Tony Avent’s beloved garden and his Plant Delights Nursery in North Carolina have many mentions here on GardenRant, all favorable. We’ve reported on visits in person, and we were thrilled to be included in the cover of the 2013 catalog (the four original Ranters are in the upper left).
So no one here takes pleasure in reporting on the public outcry over the 2021 catalog, though it sure deserves it.
But judge for yourself. (Comments contrary to fact will be removed.)
Hundreds of people expressed outrage on the Plant Delights Facebook page – go read for yourself – but the response is expressed well in this letter to Avent from Washington Gardener Magazine’s Kathy Jentz (and a GardenComm leader):
To: Tony and Staff of Plant Delights
I considered myself an admirer of yours — writing this letter was both painful and disappointing that it has come to this. I wanted to let the content of the Spring 2021 Sales Catalog cover go by without addressing it, but my conscience will not allow it.
Over the last few days, I have read the comments on your social media and your responses to them. What is worse to me than the original artwork, is your lies about the artwork’s content and patronizing tone.
You maintain that the cartoon art depicts just a “grandfatherly figure” explaining the birds and the bees to kids. How I wish that were so! The “product of Ukraine” inscribed on the rocking chair, the depiction of Biden chomping on ginkgo leaves, the portrayal of Harris with a leering wink, etc. all show the truth. In plain fact this is meant to perpetuate several despicable Q-anon conspiracy theories about the president, vice president, and the Democratic party as a whole.
Perhaps even worse than the art and the lies about your intent is the timing of this publication. It hit my mailbox the day before the inauguration. This was no coincidence and after the events of January 6, my only conclusion can be that you support these domestic terrorists — or else you would have followed up with a retraction postcard or slapped a sticker on the cover at the mailhouse before it went out.
The fact that this catalog cover is STILL your avatar image on both your Facebook page and Instagram account speaks volumes.
What is truly head-scratching to me is that this is a business. Clearly though, you care more about perpetuating dangerous lies and stoking political divisions than selling plants.
I pray you come to your senses, apologize, pull the artwork, and hire a PR team to clean up this mess. Until then, remove me from your mail list.
Sincerely, Kathy
Kathy received this response:
Hi Kathy,
It’s time to put an end to the disheartening controversy over our 2021 spring catalog cover. We apologize to anyone who was offended since this was the opposite of our intent. For the last quarter-century, our covers have been horticulture-themed current events satires, this one with a theme of teaching plant reproduction.While we regularly use politicians and public figures on our covers, there has never been any politically leaning intent. There is also no intent to portray racism, the abuse of children, or anything else which we find unequivocally abhorrent.
Simply stated, our cover was designed before the election. We did not anticipate the deepening of wounds that occurred around and after the election. Please accept our sincere apologies, as this is a time that we all need to reflect, to heal, and to move forward.
2020 was an incredibly eye-opening year that finally opened the eyes of so many people who thought they were colorblind. As a nation, we need to direct outrage about racism where it actually exists, where people are being discriminated against or treated differently because of the color of their skin.
We have spent decades making sure our business is welcoming to all people, and those who visit will see our dedication and success in this effort.
We regret and are disappointed that anyone applied meaning to the catalog cover that was not intended.
Let us all continue to fight societal injustice with passion, but also take time to listen, understand, laugh, and love.
We will remove you from our mailing list.
Best wishes for 2021, Tony Avent
re: Comments contrary to fact will be removed.
Does that mean if people don’t agree with you their comments will be removed?
Nope. It’s what I said.
Amen
Yes, surely Ms. Jentz must be able to see into Tony’s heart and know his true intent: that he supports domestic terrorism. Please.
It’s interesting to see this level of outrage and concern for “truth” directed toward the satirical cover of a gardening catalog rather than at actual mainstream media outlets.
I thought Tony’s response was classy, too. I just placed a large order from Plant Delights to show my support.
It was classy it was dismissive. There was no accountability and his “satire” was a tool to perpetuate known lies and conspiracy theories that involve crimes against children. That’s all it was and I hope you get all the satisfaction in the world from supporting ideas and lies like that.
Correction: Wasn’t classy
I agree and have had a communication with Tony, which I applaud him for acknowledging people’s shock over the cover, but I still think that cover was meant o express a certain stance about Biden and Harris regardless of when it was designed. I don’t think the time of design really. stand up at all as an excuse for why the cover is innocent.
Agreed. It never ceases to amaze how baselessly and easily some people willfully dismiss others’ valid perspectives. The validity of the criticism is not in question.
I found the comment about “mainstream media” interesting. It’s not the mainstream media that spreads the lies being defended in Mary’s comment. They are the ones exposing the lies.
