Re: great garden centers

**D* C* <d*@gmail.com>**

I'd like to echo Duane's off topic comment.
In our area, we have 3 fairly large garden centre/nurseries that serve a
radius of about 60 miles. We too have Lowes, Home Depot and Canadian Tire.
Over the past decade or so, we know of almost a dozen mom and pop outfits
that have closed up shop. I am not willing to chastise them; they simply
could not meet the changing consumer demand of one-stop shopping. As many
of you know, cash flow is the life blood of a business but inventory and
the overhead to maintain that inventory can be likened to the little knicks
that lead to death by a thousand cuts.
What we have seen though, similar to Duane's polyhouses, is the
re-emergence of specialised niche nurseries, e.g. all hostas, all native
plants etc. These folk aren't looking at the sale of plants as their main
source of income and that's a primary difference from the enterprises of 20
years past.

For my money, the most important item these niche growers bring to the
table, along with their passion and energy, is local knowledge and
expertise. We're in serious danger of losing our communal horticultural
knowledge and I don't want to imagine what things would be like if that
were to happen.

If we can, as garden communicators, we should be actively seeking out and
promoting these kindred entrepeneurs.

Dan
If any of you southern folk wanna come up to Ontario today and learn why
we're called "The Great White North", I'd be glad to pour you a cup of hot
chocolate. Bring your shovel.

On 5 February 2014 12:11, Duane Campbell <dcamp911@gmail.com> wrote:

> An off topic observation. Our semi-rural area had three significant
> nurseries/garden centers. In a two or three year period, all three closed,
> partly through death, mostly through stupidity. That was a couple of years
> ago. Since then a handful of very small operations have popped up, a couple
> associated with existing fruit stands, two just temporary set-ups on vacant
> lots. None grow their own stock. But now instead of five 30 foot benches
> with red geraniums, there are 20 X 30 foot poly houses whose mixed benches
> are often dotted with treasures. These are enterprises opened by people who
> love plants, not book keeping, and I hope they survive. People around here
> still get their six packs of pansies from WalMart and Lowes, but they check
> out the small stands for something different.
>
>
> Duane Campbell
> Syndicated garden columnist
> Author: Best of Green Space; 30 Years of Composted Columns
>
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