The folks at Red Barn say they have never heard of a Silverado Sage
growing beyond its 4x4 size. They said that when I bought these plants
(3-4 years ago) that Silverado was a brand new cultivar, and may not
have been very pure. Also, the same distributor that brings them
Silverado handles other full sized varieties, so mislabeling is a
definite possibility.

They've offered to "swap" me out for new plants. I told them I didn't
still have my original receipt, but I did still have the (1 gal)
containers. So they offered to give me 4 new 1 gallon plants. I told
them I was a little disappointed to have to start over with such a small
plant, and they said they'd credit the price of the 1 gal plants against
3 gal plants if I would rather do that.

The only big issue is that I have to bring them the old plants to swap
with. These things are way too big for me to dig out and transplant in
such a way that they'd survive. But they said it doesn't matter, just
yank them out (and let them die) -- they just need something to use for
proof of exchange... Seems like an awful waste...


scott

On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 20:22:57 GMT, c (Scott
Harper) wrote:


The only big issue is that I have to bring them the old plants to swap
with. These things are way too big for me to dig out and transplant in
such a way that they'd survive. But they said it doesn't matter, just
yank them out (and let them die) -- they just need something to use for
proof of exchange... Seems like an awful waste...

scott

Scott,

You can kill something that's already growing in your yard, and which
you can trim to the size you want, or you can give up the time and
effort you already invested in the original plants so you can start
over, and hope the new plants turn out differently.

Is that the way you see it?

David

In article , David Wright wrote:
On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 20:22:57 GMT, c (Scott
Harper) wrote:


The only big issue is that I have to bring them the old plants to swap
with. These things are way too big for me to dig out and transplant in
such a way that they'd survive. But they said it doesn't matter, just
yank them out (and let them die) -- they just need something to use for
proof of exchange... Seems like an awful waste...

scott

Scott,

You can kill something that's already growing in your yard, and which
you can trim to the size you want, or you can give up the time and
effort you already invested in the original plants so you can start
over, and hope the new plants turn out differently.

Is that the way you see it?

Yeah, what's your point?


scott

On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 22:00:01 GMT, c (Scott
Harper) wrote:

In article , David Wright wrote:
On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 20:22:57 GMT, c (Scott
Harper) wrote:

You can kill something that's already growing in your yard, and which
you can trim to the size you want, or you can give up the time and
effort you already invested in the original plants so you can start
over, and hope the new plants turn out differently.

Is that the way you see it?

Yeah, what's your point?

scott

It's your decision about your yard, not ours.

David

In article , David Wright wrote:
On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 22:00:01 GMT, c (Scott
Harper) wrote:

In article , David Wright
wrote:
On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 20:22:57 GMT, c (Scott
Harper) wrote:

You can kill something that's already growing in your yard, and which
you can trim to the size you want, or you can give up the time and
effort you already invested in the original plants so you can start
over, and hope the new plants turn out differently.

Is that the way you see it?

Yeah, what's your point?

scott

It's your decision about your yard, not ours.

Actually, other people in this newsgroup asked me to let them know what
happened after I talked to Red Barn.


scott

Xref: 127.0.0.1 austin.gardening:21868

On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 22:18:27 GMT, c (Scott
Harper) wrote:


Actually, other people in this newsgroup asked me to let them know what
happened after I talked to Red Barn.
scott

It's still your decision. Will you let us know?

David

In article , David Wright wrote:
On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 22:18:27 GMT, c (Scott
Harper) wrote:


Actually, other people in this newsgroup asked me to let them know what
happened after I talked to Red Barn.
scott

It's still your decision. Will you let us know?

Nah, wouldn't want to waste your precious time.


scott

Xref: 127.0.0.1 austin.gardening:21868

On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 22:18:27 GMT, c (Scott
Harper) wrote:


Actually, other people in this newsgroup asked me to let them know what
happened after I talked to Red Barn.
scott

It's still your decision. Will you let us know?

David

In article , David Wright wrote:
On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 22:18:27 GMT, c (Scott
Harper) wrote:


Actually, other people in this newsgroup asked me to let them know what
happened after I talked to Red Barn.
scott

It's still your decision. Will you let us know?

Nah, wouldn't want to waste your precious time.


scott

On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 22:33:20 GMT, c (Scott
Harper) wrote:

In article , David Wright wrote:
On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 22:18:27 GMT, c (Scott
Harper) wrote:
Actually, other people in this newsgroup asked me to let them know what
happened after I talked to Red Barn.
scott

It's still your decision. Will you let us know?

Nah, wouldn't want to waste your precious time.

scott

I'd really like to read any appropriate responses. My time is my own.

David

It would be a lot better for you and the plants if you could manage to wait till
the fall. It does seem such a waste. Maybe then, you can mention it here again
and either another person or people would be interested in paying what you'd pay
for plants of that size so you can replace them with larger plants.

I find it pretty cheesy of Red Barn to pass the buck to the vendor. In the
fall, I'd be interested in the plants, as would others, I'm sure.


