Re: sunfarm>MG nursery
I agree, but it's not for me to say.
We have two "orientations" that apply here. We have orientation for people
signing up to take the course. During this session it is explained what the
program is really about - volunteering. But it always ends up that at least
1/2 of each class disappears after getting what they wanted for themselves
out of it.
Then there is garden orientation. Those who sign up to work in a garden
meet in early January for orientation before splitting off into their
groups. They would have bid to work in a group on a mail-in sheet the
previous November. The hort-ed assigns them to groups based on their
requests.
2 of my remaining 3 newbies are not interns. They've been MGs for at least
a couple of years.
Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
----- Original Message -----
From: "james singer" <islandjim1@verizon.net>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2008 11:31 AM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] sunfarm>MG nursery
Sounds to me like you [the collective you] need to rethink the
orientation session for new MGs. And give each area of volunteerism a
chance to say what they do, what's expected, and to sell themselves. CES
is supposed to be about disseminating information, it's the charter
mission, after all--this might be a good place to start.
On Apr 12, 2008, at 11:13 AM, Kitty wrote:
Taking plants home is an option I have/am considered/ing. It won't work
for most of the nursery members as they all say, oh, no, not me, I don't
have room to take care of a dozen plants!
At the extension office we have 15 individual display gardens with
groups (usually about 6or7) of MGs responsible for each. We have
everything (except pruning shears) we need right there, including a
terrific irrigation setup. The MG nursery is considered a garden. We
have our sales right there in "the glade".
Long before we established the nursery (that was about 7yrs ago) we had
plant sales and those sales continue. The nursery only supplies what
are called "Special Selections". The rest of the sale is as you
described - divisions from the display gardens, divisions from MGs own
gardens, donations from nurseries, plants grown by MGs from seed. One MG
who owns her own daylily farm orders in a flat or 2 of hostas which she
splits for herself and MGsale, CES reimburses her for the MGhalf.
As in the other gardens, we in the nursery draw up a maintenance
schedule so we take turns weeding and watering. It's not difficult.
The reason for possibly closing the nursery is lack of commitment. We
started out well, but interest seemed to falter a few years ago. I
believed it was my fault as I'm not a really good people person. So I
let another MG co-lead. She increased our numbers from 7 to 15 and all
we got was less commitment and more arguments. I was still doing the
majority of the work. This year we have 3 of the original members, one
recruit from last yr and 4 newbies.
Of the first 3, one always quits at the end of April, another (age 70+)
does what she can, but is involved in many other projects and lives
30miles from here. I'm the 3rd one. Last yr's recruit lives 50 miles
away and has health issues. The 4 newbies say they didn't realize they
had signed up for a nursery. (The Hort Ed refers to it as the
Propagation Group) One has already quit, one has never shown(she's in
Florida and the doctor hasn't ok'd her to travel yet), one is extremely
protective of his valuable time and has voice his opinion that he would
like to watch videos to gain his volunteer hours, and the last newbie is
a rather timid soul, but might have potential.
At our Jan meeting I outlined the duties of which we need people to take
responsibility. The weren't surprised by the list, it was sent weeks
earlier so they could look it over. I got one person willing to put
labels on markers and one person willing to fertilze plants and make
repairs. That's it. I'm stuck w everything else including setting up
extra propagation lessons for those who thought that's what they signed
up for. I will wait until the end of the August, ask for commitment for
the following yr, now that they will know more of what each job entails.
If I can't get that, it's over.
Since we have such a nice nursery setup, I might consider still bringing
in a few flats and just working it by myself, we'll see when the time
comes. To see pictures of the nursery:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kmrsy/sets/72157601052894614/
or http://tinyurl.com/4wgm3j
except that we are giving up the big, out-in-the-open daylily bed after
we dig it out. This is being done to reduce the nursery to a more
manageable size.
Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
----- Original Message ----- From: "DP" <pulis@mindspring.com>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2008 9:19 AM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] sunfarm
It would be a shame to have to close the nursery. I know you've put
your life into it.
