Comments on: The Two Year Move http://www.heronswoodvoice.com/2008/10/the-two-year-move/ Heronswood Voice – A web log written by George Ball Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:50:49 -0800 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: George http://www.heronswoodvoice.com/2008/10/the-two-year-move/#comment-10801 George Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:19:46 +0000 http://www.heronswoodvoice.com/?p=307#comment-10801 <p>Dear Frances </p> <p>Thanks very much. Many lies were spread on the Internet. The garden was neither sold nor closed. <a href="http://www.heronswoodvoice.com/2008/01/blog-for-the-perplexed/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Blog For The Perplexed</a>, about two scroll levels down will inform and entertain you, I hope. As Horace said, "Tell the truth laughing." </p> <p>The garden is tended lovingly by Allen Hansen and an assistant, both part time. The actual garden is only five acres. The nursery took much effort as well as water. Much of the stock was bought in, grown and resold. Dan's trips are what they are. He is copying his formula for Monrovia now, at the precise moment the non compete terminates. We paid a premium, and employed him for over five years. Then ran the nursery as is for six years. When we moved the "plants in pots" nursery, we almost got tied to Burning Man. An episode behind us, but not behind many garden writers, alas. </p> <p>Thanks again for your interest and best of luck in your garden. (My mother was from Ware Shoals, S.C.) </p> <p>George Ball</p> Dear Frances

Thanks very much. Many lies were spread on the Internet. The garden was neither sold nor closed. Blog For The Perplexed, about two scroll levels down will inform and entertain you, I hope. As Horace said, "Tell the truth laughing."

The garden is tended lovingly by Allen Hansen and an assistant, both part time.
The actual garden is only five acres. The nursery took much effort as well as water.
Much of the stock was bought in, grown and resold. Dan’s trips are what they are. He is copying his formula for Monrovia now, at the precise moment the non compete terminates. We paid a premium, and employed him for over five years. Then ran the nursery as is for six years.
When we moved the "plants in pots" nursery, we almost got tied to Burning Man. An episode behind us, but not behind many garden writers, alas.

Thanks again for your interest and best of luck in your garden.
(My mother was from Ware Shoals, S.C.)

George Ball

]]> By: Frances http://www.heronswoodvoice.com/2008/10/the-two-year-move/#comment-10793 Frances Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:15:59 +0000 http://www.heronswoodvoice.com/?p=307#comment-10793 Hello George, I came here to read your side of the story from Zanthan Gardens blog where you responded to my negatives comments about the whole Heronswood thing. I respect your point of view. It is true then, that the display gardens in Washington are still for sale, the public garden planned by the friends did not work out as yet? It is sad that the business could not thrive to your expectations in that location. I still wish it were otherwise. Many many of the plants that were mail ordered from there are alive and well in my southeast TN garden. Not the same conditions as either PA or WA with drought, heat and cold winters with no snow cover. Plants have to be tough to thrive, and only those that thrive with little care get to be in the garden. In fairness, I do subscribe to Dan Hinkley's travelogue which expresses his point of view on the whole matter. He and his writing are what attracted me to make purchases from Heronswood in the first place, from the non color no photo catalog. What I get from reading your side of the story is that you treated the employees more than fairly and moved or sold all the stock. Who is taking care of the display gardens now? My wish is for those gardens to be sold or donated for the public to enjoy and be maintained by volunteers like many older gardens across the country. I do buy your seeds from big box stores. Frances Hello George, I came here to read your side of the story from Zanthan Gardens blog where you responded to my negatives comments about the whole Heronswood thing. I respect your point of view. It is true then, that the display gardens in Washington are still for sale, the public garden planned by the friends did not work out as yet? It is sad that the business could not thrive to your expectations in that location. I still wish it were otherwise. Many many of the plants that were mail ordered from there are alive and well in my southeast TN garden. Not the same conditions as either PA or WA with drought, heat and cold winters with no snow cover. Plants have to be tough to thrive, and only those that thrive with little care get to be in the garden. In fairness, I do subscribe to Dan Hinkley’s travelogue which expresses his point of view on the whole matter. He and his writing are what attracted me to make purchases from Heronswood in the first place, from the non color no photo catalog. What I get from reading your side of the story is that you treated the employees more than fairly and moved or sold all the stock. Who is taking care of the display gardens now? My wish is for those gardens to be sold or donated for the public to enjoy and be maintained by volunteers like many older gardens across the country. I do buy your seeds from big box stores.
Frances

]]> By: teza http://www.heronswoodvoice.com/2008/10/the-two-year-move/#comment-9329 teza Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:49:58 +0000 http://www.heronswoodvoice.com/?p=307#comment-9329 You make everything crystal clear with your comment that you, 'come from the commercial nursery industry and not the world of connoisseur plant collectors!' Resistance is futile. I only hope that somewhere out there is someone or a group of people who will understand the passion that we 'connoisseur plant collectors' hold true to our hearts, and that the great Kingston display gardens can be rescued and revitalized to their former glory. Thanks for clarifying things for me! You make everything crystal clear with your comment that you, ‘come from the commercial nursery industry and not the world of connoisseur plant collectors!’ Resistance is futile. I only hope that somewhere out there is someone or a group of people who will understand the passion that we ‘connoisseur plant collectors’ hold true to our hearts, and that the great Kingston display gardens can be rescued and revitalized to their former glory. Thanks for clarifying things for me!

]]> By: James Golden http://www.heronswoodvoice.com/2008/10/the-two-year-move/#comment-511 James Golden Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:58:35 +0000 http://www.heronswoodvoice.com/?p=307#comment-511 I too was one of those very disappointed about what I considered the "loss" of Heronswood to big business. Your history of the process helps me understand there is no one to blame. Change is necessary. I live nearby and look forward to visiting on some of your open days in the future. I too was one of those very disappointed about what I considered the “loss” of Heronswood to big business. Your history of the process helps me understand there is no one to blame. Change is necessary. I live nearby and look forward to visiting on some of your open days in the future.

]]> By: George http://www.heronswoodvoice.com/2008/10/the-two-year-move/#comment-422 George Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:32:44 +0000 http://www.heronswoodvoice.com/?p=307#comment-422 Thank you Mary, I appreciate your continued patronage of Heronswood Nursery and your candor on the difficult moves the nursery had to make. Thank you Mary,

I appreciate your continued patronage of Heronswood Nursery and your candor on the difficult moves the nursery had to make.

]]> By: Mary H. http://www.heronswoodvoice.com/2008/10/the-two-year-move/#comment-403 Mary H. Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:54:14 +0000 http://www.heronswoodvoice.com/?p=307#comment-403 Thank you for this insight. I, too, was one of those who felt "sold out" when Heronswood was sold to a "large and impersonable" company. I am glad to understand and feel comfortable about "losing" Heronswood. Things change and time marches on. Your newsletters are great. I look forward to them each month. I like feeling I am doing business with a friend and a person who is passionate about plants, gardening and the people who make it all happen. Thank you for your letters. I love to feel the sharing of a kindred spirit and passion. Mary H. Thank you for this insight. I, too, was one of those who felt “sold out” when Heronswood was sold to a “large and impersonable” company. I am glad to understand and feel comfortable about “losing” Heronswood. Things change and time marches on.

Your newsletters are great. I look forward to them each month. I like feeling I am doing business with a friend and a person who is passionate about plants, gardening and the people who make it all happen. Thank you for your letters. I love to feel the sharing of a kindred spirit and passion.

Mary H.

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