Re: Selection

**E* Z* <e*@acmeplant.com>**

This morning I went plant shopping in Port Jervis, NY and Matamoras,  
PA.  Both are very small towns, about 90 miles NE of NYC.

The big box stores have the usual, predictable stuff, but two small  
independents provided me with some excellent annuals:  Sanvitallia,  
Dichondra, Torenia, Ipomoea batatas, Angelonia, 'Kong' Coleus,  
Fuchsia, Cleome, some gorgeous tuberous Begonias, Euphorbia 'Diamond  
Frost', and all were exceptionally well grown.  These may not be the  
most cutting edge plants, but they're more interesting than impatiens,  
petunias, and geraniums.  I was pleasantly surprised and very pleased.

Ellen Zachos

On May 25, 2008, at 7:35 PM, Duane Campbell wrote:

> Went to the Big City yesterday. For me, the Big City is Binghamton  
> NY, some
> 70 miles away. I hit the big box stores and some independent  
> nurseries. I
> came home with three not very interesting plants and plenty of money  
> left in
> my pocket.
>
> Locally I have access to a KMart (just down the road), a WalMart and a
> mini-Lowes (20 miles away), and a couple of mid-sized but uninspired
> nurseries. Beyond impatiens, those damn wave petunias, and acres of
> geraniums, they had almost nothing. Summer bulbs have been nearly
> non-existent, as are my personal favorite, 4 inch pots of less common
> "accent plants." Even the big branded lines were few and far  
> between. Last
> year was bad, but this year it is terrible.
>
> I tell my readers to buy locally whenever possible, but if the  
> locals have
> nothing more than half a dozen dead common plants, I'm going go back  
> to
> pushing mail order.
>
> I know those who live in or near real major metropolitan centers  
> have places
> they can go to find the less banal, but are others in less urban  
> climes
> experiencing this?
>
> Is there anyone on this list, or anyone you know, on the buying or
> merchandising end, who might be willing to talk to me, off the  
> record, to
> get an understanding of what is going on.
>
> D
>
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