You are right about the prices. I bought a Fatsia Japonica in a 6" pot yesterday for $20.

The smaller herbs which used to be $1.99 are now $3.99. I wish I had the patience to plant from seed! Surprising to me, a lot of the increase in prices in general had to do with that crazy ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal.

I went to my first orchid show in a year recently. Backbulbs I used to pay ten dollars for are now forty! Plants are trendy now and it’s driving up prices.

Jane, if it were 8 years ago, I would take it, but I live 4 hours away from Sarasota now. Thanks anyway.

Jerzeegirl, I bought a rather unusual succulent today at Walmart for $4, even though it was a little worse for wear. The only reason I bought it was that I saw it online for $20 for the same size in a smaller pot! When I was checking out, the guy helping me with something knocked it over and dumped it on the floor. Even thought it was not damaged, just lost all its soil, I demanded it be marked down to $2. Now I have to baby it back to health, but at least I only paid a fair price for it. I know what you mean about herbs, though. I've bought lots of herb seeds, but haven't planted any yet. I don't do well with herbs from seed for some reason.

oldmangroot - you're right. It's supply and demand. Lowe's isn't even doing huge markdowns on their death rack plants now. I haven't found a real bargain there in months. The last ones I bought were two pelargoniums marked down to $2 from $5.98. If it's not marked down at least half price, I won't buy it. WalMart has gotten to where they let plants get nearly dead before they mark them down, then only to 1/2 price. Then they just stop watering them.

I've had really good luck with the Lowe's death rack in the past, but lately they are selling the dead plants for more than I am willing to pay.

jerzeegirl - I was told that they decided not to mark them down so much because people were buying only the death rack plants, and nothing else, so more and more were getting tossed out instead of sold and they were losing money. I told that person that garden centers are always loss leaders in stores, and they are expected to lose money, but maybe they were losing too much. I also said that if they didn't have their plants at such outrageous prices, people would buy more of them, like the 3" annuals, that used to be 4" annuals at $1.37 are now over $4 each. Seriously, no wonder people aren't buying them. Even if they only mark them down half price, that's a "normal" price.

Besides, which, with so many more people gardening now, they're probably making a killing on soil and fertilizer.

Opportunists have been working behind the scenes while we all panicked over Covid. I became work-from-home, like many and, the income kept coming. The 1-2 hours given back from commute went into the yard and, a garden & orchard broke out. Being that none of us were talking face-to-face, we all got the same ideas. "Let's plant a garden!". As such, the largest nurseries in Florida have long since run dry of inventory. I thought I was going to kung-fu this chick at Walmart when her hand landed atop of mine on the ONLY pink guava, which was also the only fruit tree walmart supercenter had! It was marked at $40 and, she can have it!!

I'm expecting a market correction in 2023 and plant prices to sink through the floor. Save your money and prepare to be able to plant your entire yard for HALF of what you originally planned.

Merrill, and the saddest part about the return of jobs and having little time at home is that a full half or more of those lovely gardens will die. People swear they will keep them up, but many won't. They didn't before. Perhaps many will keep a small veg garden, but most of them will discover that working, taking care of their house and being with friends again is more important, and just let them go or not plant them again aside from a couple of tomato plants. We'll see, but I know it's what would happen to me if I didn't have time on my hands. When I once moved out to the country, I planted a huge veggie garden. I was a SAHM at the time, and had plenty of time to spare on it. Then I had to go back to work, and my garden tractor broke down, and it was just too much to take care of, so I didn't plant another garden for the next 3 years I was there, nor did I care for the flowers I had planted. A 90 minute commute to town and back every day, activities with my son, helping out my mother on weekends, and my garden went to hell. I finally just sold my place and moved to Florida. Then the same thing happened there with my house and 1/4 acre yard. Sometimes life is just too much to fit everything in. It has to be a passion to prioritize it, and many people don't have a passion for gardening, it was just something everyone else was doing, so they did it too. Some will have discovered it's a passion, and most won't. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I am not sure where you live but Pinders in Palm City has really pretty Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow plants. A bunch for $15 and a few for $50. I am not affiliated, they are just my new local nursery. This was less than a week ago.

Joan: the difference between plants of the 2 prices? (Size of the $50 ones?)

The one for $14.99 was a 3 gallon I believe. The bigger was probably a 7 gallon? Just guessing from memory. The small ones were nice, at least 2 feet tall and healthy looking.

I got a small one from them 2 years ago when I moved in. I planted it and moved it twice. I think it is finally happy where it is and I even had a few flowers this past winter.

Thanks!