Toni, you may not see them at the grocery store, but I've seen really nice Nor'East miniatures at O'Tooles for as low as $2 (clearance).
Somewhere very recently I saw some nice sized Y2K for $4, can't remember where...
I got my first Red Minimo as one of those grocery store miniatures, with four little newly rooted roses in a pot. I separated them out, potted them up and kept them inside under lights for their first winter, just like I would any newly rooted cutting. I planted them out the following spring and they did fine. I had them under strong lights and washed them with the sink sprayer once a month to control the spider mites.
Oh, BTW, I just found a bloom! Mary Rose has a bloom on her. That's incredibly early here!
