hi youngali welcome i to have heard bad and good reports about them.why not just wait till they come into the GCs then you can see what you are buying and also pay for them when you get em.the money is better in your pocket than theirs for 2/3 months.good luck.

Welcome to the world Youngalastair! It's not just bulbs and not just Parkers. I've bought quite a few disappointing plants from all sorts of mail order suppliers. After last year's sad disappointments, I'm now buying virtually all my plants and bulbs at the garden centre, or DIY shed. You can see what you're getting and decide if they're worth it or if you're being ripped off.

Mind you, I ordered some penstemons online a few days ago and they actually looked viable when they arrived, just 2 days later. Not as big as if bought from the GC, but not too bad, considering the price. Last year I received tiny little dead twigs from several firms.

John Amand would be my favourite on-line bulb supplier if I did not see him regularly enough to buy in person.
http://www.jacquesamand.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=JAUK

I bought three anemone multifida, & waited all summer for the pretty early summer yellow flowers. They have just appeared and are small and pink - another hupehensis which I already have far too many of. They are offering to replace them but I've lost a growing season. But have just bought two lovely heuchera from the GC.

the problem is gc dont sock unusual forms of tulips and bulbs just the same old stuff every year usually in packets from holland .........ive been informed peter nysson are good and also great western gladiolus are good and now i remember ordering the lovely "black beauty" species from PARKERS only to get asiatic orange lilies instead ....

It's all too easy to feel cheated on tinterweb! Stick to the local independent retailers wherever you can.

I noticed yesterday my local Wilkinsons had a good selection of bulbs in, some quite good prices as well. They had 2 or three shelves of tulip varieties, not certain of types but I do remember seeing the double flower varieties. I don't recall seeing any lilly bulbs though. Might be worth having a look in your local store (presuming you have one :D). Good luck finding what your looking for.

Try EBay they is some really good sellers and also very cheap they is also a lot of very rare stuff as well I have had amaryllis bulbs seeds from all over the world see my pic of the boophane disticha that was $12 from South Africa that would cost at least £40/£50 from a specialist in the UK.Also keep to your local gc wilkos can be a bit of an hit and miss

My expierience with mail order firms is "never again", I ordered some strawberry plants last year and when they came they were so small and almost dried up, I contacted the firm and sent them back, they sent me some new ones, and they wern´t much better. I am lucky enough to live in a big town and we have several GC´s...some expensive ones and some cheap ones, I always go to the cheap ones..at least I can see what I´m buying...and always pick out the best plants.

I ve had lots of bulbs fro parkers over the years and apart from one set of lilies I have never had a problem [herbaceous plants less successful if I am honest]
but when i did have problems I rang parkers and had a very satisfactory out come. if they dont know there is a problem they cant sort it.

I have also used J amands as well as Van meuwen and Bloms bulbs.

Not had any problems with J Parkers either (that have not been resolved).

Did you plant the lillies late on? That can make them small. I also hate orange lillies (just yuck), and as you paid for black beauty then you should take a pic of them and email J Parker or phone them.

I found Homebase and the now defunct Focus good for bulbs - late on they are reduced to 50p or 10p per pack.

I can't remember who sent them, but I had 50 free butterfly gladioli corms sent free with an order I placed. Only 1 has flowered - mind you its a beautiful purple. The rest of them are just leaves.

I have bought severaltimes from Parkers and had excellent results, there are some even cheaper mail order firms which i would never buy from again; but overall recommend buying from specialist nurseries or gardens where they have grown their own rather than buying in. Having said that have had some absolute disasters from Wisley lately. Best of all join a gardening club and swap or buy and raise from seeds.

Isnt advertising always the same ? Who hasnt looked at a mc donnalds add thinking there going to get half a cow and a bucket of fresh salad only to be presented with a flat little roll a giny burger a sad bit of lettuice and one slkce of gerkin and 5 cold chips lol . some things in life you definatly have to feal the width lol .

i never did send the lilies back to PARKERS that was a few years ago .............i also bought 30 i think? lily bulbs this year from them they were all small but flowered ok and had one packet that was mouldy so i called them and they did replace quickly ............but generally i defiantly think all their stuff is much smaller than it appears.............

Thanks for the pointer Steve I may reconsider using Wilkos for bulbs then. Have never brought bulbs from them. Popped in for a pair of gardening gloves the other day and spotten them, looked a reasonable price.