"Sue in Western Maine" wrote in message
...

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
"Jenny" wrote in message
...
This year it seems that just about every one of the local nurseries is
selling branded plants that come from maybe three big growers. This is
true of both annuals and perennials.

Emotions aside, can you put yourself in the mindset of a plant retailer,
or
a wholesale grower, and think of any reasons why these "industrial
nurseries" are doing well?


Yes, unfortunately, I can.

A couple decades of dealing exclusively with a local grower, who used to
raise her own plant crop from seed and relied heavily on customer input
for unusual stuff within that crop.

When her husband was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, she was forced to cut
staff and payroll expense and go the mass-produced, Proven Winner Plug
Route.

I do still shop there, and she does still raise a hefty portion of the
earliest and quickest bedding plants ( impatiens, pansy, viola) from seed,
but I no longer look for anything new or unusual in her greenhouses.

She has had to define her operation in the same very strict terms, as any
big box store-- lowest possible overhead and a dependable source of
inventory a telephone call ( and 2 days delivery) away.

I don't spend as much there as I used to, and both the grower and I know
why from both sides. Her interests haven't changed, but her financial
necessities have changed. I'm still looking for " that something
different"
and in her business plan, I'm a fickle customer, not a profit center.

She makes money from the three flats of impatiens , 2 red, one white,
one
flat of the darkest blue petunias you have, 12 Red Geraniums and 12
Dracena,
and here are my window boxes, please plant them for me client.

Bizness is Bizness.

Sue

I understand what you're saying, and it's probably NOT atypical of what
makes many local greenhouses close their doors. BUT...there's always the
possibility that it's an extreme example (illness in the family, one person
running a business formerly handled by two). Here's another thought:

I live in Rochester NY. Within 10 minutes of my home are several plant
retailers with vastly different profiles:

1) Harris Gardens: No indication of the source of their plants - just the
usual tags. There are also numerous greenhouses with signs out front which
say "wholesale only". I assume Harris gets their plants from these local
greenhouses. They're also a supplier of seeds to farmers and home growers,
and they may run their own growing operations. I have no idea.

2) Three locally owned nurseries, and some of their plants come from "Proven
Winners", as well as other growers who are proud enough to put their names
on their tags. So what? Obviously, I know which of the common stuff needs
certain conditions to grow in my climate. But what about the not-so-common
plants? After 30+ years of gardening, I'm not excited by the challenge of
getting a camelia to grow here, when every book ever published says "no
way", and they're RIGHT. I don't think it's such a bad idea to put out
plants for sale which are much less likely to drop dead in my climate.

3) Home Depot and Lowe's: Good luck. New gardeners should consider
themselves fortunate that the wholesale sales rep advised these stores about
which things to buy for the climate in question, because the store's
employees will pull advice out of their rectums if you ask them for help.

Another thought: Many of the plants I see here are coming from greenhouses
in Canada. Unless those greenhouses are along the Atlantic coast, it costs
them far more to heat their facilities than an identical facility here in
upstate NY. Not cheaper in Canadian dollars, but the currency exchange rate
is such that it might be cheaper for American nurseries to buy plants from
Canada than from local growers.

Have a good night. I have to go get the boat ready for a day in church
(fishing) tomorrow.