On Tue, 30 May 2006 15:53:12 +0100, Janet Baraclough wrote
(in article ):

The message et
from Sacha Hubbard contains these words:

On Mon, 29 May 2006 19:11:05 +0100, Janet Baraclough wrote
(in article ):
The only time I can recall complaining, was when a 56lb consignment
of narcissi came up the following spring and turned out not to be not
the variety I ordered.


Yes, I think most of us would complain at that!

The company confessed they had run out and sent a substitute
lookalike from the same group (even though my order said no subs; they
thought I might not notice :-). The existing order (hundreds of bulbs,
all planted out in grass by the time the difference became obvious) was
mine to keep; they re-sent the correct one the following autumn. Ten
years later, I have to admit that their substitute was rampantly
out-flowering my choice..

Nonetheless, it was a bit sneaky of them to hope it would slip in under the
wire!


We heard the story of a very
elderly gent who had bought a Magnolia campbellii (not from us, thank
goodness!) who was furious when it finally flowers and turned out to be
entirely the wrong one. His anger was compounded by the fact that he
was so
old that he felt there was no point in buying another one of the type which
he'd wanted!

Not surprised! AFAIK, M campbellii takes several decades to reach
flowering size and maturity .


Yes it does, normally. But to our amazement and delight, one that Ray
planted here about 13 years ago has flowered this year. Apparently, at the
time, he joked it was his own memorial but it budded in 2004 and 05 and had
the buds killed off by frost but somehow, and miraculously, this year it
flowered and was a real picture. I'd guess it's about ten to twelve feet
tall.


--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
email address on web site