Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - [Market-farming] Perennial/Annual sales

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Del Williams" <delannw AT dlogue.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Perennial/Annual sales
  • Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2003 19:26:34 -0500

I just love this part of the business. Annuals aren't cheap and perennials
offer long term benefits at a similar cost.

I has been so interesting. The 10" annual hanging baskets sell at minimum
for $15. The 12" for up to $32. Still, we sold about 3,000 hanging
baskets this year. I can tell you, it was hell unloading them, hell hanging
them and hell watering and fertilizing them. OH god and the deadheading. A
labor intensive activity.

Most of our perennials sell at $7 for a one gallon. I think that's high in
the local market. Still we sell and we are about cashed on in greenhouse
perennials. Outside sales are pretty sparse too.

In my part of Illinois, the issues are heat, winter cold and survival, and
soil issues. Why do people insist on trying to grow plants that want acidic
soil in Illinois?

Huh?

Most customers, however, have no imagination for plants. I usually offer a
mix. It depends on their planting situation.

You have to understand, that customers don't know plants as well as you do.
They want to stand out from their neighbors. Individuality is the American
way, afterall.

However, most of them don't want to be too damn weird.

Rudbeckia, Echinacea, prairie grasses (and you'd better inform them about
height), the truly fine variations in Coreopsis even in pinks and purples,
... for full sun plantings... that seems to fit the bill. Oh geeze, and any
and all kinds of daisies. Lord save me from customers who say, do you have
daisies?

LOL, which ones?

We don't do well with Buddleia down here. They winter kill if the owner
doesn't take special care for open plantings. I caution customers on that.

This makes me pause a minute. We also sell bougainvillea. It's not a
perennial here. So I always ask. What do you intend to do with this plant?
Most people think it will overwinter. Absolutely not!

We have several large $150 potted plants in the greenhouse and people think
that is what they are going to get in their yards. Back to the honesty
thing. You can't lie to a customer about what that plant is capable of
doing.

Same for hostas. So many people dream about those gigantic leaves. Well we
have a gorgeous one or two in the greenhouse. Just a basic Francis
Williams. Why? Because they live in a greenhouse planted next to an indoor
waterfall and pond. Gorgeous. It will never grow that way outdoors in
Illinois. The growing season won't allow it. Perhaps there are cultivars
that will but I know a Francis Williams won't. Honesty, again.

But a truly grand temptation. I have to be honest with customers and tell
them why that hosta looks so grand.

Here's one I wish more people would look at. Ajuga. We have a variegated
one for which I have sold more than a hundred one gallons. I like the basic
green one too, but Ajuga does better with a little more sun than the shade
plants like Huchera that it often gets grouped with. I'd take an ajuga to a
huechera for part sun or shade any day. Heuchera drives me nuts with it's
flowers leaning toward what sun it can get. Who made that a shade plant?

Red coreopsis -which came up on this board - sold out immediately. I'd like
to hear how those customers made out. Is this an iffy plant that doesn't
fair as well as it's yellow counterparts?

Day Lilies. We don't have the best selection. In terms of the short
everbloomers, I think Happy Returns is a better choice than that overplanted
gaudy golden Stella D'Oro. I figure, if I want my yard to look like the
local Mall, then Stella D'Oro it is. Happy Returns has a nicer petal and the
color is grand. It's an everbloomer for those who want a low growing day
lily. Wish they'd develop a red one.

The only way I know to get a good blooming low growing red day lily is grow
it in daybreak to noon light. I have a few at my place and they look just
fine. Who would ever think to grow a day lily in shade?

Me. And thank you Kankakee Nursery. Nah, I guess I have to thank my Ex
husband for bring home that stock. It's a good nursery and if you buy from
them, tell them Del sent ya. I like their stuff.

Ah geeze, what else? Bee Balm in red. Purple is all over the place The
red ones were hard to keep in stock. Gorgeous plant and we sold out of red.

Buddleia in anything but pink.

Let me go to veggies. I love that. How come lettuces don't do well in flat
sales? California Wonders do great as do seedless cukes. Tomatoes are an
interesting thing. People go with what they have always known and they
aren't too adventurous with tomatoes.

Geeze, I personally started several heirloom cabbages, lettuces and
broccolis. They sold OUT! (with the exception of lettuce.) My boss shook
his head on all of them when I started them but gave me the leeway. I
shoulda done more. We ended up with a reputation for it. No one else sells
heirloom plants except for some local growers who sell at the Farmer's
Market. Guess where I send customers who come in wanting that? Yep, right
down town.

I wish I could tell you something about actual produce. We don't sell
veggies here anymore. The owners got sick and tired of people saying that
KMart sold lettuce, tomatoes and green beans cheaper. So they went to
flowers.

People will spend more on flowers than they will for good food. Go figure.

Well I do. I spent a ton of money on flowers for my father in laws funeral
and my daughter's proms.

But not one...not ONE customer bought any of the blue statice in 3" pots.
Beautiful blue flowers. Same for Browallia. No one bought it and I don't
know why. What's the deal on Aztec Nicotiana as opposed to the dwarf
varieties? Great trap plant for potato growers. I think there is a lot of
educating to do with consumers.

But, scaveolla (sp?). That is a grand plant. We sold it in several patio
containers for $25. and that was mixed with some other plants including
torenia, Mexican Heather ( excellent plant for full sun and neglect) and
Bacopa.

I'd like to hear from those of you who did anything with Million Bells.
Maybe this is the wrong list. I just know many of you do flowers.

Superbells, Million Bells... what is their fertility issue? I had several
interplanted with geraniums that just went disgusting. torenia... omg why
do suppliers interplant that will full sun plants? It just cooks!

I had others hung in filtered light that still look great. OK, so with
torenia light is certainly an issue. With Million Bells, what is their
need? Is it heat or is it light?

Soory to bug you all with my concerns but I'm thinking about next season.

And I am still deadheading some geraniums that have no right to be alive.
That is one bizarre plant. I could tell those of you who are interested
which colors of which cultivars withstand heat the best. Amazing
observations. LOL, I like ivy geraninums. What a leaf and what truly
wonderful colors they have developed in flowers for hanging plants.

OK so do what you want with what I have written. It's just what I have
observed in a season. I'm learning.

Wish I had more to say about what people eat but what I grow personally
these days is for my eating only.

I still miss it. I'd rather be growing food. Maybe one day again. I just
have to make some money to stay solvent for now and be happy to be working
around plants. I feel lucky.

I could be asking people about french fries or onion rings, ya know!

Ok at the end of this I have to tell you, I have been through a lot of
growing operations this year. Some of them blow me away with their
expertise and their professionalism. Not generally people who are trying to
screw anyone over... but I still wonder... how do those folks.. the best of
them.. predict the market? I don't think they do it any better than market
gardeners do. I fact, I think you have a much better tap into the customer
base to do it better.

Those wholesalers are so far removed from the customers. I guess that is
why I was paying less than $5 wholesale for a whole flat of grand flowers
that I sold for more than half the price.

Think on that.

Man do I wish I had some greenhouses.

Del









Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page