Water lilies are a beautiful and striking pond plant that blooms from June to September and comes in various colors such as white, yellow, pink, and more. They can be grown in six easy steps from The Pond Guy, covering what to start and how to care for them throughout each season.
Some possible causes of missing flowers in water lilies include not enough nutrients, curling or yellowing of leaves or flowers, and nitrogen, iron, and magnesium deficiency. To ensure a healthy water lily, it is essential to provide enough nutrients, such as nitrogen, iron, and magnesium.
Lowe’s offers a variety of water lily plants, bulbs, and seeds, including the Multicolor Water Lily Bulbs 3-Pack Collection, Red Attraction Water Lily Bulbs, and Smartpond Lily Pad Variety Pack. The Red Attraction Water Lily Bulbs are extremely hardy and bloom all summer into fall, with beautiful red to pink flowers.
The Smartpond Lily Pad Variety Pack is a great way to quickly add color and texture to your pond or water feature. Lowe’s Water Gardens is a family-owned and operated business that provides customers with pond plants, fish, fountains, custom ponds/waterfalls, and ceramic glazed products.
In summary, water lilies are a beautiful and striking aquatic plant that can be grown in various ways to create a picturesque Monet-inspired masterpiece.
📹 NEW Prices at Lowe’s Nursery Garden Trip TONS of Vegetable Plants Flowers and WARNING Label Tomatoes
Road trip to the garden nursery, at Lowes to check out prices on vegetable plants and flowers.l, and they have tons! They had …
What are the damage caused by water lilies?
Water lilies are divided into hardy and tropical types, with hardy lilies surviving in temperate climates and tropical lilies requiring warmer temperatures. They grow from rhizomes, underground stems that send out roots and shoots, and can spread rapidly if left unchecked. Invasive water lilies can form dense mats of vegetation, outcompete native plants, clog waterways, and make it difficult for aquatic animals to swim. They can also reduce oxygen levels in the water, harming other organisms.
Some species, such as the European white water lily (Nymphaea alba) and the yellow water lily (Nuphar lutea), are considered invasive in some parts of North America. If you suspect invasive water lilies in your pond, it is crucial to take action to prevent their spread, such as removing the plant from the water or using physical or chemical control methods. Consultation with local environmental organizations or experts can also help determine the best course of action.
Why are water lilies so special?
Water lilies, also known as Shapla in Bangladesh, are a popular plant for curry recipes and have been found to have medicinal benefits such as regulating insulin levels and promoting liver health. They provide food for wildlife, provide protective cover, help cool water temperatures, and absorb water-polluting nutrients. Organic debris, including fish food, animal, and plant waste, accumulates in ponds and is broken down by nitrifying bacteria, making nitrogen available to plants in the nitrogen cycle.
Water lilies are primarily used as ornamental plants for landscaping and have been documented to have potential in mitigating polluted aquatic environments. They also increase dissolved oxygen concentration in the aquatic environment, which is critical for animal life in ponds and in short supply as water temperature increases during warm months.
To fertilize water lilies without harming wet pets like koi and goldfish, slow-release tablets containing necessary nutrition for plant growth and increasing bloom potential have been developed. These tablets can be pressed into aquatic plant media or soil.
There are three genera in the water lily family, Nymphaeaceae, which reproduce via seeds, tubers, and viviparously. To start seeds, tubers, or transplants, appropriate aquatic plant media or soil is needed. Aquascapes Pond Plant Potting Media is recommended, as it is free of peat, compost, fertilizers, and pesticides that could cloud water and harm animals. Floating planters are also available to stabilize the lily tuber and roots within the basking, allowing the pad and flower portions of the plant to move around the pond.
Why are water lilies a problem?
Lilies trap sediment at lake outlets, creating shallow water and stagnant areas with low oxygen levels, which affect fish and wildlife, including salmon. This anoxic condition can decrease water quality by increasing phosphorous absorption from the soil. Lilies also provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes and provide a hiding spot for non-native fish. They increase water temperature by absorbing sunlight, impacting salmon and causing increased algae blooms.
Lilies outcompete native plants, reducing biodiversity and impacting the food web and native animals. Their decay in the fall decreases dissolved oxygen and adds nutrients to the water, contributing to increased algal growth and water quality problems. Lilies also reduce recreation opportunities on the lake, making it difficult to swim or paddle through them. Treatment of lilies and milfoil has improved control, but further monitoring is needed to address the spread.
Do water lilies clean water?
Archaeologists suggest that water lilies were used to clean ancient reservoirs during the Classic Maya period (AD250-900), which were susceptible to algal growth, making the water undrinkable. These ancient water filtration insights could offer sustainable solutions for a world where contamination and global warming are making potable water increasingly scarce. Water lilies, associated with kingship and power, appear throughout Maya iconography and are commonly found on bodies of water in the area today.
Archaeological records of sophisticated reservoir systems across Central America attest to how the Maya coped with annual dry seasons. A new study by Lisa Lucero suggests that the Maya used aquatic plants to purify their reservoir water, a system that parallels today’s artificially created wetlands.
Can water lilies grow in just water?
Waterlilies are vigorous plants that can cover several square meters and can be grown in various pond sizes. Dwarf waterlilies can be grown in large containers of water, while hardy waterlilies are easy to grow outdoors all year round. This popular aquatic plant can transform a pond into a Monet-inspired masterpiece with its elegant bowl-shaped blooms in summer and distinctive circular lily pads providing shelter for aquatic wildlife. Available in various sizes, they bloom in late spring and summer, and are hardy. It is recommended to read the instruction labels on your plants.
Where are water lilies commonly found?
Water lilies are aquatic plants found in ponds, lakes, slow streams, and ditches. They provide habitats for micro and macro invertebrates, which are used as food by fish and wildlife species. After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food for many aquatic invertebrates. There are three common types of water lilies in North America, each with its own unique characteristics.
Are water lilies waterproof?
