It's a nursery I have a love/hate relationship with. I love the plants, the display gardens, and have always had great interactions with the staff. The lone negative for me was the day I witnessed the owner berate his staff for not hounding the shoppers, in front of those very shoppers. Never mind they'd just touched base with us all multiple times and were nearby if we needed anything. I was so disgusted I emailed him to voice my objection. Of course he wasn't having it. He knew better, what this customer thought wasn't important.
Since that visit I hadn't returned, I'm not sure why I finally did, other than I needed to stretch my legs and collect my thoughts before starting on the long solo-drive home. I didn't intend to take photos, but habits are hard to break and the camera came out.
I was surprised to see a large selection of mangaves (manfreda/agave hybrids), especially since friends in California have had such a hard time finding these plants. Mangave 'Pineapple Express'
Mangave 'Inkblot'
Mangave 'Man of Steel'
Mangave 'Mission to Mars'
Agave stricta f. nana, with great color!
I guess why I finally decided to share these images is that the nursery is for sale. On their website it says: "The nursery is in full color now, the plants are in their prime. The nursery is also for sale if you have wanted to own a nursery and have adequate funds." Hmm, "adequate funds"...what does that even mean? Sounds like code for "we're asking more than we should"... doesn't it? Or maybe "don't waste my time if you don't have enough zeros"...I do hope someone buys it though. It's a beautiful location and really serves a need in the Spokane area.
Verbascum and opuntia, that's a nice paring.
Echinocereus coccineus about to burst into bloom, I guess I should mention this visit was in May.
Looks like there were about to be lots of opuntia flowers as well.
The verbascum must be taking a year off.
Hmmm, what are these I wonder?
Anyone able to identify?
Cylindropuntia whipplei ‘Snow Leopard’ I believe, on the right,
So beautiful!
Looking back towards the greenhouses.
Yucca nana?
Dasylirion something? Xanthorrhoea?
There's a home on the nursery grounds. I assume it could also be yours, with adequate funds.
Hopefully you'd get these charming agaves too...(yes, I believe the bottom one is a mangave)
Agave victoriae-reginae
The large pot of flowering plants looks out of place. Put an agave in there!
There's even a nice cylindropuntia...
I've always thought this sign overstated what it was showing off.
Maybe there was more back in the day?
And could be again?
Weather Diary, Sept 4: Hi 81, Low 65/ Precip 0
All material © 2009-2019 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
The owner of this nursery may be related to the jerk from The Oregon Association of Nurseries... in a word: a bully. On your next visit to Spokane you'll have to do a drive by: maybe by then the nursery will have a gentler owner, with enough funds.
ReplyDeleteAgave victoriae-reginae is kind of perfect!
Ha, good point. They have a similar philosophy.
DeleteIt looks like an Argemone mexicana, Mexican poppy. I have some on my hellstrip and they just keep going!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI was going to suggest Argemone pleiacantha. You might have to go back and see if the flowers are yellow or white!
Deleteyou show a pic of large grey leaves asking what this might be...looks like Verbascum Bombyciferum "Arctic Summer" which is for sale now at the great online nursery: Annies Annuals and Perennials
ReplyDeletehttp://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/view/?id=1085
Thanks, but actually I called out the verbascum, I was asking about the thin, sort of prickly looking leaves. I think "Unknown" above answered my question: Argemone mexicana.
DeleteInteresting. Customer relations in retail outlets requires a subtle finesse many fail to achieve. Personally, hounding customers instantly puts me off and has me wanting to flee, a reaction I experienced yet again a few days ago at a lighting store. One approach is fine but approaches every few minutes makes me feel I'm being treated as a suspicious character or, worse yet, being pressured to make a decision I'm not ready for. This nursery owner doesn't understand the dynamic and clearly didn't trust his people's ability to make judgments. (And, as a former HR professional, I hold that publicly berating staff in front of others is NEVER a good idea on any level.) I hope he sells to someone with a better aptitude for customer - and employee - relations. For kicks, I tried to find a listing for the property but neither Redfin nor Realtor.com had an open listing - maybe he's pursuing a sale-by-owner, thinking he knows best there too.
ReplyDeleteMangaves are still hard to find here. I just placed another order by mail, this one thankfully involving a less onerous shipping fee.
My parents were with me on that visit, and they were getting annoyed about the staff being too present, so yes...that is a real problem. And I agree, never, EVER, have a discussion like that in front of others. Just basic HR that any boss should know. I heard rumors of a million...
DeleteI'm with Kris. No matter what the issue, never take it up in front of customers. Hope new ownership does happen; it looks like a place Spokane gardeners surely would miss.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed someone will want to keep the dream alive.
DeleteThink the Mexican poppy ID is probably correct, but the rosette also reminds me of cirsium occidentale (a thistle I've tried to grow multiple times without success).
ReplyDeleteCirsium occidentale is one of those plants I'm forever admiring in other people's gardens and thinking that I should try in mine.
DeleteThat purple and green agave next to the mis-planted flowers is way cool. I feel badly for the employees. They're probably too young (or desperate) to tell the boss to F off.
ReplyDeleteThat guy is a mangave, but I can't say for sure which one.
DeleteEven if I had enough money I don't think I'd want to own a nursery. Being a business owner that depended on interacting with members of the public to keep the business going would be just about my worst nightmare. It sounds rather like the current owner isn't particularly well suited to it either. I do love propagating plants, but actually having to sell plants every day sounds like a lot of no fun.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest issue would be the weather. Some that you have absolutely no control over that has such a huge effect on your business.
DeleteAdequate funds is a given when buying a business. The fact he said that is another sign of his cranky personality. A nursery may be selling plants but it is a people business. If you are not going to be open and friendly, you are going to fail.
ReplyDeleteYes! That's it exactly. Adequate funds is a given when buying a business!
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