Topic: Overpriced plants!

[dtw]

I saw a runner bean plant for sale in a local garden centre for £5.99!
There were two foot long sticks holding it up in a plastic pot.

Have you spotted any other 'non-bargains'?

[ACE]

I remember a bloke called Jack getting fiddled over a bean plant. He ended up quite rich.

[elvis2003]

I remember a bloke called Jack getting fiddled over a bean plant. He ended up quite rich.

;D

[northener]

Saw Tomato plants for a fiver back in the Spring.  £6 for 1 runner plant is taking the Michael.

[Le-y]

I saw a dying clematis which was no more than 4 inches tall for £6.00 a few months back, went in 2 weeks later and the same plant was on sale with a "best before" date (can you believe) of the following day and was on sale for 1.25, needless to say i rescued a couple.

[RobinOfTheHood]

Saw Tomato plants for a fiver back in the Spring.  £6 for 1 runner plant is taking the Michael.

In our neck of the woods?

Pray tell, and I promise never to go there.  :o

[Chrispy]

I see so many rip off plants in the garden centers.
Last weekend I saw a pack of winter hardy spring onions (white lisbon) for £2.99, had about a dozen onions, makes my little row on my plot worth about £70.

[Toadspawn]

Chilli peppers with about 20-25 red fruit on sale for £5.50 at Abergavenny Food Festival had sold out by the middle of the afternoon.

[northener]

You sure Robin? It was Wilkos.

[macmac]

I'm sure a lot of these places rely on people who haven't gardened before and so think there's something magical about it.A family member bought a tomato plant for £5.99 'cos she'd so enjoyed the tomatoes we'd given her, I wonder how much each tomato cost her :o But basically having worked in retail ,the price of something is often determined by what somebody (however foolish ) will give you for it  ;)

[RobinOfTheHood]

You sure Robin? It was Wilkos.

Ooh, er........ :-[  :-[


I promise never to buy tomato plants from Wilkos for a fiver then.   ;)

[Tee Gee]

I agree with Mac when she says;

I'm sure a lot of these places rely on people who haven't gardened before and so think there's something magical about it. the price of something is often determined by what somebody (however foolish ) will give you for it.

Add the word 'organic' to the sales literature and it tends to go up even more.

I think the term 'value for money' has gone out the window now a days. If you want/need something I'm afraid you have to pay.

How a few of us are counteracting the situation is to work as groups and purchase in bulk.

Most seeds merchants e.g. Suttons will give groups around 33% discount on catalogue prices for orders over £60 which by todays prices is only about 30-40 packets. so three or four people getting their heads together and buying around ten packets apiece can benefit from the discounts!

[macmac]

I had the same thought TeeGee re getting together and buying in bulk as several of us need new 8 foot canes but can't seem to find any particularly good prices.Am I looking in the wrong places ???

[Tee Gee]

need new 8 foot canes

Ah!! this is a different kettle of fish usually at best we can only get about 10% off sundries.

I guess there is a bigger mark up on seeds to cater for waste! i.e. unsold packets at the end of the season. But even here they will often sell these at half price.

I would guess anything they sell like this is a bonus...........getting as bad as the bankers isn't it!  ::)

[Geoff H]

:o But basically having worked in retail ,the price of something is often determined by what somebody (however foolish ) will give you for it  ;)

I think the people who do that show disrespect to their customers in  that they are prepared to take advantage of them. Whenever i see someone do that it makes me ever so determined not to use that company.
I sell plants and some veg through Country Markets and we are expected to ask for a fair price and not to undercut shops. I have also sold through other markets and now I have retired early intend to increase that activity. I always believe in giving good value. Not cheap but a good product at a fair price. Then people don't feel cheated and will come back again.
On the subject of seeds I think some of the seed firms are asking too much for too little. Look at how much seed you normally get in a packet of spring onion. It does not last very long. A packet of pea or bean seeds does not normally give you much of a row.

Have a look at Moles Seeds. They will sell to amateurs, the minimum order is £5 but for a little extra you get much better value for money.  I have bought  spring onion seed that will last several years, I keep the seed sealed in a refrigerater.

[artichoke]

Last weekend I saw wizened courgette plants for £1.99! As if they would ever have come to anything planted out in late September!

[macmac]

Geoff H  I completely agree with you I may have worked within th e organisation but I do not agree with it,sadly it is fact that people sell stuff to people who buy it whatever the the cost .I respect and value your integrity I only wish we could all rely on such values.

[Baccy Man]

several of us need new 8 foot canes but can't seem to find any particularly good prices.Am I looking in the wrong places ???

I would previously of reccommended NA Kays but they have just gone into administration LBS is cheap on some sundries & sometimes you can find a good deal on ebay.

[cleo]

 I always believe in giving good value. Not cheap but a good product at a fair price. Then people don't feel cheated and will come back again.

A man after my own heart-we may never become rich like Sarah or Jekka but we can sleep easy in our souls.

Mind you a few extra bob here and there would not go amiss. Why do some folk pay a fortune for stuff from GCs and even more from some `famous` people and yet think local/small scale growers are a charity??

[Geoff H]

I always believe in giving good value. Not cheap but a good product at a fair price. Then people don't feel cheated and will come back again.

A man after my own heart-we may never become rich like Sarah or Jekka but we can sleep easy in our souls.

Mind you a few extra bob here and there would not go amiss. Why do some folk pay a fortune for stuff from GCs and even more from some `famous` people and yet think local/small scale growers are a charity??

Sometimes I buy stuff off a local grower on the market. The other year he was going on about some irises he was selling in flower in a 1litre pot. He was charging £2.50 I think and he had never heard of them before. I told him I would look them up in my books and reported back to him. A few weeks later I spotted him on a huge market cum car boot where I was selling. During a break I went over and said "you know those irises here that you are charging £2.50 for, well I saw them in Homebase and do you know how much they were charging?"
"In Homebase ?" he gulped "How much?" At this all the customers were gathering round waiting for some juicy embarassment as they do, evil vultures.
"£9.90 and they did not have as many bulbs as you have"
When I walked away there seemed to be an unusual amount of interest in the pretty yellow irises and i don't think he took any home. But he is a decent, honest bloke scratching a living and is out in all weathers. When he is not growing he is selling out the back of a tatty old van.
Would rather deal with him than these garden centres that are part of a huge chain and that get most of their money out of useless non gardening tat.