Planting on a budget: Gardening supplies from Dollar Tree

As I was growing up, my mom would take us to a massive Dollar Tree in our East Side San Jose neighborhood every Friday afternoon. When we were feeling a little ritzy, we’d hit up the Ross Dress For Less or Target across the street. But Dollar Tree was really our main spot. I’d get so many cheap melamine toys and off-brand school accessories there. With everything priced at $1, the chain has had a reputation for carrying lower quality products over the years, but I’m pleased to report that it’s been stepping up its game lately! Nowadays, it has plenty of items from reputable brands and high-quality non-branded products as well. I’ve been getting gardening supplies from Dollar Tree lately — here are a few of my favorite affordable plant accessories (some of which you can actually buy in bulk through their site). 

Plastic Planters

At the start of the year, Dollar Tree starts to put out its spring decor, and what says spring more than gardening supplies? (The rainy and windy weather in my nook of California begs to differ, but I digress!) Above all else, I highly recommend giving their plastic planters a look! Most of the plastic is durable, similar to the quality you might find at Lowe’s or The Home Depot. The best part is that these affordable planters come in every size, whether you need a small 4-inch pot or a 10-inch one. Many of Dollar Tree’s pots are bright and in-your-face, but the store does carry neutrals such as gray, beige, and rust. I’ve also seen some smaller terracotta pots and stackable 3-pot planters, too.

Hooks

Since I recently bought macrame hangers (which you can also find from Dollar Tree!), I started searching for S hooks. In the gardening section at the store, they come in packs of two. You can also look at their organizing section for over-the-cabinet/door hooks to secure hanging planters. I keep one on the metal bars of my glass computer table to integrate hanging plants into my space. 

Garden Decor

I used to think that garden decor was corny until I inevitably fell down the #cottagecoreaesthetic rabbit hole. Sure, Amelie was cute, but wasn’t the gnome thing a tad twee? But anyway, Dollar Tree carries plenty of miniature gnomes, fairies, cottage doors, mushrooms, and other decor tchotchkes. Since I’m mainly an indoor gardener, my plants don’t grow very big. Suffice to say, these baby decor pieces are perfect for my collection. 

Miscellaneous

I just want to list out some other treasured finds off the top of my head: baby glass bowls for terrariums, acrylic boxes, organizing storage bins, trellises, gardening gloves, stickers, bestselling books from years ago — Dollar Tree can be your oyster if you give it a chance.