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There's one thing you should remember when going to a place like Broadwell's (and I'm not knocking them, because quite simply, I get large trees and plants from them when I've got a customer on a tight budget) -
The plant you get is the way it was when it was put in the pot or started in the ground. They never go through and check stock to make sure plants are doing as they should, therefore you never know if you've got a plant that has insects or disease. This is why they are able to keep cost down, and because they have less overhead (no one there with a college degree) - not saying that makes a difference in knowledge, but it does in pay!
The price is unbeatable, but if you're really wanting to look at plants and get ideas and help from the "office" try Adcock's. They have a nice display area that can really help you with making decisions. I however typically order from McLamb's (sell to contractors or other nursery's only) - out of an 800 plant job we only lost 10 plants with no irrigation system, installed in last years heat (august-sept) - I don't know if that's quality plants or quality workmanship - I like to think a little of both.
Thanks for the tip. I appreciate it. Its a little too late now.. trees are in the ground and so far so good. Just gonna pray they do ok. I would say 90% of my subdiv. has gone there and nobody has a dead tree.. yet LOL But lets have faith they stay good!
As an FYI Broadwells provides trees to most of the local Lowes and Home Depot stores. Those stores just keep them in stock longer than normal. The trees from Broadwells are well maintained.
We went to Old Stage a couple of weeks ago. Although it rained the whole time we were there, we had a great time picking out shrubs for our new home. The man in the "office" was very knowledgeable, and all the plants were marked, which made it easy for us to identify what we were getting. After a couple of hours of walking/driving around in the rain, we selected 13 containers of shrubs, and our total bill was $70.50! What a deal! I paid more than that for 3 containers at a local nursery (same type of plant). It was a fun shopping trip, even with the rain.
to hear abut people planting trees again. I lost a lot of plants in the drought and have been blissfully replacing them. I spread my business around and have been to eleven nurseries so far. I am too embarrassed to tell you how much I spent! I love them all and some have things others do not. If you happen to feel like using some gas, try Big Bloomers in Tramway, just south of Sanford. It has the best perennial selection around and lots of herbs and succulents and some annuals and roses. Not many shrubs. The plants are not expensive, but they are mostly small. They also have nice pots, accessories and statuary.
I was on a mission yesterday to buy 87 shrubs and trees (16 different varieties) and here is what I encountered.
I first went to Old Stage Nursery. This was at about 9 am and I could not find anyone that spoke English. I walked around for 30 minutes and did not really see any plants that were marked. Once in a while I saw a stray sign, but no way to tell if that was for the current plant in that spot, or what was there last week, or last month
I then went to Broadwells. There was a man there that could speak English (but I don't think that he could read it as he asked me to read my list when I tried to hand it to him). They only had 3 or 4 of the plants that I wanted, so I moved on.
I next went to Tarheel, but they did not sell shrubs, so I left. But not before the young woman at the counter told me to try Old Stage Nursery again later in the day when the owner was normally there.
I went back home and tried the nursery on Johnson Pond (John Atkins), which is about 1/2 mile from my house. He was VERY helpful and had a few of the plants that I was looking for. We talked for about 30 minutes regarding the plants he had and possible substitutions for plants on my list that he did not have. Some of the plants on my list were "patented" and he said that I may have better luck at Pender Nursery in Garner.
I was ready to drive over to Pender, but stopped when I found out that you must be a landscaper to shop there. They are not open to the public.
By now it was around noon, so I drove all the way back down to Old Stage Nursery. There was now someone manning the "office" . . . and I use that term loosely. . . So I asked him if he had any of the plants on my list. He recognized some, but he wasn't the owner and wasn't sure of other plants on the list (he was just tending to the office while the owner was away for the day). He recommended that I talk to one of the more senior employees, who just happened to be out at lunch. I asked if I could leave my list of plants while I went out to rent a truck. . . hoping that the senior employee could mark which ones they had and point me to where they were when I returned with the truck. Well, imagine my surprise when I returned to find that many of my plants were all picked out and waiting for me. They even loaded my truck. Here is an example of what I paid (I got a total of 44 plants):
3gal Gardenia $4
3gal Camelia $10
7 gal Dogwood $15
3 gal Holly $5
3 gal Loropetalum $6.50
And a VERY nice tip for the senior employee who collected the plants
I then went back home, unloaded the truck and started calling other nurseries to see if I could find more of the plants. I was surprised to find that Lowes in Garner had some, so I quickly drove over there and got the following (I got 26 plants)
1 gal Double Knockout Rose $15
3 gal Double Knockout Rose $25
3 gal Indian Hawthorn $17
3 gal Euonymus $17
You can see that the prices are MUCH higher. These prices were similar to prices at Fairview Garden Center on Holly Springs Rd (Fairview's price for Indian Hawthorns was higher = $30 for 3 gal, but their price on roses was less = $12.50 for 3 gal)
This morning I'm going up to the Lowes on Capital Blvd as I hear they have 2 more of the plants that I'm looking for.