The water lily’s stomata, which are the sites of gas exchange for photosynthesis, are predominantly situated on the upper surface of the leaf and are protected by a waxy cuticle. The undersides of the leaves exhibit a range of colors, from green to purple.
How long do water lilies last?
Waterlilies typically bloom from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, with some tropical varieties blooming from late afternoon to early morning. Each flower lasts three to five days. Waterlilies don’t get tired, but many go to bed at night. Hardy waterlilies are day bloomers, opening in mid-morning and closing in late-afternoon. Some tropical varieties are night bloomers, opening in late afternoon and staying open all evening before closing.
Each flower repeats its bloom cycle for three to five days before dying and sinking into the water. With sufficient sunlight and fertilizer, most lilies produce numerous new flowers from May to October in southcentral Pennsylvania (Zone 6).
Are water lilies safe to eat?
The water lily comprises a variety of edible components, including flowers, seeds, roots, and young leaves. These can be consumed in either a raw or cooked state. To prepare the rhizomes, the corky rind should be removed, and the resulting material may be consumed raw or sliced thinly and allowed to dry before being ground into flour.
What are the benefits of eating water lilies?
Water lilies and lotus have been found to have numerous health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, hepato-protective, anti-hyperglycaemic, anti-hyperlipidaemic, and anticancer properties. These plants could be commercially cultivated, harvested, and processed to feed the growing human population. The study highlights the potential for commercial cultivation and processing of water lilies and lotus, ensuring their continued use and benefits.
📹 Home Depot vs Lowes – Which is Better?
You’re going to be happy you watched this video! Everyone knows Home Depot is a great place to find tools and appliances, but …
❤Sacramento County area and I shopped at Lowe’s at 7 a.m. today.❤ our Lowe’s is much smaller. Lowe’s had a LOT of Ferns & African Daisy’s and Nemesia (which I absolutely LOVE). Plant once, no dead heading, no pruning and very low maintenance 😊 Lowe’s had a lot of bags of soil, dirt, fertilizer, etc❤ Robbie ❣❣ I luv shopping with you and Gary🎉 such FUN 🎉 Thank you ❤❤
The Lowes here does not have much yet. A few fruit and evergreen trees and a small selection of indoor plants. It is simply too early for planting. The weather is extremely unpredictable this time of year. Thank you for taking us on your adventures. It is especially nice during our “down” season. God bless.
I just saw Husky cherry tomatoes on that shelf at Lowes! I got one of those 3 years ago and that plant produces SO MANY cherry tomatoes! I cut some tips off and rooted it and kept it indoors over the winter and it continued to grow and produce tomatoes all winter, I put it back out in the large for the next summer and took cuttings again for winter….it finally petered out this winter. I am SO going out to find that same cultivar. Thanks for the window shopping tour of Lowes!!!!!
I went to Lowe’s Monday . It’s a very small Lowe’s. Your lowes is huge. I didn’t see any plants for the hummingbirds yet. I did get miracle grow potting mix and some sm. Shepherds hooks to put in my plant containers on my balcony. I liked your flag and your Yellow and red butter cups. Nice color. Ty for taking us a long.
Never been to Lowe’s. I start all my plants and it has been awhile since I seen the pricing, but I understand where the cost comes from. Big operations can buy in bulk and save—pots, soil, tags. Then there is the labor, heating, water and buildings. Lol, yes, things can add up. However it’s hard to justify because seeds are still reasonably priced it’s hard to pay $5 for 1 plant, but if you only need a few then purchasing is the route to go.
I got a pot of SuperSweet 100 today at Walmart. 2 plants in a pot . There were other pots that had 4 plants but smaller so I picked the 2. I also got Sun Sugar. Those only have 1 per pot 😅 My first time growing them this year and will see if they taste similar to Sungolds. I love Sungolds but they are prone to cracking. They are so good though. I was at HD today and their garden center was busy. I too fell in love with ranunculus this year. I just wish they smell like roses.
I always head straight to the clearance. Sometimes it is better (cheaper) to buy the larger 50% off if there are several plants in the pot. I never pay regular price for geraniums, they always have some on clearance. Sometimes they have ferns. Last time I bought something, and there were a bunch of ” succulent pieces” left on the shelves that they bring the new plants on. I would never pull anything off a plant, but the pieces had been laying there all day, and were going to just die/ be swept up and thrown away. Arizona Lowe’s are similar, lots of plants right now, but when it gets hot….not so much. Pointless to plant when it is hot.
Got some cherry tomatoes from home depot 2 weeks ago. Got one tomato so far. My strawberries from last year have 3 strawberries that are starting to turn red. And today got another yellow dragon fruit with part of the cactus. I’m going to try planting them like you did. 🤞Like the tour. Prices same in Florida.
Stopping at the 8:25 mark, where you are showing the bird baths: ReUse and Recycle people: Turn one of those ugly larger ginger jar type taller end table lamps into a bird bath by taking the electrical innards out of it, plugging the hole where the cord comes out at the bottom, filling it with some small gravel to give it a little more weight on the bottom, spray paint the outside of it what ever color scheme you want and then adding a terra cotta large dish glued to the top (spray paint it to match the bottom if you’d like) and then adding in your little solar fountain in the middle…keeps an old lamp out of the landfill!!! Stand it on top of a few concrete garden blocks for more height in your flower bed too….
I grew Sun Sugar last year and though it produced a lot of tomatoes, they were very delicate after they were picked and the flavor wasn’t very rich. Won’t grow those again. I did get some Voyager (Traveler) tomato seeds from Greece (yes! Was the only source that had them) after you showed and talked about them some weeks ago. It took a month to get them but I have three packets (ten seeds each, I will share with friends). Wish me luck! I will start these today!
