Re: Industry Stats

**"* P* L* <t*@spamfodder.com>**

> . Total lawn and garden retail sales declined 3% to $34.077 billion in 2006, 
> according to the Nat'l. Gardening Survey. Total lawn and garden sales have 
> not seen a significant increase in the past 4 years. U.S. households spent 
> an average of $401 on lawns and gardens in 2006, 3% more than the $387 spent 
> in 2005.

I think the biggest reason for this is increased energy costs.
The pots cost a lot more, the greenhouse production costs more, and the
transportation to move the plants is a lot higher.

Everywhere that I go the plants are a lot more expensive, so people are
cutting back on their plant purchases.  If you can only buy half a flat
of annuals for the same price as you could buy a full flat before, you're
not going to put in as many plants.  

I used to plant three flats of Impatiens along the side of my property
every year.  It cost me about $20, and to me it was worth it.  Now I'm
looking at $35 for the same effect, and that's too rich for my blood.
I'm not going to fill half of the parterre, so the whole thing stays
empty.  The industry loses my money and I go buy the latest Trentemoeller
CD or something instead.

I do think that mailorder nurseries will see a resurgence.  I'm seeing
pretty common perennials from Lowes costing as much as a specialty
perennial from a mailorder nursery, so why would anyone bother with
those places?  Well, convenience.  But the plants are always sickly and
dry at the big box stores anyhow...  ;)

Chris

http://www.bonvivantnursery.com/                     Bon Vivant Nursery
http://www.hort.net/gallery/      4069 online plant photos and growing!
http://www.hort.net/gallery/date/2007-03-13/       The latest additions
_______________________________________________
gardenwriters mailing list
gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/gardenwriters

GWL has searchable archives at:
http://www.hort.net/lists/gardenwriters

Send photos for GWL to gwlphotos@hort.net to be posted
at: http://www.hort.net/lists/gwlphotos

Post gardening questions/threads to
&quot;Gardenwriters on Gardening&quot; &lt;gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org&gt;

For GWL website and Wiki, go to
http://www.ibiblio.org/gardenwriters