Trader Joe’s, Home Depot, and IKEA of all places. My joke is if they can survive in those environments they are that much likely to do well in my house. I’ve had a 50/50 success rate with ones from Merrifield… it might have been me, but one had a bug situation I couldn’t for the life of me get under control and it eventually succumbed.

Home Depot. They always do better than the foo foo crap you pay x4 for at the swanky local garden centers.

Indigro in Takoma Park is amazing

I have a huge green thumb and buy most of my houseplants from Walmart. Prices are great and the plants are healthy.

When it comes to sourcing house plants, you've got a plethora of options to explore! Local nurseries and garden centers are fantastic for immersing yourself in greenery, and they often have knowledgeable staff who can offer personalized advice based on your needs and space. Plus, there's something special about handpicking your new leafy companions.
And if you're looking to expand your plant knowledge and care skills, this guide on bonsai for beginners covers a wide range of topics, from selecting the right plants to nurturing them to thrive: https://bonsaiforbeginners.com/guide. It's a great resource for anyone looking to green up their space!

Plants very easily will pick up bugs in the summer outside!

Anonymous wrote:Don't buy house plants in the winter. They have bugs just like we have flu.

I just buy plants I like in the summer when they are small, leave them outside in a bigger plastic pot for 3-4 months. The banana/bird of paradise... types will grow at least 3 feet. I bring them inside before frost. They look stately in my fancy pots. And no bugs.

No bugs after being outside??

Anonymous wrote:Don't buy house plants in the winter. They have bugs just like we have flu.

This is a bogus assertion.

~ botanist

Trader Joes and Wegmans have three best selection fot a non plant store. My lowes is better than home depot. Merrifield is a splurge but I don't get rare plants there (too pricey). I buy online as well

Don't buy house plants in the winter. They have bugs just like we have flu.

I just buy plants I like in the summer when they are small, leave them outside in a bigger plastic pot for 3-4 months. The banana/bird of paradise... types will grow at least 3 feet. I bring them inside before frost. They look stately in my fancy pots. And no bugs.

OP here, thank you very much! And duly noted about the bug situation from anywhere.

Love Botanologica if you are near Falls Church. Great little store! http://www.botanologica.com/

I've bought many from Home Depot. For more interesting plants, I like American Plant in Bethesda and Terrain.

Parlour palm and bromeliad at ikea. Trader Joe’s for calathea. Johnson’s in Kensington has nice plants too. As others said, all places can have bugs. Definitely do not assume that just because they are an expensive nursery that they will be bug free. In fact, recently the worst place I saw was an expensive nursery with mealie bugs on multiple items.

Also you might want to consider the return policy. Home Depot and Lowe’s allow you to return plants but many of the others do not.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Merrifield Garden has a good selection of plants for indoors and outdoors.

+1, this is where to go for "fancy" plants but, FYI, they can still have bugs. I usually get mine at Home Depot and have only gotten bugs once.

At such high prices, we expect no bugs on plants. Doesn’t hurt to inspect the whole plant before paying for them.

And, yet, you can spray for them