Nice experience with e-bay

Some time ago I began looking for seeds of Heliconia angusta, a plant that somehow catched my imagination after seeying a photo on Flickr. I did not find seeds, but recently Icame across an offer for ryzomes on e-bay. The price was very reasonable, even considering the shipping and I gave it a try. I was not very sure of what I was doing since the seller was based in Malaysia :eek: :eek: but the truth is... the roots arrived in DAYS and they are a good plump healthy looking bunch of roots with sturdy green shoots, not at all like the shrivelled things you get in garden centers sometimes. I had no custom to pay and the package is bedecked with the loveliest stamps ever (probably not the most important thing in a commercial transaction,but hey, makes for a nice page in my garden scrapbook).

http://stores.ebay.it/ExoticMatahari

The above is a link to the seller page.
Real exotic gardening!

 

Plants through the post from S.E. Asia? I can't imagine the UK customs letting them through ... :(

 

I did suspect that some problems may arise with the custom, but since the envelope looked preety much like a private friend-to friend packet I don't think it was even inspected. I find that is often the case with shipping of strange goods (now you are curious of what strange goods I am talking about, I am sure... keep wondering! ) The roots had no soil anyway, just some slightly moist coconut fibre. I wonder if that is also of some importance

 

I have had Bromeliad offsets from Madeira a couple of times via ebay, no problems, although that is EU and shouldn't be but there are some good bargains to be had, sometimes you just feel like risking it.
Sounds like you got a good deal Ivory, I presume you have a warm glasshouse to grow them in.

 

Not. They will spend summer in my lovely sheltered porch and winter on the window sill. Not ideal I know, but if I wait for a glass house to give them a try, I will be old before I do. :(