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[GWL]: Specialty vs. Chain Nurseries

I can only share my true experiences.  I've visit about two dozen mid-Michigan garden centers each year.  As far as I can tell, mid-Michigan only has one decent grower who emphasizes perennials and annuals.  Even the so-called specialty nurseries seem to be shipping in a lot of plants.  Maybe part of our problem is our very unpredictable winters.  Garden center workers are very seldom treated as full-time, year around employees.  Many of the specialty nurseries actually close down for the winter!

If I need some annuals as filler, I go to the cheapest store around and buy them after checking their root systems.  Then I follow the adage of giving a 25 cent plant a $5 hole which means that I amend the soil if needed, etc. This past year the only annuals I used were the ones our townehouse cooperative gave us for free.
Unfortunately, to date, after many hours of traveling all across Michigan (From Grand Rapids to Detroit), I can't find one that makes the travel time and the additional cost of their plants worth it.

I am carefully watching VanAtta's this winter.  They just tore down all their plastic covered hoop houses and are building an entirely enclosed greenhouse where both the growers and the customers can interact freely.  I can also count on them to have some of the "special annuals" I go looking for each year.  I was totally delighted last summer when a grower got involved in growing the alpines from seed and sold them for the same price as the more traditional perennials (4" pots).  Of course, they also have the gallon size pots available.

I get tired of having to mail order plants to get the varieties I want.  I am a specialist gardener:  alpine conifers, butterfly bushes, alpine/rock garden plants, and am building a collection of named varieties of violets along with some other shade loving plants.   The ONLY way I can get quality alpine conifers and violets is to mail order them.  Most garden centers have wondered why I even bothered with violets.
 

I really envy those of you who live near quality garden centers.
--
Diana Pederson, GWAA
Enabling Gardens Bookshelf Editor
http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/enabling_garden
  

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