Burp(ee)?

I have never assumed the definition of Nature Boy as being bad. I love nature and seek it out all the time. So I revel in the nickname. No I have always greatly appreciated both women who led me to the understanding of trees and life.

Soferdig - cool picture.

Was Heronswood really profitable? According to the NYTimes article about the closing - Dan/Robert said that they had to subsidize Heronswood from their own pockets to make winter payrolls. They would lead me to believe that it was not generating much cash during the high season to carry it through the low season. If it was truely profitable, they shouldn't have had to subsidize it.

Yes, I thought they made a 'decent' living from it, but often had to subsidize the payroll in lean times. It's hard to believe that such a niche market could actually make big bucks.
Cool photo!

Well with that question you have never owned a business. Often expenses out weigh the income in building a business. I'm not trying to demeane you but all business have to draw from the savings, outside income, and loans to keep a business growing. They started with a house with a big back yard and now are nationally known. That all takes large amount of capitol to keep the business growing. They had to invest large dollars in the facilities at the nursery, Dans trips weren't cheap, and all this came from Bobs commitment to supporting Dan on all of their travels. Dan did many tourist trips to many famous gardens to supplement the income for growing the business. He workded at Edmonds Community College to supplant the moneys to travel. I remember going to their early nursery and seeing the new computer system they had to build a large facility to properly take care of the interests of their customers. It was ground breaking computer technology that was not cheap just to provide the best service that they both insisted on giving the clients. Herronswood had many very unique designs and those cost big time. Then they need to expand and buy out their neighbors property which required more capitol and so forth and so forth. With each visit to their home I saw large amounts of work that this caused both of them 7 days a week and 24 hours a day. Profits come when you make the business succesfull and continue to keep ahead of the compition. They obviously did that and succeded.

A nice outlet for our rare plant lust is Cistus nursery in Oregon. Check out their website. I just visited and was nicely surprised. They do mail order - check out their plant list. Really nice owners/staff!

Also, for those of us in western Washington, Jungle Fever in Ruston and DIG on Vashon Island (neither of which do mail order) do an amazing job of keeping abreast of new and unusual plant introductions. (Don't mean to exclude anyone - these are just the closest to me)

Let's make sure that we patronize our cool, locally-owned small nurseries. Perhaps the act of supporting the dreams of other plantspeople would be a worthy tribute to the memory of Dan and Bob's Heronswood.

I'm planning a trip to Cistus when I take my dd down to Salem for school this fall. I can't wait! I've been to Jungle Fever several times. There are some small mail order specialty nurseries, too, across the US, like Plant Delights, that people have posted about. I'm going to be ordering from the small nurseries in the hopes that my order will be part of a larger movement to keep these nurseries from falling into hands like Burpee's.

I think Herpst you and I are very similar. I too suggest to keep it in the practice of not buying from Burpee and buying from mom and pop. Yes you pay more but they take care of you and you them.

I hate to see all this happen, but why doesn't anyone rail on Hinkley? He sold it to a guy with a well known reputation for slash and burn business tactics. Hinkley took the cash--obviously he did not write into the sales contract anything that prevented this closing/transfer from happening. It's capitalism all around. He didn't have to sell it. Hinkley extracted his cash, Ball lost his, and is trying to recover some of it. If it was me, I would tally up the assets and see what I could sell to get some of my investment back. Guy, your garden writer says, "I am depressed over the destruction of what was arguably the finest nursery in North America." Could they have not written the same line to Hinkley?

Wow, as a longtime journalist, I'm shocked at that letter you posted, Guy. Shocked that any responsible, ethical journalist in any writing specialty would boycott mentioning any source because they didn't like something they did in their business.

A responsible journalist would write both sides of the story and let the public make up their own mind. To do otherwise is writing editorials, not journalism. They should be ashamed.

I wonder how the garden writers would be howling if all the garden businesses decided to boycott a writer because they didn't like something they wrote?

The Heronswood owners had to know the usual outcome when a small but specialized business is sold to a large corporation is that sooner rather than later its doors are closed. Big corporations buy these businesses to eliminate competition, not to run them as successful sidelines. And they had the example of White Flower Farm and the Heaths in case they were naive enough to not know this.

If they really wanted to keep Heronswood going, they would have sold to another buyer. While blame is being handed out, I think at least some has to go to the original owners for selling to Burpee to begin with. But then maybe the sale gave them enough cash to start over in another location with a larger pool of capital once their non-competition clause runs out.

Soferdig - Love the picture!

