I can only imagine the rose market in the UK is very different because there are no bargains to be had in these supermarket outlets. That is not to say it is not possible to buy cheap plants but really, they are complete rubbish. Wouldn't have them for free. Ratty dessicated petunias. Other outlets are the garden centres, a kind of horticultural supermarket we imported from the US back in the late 60's. The prices in these places are higher than from nurseries because they only offer potted roses, usually only in bloom season and they are selling to the impulse buyers. Course, they come in a shiny pink pot with a big old label....and they all sell the same 50 or so hybrid teas and floribundas, all the bloody austins, of course, at a really high price and a tiny handful of 'classics'. Partly, the habit of buying bare root roses directly from specialist nurseries is still very strong amongst rose lovers, but also, the cost, as well as the quality, remains competitive - after all, there are not a million middlemen and no ludicrously huge premises. And before the usual response that it gives someone a job, then you really need to take a look at how this operates in the UK - basically, we pay a sort of supplement to workers (tax credits) which enables businesses to employ people for less than a living wage (the really crappy aspect of a welfare state) - well if you thing this system is a fair and reasonable one, then try working at Asda or Walmart yourself for a few years before bleating how great it is that they are actually getting rich from sheer exploitation rather than offering a fair wage for a fair days work. Even more to the point (unless you are poltically engaged), there are no old roses to be bought from major shopping outlets (although you might find the odd Fantin Latour or Compte de Chambord and never see a species rose) so unless you want to lose any semblance of choice, it is no use whining when those places which do offer variety have gone and you are left with the dictates of the market to the detriment of all else. But hey, principles are principles, not some cheap clothing you can toss away when they are worn out.

Not at all Jackie. Potted, flowering plants aren't sold as something for you to actually plant. They are disposible, like a bunch of cut flowers. Some of the tags indicate they can be planted, but no aftercare instructions nor any growth size, flowering times, etc. are offered because those tiny pots of color are meant to be thrown away, just like the $10 bunch of roses at the grocery store. If YOU decide to put them in the ground, any issues are on you as the grower/creator had no real intentions of selling you a garden plant. Those are marketed as garden plant, not a spot of inexpensive color meant not to be grown on. Yes, many of the smaller potted roses sold in color are actually floribundas and sometimes HTs. When you see a four to six inch pot with two to three inch flowers, expect a larger plant with larger flowers. If the blooms are an inch and a half or smaller, chances are the plant may be smaller, too, but not guaranteed. You won't find background information on the majority of them because they aren't tested to determine that. They ARE tested to see how quickly and easily they root; how quickly they will produce a bushy flowering plant; under what conditions they can be produced to retain quality; how durable they are to handle and transport; how long they'll usually last under the boxed conditions, etc. Garden performance doesn't enter into the equation. You never get garden performance information on your florist azalea, hydrangea, etc. Usually, those aren't selected for garden performance, either, just as florist variety roses aren't. If we plant them, it's for the adventure of what we may get. Americans LOVE "pigs in a poke", the potential of getting something for nothing or nearly nothing. My client didn't care what size the roses might eventually get as they are whacked to the nubs regularly and perform as expected because they are mostly treated as they were tested to be treated. Cut to nothing regularly to create the dense, bushy flowering plant. If they start to get larger, someone mows them down, just as they did to propagate and produce them as the four inch pots they were. They were sold as potted color - rose, and that is all they were. If they perform differently than you expected when you "mis used" them, that's your fault. They gave you what was promised, a little spot of color - rose. Anything more is mis using them past what they were created, marketed and intended for. Kim

We have a 99 cent store close to my house,and it was the first one of those types of stores to come to our area several years ago.I go there before i go to the grocery store.We have a freezer section,fresh fruits and veggies and almost anything you can find in a regular grocery store,and name brands as well.There fresh fruit has been great,pints of blueberries for .99cents,as well as strawberries etc and most of it grown right here in Calif. They recently got a new bread vendor and oh what joy that is,sour dough,multi grain,and several other great brands.It's the only place we buy saltine crackers now,they are made by Harvest Table or something like that and are just as good as premium and the other. I have been going there for years and have never found any outdated stuff.Love that store!!! Kathi

Bayarea,, There seems to be quite a bit of confusion on code of honor. I ordered it back in August it was supposed to come immediately and it didn't come in September and it didn't come in October it didn't come and December and now I see they are showing it again and asking for names. So I asked Richard what was the deal with renaming it and he didn't seem like he had an answer that I understood but now it's not going to be available tell the end of this year. It is a pink and red miniture maybe that is why they're renaming it because there is something already called code of honor it's all been very confusing but honestly I will take any Dave Bang rose I can get my hands on