Nancy, I have an availability list sitting here in front of me. Like I said somewhere else, I have a tough time with latin names. I know them by other things like Columbine, not Aquilegia. And I certainly don't know a lot of the varieties. But I do know that people are tired of seeing the same trailing phlox year after year. They're tired of being offered May Night Salvia every spring. I heard it from two regular customers today. "Why don't they ever have anything new?" Tomorrow I will be placing my first order. I've decided to bring in some early coreopsis and a few other things I marked on the list while browsing google. I would buy these plants if they were available to me. Why? Because they're pretty. They are covered in blooms and will hold up to the summer heat. I'm also stocking up on perennial grasses, which always seem to sell out just when it's time to have something in the garden that provides interest and can handle the heat. Our store has not sold zinnias either. I plan to order a rack of them when they are available. Why not? They're bigger than marigolds and can make a bigger punch. The manager has told me that he's going to let me choose. He knows very little about the plants, and he's happy to give me an opportunity to see if I can do better than the previous LNS. I'll still order Boston Ferns. We sold 294 from Friday at 5pm til today at 6pm. We had 6 left in the store when I clocked out. We will get another shipment tomorrow. Lots of people are buying edibles this year too. Trees, plants, everything. Tomatoes are a hot item right now. I don't order those, but I have to make sure they're tended for until they sell. Tropicals will start arriving next week. Mandevilla is a hot item right now. We got in 48 last year and they were gone in a single day. 8" pots for $6.95 each. I'm ordering 144 this year. He doesn't know it yet. But I remember being asked over and over the next day what happened to them. People were buying them in twos and threes. All my plants will be delivered by local independent shippers and grown locally. Metrolina is the largest supplier of ours. They employ hundreds of people. I wish they had more selection, but they can only grow so many varieties. Another nursery is Layman in SC. It's not really local, but it isn't too far away. A few hours. If we had a good local nursery that sold more than trees or sad little hollies, I would want to work there instead. But we don't. It's either this or Wal-Mart, and they don't have anyone on their staff that has a clue about plants from what I can tell. They hardly water anything. We have a system set up to make sure every table gets attention at least 4 times a week, usually more. We turn over a lot of plants each week. My budget for this week, a transition period between cool annuals and summer annuals/perennials, is in the mid 5 digit range. That's one store and I'm talking wholesale costs. And like Cameron pointed out, Lowe's is a NC based company started in North Wilkesboro and now headquartered in Moorseville, NC.

I've had pretty good luck with the few nurseries I've tried. Usually the prices are so much higher, I just go to the end of season sales, but when I can't find a plant I really want, then I go to the nurseries. Perhaps part of the problem is that many people probably like plants, which is why they start a nursery...however, people buy plants and that's how you stay in business. Raising beautiful plants would be only half the challenge...you have to be able to sell them. I'm sure there's a lot of frustration, when people like myself compare their prices to the big box stores...but that's going to happen. Like any business, you have to be able to work with people and explain why these plants are superior, better quality, better choices, whatever...and taking the time to help people with their gardens would be something that might bring them back repeatedly, even if prices are a little higher. There's usually a better selection, too. This year, I've had great luck with Northland Rosarium, very nice customer service and beautiful roses. They even offer classes about roses! Some other nurseries I've tried haven't had such nice customer service, but still adequate. However, another nursery I went to with my mom had beautiful plants (and I bought some) but we would have stayed longer if an employee had not been using the VERY loud leaf blower right by the building. He was out there at least 20 minutes, (we even asked the employees at the register if he would be much longer, but they didn't seem to get a clue) so my mom and I grabbed a few plants and left. There may have been some great plants out there, but we couldn't take the noise. Seems they could do that type of thing BEFORE they open...but that's just me :)

The deer don't eat mine (I have 3 in different locations). One of them is in full sun from 1-sundown and does fine and is more drought tolerant than some of the things around it. Course I have the native one.

Sanders is awesome for variety. Been there, spent money there. ;) But I don't know about fruit trees. Didn't get any there,nor looked at any. It is quite a ways out east and south of Broken Arrow. Here's a link for them: http://www.sandersnurseryok.com/about.htm Personally I like Colebrooks. They are on the west side of the river near Tulsa. http://www.colebrooknursery.com/home.nxg I just don't think you get much under $20.00 per tree, unless you go to Lowes, or Walmart type stores. Good luck. Moni