Monday, February 11, 2008

Sad State of Affairs.

I get a phone call from my manly man. He is in a big box home improvement store. Some poor woman was bringing back her third dead rosemary to get yet another replacement. She could not figure out why they kept dying and there was no one on the stores staff who had any plant knowledge at all. So he felt bad for her and called me and put her on the phone. Turns out she was trying to grow it in container on a covered porch and was watering it every single day. Death by overwatering and lack of light. So I did that stupid stores work for them and answered her questions. Now here is my problem. Why the hell don't these stores hire some one who actually knows something about plants or train the people they have hired. I won't buy plants from them because they are so poorly cared for in the stores that I have had a hard time getting them to thrive after I transplant them. Ask a simple question say "Sun or shade?" The response is generally a blank stare. Even the plant varieities they sell may or may not be appropriate for our zone. This is why I try to always buy my plants from an independent nursery or even a chain that specializes in plants. Better yet are shared plants from other gardeners. Stupid big box store.

6 comments:

  1. Will this plant grow in this pot? or do I have to plant it?
    jk

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  2. the plants thank you! someone needs to look out for their interests :)

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  3. Amen sister! You go girl! I would NEVER buy any plant from a big box store. I always try to support the local grower. Always. There are so many wonderful little greenhouses and stores to choose from--to heck with the big box stores!

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  4. Very good point! Why don't they? The experience I get at my local nursery is so vastly different from my experience at that other place!

    Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage

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  5. I know just what you mean!
    We were in the Orange-hell store (hubby's idea, not mine!) one day and, of course, I had to wander to the garden area. Why, oh why, do I torture myself? Anyway, they had stacks and stacks of water lily on one shelf. And - yup - completely dried out. While I was standing there with my jaw on the floor in disbelief, a sales girl walked by. I nodded toward the pots with the dried and dead roots hanging out and said, "You know those are pond plants, right? They need to be kept in water." She simply blinked and said, "Oh, really? Huh! Didn't know." Then shrugged and walked off. UGH!

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  6. Yep, the blank stare and complete ignorance is apparently a job qualification.

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