Plant bargain hunters are often rapists of real plant dealers. They don't care about anything but price. If you like to shop at chain stores rather than local nurseries you will be hurt in the long run. Higher prices and a mind set that the best place to shop is at Walmart will cost more than at your local nursery. If you don't support your local nursery they might go bankrupt but what do you care?
Today you got a bargain but in the long run you'll have fewer choices.

yes! absolutely!!

I always try to pay for quality and support the little guy whenever possible. To me, If I see something cheap, I ask, "what's wrong with it?"

With that, over the past several years, I do my shopping at the mom-n-pop places. No box stores or chains for this guy!

happy holidays,
Dave

Happy Holiday's Dave!. Davie helps verse Goliath!

Muddydog I thought your opening statement was rude & moronic; unnecessarily hostile to a kind person looking to help out fellow plant lovers. I can only assume it comes from you being somehow monetarily linked to the retail side (money driving meanness).
Sure there is truth to a similar thought, that it's important to support our local nurserymen & women, but there is nothing wrong with a little scavenging clearance items. If you really wanted to support the locals, then instead of your nasty little whining about 90 cent clearance items, you should be *kindly* extolling the virtues of local nursery stock & service.

Crypper there is nothing wrong with Sedum Matrona on clearance. It's bulletproof. The common sedums always go on sale in the early winter at the box stores and they're always an excellent value for beginners because they always survive.
Once you grow them for a couple years though, you'll be wanting to visit the better nurseries to get the more elite cultivars. :^)
- Tom

nope, not budging here. Yes S. matrona is a cool plant. I have a couple out in the landscape.

My beef is with the Loews/WalMarts/Home Depots of the world. Every time I see one go up with its requisite clear cutting of native trees and shrubs, I feel a great injustice to the world has taken place. I basically question their right to exist. They are simply a relection of the hedonistic consumerism that's dismantling the world's economy.

Offering full disclosure. I'm not in any way involved in the nursery business. I'm pure and simply a hobbyist.

happy new year,
Dave

Having worked for a number of smaller nurseries I'd say there's a fair number of them that deserve to go out of business. That's really not very nice is it? But I've worked for some really good places as well.

Grrnthumb thanks for your kind thoughts, I did feel that those responses were harsh and self-congratulatory.

Muddydogs and Crypper, I do agree with you on the principle that shopping locally, smaller is a much more ethical choice.

Would be nice if people could be nice to each other on Gardenweb.

Happy Planting,
Lex