I think all the big companies that don't specialise in one type of plant, have quality problems but circling back to the original question, I don't think that matters to the magazine as it's ad revenue they are concerned with. I ordered a hardy geranium collection through the magazines offers a couple of years ago for my mum. The order was with hayloft and it took over a year to arrive and they were some of the most poor quality, micro plug, plants I've seen and hayloft have a really good reputation. I could have bought much bigger pants for around the same price locally.
I don't order from the catalogue companies anymore because I've never been impressed with anything I've had from them. The plants always seem very small and need plants of care before being planted out which often negates any price savings. I've used private sellers where the pants have been very very god but you don't always have the choice. Some of the new cultivars and specials appear quite quickly in the local garden centre if the plants are any good.
For plants I use Sarah Raven, always had really good results, I've used Hayloft too. Fothergills for seeds. SR is a bit more pricey than most, but worth the cost I think. Just had a Perch Hill Dahlia delivered from SR on Saturday and I think it going to be a real cracker this summer, and have another on order to come July, can't reember what that one is, so it'll be a treat when delivered
The last time I ordered from JParkers they forgot to include my pink salvias but wouldn't refund as I couldn't provide a picture of the missing items that didn't exist.🤔😁
Plenty more mail-order nurseries in the sea, fortunately...
So many of the old companies are now just shopwindows for large conglomerates. Thompson and Morgan have been awful for years and now Suttons have joined them. I suspect a few others are also part of the same stable. They have gone from being reputable sellers of quality products (and in T&M's case, of unusual seeds) to being bargain basement vendors without the bargain prices. In an overcrowded market, they pick up customers by appearing to offer something different from the rest but a quick look at their online presence shows identical items with identical pictures.
Is there one huge warehouse somewhere in the country, packing and sending out parcels of limp or dead plants to the unwary?
Also important to remember, there are many on line nurseries selling really good plants, and if something goes wrong, which is sometimes inevitable, will quickly refund, or replace.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
Another vote for Macplants. They are just about an hour away from me, so I order what I want online and they have them ready for me when I go. A few "extras" usually make it home with me too.
For trees I use mailordertrees.co.uk .... good prices, good selection, and they now deliver themselves so take care of the plants on the journey.
Bee x
Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
I had the same experience buying plug plants from J Parkers this year. Some arrived dead, others very root-bound. I would not be buying plug plants from them again (or probably anywhere). Refund process via whatsapp was straight-forward enough, though I didn't bother asking for refund for those very root-bound ones that subsequently died, just the ones that were dead on arrival.
Bare root plants I bought from last autumn were mostly fine though. The roses are thriving now.
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I ordered a hardy geranium collection through the magazines offers a couple of years ago for my mum. The order was with hayloft and it took over a year to arrive and they were some of the most poor quality, micro plug, plants I've seen and hayloft have a really good reputation. I could have bought much bigger pants for around the same price locally.
I don't order from the catalogue companies anymore because I've never been impressed with anything I've had from them. The plants always seem very small and need plants of care before being planted out which often negates any price savings. I've used private sellers where the pants have been very very god but you don't always have the choice. Some of the new cultivars and specials appear quite quickly in the local garden centre if the plants are any good.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Plenty more mail-order nurseries in the sea, fortunately...
I like Ballyrobert and Brookside.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
They are just about an hour away from me, so I order what I want online and they have them ready for me when I go. A few "extras" usually make it home with me too.
For trees I use mailordertrees.co.uk .... good prices, good selection, and they now deliver themselves so take care of the plants on the journey.
Bee x
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1072449/thoughts-please/p1
Bare root plants I bought from last autumn were mostly fine though. The roses are thriving now.