Any New 2009 Iris Catalogs Yet? Part 5

We came from here (Any New 2009 Iris Catalogs yet? Part 4)

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/968712/#new

Please join us here, as Part 4 was getting very long.

Marilyn

thanks for the new page! Think I've gotten all but Ghio's this year. his has few photos these days anyway.

But I'm putting in several orders. gotta help these folks produce in bad economic years. I'll just cut out the fast food meals instead.

Right, bonjon and I just heard some disturbing news at our AIS meeting. Cooleys is not just cutting back, but rather going out of business according to our past president who heard that at the Convention. I can't confirm the truth of it, but the person who told me about it was quite confident of his source. He said the younger generation doesn't want to carry the business on.
The same source said Schreiner's was cutting way back.
And our club usually gets a catalog from Larry Lauer and we didn't get one this year. We don't know what that means, but we usually buy from him in our acquisitions program.
On the other hand, there are new Iris Nurseries popping up all the time -- Snowpeake is growing each year, Mid-America is doing very well, and Iris4U in Denver seems to be doing well and working to attract business. And then there is Rocky Top which sent a catalog to me and has a small online presence.
Many of the newer iris nurseries do not have paper catalogs which makes them a tough sell in my AIS local club. Many of our members do not have computers and if they do, they don't have internet. Their catalog options seem to be narrowing. I have printed out a couple to show them and hope I can convince them to buy from these places. Iris4U printed a small new catalog which it gave out at the convention but it really only shows a few iris. Napa Valley sends out a catalog without pictures. Same with Superstition. In yet another way, the world is forcing us to use the computer more. The members of my local AIS glare at me whenever I say I found something on line because they can't and they don't even want to. Sigh.

well, I can tell you from having visited Dee, that Snowpeak is well marked, tidy and well run, and her sales were growing every year.

The big vendors are probably discovering what others have discovered: that online shoppers like getting bargains from the smaller vendors. From what I'm hearing, the internet is making it tough on catalog sales dependent businesses. The catalog cost can't compete with the photos online.

a major topic of conversation with Plant Delights folks is that the last ten years of frequent droughts, and now this tough economy, is sending a great many primo garden businesses out of business.

When you think about it, cutting back on production is the smartest way to curb expenses. I'm not going to get worried about that. Nor can I see Schreiners not continuing. Their operation is quite a bit larger and their marketing is the best. of anyone out there, they have the "brand." and a lot of their process has been machined.

I sat next to Judy Nunn at the awards banquet. She didn't say a word, except that she's retired from the business. But Cooleys is having trouble coming up with something original, don't you think? A lot of their intros are just barely getting mention nationally for a few years now. not getting those high dollar sales has got to hurt. they can continue wholesale sales for years and be profitable, though.

Still, it's farming. and a "next generation" is vital. Without it, folks seem more willing to sell out plant stock than sell out their business. guess not everyone can do like Black did and take on younger partners.

Who is Judy Nunn?

a Cooley

Larry Lauer moved from California to Oregon, and is in the process of moving all of his iris which is why there is no catalog this year. He will send you one next year, though.

another CA gone to iris heaven in OR! LOL

That is good news! We worried that Larry Lauer hand succumbed to the current recession. Delighted to hear he will be living in iris heaven. Thanks for the excellent news, MissIrisbert.

Sad to hear about Cooley's, they always had a beautiful, healthy plants and a good service department as far as we were concerned. I for one will miss them if they don't/can't continue.

All Cooley's

Yes, I think it is sad to lose any iris grower, but Cooleys was one of the top ones. But I understand people getting tired and wanting to retire. It's just sad when it is an institution that is going away and Cooleys has been an institution in the iris world. But we have lots of wonderful new hybridizers coming along and that will help fill in the gap.

Last Lauer catalog said something about moving for his wife's health. glad he could find a new place to start.

Yes, and where he can probably grow irises even better than before! Good move, it sounds like.

Wholesale orders from east to west is part of the reason Cooleys cut back because east coast does not realize that our minimum wage is $8.40 an hour and you can NOT continue to sell thousands of irs for 1.00 or 2.00 each if you are paying that kind of money, OSHA, retirements etc is what caused them to down size.

Schreieners hard to say as no youngster in family wants to do all this hard work.

Larry Lauer and his lovely wife Maurcy are moving to OR for her health, right now looking up in Salem, Dallas area.

D

well, Schreiners would hopefully sell out as a business - that's quite a solid "brand" they have.

too bad I'll never retire to "iris heaven" LOL

I would hope. I bet it is worth a fortune just for the land, though.