Spot the difference - J Parkers warning

[MontyDonsBlueScarf]

One is a stock image of clematis wilt from the RHS website. The others are a plant I recently bought from J Parkers, and its replacement.

I have bought plants from them and their wholesale arm Dutch Bulbs in the past. They are generally OK and a good price if you need a lot. However a recent order included a clematis that clearly had wilt, all the stems were black and most of the leaves had big black patches. It was replaced promptly but the replacement is exactly the same.

Their response is that 'there is one black spot and the other leaves are healthy' and 'all our plants are inspected under DEFRA regulations'. They will refund me if I send them back, which I suppose is reasonable, but they seem to have no quality control whatsoever.

I am slightly mollified by the fact that these images are showing as 'sensitive' so I feel there is some solidarity out there somewhere.

Sorry you’ve had a bad experience. I buy a lot from Dutch bulbs, their prices are very fair and their quality is generally very good. I planted hundreds of bulbs in the autumn, and they are coming up beautifully. I’ve just started dozens of cannas - all tubers were a good size, not a single one rotten. They often have varieties I can’t find in garden centres.

I find the quality of potted perennials can be hit and miss from nearly all online providers.

Clematis wilt is exactly that. All the leaves collapse as if is desperate for water. Your Clematis has just a few manky leaves, don't think it's wilt. Not a supplier I use.

Thank you both. I think I just got unlucky this time. It wasn't helped by customer service telling me there was only one brown spot and the plant was perfectly fine, which it very clearly isn't. If I can find an isolated spot I might plant them out and see if they come to anything. I'm wary of infecting anything else but at the same time, this is a variety I particularly wanted and I couldn't source locally. Thanks again.

Which cultivar is it?

@AlwaysGardening it's clematis urophylla Winter Beauty. None of the (many) garden centres round here has it (though it did provide an excuse to visit them all) and though there are other suppliers online, I was ordering dahlias from Parkers anyway so I thought I'd save on two lots of postage.

I think what's upset me is not so much the quality but the way that customer services is maintaining that there's nothing wrong with it. If they think that that's a healthy plant then it puts me off buying any nursery stock from them in the future.

Agree being robbed off doesn't give you confidence in them. Thorncroft Clematis are very good. You may have to wait for stock as it's a small nursery.

Thanks @AlwaysGardening that's really helpful.