To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Local Nursery Information's worth
Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2007 22:58:48 -0500
I've got a nursery story too. I worked for a few months at a nursery that
was considered a cut above the rest, or at least they considered themselves
that way. They didn't pay well or treat their employees well though. They
had a Fertilome salesman who came through once a week I think it was, and
he'd answer questions for staff and customers. One day a guy came in with a
"weed" he wanted to get rid of. The "expert" took one look and said
"oxalis". I said "black medic". The expert glared at me and said, Oxalis!
and I said, no, it's black medic. We went through this a third time and I
suddenly realized that it wasn't working and I'd better just remove myself
and talk to him later. I went and pulled some oxalis to educate the guy.
So when the customer was gone I started to apologize but he started in
yelling at me about what an ignorant pipsqueak I was, what a mighty expert
he was, and how much I'd embarrassed him. I tried to explain how to tell
the two plants apart, but he wasn't done raving. I said I'd eaten oxalis
all my life, and played in black medic when I was a little kid. I said just
taste this, oxalis is named for the oxalic acid that makes it tart. He
wasn't about to listen. I think he hated me for the rest of the time I
worked there. I don't know if some inkling that he might be wrong was
involved, I think he remained convinced that he was right. Anyone who can't
identify oxalis... or for that matter, anyone who can't tell a legume from a
non-legume... I'm happy to say that when my dad wanted to buy some more
citrus trees that I called two nurseries. Lukas nursery couldn't tell me
what rootstocks their trees were on, Rockledge could. I suggested we go to
Lukas nursery first, where we found the citrus trees looked awful, and
though the prices were higher at Rockledge, the trees were spectacular and
the service superb. I will say during the 4 months I worked at Lukas, I was
their fruit expert, and loved to talk to those customers. When someone came
around wanting not just ornamentals, but wanting to use their plants like
furniture, I sent them to some other staffer. I really didn't know a thing
about ornamentals back then, and even today am not too swift on them.
My theory is that it's the pesticide exposure that makes ag grads
retarded. Or maybe it's the constraints of the education. All I know is
that most of them come out of school as proud of their exclusive knowledge
as med students do, and yet know as little about plants as drs know about
the basic workings of the human body. Anyone who wants to know more about
the latter subject would enjoy some articles by an Australian dr about
minerals and how they work in the body. They are quite funny and he makes
fun of the medical profession in the process. Sorry I can't just send
links, they don't seem to be on the Net anymore. Just ask, it may take me
a few days to respond, but I do like to share them. Donna