About warning labels I needed some 3″ clay pots so I stopped in my local Hobby Lobby to see if they had any. To my surprise they had a CA warning label for lead. The only thing I could think of is maybe the plastic wrapper had some lead in it or maybe there are trace amounts of lead in the clay.. I wouldn’t lose to much sleep of a warning label since it seems just to be a CYA thing. We used to ship plants to Lowes in PA we had to put the volume of soil in the pots because of a state consumer law. It was one of those things on the books forever but one day one of the chains had a sale on 6″ hanging baskets. A local grower took issue that they were being sold cheaper than him and complained to the state dept of Ag. since there were grown in “cheater sixes (5,75”) rather than six inch baskets and indeed this was against the statute . Then the real fun started since quart pots really aren’t a quart and gallon pots really aren’t a gallon . This is because a lot of nursery pots were originally old cans that came from bakeries and restaurants. So we had to contact the pots manufacturer for what the exact volume of our pots were.
The original Sun gold is a hybrid now they have Sun gold select and Sun gold select 2, I have grown Sun gold select and find it isn’t anywhere near as good as original Sun gold. They are stable seeds I haven’t tried the newest version but I no I like the original my favorite tomato so far, but I do have about 30 new cherry varieties to grow and 70 other large tomatoes to grow so may find a new favorite.
Im in N.Y and i am jealous. My home depot and lowes have no plants at all yet. I grow everything from seed anyway but was looking for geraniums to buy but none out yet. I did price the dirt though and the prices are the same here. And the big Kelloggs 2cubic ft. I thought at 9.97 was a good deal also.
Seeing a clearance that is actually fifty percent off these days is like a miracle. These days you look at a clearance rack or go to a “going out of business sale” and stuff is like 10 or 20 percent off.. WTF?! The same with stuff on so-called clearance at Walmart. It’s like maybe a dollar off, I’ve seen fifty cents off! I’m so sick of greedflation/shrinkflation.
I agree on most of your observations regarding the two stores. I really feel that the customer service is better at Home Depot and their displays on small hardware items is definitely superior. I went to the store for Hanging Closet door hardware and found a perfect display at Home Depot and at Lowes I found a horrible display and boxes with parts all over the place.
As a newish owner of a fixer upper, my initial loyalty went to Lowe’s. Both stores are about the same distance from my home but Lowe’s is an easier drive and something about it just felt more inviting. Keep in mind, my family owns a small local hardware store so I only shop these stores for what our store doesn’t carry. I purchased a section of privacy fencing from Lowe’s and scheduled the install. Long story short, the fence was installed slightly over the property line (partially my fault and partially the installers fault) and the fence needed to be moved. I emailed with no response so I called to make an appointment. The sales rep no showed. I went to the store thinking I misunderstood and he laughed saying he forgot about our appointment. Again, short version but I happened to have a customer at my job that I knew worked at Lowe’s so I casually complained about the incident. I thought he was a sales associate but turned out he was the assistant store manager and looked into my email correspondence and appointment and ended up agreeing they screwed up and gave me a good discount on having the fence moved. Still cost me several hundred dollars but was very grateful for the discount. That being said, Lowe’s continues to disappoint me. AWFUL customer service. I’ve never had an associate say hello or ask if I need assistance. I recently was looking to purchase a large amount of trim and they were out of stock of the size I could transport so I asked if they could cut literally in half ( no specific sizes) and their saw has been out of commission every time I go.
I use to work at lowes, if you shop the middle aisles you can get an amazing deal on things called “non stock” aka things they are not carrying anymore (if you look on the price tag there is an N under the price) or something called special order returns (typically they have a was now price tag on them) both types are negotiable if you talk to a sales specialist or manager
I shop at both Home Depot and Lowe’s and my purchases are generally split right down the line as you mentioned in this article. However, sometimes I buy products from Home Depot and I know I would probably have found something better and more aesthetically pleasing at Lowe’s. But, since Home Depot is closer, it got the sale. I am planning to purchase new flooring, a washer, dryer, and a new front door for a property, and this time, Lowe’s is where I am headed.
I must say when mentioning the return policy, when you are doing a big project that usually ends up taking the average person a lot longer than they anticipated, those extra days really do matter because you would be surprised at the end of the project having a ton of leftover that you’re never going to use really does add up and being able to still return them is really awesome.
Thanks, Matt! Something I will add is that recently, Lowe’s has more items out of stock/unavailable items online, less product in stores, and I have had at least 2 instances in the past month where they could not find a sales associate to answer specific questions about products regarding electrical and millwork. A lot of this could be due to the ‘pandemic’ but due to these factors, I have been venturing off to HD and Menard’s even though Lowe’s is much closer to me. And for the record, I have spent quite a bit of time in these stores (and a hoard of money) as I bought my first home less than 2 years ago and am doing a lot of renovation/upgrades. Thanks again for the articles!
As A manager at Lowe’s i can tell you that this last year sales were up about 40%for 2020 over 2019, we weren’t allowed to add any extra help to make up for the increased customer traffic. And at the end if each sales quarter we also had to cut hours so bad the store was almost inoperable. With marvin shareholders are more important than Associates.
I guess it’s all about preference, one thing I’ve always noticed about Home Depot is that even if the employee I asked didn’t know what I needed they were willing to get one that did. At Lowe’s your pretty much left on your own to figure it for yourself…. since most of their employees are only their to stock the shelves.
The biggest difference I’ve experienced is that Home Depot has much better customer service. At Home Depot, I’m constantly being approached by employees asking if I need any help finding anything. I never noticed how often this happened until going into Lowes and being unable to find what I was looking for. Another thing I couldn’t find there was an employee to ask for help. I had to walk to the registers, and wait in line to ask where to find something, and they had to ask someone else. I’ve since returned to Home Depot, and have made them my go-to store.
