The scoop on 'Michigan Bulb'

Feedback History and Summary   242 positives 134 neutrals 470 negatives

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Rating Author Content Positive mhrarabs (1 review) On July 9, 2008, mhrarabs Gering, NE wrote: I ordered 7 bushes from Michigan Bulb company and two daisy plants. Then I saw all the complaints listed about them. I was VERY surprised when the bushes came. They were in excellent shape and because the company was out of burning bushes they subsituted a potted one. All are alive and thriving. My daisys were to be shipped later and are to arrive in August. I will order from them again. Negative quasymoto (3 reviews) On July 8, 2008, quasymoto Bloomfield, IA (Zone 5b) wrote: I am going to paste a copy of the email I just sent MB as I had been a very happy customer for years. I heard people talk about their bad experiences with the company and would tell them to give MB another chance. Yes I had received orders where things were dead, broke or what ever and 1 email and they were replaced. But heres the deal. By complaining or requesting that they replace the items I am now listed as a BAD CUSTOMER because I expected live and prospering plants after I paid for the plants and the S&H. So BE WARNED, IF YOU WANT LIVE PLANTS.Try someone else. I am writing as I have been A CUSTOMER for years and I have promoted your company to gardening friends who had a bad experience with the former owners of the company letting them know it's now owned by a new company and they have been Very good to me. I just called to find out why 2 orders I placed have not been shipped just to find out I have been classified as a bad CUSTOMER as I ask for a replacement in accordance with your guarantee if the plants I order and pay not only for the plant but the shipping too and they arrive dead or broken or just completely fail. Well theres a fine How do you do... As a reward for posting in online gardening forums such as Daves garden, Gardenhere.org and a few others and attempting to change the way people feel towards you. I get a slap in the face. So here's what I am going to do. As a senior member of Gardenhere, I am going to post this treatment so others can avoid being labeled Bad because they expect LIVE plants that they spend their hard earned money on. They will be forewarned that yes if you pay and are a returning repeat CUSTOMER You too can be "TAGGED" Since I am a moderator on the forum and have been a member since the site started newcomers tend to listen to the warnings. And on Dave's Garden, Yes I am going to list you there as well. Then I am going to Blog about you and on my own website that I get a good amount of traffic for gardening and cooking tips I am going to add you to the black list so others may be wary and know what to expect. In this day and age you can not treat paying customers like this. I am on a limited income and gardening is a lifeline for me. You just cut part of it off. So Thanks for the PAST Great customer service and NO THANK'S to the way you treat people. I hope you can avoid being treated like this. Quasy... Positive ElSalvaterra (1 review) On July 2, 2008, ElSalvaterra Beachwood, OH wrote: I placed an order with Michigan Bulb this spring for a four season hedge and a red perennial collection (two for the price of one). I received all the items in early May--all items were present, and they looked as advertised; dormant bareroot, bulbs, and some small plants. I was a little worried about the packing, since they all seem to have been just thrown in a box with some packing, and some of the plant material had spilled out of its packing. However, I planted all items, and other than sporadic watering, pretty much neglected them. 30 days after delivery, there was some activity in all my plants, with the exception of the Rose of Sharon, which still looked like a dead stick. I called Michigan Bulb and explained the situation, and they said that although they could not replace it this year (no longer the correct season for shipping/planting), they'd make a free replacement order to be delivered next Spring. I agreed, and went about my life, including some out-of-town travel. I returned last week from about 10 days away to discover...green leaves and growth on the Rose of Sharon! I have since called and cancelled the replacement order, and am very happy with my plants. Neutral Gardenweed (4 reviews) On June 14, 2008, Gardenweed Somers, CT wrote: Ordered dragonflower, liriope, hydrangea, veronica, tall phlox & caryopteris August 8, 2007. Invoice date is September 28. Plants arrived end of September & set in prepared garden bed to overwinter. Only things that came up this Spring were dragonflower & veronica. No sign of caryopteris, liriope, hydrangea, or phlox. Prices aren't cheap when the plants die. The liriope & hydrangea were replacement plants for previous order that were DOA. Giving a neutral rating because MB appears to be responsive to customer concerns, stands behind guarantee & does replace the plants. However, it's aggravating to spend time & effort planting & expecting things to grow, then having to pull dead twigs from the ground six months later. Much better quality plants, outstanding customer service & faster shipping from Bluestone Perennials. Will not order from Michigan Bulb again. Positive Kimberwitch (2 reviews) On June 11, 2008, Kimberwitch Des Plaines, IL wrote: A year ago we bought our first house with a large yard full of