On the "who'd have thunk it" line -- some of the Home Depots, etc., near me
have stopped discounting their near-dead orchids because people are bringing
them back for refund/exchange for a live one which would otherwise go at
full price [probably switching receipts ...]. And, in what may be
particular to south Florida, the winter residents who buy a blooming phal
when they come down for the "season," exchange it when it goes out of boom
[sometimes twice if they're down more than a couple of months], and then
want a refund before they leave for summer ...

Personally, I see about an even mix of people who:

1. got hooked on orchid through one of these bargain basement purchases
[sometimes received as a gift], got really into it, and now want to buy
quality plants from real nurseries; or
2. got so turned off because their bargain-basement orchid didn't survive,
that they don't even want to hear about orchids anymore ["they're too
difficult"].

If the bargain-basement orchid was how these folks learned about orchids,
and that seems to be the case, I figure 50% is not too bad ...
--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids
http://www.jborchids.com


"bb" wrote in message
news
On Thu, 08 Apr 2004 07:10:14 -0600, Susan Erickson
wrote:

He
said it was too easy for the help to cause the plant to look bad
to get a discount for family or friends. Some are over watered
some so under watered they dry up.

Dang, I assumed they did this due to incompetence, not on purpose.
Who'd a thunk it?

bb