I consistently appreciate your clips, and the advise you provide. I look for quality, and value. I price compare, do my homework by checking local retail establishments and various online locations before “pulling the trigger” on most purchases. I personally prefer Home Depot far more than Lowe’s, for one extremely important reason. Customer support. Whenever I shop Home Depot, I find sales staff readily available who genuinely invest time, effort and energy to assist me to get what I need and to offer technical expertise on the task I am attempting. On the other hand, I find consistency in one thing at Lowe’s, and it is not a good thing. Locating someone to assist me is like pulling hen’s teeth. No employees are available, and regrettably, my experience has been that when I finally locate a Lowe’s employee, they are not knowledgable about home repairs, and many of them are flat out rude. This is my very generalized observation, but I personally will pay a few dollars more for assistance, knowledge and courtesy. Home Depot is my “to go” preferred location for home goods.
Just an observation: This past weekend I visited 3 different Lowes looking for gravel and top soil. 1 store didn’t have gravel, another had pea gravel, and another had egg gravel (IOW, no store had both kinds.) It was the same with top soil. I have noticed that both stores are subject to what I imagine are management decisions.
I just watched your article & enjoyed it. One thing that irks me about Home Depot vs. Lowes is that although both offer 10% discount to military, only Lowes will give 10% when ordering on line. To get the 10% at Home Depot one has to physically enter the store. That sucks I signed on the Lowes site with military info and it immediately honored my service and 10% on all purchases whether in store or web site.
I like your articles. I do want to point out one thing about Lowes. They give a 10% discount to veterans every day while Home Depot only does it 3 or 4 days out of the year. If you are not a veteran Lowes has, I believe, some type of “club” that will also get you a discount. There are a few things you can find at one store that you can’t find at the other, but not many. I do prefer Lowes for the feel of the store and the discount, however Home Depot is 7 miles from my house, but Lowes is at least 12 miles away. (small town vs bigger town) Bigger town has both. So depends upon gas and time. Keep up the good work.
I like both for the very reasons you shared. I have bought appliances from both. One thing I do like about Lowe’s more is their employees are much more available and knowledgeable about their store’s inventory. Right now, Home Depot is closer to me in location, so we go there more often. Both chain seem to be doing their best with Covid-19 precautions also.
My garage at home is just like going to Home Depot and/or Lowes. There are multiples of each tool and hardware type, but there is never anyone to help me find where they are located. So, it takes me 30 minutes of wandering around by myself to find what I need, if I ever do find what I am looking for. Then, if I can’t find it, …it’s a trip to HD or Lowes to buy another one, and the time consuming process of finding the right stuff starts all over again!
Thanks for this excellent comparison, Matt! We have Lowe’s, Menards, & Home Depot all within walking distance and are often trying to decide between them. We typically end up snagging appliances & paint @ Lowe’s, lighting @ Home Depot, and lumber/construction materials @ Menards. Your insight is helpful as always ☺️
Having just finished remodeling a kitchen and bathroom, I’ll add this. With the exception of a dishwasher and refrigerators from Lowe’s, everything else came from HD. What the Deal Guy didn’t mention is that HD (in my community) has more “sales advisors” or customer service reps on the floor. At HD, I could get advice on plumbing and electrical questions. At Lowe’s, I couldn’t find anyone to ask.
I much prefer Lowe’s over HD for a multitude of reasons, the biggest one being their customer service. As a woman shopper I’ve had several less than satisfactory experiences while shopping in HD. I have had difficulty finding an employee to help (this happened on more than one occasion) and I was even mansplained to once. I will drive out of my way to find a Lowe’s, HD is a LAST RESORT.
Lmaooooo…. This is SO ON POINT!!! Being in Home Depot makes you feel BAD-ASS…… unlesssssss you need any help. Then you are LI-TER-A-LLY chasing an employee down!! In Lowe’s, no less than 3 associates asked if I needed help with a 5 minute span. In Home Depot, every associate looks PISSED and they try not to make eye contact with you lest you might ask for some assistance.
Lowes has stepped up its game for contractors. They have a pro desk, bid room, and reward program. Additionally, they offer an automatic 5% discount if you use your Lowes card (this applies to regular consumer card and their pro cards) I use both, depending on which is closer to my job site. But my preference is Lowe’s.
I love both stores but my son works at Home Depot and let me tell you that he loves his job and in the store he works in (IDK if it’s like this in all their stores) he has great perks, great managers and so many opportunities to move up in the company! Great place to work AND shop! (Except no employee discount but a “perks at work” program)
so as an x depot associate few points. I agree with the article, and your opinion, 99%. When we carried EGO they were actually kinda a PITA to deal with, especially on the repair side. we had a customer that took 3 months to get a switch for his mower in. early on their batteries were pretty craptastic as well. that said i can see why it was dropped in order to prevent competition with a depot owned brand. i find depot to be more shoppable but thats because i worked there. i can walk into basically any depot and know where everything is. paint comes from lowes. Also there is one lumber region where lowes beats depot and thats specialty board. by that i mean poplar, oak, maple, more “exotic” wood choices. If you need a couple feet of poplar go to depot as they price by the linear foot. if you need many feet of poplar go to lowes as they sell by the board and it is a couple bucks less for the whole board. The quality is the same, both depot and lowes use many of the same mills and use the same mill for their “exotic” woods. lastly loosing ego means nothing to tool rental at depot. (i started in tool rental, moved to lumber after a couple years, then to overnight restocking a couple years after that) but we have never had an electric mower for rental, they just arent repairable enough yet. we do rent electric chainsaws tho. Fun depot fact, ACE is their largest competitor, honestly lowes wasnt even on our radar most of the time. While they are similar stores they cater to different crowds, depot to the professional builder/contractor/planner or the more, advanced i guess, DIYer.
I bought expensive silicone roof coating at Lowes. When I got home I checked the codes and called the manufacturer (remembering this brand had a shelf life). The manufacturer said nit to buy it, they had expired over a year ago. I took it all back, and informed a supervisor. Days later when I checked those same pails, identified by the codes, were back on the shelf. That is how much they care about customers no matter what the warm and fuzzy commercials display.
