Garden Day TSV 14/03/21

[loveallthingsitalian]

With Q plants you buy 6 and if you are extremely lucky 4 will arrive intact and probably only 3 will grow into anything so you need to really double the price on screen.

 

[Dream Girl]

£90 - That’s an awful price for fuchsias which are very basic plants. Buy one plant and very soon you could have as many as you want or need.

I’m afraid that’s the price this garden centre sells a good deed of their plants for and also other items. People pay their prices in fact folk flock from miles around to splash the cash. During lockdown there’s been shoppers lined up outside waiting to be allowed in and has been reported as a health hazard, it’s been that busy.

 

[boffy]

Sadly I’ve only ever seen in my local B&Q’s the cheaper bedding fushias, not these hardy versions.

Hardy Fushias are the smaller flowered Fushias. The larger double ones are not usually hardy. You can get small hardy fuchsias for as little as £2.00. They are small but are fast to grow

 

[candycane]

You're right Boffy. I didn't get these last year as I thought, it was the large flowered ones that go in baskets/window boxes. I was going to be good today but I bought the de jager snapdragons which I have had before and the colours are beautiful.

The launch of the cottage garden show was a huge disappointment. Half of it was crappy tat lights etc. I wanted to see more wildlife plants, more advice on what grows well together. Mark Lane was booted off this show far too early.

CC

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I’ve never seen a cottage garden with tat lights. The whole point of a cottage garden is the casual planting.

 

[Toril]

With Q plants you buy 6 and if you are extremely lucky 4 will arrive intact and probably only 3 will grow into anything so you need to really double the price on screen.

Plants2gardens plants usually arrive in a better condition than those of some of the other companies.

If plants are damaged, QVC will usually offer a refund and they don’t ask you to send them back. If there is a problem with the fuchsias when they arrive I’ll probably ring QVC first and then I’ll contact Plants2gardens if QVC are dismissive.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Let’s hope they are answering phones or taking emails this year as that was the big problem last year - couldn’t get through to complain either to Q or supplier. Sutton’s was the only place who came back but I had a heck of a job getting an active email address for them.

 

[boffy]

QVC gardening used to be far more budget based. I bought a collection of small flowered clematis. They were small plug plants you had to pot on into 3 inch pots. I think I bought them about 5/6 years ago at least . I thought they had died. All of a sudden I see a clematis growing at an alarming rate and in full bud. Lovely creamy/green bell shaped flowers. They worked out about £3 each including postage.

 

[Toril]

Thought I’d “resurrect” this thread for an update. I ordered the fuchsias and they were due to be dispatched w/c next Monday. I spent last week relocating a rockery and created a large area to plant them when they arrive.

Last night I got an email from QVC to inform me that there is a delay on delivery and I can expect them to arrive any time up to 30th April.

I guess that the plants may not be big enough, and I know that Plants2Garden do send out larger plants than some other companies. Or maybe it’s because QVC took too many orders and poor Ken is now having to grow more plants to size. Who knows but, while I’m waiting for them, the local cats had better not start using the newly prepared soil to leave little “presents.”

If the plants end up not turning up then I’m off to the Garden Centre.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Our garden centre opened this week for the first time since October. We went yesterday and it was hiving - people just want out! They had bedding plants but IMO unless you have the facilities to keep them indoors for another month it’s far too early to buy. My seeds which I have potted on are coming on a storm and other seeds are mostly doing well, just one or two disappointments but something from everything sown, I just have to keep them alive for another month but they are a bugger to accommodate.

I sprayed our outside fence today, lovely in the sun but otherwise quite breezy and cool, glad to be in to get a heat and coffee!

 

[Toril]

I’m going to the Garden Centre tomorrow because my friend went today and texted me to tell me that they had some shrubs that I wanted. I’m half thinking about cancelling the Plants2Garden order, as it’s on advanced order, but it will depend on how high I pile the trolley tomorrow.

 

[candycane]

I got some lupins today that I had ordered from P2G via QVC. What is it with Hermes? As soon as they see a box marked "Fragile, Live Plants" do they then proceed to have a footy match with it? These poor plants were trashed, all the stems were broken and all the compost was out of the pots. The box definitely had been kicked in and around.

P2G would never send a box of plants out like that (I've had a lot of things from them direct) so I'm afraid it has to be the delivery guys, albeit the ones at the depot rather than the very polite man who brings them to my house. I cut off the broken stems so the plants are now bald but there's a good root system and plenty of growth so I'm hoping they come away again.

