I was recently interviewed by a magazine reporter who decided not to publish the results. We thought our blog readers would find it interesting.

Q: Briefly describe the thought process that went into the closing of thenursery. Why was it done so abruptly?

A: The nursery has been moved to Pennsylvania. It hasn’t closed. Only the display garden is closing for the moment; we hope to find an enlightened buyer who will preserve the remarkable 4-acre collection of specimen perennials, shrubs and trees.

After trying for many years to make the operation in Kingston profitable, Burpee realized new marketing strategies must be implemented or failure was a certainty. New ideas were gradually introduced several years after the nursery was purchased in 2000, in an effort to preserve the Heronswood that many came to love.

After careful consideration, and several attempts to make things work without change, Burpee realized that Heronswood would have a chance for survival only if the nursery was relocated closer to the mainstream U.S. gardeners, and in a climate better suited to plants being developed for a national customer base—not only for the Northwest. I felt a brief announcement would be less painful and more dignified for the family of Heronswood staffers than to close it slowly. I know that is the correct decision.

Q: Northwest gardeners held Heronswood in very high esteem, speaking of it as unique and irreplaceable. What message would you like to give the region’s gardeners now that Heronswood is gone? How many of the nursery’s plant selections will continue to be available?

A: Let me say again: Heronswood is not “gone” – it is relocating to a more efficient site. The website is actually being improved periodically. In the late fall—as usual—our new catalog will arrive in the homes of our esteemed customers in the Pacific Northwest as elsewhere. We hope that gardeners in the region will continue to use Heronswood to find “unusually great” plant collections. We shall continue with as many varieties as we can. We’re currently in full production of almost 1,000 cultivars.

Additionally, Burpee wants Northwest gardeners to know the company is committed to maintaining the same quality of irreplaceable uniqueness in the plants Heronswood offers, and plans to ensure this by setting forth a team of plant explorers, led by the veteran collector Simon Crawford, armed with the expertise to search and find rare plants from around the world.

Our parent company, Burpee, has a 135-year-old tradition of introducing some of the most important plants in our country’s history – from the Big Boy tomato and the first white marigold to the first yellow impatiens and first red sweet corn. We are deeply saddened for any ill feelings caused by the relocation of the nursery. We ask Northwest gardeners to understand that the move was necessary for the nursery’s survival. Burpee would also like to let Northwest gardeners know that it is our hope that the move will allow gardeners nationwide to successfully grow and nurture these extraordinary plants.

Q: I’ve heard all sorts of things about the future of the property — that a foundation may buy it and turn it into a public garden, that many of the plants (not just nursery stock but garden plants) are going to be moved east, that it may be developed as condos. What actually is going on with the property right now? What would be the ideal fate of Heronswood, from your point of view?

A: These are rumors and speculations. Actually, much has been distorted by the “condo” remark. We shall take our time to find the right buyer. We offered it back to the founders in 2003, but they were no longer interested. It is our desire and intent to sell the property to an individual or group that truly appreciates and values Heronswood Garden as the great horticulture treasure that it is.

Q: With all these changes taking place in the garden and the nursery, what do you expect to offer your customers for the coming year?

A: We have been concentrating a lot on hellebores. In 2008—which means late calendar 2007—we shall introduce about a half-dozen brand new hellebores with color combinations never seen before, including a green with purple spots as well as a black. We have also over two dozen new cultivars of a wide range of species. All are on the cutting edge of our customers’ tastes and desires. For example, we offer a new bicolor buddleia, a terrific orange begonia as well as our new orange dahlia.

Also, we shall continue to provide an enchanting garden experience for our customers at Fordhook Farm. It is a special location, sort of like eating a ripe fig, in contrast to the more enclosed and, of course, smaller display gardens in Washington. As I said earlier, we shall still try to make sure the original display gardens in Kingston are eventually passed on to the right people, meaning folks who love the place. But, for at least a year more, we shall develop and improve both display gardens—Heronswood Gardens in the west and its sister location and now our new research headquarters at Fordhook Farm in Doylestown.

Q: Please comment on Dan Hinkley’s influence and presence in the horticulture world as explorer and introducer of new plants. What are some of Dan’s introductions that you have been most struck by? Briefly describe your working relationship. Have you had much contact with him after the closing of Heronswood? What is the current state of your relationship with Dan?

A: Although Dan’s lectures resulted in surprisingly low sales, he enjoyed great publicity during the time he was with us. His knowledge of taxonomy is extraordinarily vast and erudite. I have no favorites among his introductions, because most of them didn’t survive in Pennsylvania. Horticulture is really all about testing. I suppose he’ll be best known for the Heronswood Hellebore series that we introduced last year. Or his lovely Corydalis, ‘Blue Heron’. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make the transition to the east coast. I wish him well.

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