiest store, Wal-Mart!!!! Support the small, local gardening stores instead, the ones where they actually give a darn about their customers.. and where you can actually talk to a human being who is actually friendly, and knowledgable about what they sell. I wouldn't take plants from Wal-Mart if they paid me. They are probably worthless junk like everything else they sell.. probably "Made (grown) in China", too!

My solution to this kind of situation is more creative and a win-win IMHO and that is for the store (in this case Wal-Mart) to have a policy of gifting to a or several non-profits that provide for the less fortunate. These types of plants and non-saleables or dead-buggy items goes to those that can't afford them for free and gives them a chance to nurture and learn about a plant that would otherwise be thrown-away. As a nurseryman I feel that poorly maintained or over-bought merchandise always being thrown away is a crime as from a business point of view is heavy discounting cheapens the product that savy customers wait for til toss away time and scoop up and recuperate these little darlings that are at deaths door. Take this away and then the scavengers goes away because that is the nature of the beast. No cheap plant, no reason to go by to shop. After all admit it you don't go to Wal-Mart for help in the gardening section. You go there because of the price (hoping for a steal). The gardening world is a discretionary purchase for most of us, you don't need it to survive you can live without it. There are lots of older and low income folks that simply can't afford to buy these plants and there are non-profits that would like to help these people to enjoy and or learn about the joys of gardening.
The greatest joys of this business to me is nuturing and helping my customers to share in my love of the plant world. This is because I nuture and love my plants and take pride in keeping them happy. Unfortunately I can't keep every plant as happy as possible at all times throughout the year. I provide these to a local non-profit that distributes them to folks I don't get to help otherwise in my day to day operations as a garden center manager. In this way I hopefully reach out into my community and touch them in some small way that brightens their daily life. Sometimes the lessons of nuturing can be passed on in subtle ways. This is my way to help a consumerist society to deal with a portion of the social ills that come with it(AKA a throw-away society). Just imagine the impact that Wal-Mart, Lowes and Home Depot would have if they used a model like this for their throw-aways. The senior centers, hospices, food banks, schools, and so many more that could reap the rewards of learning to nuture and share in the joys of gardening. Our society would be a better place and those most in need would have a step up and share in the joy we gardenwebbers take for granted everyday. Jesus said as you do unto the least so you do unto me. Charity begins at home and I for one feel in the nursery business this is a way to give back within the community you serve and create a win-win from what is otherwise a business and community lose-lose situation.
What say you fellow Texans?
Happy Growing David

I am pretty sure that the Lake Granbury Master Gardeners do get donations from the Granbury Wal Mart for our projects involving non profit organizations.

Since my in-laws own a family run nursery in Amarillo, I try to avoid shopping at wal-mart. Mainly because the big guys are hurting the sales of the smaller family owned guys who actually sell good quality plants.

Don't tell the in-laws but I still get plants at Lowes or HD occasionally. (I'm very ashamed..:) )

However, most of my plant dollars are spent at the local family owned nursery down the road. The quality is SOOO much better.

I give away quality plants and give of my own time to organizations such as the Master Gardeners, the local library, Master Naturalist and such. The Wal-Marts, Lowes, and Home Depots also do this in some form or another because it is a good common sense business practice. What I am also offering is a new way of thinking of the "throw away and heavily discounted(pennies on the dollar) or credit garden items that the big chains literally throw away that still have more value within the community they serve than how it is still practiced and in IMHO makes a better and more socially acceptable means of utilizing this material.
I am thinking of the original poster's concern over an orchid that going to be thrown away as one example. But it can and does go beyond that. An organization I work with want the non-sellable or at best dirt cheap plants I have to give out and have their folks nurse them back to health. It serves their goals of offering something for free that their clients can nurture back to health and enjoy all that comes from that and it keeps inferior questionable quality plants or products culled from my garden center. Yes, it also serves the purpose of not encouraging customers that only tend to come in looking for something for next to nothing. I reserve the right to offer this out to those most in need and least able to afford it. I do have sales like any business but I am talking about a completely different business concept and social approach
What say you fellow Texans
Happy Growing David

David, I love the idea!!

BTW, anyone else remember the Wal-Mart of old (like 15-20 years ago) that used to take great pride in advertising how many products they sold that were "Made in the USA"??? At that time, Wal-Mart prided itself on being so very pro-American! Remember the little stories in their ads about how the big Wal-Mart contract helped keep this factory or that business IN business???

Wow, how things have changed!!!

