Pickering's fine. No problems with Pickering. Their roses are a little smaller than they used to be, but they're never mislabeled and I only had one rose arrive looking like it was going to drop dead any minute. They credited my account immediately for that rose, and although the rose later perked up and I authorized them to charge me for it again, they let me have it for free.
When it comes to Hortico, though, it's a crap shoot. Sometimes you get dead roses, sickly roses, and mislabeled roses -- too many times for me to take any more chances. Sometimes they even charge you for roses they neglected to put into the shipping box. Too many mistakes and too little quality control for my taste and budget.
On the other hand, some of the most spectacular roses in my garden came from Hortico. And I mean spectacular in every way -- huge, vigorous, healthy beyond belief. So they're like "the little girl who had the little curl....": When they're good, they're very, very good, and when they're bad, they're horrid.
