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Re: [GWL]: New Plants/Products For Testing

Title: Re: [GWL]: New Plants/Products For Testing
This argument about free plants for testing has been fascinating. But one crucial point seems to have beeen missed.

I get free trial packs of seeds one year, sometimes two or three years, before they're available to gardeners. I grow them, I assess them, I compare them with existing similar varieties, I examine the same varieties on private trial grounds - so when the varieties are launched I can recommend that gardeners buy them - or that they don't. It's ridiculous (as was suggested in one post) to wait two or three years after the plant is released and then rely on asking someone else what they think and report that! People want advice when some much-hyped plant hits the stores and the mail order catalogues - is it worth buying? Is it really new?

Seed companies, rose nurseries - they know if a plant they're introducing is genuinely excellent, is perhaps a 'me too' variety launched in response to a competitor, or simply an average variety that makes a captivating photograph. I give an honest opinion, in print, and they respect that - even if I criticise their varieties - often they know perfectly well that I'm right. Now they ask my opinion about possible new introductions.

Are garden writers so feeble that just because they get sent a free rose they'll give it a great write up? If they are, they're doing us all a disservice.

And, while I'm getting roused, there's a gardening column in my local paper in the US where, at the end, the writer gives a list of all the books and other references from which she's cribbed the information. She calls them 'sources'! This is a gardening column in a local paper written by a local person - and it's nothing but a list of jobs that needs doing each month! Dosn't she know??!!!

OK, end of rant. I've just finished my next book so I'm feeling a little light-headed!

Graham Rice
Northamptonshire UK and Pennsylvania USA



This has been an interesting string with both sides of the aisle well
represented.
Ellen Zachos, in our list, is publications chairperson for GWAA and will be
making a report at the GWAA meeting in Orlando in a few weeks.  It turns out
that several members of this list as a matter of routine try to keep track
of the new plants and/or products available for testing; all as part of our
jobs day to day.  So I am suggesting that Ellen approach the GWAA board or
Bob LaGasse or whoever holds the strings and offer a column that I and my
committee of list members put together each month.  If Lon wants to post
that monthly report on this list, then the non-GWAA members of this list
will benefit from the process.  All we will do is note that a new product
has been offered by a company and any garden writer interested in testing
should contact Joe Doaks or whomever at said company.  We won't review the
products or plants ourselves.  In most cases, there will be a web site with
a picture of the product or the plant.  Then if members of this list do in
fact try the new plant or product, they can share their opinion on this
list, if that is appropriate.
So while Ellen is doing her politicing with the big cheeses at GWAA, I'm
asking any member of this list who is interested in participating in the New
Plants & Products Report, get to me off list at jeffball@starband.net.
We'll spread the load, but try to get something out every month or two.
Even if GWAA decides not to include the report in the newsletter, I think we
should do it anyway for us on this list.  Those of us in the business of
keeping track will certainly benefit from sharing the wealth so to speak.
Jeff Ball

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