Aldi Special

When out mowing my lawn today my neighbour appeared pleased as punch,returning from Aldi. I must explain she has no idea about gardening, "just bought this beautiful rose bush in Aldi,can you pot it for me and I will get my brother to get me some compost (she has no soil,garden completly slabbed back and front) to put it in my planters. Ok says I just tidying up I will be out back 5 mins . Into greenhouse fills pot with drainage material and compost opens rose from its package Oh Oh this not promising ,did the scratch test on trunk dead as the proverbial dodo. Still put it in pot stands it in half bucket of water ,and then thought I had better prepare her for the worst
Why do they persist in these stores, selling bare root plants ,that have been in store for months,All it does is get the company concerned a bad reputation.

 

If you get these bare-root roses in February you will probably end up with a fantastic rose, cheap as chips. Don't know why they don't bin the remainder by mid-May, though. Same goes for those pathetic plants in bags and boxes of dust-dry peat.

Like your neighbour, it's mainly those lacking in knowledge that buy them. Maybe they don't complain as they think it's their own fault?

 

My neighbour is one determined woman, marches up to the manager of shop, "That plant you sold me is dead ,my neighbour said it had probably been in store 6 months !.I WANT my money back " shoved the receipt nearly up his nose ,Full Refund......

 

I agree the plants don't get looked after properly but don't we all have a bargain which we proudly display somewhere? I know I have two Acers, each picked up leafless from TESCO for 50p and both now quite glorious.

 

I regularly pick up bargains from the local florists orchids down to less than £3 because they've stopped flowering and so nobody will buy them... I take them in give them a feed wait a few months then stick up on the local classifieds at £10

 

For A Few Years now I have been purchasing Roses From Poundstretcher.
I Always Purchase Them In Feb/March,when they are fresh stock.
These Roses sit in their boxes for ages and are poor looking specimens after weeks of No Water/feeding/and Warm Dry Shop Conditions.I Asked One Of The Staff"Why Do You Not Water The Plants/Shrubs?", Answer "Health And Safety".

 

I also look in poundstretcher etc ,the secret is as music says ,get them as soon as they arrive, I have also taken chances and breathed life into ailing plants only today forced myself to move away from half price trees in morrisons as just no more room for trees