This is not a rant just an observance
The price of plants are up considerably in my area
The cheapest annual in a cell pack is over 50 cents
I can find a 3 pack for 2 dollars
The greenhouse I often purchase plants wants 239 for a two pack of marigolds, petunias ,salvia (nothing fancy) I went away empty handed.

I have started more seeds hope I am not too late
was out of town during my prime seed sowing time.

@gardengus
Your comments about the price of plants is so true. I rebel against paying $9.99 for a one-gallon pot - so this year has been a seed planting binge. And I've learned a lot.
Some seeds arrived with complicated instructions: "Sow 8 -12 weeks before last frost. Cover seed lightly with growing medium. Seed is slow to germinate and sensitive to excess moisture so keep growing medium on the dry side until emergence. Place seed trays on a heat mat during the day and remove at night to ensure the proper germination temperature. Transplant to cell packs or larger containers after true leaves appear. Harden off before transplanting outside". Seriously??? They left out wave a chicken feather over the soil and say a chant during the dark of the moon!
So, seeds can be complicated. Some need darkness, some need light, some need stratification or sanding. Jeez. Others are 'best planted in fall and bloom second year'. Those are no help to me for the bees and butterflies I hope to attract this summer. I've tried to stay with platform or tubular flowers while avoiding any doubles or anything exotic.
While I have purchased or traded a lot of seeds, I also dug out some of my old ones (think King Tut's tomb) figuring why not? To my amazement, many of them sprouted.

So I have had successes and a few epic failures. But when summer arrives, there will be plenty of zinnias, cleomes, cardinal climber, celosias, basils, and cosmos for the pollinators to enjoy.

I'm sticking with "Easy to Grow".

I haven't checked out prices yet, it's still a bit too early for most annuals in my zone. But considering the price of the potting mix has gone up, I'm expecting and dreading the same for the annuals. I've got about 2-3 weeks before most of the garden centers will have them in stock here to know just how bad it will be.

Some of the big box stores already have there annuals out but it's too early for me to be thinking about buying annuals so I haven't bothered looking. I'm sure I'll go into sticker shock-or maybe not depending on what I want and who has it. I have cosmos seeds, zinnia seeds and morning glory seeds to plant and nothing exotic-just the basic, work horses of the garden. That's good enough for me. One thing I do buy every year are Portulacca, usually a flat will do. Thinking about the rising costs of everything-I have 7 cats to feed. This winter was a hard and expensive challenge to find cat food and find it at a reasonable price. I watched as the prices jumped from .50 a can to $1.25. And the selection was as scarce as hens teeth! I stopped buying cans and switched to dry food. At this point I'm used to sticker shock.

Prices are up for sure. I have many different places I buy plants from and know the big box stores are moving towards single pack plants as opposed the four pack. I have been able to find 3-4 packs at many of the annuals at some of the local nurseries, but many of them are pushing towards single plants as well. As for me, I am moving towards planting from seeds as much as possible.

6 pack annuals $1.55 at my fav greenhouse, I noticed the prices went up a bit on the single pots they have but we're still manageable and under $3. Seed prices vs what you get is high too. I'll be saving seed this year as best I can again.

I grocery shop every two weeks. Cauliflower has gone from $1.50/head to $5.00/head in two weeks time. I fear summer prices and am planting as best I can or have room for. I'm totally over these prices for everything I shop for. Heck even looking at new unders for the fam and they have gone from $10 a pack to $21 for a basic need (maybe we'll all be returning to our birthday suits at this rate!) item that's ridiculous. Can't fathom back to school shopping at this point.

But hey at least I've got a collection of canning lids - I buy 2 boxes whenever I see them and now have what I will use in a season. Has anyone else noticed they are charging $3.19 or more for wide mouth ones vs the regular mouth which is maybe 75¢ less? They always used to be the same price.

All told - I'm worried how this will all work out and I know I'm not the only one worried like this. This world is nuts.

I haven't hit my favorite nursery haunts yet but I'm preparing for it. Yesterday at Wallyworld-Hellmans mayo was $4.88. Luckily I don't need mayo but come on!! It's just me I support and at todays prices I'd be going crazy trying to budget. I do have animals to care for and feed and that's been an adventure in itself. What it boils down to is just plain old greed. Call it whatever you want and lay blame on trump, the pandemic and the russians but at the end of the day it's just greed. I feel sorry for those caught in the middle with children and families to take care of and dwindling resources.

I did notice that some of the hanging baskets I'm seeing are smaller and less full as years previous and about $3-5 more. Succulents are high too.

I usually save seeds and take cuttings in the fall. For standard bedding plants what type of prices? A single pot of special petunia or calibroacha were $2.59 for me. More than last year but I don't know if that is high as usually I only see in mixed pots at other places near me.

I guess maybe I am a realist or am I being practical. The prices are the prices, I just deal with it. Either I shop at a cheaper place like Home Depot or Lowe's. But honestly since I moved here 4 years ago, my Home Depot's sell crap, C R A P!! I won't even waste anymore of my money there. I guess their wholesalers here in Michigan aren't raising quality stuff.
Lowe's is better, definitely better. Selection is better, quality is better.

