Disappointing mail order delivery - advice please

Pete's right....ornamental grasses (especially Pennisetum) look awful anyway until the new growth comes through. Parkers sell cheap...you get what you pay for. Their bulbs are exactly the same. Dirt cheap and you take a gamble on quality and whether you are getting the varieties that you ordered. I doubt that complaining to them will help. They are suppliers to many councils and trade customers so we're just small fry........

 

I'm not really saying one thing or the other, just have a look at the roots, that is the important part at this time of the year.
The moss just means they might have been in the pots a bit too long.
I prefer moss to weeds, you get them at most garden centres,

Parkers are dodgy, I've only ever used them once, not the kind of place you go back to.

As to sending plants out in season, I hate places that do that, as mostly the plant deteriorates once you receive it, being shipped in prime condition usually means damage.

 

Fair enough.
I won't give up hope on the plants, yet...
But I also won't be using Parkers again - next time the catalogue will go straight in the bin!

 

TT, if your 'Red Baron' is Imperata it will look like that with hardly any new growth yet.
I imagine if they were all full of new growth and colour they would have been forced.

 

it's the elation - the planning and looking forward to
followed by the frustrating disappointment that makes it worse. No wonder you are angry. Please keep us updated on this. It really does matter - and we are Gardeners - not imbeciles,
Jenny

 

TT , when the time is right give Parkers , Wagnerian Hell !!
( hope its not you , is it ? )

 

Just checked Brookside Nursery for Grasses , unfortunately they only seem to stock one. I did chance upon their special offer page----- 5 Deltas Sarah Fuchsia big plugs £2.49 ! Just what I was looking for . I did buy a few more plants as well. All will be delivered in week beginning 20th April. A good feature is you can chose your delivery week

http://www.brooksidenursery.co.uk/special-offers-450-c.asp

 

Update, I re-sent photographs to Parkers after a few weeks. The 'Rubrum' has shown no signs of life whatsoever. ONE of the six grasses photographed has grown (but is still fairly ugly). One has definitely died. The other four consist of approximately one blade of grass each.

I have been offered a refund on the rubrum, but no comment as yet on the other 'ornamental grasses.' Pushing for a refund on those, too.
I won't be ordering from them again.

 

@HarryS that's my body double.

 

Looking at the pictures again TT, you can see how long those plants have been in the pots by the moss that's growing on top. They have obviously been left for a long time in old compost and ignored. Parkers have got a cheek selling them in that condition!

 

Is there anything in the T's and C ' s on their website about returns? I've ordered from 2 online companies now and everything arrived in pretty good shape - even after sitting on my doorstep in the sun all day. Don't let them fob you off!