The land of misfit plants

I had a short list of items that I needed to pick up at the supermarket. I told myself I was going to get in and out, not pass go or collect $200, and make it a quick trip. I was absolutely not going to look at superfluous items that I did not need. If it wasn’t on my list, I was not going to even break my stride up and down the aisles. We had already done our big grocery run for that week, and there were just a few items I needed to pick up to fill in the gaps for our lunches.

I had bananas down on my list. I knew that as I approached the produce area that there would be my favorite section, well besides the wine, the beautiful flower section. So many colors and sweet aromas every time I walked past. I tried to not even let my eyes stray. I was there for a purpose and flowers were not on my list. After all, I had a fresh bouquet on my counter at home. I did not need anything that was not on my list. I just needed to keep my head down and grab my bananas.

I was doing pretty well until somehow my eyes didn’t look at the main display of flowers. They went right to the land of misfits. You know the area I am talking about. The land where the florists at the local supermarkets dump flowers and forget about them. This is the area where the misfits go to die; the dreaded discount rack. Sure, these bouquets and plants may not be in their prime, but it doesn’t mean they deserve to be forgotten or just left to die. I cannot be the only person that humanizes my plants.

It wasn’t that I was deviating from my list. I felt like I was at a shelter and seeing something that still had life in it needing a home. I mean a perfectly healthy philodendron plant for $1.99 that simply needed to be watered and a few leaves clipped! Healthy bouquets that still had buds marked down as low as 99 cents. Are you kidding me? I felt like they needed me. In fact, these plants and flowers were lucky that I happened upon them that day because God knows what would have happened to them.

A total of $3.96 was spent on these bouquets. All of which were found in the land of misfits at the local supermarket. (Photo provided by Megan Rathz)

So maybe I did not need them, but they needed me. Yes, that is what I’ll tell myself. I was quite frankly appalled (and thrilled) at the prices some of these perfectly healthy plants were going for. I was offended for them. They just needed a little nip and tuck here and there; some of them really only needed a little under eye cream and some mascara.

We’ve all seen the discount plants that really should be put out of their misery and probably the most humane thing would be to euthanize them. Sometimes it’s best to just do it quickly and not have them suffer, but this was not the case with this lot of misfits. They just had not quite found their lunch table and niche, but still had a lot left to offer and would make for a nice friend.

I have always had a softness and fondness for people that help the vulnerable and most innocent. I have a soft spot for second chances. I know plants are not human beings, but I think that like a lot of people, they deserve a second chance and not to be thrown away.

Nature is speaking to us. It is affording us the opportunity to provide second chances to unassuming misfits. Are you listening?

Megan Rathz is a wife, mother and teacher. She says everything she has ever learned in life came from her Master Gardener mother.

My personal table of misfits. (Photo provided by Megan Rathz)