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++.

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++.

Well done. You saved money & disappointment. I brought a rotary sieve. Luckily second hand . God awful thing! The holes are really small wet compost doesn’t go through it. I thought that’s ok I’ll just use it on dry stuff. No that wouldn’t go through either. It was really dried out compost from pots in the tunnel. Crumbled to dust in the hand . Still wouldn’t go through the sieve. It’s been sent to the charity shop. Still looking fairly new. Because it’s less than useless.

Thanks, SC. I kept seeing positive reviews of them but I trust yours, not theirs!