Every person is free to assess their own reaction and choose to support promoters of lies if they want to do so. But you DO NOT get to insinuate that a lie is the truth (or nothing to worry about) because it doesn’t aggravate based on your own experience, or to suggest that others’ perspectives are invalid.
You don’t need to be a mind reader. Surely you can see with your own eyes.
I think that it promoted every unfounded rumor directed toward Biden and Harris and led me to think Tony was promoting those rumors. To pass Biden off as the fatherly figure reading to the kids is unseemly. One doesn’t usually think that is the task of grandfathers, nothing wrong if a grandfather’s give some of that information, but in this design it was creepy. I caught on the to Kama Seedra as being a twist on Kama Sutra which was also disgusting relative to presenting to children. I have always liked the covers and even cut them off the catalogs to save them. This one was just terribly off kilter and a bad decision to print. I, however, will not state I will never do business with Plant Delights. It was a big faux pas, but I have been through a serious stick-the-foot-in-the-mouth situation myself and know some of our mistakes should not define us erring people forever.
Agree with everything you said, and I especially appreciate your final point. Ideally, criticism leaves room for future improvement and doesn’t mean eternal damnation.
> Does that mean if people don’t agree with you their comments will be removed?
A good faith interpretation of the sentence would be exactly as it says. For example, counterfactual claims like that a given politician is secretly a lizard person, or that nobody was killed on January 6th.
It seems fair to expect commenters to be able to back up their claims with plausible citations, if they are claiming something not widely agreed on. I share the OP’s wariness of conspiracy theories.
The owner’s reply is disingenuous and a lame excuse for an apology. The drawing is provocative and creepy on more than one level, and obviously appeals to people with a certain political view. Since the business clearly endorses a twisted view of Vice President Harris and President Biden, let people who buy into this kind of sleaze be the ones to spend their money here.
Have the covers ever lampooned any right-wing figures, for example Donald Trump? I wonder what the response would be if they had?
I do have to question why, before the election happened, that Biden and Harris were chosen as the characters for the story. Given the tension at every turn about the 2020 election, one would think it smart to totally stay off the topic in such a year. The majority of businesses follow the thought that staying away from political expressions is the best practice.
John, I’d say that the Fall 2019 cover does that. There is a gallery of all the covers on the Plant Delights site. I just googled Plant Delights catalog covers.
Thanks, Steve. I went back and looked and did appreciate the chuckles from the Spring 2020 catalog “Plantcestry” cover on the continual taxonomic changes. “No new taxus! Kiss my asters! No absence of Malus!”
But I also agree that this current cover was way overboard and to come at such a sensitive time seems truly unbelievable, actually…especially as a business, as someone else has said.
The 2017 catalog has a feature plant inside the catalog–Arisaema ‘Trumpeteer’ (Bully-in-the-pulpit), the photo of which bears a striking resemblance to a green Donald Trump. It’s description includes this: “When attacked, its unique sound-based defense system emits a series of loud and offensive tweets.” among other fun plant-catalog style notes. I think Avent is an equal opportunity lampooner and politics is an easy target. The very nature of plants and pollination has always opened itself up to double entendres as well, as seen in some of previous year’s covers, though this year’s cover seems have gone a little to the tasteless side of things.
Understand your point, but if you think that one catalog item as satire compares with what he’s done on catalog covers, or even comes close to the level of egregiousness in terms of the topics being satirized, then I’d invite you to rethink that comparison. I am sure PDN had no idea that there would be a violent insurrection against our nation’s most sacred place of governance when they decided to print this catalog, but having that as a backdrop has clearly resulted in this cover, with its promotion of fasle conspiracy theories, appearing far more distasteful than otherwise. That said, Mr Avent’s reaction leaves much to be desired, and frankly, completely ignores the promotion of conspiracy theories that was so offputting to so many. For me, there are plenty of places I can get my quality and unusual plants without risking support of a business run by someone who behaves in that manner. I don’t need to buy anything from PDN, and likely won’t.
One more thought in rereading what I said–yes, the distastefulness was amplified by Jan 6th, and they couldn’t have anticipated that. However, is it ever tasteful or appropriate to satirize child sex abuse? That is what this cover does, at its core, beyond the racist tropes and disproven nonsense from QAnon and Ukraine and China. Even without what happened on Jan 6, would I have found this cover objectionable because it makes light of such a horrific topic as child sex abuse? Most definitely–this topic is not appropriate in the humor lane, because there is nothing funny about it. My decision to refrain from more support of PDN remains steadfast. It’s really disgusting. That’s all there is to it.
Fortunately for me, I’ve never heard of this company until now, so therefore I will continue to not spend money with them.
