Moan, Moan, Moan - 2012

[Tim Ingram]

Fred - on your point 2/; as someone who avoids ebay like the plague there must be an interesting psychology going on - a little like the art market. Both buyer and seller is keyed up by the increasing prices (as opposed to value). Interestingly though it also works in our little group because we raise considerable income from a Plant Auction because we all get so excited by each other's enthusiasm - but on the whole what we bid is reasonable. And in this case the funds go to the Society. It all seems to come down to what value you really put on things.

[Anthony Darby]

Not sure what happens to all the overwintering ladybirds (ladybird beetles, certainly never ladybugs as they're not bugs, even though that is in common usage in the USA). A mild winter is not usually good for hibernating insects, so perhaps they just died? Possibly a food shortage in spring?

[Brian Ellis]

Funnily enough I said yesterday that you would have thought with all the ladybirds in the garden we wouldn't have an aphid problem, but they seem to be torpid and sheltering (semi-hibernating?) in buds etc etc

Now as to eBay, Wim showed a beautiful Iris and I whizzed over to the Cayeux website, what stopped me from ordering?  The carriage cost of £9.50, thankfully there was not also a minimum order cost, but still it has put me off.  Earlier this year I was looking for a particular plant, cost from online nursery £3 carriage cost £9.  Last week I received a plant which I would not order from a nursery as there was nothing else I wished to buy, the cost was similar to the nursery, carriage free (I'm a Yorkshireman so you know I bought it).  The answer to the question Fred is that it doesn't pay nurseries to fulfil tiny orders, whereas a hobby plantsman is happy to send out one plant at cost.  I must admit that I do normally curb my eBay ordering as I would much rather mooch round a nursery or two, when I can get to them.  Next week we are in Somerset so I am hoping to get a Fern I would like from Long Acre, no doubt I will find one or two other things

[WimB]

Now as to eBay, Wim showed a beautiful Iris and I whizzed over to the Cayeux website, what stopped me from ordering?  The carriage cost of £9.50, thankfully there was not also a minimum order cost, but still it has put me off.  Earlier this year I was looking for a particular plant, cost from online nursery £3 carriage cost £9.  Last week I received a plant which I would not order from a nursery as there was nothing else I wished to buy, the cost was similar to the nursery, carriage free (I'm a Yorkshireman so you know I bought it).....

I know the feeling, Brian....key-word is group-ordering...I've been ordering from Cayeux for a lot of years in a row now, but always together with a group of three to five friends...like that the carriage cost can be cut down very quickly

[Brian Ellis]

I know the feeling, Brian....key-word is group-ordering...I've been ordering from Cayeux for a lot of years in a row now, but always together with a group of three to five friends...like that the carriage cost can be cut down very quickly

Yes, I did that last time Wim, but no-one wanted to order more this year

[Michael J Campbell]

Did anyone get an order from ALITAGS lately?. I placed an order over a month ago and have herd nothing since, inquired on their message board if they had got my order, no reply. I have had an order from them before so should be on their computer customer list.

[fredg]

Now as to eBay, Wim showed a beautiful Iris and I whizzed over to the Cayeux website, what stopped me from ordering?  The carriage cost of £9.50, thankfully there was not also a minimum order cost, but still it has put me off.  Earlier this year I was looking for a particular plant, cost from online nursery £3 carriage cost £9.  Last week I received a plant which I would not order from a nursery as there was nothing else I wished to buy, the cost was similar to the nursery, carriage free (I'm a Yorkshireman so you know I bought it).  The answer to the question Fred is that it doesn't pay nurseries to fulfil tiny orders, whereas a hobby plantsman is happy to send out one plant at cost.  I must admit that I do normally curb my eBay ordering as I would much rather mooch round a nursery or two, when I can get to them.  Next week we are in Somerset so I am hoping to get a Fern I would like from Long Acre, no doubt I will find one or two other things

The kind of bids I was really refering to Brian were for  over £100 for a plant that is £20 at the nursery.

  even though that is in common usage in the USA

Precisely why I added it in brackets Anthony.
I suppose the Americans could argue that they're not birds 

[Brian Ellis]

The kind of bids I was really refering to Brian were for  over £100 for a plant that is £20 at the nursery.

My apologies Fred, I hadn't quite realised what you were saying.

[Anthony Darby]

Lovely day yesterday, after a very frosty start. Warm enough to have lunch outside (notice I don't use lunch as a verb). Jack Russell in the garden behind had been barking all morning - don't remember when it started, as I only noticed when I went out back. It was still barking during lunch and all the time I was cutting the lawn in the afternoon. By 5.30, it became apparent there was actually no-one in the house and the dog was still barking. I suggested phoning the police or the SPCA, but Vivienne reminded me of the conversation she'd had with the next door neighbour. She had complained about a dog that was constantly barking and had been offered counselling to come to terms with her paranoia!!!! The house owners' lights weren't on until after 7.40 p.m. at which time the dog was presumably let into the house? I'm still tempted to put a note in their letter box: "leave the dog to bark outside again all day and I will phone the SPCA and the police!"

[Neil]

Just a couple of moans for me just now.



2. The bidding on ebay  . Why are people bidding up to five times more for plants than the nursery price? Particularly when the nursery plant would be bigger.
OK OK... good if you're a seller but surely this is just encouraging others to raise their prices.
There's supposed to be a recession on, no one has any money.

I don't mind when they do that although I do get fed up when they complain about postage costs.  I charge actual plus paypal charges.

[Anthony Darby]

Took me a while, but eventually saw the mistake when I read on the Sky News ticket tape headlines that there was "dismay that the life ban for Danish leg spinner Kaneria". That would leg spinner Danish Kaneria!

[David Nicholson]

That's journalism today, so well informed!

[Graham Catlow]

A vandal has caused destruction in the garden. Was it a squirrel, a blackbird, a magpie or a wood pigeon. it could have been any.
It perhaps doesnt look too bad in the photo but this was a really tight cushion of Sedum spathulifolium 'Cape Blanco' and it wasn't the only patch along with some sempervivums.
On the plus side I'm grateful it wasn't the Raoulia australis.

[angie]

Oh, Graham that so annoying. I wonder what did it. I have so much damage in my garden caused by Wood peckers. I just noticed today that my birch with the white bark has only one small part of it growing now the damage to the trunk at the top is really bad. I can't believe that I have a forrest behind me and these woodpeckers have chosen my choice shrubs to peck away at. Think I need to have a word with them.

Angie 

[fermi de Sousa]

I have so much damage in my garden caused by Wood peckers. I just noticed today that my birch with the white bark has only one small part of it growing now the damage to the trunk at the top is really bad. I can't believe that I have a forrest behind me and these woodpeckers have chosen my choice shrubs to peck away at. Think I need to have a word with them.

Angie 

Hi Angie,
I seem to remember reading that woodpeckers are after wood-boring grubs such as beetle larvae so they might be helping the tree - unless it's so infested with grubs that they kill the tree in the process!
cheers
fermi