nothing but grass. While being excited about having a "blank canvas" of a garden to work with, I also panicked about what it would cost me. I read many websites and gardening magazines about an affordable way to fill a garden with plants and they all said mail order companies. I went to the Michigan Bulb Company’s website after seeing an ad in the paper and was thrilled to see their prices for flowers. They were so much cheaper than other companies offering the same plants. I understood that they would be tiny seedlings or bare root, dormant plants, and that my garden may not look full and lush this year, but next year it would look better. It was a trade off I was willing to make for saving money. I ordered about $300 worth of plants. Every garden center in my town, with all their master gardeners have warned me that this company is horrible and that I should never buy from them. ALL my plants are coming up, and ALL of them are thriving. I put the plants in within a few days of receiving them. I tested my soil and made amendments where necessary and I couldn’t be happier with the results. My husband and I look forward to going out and seeing the growth progress every morning and evening. I would recommend Michigan Bulb Company to anyone who is willing to be patient with their garden and is looking for an affordable way to landscape. Positive redviolet_0 (3 reviews) On June 9, 2008, redviolet_0 Texarkana, TX wrote: I rec'd my first shipment today from Michigan Bulb. With all the negative comments I was half tempted to cancel my order. I have to say, this first shipment pleasantly surprised me! I rec'd 6 phlox root systems. They have tender pale green shoots coming off of them and they are moist and tender. The roots appear very hardy. I hope the rest of my order is just as good as this shipment. Positive viktor13 (1 review) On June 8, 2008, viktor13 Holly Springs, NC wrote: I have ordered all of my spring and fall bulbs from MB co. and they all came shipped very nicely and all bulbs sprouted withen the first week in the ground. Was a little weary about "real" live plants but ordered some anyway with one of their coupons. Once again, plants arrived very healthy with lots of little baby sprouts allover. They are all doing great. Orders need to be taken around the time your zone allows the plants to be planted for best results. I will continue to order great, healthy plants & bulbs from MB co.! If your undecided from other remarks @ least try their bulbs you won't be dissapointed. Positive cddls1029 (1 review) On June 7, 2008, cddls1029 Travelers Rest, SC wrote: in April i ordered 3 black elephant ears and two rose bushes needless to say i was upset when i checked online and they stated my order was not recieved so i called i spoke with a supervisor and she told me she was sorry that my order had been lost and i would have to reorder my flowers, i told her i did not want to be charged twice to my credit card she assured me i wouldn't. well i recieved my order within two weeks my flowers were very healthy and have sprouted so much since i planted them. i am so excited that each day when i water them i see new growth and i get more excited to know that they are going to be beautiful when they finally get full size. THEN..... on June 3rd i recieved another package in the mail from michigan bulb i was surprised cause i hadn't ordered anything from them since the first order.....inside i find the same exact order i had already placed and they lost.... i was upset to know that they probablly charged my credit card again so i call... when i talked to the woman she appoligized for the inconvienence and credited my card back the money and told me to keep the flowers as a gift from them... now i planted them and they are doing beautifly they are doing so good... i love michigan bulb. i will be a fiathful customer to them for many years to come. this is my first time owning my home and i bought land to beautify and its great to know that michigan bulb will be there to help make this land come to life.. thanks michigan bulb! Positive salem_moon (1 review) On June 6, 2008, salem_moon Lindenhurst, NY wrote: Early in the season I ordered their Waterfall Petunia collection and a Hosta collection. All arrived looking good. After a couple of days I lost 1 of the 12 petunias and a couple of days later another one died. Both phone calls to Michigan Bulb were handled by 2 very polite and friendly agents and both plants were replaced. The hosta are doing well and the petunias are blooming also, and this is after they've already suffered a transplant. I would not hesitate to purchase from Michigan Bulb again. Negative SummerFlowers (1 review) On June 2, 2008, SummerFlowers Indianapolis, IN wrote: I placed an order with MB on April 22,2008. I have recieved 2 plants out of my order and they were in good condition. It was a month later that I got them. In my box was a list of the things to be shipped the 31st of May thru the 12th of June. I just checked on line again and now they have moved it to the 12th thur the 28th of June. I would just like my order and why do they keep changing it? I do not think that I will be ordering from this company again. Positive tobycat (2 reviews) On June 2, 2008, tobycat Mechanicsburg, PA wrote: I have to say I'm surprised to be giving this company a positive rating, but my experience was good. I placed an order to get a specific type of tree peony, and then ordered enough extra to qualify