Dungy from my experience the likes of B & Q and Homebase take on folk for summer work and give them little or no training and expect them to know what to do. The supermarkets and the like of Lidl and Aldi are even worse! I guess that basically all they want is cheap staff to act as cover for the summer and, basically, they don't give a damn whether the person they have employed knows anything about growing plants or even cares! I feel it is a sad state of affairs but if folk stopped buying plants from these places and shopped at nurseries and specialist on-line nurseries then the garden centres would have to pull their socks up. Since Dobbies became part of Tesco it has gone so far down hill as to have almost disappeared! Bulba and I grow most things from seed, at least that way you know what you are getting and, in the world of alpine plants, the only way to get the rarities is via seed.

Dungy, I approached The Garden Centre Group with a view to installing a training program for their staff, horticultural training including 'hands-on' workshops. They didn't want to know, instead introducing an 'E-learning' system which entailed staff sitting at a computer for half an hr. once a week ticking boxes to answer very simple questions. By the following week they'd forgotten what they'd seen on the computer. I know because I researched it in depth as a follow-up. They don't really care, and that's why so much stock is wasted, sadly. Over watered, dried out, or chucked about. I HATE throwing away plant stock, so I pot up stuff and tend it carefully, probably never to sell it! I'll never make money at it!

I agree with you both. I was in B & Q to return a spade hubby had bought, which broke across the metal just above the tines, within the fortnight (!) when I thought I would look at the excuses they call plants.
They could have some nice plants but as you both say they just aren't looked after. Half of the taller ones had fallen over due to too small pots/too dry and top heavy, others were bone dry and wilting in the warm weather.
They did have two full racks of reduced plants, all 90% dead from neglect, but still priced at £2-£6 each! Now I know I have a leaning towards buying sad looking plants as I feel sorry for them, but these were past helping I think.
Presumably they are priced so high to allow for the huge amount of wastage.
Worthy's remark about potting up plants - I dug up a huge clump of primula which was riddled with foul grass and pulled it apart and repotted all the bits - now who is going to want about sixty rather insipid coloured primula, or can I possibly cram them all back in the garden somewhere?

Yeah, shove 'em in somewhere under the trees (your garden or someone else's). They'll look great. In spring I add a few brighter ones to spice up the dull ones. You know it makes sense. What about a local school fete?

I certainly support a small family run nursery, even though it costs petrol to get there. The plants are one-third cheaper than the big boys, the hose pipe can be seen , they use good quality compost and look after their stock. Vegetable seeds are 90p in a plain no frills packet, the best Scottish seed potatoes can be found before Easter - and they have the Debit Card factility now because I nagged at them ! (Its Brittons at Mears Ashby if you live in Northamptonshire.)