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All credit to Hayloft !

Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,128
in Plants
2 or 3 years ago I ordered Helleborus 'Golden Lotus' . The first year it grew very strongly ; the second year the vibrancy and duration of the flowers were a beacon on my Spring border and a tribute to the skill of the breeders who raised it .
This year the plant has completely disappeared (!) ; not a trace .
Enquiring to Hayloft as to whether it is susceptible to Winter wetness , they said highly unlikely .
As a gesture of goodwill they are now sending me not one , but three new plants free of charge inc. P&P !
Now that's what I call good back-up service !

Posts

  • K67K67 Posts: 2,507
    Good customer after sales service is so important and nice to hear.
    I have felt rather let down by Beth Chatto so might give Hayloft a try
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 11,939
    I've always had good service from Hayloft, including two lots of hellebores. 
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • SamBevingtonSamBevington Posts: 134
    Hayloft are my favourite on line supplier, Brookside a close second with Sarah Raven 
  • didywdidyw Posts: 3,340
    I didn't have a good experience with Hayloft.  I ordered a ceanothus thyrsiflorus Snow Flurries which cost £10 and was tiny and half dead. After much nurturing I now have something which still seems to be struggling.  In the same order were 3 Salvia x Jamensis Javier which were supposed to be blue but after much cossetting turned out to be a horrid salmon pink and not good plants.  2 of the 3 penstemon were OK, one was dead.  After complaining I got sent a couple more of the penstemon but that's all.  One was OK but the other one wasn't even a penstemon.  I potted it on to see what it might be but it died.  I do like Sarah Raven but 2 of the coreopsis Mango Punch that were for autumn planting don't appear to have made it through the winter, although the 3rd, planted in the same (sheltered) area seems OK.  I did email a week ago but no response yet.  I'm liking Paddock Plants at the moment - well grown plants sent without plastic pots which I really appreciate.
    Gardening in East Suffolk on dry sandy soil.
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 6,997
    edited April 2021
    I ordered a double black hellebore from Hayloft and got a double green one. I quite like it though and it's healthy so fine. I've just ordered a few more plants from them so we'll see.
    Sarah Raven has been disappointing. I ordered a dahlia from her but got an entirely different one. I can't keep dahlias alive here though, I have learned, so just gave up. I used her catalogue this year (lovely photography) to chose some tulips and then ordered them from Peter Nyssen - same varieties for a lot less money.
    I like Dorset Perennials and, if I'm feeling wealthy, Burncoose. The latter is very pricey but very reliable, IME
    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • EustaceEustace Posts: 2,106
    I too didn't have a good experience with Hayloft last year when I ordered delphiniums. Plants in the first lot were in bad shape and replacements were even worse. I gave up on them and bought from elsewhere.
    Oxford. The City of Dreaming Spires.
    And then my heart with pleasure fills,
    And dances with the daffodils (roses). Taking a bit of liberty with Wordsworth :)

  • SophieKSophieK Posts: 244
    My experience with Hayloft has been so-so, same with Sarah Raven (but I agree, the catalogues and photos are beautiful). Burncoose is for sure my ultimate favourite, fantastic quality of plants, but the delivery charge is rough so indeed no spontaneous on a whim purchase with them.
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