This catalog cover is not complimentary to the owner of the business. It is in poor taste, no matter who is caricatured on the cover (though it’s quite clear to me). Children are attracted to colorful cartoons, and do you suppose they will not ask questions about it? Maybe the owner would like to answer those questions. I am not commenting on the specifics, because it seemingly leads only to vitriol.
Thanks for posting this– Would not have seen otherwise. Sad to see this in a planting catalog.
Oh please, no “politically leaning intent”, on a cover portraying 2 presidential nominees in a controversial election? C’mon! Especially since it was designed before the election. And clearly insulting to both candidates, from the phallic pen Harris is holding and the mocking insult to her name (a common expression of bigotry) to Biden’s leer, the ginkgo biloba leaves and the Ukraine comment on the chair (what did that have to do with the supposed theme?). The apology letter was lip service at best to what a business is expected to do when they make a mistake, but was not sincere, as he offered no intent to correct it and made no effort to win Jentz’s business back.
He is absolutely entitled to his opinions, but he shouldn’t be surprised at the blowback. Thank you for calling him out.
On the subject of gardening businesses making odd choices in advertising: As I was buying a Christmas tree this year from my local, independent, family owned and run nursery, I noticed their prominent billboard that advertised “Christmas trees, wreaths and roping, Newsmax, OAN, apples, petunias, mulch, soil, herbs.” The local social media reacted and he changed the sign. But not before generating a lot of bad will.
Looking at past covers, it seems they make fun of everybody. As a far lefty, I am declining the invitation to be “outraged.” Haven’t we had enough of that?
Making fun of people is fine. Promoting lies, and making “satire” about child sex abuse is not fine. Well, that, and wholly disingenuous apologies tend to also not be fine, at least in my book.
The Danes would marvel at our American puritanism. They have an animated children’s show about a guy with a 20-foot penis that he can’t control, so it goes around playing pranks on people.
I am appalled by the racism and many references to Q-anon insanity. Before or after the election makes no difference. It is beyond poor taste and in the realm of doing real harm. Entitled protestations of “not intending it that way”, and “Reflect, heal, move forward”, are so clueless, flippant, and inadequate they make the situation even worse, if that is possible. I was a fan of Tony Avent and Plant Delights, but no longer.
I’m in the process of looking for plants to order this year & am glad I recently ran across your site. Plant Delights was one of the places I was considering ordering from because of the nice selection they have. I was debating it though due to seeing other sites with good reviews and cheaper prices, as I’m on somewhat of a budget this year. I think I’ll pass on Plant Delights now for sure.
I’m sorry, but Tony’s explanation doesn’t seem to fit and I won’t do business with someone I don’t feel is honest (understand that I’m not at all saying they’re dishonest in their business practices, I just don’t care for dishonesty in general is all and don’t feel a dishonest person should get my business). If the cover was a theme of “plant reproduction” as he says, then, as was pointed out, why does the chair that Biden is sitting in say product of the Ukraine? And why have the now president and vice president on the cover “teaching plant reproduction” at all if plant reproduction was all that was intended? No, it’s seems pretty obvious to anyone with knowledge of the conspiracies and two eyes that see what was meant.
I’m not outraged or anything, just a bit irked given that they would do such a thing with the political climate we’re in, in a country that’s quite divided. I find it in very bad taste to do such in a time with many deep wounds that need to heal, not see such things on the cover of a sales catalog for plants, for crying out loud.
It’s been years since I got one of their catalogs, but I always did find the art kind of creepy (maybe that’s just me, not being a fan of the ‘grotesque’ school of caricature). But over the top is what it is, because of the children being included in the scene. This was way big idiocy at the very least, and more likely a regurgitation of the Q-tip ‘pedophile ring’ crap. If Trump and Pence had been the adult characters, I wonder if there would have been any outcry from the right (even given the fact that Trump has actually had rape complaints filed against him).
I am glad I live in a country where you can express your opinions freely. And you can have open conversation with those you disagree with no matter the subject. My Mother taught me to avoid conversations of religion and politics at a dinner party, and that is wise advice, BUT if you say that a blue rose is the ugliest thing ever, I say, let’s discuss! If the cover portrayed, even through satire, a set of politicians whose basic beliefs you don’t ascribe to, in this fashion, you would applaud that cover. Think about that deeply…I do often. If you don’t want to buy from a company that votes differently from you, you have that right. I am glad people don’t hide their beliefs because that is not democracy. Let’s express our opinions freely, in a civil manner.
