On Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:05:52 +0000, Colin Brook
wrote:

Hello,
along with a number of others we received a mail-shot from Canny
Gardener last November and it looked very much as if our names had been
included along with those of a number of others as part of the Gardening
Direct mailing list (we have bought from them for quite a few years
now). The MD of Canny Gardener left Gardening Direct last year and they
were taken over by Jersey Choice and the original Gardening Direct team.

We felt we would continue with Gardening Direct but looking at the
prices for our 'normal' plug plant order we find that Canny Gardener
have prices much more like those of Gardening Direct last year whereas
the new GD total is up about 40%.

So I'm wondering if others are thinking about this choice or have
already made it and what their thoughts might be?

Regards, Colin

I'm taking a suck it and see approach. Last year I split my bedding
orders between Dobies and Jersey Plants (part of Jersey Choice AFAIK).
I no longer order from T&M. I was not that impressed with what arrived
from Dobies. Plus some of their delivery dates were delayed and
re-delayed.

Canny Gardener's prices are keen. They offer a refund if not
satisfied. So this year I rebalanced my order a bit. I've ordered more
from Jersey Plants. The Dobies element has partly shifted to Jersey
and partly to Canny Gardener. I haven't yet ordered from Dobies and,
at this stage, don't plan to. I can get by with what I've ordered from
Jersey Plants. The Canny Gardener element will be welcome but is not
"essential".

I guess that the likes of Dobies, T&M, Garden Bargains and the other
Channel Islands based companies are all chasing the same growers out
there. Canny Gardener say their nurseries are in West Sussex which at
least is different!

Giving all your business to an unknown is a risky approach. Whilst you
may get a refund, the cost of replacement plants later in the growing
season can be prohibitive. My approach is a "gradual shift" one.
If Canny Gardener deliver to my standards this year, they'll get a
higher proportion of my business next year, at the expense of Jersey
Plants.

Incidentally, for the first time in 20+ years, last year I didn't
order anything from T&M. This year, for the first time in 21+ years,
they sent me a catalogue!

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East End of Swansea Bay where sometimes
it's raining and sometimes it's not.