McCorkle's sale Sept 22-23

I just got the email I have been waiting for; McCorkle's in Dearing IS having their fall plant sale!! I started whooping and jumping up and down and DH was laughing at me. He said I can't buy another plant until I plant everything I have already. Here I go, heading out the door to the garden. Talk about motivation!

Never heard of McCorkle's but I'm about to learn. Off to watchdog here I come.

Deborah

Deborah,

McCorkle's is a local wholesale nursery in Dearing (between Augusta and Thomson) that has a "public" sale once or twice a year. Since they don't sell to the public except for those times, I'm not sure they would be in the watchdog files. They started the Center for Applied Nursery Research with UGA - http://www.canr.org. Pretty cool stuff. The sale I went to in June was in a huge field, where trucks kept bringing loads and loads of plants. I didn't get there until late in the afternoon of the last day, and there was still plenty to choose from. I got a Tea Olive, 6 Gardenias, 6 azaleas, a lavender Crape Myrtle, several .99 cent reblooming daylilies, and 2 Endless Summer Hydrangeas - I think that was all, for about $55. I would have gotten more, but all this had to fit in my car, as my son had our little pickup that weekend. Also, I didn't know how it all worked; this time I know better and will take a wagon or wheelbarrow to pick out my plants.

I asked them in June if they were planning a fall sale, and they said they wouldn't know until closer to the end of the retail season. She told me that if they didn't have enough left over for a really good sale, they wouldn't have one because their customers would be disappointed. (They are pretty far from anywhere, so it's not like going to Wal-Mart) and they would not want folks to drive all that way and not be able to get what they came for. I hope you decide to come, I don't think you will be dissapointed.

Keep us posted on the exact date of their fall sale.

Oops, I really am an idiot. I got so excited I forgot to tell you when it is going to be!

Here's a copy of the email, complete with contact info, etc., so I don't forget anything else.


Dear Valued Customer,

Thank you for your interest in the McCorkle Nurseries Giant Plant Sale. We open our doors to the public twice per year offering thousands of discounted plants. We are unable to provide a complete list of available plants, however, at previous sales we have offered such plants as azaleas, hollies, boxwoods, junipers, ligustrum & crapemyrtles in 1-15 gallon sizes.

The information for the upcoming sale is:

DATES/TIMES/DETAILS
Fall Giant Plant Sale
Sept 22-23, 2006

Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 8am - 4pm

First come - first served. All sales are final / No refunds, no returns.

Plants must be picked up at time of purchase.

All orders are self-loading. Remember to bring your carts or wagons!

Cash, Check or Visa/Mastercard is accepted.

For more information, call: (706) 595-6052

LOCATION/DIRECTIONS
McCorkle Nurseries, Neals Mill Farm
5936 Neals Mill Road, Dearing, GA 30808

The Giant Plant Sale will be held at our Neals Mill Farm. (5936 Neals Mill Road, Dearing, GA 30808). Entrance located on Mattie Harrison Road, between Neals Mill Road and Luckey's Bridge Road.

If you can't make this one, please look for our products at your local garden center.

We look forward to seeing you there!
McCorkle Nurseries Inc. Customer Service

Please Note: You are receiving this e-mail because you have previously signed up and provided your email address to McCorkle Nurseries, Inc. to be a part of our Giant Plant Sale customer notifications. If you no longer wish to be on our mailing list, please reply to this email with 'Opt-out' in the Subject line.
McCorkle Nurseries, Inc.
CustomerService@McCorkleNurseries.com

Eagerly await the McCorkles sales - couldn't go in the spring because I was away, but a kind friend picked up several items for me that were good picks. It's best to go with others - you put aside your picks in an area while you look for more - and there are unscrupled people who sometimes take from your hoard, so one person can stand by and watch.

Oh! It's that frenzy ugh? I gotta go. My hubby can be my watch dog.

Thanks for the post! I'm certainly thinking about it.. Is it really thousands of plants and is it really worth it to come from the Altanta area? It's almost 2- 2.5 hours from here.

I also have a load of stuff just begging to be planted! :)

Susan

It's plants as far as the eye can see. I don't think you can expect to find really exotic varieties, but if you need foundation plantings or the normal things like crape myrtles, azaleas, (I was disappointed that they didn't have any Encore, though) gardenias, roses, camellias, boxwoods, hydrangeas, and lots of others that I can't remember right now. They had some interesting ornamental grasses, too. I might try some of those this time. A lot of what you would probably call landscaping plants. and some specimen plants as well. I did hear a lady in June that was upset because she drove a long distance and they had no lantana. That was the only thing she wanted, so understandably she left unhappy. If you have a "New" yard, like me, with wide open possibilities and a long wish list, you can certainly find SOMETHING you want, and the prices are great. The staff was very knowledgeable and helpful as well.

My experience - prices are good (I would guess about half-price, or less, of a retailer) and yes, there are a lot of plants. However, they can be very pot-bound, and you do have to check that they are suitable for your area. My travel time is about 40 minutes, so it is worth it for me, but I don't know if I would travel two hours or more unless I was going with friends to enjoy a day-out. Apart from time, you have to add in the cost of your gas.

I need the outing. Unless my son has a fall ball game, maybe Beth would like to come. Beth, are you reading this?
I'll check my schedule. I would only be interested in Encore azaleas, but I would like to see what they have in crape myrtles varieties.

They may not have the Encores, those are patented by Flowerwood Nurseries, one of their big competitors

They should have several varieties of crape myrtles, though- each of the big southern growers has some "tried and true" that they grow and usually a few experimental ones

Artgal is right, usually when a wholesale nursery does this kind of sale ( I wish the ones around here did!) it's kind of like their garage sale- plants they want off the property. The great news is that many won't necessarily be "landscape quality" or potbound, but perhaps something that they grew too many of, changed their minds on, etc. The window for change in the wholesale nursery industry is kind of like driving a big semi- there are no quick turns or stops!

plantnutga

They don't have Encores, but they have something called a Bloom 'N Again® Hybrid - don't know that they will have any when we get there, though!

Thanks for the info!! I'm very tempted... but goodness, i have so much to plant here ! :)

Going outside to work!

Susan