Garden centre - Seed packets rant!

 

I've just been round a few garden centres looking for veg seeds that can be
sown at this time of the year.
Frankly I'm surprised some seed merchants are still in business or are
carried by garden centres.

In the first garden centre I looked, there were literally hundreds of
packets of seeds with no visible information on the front regarding sowing
dates and harvesting dates - this was buried in text on the back of the
packets. While this may not matter if you know before hand exactly what you
want to buy, it is a real pain in the rear when you are browsing for seeds
to plant in a given month. I gave up pulling packets off the shelves to read
so went to another garden centre.

In another garden centre the display was wonderful - their seed supplier had
a clear grid on the front of every seed packet so you could tell at a glance
what can be planted in what month and what months it can be harvested.
Brilliant.
Came away with several packets. Will shop there again.

Rant over!

David.

 

On 29/6/07 16:21, in article 4685239e$0$25931$ba4acef3@news.orange.fr,


Gentle hint - did you tell both of them?  The first one won't improve
without feedback!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
(remove weeds from address)

 



Are you going to tell us which the second was?

Mary

 


I didn't mention specific names as the garden centres in question are
French, though I've had similar problems in the past in the UK. At "Pointe
Verte" every seed packet had a clear month grid on the front so it was a
doddle browsing for what I can sow now. I didn't even need to take them off
the shelf to determine if they were suitable. It is very frustrating pulling
seed packets off the racks, one after another, reading the back and wading
through the French equivalent of "blah blah blah sow March to April blah
blah blah". Grrr!

While I'm in ranting mood, the other thing that rattles my cage is items
with no prices on them. Many garden centres are sloppy or hap-hazard in this
respect. If a plant really interests me then I'll track down a member of
staff or take the plant to the cash desk to find out. However, if the plant
is only of "half interest" i.e. a possible impulse buy, then no price tag
usually means no sale as it is usually too much trouble to find out the
price.

And another thing... (going for it today)... why do some garden centres
still leave dead plants on display? It doesn't inspire confidence. It is one
thing putting up plants for discount sale which have finished flowering for
this season or past their best or which are just in need of a little TLC,
repotting etc. But leaving dead plants on sale is another thing.
I often joke to Mrs that some garden centres need a big sign saying "Dead
plants - Half price!"

David. Feeling much better now! :-)

 



Ah, I see, thanks.


It would be.

I thought that was illegal according to the EU. I could be wrong, it has
been known ;-)


I've never seen any - but I've never been to a French plant centre. Or a
French anything, come to that.


You should suggest that they offer them free.


Good :-)

Mary