Chris Hogg wrote in
:

We've just spent a day at Tresco, a lovely sunny day and superb
gardens full of exotics. But does anyone know why they have such an
abysmal selection of plants for sale? I would have thought they would
have done a roaring trade and it would be well worth their while, let
alone reducing the risk of people being tempted to take the odd
cutting....

It must be a conscious decision on their part, but why?

Lots of places that are primarily 'gardens to visit' seem to be like that.
I've had the same experience at Ness Gardens on the Wirral, and Rosemoor,
and several National Trust places too.

So frustrating, when you really want to buy the plants you've seen
florishing in the gardens, (or even just buy a cutting or a paper twist of
seeds!) but instead you are confronted with a few over-priced and sometimes
even neglected specimens of plants you could find in any garden center.

I assume it's because they either don't have a proper sales manager, or
they have one who is a fairly junior member of staff with little
horticultural training.

I now don't bother with the sales sections at such places: I take notes and
order things I like online later.

I have often thought that a roving cutting-salesman would be a good idea in
some gardens - goes with you to the plant you like, takes a cutting that
will not damage the plant with clean secateurs, labels it, and provides a
little pack to keep it safe, damp and un-crushed till you get it home. I
bet that would reduce the number of cuttings 'stolen', and provide a useful
little extra revenue stream on busy days.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--