Hi from North Dakota. Let me give you my opinion. If you have a problem (I had a major one) and you call Home Depot HQ to go above the local manager, you can’t get anyone in charge. They have a “customer complaint” dept, that just apologizes and doesn’t do anything. I think you can buy a bag of apologies at Doller Days. If you go to Lowe’s they get a regional manager, who fixed a smaller problem in less than an hour.
I go to both depending on geography or looking for a specific item. The Lowes and Home Depot I go to are both in the same zip code. Lowes for me is easier to get in and out of. You can Google your local Lowes store click on the website and search the product and go straight to the aisle and section. It’s that easy. Their lumber prices are higher on 2X lumber. The Home Depit takes way longer to check out. They don’t have the loaders that Lowes does. If you buy in quantity that’s huge. However Home Depot does have ” The Bid Room” which substantially lowers the cost if you are buying more than $1,500 of product but you have to go to a pro desk to ask for it.
I was always for Lowes, but awhile back I ordered a product online. It took an hour to get the item. They had to go to the back of the store and were gone for a long time even though I had an email saying it was ready. I ordered a online order at Home Depot and went to pick up the item, not only did I get the item right away, they knew exactly where the item was. Homedepot has been more of a win for me.
And if you are ever at Home Depot and see an employee rushing past you to get to the break room instead of stopping to help you, it may be because they will get in trouble if they stop to help you. My sister used to work there and she said they were penalized for not clocking in and out on time for their breaks- almost to the point of the threat of getting fired if they were a minute late in or out of breaks or clocking out for the day.
I rented a skid steer to move rock out of a barn for my horse. The entire rental process was easy from reserving the item, pickup and return. Staff was knowledgeable, made sure my truck could pull the weight. They assisted in hooking up the trailer. The equipment was secured safely, no problems pulling it home. This was an economical way and on my time schedule. Didn’t have to bother the neighbors to borrow their tractor. Will definitely use them again.
Considering they’re usually located close to each other, you can just go to one..pick up what you want..then across the street to the other. We have the lowes card..you can buy stuff with it, get the 5% then turn around and pay it off…automatically 5% off! Lowes also has classes to learn how to do things around the house..dont know if home depot does or not.
As a Veteran, I appreciate both stores giving me 10% off my purchases; however, I have a Lowe’s loyalty card on my keychain, and it lets me claim my discount without having to dig out my military ID. I also like that both stores have apps, and I use them to find what I need before I go to the store. HD has a clear advantage, however, in that their online inventory updates more quickly and is more accurate that Lowe’s. I have wasted far too many trips going to Lowe’s looking for something that the app says is in stock, only to find that it isn’t because the online inventory is two to three days behind the updated store inventory. Even if it is in stock, you cannot necessarily count on the item being where the app says it is. This is not true with Home Depot; if the app tells me where the item is and that it is in stock, I can depend on it being there when I get there. The main reason that I tend to shop at Lowe’s more than I do at Home Depot is because Lowe’s is not necessarily closer to my house, but I can get there faster. The Home Depot that is closest to my house is also in a less than savory part of town, and I might not go there at all if it weren’t for the fact that there is a Costco directly across the street from home depot, and I often make a shopping trip that includes both destinations.
Went to Lowe’s last Spring when I was planning to replace my roof. I wanted to see the product before having it installed. While they didn’t have the product in stock they were running a promotion – 1/2 price on materials if they did the installation. Total price was more than $11k but… BUT I got the 5% off. In addition, the 5% comes off the price before the sales tax is applied. Now, truth be told, the Home Depot is 25 miles away and Lowe’s less than 5 miles. Regardless, the 5% is still a great deal. There was a time when HD would match it if you showed them your Lowe’s card but that practice was discontinued.
Thanks Matt. I need to replace my over the range Microwave oven. Not sure before weather to go to HD or Lowes. I’ll go to Lowes, now knowing they have a better selection of home appliances. Never been real happy with HD as several times i had problems getting assistance with carpet, blinds, and counter tops.
I was a die hard Lowes customer however I have recently switched for the sake of two reasons: 1. Lowes credit card coupled with their customer service; I had a disputed entry on my Lowes statement and was certain that i should not be charged. In order to correct the error online I would have to fill out and submit a two page form and enter arbitration. I chose instead to bring my problem to the local customer service a Lowes, it took three visits before I could get a manager approved resolution which was a cash refund. I was sugared off so they could be rid of me, I of course payed the bill but the problem was not really resolved except to say it became cost neutral. 2. Last year I bought a Craftsman R140 Lawn Tractor at Lowes, Home Depot sells an equivalent model which is branded Cub Cadet, both are priced nearly identical. I had my Lowes 5% off advantage so I bought the Craftsman R140. Last week I performed the first oil change and was ready to change the filter as well but the R140 does not use an oil filter. I got curious about the Cub Cadet and learned that it comes not only with an oil filter but also has a slightly larger engine which translates into longer life. Both lawn tractors are manufactured by MTD and both have Briggs and Stratton engines.
I was intimidated by HD when I first got into DYIs, but never at Lowes. In many instances I can find an HD across the street from Lowes, but not in my neighborhood, so Lowes wins by default. Now that my knowledge and experience has grown, if there was an HD within the same 5 minute commute, I would probably split my visits to the stores; however, there are certain items for shop and yard use that makes the longer commute a must.
Lowe’s employee here! The return policy is one year IF you use your Lowe’s credit card. Otherwise it is 90-days. Plants do have a one-year guarantee, but you have to keep the tag and the receipt to get credit for the dead plant. (Sidenote: Returned plants must be thrown into the trash compactor as per suppliers’ demands because they might be contaminated with pests that transfer to all the plants in the garden center. So please choose your plants carefully so you don’t have to return them and break our hearts! It’s so painful to see a beautiful tree or shrub get the death-penalty because you and your spouse can’t agree on landscaping.) Purchases over $299 qualify for 6 months of no interest. Higher-priced purchases qualify for even longer periods of deferred interest. But you have to select either the 5% off or the deferred interest. Discounts do not stack, so, if you qualify for the military discount of 10%, always opt for deferred billing. Have a Lowe’s safe day!