Centennial Girl Holly
Purple Pixie Loropetalum
And after that I think that I'll go over to John Atkins nursery again to buy pine straw.
I was on a mission yesterday to buy 87 shrubs and trees (16 different varieties) and here is what I encountered.
I first went to Old Stage Nursery. This was at about 9 am and I could not find anyone that spoke English. I walked around for 30 minutes and did not really see any plants that were marked. Once in a while I saw a stray sign, but no way to tell if that was for the current plant in that spot, or what was there last week, or last month
I then went to Broadwells. There was a man there that could speak English (but I don't think that he could read it as he asked me to read my list when I tried to hand it to him). They only had 3 or 4 of the plants that I wanted, so I moved on.
I next went to Tarheel, but they did not sell shrubs, so I left. But not before the young woman at the counter told me to try Old Stage Nursery again later in the day when the owner was normally there.
I went back home and tried the nursery on Johnson Pond (John Atkins), which is about 1/2 mile from my house. He was VERY helpful and had a few of the plants that I was looking for. We talked for about 30 minutes regarding the plants he had and possible substitutions for plants on my list that he did not have. Some of the plants on my list were "patented" and he said that I may have better luck at Pender Nursery in Garner.
I was ready to drive over to Pender, but stopped when I found out that you must be a landscaper to shop there. They are not open to the public.
By now it was around noon, so I drove all the way back down to Old Stage Nursery. There was now someone manning the "office" . . . and I use that term loosely. . . So I asked him if he had any of the plants on my list. He recognized some, but he wasn't the owner and wasn't sure of other plants on the list (he was just tending to the office while the owner was away for the day). He recommended that I talk to one of the more senior employees, who just happened to be out at lunch. I asked if I could leave my list of plants while I went out to rent a truck. . . hoping that the senior employee could mark which ones they had and point me to where they were when I returned with the truck. Well, imagine my surprise when I returned to find that many of my plants were all picked out and waiting for me. They even loaded my truck. Here is an example of what I paid (I got a total of 44 plants):
3gal Gardenia $4
3gal Camelia $10
7 gal Dogwood $15
3 gal Holly $5
3 gal Loropetalum $6.50
And a VERY nice tip for the senior employee who collected the plants
I then went back home, unloaded the truck and started calling other nurseries to see if I could find more of the plants. I was surprised to find that Lowes in Garner had some, so I quickly drove over there and got the following (I got 26 plants)
1 gal Double Knockout Rose $15
3 gal Double Knockout Rose $25
3 gal Indian Hawthorn $17
3 gal Euonymus $17
You can see that the prices are MUCH higher. These prices were similar to prices at Fairview Garden Center on Holly Springs Rd (Fairview's price for Indian Hawthorns was higher = $30 for 3 gal, but their price on roses was less = $12.50 for 3 gal)
This morning I'm going up to the Lowes on Capital Blvd as I hear they have 2 more of the plants that I'm looking for.
Centennial Girl Holly
Purple Pixie Loropetalum
And after that I think that I'll go over to John Atkins nursery again to buy pine straw.
You are the man! That is a lot of plants! Do you mind sharing where you rented your truck and the ball park cost? I am planning on purchasing a few trees soon and need to find an affordable truck rental to transport them. I don't suppose you saw any Forest Pansy Redbuds for sale at any of the nurseries you visited? (I have had a hard time locating one)
BTW, I'm a big fan of the Lowes on Captial Boulevard both the one in North Raleigh and especially the one up in Wake Forest. The one in wake forest up by capital / 98 always seems to have the best selection of the big box stores in this area IMHO.
Do you mind sharing where you rented your truck and the ball park cost? I am planning on purchasing a few trees soon and need to find an affordable truck rental to transport them. I don't suppose you saw any Forest Pansy Redbuds for sale at any of the nurseries you visited?
BTW, I'm a big fan of the Lowes on Captial Boulevard both the one in North Raleigh and especially the one up in Wake Forest. The one in wake forest up by capital / 98 always seems to have the best selection of the big box stores in this area IMHO.
I rented the truck at a U-Haul place. The 14-ft truck goes for $20/day at some places and $30/day at other places. Unfortunately I didn't realize this and picked a place that was $30. Make sure you call before going.
