I always have a look around the reduced section in the GC. Have picked up several bargains that way, usually things like hardy geraniums. Once got 4 perennial scabious reduced to 50p each. Lady on the till said to me " Are you sure you want those ? They're dead aren't they ?". I said that I did, she clearly thought l was bonkers and took pity on me by reducing them to 10p each. They gave a lovely display for several years and l propagated succesfully from 2 of them. What a bargain !
One of our local GCs has a brilliant reduced section. Plants are cared for just as well as all the rest of their plants. Unlike some places which basically chuck them in a corner and forget about them. I have had some great bargains there too.
£1.99, £4.99, £2.95 ... why the duplicity? These places are trying, and failing, to persuade us that things are cheaper then they actually are. Have people noticed that shops like John Lewis and M&S with arguably higher ethical standards have abandoned this underhand behaviour and priced things without a conning motive?
I was recently recommended anglia bulb company. Have not heard of them before but their prices seemed very reasonable so have ordered some summer bulbs/cannas/dahlias. Will update on quality here once I receive them.
I shop around for plants if I can, you be lucky to find a plant in a 3litre pot under £6 these days . GC near me does an offer of 3 for £15 3Litre pots or £6 each but the plants are normally common. I buy most unusual plants online, but buying 3L + can really ramp up the P+P
@Alchemist I buy from Anglia Bulbs now and again I haven't sent my order yet for summer plants , allow a little bit dear than say peter nyssen the quality is for better, some of the best bulbs I've ever bought have come from them. I don't buy canna rhizomes though from anywhere without knowing they are virus free, its impossible to tell if they have canna virus until it starts showing signs on the leaves.
@perki Thanks. Good to know they did well for you. Didn’t think of canna virus. I will grow this in a pot for a while. Don’t want this taking down my other cannas! Too bad nurseries don’t check for virus.....
With being bulbs supplier I would assume they don't grow their own stock and import them from Holland where most of the plants with Canna virus comes from, it should be illegal to sell sick / virus plants on purpose , I am not saying it the bulb supplier fault they probably don't know if they have the virus.
I saw some in the GC last year Canna Durban it looked a shadow of itself and looked nothing remotely like my healthy virus free Durban.
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@Alchemist I buy from Anglia Bulbs now and again I haven't sent my order yet for summer plants , allow a little bit dear than say peter nyssen the quality is for better, some of the best bulbs I've ever bought have come from them. I don't buy canna rhizomes though from anywhere without knowing they are virus free, its impossible to tell if they have canna virus until it starts showing signs on the leaves.
I saw some in the GC last year Canna Durban it looked a shadow of itself and looked nothing remotely like my healthy virus free Durban.