While I cannot speak for Dan and Bob, I can speak as someone who has owned and operated his own business. If it is to be successful, the running of one's own business is greueling, unending work! I understand that with the busy schedules that they both had, traveling, writing, making appearances that the day to day running of the business along with paying property taxes, making payroll, and making mortgage payments on the place would be overwhelming albeit satisfying work. There was an amazing combination of talent, knowledge, marketing, and sweat! As someone who sold his own business, I can understand the desire to slow down the pace a little.

As for the choice of buyer for Heronswood:

1. Was it on the market or were they approached by Burpee?
2. How many small buyers would be able to afford Heronswood?
3. None of us knows what verbal agreements might have been made between the parties and furthermore, is their written contract a matter of public record?
4. I wonder if Burpee saw Heronswood as competition. Burpee is a seed company - Heronswood sold rare plants. I would imagine that there were not a significant amount of dual patrons.

Sorry - I don't have any answers.

Hart, I don't know how you can be shocked if you really have been in this business a long time, unless you're Burpee's publicist. (There's almost nothing on your member page to indicate your background.) Editorial watchdogging and whistleblowing is a routine part of journalism, and one of its most critical functions. Besides, the letter I shared with you was only that -- a letter, not a public editorial.

Have you taken the time to study this thread in its entirety, follow the links, and do some homework? When you write both sides of the story, will you tell the whole story so your readers will really know what happened behind the scenes and what such actions mean for the future of horticulture? If so, I think any reader with a conscience would find the boycott decision a no-brainer, even though it wasn't specifically threatened in the letter.

Frankly, I'm a little shocked myself, that you would impune the morals of another writer for speaking out like that against an apparently unethical business practice and inviting the perp to defend his seemingly indefensible actions at the GWA conference. When the Whiteflower Farm fiasco came about I don't think any of us were aware of the outcome, and certainly not by the time Hinkley sold to Burpee. Besides, Hinkley is a plantsman, not necessarily a business tycoon. He probably sold to someone he thought could handle the business end so he could devote himself to what he does best. And sure, he got the best deal he could -- who wouldn't. If you plan to do a story, ask him directly. But good luck trying to find a way to make your story fresh, because as you can see above, it's all been said already and the jury is in.

NatureBoy, please take over. I'm through with this thread -- it's become so long and redundant that it takes forever to load on my old dial-up connection and that just ticks me off and makes me grumpy. I can't see how anyone could possibly side with Burpee if they've read everything here. But everyone is entitled to an (informed, hopefully) opinion, and that's what discussion forums are about. Y'all can argue all year if you wish.

In parting, please consider the advice from Herpst, Pixy, Sofer, et al. Patronize the people who make the horticulture, not the people who make the money at the expense of horticulture. That's what a Burpee boycott exemplifies, and that's what keeps these small, special places in business serving us. And if another corporate scum tries to pull something like Ball did, call their bluff on that too.

Guy S.

Excuse me?! Boycotting a source is not watchdogging or whistleblowing by any stretch of the imagination. That writer wasn't speaking out to readers in general about anything, he was threatening to boycott mention of Burpee's name and saying the same had already been done to White Flower Farm.

I'll ignore the personal attacks, which I assume are against the rules here. But just FYI, because I'm under no obligation to include any of this or anything else in my profile, I was a newspaper reporter and editor for 20 years. I've never been a publicist for any garden company. NO ethical journalist would threaten to boycott a source, they would instead write about what's happening and let the public know.

I can't believe any responsible group of journalists would even consider discussing doing such a thing much less carry it out.

Well I think alot of us HAVE made up our own minds about whether we would buy anything from Burbee. I for one will not.

It is my understanding that Burpee did in fact offer some Hernonswood employees severance and that all received ample notification that location was being closed down and employees weren't just tossed out on the streets like once beloved cats that pee on a Persian rug or that shred a couch. When I originally believed Heronswood employees came to work one day and were turned out on the street, I was livid because to me it's all about having compassion and respecting people by giving them enough time to look for a new job so they can pay their bills and eek out an honorable living. Most people do have families to support and bills to pay and I believe it would have been unconscionable for Burpee to notify Hernonswood employees that they no longer had a job by meeting them at the gate and giving them their final paycheck with no advance warning. Fortunately, it would appear this did not happen and for that I am relieved as good jobs are hard to come by these days. It is also my understanding there was an offer and acceptance and that this deal was collateralized when payment was tendered. It takes two to enter into such an agreement. Looks to me as if the former owners wanted to sell so why shouldn't Burpee buy if they feel there's something in it for them. Additionally, it is my understanding Burpee offered Heronswood back to the original owners for a significantly reduced price and the original owners chose not to purchase the business back. It would appear this was all about money to both the original owners as well as to Burpee from start to closure. Just my humble opinion.

