Hi,
Saw this @ http://www.terranovanurseries.com/wholesale/ Anyone know if any online retailers are selling this?
Thank you
Echinacea "Tiki Torch"
I doubt it...TN's site says this plant is PPAF PVR, which means "plant patent applied for" or "patent pending and applied for" and "plant variety rights".
They are however a wholesale company, so some one has to purchase them to resell.
Terra Nova is the hybridizer, not really a wholesaler. They will sell the plugs to wholesalers to grow this year and they will sell to retailers next year basically. ****sort of recalling School House Rock - How a Bill Becomes A Law ;)** So maybe you will be able to find it next year, but that's iffy. I have been watching "Green Envy" for over a year now that finally has a retailer. I love Terra Nova plants, they are distubted not quite as well as Big Sky or ChiBot. Schroeder's in Green Bay is great for coneflowers. They had Mars and Hope there for new Nerra Nova's last year. I am crossing my fingers they get Fancy Frills this year - it's been out for 3+ years now. I was unimpressed with Sundown as a orange echinacea as it looses the orange color and fades to purple quickly for me and the flower shape is inconsistent. So maybe TN has a better version of one.
Al, Terra Nova is absolutely a wholesaler. They are also hybridizers, . But I purchase from them every year. I can get my items the same year the re-wholesalers (for ex. Walters Gardens) do. I buy the plugs just like the re-wholesalers do. So, while you are certainly right about them selling to wholesalers, it's not the whole picture. :)
I just checked the Terra Nova website, and they have Tiki Torch for spring. And it's at a reasonable price. So I would expect to see it in the stores this fall, in small pots.
Polly - I assuming you have to be a member with them and to buy wholesale amounts? I didn't get in to see prices or amounts on the site.
The faq on the website says they will sell to anyone who purchases the minimum amount. That amount is a flat of 72 plugs, each half (36) can be a different plant for an extra 35 cents per plug. Not sure I need that many :*) They do have some nice plants though. Al is Schroeder's like a Steins?
I rarely buy plants at Stein's. They usually run years behind new varieties. Schroeder's is connected with Northern Selections which is a wholesale grower in GB - might be the same company I don't know. They also sell plants to Ace and Krueger's - I entered them in Go Gardening. Stein's is great for dahlia tubers in mid April(hint). Schroeder's in on Webster in Green Bay, PITA to park IMO. Last year I bought Pixie Meadowbright there in a 6" pot for $8 - in it's first year for sale BTW. Mayflower in GB is good to, but not the selection. I bought Sparkler there - the only place I've seen it locally(50 mile radius)
I'll have to make a Spring drive up there. About when is their peak plant availability time? I do concur on Sundown, many missing pedals :*( I may try Sunset? instead.
I would think by late April or early May. I stop by there once a month or so. They do get some sales. They also have the Plantspotter's line. For coneflowers around here it is the #1 spot. Terra Nova plants are still rare around here though,
Al, you do have to buy wholesale amounts from Terra Nova. Apparently you can buy from them if you are not in the plant business. Not to be snooty, but I don't think the average gardener is equiped to handle the 72 size of their plugs. They are tiny. And if you are gardening in the north a greenhouse would be a help. Not to say some gardeners can't grow them, they certainly can, but as co-ops have shown, these are small plugs, and need a lot of care. You can contact them, if interested, and they will provide a password for the site, which will give you prices and availability.
It's certainly not very practical to order from them unless you were reselling them, so I was wrong about them selling, but you might as well wait for a retailer to get them.
The companies that seem to get the newest introductions to me are: Crossing Gardens, Plant Delight's and Klehm's. I have not been happy with Wayside and their 2 leafed plants.
Garden Crossings should be great, since they draw from two great companies, Walters Gardens, and Spring Meadows. Their stuff should include many of the newer items. I also think PDN is very good. I've never dealt with Klehms. Good choices, Al!
And you're right. It would not be very practical to order from TNN unless you were reselling. But if you are reselling their product is one of the best.
Al - I totally agree about Wayside. Their customer service is the worst I've encountered and the prices for tiny pots is insane.
It is always nice to use the catalogs for reference :*) I ordered some roses from the Parkseed division last year and now they send me the Wayside catalog. Very high prices at Wayside.
If the quality of the plant matched the price then it would be fair but they don't. Just check Garden Watchdog.
Park's Seed is the sister company to Wayside.
I use all the catalogs for ideas and for reference. I probably order more from Dutch Gardens than any other place. Excellent customer service. Same for Swan Island Dahlias and the little known Mischel's Greenhouse for annuals. They are terrific!
Well the "Greenteam" http://www.cnb.nl/greenteam/newplants/english/start.htm lists Tiki Torch as available in Fall of 2008! http://www.cnb.nl/greenteam/newplants/english/cultivars/np366.htm
That sounds reasonable. Expect that 2008 release to be limited also. I put in my order for Green Envy which has limited sellers this year also. I think the number of echnaceas has increased so greatly the last 5 years you have to wonder if every new variety will continue to sell.
I want this plant so much. I LOVE the orange color. Has anyone seen it so far this summer for sale?
I haven't seen it for sale at any local retailer. We were going to get some in a co-op elsewhere but Terra Nova had to drop the item since due to the weird winter and spring weather their plants weren't going to be ready for sale at that time. I'm hoping that they try to get a co-op for them again:) It is a gorgeous plant!
White Flower Farm has it in their fall catalog.
I agree with your comment up there, Al, how big is the market for coneflowers? It kind of happened with coreopsis. WOW a pink coreopsis, Whoops, it's not hardy. Now there are so many types of coneflowers that soon every municipality will have some. Like stella d'oros. And the good ones will be more common and the crummy ones will die. Didn't Darwin talk about this? It's a cross of supply and demand with natural selection.
xxx, Carrie
Just to let you all know, Tiki Torch Echinacea is being sold on Ebay. Running quite pricey, but if you want it--- Bid :o)
I'll wait till next year when prices go down.
I just ordered a Tiki Torch, from Sooner Plant Farm it was $17.95 but it is a gallon sized pot, I got Coconut Lime too....
http://www.soonerplantfarm.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=318
Wow Sooner's has a great variety even thought the price is way up there.
The plants from Sooner, are huge the shipping is high too, but they arrive un-mussed I also got some from High Country Gardens and while smaller, they are very nice too.
I got some from HCG too (not echinea) and the packing was a work of art.
'Tiki Torch' is being offered by Big Dipper Farm.
There is a co-op you can join that is buying them this year. Check out yahoo groups BnP Co-op Buying. I've done pretty good with them and know a few others that use them The gal that runs it gets good deals. I've ordered Tiki torch at 3.85 each (of course, that's a plug size but we all know how fast lilies grow) Helen
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BnPCo-opBuying/?yguid=255305629
I ordered Tiki Torch from Garden Crossings for spring delivery.
This message was edited Jan 26, 2008 6:23 PM
Echinacea 'Tiki Torch' is available on-line at www.GreatGardenPlants.com. Plants are grown in 1-quart containers. Wholesale pricing is available.
Sounds like a coop opportunity to me!
Suzy