for the coupon. I also was certain to order things that I was pretty certain from years of experience mail ordering plants would survive the stress of shipping and handling and were fast growing (like hosta) because I figured the plants would be small. Everything has done very well except one (of three) tree peonies that was promptly replaced, and the new one has already leafed out nicely. So then I made a second order figuring I was pressing my luck, but recieved enormous roots of geranium and bleeding heart that are doing great. If you need alot of plants and can stand to wait (I have space enough for a nursery garden where I grow things out) consider giving them a try. Negative bdomara (1 review) On June 1, 2008, bdomara Oroville, WA wrote: Ordered numerous items from MB last year to plant this spring on our new property, formerly a horse pasture. I was anxious to get some significant growth going, but everything I recieved was either half dead or so minuscule I'll be nursing most of them all this winter in a green house before they can survive in a real planting. Got 2 of the "all season shrub collections", and some are doing okay while some show no hope. Ex: Two forsythia bushes arrived as bare 2 foot 'sticks'. One is leafing out just fine but the other shows no signs of life, although they are planted in the same soil mixture and cared for identically. That makes me believe it's not anything I'm doing wrong. Three poplars that are supposed to be fast growing are still the same sticks they sent 6 weeks ago; no sign of buds or life... They shipped (by regular US mail) 12 tomato plants in a box not half the size of a shoe box, jammed full of packing materials and more advertisement. Crushed and dried out when I got them, and not even four of them show any promise. I understand the need for occasional substitution, but they sub'd blackberries for the raspberry collection I ordered. They obviously haven't done their homework, because blackberries in Washington State are darn near considered noxious weeds, they're so abundant and aggressive. Customer Service is a huge misnomer with MB, and I won't be ordering anything else from them, ever. Unfortunately for MB, I'm retired military and tend to warn my decades worth of contacts when I get less than acceptable products or response. Just wish I'd seen this site before I wasted $200... Negative lyndak76 (1 review) On May 29, 2008, lyndak76 Arlington, TX wrote: I have had 2 bad experiences with this company. First, last spring......i ordered black & blue violas. they arrived weak, nearly dead...........i planted them, they died. I called & they were able to replace the black violas but not the blue because they weren't expecting to receive anymore, BUT they gave me a voucher for the remainder of the balance. Okay, that's fair. This spring..........i receive my black violas, again very weak, again after planting them 2 of the 12 survived & barely at that. So I have my voucher, which I can only use through mail order. Fine. I figure, live plants are obviously a problem with them, so I will order bulbs with my voucher. So I look through their site & mag, and place my mail order.... Peonies & Double Anemones. I get an email stating they received my order & it's being process. Cool. It's going quicker than I thought. I am pleased......UNTIL I go check the order status online. Order reads: Double Anemones ship date OCTOBER No mention of the Peonies or why the anemones are being shipped so late when the company ships until mid-June. So I email them..........and surprise, get nothing but an automated response. They never personally responded. So I called, long distance, to get an automated system (which i don't remember last year). Either I got disconnected or I pushed the wrong button, either way, I had to call long distance again. This time I was put through to RICHARD. He speaks as if he could careless about what I am talking about. Very dull & then immediately on the defense when I ask him about the order. I ask him why the order is being postponed until October & what happened to the rest of the order. He tells me they didn't have the Peonies in stock & the Anemones won't be available until Fall Shipments. I try to find out why this was so hard to relate that to me & don't get a clear answer. So I ask to cancel the order. I tell Richard, "I have either received dead plants, dying plants or delayed shipments and no or poor responses. So just cancel the order, I will go elsewhere." He gets puffy & says "It's cancelled." and then just sits there. So I say thank you & hang up. Then check the status to make sure it was cancelled & I have been keeping an eye on my credit card to make sure no charges are being made. For some reason I am very untrusting of this company and Richard. I have NEVER had such bad customer service from a company. I will never be ordering through them again!! It's not hard to let your customers know what is going on without giving attitude about it!! Negative Calliandra13 (1 review) On May 21, 2008, Calliandra13 Wrightwood, CA wrote: I was concerned about my order since it hadn't arrived in the time specified and the tracking information was showing confusing information. I sent three emails nothing more than an automated response. Even their on site customer service messages weren't going through and they told me to call another number that wasn't listed on their site. The phone calls to customer service ( both numbers) were both