I shop at both regularly. They are very different. Home Depot is better suited for people who are skilled or knowledgeable within the trade or very handy DIYer’s. Lowe’s is more catered to people who may not have the experience but are willing to try working on a project…….kind of like a midway point between HD and Target. I often times find that both fall short though, like when I need a certain size of angle iron or certain type of wood (maple, walnut, etc.)……I usually have to drive to the Metal Mart or lumber yard.
yes I agree it depends on what you like. Lowes is a more consumer nicer environment while Home Depot is very busy feeling. When I have interacted with Homedepot folks either in the store or on the phone they seemed to be in a rush and do not have the time to chat and answer questions. I shop both but prefer Lowes. Side note both have a 10% veteran discount. Lowes apply on all the items even if on sale. Home depot does not do that. Only on full-priced items
We had a nightmare of a time getting our appliances delivered after our remodel. We ordered a new refrigerator, dishwasher, and gas range from Home Depot on October 21st for delivery on November 18th. Perfect, just in time for Thanksgiving. On the 17th we received a call stating that the appliance delivery would be delayed until December 2nd. Great, no kitchen for Turkey day, but we were going to visit family for dinner anyway so I could live with that. Customer service said they had the range but not the other appliances and they could not split the delivery up. I was assured that they almost never have to delay a 2nd time. December 1st arrives and guess what? Another delay notification. We had gone this long and another week wasn’t that big of a deal. On the 8th we received another delay notification. Fine, but they will still be delivered by Christmas. Or so we thought. On the 23rd we received our last delay notification. I was livid. Customer service tried to give me a bullshit explanation that since we ordered a range with air frying capability and that was a new feature that they were custom built and took longer to get out. What!? That is the one item that you said was in the warehouse. Home Depot really needs to have a better relationship with their suppliers so they can give their customers valid information on when they will be receiving items instead of blaming Covid and their suppliers. I say this was the last delay because I had them cancel the fridge and dishwasher off of the order so they could deliver the range.
I go to both regularly and the environment in most Lowe’s is much better than homedepot. I think my favorite part about Lowe’s is that the carts are always inside lined up nice and neat, if you’re shopping at Home Depot you might have to wait in the parking lot for someone to walk out of the store, wait for them to unload and get the cart from them when they’re done.
Of the four major retailers within driving distance – Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menards, Ace – the one I will avoid at almost all costs is Lowe’s. I used to buy a lot there every year but, really, I haven’t shopped there with consistency in over five years. Why? Because their employees on the floor are lazy and actually run from you when you need help. I’m over 60. I went to buy some 4X8 sheathing for a shed I was building. No one would stop to help me find acceptable pieces through the pile. They were much younger and sitting behind their desks in the corner of the building supplies. After I picked out 10 pieces, I had to hunt for a cart, load the cart, and push the cart to the cashier. It was the cashier that asked me if I needed help… It never came and I loaded the pieces by myself. Never more! Home Depot is mainly good for common supplies and it’s floor people are better trained and sometimes retired contractors. Menards is more like a general store with friendlier floor people that are mainly kids but, their lumber is terrible! Ace Hardware has the nuts and bolts that are needed. And, they will make a modern car key. So, what I am saying is that the nature and attitude and general knowledge of the floor help is a crucial factor that can make or break a business. The rest we can live with.
Near me, in western PA, we have two small cities, within about 40 miles of each other. Both cities have both a Lowe’s and a Home Depot, and they are, literally, within eyesight of each other. In both cases, the Lowe’s stores are always busier, and have a much larger selection of products. I may go into the Home Depot once, maybe twice, in a year. I’m in Lowe’s several times a month.
Thanks Matt. HD has some items cheaper I found. However, a biggie for me…Lowes offers veterans a 10% discount everyday. You just need to register for this perk. HD only offers discounts to veterans on certain holidays. I need to clarify that the term veteran is for someone who served our country, but did not retire. I served 12 years, and therefore did not retire (20 years). HD does not recognize my 12 years service except on certain holidays. In buying supplies for my home, I don’t want to wait for holidays. So Lowes is my choice.
I have just watched this for the first time. I actually work at the Lowe’s here in Monroe & I can agree with the majority of my family that Lowe’s is the best place to do your shopping, especially when it comes to doing any projects around the house whether it’s inside or outside or any plant, landscaping or gardening projects & a more selection on other stuff like refreshments, snacks and even treats for anyone who has a dog, the 5% on Lowe’s credit cards & both military and employee discounts. And by contrast, Lowe’s is a bigger hardware store & has better selections than Home Depot.
As a contractor lowes vs. Home depot in 2021 at least in my area. Lowes definitely gets a bigger rush of home owners than home depot. As of contractors I noticed that the higher end contractors flock to lowes more and the unlicensed contractors/handyman go to home depot more. But other wise everyone still goes to both. There are some things that lowes has in options that home depot doesn’t and vise versa
I prefer Lowes mainly because they always seem to have what I need and a better selection, too. I needed a slim dryer vent. Lowe’s had several choices while HD only had the normal dryer vent option with big tubing. While shopping I get assistance at Lowes, while not 1 employee even said hello at HD. I will say HD is geared more for the homebuilder and Lowes the homemaker.
I am a contractor & prefer both. But I shop more at homedepot because they are everywhere. In Houston TX there’s 25 lowes in 60 miles radius vs 37 homedepot in the same radius. Both have bulks prices, 70% mark downs on lumbers. I applud lowes because they hire disabled people. I’ve had bad and good experiences in both stores with customer services. Lowes has Eaton brand on electrical devices & homedepot carries leviton.
