Van Meuwen

Must say my initial reaction when i recently received some plants i had ordered from Van Meuwen (never ordered from there before) was total disgust ! i could not believe what they had sent me. I phoned them to complain and to express my disappointment especially as i was a first time buyer (do you think these companies take any notice if you are a first time purchaser ? well they should ?) well the guy i was chatting too put me on hold, when he returned he informed me that i would be totally refunded (new plants to be sent) and i would also receive a £25 gift voucher !? - mind you the gift voucher has to be spent at .......... VAN MEUWEN

Oh dear! Double bind!

I bought from them a few years back and all was OK. At the time I did not have a clue what I was doing and lost quite a few, but the plants were healthy-looking. In general, though, mail order plants from these firms tend to be small for the price you pay and I  no longer bother. A few pounds for a rooted twig does not appeal to me, especialy now I know how to root them myself. (Self-satisfied smirk).

Yes Verdun i think you have a sensible approach, im learning all the time, its great if you can locate a place that gives 100% all round -  plants; service; value for money and even after sales service which most places are just interested in getting your money in their tills !

Shall have to take a look at Perhill Plants.

I didn't get poor quality plants, I got no plants.

I did a pre order of hardy fuchsia plugs from the garden centre group. 

On the day I got 2 emails and a phone call i went to collect but they weren't there. I was found another collection as a substitute. 'Are they hardy?' I asked. Oh yes was the answer. I was very doubtful but came home and looked them up. Of course they weren't. Got my money back but 2 trips for no plants  

nutcutlet ...... , think as Verdun has said these companies should be named and shamed when they offer such poor plants (if any in your case ) and the level of service, lets not forget they are quick enough to post of bright colourful catalogues each year

First and last time of doing that Brumbull. Don't really do GCs. More nurseries and mail order seeds but it came through on an email and I made the error.

Were all learning nutcutlet ............. do we ever stop  ? 

Lots of people on this forum have said that Crocus are very good. I've been very pleased with the company I order plug plants from, but it's in France, so not of use to most of you.

Different experiences by different people - I personally have had very good service from van Meuwen, and am saddened to see that this is not the case for some.   Suttons, now affilliated with Dobies, has been good in the past - but you indeed cannot beat local nurseries and growers - provided you have them.  Use them or lose them as they used to say about the Post Offices, till they closed them anyway whether we used them or not!!  Growing from seed yourself is great, but is not possible for all of us, so we need to rely on other growers - local anything must be better re road miles, energy use, local employemnt etc. 

Brumbull wrote (see)

Must say my initial reaction when i recently received some plants i had ordered from Van Meuwen (never ordered from there before) was total disgust ! i could not believe what they had sent me. I phoned them to complain and to express my disappointment especially as i was a first time buyer (do you think these companies take any notice if you are a first time purchaser ? well they should ?) well the guy i was chatting too put me on hold, when he returned he informed me that i would be totally refunded (new plants to be sent) and i would also receive a £25 gift voucher !? - mind you the gift voucher has to be spent at .......... VAN MEUWEN

What is the problem? Van Meuwen is a mail order shop, so all plants are small seedlings...you get what you pay for TBH. At this time of year a lot of perennials and annuals are just seedlings or roots in a multi-plug.

The pictures used by van Meuwen and their sister company Thompson and Morgan are mature plants in summer. You cannot expect to get 60 mature flowering plants for £3 in March for example.

I did not want over 100 of same variety so ordered 24 each of geranium, buzy lizzie, petunia and begonia and all arrived within 10 days between 8th and 18th of march. I repotted them all and am keeping them in unheated carport or conservatory.  All are superb and growing on each day. have used similar companies in past and always been highly satisfied. An 82 year old.

Blairs, I quite agree that you have to be realistic. What we are discussing is whether it is worth going for anything quite so cheap or if it would be better to pay more for stronger plants, I guess.

Hi Blairs, I do not EXPECT the plants to be large, or match the pictures taken in summer(as you informed us complainers) but surely £12.00p warrants the 7cm square pot to contain a common, easy growing plant, to contain a reasonable SIZE and HEALTHY plant . Not a scraggly one with ONE shoot and half a leaf.  Crocus is expensive but at least their plants match the price and EXCELLENT customer service.

Is that too much to ask?

jatnikapyar wrote (see)

Hi Blairs, I do not EXPECT the plants to be large, or match the pictures taken in summer(as you informed us complainers) but surely £12.00p warrants the 7cm square pot to contain a common, easy growing plant, to contain a reasonable SIZE and HEALTHY plant . Not a scraggly one with ONE shoot and half a leaf.  Crocus is expensive but at least their plants match the price and EXCELLENT customer service.

Is that too much to ask?

I agree with healthy and I find a lot of websites never tell you what size to expect - J Parkers, T&M and Van Meuwen rarely if at all do - they tell you the size the plant might become when mature! But at this time of year you are going to get a scraggly shoot in a tiny multi-cell. They are grown in vast greenhouses, shipped to the Channel Islands then posted back to the UK to avoid VAT...naughty naughty but legal. It does mean that you get a lot of plants for your money, you just need to know what you are getting which is my gripe with such companies.

Hi Brumbull

Your complaint seems to be dealt with to your satisfaction,which echo,s my own experience when on rare occasions I have had a complaint with mail order suppliers.

I have converted from growing from seed to plugs for those plants such as begonias which need to be set away early ( January ) also I no longer over winter geraniums or fuchsias.The aim is to reduce the period that heat is required in the green house.Instead of having heat on from November onwards I switch on mid March.thus saving a lot of money.

Today I received 100 No begonia plugs from "Jersey Plants" well packed in excellent condition.

Regards

Mike W

Hi Brumbull

Out of interest how do you provide heat over winter for your fuchsias ?

Regards

Mike W