Disappearing Nurseries

[Lesley Cox]

It's the same with everything though, isn't it. Little specialist shops selling different items and of good quality, go out of business because they are now competing in the first place with the big malls and the like, and also with the cheap and frequently nasty, barn-like places where everything stocked comes (in our case) from China and lasts 10 minutes if we're lucky. Even jewellers,  or a shop where in my well-off days I bought porcelain and jade, art shops and all the rest, even shoe and clothing shops, are struggling to survive or have already gone under.

If one had a shoe shop and it had to close because it couldn't compete, it's gone forever. At least with the tiny specialist nurseries, usually run from one's home, there can be some small hope of survival as they are often run by people who have retired and may not have the need for a full, living income. Those of us who are in this group, do it for the love of plants and are thrilled to have half a dozen for sale of something rare and precious even though we won't get a fraction of its true value. Any nurseryman or woman who starts of with visions of fame and particularly fortune before his/her eyes, is very quickly disillusioned.

I would never slam the seed exchanges as I believe they are a vital part of the various societies and so many plants are not available from any other sources. I've had many such plants myself. On the other hand I can be grateful that there are still many gardeners who can't be bothered raising from seed and are still happy to buy plants from the little nurseries. In New Zealand now, we have just a single alpine nursery and I know it has worries about continuing. There are a number of other growers who sell to their local garden centres but only a very few people are in the right place at the right time to benefit from those.

[Tim Ingram]

Will's comment of plants just becoming commodities sums a lot up and I think why it is so important to link together growers and gardeners in local areas because in this way self-sustaining horticultural communities develop and maintain a proper perspective on gardening. I've always felt that Don Quixote was a rather impressive character and that tilting at Windmills (ie: 'progress') is a valuable thing to do at times, especially if you feel something is very important. Small nurseries can gain great respect from gardeners in their area which in the long run means a lot more than churning out a lot of rather unnecessary stuff at the 'garden centre', even though a pretty precarious living is made by the former! The trick though is weaning gardeners off garden centres and on to searching out more specialist growers and that is a cultural change as much as anything else, and something which societies like the AGS and SRGC need to always work on.

[Will Itsell]

(snip)

If one had a shoe shop and it had to close because it couldn't compete, it's gone forever. At least with the tiny specialist nurseries, usually run from one's home, there can be some small hope of survival as they are often run by people who have retired and may not have the need for a full, living income. Those of us who are in this group, do it for the love of plants and are thrilled to have half a dozen for sale of something rare and precious even though we won't get a fraction of its true value. Any nurseryman or woman who starts of with visions of fame and particularly fortune before his/her eyes, is very quickly disillusioned.

Oh, no!  My wife works part time in a shoe shop!  We're doomed, I tell ye, doomed. 

Will

[Lesley Cox]

Sorry Will, let's say instead, a firm manufacturing space station parts, with particular reference to planet Jupiter. Bet there are many of those among our Forumists.

[fermi de Sousa]

Oh, no!  My wife works part time in a shoe shop!  We're doomed, I tell ye, doomed.  
Will

Hopefully this isn't her sole form of income, Will.
And her boss would be a real heel to give her the boot!
cheers
fermi

[angie]

Oh, no!  My wife works part time in a shoe shop!  We're doomed, I tell ye, doomed. 
Will

Hopefully this isn't her sole form of income, Will.
And her boss would be a real heel to give her the boot!
cheers
fermi

That's brilliant Fermi, 

Angie

[David Nicholson]

Oh, no!  My wife works part time in a shoe shop!  We're doomed, I tell ye, doomed.  
Will

Hopefully this isn't her sole form of income, Will.
And her boss would be a real heel to give her the boot!
cheers
fermi

 

I see you're shoeing in to this conversation Fermie

[Graham Catlow]

I suspect that many of the Scottish SRGC members already know. I visited Lamberton Nursery (Ron McBeath) today to find a notice in the window indicating that the nursery will close at the end of September. I had a chat with Ron and retirement is the reason. He is staying in the house and gardening for himself instead of the likes of me. It is a pity as I have had some good plants from there and some that I have never seen before. I will be visiting again before the end of September.

Lunch was in St.Abbs harbour a very nice fresh crab sandwich and then on to Edrom (10 mins from Lamberton) for more purchases.

My wife and I enjoy this round trip - but it's not quite the same now that we can't take Dexter on the beach at Coldingham. he just doesn't do well in th car now and couldn't manage the walk down to the beach let alone the walk back up.

[Lesley Cox]

That's really sad about Lamberton Nursery, surely one of the most appreciated nurseries in Scotland. for alpines. I didn't realize nurserymen and women retired, I thought they just went on until they lay down among the troughs and were gently covered with falling leaves, returning earth to earth.

Sad to about Dexter. Our Cain is going the same way. When walks are called, or anything much outside now, he prefers just to lie and sleep. Still can manage to walk to the dinner bowl though.

[Rob Potterton]

I guess the old saying "they died with their boots on" applied to a lot of previous nurserymen / nurserywomen; however let's applaud those who manage to reach retirement age and can afford to take it.  

[SusanS]

Hi Rob,

you got me worried there, when I saw you had posted on thread I thought "not another one retiring"  

It is a shame to see nurseries closing and it most be a very difficult decision for the nursery men / women to make, but everyone is entitled to a retirement.  

Running any business is time consuming and hard work. I have just started volunteering at a local nursery, that started trading this year. Having been there 1 day I have decided that there are just not enough hours in the day to get all the jobs done! It must be very difficult for individuals working on there own.

I would much rather see a nursery call it a day than see it become run down, unfortunately in our area this has happened a lot, with garden centres and nurseries.

It will be nice for the "pensioners"   to be able to spend their time enjoying the plants, their gardens, shows etc rather than thinking of the next job that needs doing.  Hopefully they will now have the freedom to travel more freely and widely, released from the demands of looking after all the stock.

Susan x

[Anthony Darby]

I suppose nursery men don't really retire. They just go to pot!

[Gerry Webster]

I suppose nursery men don't really retire. They just go to pot!

I can think of one of whom this is true.

[Tim Ingram]

I am not sure how many nurserymen really retire! It is such a strong vocation, growing plants, and makes so many good friends that I think the 'instinct' just keeps on going! Some of us are just more efficient than others. My personal love is being able to combine making a garden (with the seed and cutting material that this provides) with propagating and selling plants. It is something of an idealistic vision, and Susan's comment of there never being enough time in the day is certainly true. Many people also volunteer in gardens and I think it shows the importance we place in the smaller scale and a sense of integrity in an enterprise. (Actually most people I know who have 'retired' say that they have even more to do than when they were working! But perhaps there are exceptions who do learn how to live at a steadier pace).

[Rob Potterton]

I suppose nursery men don't really retire. They just go to pot!

That made me laugh - i'm a third of the way there already !!!