On 14/06/2020 11:40, Chris Green wrote:
Broadback wrote:
i ordered geranium plants from them, some time ago. A delay in sending
due to slow growth. Acceptable. However they were due to arrive on
Friday, not sign of them, when I contacted them no reply from them. They
blame the lockdown for slow responses. Why? Other companies are managing
fine. I will not order from them again, that is for sure!

Yes, most of my 'favourite' online/mail-order companies seem to be
coping pretty well with the lockdown - e.g. screwfix, toolstation, CPC
and most eBay suppliers.

However gardening businesses seem to have a problem, we waited *ages*
for an order from Littlefields Farm to arrive and I can't really see
why they can't at least answer the phone or respond to e-mails.


We have wondered why we are hearing stuff like this so we asked around
some of the small nurseries where we know the owners, what appears to
have happened is that with these small family run concerns they have
Furloughed all their staff and are trying to do it all them selves but
finding by the time they have done the day to day stuff like watering
and moving plants around they have little time left. one nursery
reported both he and his wife now working 15 hour days. Not that bad
here but a couple of days a week taken up with just packaging mail order
which we were not expecting so instead of loads of extra free time to
get on with projects we are just as busy as usual! (Yes I know I
shouldn't complain!!)

--
Charlie Pridham
Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk