RANT: It's not 'Salmon Pearl' (again!)

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'.

Update:

NGA says in an email that they will ask their supplier to send me the correct bulb.

Ever hopeful (naive?), I expect that I will actually receive 'Salmon Pearl'.

We shall see.

R.

Hey R,
If they are going to send you a free bulb, there is always a chance. Also if still not right, at least you'll have one Christmas pressie covered! LOL.

LOL!

Oh I feel your pain! As lovely as Exotica is, you must be disappointed and frustrated.

There's hardly an amaryllis to be had here at the moment. I was quite impressed with the garden centre offerings here but as of now I only have 3 bulbs I'm ashamed to say...

Incidentally, I've just moved into a house here back in my homeland (after staying with one of my sisters here for a while, and today I got my broadband internet connected).

Sue

Hey kniph, how's it going over there? Are you excited about all the new plants you can get there that we can't get here? I would be. I think the British are generally much more into gardening than the average person, here anyway--so many more gardens of all sizes to enjoy!

Well, I'm beginning to think that Salmon Pearl is all made up...

I corresponded with NGA last year about not getting SP and had a good larf when the recent email said that " I think this time you recevied the wrong item.". I guess they thought I was lying before? {hahaha}

Maybe I should have given them a neg rating in the Watchdog with a link to the posts I made about it...

Oh, the Exotica is just gorgeous 6" x 6.5" blossoms in that wonderful mix of shades and veins that just doesn't come through in pix, but is breathtaking in person.

R.