Do you have a favorite garden center you just love to visit even when you aren't sure what you want to buy? Or even when you think there is no more room to add new plants? I sure do. Up north it was Valley View Farms AND Maxalea Nursery. Here so far it's only one - Beckett Lake Nursery.

This weekend was the big "Beckett Bucks" sale. When we visited in May, every plant purchased got an equivalent dollar for dollar in Beckett bucks. The bucks were saved up for the big sale in August. I kept checking the calendar for the days and Saturday morning we packed ourselves up early, went to breakfast, and then drove over to the nursery.

There were rows and rows of shrubs, vines, ferns, annuals, perennials and trees. We wandered through the aisles and then meandered again. My husband would stop to look at something, we would discuss the particular plant, and we would mosey on down to another. Occasionally we would ask one of the owners a question and then we would walk around again. The clearance center provided a wealth of finds at good prices.

Two hours later we had a cart full - a gorgeous double pink hibiscus 1/2 price, a huge begonia 1/2 price, a couple of LOVE grasses that I'll tell you more about at another time, a few ferns (my husband's favorite plant) and, the piece de resistance, a crinum lily. I have been salivating over crinums ever since we moved here and I always said they were too expensive. Low and behold Beckett had one for $20 and I got it for $10 with my Beckett bucks! What a deal.

All in all it was a fabulous day and we saved a lot of dollars with our Beckett bucks. The best part is that my husband enjoyed it as much as I did. We'll be back there again when the weather cools and find a few more things to fill the empty spaces in the garden. I can't wait. Happy Gardening.