Where have all the house plants gone?

**l*@juno.com**

Hope everyone had a great holiday!

I've noticed a discouraging trend over the past two winters --- the lack
of availability of house plants in retail outlets. I'm wondering whether
this is a nationwide trend, or just happening around here. Recently, it
took me over six months to find two six-inch pots of ivy for my mantle.
Even with that, I had to take one variegated and one regular because they
didn't have two of the same.

When Frank's and other small chains still existed, you could spend a
pleasant hour choosing just the right African violet, Gloxinia, or other
flowering plant in mid-winter, inhaling the smells of the greenhouse and
dreaming of spring. Just a few years ago, Lowes had loads of African
violets (regular and miniature), Gloxinias, Kalanchoes, and Bromeliads in
bloom, as well as a wide variety of foliage plants.

For the past two winters, neither my local small nurseries, nor any of
the box stores has had anything other than 10-inch palms, Poinsettias,
Cyclamen, and a couple of obligatory orchids. Home Depot had three
African violets, only one of which was in bloom, which I purchased out of
desperation.

Our local ShopRite (supermarket) recently made a big to-do about
enlarging and renovating its floral section. When it was done, I saw only
cut flowers and asked when they would be setting up the house plants. The
reply was that they will no longer be selling ANY house plants. This
store, too, had been a reliable place to find a wide selection of African
violets and other common house plants, such as ferns, ivy, hanging
baskets, etc.

Regards,
Lois

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