frustrating and expensive since they do not have a toll free number. I only got a live person by saying I wanted to place an order. Not sure the live person was better than automated response. It took eleven days from shipping to delivery. Plants are in bad shape. I will put them in my urgent care nursery and see what happens. In any case, I will not be calling, emailing or asking for replacements. Life's too short. There are so many other nurseries to buy plants from.... Positive WinterStinks (13 reviews) On May 21, 2008, WinterStinks Peabody, MA wrote: I placed two orders with MB towards the end of March. One order had about a dozen plants the other about 7 or 8. The plants arrived and they were small plants but they were shipped nicely and were healthy and all them have grown and some even flowered since being planted. I was not expecting larger plants and used their $20 off a $40 purchase offer so for the money, the plants were decent. The only issue I had with them is they shipped the plants way too early to actually plant outside but luckily I have the space to nurse them indoors. Positive Plantgrower1 (2 reviews) On May 20, 2008, Plantgrower1 New York, NY wrote: I ordered 3 verbena homestead purple + 3 free,and 3 toad lilies before reading the negative posts on this website and other websites. I was nervous about what I would receive and when they would arrive. The shipping dates were changed twice but to shipping dates that were earlier than originally stated. I received the box today and was very happy to see that all the plants were shipped in little pots held in a plastic container, neatly wrapped, and very much alive. Therefore, I definitely give Michigan Bulb a positive rating. Neutral Melissa_D (4 reviews) On May 15, 2008, Melissa_D Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6a) wrote: I ordered three toad lilies, that were supposed to come in pots. The plants shipped in good time, but when they arrived, there was a note in the box saying they ran out of potted plants, so they sent me three bare roots instead. I was skeptical, b/c one of the roots was so small I almost couldn't find it. But it's now been about a month since I planted them, and all three roots have sprouted into happy little plants. Considering I only paid $7.99 for the them, I'm satisfied. Negative etwngrl (1 review) On May 12, 2008, etwngrl Saint Louis, MO wrote: So I decided to order for the first time from this company, I was told items would be shipped within 2 weeks. After checking on line I discovered the shipping dates had changed, so after checking 4 days in a roll and each day a different date was given I called. The representative preceeded to tell me that they ship within 2 to 3 weeks of order ok so my order was placed 8 days ago, my question was why did the ship dates keep changing not why was my order not here. I was then inform we are within the planting season until the middle of June and despite the fact that my tomato plants were not scheduled to arrive til the end of June, along with half my flowers, there would still be plenty of time. After trying to get a straight answer and express my concern as to when or if my plants would arrive to enjoy I was not given a straight answer, finally I asked the order be cancelled and was hung up on. Yes I am one who calls right back and so I did only to be told the reason the dates have changed is because my items were on back order! How hard was it to answer the question "why does the date keep changng?", a simple answer would have been nice but instead I recieved a lecture about planting seasons and that they never give dates over the phone. After waiting on hold 10 mintues I was able to cancel my order, the first girl did not do it even though I asked, and was assured they were sorry about my experience. Well I will be searching for my flowers locally this weekend, guess I should have done this in the first place! Positive nobluefood (1 review) On May 12, 2008, nobluefood Portsmouth, OH wrote: I ordered six of the Pink Grootendorst own-root roses, and was amazed today at the size and health of what I have received. each rose is very good size, multiple thick canes, roots in great shape. I know UPS had these roses from Saturday til this morning, and was expecting things to be a mess when they got here, but again, VERY good size and health for these roses. the other part of the order was six lily bulbs, they did substitute, but they seem large and healthy as well. I hadn't dealt with Michigan Bulb in five or six years, and seeing some of the positive comments here is why I gave them another try. glad I did! :-) Negative GreeneLady (2 reviews) On May 12, 2008, GreeneLady Harlem, GA wrote: I'm not real happy with Michigan bulb. The candy stripe roses were no where near as described. The roses I was sent have appear to be wild red single petal roses. There's nothing about them that looks anything like the picture. I was also shorted on the delphinium. I paid for 15 and received 9. I've had no luck getting an email response from MB, so I will have to try calling them. As for now, my experience was NEGATIVE. Positive sunandstar (3 reviews) On May 8, 2008, sunandstar Holly Springs, NC (Zone 7a) wrote: We bought some plants last spring. The plants we bought in pots had good root system. The canna bulbs they sent last spring were huge with more than 2 eyes. They all survived except few plants. We called them and they replaced the plants. Again this spring