I have NEVER shopped at a Wal Mart. I dislike what Wal-mart stands for, they have put alot of local stores of out business with their so called "low prices". Though I occasionally go to Lowe's for plants, I prefer to go to the local nurserys that have friendly and experienced staff.

Unfortunatly Wal-Mart isn't the only store that throws plants away. I have seen plants baking in the sun at HD. They would rather return them for vendor credit than spend the money on watering. Calloway's is another guilty party, I have been there when they were loading up dumpsters full of plants with very little damage. I agree with the above poster, at least donate things to a non-profit. As a teacher, I know my school would love to have plants to landscape the facility!

David - That is great you are able to help people that way by gifting all those plants.

As part of my local garden club, we have received plant and landscaping supply donations from both Home Depot and Lowes for our projects. They will donate the plants and supplies before some of our locally owned nurseries. But, if we went to our local nurseries and asked for the plants that they are about to throw out that are still alive, maybe they might give them to us like you do. We do have an environmental club at my boys' elementary school that would benefit from this type of thing. I am glad you told us about this because now I know what to ask for - not necessarily the good plants, but the plants that might need a little nurturing.

Wal Mart is horrific!!!

Last year they let most of their plants die!!!! Because, they were on watering restrictions.

Did they discount any of them because of this. No!!!

They just let them die. It made me sick.

This year, many of their plants are also dead.

They don't care. I don't even know why they sell plants.

At the one near my house, the selection is horrible. Nothing but hostas, tropical hisbiscus and palm trees.
(Yuk)

I feel sorry for the lady who runs the plant department at our local WM. She works her fanny off, watering and marketing her plants and she keeps them looking good, and therefore, moving off the shelves.

But when she has to take 2 days off, the plants get no water, no care, and may be moved to the most undesirable light in the whole place. They suffer, and in August, it is harder for plants to recover.

I agree with David, it is good business to donate those tired plants. One nasty looking plant, nurtured back to health by a child or a nursing home resident can change a life.

I do not agree that WM is the worst thing that ever happened to us. There is good and bad in everything.

Janie

I hate Wal-Mart...not the corporation, just the store. However, even for me it has its place. Just yesterday I needed a cheap, small charcoal grill to leave out on our rural property, and no where else but Wal-Mart could I have gotten it for $10. They even had one for $6.

I'm not sure the plant vendor situation and corresponding contracts, etc. can justifiably be blamed on Wal-Mart. I do especially like the "donation to the community" idea, though.

Don't even get me started on the Walmart in Galveston!! The regular garden guy does the right thing but if he is off!!!!
They are now remodeling & it's rather like being in a deserted junk yard. The garden stuff is moved to the middle of the store and the crafts, what there is, is now in the old garden center! Very disgusting. I hate Walmart!
Tally HO!

Thank goodness we live in America, where we can shop where we want!

Pam (married to a Wal Mart employee)

Well, I like Walmart.
I dislike some things about it
but it is what it is.

Melvalena

I don't like Wal Mart, but I love Lowe's.

I like the way they discount their "old" plants.

At one store in town, they have people lined up every morning. And every morning, they mark down a new set of plants.

I've bought plants for a penny.

I bought some knock out roses for only $2.00 each.

One day, the garden manager came up to me and said, "I've discounted all of my day lilies and crape myrtles by 75%, go check them out."

They know how to bring people in!

Well I agree with all of you. :) There is good & bad in everything. I do occasionally buy a plant or basket at Walmart because of the prices. If you get there when they come in, they are looking good. But they will sit out in the west sun & dry out in no time. I can't stand it when I go to HD & most of their stuff is badly in need of water....just a little care would save them, but the sales people would rather stand at the front & talk. I have needed help getting a heavy hose or cushion from a top shelf & couldn't find anyone to help me. That was at Walmart as well. They don't even offer to help carry anything. You're right, they shouldn't even have a garden center....plants anyway.
But at Lowe's, here in Arlington anyway, they are always helpful & USUALLY the plants are in good condition. There are many on the clearance shelves marked half price also. I have bought many geraniums & impatiens the last 2 summers from there that I made beautiful once more. I even found some in their dumpster & asked if they could be sold & I got them for half price also. They will at least work with you.