Fortunately I have about 8-9 really higher end Nurseries around me. I try to visit them all but it's hard. I do not shop there for annuals and veggies, but I am looking for more unusual stuff. And if I find something really cool, I do not mind spending more.
One place I am thinking of offers perennials for example like Milkweeds, Liatris, Salvias and Phlox, and they might be 20% more then other sites but it is quality stuff. Everything survived, everything grows!!! I hate to spend money twice.
So I can spend more per plant but have them thrive. That's cool. But it is all relative, depends on where you live, availability, number of outlets and you have to know prices.

I no longer shop at Home Depot. Last year I bought a milkweed plant in a one gallon pot. When I it got home, I discovered a tag stating that the plant had been treated with neonicotinoides to prevent aphids. Because this chemical is also poisonous to caterpillars and bees, I took the plant back. I explained my reason for returning it to the nursery manager. His response was "fine" - and he put it back on the shelf.
I don't know if this practice is still in use, but I won't go back.

I will check when I visit Home Depot this weekend.
Last time the selection was slim pickings, compared to prior years (lots of 1 or 2 types of plants, but not a wide selection of different types of plants). I also walked away empty handed.

Well, to be fair to them I did note a drop in the price of azaleas. I was looking through some pics yesterday and noticed a couple years ago azaleas were $24.99
The very same azaleas were $14.99 last week. Not on sale. Same size buckets.

Other "annual" azaleas (i.e. do not survive in my zone, but for some reason they still sell them here) were identical price that they have been every year for the past 5 years: $9.99. I know this because I lust after them. They are gorgeous and I try everything to get them to survive the first few years. Now I have given up, but still go look at them when I visit and they are in bloom (white center with red rims).

So, I think it may depend on the specific item that interests you.

Edited to add: But the cost of almost everything has gone up. Inflation is at its highest for decades. There are also supply chain issues. It is quite logical the cost of everything that needs to be transported goes up. Plants included.

The last time I looked, in Feb., the prices were up, even clearance was redefined to no longer automatically mean at least 50% off. A reduction of less than 50% has always been called "sale" up until this year.

It's always been the custom to not make political comments in the forums.

Payed a visit to one of the few independent Greenhouses today found
good prices on herbs $ 3.20 perennials $4.50 (quart)
tomatoes and peppers $1.99 4 pack I will pot them up and share with my sister

Hey Bill ,
I use to live in Bellevillle in the late 70's ..........Worked at the Fantasy gardens greenhouse are they still around? I always thought Michigan had some great greenhouses

Belleville? Haven't run into that town yet in my travels. I am not sure about Fantasy Gardens but I will look into it.

I know what you mean though. I drive 7 miles to go to my son's in Canton, all local roads. I pass three little businesses along one stretch of road! 3 inside of a half mile.

Plants have soared in price and really super spendy… I miss all the local nurseries. Most are gone or bought out due to the big box store and larger nurseries are to much competition and only grow what sells. These larger growers have merchandise that are not necessarily for plant collectors. The best plants I ever purchased were from local small nurseries. Some rare trees and shrubs .
Look what happened to Heronswood nursery a famous nursery in the PNW. There were two famous guys well known in the PNW for their efforts to travel the world and collect plants never before seen. They brought back plants unique and hard to find trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals. And Burpee bought them out and now hardly any of the plants that were offered by Heronswood are still around. Very sad.
I just said to a friend, " It's a good thing I purchased plants years ago to fill my garden because I would never have all the plants and collections I have now …the cost today are off the charts/chain."

I checked one of my favorite local garden centers yesterday, and it doesn't look too bad so far. They don't have Supertunias in stock yet, but the Proven Winners alyssums were $1 more at $6 (used to be $4.99), and many varieties the same as last year. Another garden center close by was always $.50-$1 higher on everything, and I expect their increases to be more than this. It's still too early to buy anything yet for me.

I avoid buying any plants from big box stores, even if they'd be cheaper. I'd rather give the local nurseries and garden centers my money and help them stay in business.

I did check Lowes at the weekend. Some annuals were about $6, also. I was only interested in the petunias and calibrachoa. Maybe half-gallon size pots. The azaleas there are also $14.99, like Home Depot. Nothing outrageous price-wise.

But I usually grow my own petunias anyhow (I collected seeds from one years ago and they are still super-fertile, so that was a good investment getting years and years of blooms for a single investment of less than $5). I plan also on collecting seeds from the one I bought at the weekend (night sky petunia - gorgeous).

However, my local Christmas Tree Shop I did notice their plants outdoors were a little more expensive than last year. Supermarket plants were a little higher also.
But I am not sure if that is specifically because Mother's Day is coming and they are cashing in on desperate kids, or whether it is a regular price increase.

when do you start petunia seeds ? and when do you see flower?

Previous years, I have started indoors in Jan or Feb, and see blooms a couple months later, all the way to frost (I keep feeding them with high-iron petunia food). I love petunias as they are great value for money flower-wise.

This year I have started some seeds just a few weeks ago. So am not sure when they will bloom. But they grow very quickly.

Collecting seeds is easy, and you can collect thousands from one petunia plant.
I also love calibrachoa as they are like itty-bitty petunias. But the flowers are too small for me to collect seeds, sadly. However, they do tend to self-seed the same dirt they were grown in the prior year. Free plants, yay

PS - Just as an FYI, the F2 kids may not look like the F1 parents. These are all from pink star petunia parents in 2021. But some surpassed the parents. It is fun to get weirdos.


PPS - Just out of interest this is the Night Sky Petunia:

night sky in July

I agree a very pretty and interesting petunia
It changes color here with the heat (adds white)