We do things a little differently with our MGs, and it seems to work
well. We'll do a group order for some things, plugs or twos mostly,
and then each participating MG takes them home, pots them as necessary,
and grows them on. Some MGs go to other MGs homes to dig and divide in
the late summer/early fall and take them home to tend them. Others
grow from cuttings or seeds.
Then we have a staging area a couple of days before the plant sale so
that they can be organized and priced, and another crew carries them to
the fairgrounds, where the sale is held. I think it works because
people don't have to drop their lives to go and water, the plants are
right there. When somebody is going on vacation or is under the
weather, they can call on another MG to water for them for a short
time.
The other thing it does is to give them "ownership" and a sense of
pride when they bring in wonderful-looking plants, and those that miss
the mark one year are certain to do better next year - except for one
MG who dropped out. I think she just wanted to get cheap plants for
herself, and didn't give a rip about the volunteer commitment.
Fortunately, there aren't many of those.
Some MGs don't grow plants, but help answering questions, loading cars,
pricing, or doing some of the dozens of other chores that make it a
success. Now, if the City would just cooperate! Twice in a row they've
cancelled the giant fleamarket that we piggy-back onto. They still let
us use the ground, but traffic is way down after the news reports the
cancellation.
d
----- Original Message ----- From: "Kitty" <kmrsy@comcast.net>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2008 8:44 AM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] sunfarm
Yes, he tried to push his Hellebores on me. I could use some, but not
that many, and from the first flat of stuff he sent (half of which
went into our Woodland garden, 1/4 died, 1/8 I was able to sell, and
1/8 I have grown on) I wasn't all that impressed with his plants.
Anyway, I have had to substantially reduce the size of the MG nursery,
so eliminating that 100 plant order actually helps me out. I'm hoping
I don't have to close the nursery, but it could come to that. This
season will tell.
Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
----- Original Message ----- From: "DP" <pulis@mindspring.com>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2008 8:14 AM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] sunfarm
My MGs learned to only order when he's doing one of his "overstock"
sales. The usual order is placed and shipped in the fall for growing
on for the spring sale. No problems so far, though the 2" Hellebores
that I got weren't all that well-rooted. Mine were the leftovers,
however, because I was out of town when the rest of the group picked
up theirs. I assume that the other MGs picked by size.
I agree, he's a fast talker, both on the phone and in person. I hate
to talk on the phone, so several times I haven't bothered to call him
back. He's got email and a website. He can use it. There are other
suppliers.
d
----- Original Message ----- From: "Kitty" <kmrsy@comcast.net>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 7:39 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] sunfarm
I figured Gene would have heard of him and I know Chris had thought
of purchasing plants from him but hadn't gotten around to it. It
took me a few years to get him to sell to me and then it all fell
apart.
Barry Glick runs Sunfarm. His plant list on the internet is
impressive, but it is just a facade. He doesn't have those plants.
Then he makes a big to-do about whether he'll allow you to buy from
him. After you jump through ridiculous hoops, you have to take 100
plants without knowing what you're getting. So he sends mostly odds
and ends you don't want, still leading you to believe that someday
he'll let you order the good stuff. When he finally says yes, you
write the order, THEN he tells you, he doesn't have those plants.
NOW he sends you a list of what he does have, only the real list is
actually in Barry's head (his words) and that doesn't match up to
what he really has. But you write a revised order selected from his
new list and send it months ahead to secure your plants.
Hmmmm.....haven't received a confirmation...email Barry. He knows
he has your order somewhere, but he's working 90 hour weeks and
can't find anything on his desk, and blah blah blah. E-send a copy
of order. He doesn't have 1/2 the items and 1/2 of the other 1/2 is
twice the $ he quoted before. He talks fast, very fast, trying to
get you to take this and that that he's overstocked with, items you
don't want. And, of course, it's too late for him to ship when you
need them anyway.
What a nightmare. Cancelled the order.
Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
----- Original Message ----- From: "DP" <pulis@mindspring.com>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 8:52 AM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] sunfarm
What happened?
d
----- Original Message ----- From: "Kitty" <kmrsy@comcast.net>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 7:27 AM
Subject: [CHAT] sunfarm
Chris, you are so lucky you didn't order from Sunfarm. Gene, did
you ever order from him?
Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
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Me an' Squinty
On The Road
Somewhere
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