CJ, for years I enjoyed getting free plants from Walmart, Jim, in San Antonio, would give me free plants, and Victor in Rockport would mark them down. Then about 4 years ago they both told me they were told they could no longer mark down or give plants away, they had to put them in the dumpster. That is about when Lowes came into my life. I still get free plants from Lowes, last week I got 10 trays of free plants. I was just walking out of the store, I bought 8 of the $.25 a gallon plants and this man asked me if I wanted the plants they were going to put in the dumpster, he said they were on the side of the building and walked me over, I could not believe what great shape they were in, I could not take even half of them in my car, I only got 10 trays, I was driving holding plants, the back and inside my car was full. The only problem is I cannot plant like I use to, and ended up giving almost everything away. I still need to take some to Linda, and if anyone in San Antonio, wants any begonia, please email me, I still have some of those left, they are in great shape. Barbra,

David, I love the idea of sharing the joy of nurturing.

I live in a rural area, not many nurseys, but I make the rounds to all. This Walmart (and Lowe's) is 15 more miles from the closer Walmart, but they care for their plants and have a neat selection. I only go that direction when I have a plant allowance. I guess I'm more upset with the vendor that insists the plant be returned whole for a refund, I guess for more than me paying full price (which I was willing to do-these two plants were top shape). However, I don't NEED two orchids in spike/bloom. But, boy-howdy, I wanted them! (however, I am recovering:) Its just all those plants in that buggy going to the trash. Their cutting off their own noses! I love that Lowes desides for themselves (and I know when the manager is there to ask about low prices). I told the poor innocent clerk this was stupid, not a word I use lightly. I think ANY store that buys into this kind of policy, pleasing the vendor, not caring for products, not caring for customers, I hope this is not the new "American Way."

As I read thru these posts the majority of you seem to dislike places that don't care for their plants but it is OK as long as they will sell some of them to you at below cost of production (what it took for the plant grower to produce it and get it on the store shelf). The big boxes have been in one form or another been doing something like this since they decided this helps the rest of their business. AKA, I can use this department as a loss leader if I have to because I bring in enough ancillary business to justify this type of business practice. The plant growers respond by getting bigger and being more efficient. AKA less types of plants and less quality to meet the big boxes demand for the practice they created that now the consumer demands. Typically these types of operations don't staff with qualified employees or enough employees to care for the product (aka plants) in their charge. A warehouse type of operation is predicated on volume and minimal input and big boxes don't know how to do this yet with a live product so they make up for it by volume agreements with corporate plant growers to get the product cheap enough to get a customer into their store. Even when this part of the business (live plants) only breaks even, the rest of the goods (non-perishables) makes up for it in profit. A food store is much the same persishables bring people in and can be a break even or even a loss-leader and the food store makes a profit from the non-perishables you buy while you are getting your milk, eggs, cheese, and veggies and bread (all of which are heavily subsidized by our government aka Joe consumer) We have done this since at least the depression and it still is one of our biggest hidden costs that we as consumers fail to recognize as the cost of what we consume. Back to our topic, plants are now becoming subsidized to some degree by the biggest growers that have deep pockets and ties to the farm subsidy feeding trough. As this continues as with most of these other aforementioned perishable products we will see a bottoming out of pricing that will inevitabley go back up to the the breaking point where consumers rebel but by the time that happens we will be stuck with exactly what we asked for. "Cheap" homoginized plants produced by a handful of companies that recieve a subsidy to grow certain plants and not to grow other plants as supply and demand dictates but is controlled by big corporations supported as a business by our tax dollars as to provide us with these perishable products that can no longer be produced at a profit by a free market system. How many corporate farms were there before farm subsidies began and how many are there now? How much of america's farms in 1930 was owned and run by a family and how many now? What portion of farm acreage is now owned by a family and how much is owned by a corporation (non-family)? How many independant (family) nurseries or growers were there when the big boxes (corporations) started to offer plants less than 20 years ago and how many are there now? In less than half the time it took for corporate America to control and profit and dictate what we eat we are seeing the same thing happen to the last living product that we consume (yes we consume plants, they are cheap so its alright if we throw the excess away (big box and us)after all we all got what we wanted a profit for the big box, a "cheap" plant for the consumer and a guaranteed subsidy for the grower everybody wins "right". 20 more years and the shift will be so firmly entrenched that we as consumers will have no choice what we pay because a bottom price (subsidy will guarantee a profit for those large enough to provide for our NEEDS). Already almost all the seed we americans consume each year for our gardens are offered to us by a handful of corporations several outside the U.S.. This was much easier to bring into the corporate fold then live plants because it is less perishable but given time and the trend is already firmly established the same will go for live plants. How hard is it for you to find a good tomato in the store? How abot seed that will grow in your garden? It gets harder every year to find regionally appropriate plant seed because volume. Regionally appropriate seed just takes too much effort for the return on investment. The same is true for live plants but the trend is still being shaped and maybe be reversed but by what I read into these posts I am not as hopeful as I once was 20 years ago when I started in this profession.
WOW! I didn't think I would ever finish!!
TALK ABOUT GRUMBLING it is time for me to shut up! Sorry for the ranting but I just needed to get this off my chest. Besides, it is time to get ready to go to work and see if I can help someone to create a beautiful, healthy garden or landscape.
Happy Growing David

