You're absolutely right, we are spoiled. We also have other opportunities, like the plant festival last fall at Tropiflora. One of the good vendors is always there and he had bare-root starts of some wonderful cultivars for around $12. Jim got a few nice Schoms that day, I think.
I can see charging a premium price for a plant in full bloom, and of course it costs the vendors to transport their beautiful bloomers to a show. But not bare-root starts with no great expectation of success or even survival.
