I know nothing about that nursery, but in general . . . prices, size, and quality of plants vary from nursery to nursery as does customer service. One place to find online evaluations of nurseries is Garden Watchdog (you can google that) at Dave's Garden, another gardening website. You have to pay for the forums there, but the Watchdog is free. Reading there will save you getting burned from really bad nurseries.

Clematis are perennial vines (mostly, a few aren't climbers) and it takes more than a year to raise one to gallon size. During that time, the greenhouse has to be heated and maintained, supplies like the pot, potting soil and fertilizer are added in, labor has to be paid, etc. Most nursery owners aren't rich . . .
However, you can get nice large ones less expensively - for example at Silver Star Vinery, though shipping can be expensive mail order. I really like clematis because at least around me, they bloom for a long time. (Not sure what they do in zone 8, but there is a usually active clematis forum here on Gardenweb where you can ask.) You can sometimes get tiny (2-4 inch pots or bare root) at big box stores less expensively, but there you get what you pay for - maybe labeled wrong, not necessarily healthy, and small enough to need considerable babying for a year or more.

You may find really nice plants locally - visit local nurseries and see what is available. It's likely to be suited to your area (though not guaranteed - some places that sell plants aren't good about suitablility to the area) and you can see the plants themselves, not just a photo of the flowers. There may be local plant swaps in your area, and you can start many plants from seeds to reduce sticker shock. I personally do a mix of seeds, swaps, bargain plants of various kinds, and also spending larger amounts on plants I want.

So I guess I'm saying, look around and see what is available, learn about the plants (besides gardenweb, which is a great resource, reading books from the local library, talking to other local gardeners, and reading garden catalogs are all useful to me) and then decide for yourself what seems reasonable and you are willing to pay.

a number of things come to mind:

1 ... a sucker is born every minute ...

2 .... size?? .... a 3 year old plant is more expensive than a first year plant ....

3 .... how hard the propagation is .. i know some conifers that are grafted.. that for every 100 they do.. they are lucky to get 10 .... which means those 10 need to pay for the cost of the other 90 failures ...

4 .. the newer the plant.. the higher the demand ....

frankly .. if you are a newbie ... you shouldnt be paying more than a buck or two a plant.. and you should buy them locally .... relying on the local peeps ... and i dont mean big box store... to be offering you things that are already chosen for your locality ...

once you master the easy stuff.. then i suggest that you move on to mail order ...

does that make any sense???

one last thought.. the prettier the catalog.. the higher the prices... it just costs a lot of money to make such .... track down the latin name .... and then search google for such [see below] ... and see the wide range of prices for said plant ... the cheapest is not a bargain.. because it might be too small.. and the most expensive is not necessarily better ... usually the be cost/benefit is in the middle.. for price and size considerations ....

as the years roll by.. after making orders to a bunch of sources.. and you will learn about all this ... but i am not sure.. you should be starting here .... depending on your budget .. and your willingness to fail ....

and never forget.. you arent a real gardener.. until you have killed every plant 3 times ... and at 25 bucks a pop.. this can be a very expensive lesson ....

we need more gardeners.. i wish you luck

ken

ps: the 7 year old has pestered me into completely losing my train of thought.. if it returns.. perhaps i can add to this.. lol ...

PPS: there should be a multitude of posts about recommended vendors.. and a couple sites that rate said vendors ....

Here is a link that might be useful: link

In my area. some of the best prices can be had at annual sales held by a local botanical gardens (spring sale) and our local university arboretum (fall sale). Personally, I find some of the commercial nursery prices prohibitive. They try to price their products (i.e.plants) as high as the local market will bear. If customers don't buy, the prices go down. Nurseries/stores in bigger cities often sell the same plant at a much higher price than a nursery/garden centre in a smaller town. The truth is that "city people" will usually pay more for a plant, so why not ask more? I see this all the time, in other things besides plants. I often make a tour of our local nurseries in the spring and check back later when the same plant is on sale, and buy it then. Spring plants that have finished flowering for example my be 40-50% off after flowering when they start to look a bit shabby.

This is an ongoing topic of discussion. If you have some time and want to be entertained, there is a lengthy thread on the Professional Gardening forum with just this heading. And it might explain a lot for you as well, although nhbabs has done a very good job of summarizing it.

Prices with mail order sources will vary widely depending on a) the quality of the nursery, their selection and customer service (just as discussed in the aforementioned thread with respect to brick and mortar nurseries), b) the size/age of the plant and c) how easy it is to propagate and whether or not it is a patented variety. For example, the clematis 'My Angel' is a patented selection so will be more expensive than a non-patented clematis. But you need to know what you are doing with mail order - some places will sell you plants under made-up names to avoid patent restrictions, others will provide misleading hardiness info and some will offer plants that may be hardy yet still not thrive in your area.