That way you get help to grunt them out, they survive, you get a bit more than
just replacement with baby plants.

V


On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 20:22:57 GMT, c (Scott Harper) wrote:

The folks at Red Barn say they have never heard of a Silverado Sage
growing beyond its 4x4 size. They said that when I bought these plants
(3-4 years ago) that Silverado was a brand new cultivar, and may not
have been very pure. Also, the same distributor that brings them
Silverado handles other full sized varieties, so mislabeling is a
definite possibility.

They've offered to "swap" me out for new plants. I told them I didn't
still have my original receipt, but I did still have the (1 gal)
containers. So they offered to give me 4 new 1 gallon plants. I told
them I was a little disappointed to have to start over with such a small
plant, and they said they'd credit the price of the 1 gal plants against
3 gal plants if I would rather do that.

The only big issue is that I have to bring them the old plants to swap
with. These things are way too big for me to dig out and transplant in
such a way that they'd survive. But they said it doesn't matter, just
yank them out (and let them die) -- they just need something to use for
proof of exchange... Seems like an awful waste...


scott

On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 22:18:27 GMT, c (Scott Harper) wrote:

Actually, other people in this newsgroup asked me to let them know what
happened after I talked to Red Barn.


scott

Yes, and I'm glad you reported back. People, many of us here, invest a lot of
money in the local garden centers. I for one would like to hear anything like
this so I'm an informed consumer and prepared to ask for the guarantee that this
or that plant is indeed what it's labeled to be.

I think Red Barn can do much better than to tell you what they did. As a
result, they may have lost me as a customer. No sweat off my nose. There are
a ton of excellent garden centers in our area.

Thanks for reporting,

Victoria

In article , wrote:
It would be a lot better for you and the plants if you could manage to wait
till
the fall. It does seem such a waste. Maybe then, you can mention it here
again
and either another person or people would be interested in paying what you'd
pay
for plants of that size so you can replace them with larger plants.

I find it pretty cheesy of Red Barn to pass the buck to the vendor. In the
fall, I'd be interested in the plants, as would others, I'm sure.


That way you get help to grunt them out, they survive, you get a bit more than
just replacement with baby plants.

V

I'll consider it... My fall weekends tend to get awfully busy, and I've
also noticed that the selection of replacements at the nurseries tends
to get pretty thin. In fact, Red Barn already has everything on
clearance now...


scott

On Wed, 09 Jul 2003 14:25:32 GMT, c (Scott Harper) wrote:


I'll consider it... My fall weekends tend to get awfully busy, and I've
also noticed that the selection of replacements at the nurseries tends
to get pretty thin. In fact, Red Barn already has everything on
clearance now...


scott

UH DID YOU HAVE TO TELL ME THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?

Okay, repeating to myself...

I don't need any more plants
I don't need any more plants
I don't need any more plants
I don't need any more plants
I don't need any more plants
I don't need any more plants
I don't need any more plants
I don't need any more plants
I don't need any more plants
I don't need any more plants

And anyway, I'm mad at how they handled your situation. That's how I'll justify
not going there. I refuse, refuse, refuse.

But, has anyone seen the great section at Lowes where they mark down perfectly
good plants, but which are no longer in color and not saleable because most
people with no knowledge will not buy it if it doesn't have a flower?

Last week for about 10 dollars I bought:

Quart containers:

3 Rudbeckia 'Becky'
3 Verbena "Homestead
3 Yarrow forget the variety

Gallon containers:


3 Salvia 'East Friesland'
3 Perennial cosmos
3 Coreopsis

I'm helpless...

Howdy folks,
In regards to the Sage mix up: Retail outlets are only as
dependable as their wholesale vendors. What seperates a reliable
Nursery from one that sells mislabeled plants, is the care with which
they chose and oversee the vendors stock. I had a lot of problems with
one major supplier of six packs who would stick 'Ichiban Eggplant'
tags in Italian standard eggplants on a regular basis. That was an
easy one to catch because the Ichiban have a dark vein in their leaves
that the Italian did not. Whether that was unintentional or they were
simply filling orders. I don't know, but I learned to stay away from
them.
If there are any folks who work in retail on the list, or run
landscaping businesses, I'm going to shamelessly plug two growers of
who I think are the best wholesale operations in Central Texas:
Gabriel Valley Farms up in Georgetown owned by Sam and Cathy
Slaughter, who I've dealt with for some years and are meticulous in
their controls and getting out good product. The second is Greenman,
out near New Sweden. ( Neither do retail sales, they are Business to
Business enterprises.)
The common denominator between Greenman and Gabriel Valley is they
are serious plant people who make sure they grow good stock, they know
their plants and make sure they are accurately labeled.

As far as plant height descriptions, I'm a lot more comfortable
when a range of possible heights are given. It's unrealistic with
plants, given genetic variability of seeds and more importantly with
asexually propagated plants, variability in conditions, to expect them
to grow to a uniform height designated by a single measurement.

take care,
Steve Coyle
www.austingardencenter.com