I dont shop for anything at Walmart, havent for years.

i don't shop at walmart much, because i dislike huge stores,(grocery stores too)i don't shop at other large stores and rarely shop at all!!!
my favorite place to shop is Arbor Gate in Tomball!!!

HOWEVER, i did move all of my prescriptions to walmart after they came out with the 4.00 prices, i don't save a thing, have good insurance, but i know many people without insurance who benefit from the cheap prescriptions and i don't think the other stores would have made the cheaper prescriptions available if walmart hadn't taken the first step
(i have also purchased a couple of things online at walmart-so i don't actually dislike the company)

the only trips i make to the store are early early in the morning-when i need somehthing -- like a bicycle for my grand daughter's birthday!

sandradee.... yes I DO remember their "Proud to be made in the USA" ad campaign.. boy,, they got rid of that real quick, didn't they?? WM couldn't care less about that now.

Ok, I have to admit that I copied and pasted this from someone else, but it does explain why Wal Mart is inherently evil and self serving.

The thing people don't understand is the reason why Walmart can sell everything at such low prices. Walmart is so big and controls so much of the market that they can also control the prices at which they buy their products from the manufacturers. They can approach a factory and say "We want to buy your blue sand buckets, but we don't want to pay $1.00 a piece for them, we want to pay $0.75 a piece." It doesn't matter that the buckets might cost the factory $0.80 to make, they have to figure out a way to make and sell them for the price that Walmart demands. Not selling to Walmart is career suicide for factories because Walmart controls so much of the market. So the factory has to figure out how to cut costs down to the point where they can afford to sell at the price Walmart demanded, which leads to pay cuts and layoffs of their employees. Now these people who are newly poorer become even more dependent on Walmart's "low prices" - unaware that the real cost of Walmart's products

hitexplanter

Maybe someone would read your posts if you learn to use paragraphs. That is done by hitting the 'enter' key on your keyboard.

That was exceptionally nasty tedbell. Thanks for coming out of the woodwork to add your 2 cents.

Pam

I live near a small town (approx. 6,000 inhabitants, if you don't count the cows) that supports both a Wal-Mart and an active downtown. How? Well, our Ace Hardware offers the best service you have ever seen--greeting customers when they come in, asking if they can help, helping customers find what they want, and if Ace doesn't have it, sending them to another store that does! Our Western Auto actually apologized because they couldn't sharpen a mower blade before noon, when I brought the blade in at 10 am. Western Auto carries a good inventory, and is more than willing to order what they don't have, as does Ace. We have a dress shop, a "variety" store, two appliance stores and three car parts places, along with two regular pharmacies where you can talk to a pharmacist that will be there tomorrow, and was there yesterday and for several years before. Why can these exist with a Wal-Mart down the road? Because the local businesses didn't roll over and play dead. They offer service, service, service.
I have comparisoned shopped (my husband says I toss nickles around like they were manhole covers, meaning I am cheap) and the price difference between local store items and Wal-Mart's is usually a matter of pennies, and Wal-Mart is not always the winner.
Wal-Mart has its place in the market, but so do good stores that care for customers and offer good service. And yes, we buy plants from local nurseries, vegetable plants from the sidewalk display at Ace Hardware, and seeds from our grocery store, Ace and on-line suppliers. However, if Wal-Mart has some plant I need and no one else does, stand back and don't get in the lady's way!

Thank you guys for understanding my complaints (my loving family is clueless), I finally rec'd my mail order orchid and am (currently) satified. So, Mr. Walmart Vendor-hahahahahahahahahaha-you just buy back those old orchids at full price!

(I personally think Walmart fell from grace when Mr. Sam Walton died, and the American Pride went out the window too, so sad, they have such a oppurnity to do so much good, and where I live, that (and high priced Brookshire's gro) is all we have.) CJ