Whenever possible, I encourage gardeners to shop locally and support independent nurseries instead of shopping the box stores or buying online or by mail order. Depending on where you live, local nurseries and garden centers may offer just as much as mail order sources and at comparable or better prices and without shipping costs. And I like to see what I'm getting :-) Unless it is something I cannot find locally (and that's hard to do in my area......Gardening Capitol, USA), I never do mail order. And plant sales and swaps are always a good deal but they won't always have the newest or hottest plants or even a lot of named cultivars, but a good source for the basics or some specialty plants.

Personally, I put a great deal of store in the notion that "you get what you pay for"......especially with plants, 'bargains' may not be the bargains you think.

Here is a link that might be useful: why are your plants so expensive?

A lot of factors go into plant pricing, but generally you pay more for the new/exotic/coveted/rare varieties.

Some mail-order nurseries (and local garden outlets) charge a lot more than others, often because their reputation and/or marketing skills allow them to do so. Plant Delights, White Flower Farms and Wayside Gardens fall into this category in my opinion (and only PD (with some exceptions) is generally regarded as shipping good quality plants. You may get what you pay for, or you may be paying for the cost of producing those big, glossy, full-color catalogs. :)

There are always going to be brand-new or hard-to-find/less popular selections you can't obtain locally. Shop around online, and as mentioned previously check out online ratings at places like the Garden Watchdog.
And of course you can save a bundle starting many excellent perennials from seed.

You know, this is one of the reasons why I love gardenweb! The trading forums are my best friend! If the plants you're looking for are too expensive, why not try searching through people's tradelists (though if it's rare usually they want something rare in exchange and if you're a newbie that's hard)?? You can also try the trading forum. Trading is how I've obtained most of my new plants these past few years on gardenweb, and so far everyone has been very generous.

BTW, I haven't read anything good about 'My Angel' on the Clematis forum. I ripped out a similar Tangutica myself. They tend to be really wild and weedy.

Thanks you all are very helpful. How do I post pictures here ?

Good question lol. Honestly, I haven't figured it out either!! But if you have it stored online somewhere and post a link to it, we can see it that way.

My Angel was a thug in my garden and it was summarily removed. It sent suckers in all directions. If you have an area where it can be contained or if you don't mind it rambucious nature, then it is a great clematis that produces a ton of nice looking flowers. Just be careful of where you plant it.

For those of us who tend to root in one place, like our plants, it is sensible to cultivate the best sources available. The best local auto mechanic, the best roofer, best plumber. You get the picture. In your shopping area there is a nursery superior to all the others. He is not the cheapest, nor the biggest. He may not have the best selection. What he has is the desire to meet the needs of his customers. Dependable advice is offered FREE. If you want something he does not have he will offer to get it for you. It is so reassuring to know someone who knows the local growing conditions, prevalent garden pests and if you have a problem you only need to ask. So why would I complaint about the cost? Al

They cost so much because people are willing to pay the price. I stopped paying the price. When others do as well, maybe these people will lower their prices. I'm talking to you White Flower Farm!

Nicely said, Al.

I would agree with the others who have said that sourcing your plants locally is often the cheapest way to obtain them. Look for sales very early in the spring and very late in the fall. Buying a little off-season can save you big money. In my area, plant sales sponsored by the local hardy plant society or master gardener's clubs are usually the most economical.

The other way to save money is patience. The first year or two that a new introduction is available, prices on that plant can be very high. In a couple of years, prices may be a lot less.

Sometimes you pay significantly more just for the convenience of ordering out of a catalog or online.

Here there is a local high school that has an entire nursery! An amazing selection for wonderful prices. Also your local agriculture extension office usually has 2 sales/yr. I do try to support some of the local nurseries, but most of what I plant comes from Bluestone Perennials, where many perennials are 3 for the price. The downside is that they are usually small plants and have to be babied awhile. Since you are also in zone 8, it's often better to order in the winter, keep the plant in a pot, and plant it late fall when keeping it watered will not be so difficult. I do that w/ a lot of mine.
But, gardening is about trying different things, variety, enjoyment, and play should all come into it. Enjoy and explore... Welcome to the gardening world. Brandyray

And don't forget the heating costs for a giant greenhouse.
Labor for taking care of the plants, and picking and packing. Color catalogs, site maintenance, billing and invoicing, cost of packaging material, boxes and on and on.
It's just not the plant you are buying.
Pam