Nothing like the photo!!!
Mike Friday
Posts: 82
in Plants
I ordered 6 Polemonium Purple Rain by Mail Order from JP***ers as large plugs. They were nothing like the photo on their website; terribly root-bound, and spindly as if starved of light. The stems were hooked up in the adjacent plugs that it was impossible to separate them without some breakage. They were more akin to Mustard and Cress instead or sturdy perennials. When I queried their condition, the reply was the usual stock answer; perennials die back in the winter, but the supplied plants have good root growth etc etc.
Here's what they advertise....
And what they sent out!!
Last edited: 22 April 2017 20:45:57
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I'd send them those photos, demand your money back, then set about saving the plants.
Loosen the roots and pot them into something bigger, cut of the straggliest bits and get them somewhere light.
Don't feed them til they're growing again, don't let them dry out but don't keep them wet.
Good luck
In the sticks near Peterborough
If you get no joy I'd contact Trading Standards
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I've already sent the photos, hence the stock answer. Here's more from their reply:
.... as perennials naturally die back in the Autumn and have been kept in cold storage at this stage of the season will show little or no top growth apart from last year's die back, this is quite normal: they have strong root systems therefore we advise to plant them up directly into the garden or into pots if preferred for 3 -4 weeks to allow them to re-establish themselves. If you do not wish to plant them you can of course return them to us for a full refund.
So you have to return them to get a refund! How anyone can send plants out in this condition beats me.
I regard them as one of the bad guys where plants are concerned. This is following from two disputes some years ago
Unfortunately my wife has planted them up, so it'll have to be fingers-crossed to see how they'll get on.
The supplier also stated, 'All plants and bulbs have a full guarantee as per the reverse of your despatch (not my spelling!) note' The 'reverse' was a blank page.
those can be saved but poor looking specimens at this stage
In the sticks near Peterborough
I'd do as Doghouse suggested and use the threat of Facebook and Twitter. Lots of company's seem to back down under the force of bad publicity on social media.
I ordered quite a few plants from another nursery and some of them were very similar to your photos. I potted them on and have grown them in an unheated greenhouse for the past 3 weeks and they have come on in leaps and bounds. All of them are sturdy plants now. All mine had a good rootball as yours have. I did make the supplier aware that I was a bit disappointed in the plants but that I had potted them on so would see how they went. The supplier said that if I did have any losses they would replace or refund.
WHEN I TAUGHT ENGLISH TO JAPANESE PEOPLE THE STUDY BOOK WE WERE USING GOT TO A SECTION ON "HOW TO COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMETHING". AS IS THE WAY WITH LANGUAGE TEACHING, WE HAD A PRELIMINARY CHAT BEFORE WE LOOKED AT THE LESSON IN THE BOOK.
SO I ASKED MY STUDENT "IF YOU BOUGHT A PAIR OF SHOES AND THE HEEL FELL OFF AFTER A FEW WEEKS, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?" APART FROM HAVING TO CONSIDER THE ALMOST INCONCEIVABLE IDEA THAT A PAIR OF JAPANESE SHOES WOULD BE FAULTY, MY STUDENT EVENTUALLY SAID " I WOULD TELL ALL MY FRIENDS."
I ASKED "BUT WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE SHOP?" AGAIN, BLANK INCOMPREHENSION. "I WOULDN'T SAY ANYTHING TO THE SHOP. I WOULD TELL ALL MY FRIENDS ABOUT THE SHOP".
A SILLY STORY WITH NO CONNECTION TO PLANTS MAYBE BUT THE TEACHER AND THE TAUGHT SWAPPED PLACES FOR A SHORT TIME THERE.
Last edited: 23 April 2017 07:35:02
If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
I would ring them and say how disappointed you are, Mike.
I had an issue when Royal Mail refused to leave plants in the designated safe place and returned them to the depot, by the time I retrieved them they were completely dried out.
I rang Parkers and they sent out new plants and I didn't have to return the others, although some eventually recovered. The same thing happened with some mouldy bulbs last autumn, they sent me another 25 and I only had 3 mouldy which they did not ask me to return.
Hope you get it sorted