So, the young couple approached me in the nursery and asked why my plants were so expensive. "This same plant at Home Depot is only $10, and you have it priced at $25!"

So, I responded with my usual comeback, said in a humorous tone, "Well, if you go talk to the nursery manager at Home Depot in mid-summer, you'll probably find him working in the tire department. We are a full service garden center, we're here every month of the year to help you. I have 30 years experience in the business, so when you buy one of my plants, you get a little bit of me with each one."

So, they said, "But how can you justify your higher prices?"

So, I thought about explaining how retail prices work, and how we're doing pretty good to get 7 cents profit from each dollar of sales (altho sometimes it is only 3 or 5 cents), and I could have shown them the half dozen letters on my desk from various growers regretfully informing me of additional fuel surcharges on deliveries, and boy, would their eyes bug out if they saw our gas and water bills! And I thought about the really gorgeous annual and perennial crops we have grown this year, really superior plants, and the lovely Korean hornbeam I have in the nursery, next to the cute little three-flower maple, just waiting for that special customer to find and cherish and take home...I can think about a lot of things in a very short space of time!

But, I just said, "If price is your only consideration, I encourage you to shop at Home Depot..." And I walked away...

Mostly, tho, it has been a really wonderful year in the nursery, with the most wonderful happy customers imaginable. I hope all you folks in the trade have had a good year as well...

Brian