We may not have extra money to buy a lot of personal things these days, but there also seems to be enough left in the budget to buy a plant or two. They make us feel good without costing a lot.

This weekend I went to Lowe's in Boynton Beach to buy a few plants and was horrified at what I saw -- a prominent display right in front of the garden center promoting vegetable gardening. And, yes, and they are also still selling impatiens.

Not a bad promotion, if you are selling plants in North Carolina or New Jersey, where the vegetable growing season is just beginning and impatiens flourish now. But we plant our veggies and impatiens in October/November because the heat kills them by April.

This is why smart shoppers have to be careful about shopping at national chains for garden supplies. If you are new to South Florida or don't know what you are doing in the garden, go to a nursery where the folks are trained in Florida gardening. Otherwise, you waste your money.

The problem with the national stores is they have central buying offices, which do not take regional differences into account. What can you do? When you see this kind of thing, complain to the local store and the national headquarters.

XOXO -- Shopper Girl