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Pastimes : Don't Ask Rambi -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ilaine who wrote (39535)	10/11/1999 12:40:00 PM
From: Crocodile	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 71178

No, no experience with Stark. Just went and read the "Who We Are" part of the website which is quite interesting. starkbros.com It addresses part of the concern which I always have about nurseries and that is that they sell suitable varieties and root stocks for your area. I noticed that they mentioned that their "commercial supply division" is geared up for that. I guess their retail mail order may be less so. I don't see a problem down in your area. That's a bigger problem up here where winter-hardiness is a major concern. I usually buy my trees from a couple of local specialty orchardists who are very much into "old apple varieties", or from a couple of mail order places located in similar "tough" climate zones here in Canada. BTW, I haven't had particularly good luck with fruit trees (or rose bushes) that originated from the larger US wholesalers and were just retailed in Canada. They usually croak during the first winter... I believe because they are grown on unsuitable root stock. For roses, I just buy from Pickering Nursery who have an amazing rose field which I visited last summer. It's about 150 miles due west of where I live. Literally hundreds of rose varieties growing on acres of fields... they have all of the "old" varieties of bourbon, moss, alba, etc.. roses... It was like paradise to someone like me. Actually, when I look back on the visit, it was rather euphoric. When you go to their retail office in Pickering, they just give you a little map to find your way to the rose fields. You drive up and park in the yard of an old abandoned farmhouse, then walk back through some cornfields....and THERE YOU ARE!!! You come over a small hill and suddenly there before you are acres and acres of roses of all different varieties going off into the distance. Nobody there but you and the roses. It's too much... I think I went temporarily mad as I skipped and ran up and down the rows of rose bushes... all of which were in bloom at the time. At first I was trying to write down this or that variety that had a beautiful scent or appearance... but I gave up after about 30 kinds and just tried to enjoy the experience of "being there".. I've been buying roses from them for about 15 years but that was my first visit to their fields. Hoping to go back when I can concentrate a little better on the roses without being overwhelmed... BTW, I visited MacMillan's Iris gardens on the same trip and almost went crazy there too. Mrs. MacMillen says it happens to people all of the time. One particular woman made quite a big impression on her. A woman who was over 90 came there from several hundred miles away. She been buying irises from their nursery for years and felt that she just HAD to come and see the iris fields in person... She said the woman stayed out in the fields for well over 2 hours... Guess you have to be one of "us" to know why...(-:

To: Ilaine who wrote (39535)	10/11/1999 5:47:00 PM
From: Ish	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 71178

I'd go with the more local nursery. 1. They are within driving distance if you have a bitch. 2. The plants are grown in your area. 3. Go looky at them and bring your picks home. I think I have been disappointed with Starks, but I have ordered from many so I can't be sure. The best one is the one you walk in. We had (and still do but he's more reliable now) a nursery here that sold plants nation wide. He advertised in the magazine sections of the Sunday papers. Paid minimum wage to winos and students in the shipping department. The ads said (for example) a 6" apple tree for $1.00 plus $2.95 shipping. People would send in $12.95 for ten and shipping. They were guaranteed, only shipping to replace them. They were sticks. No chance of growing. Cost was about 10 cents apiece to send them. People would send them back with the new shipping fee and get their old sticks back. He was making a ton on the shipping of dead sticks.