we sent an email when the hosta and elephant ear did not survive the winter. They did not ask any questions. They happily replaced the plants free of charge. Positive flowergirl78 (5 reviews) On May 3, 2008, flowergirl78 Dublin, OH wrote: This posting is for all "newcomers" debating on whether or not to order from MB. I agree completely w/ MEMEMI's positive feedback in that the bottom line is you get what you pay for. Their prices are cheap b/c the plants are very small. I ordered my first ever mail-ordered plants from MB (and Spring Hill) in Fall '06. I ordered a fern-leaf bleeding heart, climbing peace rose, toad lily mix, and Lamium Silver Beacon (<--although, that one may have been purchased from Spring Hill) The bleeding heart had one leaf top pop out in Spring of '07 but later died and the toad lilies didn't make it into '07. I never called to ask for replacements b/c I just figured it was my fault (which it could've been.) The lamium is doing well... still hasn't flowered or spread much... but it's there and alive. The climbing Peace rose was actually a nice surprise in that it grew vigorously in '07 and I'm hoping (and expecting) to see flowers this '08 season. I do wish however that I had done more homework b4 being won over by catalog pictures. Leaving Home Depot just yesterday I saw bare-root climbing Peace roses, most w/ huge long, thick, 4 green canes and for only $6.97! The MB bare root was considerably inferior in size but hey, it is growing so I'm happy about that. PLEASE though, do your homework and don't forget about local nurseries and even the "big box" type stores! Happy Gardening :) On May 26th, 2008, flowergirl78 changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following: I\'m changing my rating from Neutral to Positive. After posting the previous feedback, Debbie from MB contacted me via D-mail and offered to replace the ailing plants. She\'s already sent out a replacement for the Toad Lily Mix and after some research we found that I was incorrect in listing the Fern Leaf Bleeding Heart as being from MB (I think that was from 4Seasons Nursery.) In any case, I was VERY impressed at their level of Customer Service. Debbie was kind, thorough, and efficient. The care and attention she gave to the matter has really changed my attitude and made me a satisfied customer! Thanks again, Debbie! ps--after a light fertilizer given to the Lamium about a week ago, they\'ve taken off like gang busters and I actually see buds forming on some of the plants!!! :D Positive MEMEMI (1 review) On May 1, 2008, MEMEMI Watertown, CT wrote: I ordered from MB several times over the past few years, their prices are good when you take into consideration the coupons and buy 1 get 1 free. But like everyone else says you do get what you pay for and ALL of their plants are small! So if you havent ordered from them yet- dont pay full price because you will probley not be happy with what you get, on the other hand if you use the coupon and bargain shop and you are a patient gardener- then MB has some good deals. and they ALWAYS have a coupon availble. I have a few that i ordered last spring and they have grown to 2' wide plants in just 1 season, while others were so weak they fizzled out and barely returned this year, and a hand full i have called dead! It is a plus that they will replace them with their lifetime warranty if you request it, but the bad part of that is if you dont call early enough in the season - you will be waiting a long time for those replacements in fall since they dont ship in summer. I have also stuck to buying the hardier and easy to grow plants from them - its cheaper than the nursury and even though small they do seem to thrive once in the ground, but when it comes to something thats more tender and requires more care- i go to the nursury. I still give them a positive because for the price i paid- was worth it, and also because of their replacement policy. here's a few plants i had great luck with from MB: pinks, dragon flowers, lillies, phlox, sweet william, butterfly bushes, coral bells, coreopsis, liatris, monarda, verbena. And a few that didnt do well: hollyhock, anemone, daisy, strawberries. bushes like lilacs, hydrangeas , smoke bushes and rose of sharon were not worth the few bucks they are charging- you can buy better at a wallmart!! Negative KE7SWC (2 reviews) On April 30, 2008, KE7SWC Salt Lake City, UT wrote: I ended up on their mailing list somehow. I have never ordered anything from them. Then one day I started receiving bills in the mail for plants I have never ordered. Contacted their customer service department. Plants I never ordered arrived half dead, roots and dirt all over the place. Customer service finally responded saying that they have forwarded my request to the concerned department and they would get back to me in a timely manner. If this is the way they conduct their business with people who actually order something then I dont want to have anything to do with them in the future. So far a very negative experience for something I never asked for in the first place. Negative amberandjoe (1 review) On April 29, 2008, amberandjoe Canton, OK wrote: I have ordered from Michigan Bulb for years. I have always been satisfied enough to keep odering in the future. When I placed my order this spring I expected the same outcome as in the past. My order was split into three separate shipments. The first one arrived to my shipping address with no problems. I