Home Depot? Well, here is my crazy opinion. Home Depot has lots of things to sell. Nurseries, that you shop at in person and online really NEED your money. The experts I speak to at the nurseries I shop at need their jobs. I prefer to shop at the nursery instead of Home Depot. Plus I hate those check yourself out registers. So, I say go to Home Depot for screws, bolts and paint. Go to the nursery for plants

I checked my email from last year. The sale started sometime around May 13. Perhaps we'll see something from them soon!

Jeff

zyperiris:

The HomeDepet Rose sale last year was online event only that lasted for few days. HD was only the sales man and the rose sources were different vendors. Some came potted and some came bare root. Prices were great and shipping was free. And most of people raved about them. I still kick myself for not buying then.

FJ

Sorry, I can be blunt..I didn't mean to be harsh. I am just protective about nurseries!

As FYI, I don't rent movies at the grocery store either. Now Netfliks..but before that it was the video store. I buy my vacumn bags at the vacumn store. I don't buy gas at Costco. I have this fear someday all we will have to shop at is Wal Mart and Costco.

Just me speaking my mind. Sorry..

I'm with Zyperis.

Home Depot and Lowes are NOT the place to buy roses!
If you WANT roses that are mis-labelled, poorly cared-for, and very-likely virused, by all means shop at Big Box Stores.

OR you could do as an older Consulting Rosarian we knew years ago suggested. He WORKED at Home Depot. He said:

Shop HD et al for soil ammendments, mulches, concrete block, and the like. Your local nursery will never beat them on that stuff.
But for ROSES?
For ROSES, go to a good vendor.
You will in the long run GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

Otherwise, Zyperis is right. We will reach the point where Wal-Mart and Home Depot and their brethren are the ONLY place left for us to shop.
It's the triumph of mediocrity.

Jeri

umm Jeri you know I love ya and I am also big on supporting nurseries. Lord knows I ordered more from ashdown and vintage than I could use. But geez guys lighten up! I really don't think this is the time or place. If you want to remind them that they would get a better product from a nursery, fine, but to get on the walmart high horse is going overboard.

The HD roses were a great deal and in this economy we are all looking for deals. How can you deny someone the right to find the best deal? As far as I know they were all bareroot. I got 5 from them for me and some of my friends. They all did fabulously and were better looking than bareroots I have gotten other places. I kind of think it was probably a one time deal anyway.

Sunni

Welll...when is the right time to speak up for nurseries that employ people in the know about roses and plants? I certaintly spend my dollars there. Because when I need a professional opinion they are there. I want to make sure they continue to be there.

I am not denying anyone the right to shop where they want. I was making a point on behalf of nurseries. I am sure I can't change anyone's mind and you certaintly can't change mind. These economic times are the EXACT reason I spend my dollars at the local nursery and not the hardware store. Nurseries are feeling the hit as well. But mostly all they have to sell are plants. Home Depot has lots of other stuff to sell. I think that service accounts for something. I believe it's patriotic to frequent smaller businesses right now. Same reason I would only buy an American car..

I'm not being critical of anyone, but you really DO get what you pay for.
If you're going to spend money, spend it where you will get the best quality for your buck -- and do some good at that.

It just makes good sense.

The day may very well come when we can't get good plants at all, other than by Passalong. But I hate to rush it.

Jeri

Thank you for taking the trouble to look it up aurora1701e.

Thanks Jeri Jen...for helping me explain. Peace Out folks

My experience: I bought two last year, 'Petal Pusher' and another 'Julia Child', price including shipping ended up being about $6 each.

Both are still very small. They are ok, healthy, but just very small. So, my experience is, I got what I paid for--probably if I had paid more I would have larger roses than I currently have.

Would I do this again? No. I do have two living roses, just not stellar specimens. Am I sorry I tried them? No. It was an experiment, and I look at it that way.

The Home Depot sale was coupled with Parks last year. They're an online nursey even though many have said they are not very good. My roses from HD/Parks last year came through the winter like champs. I love them and will keep an eye out for any more great sales this year.

Anyone knows if Lowe's ever does any kind of late season online sale of this nature?

Regardless,I too hope to see HD repeat some kind of sale soon this year.You never konw where you can run across a plant or two you're looking for.

........that should say KNOW where you can run across a plant or two you're looking for. :)

Yea Zyperiris!

I'm with you all the way.

If you love roses, buy from people who love roses. Support real rose growers and breeders.

Why would you support these box stores whose business plan includes running all the mom and pops out of business?

Don't you think there is added value when you do business with people who actually know the difference between a rose and a cactus?

You get what you pay for. You get what you deserve. Shortsightedness will get you a world of Walmarts.

Wow! That made me feel good. As always.

Harryshoe, you are so much more eloquent than me. My point exactly.

OK Harryshoe time for me to chime in too. I do buy from big box stores but I purchase the majority of my roses from nurseries. We have opened up our own pharmacy to try to have the small personal feeling of a home town pharmacy like in the old days. When we were younger and our kids were younger we only used our local independent pharmacist and that is what persuaded my husband to go into that profession. Everyday we are asked if we match Wally World and yes sometimes we do just because the drug is cheap and can afford to buuut.... we know full well they are not getting the same kind of service at Wally World that we do our best to provide. Anyway to get off my soapbox.... I hope more and more people consider using local businesses whether it be grocery store, pharmacy, nursery, or whatever. Anyway everyone have a great spring and summer and I look forward to seeing everyones beauties, Judy

Judy, if I lived in your town I would be getting meds at your pharmacy

Thanks Zyperiris!! We have gotten off to a great start with alot of support from folks just tired of the big chain stores. My husband worked for Rite Aid and CVS for a number of years and always knew he would love his own store so we took a chance and so far so good. Thanks again, Judy

I have been pondering this Home Depot debate. I am in sales so I understand how important consumers are. I understand the moving of products. From what I gathered last year HD had a big online sale on roses. The consensus was that Vintage had some inventory they could not sell and so they went to HD online to help them move the inventory they could not move from their own website? If this is correct then it is a different issue than just buying box roses at HD. Vintage is or was a rose grower..and they needed HD to move inventory. Since the source was Vintage..I think I was wrong about this indivual issue. I do not buy roses at HD. But I think even I would have purchased online from HD if the grower/distributor was Vintage

I bought about 7 roses from the HD sale last year and they shipped bareroot from the Park Seed company. Mine were HUGE and very healthy, I was very satisfied.

Better late than never? The sale has started (sorry if it's already been posted -- I didn't see it). Discovered it at the HD site just now when looking for patio furniture.

Roses aren't from Parks, but a new nursery this year -- Mea Nursery. Anyone know anything about them?

Selection also seems a little more diverse -- there are some OGRs in the mix, too.

I don't think Vintage sold roses through Home Depot.
Unless it was a limited number, moved locally.
But if that happened, good for them.

Our local HDs don't sell a rose I'd bother with.
OTOH, they're having a general plant sale just now.

Today, we bought an interesting and well-grown Aeonium, and a nicely-grown Munstead Lavender.

I would have preferred to buy these at our local nurseries.

The good ones, however, have closed their doors, and the remaining big one carries nothing that interesting.

What's a gardener to do?

Jeri

I have some Mae Nursery Roses and they are great quality, the roses have gone through some thought winters and they are performing great year after year. very strong roses.

Strictly speaking about only my experience, here's a picture of three 'Julia Child' roses. Two of them are from a local garden center. One of them was a HD "sale" rose. Which do you think is which?

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