Chris Stevenson

I like to visit nurseries in person to select plants, but with Covid crisis I decided to risk some online orders. The first order from Ballyrobert was average but they did have a website listing of some Thalictrums that I saw later and that I particularly wanted so I risked a second order - BIG MISTAKE !! Never seen a worst batch of plants, for some reason they also chose to ship out the day before a long bank holiday weekend so the plants were boxed up for a long time; on opening the box one can only say they were stressed out and were a very sorry sight. Not only that the overall quality of the plants was atrocious, I have never in 50 years of gardening seen a worst batch of plants - they were all basically the ‘runt of the litter’. One geranium was showing no top growth at all and also had no root growth – basically they sent me a pot of compost ! If root growth is not showing through the bottom drainage holes then usually it is too soon to dispatch with an order, most nurseries are well aware of this – obviously not Ballyrobert ! One of the Thalictrums sent did not revive after its traumatic journey The phlox plants are quite simply pathetic – they had little root growth, hardly any top growth. Sold as 9cm pots they were barely more than an immature plug or cutting/division hastily thrown together. I guess they have been swamped with online orders this season, however sending out such atrocious and pathetic plants in response to this demand is a very short term and false policy. They also never responded to my detailed follow up complaint email about quality of the plants. This business is a customer averse shamble. Ballyrobert urgently need to carry out a thorough review of your quality control procedures if they want to run a reliable and quality business. I would never buy from these people again.