"Jenny" wrote in message
...

The other thing that really bothers me is the uniformity of the offerings.

It's possible (and highly likely) that the uniformity is as much the fault
of consumers as it is of the suppliers. Here, for instance, there are plenty
of sources for unusual plants, both annuals and perennials. But
still....look at many gardens and all you see is marigolds, salvia, petunias
and geraniums. Boring....but that's what many consumers want. This is very
much a plain vanilla country. If you need proof of that, pay attention to
the lack of a decent bagel in most supermarkets, and the disgusting
preponderance of Chrysler mini vans, one of the lousiest vehicles ever to
hit the American highway.