RE: good plants

This is an insoluble problem: if we try and compete with the big
nurseries and garden centres with which we are surrounded we find we are
up against mass-produced imports which are sold off cheaply as mere
incidentals to the patio slabs, coffee and power tools on which these
places make their profits. We do however, grow a few pretty things that
we can cart around to farmers market where we have a comparatively
captive audience. But here again pitches are leased to subsidised
charity bodies that have no requirement to make a profit (can't these
"shelters" or whatever the currently PC term is, think of any other way
of adding to their funds except by growing plants?) Farmers Markets in
Britain at least, are no level playing fields

Then some hack will alight on an obscure plant and suddenly we are
inundated under the demand. It happened with Calycanthus floridus a few
years ago when we sold more in a week than in the previous ten years put
together. Some times the kind journalist will give us advance warning
that they are about to feature a plant, but it would be rash to race out
and take cuttings. I have learnt the hard way that the more glossy and
upmarket the journal, the fewer the sales that will result, - the
readers don't like getting muck up their finger nails, whereas the
briefest mention in the most down-market popular press will keep us busy
for weeks.

So whilst this nursery with its range of weird and virtually unsellable
plants is scarcely a licence to print money, it at least gives an
element of job satisfaction denied to many other growers. I would prefer
to sell one comparatively interesting plant than hundreds of cheap
chives, in fact I look back on our weekly searches for the perfect bunch
of chives and groan. I think it is virtually impossible to forecast a
trend, but it is nice to have the plants around if one does sneak up
unawares. Last year it was dye plants and we were also asked to do three
East Coast North American gardens and a couple of medieval re-creations
on the continent which was great. I don't suppose there are many other
nurseries who sell so few plants to such a fascinating range of
customers, but you can't have everything.

Happy new year

Anthony
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index