“If the cover portrayed, even through satire, a set of politicians whose basic beliefs you don’t ascribe to” With all due respect, that completely misses the mark. This cover doesn’t really find disgust in mocking the politicians’ beliefs–not at all. This is disgusting because it actually pertpetuates and promotes A LIE. It is a lie that involves the sex abuse of children. So, spare me the free speech red herring. That doesn’t for a single second reduce the egregiousness of the sickness underlying this cover.
This nation is in deep do-do. People should not, and cannot, tolerate willful falsehood as “free speech” without pointing out that it is as such, untrue. Nor is it humorous. And that doesn’t even begin to address the moral destitution of the topics “satirized” on this cover, or the proprietor’s disingenuous “apology”.
Tony and the cover artist must have been Mad Magazine fans in their youth because the covers remind of Mad. Now if they could only do them where you fold them and get another picture with more sarcasm like Mad. “What, me worry?” Alfred E. Newman.
Yeah this cover went a bit too far. And yes they have done covers that poked fun at conservatives.
Could someone perhaps post a link to these other covers?
Unsolicited advice to Tony: next year for inspiration maybe watch more John Waters movies and fewer hours of Fox News prior to the 2022 design?
This cover is uglier than a dive bar’s men’s room floor on St Patrick’s Day after last call. Nevertheless, I will pick up a few plants in spite of the cover and PD’s often high prices.
Has there been any fallout to things related to PD? Canceled donations to Juniper Level Botanic Garden? Cancellations to the Southeastern Plant Symposium hosted by PD/JLBG (i.e. participants or speakers)?
I look forward to your blog posts every week. I am a gardener who had never heard of them. As soon as I saw it I smiled, then laughed as I focused on the details. It’s just good old Mad Magazine satire. I signed up to their newsletter and ordered a catalogue. Thanks again!
Watching Cancel Culture emerge on social media in our industry this week was a profoundly disturbing and painful experience. I have never followed such phenomena before in real time; and though I am perhaps naive, was troubled by those solely there for vitriol and viciousness to be spread as quickly as possible by tagging and hashtagging — for many were obviously completely unfamiliar with Plant Delights. “The Internet is coming for you.” said one. “It’s your turn.” said another. It is no longer enough that we should find something unacceptable and write to the company (as Kathy did), but that all should know and participate in our wrath with the intent to destroy. I was also bemused by the amount (and varied use) of the f-word to express moral outrage. In an industry where – sadly — boring and predictable is often the norm, Tony has amused us over the years with a liberal dose of humor in each of his plant descriptions, and with extremely edgy cartoons that, like Mad magazine or a celebrity roasting, leave little off the table – and sometimes miss that delicate convergence of perception and intent. In light of hot tempers after the election however, his apology for offense caused is appreciated and, to this gardener at least, clear.
Just a few thoughts in response.
Calling out a LIE, is not cancel culture. But it is funny to me that this new term being thrown around (“cancel culture”) is frequently applied inequitably.
Yes, some people on social media (and I would include myself) probably reacted quickly, hastily, and with some language that could be considered vitriolic. But I would invite you to understand that others’ lived experiences may make such “satire” an affront of such magnitude.
In my case, the attack on the capital on Jan 6th shook me to my core, and caused me to highly object to any surrounding purposeful and willful lies, put forth in an effort to stoke fear and division. This cover did attempts to perpetuate those purposeful and willful lies. Just like the lies about the election that directly caused Jan 6th. Surely, the introduction of such animosity and purposeful falsehoods into the gardening community isn’t immune from valid criticism. And the intensity of feeling as that attack on our democracy created in me is directly responsible for my vitriol. And finally, if we are going to judge vitriolic reaction against such absurd, horrific, and destructive LIES, should we not also judge the lies themselves with equal vigor.
Lastly, if you’re suggesting that the use of the f-word, in and of itself, is an equivalent immorality to promoting divisive lies that falsely accuse public figures of child sex abuse as “satire”, perhaps there is another way to receive that word choice? I have used the f-word in social media to convey the depth of conviction or anger that I am expressing. If you find that use immoral, so be it, but surely you can agree that it does not rise to the level of immorality that this cover does!
It’s not cancel culture, it’s accountability culture. His “apology” was a gaslighting lie on top of his perverted QAnon cover. It’s not liberals against conservatives here. It’s liberals and conservatives against QAnon lies.
Even without the malignant lunacy of conspiracy theory politics displayed on this cover, the subject matter as depicted is totally tone deaf to current culture. Seriously, what was he thinking when he approved this?
