Behnke nursery is closing

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  • SKIP

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 5, 2009
    3,248
    Glenwood/Glenelg
    I started going back in the 1970s.
    Eventually, Their prices I could not afford.
    Sad but their material was costly.
     

    h2u

    Village Idiot
    Jul 8, 2007
    6,693
    South County
    A great family I’ve had the privilege of knowing for over 40 years. Not a bad apple in the bunch, as they say. The Old Man had a gorgeous cabin on the creek in St Inigoes that I miss visiting.

    I knew they were down-sizing years ago when they sold the nursery off Sands Rd in AA county. I think it’s a marijuana farm now. I’ve heard of one over there somewhere.

    Anyway, very sad to see the business close up. From what I know, they were one of the good guys.
     

    babalou

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 12, 2013
    16,019
    Glenelg
    Wow a lot of comments ripping them. The article stated fhat competition from big box stored but my take was another part where this generation of the family does not want to get into the business. Dunno
     

    SKIP

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 5, 2009
    3,248
    Glenwood/Glenelg
    And they purchased the same plants from the same wholesaler the big box store. Then sold them at a higher price.

    I'm not ripping them its only business.
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,818
    Damn! That really sucks. One of the best nurseries in the DC area.
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,818
    And they purchased the same plants from the same wholesaler the big box store. Then sold them at a higher price.

    I'm not ripping them its only business.

    No one store alone can compete with the BBSs. That's become an obvious fact.

    Here's another fact. Behnke's carried more varieties and higher quality plants than most other nurseries including the BBSs. Their staff is/was extremely knowledgeable, something you can depend on at Homeless Despot. Some things are worth paying an extra shekel or two for. Service is one.

    Sorry, didn't mean to take it out on you Skip. :o
     

    spoon059

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 1, 2018
    5,337
    And they purchased the same plants from the same wholesaler the big box store. Then sold them at a higher price.



    I'm not ripping them its only business.
    The plants are the same, the difference was in the way they are taken care of every day and the knowledge of the staff. Behnkes was great and we loved buying from them. The plants were always healthy and strong specimens and the employees knew their products. Shame they are gone. We will use Johnson's in laytonsville now.

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
     

    PowPow

    Where's the beef?
    Nov 22, 2012
    4,712
    Howard County
    We'd go there when the BBS didn't have what we wanted. It usually was a once or twice a year visit. We'll miss them.
     

    Half-cocked

    Senior Meatbag
    Mar 14, 2006
    23,937
    I have early childhood memories of my mother taking us kids there to buy shrubs and trees to plant around our (then) new house.

    Sad to see it go.
     

    joppaj

    Sheepdog
    Staff member
    Moderator
    Apr 11, 2008
    46,456
    MD
    The plants are the same, the difference was in the way they are taken care of every day and the knowledge of the staff. Behnkes was great and we loved buying from them. The plants were always healthy and strong specimens and the employees knew their products. Shame they are gone.

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

    That was my experience as well. I found their plants to be well cared for and the staff never led me wrong on a recommendation. I went to Behnke for the same reason I buy guns from our IPs. The knowledgeable staff is worth a few extra dollars as opposed to a mistake from a big box store.
     

    WatTyler

    Ultimate Member
    Old Mr. Behnke was German but back in the day that wasn't a very popular designation, so he called himself Dutch. My wife's grandfather was a broker in Holland and used to export tulip bulbs to Behnke. In his latter days, Opa used to talk about the old man and say "Ah, the Dutchman - he never gave anything away for free."
     

    SKIP

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 5, 2009
    3,248
    Glenwood/Glenelg
    The plants are the same, the difference was in the way they are taken care of every day and the knowledge of the staff. Behnkes was great and we loved buying from them. The plants were always healthy and strong specimens and the employees knew their products. Shame they are gone. We will use Johnson's in laytonsville now.

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

    Agree. Many times I see plants wilting at the BBS and it pisses me off.
    I got so mad at one store that my wife had to refrain me from shoplifting the plants. If the store was going to let them die then I will take care of then.
     

    SKIP

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 5, 2009
    3,248
    Glenwood/Glenelg
    No one store alone can compete with the BBSs. That's become an obvious fact.

    Here's another fact. Behnke's carried more varieties and higher quality plants than most other nurseries including the BBSs. Their staff is/was extremely knowledgeable, something you can depend on at Homeless Despot. Some things are worth paying an extra shekel or two for. Service is one.

    Sorry, didn't mean to take it out on you Skip. :o

    Agree not much experience at BBS about plant culture. I am a experienced Backyard Farmer and usually don't ask question.
    It's all about price.
     

    PF Flyer

    Member
    Sep 8, 2010
    43
    Yeah, I will miss them. One of the signs of spring for me going way back was spending the better part of a Saturday just walking around out in Beltsville. Year in and year out, they had the greatest and healthiest selection of hybrid tea rose bushes. What can I say, I was young, in love and married back then . . . . ;-)
     

    jollymon

    Active Member
    Dec 6, 2016
    852
    Now in Tennessee ,
    I remember them , Not for all the plants and trees , But for all the work they caused me when my Mother would come back from there with the back of the Station Wagon loaded with stuff to plant , She would have me set them in the garden so she could see if she liked them there if not I'd be moving them again and again till she liked it then she would plant them . But trees and shrubs I got to do the digging for them .
     

    dblas

    Past President, MSI
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 6, 2011
    13,087
    And they purchased the same plants from the same wholesaler the big box store. Then sold them at a higher price.

    I'm not ripping them its only business.

    Umm, not that I am aware of, at least for Home Depot. Home Depot's supplier for potted plants is Bell Nursery out of Burtonsville, and to my knowledge Bell does not sell to any other nurseries.
     

    dblas

    Past President, MSI
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 6, 2011
    13,087
    That was my experience as well. I found their plants to be well cared for and the staff never led me wrong on a recommendation. I went to Behnke for the same reason I buy guns from our IPs. The knowledgeable staff is worth a few extra dollars as opposed to a mistake from a big box store.

    This, if we ever had an issue with any of our plantings around the house, we would take a picture or two, or a cutting and ask for the person to talk to about the issue. We would invariably be directed to the correct person who always had and answer and solution to our problem/question.
     

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