Granted it was in 2000, We were building our house agreeing with the contractor that I would purchase and install all of the electrical wiring, panels, and fixtures. With checkbook in hand, I purchased most of the items at Home Depot. The order came to over $3000.00. I heard over the loudspeaker that you got 10% off your purchase for applying for a credit card and using it to make the purchase. Since I didn’t have a HD CC, I did decide to go this route and saved over $300.00 bucks on my order. The $300.00 paid for the Electrical Inspection fees. We paid the card off within the “six month no interest deal” and the rest is history. I must add, God blessed us all the way through the build. Whenever we needed anything, there was never any issue getting it.
The city I live in has Lowes, Home Depot and a large Sunderland’s store plus Menards has announced they will open a store. Our Lowes and Home Depot have horrible customer service and usually when I have a question nobody seems to have any knowledge about what I ask. I usually will go to Sunderland’s because I usually get help as soon as I walk in the door and the staff is knowledgeable on products and services.
From what I have experienced in both The Home Depot and Lowe’s Home Improvement, Lowe’s has better customer service, a much cleaner layout, the store is generally a lot cleaner, the lumber (atleast at the Lowe’s I go to) is a lot better than at The Home Depot, and they actually know what they are talking about when it comes to power tools.(I do some contracting jobs).
I worked for both retailers, and still shop at both, lowes pay more as an employee, and they got rule if you buy anything and 30 days after purchase if you find it anywhere cheaper (except clearance) will refund you the difference. Lowes warranty also will repair anything you get the warranty on even if it’s an operator’s error. Lowe’s nicer shopping and working environment, home depot owns most of their lumber factories so they get better lumber, but Lowes got better garden center with same if not cheaper prices.
Lowes is better than Home Depot (at least for me) when it comes to delivery. Lowes uses Fedex, whereas Home Depot continues to use crappy OnTrac. I’ve sworn never to buy from Home Depot again because I’ve lost the same item 3 times with OnTrac and each time I’ve had to contact my credit card company! Wasted so many hours of my life.
Just FYI, based on my conversations with Home Depot employees at a handful of locations in the Midwest, they no longer offer refunds on plants – at least not for tropicals and/or house plants. According to staffers, this is because HD no longer owns their nursery stock. Apparently, it is consigned from the vendor. This means HD, according to what I was told, also lacks the flexibility to price adjust for damaged plants. I don’t know whether this applies to outdoor plant selections, nor whether it is policy outside the area of northern Illinois and neighboring states. Last confirmed Spring 2021. YMMV
I live in NY, and I found that with both stores there’s rarely anyone to help in the aisles. And when you try to get help they all seem to disappear. However, I had to spend a week in Dearfield Beach, Florida working on a house and was in the HD almost every day. These people couldn’t do more for me.
I live in a rural town that used to have a Ace store which ice I loved, but once our town grew alittle too big we got a Home Depot & our great Ace store closed up shop. I’ve learned to like Home Depot and appreciate having it local since the nearest Lowes is 80 miles and actually I’ve never been inside one. Heard lots of people brag how much they like them, but I’m partial to my Home Depot and they do have my favorite tools Ryobi brand so I’m very happy. Their HDX brand of batteries is exceptional to any other brand out there. The help I’ve received from associates there has been fantastic and I’m just fixing things not building a house. Learned alot from them on how to fix broken pipes, floors, steps and outside yard stuff. Couldn’t have done it alone so grateful to my local Home Depot staff and all the you tube articles also.
I live in Central Tucson. I have very little skill when it comes to tools. I did have a dad that new crying a lot but he’s no longer around that but I think I learned some from observation. I do find that if you ask a question and how to do something in Home Depot you will get a simple explanation and I’ll even show you exactly how or what drillbit or whatever the example is that you might have to use. Now it may be just in a particular Lowe’s that I live near but I find that a lot of the sales people when I asked them direct questions on how to do some thing or what would be better for me I get a lot of a don’t know
My family and I used to go to Lowes but we had trouble with some of their products and customer service so we went home Depot and shopped their majority of the time. The Lowes we have We would go ask someone for help they told us to find someone in a certain vest color or if they paged someone We waited for a long time or no one showed. Home Depot we have had no trouble with their employees and customer service. We still go to Lowes sometimes just not as often as we used to.
I like my Home Depot because it’s in the line of sight across the expressway from Home Depot’s Home Headquarters Building in Metro Atlanta. I hear that the upper brass frequently drop-in, and I have never had such incredible service. I’ve always been partial to H.D. but probably everywhere I’ve lived, for some reason, they were much closer to me than Lowes. I don’t dislike Lowes, but I just never have a reason to go out of my way when Home Depot always seems to have what I need and they are close by.
I’m an assistant store manager at Lowe’s in Arkansas and I can agree for sure, but keep your eyes out because we are working hard to make Lowe’s the “new home for pros!” We are also opening a much wider span of stores that have tool rental capabilities this year…. As well as self checkout and even more customer service associates staffed!
I shop at both Home Depot and Lowes with a preference for Lowe’s. My main complaint with Home Depot is there repair service. I took an EGO mower for repair under warranty one September. I was told turn around was about 10 days since the mower had to be sent out to a central repair site. I tried to track the repair through Home Depot’s system and got no answer. Since grass growing season was several months away here in Pennsylvania I was not concerned until February of the next year so I contacted my local Home Depot and I was told my mower would be back in 2 weeks. Seems it sat in the local store for a month. Ok. So I get my mower back with the repair completed except it wasn’t repaired at all. I don’t know what they did but it wasn’t working properly. I called home depot management as well as ego. In the end home depot did me right by giving me a new mower and a $50 gift card but the aggravation was not worth it. I have never had to use Lowe’s repair service so I can’t compare. I’m glad ego is in Lowe’s and ace hardware. But Home Depot used to be the only repair for ego products. Hopefully this will change with them no longer carrying the ego brand. For this reason I would never buy a major tool from Home Depot that couldn’t be repaired by a local shop
I’ve always been a Lowe’s fan; better customer service, cleaner and more organized stores. Home Depot has merch spilling out all over the floors, feels messy, and I often can’t find help. Lowe’s also makes getting a Veteran’s discount much easier online and in store. I love Lowe’s. I do agree with the rentals, however…both tools and trucks, HD wins hands down. However, I did not know about HD’s better return policy. That’s huge. I may check out HD more often.
