I believe in supporting local economy, but doesn't big box stores in a way also contribute to the local economy??? Don't they pay taxes to the town and state and aren't they a major source of some locals for employment? I have been to almost all local nurseries here in central Jersey, and I have had some good and bad experiences with them. Unless it's a huge major nursery, usually it's a pleasant experience, you find what you want at a reasonable price with a very knowledgeable staff. I have gotten 2-gallon sized echinaceas (magnus, white swan) for just $12.99 and half-gallon for 8.99 (double decker, knee high, coconut lime). Most of the local nurseries don't offer guarantees on their plants. A few of the big ones will work it out with you or give you an exchange or a credit. But most don't. There's a local nursery literally a walking distance the same street where I live. I don't go there for the following reasons: 1. They're too expensive. Even when they have a "sale", their prices are still twice the amount you would have paid at Lowe's regular price. Just ridiculous pricing. I checked out their verbenas late spring and they were all literally dried-up and wilting probably because of lack of - 2. Manpower - to water the plants. And they still want $3.99 for a quart-size dying plants obviously due to lack of watering. A week later I got the same plants from Lowe's for a clearance price of 79 cents. 3. Not knowledgeable - couple of people that work there don't have a clue when you ask them something. Heck, even the owner argued with me insisting that NJ is in Zone 9 when in fact we are in Zone 6B/7. 4. They don't have guarantees - the only way they offer guarantees is if they design your garden and plant the plants themselves. Then they charge you outrageous amount to design your garden. No thank you! I enjoy designing my own garden. 5. Plants coming all the way from California - yep, they get their plants all the way from Monrovia nursery in California. That's really a great way to support local economy. As far as big box stores, Lowe's always carry a wide assortment and varieties at cheap prices. I have gotten gallon-sized echinacea Meringue, Pink Double Delight, and Coconut Lime at $10.98. Meantime my local Home Depot, since early spring to now, only carries about 6 kinds of perennials and it's always the same kind. No assortment at all. Only to find out later that they hire an outside contractor to manage their garden center. What were they thinking??!! Lowe's is just 10 minutes drive from them. In my own opinion, I think either you buy from big box stores or local nurseries, you are contributing to the local economy. You just have to be wise and use better judgment as to where you should spend your money. If you want a specific plant, buy it where it's available or a lot cheaper. Why would I spend $19.99 for a half-gallon Sunset echinacea in one of the local nurseries when BJ's Wholesale Club are selling the same plant and size at $5.99. If you can't find any at your local nurseries or big box stores, check out these sites below. They offer a wide assortment of echinaceas including the new ones for 2009-2010. They are reputable mail order sites - among the Garden Watchdog Top 30: http://www.lazyssfarm.com/Plants/Perennials/E_files/E.htm http://www.gardencrossings.com Oh by the way, I mentioned Sunset echinacea OR anything else with the BIG SKY SERIES on their name. Beware of those echinaceas. There's something wrong with their genetics and how they breed those varieties. The plants usually become mutants or the flowers deformed. So buy them at your own risk.

Hi All~ I order from many on-line/mail order sources and do have high regards for Hallson's, Naylor Creek and Glenbrook. I have also gotten some nice plants from White Oak. I mostly lurk here but noticed a comment that I must reply to. I too have gotten an order from Viktoria at Glenbrook this year (8 plants) and strongly disagree with omoelegba's conclusion. All my plants were of an expected size and overall quality. There was a white powder on a couple of my plants, but it was obviously a fungicide. I congratulate Viktoria for being proactive in her application of a fungicide to any cuts made during division to ward off any possible problems. I have gotten to know Viktoria over the last few years and have even visited her nursery a couple of times. All the plants I purchased at her nursery, at her vendor booth at First Look, or thru mail order have been of excellent quality and have thrived in my garden. I hold Viktoria in the highest regards and feel that she stands behind her plants 100%. I do not mean to jump all over omoelegba for your opinion, I just wonder if you contacted Viktoria directly to voice your concerns. I am sure she would've explained the powder and your mind would've been at ease. Also, please do share about how the plants grow for you... my guess is that they will thrive as long as they get the care they need. Finally, I might ask if the plants you ordered were newer to the market (might explain the "puny" size and the expense). Most newer plants do cost more and will be on the smaller side, even from the other on-line sources. Just my humble opinion~ Cheers, Kathie

There's a Lowes nearby, so that will be convenient. My windows are single and double crank outs so not that wide. I'll check it out. Do you recall what time of year they run the discounts? Sometimes places run specials right after Labor Day because that's usually a dead time for people to shop.

Yes, you can install a garbage disposal, be careful of the height of the plumbing under the sink. My wife and I were tossing the idea of not re-installing the garbage disposal, the new silgranite sink made our minds up for us. First she ordered the 1 3/4 Diamond Blanco, they don't have the larger sink on the right side, and the larger sink is deeper then the smaller side, which turned our setup under the sink around, and then we didn't have the height to install the garbage disposal. . It was close, for a time, I thought we weren't going to have enough height for even the deeper sink(closer height examination should be given in this regards).