On Fri, 10 Jun 2011 06:29:38 -0600, Janet Bostwick
> wrote:

>On Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:13:09 -0400, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
>
>snip
>>
>>A real master gardener wouldn't be buying plants at any grocery
>>store/department store. I buy plants at major plant nurseries that
>>actually grow everything they sell and plants are their only business.
>>I mostly patronize these two:
>>http://www.storysnursery.com/
>>http://www.schoharienurseries.com/
>
>Let me make it more clear. My interest is in annuals (petunias, etc)
>and perennials (peonies and the like) I don't buy trees and shrubs --
>
>except I notice the Christmas trees at Christmas time are a good
>value.

Well, yeah, but they're dead. You really should go to a real nursery
and buy a live Christmas tree each year. This Christmas tree is so
naturallly gorgeous it needs no make up:
http://i55.tinypic.com/2v96e8j.jpg

>If I wanted a tree/shrub, I would want something specific and
>then I would go to an actual nursery. I did say in my original post
>that I was talking about annuals and perennials.

Annuals and perennials are specific. What makes you think those
nurseries don't grow annuals and perenniels, they do, in their own
fields and greenhouses, and a much larger selection, they are true to
type and far better quality than those mistreated sad things at
department store garden centers. And let me make it more clear, trees
and shrubs are indeed perennials... you're not much of a gardener not
to know that. You obviously neglected to look over those web sites.
Department store garden centers are fine for buying gardening supplies
(tools) but I don't recommend buying live plants at those places. Live
plants are a huge committment, you'll need to live with them a long
time, they'll probably outlive you, and it will be years invested
before you realize that it's not what you bargained for... looking for
plant bargains indicates a penny wise dollar fool. Live plants are
not something one ought to settle for... even with annuals one can
lose the entire growing season.