I will not be purchasing from Burpee ever again but not for the same reasons as many who voiced opinions above. First off, the old "Heronswood" shipped a quality product that I could count on being delivered as described. I recently purchased from the new "Hernonswood" and I truly believe the quality wasn't there for me. Photos of the order shipped to me in July are available to those who are interested in determining for themselves if they would have appreciated receiving plants in that condition from any online nursery. Second, I have concerns about some of the plant material Burpee is spreading across the US and in my opinion, those concerns were legitimatised when I read something written by George Ball several months ago. I would be more than happy to steer anyone interested to what he wrote about plants several months ago titled "Border Wars" so that others can make up their own mind. To comment any more would end up being political as well as disrespectful to the folk who run this site.

That being said, I would have no qualms ordering from the former owners of "Heronswood" should either of them get up and running with a new online nursery.

Best wishes to all of you and may each and every one of you make the best decision for you based on your personal experiences and personal beliefs.

Now, I have to go back to work. Another all day conference tomorrow. Egads, will they ever end.

Huh? Equilibrium, where did you get the info about the employees getting warning about the closure? Can you point me in the direction of that info because I haven't seen that and I would like to. It's always been my understanding that they did not have any advance warning, even though they were given a severence package. I would feel a lot better if I knew that they got some kind of warning that the place was closing down. I have a google alert on any heronswood news that comes up, and I haven't seen it.

Does this mean that if they WERE given some warning that everything would be different and we would now feel differently about how Mr. Ball handled it and now support him? This is ridiculous..the bottom line is still the same .. I agree with Guy.. everything has already been said above.

Soferdig,
I did not take your message as demeaning - I took it as you expressing your opinions/thoughts on the subject.

I guess I make a distinction between funding operating expenses (short term) versus capital improvements(long term). On Capital improvements, almost all small businesses will fund those items based on loans or personal capital investments. The point I was making was that if a business is Truely profitable, they should be able fund their daily Operating Expenses without having to make personal contributions to the business. The cash generated during the peak season should carry through to the offseason. Of course, with a small business, the amount the owners pay themselves play a large part in whether the company is 'profitable' or not.

Just a question - I thought Burpee was the one that purchased the neighbors property?

I've tried to mostly stay out of this one but feel I need to add my two cents. I too am very disappointed that Heronswood has closed--I love to unusual plants and they were a wonderful source for that, and I'm upset that source will no longer be available because I'm sure the east coast version is not going to be the same. But I feel that people are losing sight of the fact that this whole mess was caused by a series of business decisions. I'm sure we would all agree that the initial purchase was a bad business decision, but that's all it was. It's not like Burpee bought Heronswood out of spite so that they could close it down--at the time they had a rationale for why it would make good business sense to buy Heronswood, and the owners of Heronswood obviously felt it would make good business sense to let themselves be bought. And then unfortunately the purchase didn't live up to whatever success measures Burpee had, so now they're making the business decision to close and relocate--not out of spite, but because the business wasn't profitable for them. It's very unfortunate, and I'll reiterate my disappointment with the closure, but all that's going on here is business decisions, not big evil Burpee out to destroy rare plant nurseries. If Heronswood had been a competitor with Burpee then I might suspect them of other motives, but since they didn't sell anything that was even remotely similar, I think Burpee saw an opportunity to capture a new market segment and then it didn't work out how they'd hoped--unfortunate for sure, but something that goes on all the time in all sorts of other industries too. It's definitely a huge loss to the horticultural world and I certainly don't blame people for being upset (I am too), but I feel the anger being expressed against Burpee and their actions is a little misplaced. If Burpee mistreated the employees in any way by not giving them severance or not giving them appropriate notice of the closure, then it's absolutely right to be upset with them for that, but otherwise I don't feel they deserve quite the level of anger that's going on around here.

Star,
I quite don't understand your vitriol directed at Burpee. I've seen several comments that people are upset that Burpee stole/killed 'OUR' garden. It never was 'OUR' garden, it was Burpee's garden once Dan sold out. Sure, it's a GREAT loss that Burpee closed down the gardens, but really, aren't there greater issues in our world that should take the energy you apparently want to spend trying to bring down Burpee. I mean, really, how about putting some of that energy to work against poverty, illiteracy, or hunger.

