There's not much else you can do but vote with your wallet. I wonder how someone like Radko got his roses marketed. And I do think T.N. was stupid not to market yours for you as it would have made both of you good moolah and maybe more terrific sports. I guess they would have,had at that point,  time and money into their new Echinacea but it speaks badly of them and I shall also not purchase from them. Did you not keep any tiny piece of that plant? It truly was like nothing I've ever seen. It makes me very angry that you were treated that way. And that all of us were deprived of growing it. Sadly, Joanie Anderson

 

> Chris...I don't think what Terra Nova has on their web site nor
> Heronswood's Pomegranate' can hold a candle to your plant. There was
> a picture or two that you sent or posted a couple of years ago (or
> more?) of yours...would love to see those again as I have never been
> a big fan of Echinacea until I saw those. As I recall, you were not
> keen for the tissue culturing at the time but that seemed to be the
> only avenue to follow. When you discovered your sport I believe you
> had to trial it to be sure it was stable (not revert). So you had a
> lot of time into it. What other avenue can someone take to market a
> new plant? Joanie Anderson

It really seems to be more about who you know in the industry.  I
had no idea where to begin, so I did a Google search and found
Terra Nova.  I'd heard of Dan Heims, knew that I had bought plants
from them before, and since I had no other avenues to pursue I went
with them.

It was a really disappointing experience, but I've since talked to
other Terra Nova alums who went through the same thing.  The worst
part was the lack of communication -- I'd contact them regularly and
not hear anything back for a year.

If you have a plant that you want to introduce, keep it safe, try to
propagate it if you can, and don't rush into an agreement with a
vendor.

Whether or not it's true, I now believe that Terra Nova had their
own coneflower in the works and only agreed to take me on so that
they could 'hold me hostage'.  If it's true, they bought themselves
two years of competition-free R&D.  Or who knows -- maybe it was all
coincidence.  I'd probably be less suspicious if they had been more
communicative.

Now I just refuse to buy any of their plants.

Chris

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