Re: todays experience
I am seeing more tender perennials around here. So long as they list the
zone or low temp, I don't mind, but it can be devestating to unaware buyers.
A friend told me that she just loved her mandevilla and I reminded her she'd
have to take it in come winter. She said no, she didn't because the tag
said it was a perennial. The tag was right, but not perennial here.
Kitty
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard T. Apking" <richa@midlands.net>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2004 12:13 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] todays experience
> Hi Kitty,
>
> Gotta give you an amen on that. Our local, supposedly professional, Earl
> May just pushes the H--- out of prennials that aren't hardy for this area,
> and if they are slightly overstocked on some of those "white elephants"
> their salespeople must be instructed to unload them by whatever means they
> can. Not real good, especially for the novice gardener that is going
there
> hopefully for some advice as well as plants that will live in their
> landscape.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Kitty" <kmrsy@comcast.net>
> To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> Sent: Friday, May 07, 2004 9:37 PM
> Subject: Re: [CHAT] todays experience
>
>
> > Melody - I really didn't intend to come across as a plant snob, though I
> > suppose I may be to some extent. I have Purple Coneflowers and and
Tawny
> > Daylilies because I love their simple charm. But I kicked the Shasta
> > Daisies out long ago because they're a royal pain.
> >
> > I understand K-Marts carrying such items, actually I'm happy they don't
> > carry anything rare, as it would be a shame to see them gasping their
last
> > breaths when no one waters them. But it would be nice for "bonafide"
> > nurseries to offer something unusual.
> >
> > There is a huge world of plants to be expereinced and I hope to God
we'll
> > never be reduced to some "white list". Personally, I don't care if
there
> > are times when nothing is blooming. The week or two of that Glaucidium
> will
> > be enough to carry me through. I'm a collector, not a designer, so I'll
> > keep hoping to find something interesting, breathtaking.
> >
> > I don't argue the need for tried and true, but to tell the truth, there
is
> > more to try.
> >
> > Kitty
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Melody" <mhobertm@excite.com>
> > To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> > Sent: Friday, May 07, 2004 8:15 PM
> > Subject: Re: [CHAT] todays experience
> >
> >
> > > Now, as someone whose gardens are full of very ordinary
> > > plants...daylilies, peonies, phlox, etc. and whatever else I can pick
up
> > > at Walmart, here is another point of view...
> > >
> > > Perhaps one of the reasons that places like Walmart and Lowes, etc.
> > > carry so much of this very ordinary stuff is because of supply and
> > > demand...They order what they know they can sell and obviously what
many
> > > people like myself want is just ordinary, tried and true standards. I
> > > have a great love of gardening but am I going to go out of my way to
> > > look for the unusual to put in my garden? Probably not and if so, then
> > > only very, very rarely. I like the looks of a garden that is filled
with
> > > these tried and true friends, so I guess places like the big box
stores
> > > market themselves to people like me. Even when I do go out of my way
to
> > > go to a local grower, I still look for the things I am familiar with
and
> > > that are inexpensive and affordable. No way am I going to pay $30 for
a
> > > plant that I don't even know will survive. Matter of fact, I have a
hard
> > > time spending more than about $10 on any one plant, unless it's a
rose.
> > > Also, please notice that I said that in order to go to one of the
local
> > > nurseries, I would have to go out of my way to get there. Whereas, I
am
> > > at Walmart at least once a week, usually more, throughout the entire
> > > growing season...convenience could be my middle name! :-)
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Melody, IA (Z 5/4)
> > >
> > > "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious."
> > > --Albert Einstein
> > >
> > > --- On Fri 05/07, james singer < jsinger@igc.org > wrote:
> > > From: james singer [mailto: jsinger@igc.org]
> > > To: gardenchat@hort.net
> > > Date: Fri, 7 May 2004 17:54:59 -0400
> > > Subject: Re: [CHAT] todays experience
> > >
> > > I agree 110%, Kitty. But it's the vision thing. And most of them don't
> > > <br>have it. I've always suspected that if the normally inept local
> > > <br>merchants would quit whining about Wal-Mart and start offering
value
> > > <br>[instead of same-old, same-old], they could very well whup the
> > > Arkansas <br>titan. If you read the NYTimes or the WSJ, you know that
> > > Wal-Mart's <br>plan in invade real cities [as opposed to jerk-water
> > > towns like my <br>neighborhood] has stalled again. They are frightened
> > > of competition <br>from quality merchandise. There are lessons there.
> > > Mom and pop need to <br>wake up.<br><br>On Friday, May 7, 2004, at
05:42
> > > PM, Kitty wrote:<br><br>> Jim, you're right. But a smart nursery
> > > buyer could spend a little time<br>> looking for more options. The
> > > min order qty can be overcome. Green <br>> Mtn<br>> Transplants
> > > offers the ordinary and a few extraordinaries that you can <br>>
> > > mix<br>> and match all you want at no additional cost. I'm sure
there
> > > are <br>> others out<br>> there. Doesn't Barry Glick - Sunshine
> > > Farms - do this?<br>><br>> Also, I'm aware of a couple of small
> > > nursery owners who split orders. <br>> They<br>> are on opposite
> > > sides of town, so generally aren't competing for <br>>
> > > customers.<br>><br>> I think sometimes it can be the buyers'
> > > fault. No imagination. But <br>> there's<br>> a caveat to
sticking
> > > with the tried and true. Small nurseries can't <br>>
compete<br>>
> > > with the big box stores on the same merchandise. Why pay $15 for
> > > a<br>> Rudbeckia that you can pick up for $3.99 at K-Mart?