I would suspect that there are a bunch of employees at Burpee that had no direct involvement in Mr. Ball's decision to close down Burpee, but you apparently want them to go down with him? So, you'd like to see them out on the streets also - the same issue you decry at Heronswood, that employees are out of a job?

Also, I've read were Burpee donates a large amount of seed to charity. Are you wanting to destroy that part of Burpee also?
http://www.globeinvestor.com/servlet/ArticleNews/story/BWIRE/20040317/20040317005865

Also, really, how was the closing of Heronswood unethical? Just because a company is closed down, doesn't mean it's unethical - it happens every day - it's part of capitalism. Apparently, those that were let go where given severance packages - so it's not like they were thrown on the street with nothing. Those are business decisions. Enron was unethical - closing Heronswood - no.

Don't try to cloud the issue with reason and facts :)

A couple of two cent questions...

Are capitalism and ethics are exclusive of each other?

Isn't Burpee big enough to absorb the loss as a tax write-off?

4paws,
No, I don't think capitalism and ethics are exclusive - in fact they should be viewed/practiced together. But closing a business because it's not profitable is not unethical - it's just common sense. If you have several businesses and one is not performing, would it be ethical to continue to operate that failing business and cause your other businesses to fail due to it’s drag on them?

I would suspect that Burpee would receive a tax benefit for donating seeds to charitable organizations, same as your and I when we donate to Goodwill, Salvation Army etc...

I still go back to my initial argument. If you are taking it upon yourself to buy a business, you owe it to yourself, the employees of that business, and its customers to know exactly what you are buying, who your customers are and what they expect, and how you can either continue to deliver exactly what they want and expect, or exactly how you can improve upon it for everyone, or else you deserve all the criticisms you reap when you screw it up.

In my opinion, George Ball bought Heronswood like a rich kid buys a toy. He didn't know what it was, he didn't know the plants, he didn't know the customers, he didn't know how to make it function any better. So he screwed it up. It is only natural and right that he gets dressed down for it.

Personally, even though their initial sale on the East Coast looks like a success, my gut feeling tells me it was a lot of people snapping up stuff before the company noses completely into the ground. I don't think moving the operation to Pennsylvania solves anything.

Scott

How was the closing of Heronswood unethical? Is this a real question? Let's separate out the fact of the closing from HOW IT WAS DONE! It continues to be my understanding based on every article I have read, including articles in the local newpapers where the workers were interviewed, that the workers were given no notice of the closure. I really would like to believe otherwise, but thus far I've seen nothing to indicate otherwise. Really, I'm as much a capitalist as the next American, but I grow weary of people excusing such immoral treatment of others as the just right of Capitalism. You do not have to step on people to be a good capitalist. That is not in the 'Capitalist pledge'. You can make plenty of money and still be in touch with your own humanity. Enron was not only unethical, it was illegal. The way Burpee operates is legal, but that doesn't make it Right. It appears the the words 'legal' and 'Right' have become synonymous. They are not. However, the term 'good business decision' certainly appears to be the next politically correct way of saying 'treated people like dirt'. This reminds me of how the illustrious Mr. Ball said in one of his more astute moments: 'We're not moving Heronswood out of the Northwest, we're moving it to Pennsylvania.' Does he HIRE people to come up with this kind of spin? Is this an example of someone creating his own reality?
Personally, I'm not singling Burpee out. Even in my professional life, I refuse to do business with companies who treat their people like dirt. I have many times been called in to 'be available' at a place of work when the management wants to swoop in on a Friday afternoon and have people clear out their desks, receiving pink slips with no warning. (They think there is less likely to be any violence if they drop the hatchet on a Friday.) They want me to be there just in case some employee who has to support a family gets a little bit upset at losing his job on the spur of the moment for no reason of his own making. I'm supposed to somehow make this more palatable to the employee, althought I'm not sure how I would do this. I refuse to participate in this kind of action, even though the amount of money I would make doing just one of these little jobs would pay my bills for an entire month. I do not want to be associated with this brand of evil. And yes, I said EVIL! My business has never suffered one bit by my refusing to participate in these little ventures. In fact, I can't think of one single time that I've ever regretted 'taking the high road' when I had the choice to do so.
Sure, it's true that closing a business when it's not profitable is sensible in the capitalistic society. But where is the rule book that says that this is the appropriate way to close one? Had the employees been given proper notice , it would have simply have looked like an unfortunate business decision. but until I am shown otherwise, I can only believe that this is not the case. In addition, the fact that they were given severance packages does not balance the scales of justice. If Burpee had simply wished to broaden the target market, I'm sure that he would have been able to find other ways of doing this, likely with help from the considerably knowlegable staff. The way this was handled by Ball was insensitive and downright boorish, not even to mention how insulting he was to the, evidently, unimportant, non-customer-base in the NorthWest. I understand from posts either on this thread or on the other Heronswood thread that Ball has done this kind of thing before -swooped in and closed a retail outlet down with no warning. Really, one has to wonder what he gets out of it personally.
I can see how some people would not be able to understand the strong feelings of northwesterners about this closure unless they have something similar in their own backyard. Heronswood was more than just a rare plant nursery in this region. Any serious gardener here will agree that gardening is a contact sport here. It's a regional past time. Heronswood was the mecca for plant lovers here and we had regional pride in the place in spite of it being a privately owned garden and nursery. It embodied the northwest style of gardening. When out-ot-staters came to visit we took them to Puget Sound, Mt. Ranier, Mt. St. Helens, and Heronswood. We were proud to have it here and feel a decided sense of loss at its closure. Some people mourn sports teams, some mourn gardens. Other's understanding of this feeling is not a requirement.
Nope, a Burpee boycott is the only way I would be able to sleep at night. I'm not naive enough to think that my boycott will lose people their jobs, although, I'm sure that this would make no difference to Burpee anyway. Sure there are other pressing problems in the world. And the values Burpee embodies in the way this closure was carried out are the root of almost every single one of them. The fact that they give to charity leaves me cold. They get tax write offs for that. Almost all big corporations have charitable giving. Maybe if there was a little balance in how we see the almighty dollar, there would be fewer needs for charity.
I'm thinking of getting a 'Boycott Burpee' tshirt to wear when I'm out nursery hopping. Maybe a big circle with a slash through it and 'Burpee' written in the middle. Wouldn't THAT be a conversation starter!

