Returning pots; getting plants

Even though I don't really have a lot of potted plants, somehow I happen to have a bunch of plastic pots. Many of these are the kinds plants are sold in -- not the pretty kind you put on display, but the kind many people would toss.

However, of course, I try not to toss them if there's a decent alternative.  And in fact, most nurseries will gladly take these back again and reuse them.  (That's plant nurseries, not baby nurseries).  Discovering this a few years ago made me happy -- maybe that's why I have this small stash, because I rescued them from the curb and gathered them to take back to a store?  They don't take a lot of room, fortunately.

At any rate, sometime last week my college's greenhouse folks sent out an email with the subject line, "Semi-Annual Greenhouse clear out today!"

The Greenhouse has been abundant this summer, and we need to clear benches for our research!

This Friday, from 12pm-2pm, the student workers will be on the steps outside [our building] with a variety of low-light tolerant houseplants, ZZ plants, succulents, and cacti in need of good homes - all while supplies last.  Please consider stopping by, ask about the newest research endeavors we are kickstarting, and adopt a new friend!

Please consider making a donation of a dollar or two per plant to cover the cost of materials - we also accept donations of used pots, medium or large nursery containers, soil, and might even be interested in some gardening equipment. 

Trading pots for plants?  Yes, please!  I gathered up those pots and headed over; I'd intended to pick up one or two plants, but (a) the folks there were super happy about the little pots I'd brought them and (b) they were also delighted to foist several kinds of plants on me, so I got four little plants.

Here are my new plants, awaiting their transplanting (!)
into terracotta pots.

Now I have a new set of little plastic pots to return to the greenhouse, but the overall plant-to-plastic-pot ratio has greatly improved in the house, so I'm happy.