Plants from Supermarkets

Hi

Monty Don is not happy, says they reduce choice.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40133189

I agree with him, the same boring stuff.

Re: Plants from Supermarkets

Most are half dead outside the store....

Re: Plants from Supermarkets

That is true round here as well Dobra.
Many of the staff are only youngsters, not into gardening, and know nothing about the plants.

I was watching a young girl watering some a few days ago, and she just gave the leaves a very quick squirt, yet the compost below was bone dry and shrinking in the pots. Capillary matting under the plants is usually bone dry too.
They are also often stuck on those wracks so they can wheel them in and out the store, but only the top shelf ever sees daylight. Such a shame, they are living things and I hate to see them so neglected.

I 'rescued' 2 Azaleas about a month ago, I hoped I could save them, and the look much more promising now. I am really pleased with how they have come on.

I do love my plants, and I'm sure they respond to that - just like we do.

Re: Plants from Supermarkets

Hi

My plants and I both respond well to a drink.

Re: Plants from Supermarkets

Is B &Q a supermarket. I have bought plants from B&Q and found them very good and not exorbitantly priced.
I have seen plants outside Waitrose and they are expensive.

The strawberries and raspberries that came from a specialist nursery were rubbish. I went into B&Q and saw the very same raspberries I bought from the nursery (Polka autumn fruiting) with leaves on and for half the price. I pulled up the ones from the nursery which didn't have any leaves or nodes on the roots and replaced with those from B&Q. I had a similar experience with the strawberries.

I bought a lot of herbaceous plants from the local nursery, they again were expensive. One dark blue and white delphinium which came in a large pot disappeared without a trace as did a couple of other nursery plants. I bought 2 delphiniums the same colour from B&Q for the same price as the one from the nursery.

I think there is room for all kinds pf plant selling and buying a mix is the best option .

Re: Plants from Supermarkets

Waitrose does have some nice but expensive plants .
B&Q had loads of very healthy looking bedding plants the other day .

Re: Plants from Supermarkets

Yes Muddy, I think the B & Q ones are often better than those kept indoors.
At B & Q here, they are outside and watered properly.
I think about the worse ones ever (round here) are at Wilko's.
It must cost them money to buy in plants and then let so many die.

Re: Plants from Supermarkets

I often buy plants from supermarkets, I agree the choice is limited but they are much cheaper. If all you're wanting is a blaze of colour from summer bedding plants for hanging baskets and the like, why pay more?

I agree though shop staff are useless at looking after them I have been known to tell a manager to make use of a watering can.

Re: Plants from Supermarkets

Hi

It is the range of plants which I find better at the smaller Nurseries, and they are more interesting than the run of the mill stuff.

I have 7 different types of tomatoes for example.

I do not buy from the larger Garden Centres, plenty of very small family run ones round here and Shropshire prices are very good.

Re: Plants from Supermarkets

I also agree that B&Q and Homebase have some good healthy plants at reasonable prices, normally half the price of the nurseries. The trick though with B&Q is to buy them early in the season because once their stock increases and the warmer weather arrives, the staff can't seem to keep up with looking after them.

I have bought a couple of Acers from Tescos in the past and I still have them 10 years on.

For indoor plants you can't beat IKEA for quality although choice is limited.