I didn't know there was another Burpee thread at DG. This thread in Trees was started the end of May. I wrote this on June 3rd-

Somewhere along the line after I typed the above, I was lead to believe that outsourcing as well as severance was available to all employees to include those who would remain to "close up shop". I must admit I assumed they were all given notice, not just those who would continue to care for the location while final orders were shipped and plant material was readied to ship out east. Outplacement services in my neck of the woods include degreed professionals (such as yourself), assessment testing, workshops on resume creation and job search techniques, as well as training to upgrade or add to existing skillsets. The reality just hit me that the outplacement services provided to the employees who did not remain to "close up shop" might have been "tailored" to meet Burpee's needs to minimize the chance of litigation. I believe I read somewhere that details of the outsourcing package were not available and now my little voice is talking to me and saying something isn't kosher.

Very true statement,

Another valid statement, When reading this I couldn't help but think of the times I went through my own home separating out toys and clothing that would no longer be of use to us to "donate" and the associated write offs sure are an incentive. Why do I now get the feeling that seed donated may have been overstock in need of being purged from their inventory? Granted, they did donate seed but it wasn't as if they took out the checkbook and cut a check or sent over employees to assist with the design and hands on creation of vegetable beds. Good point Pixie.

I'll wear a t-shirt such as that described you. I'd also still be very interested in cutting a check to help preserve the Heronswood property and gardens for the public. Has any 501 (c) 3 expressed an interest in preserving the site for future generations?

Ditto, plus everything Pixy just said.

People keep sending me e-mails and D-mails with links to this thread, trying to entice me back in here. I have nothing further to add, sorry, and it takes me so long to open this huge thread on my Neanderthal connection that I really don't want to continue. When I get impatient I get angry, and I don't want to fight with anyone here.

But while I'm here this one last time, I can't ignore the lecture about vitriol, poverty, and hunger. I deliberately chose not to hide my personal identity behind a secret screen name. Anyone here can find me through my member page, web site, or publisher, and I don't take such condescending criticism well from people who snipe from the shadows, afraid to identify themselves or their backgrounds and qualifications on their own member pages.

I would not be ashamed to compare my hours and dollars of charitable work with those of almost anyone here -- such contributions are perhaps the most dominant aspect of my life now that I am retired. But this is the tree forum, not the hunger forum. Here we discuss things such as the rape of Heronswood and the loss of a unique horticultural treasure, whether you're from the PNW or anywhere else. I live 2000 miles from Heronswood -- that's admittedly a couple hundred miles closer than Akron, but it's still a pretty long drive and I coulddn't get to that Mecca every weekend like some folks here. But I feel the loss as much as Pixy and the others who live there. I will support whatever they might be able to do to rescue that garden from Ball's condo plans, or to at least make an example out of Burpee that might discourage future actions like this.

