RE: to new plant introducers

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I agree with Duane. The principle also applies to new tools and new products for the lawn and garden industry.  Nancy and I have been testing new products for years now and more often than not, what seems like a neat idea in the pr notice, isn’t such a great deal when it comes in for testing.  Only a few “new” products are really bummers, but a large number of them are just modest upgrades from last year’s great product.  I am impressed that a company will pay a pr firm to put out a press release about their making an improvement in the carburetor of one of their lawn mowers.  Maybe the engineers are ecstatic but give me a break.  One problem that arises though is when a garden writer is a full time employee of a newspaper and because of ethics rules can’t accept any products or plants even to test.  I suppose there are ways around that barrier, but testing stuff before writing about it makes sense to us. 

Jeff Ball

-----Original Message-----
From: gardenwriters-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:gardenwriters-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of Duane Campbell
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 6:42 PM
To: gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org
Cc: gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [GWL] to new plant introducers

On Thu, 13 Mar 2003 19:11:06 -0600 Larry Maupin <larrymaupin@sbcglobal.net> writes:

> Someone should write about eliminating mosquitos and West Nile Virus from the
> water feature garden and the rain barrel.

>That's a great idea. I will discuss that timely topic in my column.

And the best way to control mosquitoes, even in a rain barrel, is an 89 cent goldfish.

>Any new plants for water gardens?

But this is what I really want to talk about.

I've seen several queries come thorugh here recently asking for the newest ... whatever. I know that's the bread and butter for spring issues of garden magazines and boiler plate newspaper pieces. And I admit that when I was a younger gardener I had to try everyting new and exciting that was introduced. I enthusiastically tried everything, and most of them I no longer grow. And in fact, a large number of these great, exciting varieties disappeared from the market within a very few seasons.

With a few decades of gardening and dissapointments under my belt, I no longer tout anything I haven't grown for at least a season. And -- this is just my opinion -- I don't think anyone who considers himself a garden writer should either. Otherwise you're just a reporter, not an inconsiderable accomplishment, but not a garden writer.

My apologies to the PR people on this list.

D