"Sacha Hubbard" wrote in message
al.net...
On Wed, 31 May 2006 01:09:45 +0100, Andy wrote
(in article ):


"Sacha Hubbard" wrote in message
al.net...
On Tue, 30 May 2006 13:38:02 +0100, Andy wrote
(in article ):


"Sacha Hubbard" wrote in message
al.net...

Just a bit of mild curiosity and a small personal survey. ;-) What
does
the panel think is a reasonable time in which to take back a dead
plant
and
expect a replacement? Some nurseries have definite policies on this,
I
know
but I'd like to have an idea of customers' reactions for my own
curiosity's
sake. We had someone bring back a Weigela today which she'd had for a
year
and had taken to Berkshire where it has died. We did replace it and
on
the
whole, I'd say we tend to do that sort of thing but it would never
have
occurred to me to bring back a year old plant for replacement!
The only time we've refused to do so is when someone brought back a
Meyer's
lemon tree and swore up, down and sideways that he hadn't a)
over-watered
it
and b) hadn't let it get frosted. As it showed unmistakable signs of
both,
he was refused another one when he requested it on the grounds that
he'd
only
kill that one, too. But he did get his money back.
--
Sacha

Well I bought a Scabious from Hillhouse in March, and planted it out in
my
garden after about a week lolling around in the greenhouse. Within a
month
it was obviously dead, and I had even watered it in, not that it needed
it
really, but I took the view it was just a bad 'un anyway, no one to
blame.

Our Scabious were outside all winter so I don't know why you put it in
your
greenhouse because that won't have helped it, I'm afraid. That just
softened
it up before it was exposed to the elements, whereas before that, it was
a
toughie! I think the poor thing was probably shellshocked and given the
extremely cold nights we had, watering it would have hastened its demise
because it would have been standing around in bitterly cold, wet soil.

It'd cost me a similar amount in petrol to bring it back for a refund
as
it'd cost to buy a new one, so you're one up on that one!

How? We still reared the plant, paid for the pot it was in, paid for
the
compost, paid for the labour that potted it on and the labour that sold
it
to
you etc. We don't make money out of plants because they die - we'd
rather
that they live! BTW, if you've been here, you surely noticed that it's
Hill
House Nursery, not Hillhouse?
Next time you're down this way, come in and get something else. Do you
recall what you paid for it?

I'm being light-hearted Sacha: you're 'one-up' because I could have shown
you
the rotted remains and asked for another, but I choose not to do so. I've
chalked
it up to fate. It was alive when I bought it from you, so I attach no
blame!

Well, as I say, come in and get another one if you're passing - at least
at a
discount. ;-) But as they cost only £3.50 in a 2l pot you would need to
be
going right by the door!

I had not studied the Hill House name before, so it wasn't clear in my
mind
when I wrote
it whether there was a space or not, as for leaving ''Nursery' off the
end,
I was just being
lazy.

My only other complaint was the scones in the tea shop - I bit into a
large
lump
of bicarb in one of 'em last year - make sure they stir the mix a bit
better!

Erggg. Very clever of you, though. We don't use bicarb. ;-) Baking
powder
perhaps? Mem. to cook - put Kenwood on higher speed!

By the way, just out of curiousity, is the Riverford Farm canteen any
good?
I saw a picture showing long tables with benches either side, and I
believe
it is
necessary to book ahead? Not very convenient for the impulse eater at
lunchtime, what's
the philosophy behind Riverford Farm? I thought you might know since
you're
not far away.
They have a shop not far from me, but I've never been to their main farm.

They do some very nice sausages and Beef & Stilton pasties.


Their farm shop food is very good - the prepared stuff that is, but it is
expensive. As to the canteen, I don't know because we haven't been there.
The reason we haven't been is because they have had to agree to some
complicated arrangement whereby they have to combine eating there with a
tour
of the farm in a tractor drawn trailer. I have no idea why the local
authorities have insisted on this but we wonder if it's something to do
with
reducing traffic.
Riverford has grown very large and while the locals support the ethos,
they're beginning to find it a bit of a nuisance with large trailers and
machinery thundering about, combined with mud left on the road at the
packing
shed at Wash etc. They send out something like 30k boxes a week via the
packing here and organic franchises elsewhere and last year set up a shop
in
Totnes, too. It's all doing very well and the Watson family have its
administration sewn up between them, running a co-operative with other
farmers in our area. For example, our nearest farmer has just given up his
dairy herd - who can blame him, unfortunately - but has kept the land and
is
growing a mass of organic veg. for Guy Watson. The fields you saw around
us
are nearly all organic and those that aren't are being prepared for that
certificate. They recently spent £90k on a green oak barn, so business is
good!
The place I can recommend is Sharpham Valley vineyard. There's a small
eating area outdoors, under one of those temporary marquee things and the
food is very good, though not big, elaborate restaurant food. The girl
who
cooks is Tante Marie trained IIRC and she produces delicious things from a
tiny van like a hot dog stand. They're hoping to get permission to build
a
proper kitchen and small restaurant there and with that lovely view down
to
the River Dart, I hope they get it. It's possible to do a guided tour of
the
place (they also make delicious cheese) but you're equally at liberty to
wander through the vines and down to the river, on your own. If you're
down
this way again, I suggest you try it. And for two good evenings out with
delicious food, try two entirely different places - The First and Last at
Ermington with its wonderful "built after lunch" crooked spire church and
Bickley Mill at Bickley, near Ipplepen. And for that matter our own very
local is excellent and always busy and popular, The Live and Let Live.

