gardenlady, I've browsed through the box store nursery departments but rarely buy anything there other than soil amendments. I prefer to buy from actual nurseries. I'd rather support small local business over HD and Lowes, will mail order from independent nurseries when I cannot find something I've wanted.

There are exceptions but most of the time, once those plants have been delivered and are on the shelves, they receive no care, no thought to sun or shade etc, only occasional water. If your trip is timed for immediately after plants have been delivered, you may find them undamaged but often its only that they haven't been there long enough to become dried out or neglected.

Not only are the rhododendrons (and other plants) available at the big box stores often neglected, but also these stores continue to price cut independent growers out of existence.

The crash in the US housing market has had a devastating effect on many growers, but the big box stores have been just as bad. These stores sell only the most common rhododendron varieties such as PJM, Nova Zembla, English Roseum, Chionides, etc. One pink one,one white one, one red one, one purple one. The diversity of choices supplied by independent growers is in real danger of disappearing if gardeners continue to value low cost above everything else.