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MEMBER PROFILE 



als that are potted into 1 1/2 gallon containers and 

 1000 finished perennials in one-quart containers; it in- 

 cludes a selection of herbs in 4-inch pots. And 1000 

 pot mums grown outside. 



The peninsula house becomes the retail sales 

 house and during the spring the benches are covered 

 with 2x4 ceiling florescent lighting covers. The flat 

 surface of plastic crosshatching is light and durable 

 and excess water drains immediately into the bench 

 soil. As plants are sold, material from the other two 

 houses is brought in to replace them. 



Here too, Yuda's constantly trying new material. He 

 grows each year's All-America Selections. ..and 

 brachycome, melampodium, heliotrope. And nie- 

 rembergia and phlox and gazania.... 



He offers not only 4-pacs of assorted colors, but 

 some of single colors as well (snaps, dianthus, cos- 

 mos, zinnias, nicotiana). He finds customers appreci- 

 ate knowing exactly what color they're buying. 



In October, three outside beds were filled with 

 blossoming pansies. "No one here sees pansies as a 

 fall plant, " Yuda says, so these will be covered with a 

 thin layer of straw this winter, then dug for spring 

 sales. Pansies are seeded in mid-|uly, transplanted 

 into 9-pacs "whenever they're ready, " then into the 

 field in August. Yuda acknowledges there's an extra 

 step because he doesn't use plugs, but going from 



the seed trays to the field is too big a transition. 



Blue Bell is not a large operation. After the first 

 two houses were built, only one other — a 96x28 from 

 Ed Person — was added. The three-house operation is 

 right for two full-time people (They do hire a part- 

 time person in spring and local women transplant 

 seedlings for a day or two when needed), but as the 

 retail business expands, the impulse is to build more 

 houses. Even one house would require a full-time 

 person and more houses would be required to keep 

 this person busy full-time. Should the business ex- 

 pand or be small, family-run, self-contained? 



There's also an aesthetic aspect to the debate. 

 The present buildings — house, barn, greenhouses — 

 look out onto a perfect woods-framed field. This 

 field's an obvious place to build, but a landscape of 

 production houses is a lot different than one of 

 hayfields. 



The quality of the landscape versus the strong 

 commercial instincts of New Hampshire's citizens: it's 

 not a new topic. Innovation can be in any aspect of a 

 business. Perhaps the Daskals' openness to experi- 

 mentation will lead to a solution to this as well. (B.P.) 



{Blue Bell Greenhouse is at 105 North River Road in Lee, New 

 Hampshire 03824 Amu and Yuda Daskal can be reached at 

 (603) 659-2997 ) « 



Northern-Grown Linlng-Out Stock 



BARE-ROOT 

 SEEDLINGS 



BARE-ROOT 

 TRANSPLANTS 



PLUG 

 SEEDLINGS 



You'U be sure of receiving quality 

 evergreen liners wlien you order 

 tliem from Western Maine Nurseries. 



Along with delivery of strong 

 seedlings and transplants that have 

 withstood the rigors of the northern 

 climate, the folks at Western Maine 

 nurseries also give you the same 

 fast, dependable service they've been 

 offering for over seventy years. 



So, when you're rea<^ to place an 

 order for evergreen lining-out stock, 

 call Western Maine nurseries, the 

 folks who always provide dependable 

 delivery of deep-rooted quality in 

 both product and service. 



ASK FOR OUR CURRENT 

 WHOLESALE TRADE LIST 



Call 1-800-447-4745 



or FAX 1-207-935-2043 



NURSERIES INC 



ESUBustcDma 



Box 250. One Evergreen Drive, Fiycburg, Nalne 04037 



20 



The Planlsman 



