2026 - What I did today.

Last autumn I  ordered six raspberry Polka canes. Planted them in a temporary bed and waited till spring. Only one of the six canes popped. I had a determined moan at B&Q/Carpeth plants (not the easiest to deal with but I had the bit between my teeth and didn't give up). Hopefully the canes are being replaced. Watch this space.

There was a parcel on the doorstep, a bit small for raspberry canes  thought I.  Opened it up and found this (mug alongside for size comparison)



Its a Hypoestes Phyllostachya Red Polka Dot

Not going to get many raspberries off that!  To top it all they don't have a phone number and all communication is by email which appears very AI like.

A further instalment:

Carpeth now say that my order number, that refers to 6 canes from B&Q, is in their system as being a baby Polka Dot Hypoestes plant and they consider it as having been already replaced.     round 3 to continue tomorrow.

^^^ This is getting exciting!! I actually feel a bit sorry for Carpeth as they don't know who they are dealing with.

Assuming its Carbeth, not Carpeth, - their reviews are not very good. Not sure where they find the 74% who recommend the company!
https://www.reviews.co.uk/company-review...uk#page:Qr

^^^ This is getting exciting!! I actually feel a bit sorry for Carpeth as they don't know who they are dealing with.

Assuming its Carbeth, not Carpeth, - their reviews are not very good. Not sure where they find the 74% who recommend the company!
https://www.reviews.co.uk/company-review...uk#page:Qr

You know, you're right. How did I not realise it's Carbeth  I've been emailing them constantly,  DUH. Initially the order was to B&Q. Not that's much better probably. It would be easy if I wanted my money back, but I want my raspberry canes. I'm not giving up! One of those bad  reviews might be mine.

Potted up all the tomato seedlings.
Thought about buying a rotary compost sieve - then devised a moneyless version!
Found a supermarket plastic crate (one of the smaller ones - not the delivery ones). Wedged it into a huge, solid plastic trug (balanced on another pot so that it was a good working height) - no bending. Tipped a bucket of hotbin compost (previously sieved through a wire frame but was too lumpy for seed sowing) into the crate and pushed the compost around with a small rake until the compost fell through the bottom of the crate into the trug.
Result! Two flower buckets of compost that I mixed with coir and some old tomato compost from last year. I'm now ready for some more seed sowing/potting up and I've saved myself £30++.