Re: box store plants

Three points. One, Hines is now in bedding plants also. It bought Lovell Farms, a very large grower in Homestead, a year or two ago. We buy our bedding plants from them, so does Home Depot and Wal-Mart. Two. I regularly see members of Home Depot's garden staff in the hort classes at Selby. I don't know if it's mandatory or personal. Three. If I had a contract with someone to grow something for me, whether it was a frying chicken or a pot of tulips, you better believe that contract would specify exactly the minimum acceptable production specifications. Good old boy handshakes don't guarantee a specific quantity of a specific quality.


On Saturday, December 6, 2003, at 08:24 AM, TeichFlora@aol.com wrote:

In a message dated 12/3/2003 11:04:23 AM Central Standard Time,
gardenchat-owner@hort.net writes:

Given what Patricia said about growing for WalMart; think if I were a
wholesale grower for them I'd want to get out of the business....talk
about micro-management. Argh!
I think that was an isolated incidence, perhaps with small local growers.
Again, I can only speak for South Texas. Most of the growers that I know that
our local Walmarts, Home Depots and Lowes get their plants from are all the
same. These are larger growers that grow plants for nurseries as well as the
large box stores. All the plants are the same (same size pot, etc.) at every
store. Like Jim mentioned Monrovia and Hines are the leader of the larger plants
(one gallon and up)...these are top quality plants and carried by nurseries
as well as box stores. Even landscapers purchase directly from these growers.
As for the smaller plants, annuals, etc. these come from a larger grower as
well, and are purchased equally by many retailers.

Our local Home Depots and Walmarts also purchase tropicals, orchids,
bromeliads, etc. from growers in Florida, cacti from Texas, which are
purchased/ordered off of an availability list from the grower.....the growers give the sizes,
types of plants, etc. There is a major competition with growers for these box
stores to chose from....they do not have to order from these, and can refuse
if they have gotten nicer plants, better prices, etc. from others.
These growers are also open to nurseries, or anyone else with a license and
tax number.

By the way, most box stores here in the Houston area require thier garden
managers to go through and pass the Master Gardener course. The Lowes stores
require their garden managers to study for and pass the Texas Nurserymen's Test
and get a Nurserymens license. Many if not most of the Sales Reps. for the
large growers are also Master Gardener certified.

Noreen
zone 9
Texas Gulf Coast

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT


Island Jim
Southwest Florida
Zone 10

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index