I know lots of people recommend Crocus - but I don't like them, for one thing, I think they're pretty expensive. But I had this problem with a specialist rare perennials supplier - all the babies they supplied last year have proved to come complete with weeds inextricably entwined in the roots this spring. I'm not happy about that either, so you and me both, Marion, lol

Hi Bamboo, thanks for sharing your own experience, I am so angry as I spent about £450 with them and these are not fancy special plants just normal daisies, heliums. Japenese anenomes and a few other bits. I wanted to try to create a big drift but looks like it will be a drift of weeds lol. I have just taken photos and mailed them to their customer service and my Rhodohypoxis deflexa 8 not planted yet on there advice, no growth at all but plenty of weeds!!!

Did you complain Bamboo and is there any good way to get the weeds out permanantly now that they are planted.

No, not complained yet - its Perhill Perennials I ordered from, and the trouble is, they have many unusual plants you can't get most places. Next time I want to order, I shall be mentioning it, have no fear... I know they grow all their plants in rows outdoors, right from tiny - when they get an order, they dig 'em up, wrap and post (in autumn usually), but clearly, they're not keeping up with the weeding. I'll get them out one way or another - the worst is the hosepipe ban problem, which meant I can't dig them up and remove the offending weeds from the rootballs - too much disturbance and they'll need watering daily till they recover, not something I want to risk right now. I'm just finger pulling the weed foliage and it'll have to wait till autumn for a proper extraction.

I have also heard that Crocus are good, a lot of companies offer a 20% discount with them, but even with that I still think that they are expensive, so I have stayed away. Defo stay away now. If spending £450 I would go to a GC and speak to customer services and get a discount - no harm in asking. I have done it a few times and it has always worked plus you can choose a healthy looking plant. Mail order is good for bulbs and seeds and cell grown plants.

I believe that Crocus is now part of Tescos. Maybe they are getting too big?

We used to go to Perhill Plants on the way back from various Midlands shows. The Nursery was full of wonderful plants, but the weed growth............... You had to see it to believe it. We stopped going as there was no way we would have bought anything with that much 'extra'. Pity, as you say they had things no one else had.

Ah, now that's useful to know, Owdboggy - I think possibly an email complaining about it at this stage might be worthwhile - I shall do that today.

Well gardening friends, this is the reply I got to my e-mail complaint today, so I certainly wont be using them again.... they are saying they are annual weeds and hard to iradicate, Joy... so why not take more care with the plants they are sending out, I have never had this problem before and I can honestly say that in the 4 years I have been doing my garden it has been weed free, I know its hard to believe but if I had an odd one crop up I would deal with it instantly and my plants are in raised borders which we made our self so all of the soil was new.

Hello Marion,

I am really sorry to hear of your disappointment and appreciate you taking the
time to semd in the photos. Weeding is the bane of every gardener and we try
our best to keep them at bay - in fact we have a team of people working
systematically throughout the nursery pulling them out as soon as they appear.
Unfortunately the weeds would not have been visible (or growing) when the
plants were sent out to you, but at this time of the year they are growing
very quickly. Annual weeds like the ones you have are very hard to eradicate
completely in a big open area like ours, which is surrounded by fields on
every side. The weed seeds are carried on the wind and will try to get a
foothold wherever they can. It is a very quick job to remove them when they
are young, and if you pull them out before they flower they will not have a
chance to set seed in subsequent years so you will not have the same problem
again. Pulling them out now will not damage the existing plants as the fine
roots of the annual weeds will not have had a chance to become established.

As for the Rhodohypoxis (I can only find 7 of these on your order) and
Anemone, we have already added notes to your order about your concerns. It may
still be a little too early for these to be showing signs of life, so please
wait for another few weeks and then get back to us with another photo if there
are still no signs of life.

I hope this helps,

Helen
Plant Doctor

Marion ref the rhodohypoxis I have green shoots about 2-4mm high now and they are in pots outside. they are slightly sheltered if Im honest but I am on the edge of the yorkshire wolds. if you want I'll a photo so you can see them to give you a visiual on them. Just let me know.

Its kind of Crocus to give you weeding advice! I find there response rather patronising and I certainly would not expect this for the price of weeds.

Thanks Seaburngirl a picture would be great, could you e-mail it to me at marionspence@sky.com. I will e-mail you a picture back of mine and I am in Bristol where the weather has been really mild and they are in a sunny position. I completely agree about there reply and I was not expecting what they wrote so basically its ok to send weeds nowadays, I am going to try and get them out somehow on Thursday but I think it will be really tricky, I may try and tweezer them out so I dont harm the surrounding plant growth, I think its absolutely shocking really.

For the prices they charge, it is a cheek. I've never ordered from Crocus because they're even more expensive than my local Wyevale, and that's an expensive place anyway.

I'll post the picture on here tomorrow as I have trouble uploading images into emails. still a bit f a luddite. :o)

thanks ever so much Seaburngirl, girl after my own heart, I remember Seaburn, and the way we always used to walk to get there lol x