(HIT)-According to the 2006 Early Spring Gardening Trends survey released by the Garden Writers Association Foundation, 52% of American households plan to purchase most of their spring plants at mass merchants and D-I-Y stores, while garden centers and local retail stores are favored by 39% of households.

Consumers say they prefer quality over price by a margin of 50% to 30% in the selection of plant materials. When selecting spring plants, 46% of garden buyers look for ease of care, while 44% are influenced primarily by color preferences.