CC

 

[stratobuddy]

I got some lupins today that I had ordered from P2G via QVC. What is it with Hermes? As soon as they see a box marked "Fragile, Live Plants" do they then proceed to have a footy match with it? These poor plants were trashed, all the stems were broken and all the compost was out of the pots. The box definitely had been kicked in and around.

P2G would never send a box of plants out like that (I've had a lot of things from them direct) so I'm afraid it has to be the delivery guys, albeit the ones at the depot rather than the very polite man who brings them to my house. I cut off the broken stems so the plants are now bald but there's a good root system and plenty of growth so I'm hoping they come away again.

CC

Complain anyway and ask for a refund, they normally let you keep the plants.

Even if nothing else, demand the PP back.

 

[boffy]

Thought I’d “resurrect” this thread for an update. I ordered the fuchsias and they were due to be dispatched w/c next Monday. I spent last week relocating a rockery and created a large area to plant them when they arrive.

Last night I got an email from QVC to inform me that there is a delay on delivery and I can expect them to arrive any time up to 30th April.

I guess that the plants may not be big enough, and I know that Plants2Garden do send out larger plants than some other companies. Or maybe it’s because QVC took too many orders and poor Ken is now having to grow more plants to size. Who knows but, while I’m waiting for them, the local cats had better not start using the newly prepared soil to leave little “presents.”

If the plants end up not turning up then I’m off to the Garden Centre.

I don't know if you have an Aldi shop near you but they had a beautifully presented box of ready to plant out fuchsia plants. Cheap as chips

Sadly I’ve only ever seen in my local B&Q’s the cheaper bedding fushias, not these hardy versions.

The hardy fuchsias are the smaller flowered versions. cheap as chips a nice size plant in Homebase B&Q are easily less than £2.00. fushias grow very quickly. These are regular readily available plants nothing new or rare tbh

 

[Dream Girl]

Our garden centre opened this week for the first time since October. We went yesterday and it was hiving - people just want out! They had bedding plants but IMO unless you have the facilities to keep them indoors for another month it’s far too early to buy. My seeds which I have potted on are coming on a storm and other seeds are mostly doing well, just one or two disappointments but something from everything sown, I just have to keep them alive for another month but they are a bugger to accommodate.

I sprayed our outside fence today, lovely in the sun but otherwise quite breezy and cool, glad to be in to get a heat and coffee!

Closed since October the huge one near us has never closed all through the pandemic they charge top wack and apparently there’s been long queues at times.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Can I pick brains regarding some seeds?

All my seeds were sown in the same seed compost, in the same type of containers, placed in the same room yet about 3 different lots have developed a green fuzz on the top of the soil (not weeds more like green felt). All the other seeds are fine.

What have I done wrong?

If i prick them out do you think I’m wasting my time if this fuzz just multiplies in bigger containers or do you think if I got rid of as much of the top soil as possible it might be ok.

 

[boffy]

Can I pick brains regarding some seeds?

All my seeds were sown in the same seed compost, in the same type of containers, placed in the same room yet about 3 different lots have developed a green fuzz on the top of the soil (not weeds more like green felt). All the other seeds are fine.

What have I done wrong?

If i prick them out do you think I’m wasting my time if this fuzz just multiplies in bigger containers or do you think if I got rid of as much of the top soil as possible it might be ok.

sounds like they have some type of fungal growth. how long have you had the compost for maybe it has fungal spores because it was stored in a warm place or its old

 

[Twirl58]

sounds like they have some type of fungal growth. how long have you had the compost for maybe it has fungal spores because it was stored in a warm place or its old

Mr Twirl used to use Cheshunt Compound, (I think), to prevent this but I seem to remember it being unavailable now.

 

[candycane]

Complain anyway and ask for a refund, they normally let you keep the plants.

Even if nothing else, demand the PP back.

Strato, I know I should but if I do it reflects badly on P2G and I know it's not their fault. However, Q pissed me off recently by having very confusing photos/number on an item and I got the wrong one. Paid to get what I didn't want and paid to send it back.

Hmmm, yes, I'll email them.

CC

 

[Toril]

Plants to Garden are good lovely for shrubs and unusual plants

They are, if QVC aren’t involved, although I guess in this case Ken’s still growing them so I assume QVC can’t be blamed especially as it was QVC who emailed me to advise of the delay.