received notification that a second and then third shipment had been sent out. Nearly a month later the second shipment has never arrived. The third shipment finally did arrive with dried up little pots and a stem of dried up plant sticking out the top which was at one time a live plant. Still, I planted the lifeless stems. When the third shipment arrived I noted on the address that they had used part of my billing address and part of my shipping address and intermingled the two together which are in two different towns. The post office had scribbled through part of the address to get the third shipment to my shipping address. I made the mistake of calling the customer service number, expecting some resolution. After waiting the first time for five minutes or so and finally getting to a representative, about a minute later I was disconnected in mid-sentence. I called back later in the evening and talked to another representative. Lucky me. After explaining the situation once again, I was told that I had refused the second shipment. Funny how you can refuse something that never arrived. I'm assuming that the person at the wrong part of the address might have refused the order and it ended up back with Michigan Bulb. Although the representative seems to think that I am a liar and just refused the order so that I could have all this fun. After trying to make my point, to no avail, it seems to be my fault somehow that they combined my billing and shipping address together. Go figure. The representative told me that because the shipment was under 2 lbs. it would be stupid to mail the shipment by UPS. (Her words to me.) OK fine. But what does that have to do with shipping it to an incorrect address? Last time I checked the post office does deliver mail to my physical shipping address. When I mentioned the next issue and stated that the plants in the third shipment arrived late and were dead I was told that plants are shipped dormant. It seems as though I am also not smart enough to know the difference between live plants that come in soil in plastic containers that are supposed to have live plants in them and plants that are shipped dormant. After this continued I stated that I did not want the rest of the order and was told that I would have to hold. Great. When she came back she said that I would have to wait for some correspondence in the mail. I guess then I will get to see if I will have to pay for plants that never arrived and plants that arrived dead. I provide a service for a living. I would never treat my clients the way I have been treated today. This is the first negative review I have ever left for any company. But I don't know when, if ever, I have been so frustrated over an order. I was left feeling that there had been no attempt to provide a resolution. I hope if you deal with Michigan Bulb you can avoid needing to deal with their customer service. Positive mikesmets (5 reviews) On April 26, 2008, mikesmets Waterbury, CT wrote: We purchased our first home last year and I put quite a bit of work into the yard. I made several purchases from Michigan Bulb and some from a couple of other discount mail order companies. You get what you pay for. The plants were generally quite small, but well packaged and healthy. The few plants that didn't survive the winter were promptly replaced after a call to customer service. I couldn't reasonably ask for more than that. I've spent some money buying some large, beautiful plants at my local greenhouse. For a fraction of that cost, I have had the opportunity to try out several different plants in my yard. I'm very happy with these folks and will be placing another order with them soon. Positive Debsroots (19 reviews) On April 25, 2008, Debsroots Northwest, MO (Zone 5a) wrote: I had not ordered form MB for years because of past bad experiences with their product, but decided to give them a shot again based on a discount they were offering. Today I received some 7 of the 10 plants I ordered and they arrived in excellent shape. I was totally surprised, the plants were packed very well, and nary a leaf was missing. I called customer service about the 3 missing plants and they will be sending them out in 3 - 5 days. I was pleasantly surprised, and if all goes well with the missing plants arriving, I will be ordering again. Positive mcollum83 (5 reviews) On April 23, 2008, mcollum83 Hay Springs, NE wrote: I was skeptical to order from this company, hearing what everybody has said here on the watchdog... But I placed a small order for rhubarb and strawberries. Not much money in the order, so not much to lose. I was upset to see that they shipped out on a wednesday, which means it is inevitably going to sit in the PO over the weekend, doesn't make for very happy plants. But they came in today 8 days after shipping...and I was actually pleasantly surprised. 