Have you seen those large, outdoor swan planters that are plastered all over home and garden magazines and home decor websites? I've been wanting one for years. And these are not your grandmother's goose garden statues, people! I'm talking about true swan planter grandeur.
Yes, I scored this long-awaited-for swan planter using one of my tried and true savvy shopper methods. Curious? Let's get into it!
Frustrated by high prices and wish you could afford some fresh new decor for your home? Been there, done that. But that was before I started implementing my methods for finding upscale home decor for less.
As I stated in my first savvy shopper series blog post, one of the best methods you can employ when looking for a much-loved, albeit expensive, home decor item for less is patience! Yes, you heard that right!
And as much as being patient can be painful, the rewards are so worth it!
I've been in love with large swan planters for a long time. I see them advertised by all my favorite home decor websites. Unfortunately, their prices can be crazy high!
Case in point: I found my exact swan (but for some awkward blue paint on the bottom half) for sale online in two sizes. The smaller of the two is priced at $396. Seriously.
The larger swan (same size as mine, 19" x 20") is priced at $552!
But wait, you can buy BOTH for the low, low price of $912!
Need I say more? So I put my desire for a large swan planter on the back burner at least a year ago.
That is, until I found one within my price range where I least expected it. I found this gorgeous extra large swan planter at Old Time Pottery.
I popped in to pick up a few garden flags as I do this time of year. After I grabbed the flags, something told me to take a cruise around the store and -- lo and behold -- I stumbled across my holy grail swan planter! (Strike up the heavenly choir here.)
Even better, the price was way more reasonable than I expected: $24 on sale at 25% off!
If you're interested in checking out an Old Time Pottery near you, alas, they're not in many states. (I'm not an affiliate, just sharing what I know.) But you can find them here:
Stores By State
(As an aside, I also found the blue swan planter for sale on Wal-mart.com for $28.19, BUT it was only 7" x 5" x 7"!)
I'm totally in love with this swan planter. Even without plants or flowers placed inside it, I believe it's beautiful in its own right. The added flowers etched into the design take it to a whole new level compared to many other swan planters I've encountered. (And I totally prefer it without the blue paint!)
For summer it's sitting pretty on the patio filled with annual trailing flowers.
Fitting a pot or pots into the space was challenging. I ended up jamming three small pots of calibrachoa into the narrow opening and they fit so tightly that they didn't even need any support underneath them. (The inside of the swan is cavernous!)
There was a pre-drilled drainage hole in the bottom of the swan, but the thought of filling that thing with potting soil seemed like overkill -- it would require a LOT of potting soil, which would make the swan seriously heavy. So much so that I wouldn't even be able to move it once it was filled.
I wanted to be able to easily move it around the patio if necessary, so I went with using much lighter, small pots of flowers inserted into the top opening of the swan instead.
And while you can still see the pots, I'm not concerned because I know once these flowers are in full bloom, overflowing and trailing down the sides, you won't even notice the pots.
I was also impressed by the detailed "feathers" etched on the swan's wings.
While I've seen some swan planters styled beautifully indoors, I think I'll keep it outside at least for the summer. Come fall, who knows? I think it could be stunning filled with the right faux fall blooms -- say, some trailing faux hops stems. Talk about a stunning fall centerpiece!
Moral of the story? Patience is a virtue for savvy shoppers. I am a true believer in the old adage that good things come to those who wait! Have you ever found a dupe for less after patiently waiting for it? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear about it!
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