I agree that all are entitled to their opinions. That said , I have to say that I have always enjoyed all of PDN’s cartoon covers no matter the content (including this one)! I am a longtime Liberal Democrat & I’m still not offended. It’s satire in the best Mad Magazine tradition as all of the PDN covers have been. I fear that too many folks have become way to thin-skinned when they have to criticize the cover on a plant catalog. Get a life folks & move on to some serious criticism of the bizarre shenanigans that our government pulls on a daily basis ( both sides of the aisle,BTW). Like 19 years in Afghanistan or the perpetual meddling with women’s medical rights…..
I agree.
Thank you, Garden Rant, for bringing this to light.
As the Washibgton Post proclaims, “Democracy Dies in Darkness.”
Not American. Don’t live in the US. Have no baggage of them and us when it comes to voting patterns, nor a lifetime of living in the US under different regimes and the politics that go with it.
But you could sure see an undercurrent of something in that cover. My first thought, if all good humour has an element of truth, what is being implied here?
Yeah, ha ha Kama Seedstra, plant parenthood, this is clever. But the rest of it, is it clever at the expense of perpetuating deep divisions in America, clever at the expense of planting yet another seed of ridicule and suspicion in a country torn apart?
The apology offered was pretty much suck it up. And that sure said something.
When I discovered this controversy a week ago, I wondered if you would cover it here. I am glad you did.
I have hear PD reply that it shows a grandfather teaching his grandkids about plant propagation. And Kamala is standing there with something that looks like a cross between an injection on one end and a penis on the other. Then the kids are all ready sexually implied manuals. I am a survivor. This is horrific beyond words. His hatred for Biden and Harris is clear. Involving children is beyond disgusting. Unless you have been a victim, you have absolutely no idea what it is like to have that living in your head for the rest of your life. Most of the time you can put it in that dark corner but this brought it to the forefront. My catalog went in the trash where it belongs along with his so called humor. There are plenty of quality nurseries to order from and his will no longer be on that list.
People tend to be unable to calibrate their sense of humor. And when they delight in thinking their “cleverness” establishes their core personality, don’t expect apologies or pleas to stick to business. Such folks, even as the front of a privately held business concern, are unwilling to empathize with those who seek to reform their “funny”
This comment represents the most astute observation of this controversy that I’ve seen. Thank you.
Perhaps it was a coincidental technical glitch in the makeover of the blog, but it is rather ironic the dissenting comments that got cancelled from this post.
Oh dear! Dissenting from criticism of the cover? Do you remember any of the commenters’ names? I’ll check into this.
No, dissenting to Marianne Willburn’s critique of ‘Cancel Culture’. One name was Christopher CNC.
I looked into it. Marianne had noticed that comments made after hers had gone missing during our site transfer and alerted the developer to the problem. Since your comment here she’s contacted the developer again to rescue the rest of the missing comments, and we should be seeing them here soon.
Y’all are reading way too into this, I used to work there and the cartoons aren’t kids, tho I can see the likeness … they are just cartoons that resemble employees… but y’all just want something to be mad at so go off, I won’t stop ya. But I will remind you that you can always just move on and buy from some where else if you don’t like a company… it’s what most people do
Then they are child like representation of an employee. To say that they are not depicted as children in the cartoon is gaslighting, plain and simple. They are half the size of the two adults in the cartoon. We have eyes, and they don’t lie.
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Get busy and grow a garden. My goodness people are touchy these day
His apology has zero accountability. He blames the readers for misinterpreting its meaning and then gives it a much gentler spin. That is textbook gaslighting! Not politically leaning? Where is Trump in this cartoon? Gaslighting! Has nothing to do with QAnon? Gaslighting! The only reality in which this comic would be funny is one where QAnon was complete bald face lie. Just because you’ve always gotten away with something doesn’t mean you always should. Bigotry doesn’t get grandfather’s rights. He needs to admit that he made a poor choice and that’s on him, not the consumer. We must all remember this. If he wants unity and healing then we want a decent apology.
It’s not cancel culture. It’s accountability culture.
Someone in the NC garden community needs to send a copy of the cover to the development office at NCSU and remind them that this will not encourage donations to the JCR Arboretum. Maybe then we would get a real apology.
Seems like Tony is determined to be a great plantsman with a bad personal reputation… he’s like the Woody Allen of horticulture!
That’s too bad.
Plant delights is the best nursery in the country – maybe the world – and Tony is a true genius. These controversies over catalog covers and vaguely insensitive or racist plant descriptions have been popping up for years and still he persists.
When I’ve talked with him he is always warm and generous. I hate that he’s decided to die on this hill. Doesn’t seem worth it.
Why sex as a topic? Why feature children? Why mention gingko? Why include “Ukraine”? Why mess up Kamala’s name? The intent here is clear, and the owner’s response shows in its blatant gaslighting and lies that it was no accident.