> > > Specializing in <br>> the<br>> right area, creating your niche,
is
> > > what will keep the little guy in<br>> business. Your specialty
might
> > > be the kind of plants, or the service <br>> or<br>> even the
> > > ambience. But it can't be the price.<br>><br>>
> > > Kitty<br>><br>><br>> ----- Original Message -----<br>>
From:
> > > "james singer" <jsinger@igc.org><br>> To:
> > > <gardenchat@hort.net><br>> Sent: Friday
> > >
> > > , May 07, 2004 3:52 PM<br>> Subject: Re: [CHAT] todays
> > > experience<br>><br>><br>>> I think Lynda's got it right.
> > > Tried and true is safe and predictable.<br>>> In addition,
plants
> > > are perishable and there's the minimum quantity<br>>> thing that
> > > make's it iffy to buy on speculation.<br>>><br>>> This
> > > tendency on the part of the marketplace to standardize is
> > > what<br>>> makes underground markets--plant society sales,
> > > farmers' markets,<br>>> garage
> > > sales--interesting.<br>>><br>>> On Friday, May 7, 2004, at
> > > 09:19 AM, Lynda Young wrote:<br>>><br>>>> The owners
I've
> > > spoken to in this area says it's better business to<br>>>>
> > > stick with the well-known, comfortable plants that everyone
> > > <br>>>> recognizes.<br>>>> Not enough space or money
> > > to invest a lot in plants that most people<br>>>>
> > > are<br>>>> not familiar with.<br>>>><br>>>>
> > > But, isn't that part of the fun of gardening? Stretching the
> > > limits<br>>>> and<br>>>> trying something new in the
> > > hope of finding a great addition to your<br>>>> plantings.
> > > Unfortunately, it seems you can only do that through<br>>>>
> > > mail-order in most cases. Certainly not everything you get
> > > will<br>>>> thrive,<br>>>> but when an experiment
> > > works it is a real thrill.<br>>>><br>>>>
> > > Lynda<br>>>> Zone 7 - West Tn<br>>>><br>>>>
> > > -----Original Message-----<br>>>> From:
> > > owner-gardenchat@hort.net [o*@hort.net]
> > > On<br>>>> Behalf Of Donna<br>>>> Sent: Thursday, May
> > > 06, 2004 9:31 PM<br>>>> To:
gardenchat@hort.net<br>>>>
> > > Subject: RE: [CHAT] todays
> > > experience<br>>>><br>>>><br>>>> Yeah I am
> > > kinda worried about that.... There are so many more
> > > choices<br>>>> via mail order, but I always wondered about
> > > that.. like if they are<br>>>> really hardy and grow able
here,
> > > why i
> > >
> > > sn
> > > 't any of the nurseries<br>>>> carrying<br>>>> them?
I
> > > understand the big box stores only do the main plants, but
> > > <br>>>> what<br>>>> about the specialty
> > > ones?<br>>>><br>>>> Anyone care to explain it to
> > > me?<br>>>><br>>>>
> > > Donna<br>>>><br>>>>><br>>>>> Uh-oh,
> > > Donna. Careful - you might get hooked with this mail
> > > order<br>>>>> thing! And, believe me, I know whereof I
speak
> > > ;o)<br>>>>><br>>>>> Lynda<br>>>>>
> > > Zone 7 - West TN<br>>>><br>>>>
> >
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------<br>&
> > gt;>>
> > > Support hort.net -- join the hort.net fund drive!<br>>>>
> > > http://www.hort.net/funds/<br>>>><br>>>>
> >
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------<br>&
> > gt;>>
> > > Support hort.net -- join the hort.net fund drive!<br>>>>
> > > http://www.hort.net/funds/<br>>>><br>>>><br>>>
> > > Island Jim<br>>> Southwest Florida<br>>> Zone
10<br>>>
> > > 27.0 N, 82.4 W<br>>><br>>>
> >
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------<br>&
> > gt;>
> > > Support hort.net -- join the hort.net fund drive!<br>>>
> > > http://www.hort.net/funds/<br>><br>>
> >
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------<br>&
> > gt;
> > > Support hort.net -- join the hort.net fund drive!<br>>
> > > http://www.hort.net/funds/<br>><br>><br>Island Jim<br>Southwest
> > > Florida<br>Zone 10<br>27.0 N, 82.4
> > >
> >
>
W<br><br>-------------------------------------------------------------------
> > --<br>Support
> > > hort.net -- join the hort.net fund drive!<br>
> > >
> > > http://www.hort.net/funds/<br><br>
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com
> > > The most personalized portal on the Web!
> > >
> > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > 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/
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> 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