I’ve shopped at both for years. Lowes has always been my goto because it’s “nicer” feel. At Home Depot, I feel like I have to be professional to shop there. Plus.. in the past, Lowes has been better at customer service. Home Depot employees always gave me the feeling of “why are you bothering me?” Sadly, as of 01/2022, I’ve felt both places have actually gotten worse. I walked around with a shopping list at Lowes just the other day and I was never once greeted by an employee even though I had a number of them walk past me. Others were too busy chatting with one another to notice me. Luckily, the Lowes app gave me an accurate location of all the items I was looking for.
These big home stores are fun to go into as there’s so much to look at but small hardware and lumber/building stores are much faster, more practical, and much much more efficient to buy things from. Everyone has their favorite home store and the one they hate and a colorful story to go along with it.
I prefer HD’s return; never a hassle. After a bathroom rebuild, I had some returns. The Visa had expired/been replaced, so they gave in store credit at Lowes. I tried to use it on a later project and they had expired the card. HD usually just credits the card back or looks the purchase up. I did have a couple in store credits, as I’d purchased from a different HD. (Last month I found an old card from HD that was 3 years old and used it to buy a fridge at HD.)
When it comes to paint—-I highly recommend Behr house paint. It is the best, lasts for years, is durable, and resists fading. I had my home painted with Behr exterior paint and it looked like new even 15 years later. The only reason I repainted was to update the color and trim. Behr is the best. Consumer Reports also rates Behr extremely high.
Could you comment in a future article about customer service in both stores? How easy is it to get help with a question? Are there enough staff around to assist you? Can you get good advice? Does either store offer any DIY clinics or classes for people who wish to learn how to hand drywall or do some plastering/painting, for example? Great article by the way!
Great article and while the final preference is given to Lowe’s, I am doing a remodel and have wasted hours in Lowe’s before finding my materials in stock at Home Depot. And BTW: My one investigation of Consumer Reports shows that they rated HD paint higher in most categories than even Sherwin Williams 🙂
Your review of Home Depot where in you stated that they sold bags of garden goods (Mulch, Compost, etc.) at 50% early on Sunday morning seems to be not system wide. I stopped in early last Sunday at the Elk Grove, CA store and the gentleman working there & then said that that has never happened at that store.
I’ve been a hardcore DIYer for quite a while. I originally shopped at Lowe’s because it was closest. Years later, switched to HD when I moved. Not sure if Lowe’s still has it, but a BIG advantage at Lowe’s was hitting the isle button to page for help. At HD you have to walk all over and find someone to call someone trained for that area to help you. The real problem though is it’s a crapshoot if the help in either store can answer your questions about plumbing, hardware or electrical. You have to go to smaller chains where retired contractors work to get not only tough/specific questions, but unfortunately even simple questions answered. My greatest frustration with both Lowe’s and HD is the pathetic assortment of loose fasteners. Lowe’s is better than HD for sure, but your best bet is Ace or some smaller local store.
I ordered something from Home Depot a Dehumidifier . It value was $349.99 and when it came this Big guy from UPS hid the big hole in the side of the box on my porch. He rang the door bell and was gone. Needless to say this Dehumidifier was damaged. I called Home Depot CS and this very nice lady sent a call tag to pick up at the house, and I ordered a new one and she gave me an extra 15% off. I had to wait 3 days, I had to dry a wet basement floor up but it all worked out. I like Home Depot the Best.
Yeah I bought a washer and dryer at the end July of 2020 from lowes. When I went to home depot they said they didn’t have anything in stock, everything was back order. Brand smart had only one choice and lowes won over best buys because they offer the largest washer and dryer. Got the labor day discount when that came around and they paid me cash.
Returns at Home Depot are amazing. When doing a project and unsure which parts I might need, I just buy them all and return the ones that don’t fit. And I buy extra wood, tile, etc. and return the leftovers. I don’t save receipts, because they scan the code and my card (any) and just credit back. I’ve returned things bought years earlier for which I had no records at all and got store credit. And they’ve replaced broken tools per manufacturer warranty, even when beyond their return policy. — (I suspect they keep records on abusers, though!)
Its great where I live cause we have a Lowe’s and a Home Depot less than a half mile apart! I tend to lean toward Lowe’s but do shop at both. However, currently I am building a small greenhouse and need 20 2×4’s so after listening to this comparison I will be going to Home Depot because I do find alot of cockeyed lumber at Lowe’s.
May years ago I used to shop Loews because that was all there was near me. But once HD moved to town the first things I like was HD was less crowded and seemed like they had slightly lower prices. Lowes prices seem like lately have gotten more competitive, and dropping EGO, of which I have 2 devices, was a disappointment. And one last thing is that I tend to like the layout of HD better, both the store and the web site. And HD still seems less busy after many years in town so I’ll probably still go there first, but nice that Lowes will keep HD on their toes.
Lowe’s is closer to my home, but Home Depot is close too just a bit farther away. We’re supposed to get a Menard’s but not here yet. Nearest is 40miles away. I love their paver stone materials and loading area. I love the Lowe’s parking lot and hate the HD parking lot. I have a mutual fund that is invested in Lowe’s so it’s always my first choice. Contractors who worked on my home said they only deal with Home Depot. I did interact with HD Pro Desk a few times during that work and they were amazingly smart and helpful! I now visit both often and I’m grateful to have a choice. If I can’t find it here, I can find it there. 🙂
You were in Cleveland once upon a time? Menard’s has finally opened in the Cleveland area. The one in Avon is just about right behind a Lowe’s. Find it much easier to talk with the employees at Menard’s and they regularly have 11% rebate on anything in the store. I know you are not talking about them right now but since you mentioned Cleveland I thought you would be interested in knowing they are here now.