Amaryllis and Hippeastrums: RANT: It's not 'Salmon Pearl' (again!), 0 by raydio

raydio wrote:
Yes I'm going to rant: tender hearts, follow no further.

Every year we sing the same lament receiving the wrong bulb. What a tired tune that is!

Here's what happened:

Last season I ordered 'Salmon Pearl' from the National Gardening Association online store. I was sent 'Baby Star', which they were also selling at the time. I contacted NGA and they contacted their supplier and they were supposed to send me the correct bulb. Never happened!

I finally let the matter go. I didn't have Baby Star so I had added an unexpected beauty. (Baby Star is a nice mini with very alluring qualities though it might seem like just another red-and-white entry. But wait--the green throat *glows* and it's small stature makes it a l'il charmer!)

So, once again this year NGA is offering Salmon Pearl, and instead of demanding one free of charge because of the previous problem, I ordered once again.

Well...I didn't get Salmon Pearl this time either. What did I get? 'Exotica' (and what a gorgeous thing it is). But, I have a couple of that already...and I don't have what I wanted.

I'll write to them and email NGA, but I do not expect to receive a true SP. SP is very hard to find (har-har) and that is the only reason I gave NGA a second chance: I have found no other supplier in the US. SP (which looks like a close hybrid from striatum or allied species) is loathe to rest as long as the large-flowered hybrids and is therefore a problem in the chain from produced to seller: it tends to send up a scape in a scant 6 weeks or so, and so blooms somewhere (some-when) before the buyer gets it. Not good for the general buyer who wants to see some flowers right away.

I'll also ask that they remove, once and for all, the 'Salmon Pearl' entry. Will they care enough to do something about this? Qui sais?

Talk is that SP might be replaced with 'Moviestar' in the trade as it resembles SG and will stay dormant longer. I fully expected that if I didn't get SG, I would get Moviestar.

Has anyone else ordered SP from NGA? What did you get instead, LOL?

Here's a pic of the bogus SP, the alluringly-veined 'Exotica'.