News:
Burpee bought Heronswood in 2000. Yesterday they shut the nursery down.
This makes me so angry. I may not buy from Burpee again.
They didn't even announce that they'd close, to let folks get in and grab the plants they'd been meaning to buy.
"We tried for six years and it just wasn't profitable..."
Corporations. It's not profit until it overflows the coffer, and introducing the new and unique is just not 'profitable.' What a sad day.
The president of Burpee (G Ball) irks me enough that I didn't buy from Burpee this year. Did you read his March, '06, Op-ed in the NYTimes (entitled Border War)? I'm sure Heronswood was caught up in the exotic plant vs native plant political scene. It is an interesting plight these days and if it is all about profit rather than learning about all the various plants, I am not surprised Heronswood is gone.
Posted by: Judith | June 02, 2006 at 10:25 AM
Nope, I didn't see that. I wonder if I can find it online...
Posted by: jenn | June 05, 2006 at 08:04 PM
That is so awful! I swear sometimes big corps just don't get it.
What's worse is that Burpee is keeping the Heronswood name and many people who are not up on the news may not even know the company exists only in name anymore. :(
Posted by: Hanna in Cleveland | June 06, 2006 at 09:31 PM