Eranthis Guinea Gold at Dobbies

[mark smyth]

I foresee a stampede to Dobbies Garden World

I was in Dobbies on Sunday to see what they have exciting. For a start they have lots of new Prunus incisa cultivars.

They have Dutch supplied Eranthis in stock in nice yellow pots for £1.49. The one in Shrewsbury had 100s of pots that included what looks like Guinea Gold. Does any other have gold tinted emerging buds? I bought 15 pots and selected those with the most golden foliage. Did Dobbies have plastic bags to take away my goodies? No "sorry we have run out" was the answer.


I asked where the snowdrops were to which the guy answered "I dont know my shrubs". I laughed and he asked what was funny. I told him what they were and he then said he only worked weekends. He called for someone on the radio who came out and he hadnt a clue either

[Maggi Young]

Well, if they ARE Guinea Gold at that price, there should be a stampede! 

[mark smyth]

I have faith in what I saw. Later this week I'll post the photos but they may be messy. They have been bare rooted and now lying in a plastic bag.

My back garden is such a mess and I never really know what's in a pot but imagine my surprise when these were pushing up

[Maggi Young]

Like so many little choirboys!  Here's our stock box of Guinea Gold, taken for Hans J. the other day, the sun had gone off them so they had closed up 

[Brian Ellis]

Did Dobbies have plastic bags to take away my goodies?

Not very green to have plastic bags

[Maggi Young]

Actually, Brian, I'd have thought a professional shopper like Mark would always have carrying equipment about his person... just in case.........
In the same way that I carry a Boy Scout, to take stones out of horse's hooves 

Have to tell you, Brian, I am worn out after afternoon of snowie watching....rhodos never exhaust me like this and I don't think it is the early symptoms ofthe fever striking... .......

[David Nicholson]

If you want to help the demise of the small specialist nursery then buy from Tesco (Dobbies)!!!!!

[Anthony Darby]

Don't you mean two boy scouts Maggi, so you can rub them together when you need to make a fire?

[mark smyth]

But David can you name a nursery that sells a pot of 5 E. 'Guinea Gold' for £1.49?

[David Nicholson]

But David can you name a nursery that sells a pot of 5 E. 'Guinea Gold' for £1.49?

Probably not, and it's not because I'm over endowed with cash, but I would rather pay more and help to keep a specialist nursery in business.

You can see a mile off what has happened here. Tesco have gone to the Dutch market, probably to the supplier who normally supplies Wyevale, and taken his whole crop for a knock down price in order to spike Wyevale's buying.

OK you can argue that such action is the bedrock of economics and maybe it is but it is most certainly not Tesco acting in the best interests of you and me in the longer term.

Whenever I am stopped in Tesco by people selling Tesco car insurance my response is always-'I don't buy car insurance from grocers' and, for me, the same applies to plants.

Rant over.

[Paul T]

Actually, Brian, I'd have thought a professional shopper like Mark would always have carrying equipment about his person... just in case.........
In the same way that I carry a Boy Scout, to take stones out of horse's hooves 

Maggi,

May I enquire..... where, about your person, do you carry your Boy Scout?  Enquiring minds want to know!! 

[Maggi Young]

May I enquire..... where, about your person, do you carry your Boy Scout?

In my handbag, of course, along with, as Anthony D. suspected, another one, so that I have two to rub together to make fire, should that need arise

[Paul T]

So your handbag is like my wife's then.... a portal into another dimension just like Dr Who's 'Tardis'. (i.e bigger on the inside than the outside).  I swear that there are whole tribes of life forms that have evolved in Yvonne's hangbag over the years amongst the things that have gone in there, never to be seen again.  I always live in fear of my hand being chomped off if I ever have to retrieve anything for her.  I'll have to ask her whether she keeps boy scouts in there as well.  You got a full set of Chippendale dancers in there too, just in case a hens night arrives unexpectedly? 

[Maggi Young]

Paul, I don't do hens' nights! However, if Yvone has any spare chippendales, I am sure I could find the space

So your handbag is like my wife's then.... a portal into another dimension just like Dr Who's 'Tardis'. (i.e bigger on the inside than the outside)

And where do you think they got the idea for the TARDIS from in the first place? Handbags, naturally!

[mark smyth]

late reply to this thread. I always take woven bags for life with me to England. On that day  my bags were 10 miles away.

David by far most plants in the big garden centres come from Dutch and Italian suppliers. The Italians are good at growing specimen trees and shrubs