Thanks for that Sacha, I know the First and Last, though haven't been there
since they gave it a coat of paint on the outside, but I haven't heard of
the Bickley Mill at Ipplepen, nor the Live and Let Live. I'll put them on my
list of places to try out, along with Sharpham Valley Vineyard.

cheers,

Andy.

Sacha Hubbard writes
Yes, I think most of us would complain at that! We heard the story of
a very elderly gent who had bought a Magnolia campbellii (not from us,
thank goodness!) who was furious when it finally flowers and turned out
to be entirely the wrong one. His anger was compounded by the fact
that he was so old that he felt there was no point in buying another
one of the type which he'd wanted!

I've only ever considered grumbling twice.

Once was an apple tree I bought - I knew it wasn't a good specimen, but
it was the only one of the variety they had, so I obtained a verbal
agreement that they'd replace or refund if it died. But it didn't die,
and it's still struggling on 3 years later - I think it will get there
eventually. I still have the receipt, but I can't face the hassle - it's
a privately owned garden centre with the best range of plants in the
area, but they haven't quite got the hang of 'customer service'. So I'll
just take it as a learning experience.

The other was a packet of seeds, Lychnis coronaria, supposedly the white
flowered variety - but every single one of them came up that garish
magenta which I hate. But I never got round to complaining.

Anything else, unless it dies in the first week (and not from lack of
care on my part) I assume is either my fault or because it doesn't like
my growing conditions - neither of which I can reasonably blame on the
nursery.

--
Kay

On Wed, 31 May 2006 21:50:28 +0100, K wrote
(in article ):

Sacha Hubbard writes
Yes, I think most of us would complain at that! We heard the story of
a very elderly gent who had bought a Magnolia campbellii (not from us,
thank goodness!) who was furious when it finally flowers and turned out
to be entirely the wrong one. His anger was compounded by the fact
that he was so old that he felt there was no point in buying another
one of the type which he'd wanted!

I've only ever considered grumbling twice.

Once was an apple tree I bought - I knew it wasn't a good specimen, but
it was the only one of the variety they had, so I obtained a verbal
agreement that they'd replace or refund if it died. But it didn't die,
and it's still struggling on 3 years later - I think it will get there
eventually. I still have the receipt, but I can't face the hassle - it's
a privately owned garden centre with the best range of plants in the
area, but they haven't quite got the hang of 'customer service'. So I'll
just take it as a learning experience.

The other was a packet of seeds, Lychnis coronaria, supposedly the white
flowered variety - but every single one of them came up that garish
magenta which I hate. But I never got round to complaining.

Anything else, unless it dies in the first week (and not from lack of
care on my part) I assume is either my fault or because it doesn't like
my growing conditions - neither of which I can reasonably blame on the
nursery.



Your approach seems very like mine when I was a customer of nurseries. A
certain balance between you and your supplier has been struck and appears to
work. It's very irritating to be sent the wrong seeds but it does happen and
is easily resolved by pulling out the plants you don't like and if you can
bother to complain, you might get a new packet of the right thing.
I asked this question in the first place because I was genuinely interested
to hear the answers now that I'm married to the sharp end of the solution but
also because when I was a customer of nurseries and garden centres, it never
occurred to me to return a plant that had died. I *always* assumed that if
it did, I had chosen the wrong plant for the wrong spot or had somehow,
treated it incorrectly.
Thanks to all of you who have replied and I have found it very interesting to
read your answers. I think it has bolstered my faith that most people are
both reasonable and fair. ;-)

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
email address on web site

On Wed, 31 May 2006 18:15:33 +0100, Andy wrote
(in article ):


"Sacha Hubbard" wrote in message
al.net...
snip And for two good evenings out with
delicious food, try two entirely different places - The First and Last at
Ermington with its wonderful "built after lunch" crooked spire church and
Bickley Mill at Bickley, near Ipplepen. And for that matter our own very
local is excellent and always busy and popular, The Live and Let Live.


Thanks for that Sacha, I know the First and Last, though haven't been there
since they gave it a coat of paint on the outside, but I haven't heard of
the Bickley Mill at Ipplepen, nor the Live and Let Live. I'll put them on my
list of places to try out, along with Sharpham Valley Vineyard.



The First and Last is extremely good. It's bistro-ish in ambience and has
some Greek food in the menu - the husband is Greek and is the chef. We like
it very much. Bickley Mill was one of those terribly sad coach party type
pubs for years but has been bought, rejigged and turned into something rather
stylish with very good food. I wish I could speak for Riverford's canteen
but their standards in all other areas are high so I would expect that to be,
too. And yes, I think you will enjoy the two last, though they are entirely
different. We're very lucky with a great diversity of eating places round
here.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
email address on web site