Moral obligations of plant companies.

Here here just another way of ripping off like you say new gardeners, mind you we are living in rip off Britain !!!!!

It's like the Garden Centres who sell leylandii to make a hedge round a three by three metres garden. Grrrr

You have to laugh...but yes, wouldn't it be wonderful if they would actually sell appropriate plants and give useful info! I bought a lovely Yucca Alolifolia the other day. Nice plant....IF you live in Florida or the Caribbean (so I discovered when I got home with it!). Honestly.....sigh!

... and how often labels on shrubs don't give accurate information ... you find out later ... :o(((

I know, you need to take your RHS encyclopedia with you when you go to the GC!! To be fair, they do have reference books available for you to look in, but of course, new vars. are never in there are they.....I don't know why they can't put proper labels on things. Hardly anything ever has a decent label on it these days. That really annoys me! That and those daft purple and blue pots they use to try to kid you into buying the plants!

... and heathers sprayed with coloured paint ...
beginner-gardeners presuming they will flower that colour every year :o(((

Oh yes ....lol....that one gets my daughter every year!! I can't stand that...how can she (and anyone else) be fooled by that? lol.....

Haha. I am a newer, younger, less knowledgeable gardener... and yes, it would have fooled me. I had to look it up in the A-Z to understand your comment. It appears, after some internet research, that it is not hardy in my zone (U.S. hardiness zone 5).... so I would have been twice fooled if I had made that purchase. :)

Laine... you are learning fast... and all us make mistakes ...
but I try not to make the same mistake twice.. Lol..

So do I, but then I forget! ;))

Yes I agree Wagger really they should be done like sticking a fake flower in the bird of paradise plant to make you believe its a flower and stating new for 2011 when its as old as the hills and get away with it when you question them oh its new to our addition we have been able to get this one in for years. They all ought to have their ar.e sued off them would teach them a lesson then.

caveat emptor I think is the phrase.

Lots of plants are mis labelled but as every ones garden is sightly different what is a thg in mine ight be wel behaved in yours. so in soe ways labels have to be vague.

I dont like deliberately misleading labels though.

I agree - sometimes garden centres seem to have no responsibilty to advise buyers on the pitfalls of buying certain plants. It's a money grabbing system I'm afraid.

I had this yesterday,was beside a lady who asked the seller is this hardy,"oh yes they come back every year"and what was it,lobelia for hanging baskets,and i directed her someplace else and helped her buy what she wanted

well they do come back every year, they buy in fresh stock !! not what was meant however :)

LOL!!

I whole heartedly agree. The catalogs are very misleading, especially for less experienced. The pics are always so perfect and taken at the very prime of the plant or flowers'
moment. That to me is so disappointing after one struggles to make the same example. White Flower Farm is a big offender.

There are a couple of companies whose catalogues feature pictures of bright blue roses and tulips - hmmm

Yes! Those ones are particular offenders. I'm always sure a lot of their photos are of plastic plants! ;)