Garden

[411317]

Are the flowers used in TV presentation silk flowers. I've noticed threads coming off of the ends of the  close up pictures of the flowers. 

[pattypeep]

They look like it to me and they "rustle" like silk flowers when they're moved. I guess it would be impossible to show real ones, but I would prefer that.

[depglass]

They look so fake to me that it is a total turnoff.  I won't even watch.  Use a video and show us real results. 

[mousiegirl]

I am more annoyed when they say that certain items cannot be found anywhere else, and that is not true.  I googled several items, at least three, that were presented, and they can be found elsewehre.

[Nataliesgramma]

Some of the plants they send look so scrawny when you get them. I was so disappointed when I opened the box...

[esmerelda]

@411317I've read threads in other years where someone said they were not real flowers.

I've bought from Roberta's more than once.  Yes, they replaced the "failures," but I didn't get back the time I spent planting the first ones. 

I've gotten the sedums from Cottage Farms and liked it well enough I got it two years...well, this year is the third time I guess.

And except for that (sedum this year), I'm not buying anything live from either of them.  This year I'm less gardening, more enjoying.

[RedHeadedWench]

Both Cottage Farms and Roberta's use "facsimlie" flowers. They have for years.

I don't buy from either one any more, Roberta's is far worse IMHO, but you can get many of the items they show in your local garden centers. YES you can, even though they say you can't....yes you can. They are growers, they sell to everyone.

[stets]

Absolutely can find some of QVC plants locally. I found a night sky petunia at a nursery in South Jersey last year, and sun patiens have been available all over the Delaware and Lehigh valleys, and in central PA, too, for a couple of years. I always get the ones with variegated leaves. Bought one in South Jersey and one near Doylestown, PA. Also bought reblooming irises and reblooming daylillies near Emmaus, Coopersburg and Kutztown, PA. Love to watch QVC garden shows for ideas, though. Some of the plants I have purchased from QVC were great, but not until the second or third growing season. However, some were a disappointment. They grew but did not live up to Roberta's representative's claims--specifically some foxglove. That said, I just LOVE their foxtail lily, and so do my neighbors.

[stets]

Quite true--I haave found you can get most of QVC plants at local nurseries in Eastern PA and Southern New Jersey, but I just love watching them for ideas, especially Phillip Watson. He is so good at explaining the care and design of gardens. And if you listen carefully, he usually tells you if the plant shown is fake because it can't be forced to bloom yet. And he will show what the plant will look like when shipped, and after the first season, and so on. I love my reblooming irises and my Japanese irises from Cottage Farms, although the  rebloomers don't all rebloom. I suspect my growing season here near Allentwon, PA, is too short.