If I understand correctly, Polly, a rewording of your question could go something like this: With the likely error rate of mislabeling being equal between Dutch imports sold by US growers and the Dutch companies themselves why not just buy from the less expensive Dutch companies?
Obviously if you are a business person (nursery) buying for resale you don't have much choice if you are going to be competitive. I order but a few bulbs at a time, almost always fewer than 10 and if I want some Dutch types I can add a few of those and pay that premium. Sometimes our local growers don't have what I'm looking for and I have to go the Dutch way, and that is the case this fall with tulips I want.
When I look at our US lily grower catalogs, if I see a stock photo or what may be a greenhouse photo I am suspect of this company actually growing those bulbs then selling them. I they are growing them they should be taking their own photos.
Tracey is spot on in her assessment of the quality of some Dutch cultivars being sold by US growers. We have both been stung this year. I think there is a big problem with lilies developed for the cut flower industry being sold by some companies as garden worthy plants. Being pampered in a greenhouse for one season then discarding the bulb is not the same as growing out in the rain, sun and wind and then growing the bulb on year after year as a garden perennial.
Example from Mak-Leek business: After just one season of bloom lilies first selected for potential cut flower use are next grown in the greenhouse. So no further field test for those (and no need to live a long life either). Lilies selected for garden use are grown on for three years for further evaluation.
