Re: todays experience

Jim, you're right.  But a smart nursery buyer could spend a little time
looking for more options.  The min order qty can be overcome.  Green Mtn
Transplants offers the ordinary and a few extraordinaries that you can mix
and match all you want at no additional cost.  I'm sure there are others out
there.  Doesn't Barry Glick - Sunshine Farms - do this?

Also, I'm aware of a couple of small nursery owners who split orders.  They
are on opposite sides of town, so generally aren't competing for customers.

I think sometimes it can be the buyers' fault.  No imagination.  But there's
a caveat to sticking with the tried and true. Small nurseries can't compete
with the big box stores on the same merchandise.  Why pay $15 for a
Rudbeckia that you can pick up for $3.99 at K-Mart?  Specializing in the
right area, creating your niche, is what will keep the little guy in
business.  Your specialty might be the kind of plants, or the service or
even the ambience.  But it can't be the price.

Kitty


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "james singer" <jsinger@igc.org>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Friday, May 07, 2004 3:52 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] todays experience


> I think Lynda's got it right. Tried and true is safe and predictable.
> In addition, plants are perishable and there's the minimum quantity
> thing that make's it iffy to buy on speculation.
>
> This tendency on the part of the marketplace to standardize is what
> makes underground markets--plant society sales, farmers' markets,
> garage sales--interesting.
>
> On Friday, May 7, 2004, at 09:19 AM, Lynda Young wrote:
>
> > The owners I've spoken to in this area says it's better business to
> > stick with the well-known, comfortable plants that everyone recognizes.
> > Not enough space or money to invest a lot in plants that most people
> > are
> > not familiar with.
> >
> > But, isn't that part of the fun of gardening?  Stretching the limits
> > and
> > trying something new in the hope of finding a great addition to your
> > plantings.  Unfortunately, it seems you can only do that through
> > mail-order in most cases.  Certainly not everything you get will
> > thrive,
> > but when an experiment works it is a real thrill.
> >
> > Lynda
> > Zone 7 - West Tn
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-gardenchat@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On
> > Behalf Of Donna
> > Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2004 9:31 PM
> > To: gardenchat@hort.net
> > Subject: RE: [CHAT] todays experience
> >
> >
> > Yeah I am kinda worried about that.... There are so many more choices
> > via mail order, but I always wondered about that.. like if they are
> > really hardy and grow able here, why isn't any of the nurseries
> > carrying
> > them? I understand the big box stores only do the main plants, but what
> > about the specialty ones?
> >
> > Anyone care to explain it to me?
> >
> > Donna
> >
> >>
> >> Uh-oh, Donna.  Careful - you might get hooked with this mail order
> >> thing!  And, believe me, I know whereof I speak ;o)
> >>
> >> Lynda
> >> Zone 7 - West TN
> >
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Support hort.net -- join the hort.net fund drive!
> > http://www.hort.net/funds/
> >
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Support hort.net -- join the hort.net fund drive!
> > http://www.hort.net/funds/
> >
> >
> Island Jim
> Southwest Florida
> Zone 10
> 27.0 N, 82.4 W
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Support hort.net -- join the hort.net fund drive!
> http://www.hort.net/funds/

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Support hort.net -- join the hort.net fund drive!
http://www.hort.net/funds/
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index