Whenever I stop to think just how much effort has gone in to the raising, nurturing and production of plants in nurseries and garden centres I can't help but be amazed how inexpensive they are...
I'm like pretty well anyone else I suppose, a bargain is always welcome. Now, whenever I stop to think just how much effort has gone in to the raising, nurturing and production of plants for sale in nurseries and garden centres, I cannot help but be amazed how inexpensive they are (don't like the word 'cheap' as it seems to knock the product down a peg or six!).
No, I've not got more money than sense; it really is incredible when you start to think about the initial materials (say seed, or cuttings), the compost, the feed, the potting-on compost, the containers, in some cases the pest-sprays, the lighting and heating sometimes too. And that is not including the man-hours - probably the most unreliable, stressful and costly element in the equation!
The other day I bought some plants specifically for a step-by-step photo shoot that I was doing for my Mirror newspaper gardening column. There were lots of very reasonably priced ingredients, but what struck me as the most crazy bargain of all: A carry-pack containing six gorgeous, well-formed, compact, vigorous, perfect-looking shrubs, for planting in winter containers. It includes hollies, euonymus, variegated pieris, Choisya ternata, which look great in that sort of planting. But my point is, six fantastic plants that'll go in to several containers...and then could end up as full-sized gorgeous plants in my garden...all for just over £1.00 each. Crazily good value; I just hope whoever propagated them got a decent cut. But how could they have at that price?
P.S. Never grumble about the price of plants again - that is an order!!
