"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 4/10/06 18:25, in article , "Rupert
(W.Yorkshire)"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 4/10/06 13:19, in article , "Rupert
(W.Yorkshire)"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
We have two entirely different to look at Dahlias, both claiming to be
D.
imperialis. 'Ours' grows to something like 10 or 12 feet. In the
greenhouse it goes straight up and out through the roof, flowering at
the
very top with rather dull single flowered blooms. OTOH, we have a
wonderful one, also called D. imperialis which David Hill, who used to
post
here, gave us from his Abacus Nurseries. It grows to about 8' and has
wonderful deep pink double blooms in profusion. Anyone any idea
whether
one
is a sport of the other or whether we have got two entirely different
plants, one named incorrectly? I'm pretty sure 'our' D. imperialis is
named
properly because it's easily identified by photographs. The other is
just
like a normal Dahlia except in its height.
--

I can't shed much light on your query but I know that D.imperialis is
grown
by the exotic plant brigade who go for height and foliage and not the
flowers.
This link more or less confirms what I think (scroll to Dahlia)
http://www.junglegardens.co.uk/Plant...-uk&target=d19.
ht
ml

It can flower in the gardens of the warmer areas and ours has here
though,
strangely enough, not yet this year. However we always emphasise that
it's
a curiosity not a' serious' flowering plant if that's what people are
after.
I must say I'm still trying to get my breath back after seeing the price
they sell those for!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

I, too have noticed the high prices of fairly ordinary garden plants when
they appear on websites that offer the more exotic plants. In all
fairness
they do tend to be healthy large plants in big pots,as against the £3.50
for
a 3cm pot with a sprig in it.
Perhaps you should do a price revue of your stock:-)


We charge £4 for one in a 3l pot. It's hardly a big seller and is bought
out
of curiosity more than anything else. And the nursery's philosophy is
that
fair's fair so we charge what is reasonable and don't get greedy. We're
not
on a main road but are in the depths of the countryside so two among the
incentives that get people here, as opposed to the expensive garden
centres
with main roads right outside their gates, are healthy plants at fair
prices. Of course, we don't have the overheads they have in terms of
mortgages, bank loans and so forth and we all live right on the premises.
Our 7cm pots in which we sell e.g. plants for hanging baskets have been
75p
for years and they fly out the door. Yesterday, I sold a Dicksonia
antarctica between 4 and 5' tall for £70. As a result of this approach,
we've had a good year where many nurseries and gcs are complaining of poor
sales - one wholesale Dianthus nursery is 30% down on last year - and our
customers return again and again, spreading the word to others, too.
We never have sales and if plants don't come up to scratch, they're
chucked
out. It's a very simple approach but it works and it's ethical which is
important to everyone here.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

OK -OK I heard you the first time. Just keep quiet for a bit longer please.
Give me chance to get down there with a lorry :-)
Let me know when you have Strongylodon Macrobotrys back in stock