Mr Morrison and me: a love story

Today I bought 4 evergreen ferns for the garden and 1 lavatera for my patio pot, _ £1.79_ each! OK, I also bought my first ever box, I really don't have a place for it but am planning to turn the cutie into an impressive topiary extravaganza when it grows up. Mr Morrison also had some very seductive conifers (again £1.79) and alpines, not to mention the extensive climbers selection. The £1.79 clematises and lonicera I bought earlier went "out" today, after 2 weeks of acclimatisation. All are well and healthy.

Byebye expensive, remote nurseries, I'll stand by my Mr Morrison.

 

The range is very limited - but otherwise it is a good place. I still can't get over their Clematis (many different varieties) for just £1.70 when other places are charging anything up to £13 or even £18.

 

How can Morrisons and other retailers that sell plants this cheap do it? Wilkinson's were selling clematis today for similar prices. They weren't in the best of condition and my OH was with me, otherwise I'd have bought one!

 

I've bought loads of Clematis, honeysuckes etc from Morrison's £1 79 each, a little on the small side, but great quality and they're all now growing beautifully in my overgrown hedges.

The down side is the small nurseries just won't be able to compete, and it will force more to close. But what are you supposed to do, yesterday a tray of pansies at my local nursery was £3.25, at Morrison's for exatly the same size and quality and variety, two for £3.00.

As PeterS says, the range is limited, if we lose the small independents, then we just won't be able to get hold of the more interesting stuff, just things that can be mass produced in industrial scale greenhouses

 

I do have mixed feelings about such cheap prices. We all love a bargain. But as Quercus says its not good for the small guy who may be producing the wide range that we like. I saw a program on television some time ago about a huge nursery in south England, where they had a multi million pound machine that could pot up something like 40,000 seedlings an hour (I forget the figures). And I thought what hope is there for us mortals.

 

The small nurseries that take a stall in their weekly market and Farmers Markets seem to do all right.

 

I prefer to go to a nursery, where I hope that the plants I get there are of decent stock and quality...and I can get some more unusual varieties.

Some of the stuff sold at supermarkets looks lke its about to die. I'll pick up bulbs and root stock, as you pay similar prices for them in a garden centre or nursery, but I prefer a plant that looks alive when I buy it.

 

I love Morrisons plants although they are a little small,hence the price,they always take well and I have never had a problem.

 

Actually, now I feel a bit guilty. It's true that the small businesses will certainly die off if we consumers just go for the cheap, mass produced quick fix. Then again, being carless, I rely on internet orders and there's definitely a niche for the small nurseries there. Certainly we'd buy rarer varieties or search for the things we actually want instead of taking the nearest match from a supermarket. But. If only the small nurseries had good, functioning websites and good delivery services.

My local greengrocery stays alive between Asda and Sainsburys because they deliver the heavy potato bags to the local pensioners and actually are willing to go for the extra mile to order something you want.

Mr Morrison, I still love you. But I'm more than willing to have extrabotanical affairs if the service and products are good and consumer friendly. Smaller nurseries, please do take the internet seriously. Please provide us with great plants and most importantly, great, flexible service.

Ugh, I have spoken. And the Morrison plantlets are going strong, the clematises I bought earlier have survived already 2 Newcastlean nights in a cold soil.

 

I hardly ever buy plants bulbs etc from a nursery.
They are just to expensive for me.
I'm not that bothered about variety just a long as the garden is nice and colourful.
I get most of my things from Aldi ,Lidl, Local markets ,green grocers ,Wilkinsons , pound shop and Ebay.
I have never yet lost a plant I have brought from the places listed .
I went to Melbicks garden centre a couple of weeks ago ,as we were passing ,and nearly had a heart attack at the prices. s00k
I didn't buy anything.

 

Guilt is a waste of time:wink: You're right about nurseries needing to diversify - my local GC website is worse than useless - I can drive or walk there in 20 mins, I don't need a website, but not everyone is so lucky. Maybe there's a niche in the market - offering plant delivery service....

Most GCs these days are not so much selling plants, as BBQs, outdoor furniture, clothing, tea and coffee. My local place even has an outdoor swimming pool and hot tub section (it does quite well, but we're dead posh here:hehe. I suppose that is their way of diversifying.

 

HERE HERE
i got a climber for 1.79 it was a steal at that price ,the climber has red flowers that are like little lanterns i think it was called ABULAITON or something along those lines ,cant quite remember

 

ive bought all my clematis from morrisons they are lovely and also bought a pink Astilbe and other plants and im very happy with them and great prices as everyone says. well done morrisons

 

Asda do t shirts for £1.50, suits some of us but others would not dream of buying t shirts from there and will ahpily, as they have the money, pay much more for one with a 'name' on. There will always be those of us who need to save money as well as garden and those for whom money is less of a problem and convenience, more mature plants, diversity can be more important.

There will also always be room for specialist shops (of whatever genre) if they are prepared to look after their customers. If they don't then they won't survive.