Guy S.

Pixydish, I think you can have t-shirts made and sold that have any slogan or artwork you provide at www.cafepress.com. You don't have to pay any fees and the online shop to sell your things is provided free. Just a thought.

One last cautionary note ;o)

We have allowed this thread, despite our guidelines against politics and current events, because it was and remains of interest to the gardening community. I will once again (and just this one last time) ask that everyone stick to sharing information and facts - do not allow this thread to degenerate (further) into personal attacks on one another or those involved in the transaction. If some of the posts above aren't "pruned" and tempers kept in check from here on out, the thread will have to be pulled in accordance with our AUP.

Also please note it's not acceptable to use the Garden Watchdog to express your feelings about this event, on either Burpee's or Heronswood's entries. The Watchdog exists for gardeners to share their personal (i.e., buying) experiences about a particular company for the benefit of other would-be customers.

It's a misuse of it to insert public debate or editorial commentaries as feedback, regardless of whether you are critical or supportive of the business decisions made by Burpee, Heronswood, Mr. Ball, Mr. Hinkley, or any other party involved in this issue.

We understand why many of you would like to be able to discuss this event, so let's use this thread and the other similar thread - judiciously - to do that, and leave the Watchdog to do what it does best, which is to act as a clearinghouse of purchasing experiences among gardeners.

Maybe this will help some of you who want to save Heronswood.

About seven years ago, I learned that a 110-acre tract adjacent to the Shenandoah River was being sold and that condo developers were top on the list of prospective owners.

I decided to start a one-woman crusade to save that land. I knew there were grant funds, albiet limited ones, available to create parklands and preserve natural areas. I drew up a proposal for a regional park including details on some grants that might be available, approached the politicians from two local counties and suggested that they put an option on the land to give them time to consider creating a jointly owned park.

I also approached the lawyer for the family that owned the land and got them to agree to a mere $5,000 option to buy payment. The family was willing to do this because they preferred to see the land preserved as a park rather than developed. Each local government agreed to put up $2,500.

By now I had at least one local elected official in each locality supporting the idea. I called a state official I had known for many years and who happened to head a state department in charge of state parks. He agreed to come down for a tour of the land. This was arranged with several local elected officials attending so he would see there was strong local political support for the idea.

He took one look at the land, told the local officials he would support a joint local/state venture for the park - would help arrange for state funding if the local governments would share in the maintenance costs of the eventual park. The local officials agreed.

A local committee was formed to help in the efforts for the park. To make a long story short, every penny of the funds needed to purchase the land was made available to the local government via state grants. The second local government eventually stepped out of the picture.

Eventually I stepped out of the picture too. The proposal was in good hands through the local government officials, who continued to work with state, and eventually federal elected officials. Two years ago, an agreement was worked out to include the land in a new national park in the region under a local/federal arrangement similar to that proposed by the state official.

It's just amazing what you can do if you try.

hart,
What an inspiring story. I think it could help the people who mourn the loss of Heronswood as well as the rest of us around the country because the loss of special lands has been a problem all over the country.
Perhaps they could get their local/state governments to buy the place and perhaps Dan Hinkley will agree to be an advisor. That would be a fabulous outcome.

Because so many jobs are involved, I would start with the local economic development authority as well as the local government. And I'd see if Burpee would be willing to sell for a reduced price or even donate the property.

In addition to grants, this project would have real potential for fund raising too. It's not often that you have a local project where you can do successful fund raising outside the local area, not only from those who are upset about the closing but from horticultural organizations perhaps. Maybe the garden writers? LOL

Private foundation grants are nearly impossible to get for things like land acquisition, development of a facility or operations, but because of the rare plant preservation, I think that might be a possibility too.

I can tell you sometimes brainstorms can become reality if you know which political buttons to push. Those ought to be fairly easy to find because of the impact of this closing on the locality.

One big stumbling block would be the size. A lot of park grant funds are only available for much larger tracts.

Whoops! Naughty me! I knew I would get caught leaving feedback in the garden watchdog - you can't blame a girl for trying can you? (sorry, Terry. I stand corrected with my nose in the corner - a position I am accustomed to anyway.) Plus I happen to know that Equilibrium's Heronswood order was not up to snuff.
The last local news I heard was that an organization dedicated to preserving gardens was looking at purchasing the property, but the asking price was entirely too high for the property value. Ball's assumption appears to have been that the property could be subdivided and over-built. Thank goodness the Kitsap planning commission took care of that little misunderstanding. (so no worries about condos anymore, guy) Possibly the organization was The Garden Conservancy, but don't quote me. I was listening to the radio in my car so didn't write it down.

