Yes I must agree with Tracy Hankwitz, that perennial sales have been declining over the past few years. Our experience is that the decline began well before the current economic disaster, and even before the state of Michigan began its economic downturn. I'd say it was around 2005, when the downturn began.
I have my own guesses as to why this is occurring. One, which Tracy did not mention, is a much higher level of competition compared to what we've had in the past. Everyone and their brother sells perennials now, and lots of them! Including the very cheaply priced perennials at the big box stores. Our product (the perennial plant) has been downgraded to that of a "commodity", whereas it used to be a unique, hard-to-find, and highly desirable product. You can find perennials everywhere, they are no longer unique, and they've lost quite a bit of their "prestige" status.
I also believe that trends move in waves, and that includes interest in perennials. For example:Annuals were the rage in the 70's, then they became blase' during the 80's and 90's. Now annuals are the rage again! Perennials, relatively obscure during the 70's, saw heightened interest during the 80's, which peaked during the 90's. The curve is leveling out now, with people being less enamored of them, the more they become accustomed to them (lots of product in the marketplace, as opposed to it being a unique product in the market place during the 80's and 90's). So this is really something that we should have expected all along - can't ride the wave forever! You can make the same comparison with tropicals (we used to call them "house plants" - remember?) Back in the 70's, everyone was into "foliage plants". Greenhouses were full of them. By the 90's, production of foliage was way down, and guess what - tropicals and foliage are all the rage again. What's old is new again, over and over again! This is a normal part of the business cycle for a nursery - and we just have to adapt as best we can!
I think solutions to this problem will have to be worked out by each nursery (and/or perennial producer). We'll need to be looking at ways to differentiate ourselves from the competition, and we'll also have to concentrate more on our product line, making sure that we have the unusual stuff that can't be found at the big box stores, or even the big nursery "down the road". We can't compete with them on price, so we'll have to compete by offering a more interesting product, better quality, better service, and a more knowledgeable staff to help people create satisfying gardening experiences.
Also, something that is often overlooked, is the shopper's "shopping experience". Small, boutique-style nurseries have a wonderful opportunity to lure customers by providing a different kind of shopping experience, where the hunt for that special perennial is an exciting adventure, instead of a boring trek past rows and rows of alphabetically arranged plants. The shopper wants to have "fun" shopping - we need to be looking at providing the customer with a "recreational experience" - not just a means to an end, i.e. a place to purchase a plant.
I could go on, but I think that's enough. I am cautiously optimistic about 2009. In times of economic uncertainty, people do tend to stay closer to home, and engage themselves in more home-related activities - one of which is gardening! And, regarding perennials in particular, the economy-minded gardener may find renewed interest in perennials his year, as opposed to annuals and tropicals - after all, the perennial plant has more inherent value - it lasts for years, so the customer gets more for her money over the long haul!
Karen
Karen Bovio is the owner of the Michigan-based nursery Specialty Growers.
Specialty Growers
Perennials and Herbs 4330 Golf Club Rd. Howell, Michigan 48843
Call Us: 888-234-0326 
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