What A Week–Availability Update for April 14, 2014

We have been busy here. Lots of overtime put in to load the trucks. Being able to find drivers has been an ongoing issue this year. We have run ads, we use driver leasing companies, we have contracted with a trucking company to get power under our trailers and we are still barely able to get enough drivers.

You might say, “Pay the more to take the load.” However, it doesn’t really work that way. I personally talked to 7 or 8 companies and they said that they were looking for drivers too or that they didn’t want to haul plants. I talked to 2 of the biggest trucking companies in the country who have logistics division who do nothing but find trucks to haul freight for other people like us. One said that they always find a solution, but came back and said the they did not have a way to make it work with their union drivers. The other one talked to over 30 companies who all told him, “No.”

New trucking regulations and hours of service are hampering the trucking industry to move freight. The drivers who are still driving can pretty much pick and choose the loads and jobs they want. Unfortunately, we are seasonal and they is not too attractive to drivers. One plus is that we can get drivers home a few nights a week so the ones who want to be home a little more do like the work, but there don’t seem to be enough of them.

So far we have managed to keep up. There has been a couple of mishaps and we apologize it those affected your order delivery. We are working hard to get this resolved and will be on top of this for as long as it takes to keep things running smoothly.

On the plus side, the plants are looking great. We have a lot of availability again this week despite what we have shipped out. Our plantings are mostly on schedule. A few items are running behind and won’t be ready for another week. It’s funny. Some plants are behind while others are ahead of schedule. It’s been a weird year for growing.

Enough of all that. If you even read it a all. Here are the pictures.

Our gallons availability jumped this week with the additions of most of the tropical hibiscus and some mandevilla.

1gal bumper crop tomatoes 4-11-141gal colocasia 4-11-141gal hardy ferns 4-11-141gal lantana 4-11-141gal mandevilla 4-11-141gal micro tom tomato 4-11-141gal sunpatiens 4-11-141gal tomato 2 4-11-141gal tropical hibiscus 2 4-11-141gal tropical hibiscus 4-11-14

Our quart perennials continue to look excellent.

1qt perennial artemesia 4-11-141qt perennial fireglow sedum 4-11-141qt perennial firewitch dianthus 4-11-141qt perennial scabiosa 4-11-141qt perennial sempervivum 4-11-141qt perennial verbena 4-11-14

Premium annuals are prime. Imagine that.

1qt proven winner petunia 4-11-141qt proven winners 1 4-11-141qt proven winners 2 4-11-141qt proven winner calibrachoa 4-11-141qt proven winner nemesia 4-11-141qt proven winner verbena 4-11-144.5in bacopa 4-11-144.5in bliss begonia 4-11-144.5in dalinova dahlias 4-11-144.5in pink pentas 4-11-144.5in pleactranthus 4-11-144.5in strobilanthes4.5in sun coleus 4-11-144.5in sweetie pink new guniea 4-11-144.5in yellow dalinova dahlia 4-11-144.56in double impatiens 4-11-14

Lots of vegetables and herbs are ready to plant. The Micro Tom tomatoes in 1 gallon pots already have micro tomatoes on the plants and the vines themselves don’t get much bigger.

4in chocolate mint 4-11-141 gal micro tom tomato 2 4-11-144in  tomatoes 4-11-144in herbs 1 4-11-144in herbs 2 4-11-144in herbs 3 4-11-144in herbs 4 4-11-144in peppers 4-11-141204 peppers 4-11-141204 tomatoes 4-11-14

Lots of color in our #6 pots.

6in blue wave petunia 4-11-146in cora vinca 4-11-146in geranium 4-11-146in marigolds 4-11-146in mosaic kong coleus 4-11-146in nightlights confetti garden 4-11-146in ornamental pepper 4-11-146in summer confetti garden 4-11-146in wave petunias 2 4-11-146in wave petunias 4 4-11-14

This is a sample of the hanging baskets we have hanging around.

10in bacpa bskt 4-11-1410in bolivian jew bskt 4-11-1410in calibrachoa 1 bskt 4-11-1410in calibrachoa 2 bskt 4-11-1410in calibrachoa bskt 210in cora cascade vinca bskt 1 4-11-1410in double impatiens bskt 4-11-1410in doulbe wave blue vein 4-11-1410in foliage combo bskt 4-11-1410in fuchsia bskt 1 4-11-1410in new guineas greenhouse 4-11-1410in santa cruz begonia bskt 4-11-1410in streptocarpella bskt 4-11-1410in swedish ivy bskt 4-11-1410in torenia bskt 4-11-1410in tuberous begonia bskt 4-11-14greenhouse 1 4-11-14

Confetti Gardens in baskets and decos are colorful. Several of the Confetti Trios have a more upright habit than trailing and therefore are not as wide but are much fuller on top. The bowls are looking great, particularly the succulent ovals.

12in confetti garden bskt 1 4-11-1412in confetti garden bskt 2 4-11-1412in confetti garden deco 4-11-1412in confetti gardens greenhouse 2 4-11-1412in deco confetti garden 4-11-1412in pineapple punch confetti bskt 4-11-1412in purple cleopatra confetti 4-11-1412in trailing petunia combo 2 4-11-1412in trailing petunia combo 4 4-11-1412in trailing petunia combo 6 4-11-1412in traling petun combl bskt 4-11-1414in color bowls 4-11-1412in oval succulents 4-11-1412in oval color bowls 4-11-14

We have a good availability of great looking basic and deluxe annuals in 1801’s, 1204’s and J6’s.

1801 hypoestes 4-11-141801 mix impatiens 4-11-141801 setcresea 4-11-141801 swizzle zinnia 4-11-141801 vinca major 4-11-141801 zahara zinnia 4-11-14J6 alyssum 4-11-14J6 celosia 4-11-14J6 dianthus 4-11-14J6 impatiens 4-11-14J6 impatiens greenhouse 4-11-14J6 petunias 4-11-14J6 vinca 4-11-141801 dreamland yellow zinnias 4-11-141801 quartz verbena 4-11-141801 red and mix nicotiana 4-11-141801 taishan marigolds 4-11-141801 zinnias 4-11-14

Scroll to Top