Great story, Hart! (and thanks for info about cafe press. we've ordered several things from them in the past.)

The truth is that many of the Heronistas have considerable experience and knowlege about the nursery industry. I know that at least one of them is going to be working at another private garden. The ones who had been there the longest can likely find other jobs in the garden industry, but they'll probably have to relocate. The area where Heronswood is located is basically a bedroom community for Seattle. People take the ferry from Kingston over to Bainbride Island and then another one to Seattle. There are slim employment opportunities in the Kingston area.


Here is a link to the most recent article in the Seattle PI:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/278414_heronswood21.html


Here is an excerpt from one of the initial articles (link to article provided below). I'm bringing this up because I know many of us are concerned about invasive plant species and this excerpt speaks to Dan Hinkley's accountability on that issue. He was very careful, and had help deciding. It speaks volumes about his integrity. I'm wondering who will now decide about whether a plant species should be introduced under the Heronswood name. I admit that I am not very hopeful about this, especially after his editorial in the New York times regarding his views on invasive species. If anyone has a link to the editorial, it would be instructive here. I've searched for it but cannot find the original article.

"Among Hinkley's associates hard hit by Tuesday's news was Sarah Reichard, a specialist in the biology of invasive organisms at the UW's College of Forest Resources.

"This is not a good thing for Heronswood," she said. "I'm a major customer, but I guess I won't be anymore."

In recent years Hinkley leaned heavily on Reichard to determine which of the plant species he had been gathering might threaten the Northwest's native species.

"He has been very responsible," she said. "Going through his catalog -- what, now, seven or eight years? -- I've identified 15 or so species I was concerned about, and he took them out of his collection and marked another 200 as potentially a problem. At no time was there any pushback. He simply said, 'It's up to you, if that's what you think.' " "

Here's the entire article:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/nwgardens/272206_heronswood31.html

Just check my email and this just in:

George Ball writes an editorial re Heronswood.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/280018_heronswood04.html

Forgot to say that today I was at Big Dipper Farms, a local nursery that also does mail order, and I bought a very nice Begonia grandis 'Herons Pirouette'.

And now that I have read this article, I cannot stop myself from responding to it, even as part of me laughs hysterically.

My favorite quote from this article: "With help from area resources, I propose to save Heronswood Gardens as the botanical treasure that it is...". Am I to understand that he is leading the charge to save the garden? Gosh, that's certainly not the way it looks. It looks like he's got the property up for sale, and unless the folks who want to save it come up with 11million dollars, it will go to anyone else who can. I thought the Garden Conservancy approached him, not the other way around. My mistake. He really IS a hero!

Sorry. Now for the rest of my response to this article.


First, Mr. Ball appears to be obsessed with wealth. I'm not sure how he is making any connection between Heronswood and his 'McMansions'. I cannot understand how this has anything at all to do with the issue at hand.

Second, I was at Heronswood myself just 3 weeks before it closed and there was no part of the garden that I could see that was damaged by storms any time recently. There was a fallen tree, possibly that fell during one of the wind storms of last winter, but it had been very cleverly made into a planting wall for bromeliads. I walked around the entire garden. I don't know what he is talking about.

Third, he is really showing his ignorance of the local area by referring to 'concern around Seattle', and the "Seattle market'. Earth to Mr. Ball: the nursery is in Kingston on the Kitsap peninsula. That is NOT Seattle, and the market is not a "Seattle Market". If this garden were actually in Seattle, then the 11 milliion asking price would be more understandable. Also, I'm not sure he is correct that he could have sold the property 'piecemeal'. The zoning in that area may have kept that from happening. It certainly put the lid on his plans for developing the land into condos surrounded by gardens. (Give me a break!)

Fourth, The fact that he offered to sell the nursery back to Dan in 2003 has nothing whatever to do with the current chain of events. Hinkley had already bought another piece of property. Bringing it up again is only a distraction tactic.

Another diversionary tactic is his reference to other high priced properties currently on the market, such as Prince Bandar's holiday residence in Aspen. HUH? Let me get this straight: because there are all of these high priced pieces of property belonging to extremely wealthy individuals on the market, and in areas known to have extremely inflated real estate costs, he thinks his pricetag of 11million is justified? Am I the only person who is in the dark regarding the logic of this?