Unfortunately, you also have to pay for gas and mileage. Mileage is 50 cents a mile and the truck seemed to get about 8-10 mpg. So, it is very wise to plan your trips. I went about 60 miles in 3 trips over the 24 hours, so my total bill was $30 daily rate + $30 mileage + $20 gas = $80.
I got a call last night from my landscape architect and she said that she was at the "Lowes on Capital", where she found some of the plants that I wanted. I drove to the Lowes on Capital in N Raleigh this morning and only found 1 of the 3 plants that she mentioned, so I'll bet that she was referring to the Lowes on Capital in Wake Forest.
I do remember seeing a forest pansy redbud, but don't recall where. It may have been at Fairview Garden Center on Holly Springs Rd or John Atkins Nursery on Johnson Pond.
I rented the truck at a U-Haul place. The 14-ft truck goes for $20/day at some places and $30/day at other places. Unfortunately I didn't realize this and picked a place that was $30. Make sure you call before going.
Unfortunately, you also have to pay for gas and mileage. Mileage is 50 cents a mile and the truck seemed to get about 8-10 mpg. So, it is very wise to plan your trips. I went about 60 miles in 3 trips over the 24 hours, so my total bill was $30 daily rate + $30 mileage + $20 gas = $80.
I got a call last night from my landscape architect and she said that she was at the "Lowes on Capital", where she found some of the plants that I wanted. I drove to the Lowes on Capital in N Raleigh this morning and only found 1 of the 3 plants that she mentioned, so I'll bet that she was referring to the Lowes on Capital in Wake Forest.
I do remember seeing a forest pansy redbud, but don't recall where. It may have been at Fairview Garden Center on Holly Springs Rd or John Atkins Nursery on Johnson Pond.
Thanks for that information, I really appreciate it. About 18 months ago I was fortunate enough to find a Rent-A-Wreck on Capital that rented out Ford F-150s for $40 day with unlimited mileage. Sadly they are no longer in business and I have been unable to find any other source of rental trucks besides U-Haul.
By the way, it may be too late for you but I was just at an awesome Nursery today in North Raleigh. It is called Homewood Nursery and it had a lot of great stuff. You might want to give them a call to see if they have items you are looking for. FWIW, this is a very pretty Nursery as it is nestled under a canopy of huge Pine Trees. It is located in a beautiful area of North Raleigh off of Honeycutt Road just North of Durant Road. I love that area and I plan to go back. They actually had some Forest Pansy Redbuds there when I went today, but they were quite mature with a price tag of $119 which is a little rich for my blood right now. But they were having a 25% off sale and I must say it was a pretty decent sized tree so I can see why it was so much more.
By the way, other great nurseries in Raleigh that you might want to call for hard to locate plants include:
Another place that sells a lot of trees to landscapers is Taylor’s Nursery out on 64 heading towards Knightdale. I’m pretty sure they sell to the general public too.
Good Luck, it sounds like you have a big project on your hands!
Sorry, but I do see it as a way to skim and not report income. Cash doesn't have a paper trail. Even if you get a "receipt" it can easily "disappear." Folks, I'm not accusing these tree people of cheating, I'm just asking y'all to think about what I'm saying.
I can understand not taking credit/debit cards - it does cost a percentage/sale - but then.. it is a cost of doing business. However, when I read about people carrying around wads of money (one of the PP).. again.. I just have to wonder, .
If I were a business owner I would prefer cash hands down. So many bad checks are passed these days and dealing with credit/debit cards in the middle of a field when you're trying to run this type of business isn't exactly ideal. Remember the 'old days' before credit & debit cards? When I frequent any small privately owned business I try to pay cash. Every little bit helps them out...and them not having to pay the fees to visa, etc. is simply more profit in their pocket.
Back to the original post...my neighbors purchased a uhaul full of trees from broadwells last month. They've lost one of the 12-15 trees they purchased but the rest look great. Their biggest problem with this particular excursion was that the trees were loaded into their uhaul with a forklift...and there wasn't a forklift in N. Raleigh to help them unload. The trees they purchased all had root balls 3-4 feet in diameter. If you purchase and they load things into your truck with a forklift be sure you have lots of strong men to unload the trees when you get back!
I came across this post kind of late, but wanted to mention something as someone brought up Pender Nursery and the Forest Pansy Redbud. There is a place in Raleigh called Trees2go. You can check them out online. They can get plants for you at Pender, Adcock's and Taylor's Nursery and deliver for free to most locations if you buy at least $150 worth of plants. The downside, of course, is that you can't see the plants, they are picked out for you. But I have never had any problems. I know one of these places has the Redbud someone wanted. Anyway, just thought I would mention it. Beats renting a truck if you need a lot of plants, especially large ones.
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It makes me so happy...
Thanks!
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