| I have never had good experiences with boxed/packaged bulbs or plants. Promise myself every year not to waste the money on them. But, when spring is near, one or two always ends up at the check out. This year I bought some grape plants. Brought them home and planted in pots with some good soil, set them in a warm window. They grew beautifully after planting outdoors. I don't know if giving them a careful start helped or was lucky on these. Price wise I don't think we get much of a savings either. By the time potted plants are available they are about the same price and have a good start. Bulbs are a different animal, not sure how to actually identify the good from the bad. Just a suggestion about the 1 yr guarantee on plants. If you buy too early in the spring, they have usually been forced to grow/bloom before their normal time or are brought in from another environment. By the time you find out they didn't pull through the year is up and can't return. I did this with two expensive trees and was out of luck. Mscratch....Think you are right about the environment and handling. We don't know what they went through during shipping, how long they have been hanging around and any care given. A few years back my son hand carried some bulbs from Holland and all of them grew, no losses...except for the voles that ate half while blooming. Gamekeeper, your experience is a good recommendation for resouces. The company sounds like a worthy buy. By the way, I'm new posting on this forum, but hang around a lot. Tis' a first posting. In Colorado. | 
