Just got back from B&Q went to get bamboo canes and get some hanging basket plants ,I wasn't going to bother with the baskets this yr but OH insisted we should make a effort,went to the plants department and was shocked at the state of the plants most were dead and the lg trees the Kilmarnck willows were gasping for WATER the bamboo was dropping leaves ,it was dreadful I looked for a hose pipe to give them a drink couldn't find one I was RAGING by this time ,got hold of a wee man fannying about at the garden supplies ,asked him why the plants are not being watered the answer i got was it NOT-my department,he did say he would pass this on,I was spitting feathers ,got home phoned up,B&Q asked for manager he was not in! told a lady the plight of the plants ,asked for a job watering them ,told cut backs were the problem I let her know there were lots of pepole walking out of the shop and straight into Wyvales next door,ended up there myself it was heaving, B&Q don't give a sh-- about the plants its a quick turn round, they by cheap sell cheap through the rest in the dump, they can stand the loss you get better plants in Morrison's. >:(
Morrisons plants are good. I hate B & Q. But sometimes you can buy them cheap and water them at home. Stupid people. ;D ;D
Hi Borlotti,I did start picking lupins up the were gasping and oh said don't bother they were beyond help ,he was right.but they hadn't reduced anything ,on body had been in there for at lest 2days to water or reduce the prices ,or even dump the dead stuff in a skip!I needed a cup of tea or something stronger ;D
I have to stand up for B+Q in Bangor North Wales. There garden centre is great, well looked after and well watered. They have a guy there most days dead heading and watering.In other stores I usually offer 50p if its something I really need or want even if it is ever in a poor condition and take a chance on it. Usually get it too! ;)
The ones in Bristol are not great. I guess the staff are paid a pittance though, and plant health isnt one of their 'key performance indicators' or whatever their latest managment mens bits is..
[edit - love this swear filter!]
We seem to have both worlds round here - in the Telford branch everything is dying or at least near to it, but in the Stafford branch there is an elderly man who works in the garden section and it is immaculate and he can answer any questions you pose and everything if dead-headed and well watered.
Think we need an elderly gentleman in all B&Q'S
I was in the B&Q in Greenwich on Saturday and was excited as they were doing bogof on all plants. The state of them was something to behold - they looked lke they hadn't been watered for weeks. I didnt buy anything!
Very poor in lancaster to but closely run for the honor against wilkinsons whose plants are shockingly neglected and overpriced.
bq just changed the formula of its growbags which were very good to make them filled with rubbish to match the peat free compost yuk.
I despair of so called garden sections and agree morrisons usually do it better. I bought two contorted willows for £2 each healthy plants to.
xsunloving
My local B&Q is the same for killing plants - but it does mean sometimes I can get a bargain if I can judge that a tray of plants just needs watering - like two half trays of small flowered violas which I purchased back in mid March - at 1p each, they quickly revived and are giving a lovely show. Went there this morning as the care home where I volunteer to help in the gardens needed some compost and got several plants in pots (ornamental ivy, trailing verbena, trailing petunias) marked down to 10p each (less pensioners discount!) all they needed was the dead flowers cut off and dead leaves removed to tidy them up and they'll soon look good.
I was so incensed by this thread about the state of plants at B & Q that I have emailed a complaint to them.
I am somewhat disabled so don't get into your stores very often, but I was horrified to read the following on a gardening website.
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,72588.msg742097.html#new
Why aren't the plants properly cared for? As one poster suggested - there are plenty of pensioners out there who would take on the job, the cost of which would surely more than be compensated for by not having to dump so many dead plants. It's a crying shame!
Tricia