I do not think his plants are any more expensive than other places Crocus is £7.99 for the Helenium 'Moerhein Beauty'. I think a lot of plants have become rather too expensive.

What size pot is the helenium in ?
As a regular buyer of plants (!!!) i find that the prices are generally reflective of the litre size of the pot and condition of the plant.
On the whole i'd say you get what you pay for.
The £7.50 seems quite reasonable to me if it's compared to one of the large litre sizes found in the GC's.

As already mentioned the price is dictated by the size of the pot. The 'killer' regarding buying plants online is, the carriage charges and most importantly, it's always better to buy from a good garden centre because you can see the plants before you buy. Most good garden centres now have a five year, hardy plant warranty. You should also expect good advice from your garden centre.

Yes, the 5 year guarantee is a good one, i know of a handful of people who've used this to their advantage when plants have failed.

A five year warrrenty on a plant - surely not? Many buyers at garden centers can be guarranteed to kill the plant in LESS than five years.

A PLANT GUARANTEE! I think I'll take my geraniums back... only bought them in May LOL ;o)

Our good quality garden centres also give a 5 year guarantee..but there are limits..you have to take it back,and it has to have been cared for correctly..but as I have never had to do it,I don't know how they would prove otherwise..If,at the end of the five years,it could be anything....only it if is said to be fully hardy,and it proves not to be,maybe you would get a replacement or your money back....Go for it,Myron..they would like a good laugh ! :o)

I found the prices are below what I have to pay around here. I have commented before how much the cost of shrubs and perennials have gone up this year and last.

I have used online nurseries and plant sellers and on the whole have not been disappointed. If you are looking for bargains then you need to go at the end of a season to GCs or the likes of B&Q and Homebase to get reduced price stock. If you know what you are looking for then you can get great prices (probably cost - shows you the markup!). I bought a few deciduous shrubs, perennials and an Acer for a pound the other day. Total should have come to over £60 but came to less than £5. Have never had any problems in buying cheap bulbs at end of season.

I have found that on-line nurseries are good for bedding plants as they take the hard work out of germinating the seeds. However, shrubs and herbacious plants tend to be sold in small pots and are what the trade calls 'liners', meaning the ones that they buy in and pot on. It is 'pot luck' when you buy plants at the end of the season from chain DIY stores. Many are in poor condition and I have seen fruit trees which have bacterial canker for sale. I'm rarely tempted.

As I said Jimmy, it depends if you know what you are buying and to some extent the care the staff put in. At some GC's and stores no one gives a toss about their jobs or the plants, whilst others have people who care for the plants and give you advice. It sound like you live in an area with poor service which is tough luck.

It is odd, I have moaned an awful lot about the "couldn't care less" attitude and lack of knowledge among GC staff in general, but some of the most informed and detailed advice I ever got was from a gormless-looking, scruffy teenager (well, anyone under 40 starts looking like a teenager when you're my age) in the Altrincham branch of Homebase. He didn't sound very enthusiastic, but he certainly came up with everything I needed to know. I was slack-jawed with amazement and respect. Here in Italy it isn't quite the same - they'll seem terribly enthusiastic and "helpful", but really they are just telling you what they think you want to hear, and sometimes it is the most awful, invented rubbish. Not always. I must learn not to generalise....I must learn not to generalise..... I must learn.....

Well, pardon my ignorance, but who exactly has started up this new online plant supply? Which garden celebrity is it, I know nowt about it...

Me neither... And our local garden centres don't offer a 1 year guarantee, never mind a five year one!

yep 5 year guarantees seem to be the norm at the mo, but i think the retailers reckon on people either losing the reciept or cannot be bothered??

I haven't a clue who the TV presenter is either.! Are you going to let us in on this,Nick ?

I managed to find the site...it is Toby Buckland.

http://tobybuckland.com/

My garden Centre offers a Five year guarantee and Honours it. Daisy Nook GC...The web site is terrible but the garden centre is lovely.

No, You're all wrong! It's JEREMY CLARKSON, haha

Got to add a bit of humor here, 1 year guarantee on plants ??????????????? bought my OH a silk African Violet and the leaves fell off. GC would not take it back.

If it is,Myron..I won't be checking it out .yuk !

£15 for a Gaura in a 9cm pot!
Cerinthe described as an exotic!!

If a GC/nursery had such a limited range I wouldn't bother visiting. Amazing what a "name" does though..........

Maybe the name,Cerinthe sounded exotic to them Meanie..:o)
Not a good start for a new business...a lot to learn,methinks !

Geordielad50's, your'e not from Newcastle by any chance are you? LOL. Talking of garden centres and Geordies, I once was in Newcastle and asked someone if there was a B&Q in Newcastle. They told me there wasn't. When I said, "There must be, it's a big city", they replied, "No, there's an N, and an E, and a W, and a C.... But no B and no Q". Oh what humour, love em, haha.

The stock range is certainly uninspiring...........

Doesn't seem much dearer than Burncoose though - and Crocus isn't exactly cheap either.

Agreed, but the stock at Burncoose is somewhat more interesting!!

They're a delight to deal with too.........

You pay your money and you makes your choice!

My favourite is Jacksons - they don't always have everything, specially in the perennials department, but they're the cheapest for shrubs, and the most well packed plants I've ever received from any of the online suppliers.