And then he makes reference to the Bible's 'lilies of the field'. Oh Please!! He says, "its world-famous plants require little effort, yet yield stunning results". Right. That's why there were always so many of those Heronistas doing things like dividing plants, grooming plants, moving plants, etc. Oh, and then all the water garden stuff - I guess that takes care of itself, too. Does this man actually grow anything himself??? There is no possible way that one person could keep up with this garden. There would have to be a staff of gardeners.

Then, again we are privy to this man's alleged paradigm for a 'new rethinking' (isn't that redundant?) of wealth: the size and breadth of a garden would define the magnificence of a property. I see. So this must be marketing speak for: "Sorry the house on this property is so small and unassuming. I know someone as rich as you would be expecting to have a really big mansion, but don't worry, future buyer, since our new paradigm of wealth is that it is defined by the garden, not by the living structure, you can be sure no one will think you are poor." Spin doctors, you have met your match!

And now Heronswood would become a "watershed in the philosophy of residential planning"?????? Does he even have a clue about his market in Kingston? It is primarily a rural area. RURAL. That means farms, stick built and modular and mobile homes on acreage, plus the occasional cookie-cutter development. Oh. I forgot. He thought he was in Seattle. Earth to Burpee: Washington is a huge state. We have lots of towns. Not all of them are in Seattle.

I'm so pleased that he is able to reassure Seattle gardeners that he is doing everything possible to maintain the Heronswood property. I certainly hope he is able to do the same for the gardeners who live in Kingston. And Port Orchard, and Tacoma, and Gig Harbor, etc.


That's my rant.

All I can say is THANK YOU Dan for you creativity and effort to bring we gardeners a gift that we can touch out of the distant lands of our planet. Thank you for you hard work and effort that has in you later years come to fruition by being purchasesd by Mr Burp. You personal choices are yours and we all would like to have the same choices. To continue in a burdensome business or to soar to what got us where we are. A love in hiking, talking, planning, and collecting in far away places. Thanks Buddy!

Thanks Pixydish for sending the link to that article.
Poke me with a fork, I'm done! I really wanted to believe that Mr. B. was misunderstood, that there are two sides to every story, that it was a business decision, that he perhaps made some poor choices in his modus operandi but heaven knows I've made my share of mistakes. I'm done with those beliefs. (O.K. I still believe that I've made lots of mistakes but that's beside the point) Comparing Heronswood to Mar - a - Lago? Hello! The only similarity is that they both require a staff! AND lilies of the field that yeild results with no care? Right! Perhaps I don't quite know how to garden because I've never just planted a lovely little 4" pot of ANYTHING and had a pleached elm shrubbery in graceful arches, or a parterred vegetable garden spring forth. What am I doing wrong? Should I ignore my lilies of the field even more? AND Mr. Ball purchased an established business, computer systems, website, advertising, name recognition, genetic material, stock, etc. for 5.5 million. He wants to sell a residential property alone for double what he paid for all of the aforementioned? I don't get it. I was hoping that the article would bring more clarity & help us to understand Mr. Ball's side of things a little more. After all, we would be rooting for Dan because we know/respect him & he's from our area, etc. The article certainly did sharpen my vision of Mr. Ball's current frame of mind. Hmmm.

You can see that Mr Burp was being told by Dan and Bob that their "old business" model is the one that made Herronswood what it is. How could they stay and recover a business brought to it's knees by the insistance of Mr Burp's "progressive" model that caused the ruin of their child. You need to understand that they were already moving on to the future of Dan's independent collection and garden that will be something quite remarkable. Not what he talks about in his (Mr Burp) limited location of Herronswood.

Absolutely, soferdig. And I stand by my opinion that the fact that the property was offered back to Dan and Bob has nothing whatever to do with the current situation. Naturally they moved on! I'm sure that whatever Dan and Bob are working on now, it will be incredible.

Interesting article Pixydish - if I were him I would have put more thought into that before I sent it to the editor. He sounds defensive. He really goofed up with this purchase of Heronswood and now he's got to stand up in front of public opinion with the outcome.

I don't think the asking price means much - it will bring what the market will bear and the negotiated price may not even be made public when it happens. I'm glad to hear that zoning may prevail in keeping the property intact and not allowing it to be chopped up. The best thing that could happen is that someone comes along with the resources to maintain the property.

Well, nuts, here I am again. I just learned that the editor of the Arboretum Foundation bulletin (I presume meaning the Washington Park Arboretum) is forming a group to try to buy and preserve H-wood. The name given to me was Lee Neff. Of course, our altruistic friend Ball now is asking $11 million. Pixy or anyone else out there, do you know any more about it? Is there a way to sign up to contribute?

Guy S.