3 of the 4 rhubarb are looking ready to start to grow, just showin a little shoot, other looks dead, but i planted, we will see. The roots were very large... VERY large. I dug up rhubarb at a friend's house last week, and it had been there for years, and those roots didn't come close to the ones I got from this company. The strawberries came in in similar condition, all just starting to come out of dormancy. The roots were 4-6 inches long. Once again, this weekend I dug up a lot of strawberries from our old house, and their roots, again, were nothing comparable to what I got in the mail today. I have high hopes, I have marked the plants that I got from this company with stakes, so I can tell how well they do compared to my others. I think they will do fine. I would probably not dump a lot of money into plants from this place, because of previous ratings from others, but take a small chance, see what you get! Thank you michigan bulb...I am so far...impressed. Positive VictorianVixen (3 reviews) On April 20, 2008, VictorianVixen Erie, PA wrote: This was my first order with Michigan Bulb. I purchased the Endless Bloom Perennial Garden. The plants were small but I must say they were packages very well and were very nice and exeptionally healthy. I would purchase from this company again. Their prices are quite reasonable. Positive ConGar (7 reviews) On April 19, 2008, ConGar wrote: I received part of my order from MB on April 15th, and the minute I opened the box I knew I was going to give this company a positive rating... So, why is my rating neutral? Well, you see, after unpacking everything I realized there was one item (four actually, but three were clearly listed as shipping separately) thing listed on the invoice as being in the box that wasn't actually in the box. *sigh* This is another company that I really wanted to rate positively, I really did. Because the portion of my order that was actually in that box was just WOW! Those plants and that packing deserve a positive. Awesome! So, if I get the missing items, or even credit for the missing items (though obviously I'd rather have the items I ordered) I'd totally be willing to order from MB again. So, anyway, I got the email on Friday that MB had shipped my order - I was pleased, because I know mail does move on weekends, just not fast. Anyway, Monday morning I was waiting and sure enough the mailman pulled into the driveway, I smiled. He was actually delivering plants, just not the ones I was expecting. Monday's was from Gardeners Choice, and I was very impressed with their packing of the plants, but you can head over and read my review of that company for more on that. Tuesday (my day off) I was sleeping - well, the dog heard something and started barking, which woke me up, then I heard the horn. Mailman was in the driveway again, this time with the big box from MB. Now remember that I said I was impressed with the packing from GC - well, I was totally blown away by the way MB packed everything, and I mean that in the best possible way. I cannot express how awesomely everything was packed. Well, okay, some of the plants were packed a little tightly, and six (but especially three) needed to be in a bigger container. Still these plants were packed so well that I believe the mail carrier could have played kick-ball with the package and not damaged the plants. Thankfully there was no kick-ball played with my package to test that theory (because there were some bulbs and dormant plants in there that would have been damaged by such a sport) - the outter box as well as the inner stuff was totally undamaged. Yes, all the plants are clearly babies, but I was expecting that, and like I said they looked good (some great) upon arrival. My only real gripe related to packing is that there were two snails on one of the containers. I don't have a problem with snails *knocks on wood* and I don't need a problem with snails in my garden. Well, that and the fact that some of the containers were a bit small for the plants themselves, but I've seen smaller. Still they were big enough in all cases but three - the Blue Rug Juniper had many (long) roots coming out of the bottom of the container, and I do mean LONG - So, much so that in two of the three I was actually afraid I'd damage the roots getting them out, but they appear to be doing fine in their larger containers, so I don't believe I damaged the roots getting them transplanted. The others that needed to be in something slightly larger was the blue oat grass (three) plants which also had some roots coming out of the bottom of the container. However, these roots weren't near as long as the Juniper roots, and so were more easily transplanted. One of them, though, is looking a bit worse for wear now - it isn't dead, but there's a lot of brown dead grass in the pot. Of course, the other two also have some brown dead grass, but on those the green outnumbers the brown - at least for now. *sigh* I may be overly concerned here, because I just recently lost three plants of grass ordered from another company, so seeing brown (even a small amount) isn't helping. So, yes for six of the plants the containers should have been a bit larger, but as I repotted the rest I realized that all the rest could have stayed in their containers for a bit longer. I didn't test that, but I truly believe I could have left the others alone until I was ready to put them in their final place. Moving on... The bulbs were well packed and all of them (all 26) seem viable. Some of them are a bit small, but for all I know they aren't plants with large bulbs to begin with, because I've never tried one (20) of them to begin with. However, since they are dry and very well packed I expect (hope) they will do well. Honestly, the bags with the bulbs were padded by a bit of dirt/moss, and that was a nice touch - I've gotten bigger bulbs from other companies that weren't packed near as well, and yet still come up once I planted them - so color me hopeful. Anyway, there were also three freebie (and dormant) mini day lily plants in the box - I wasn't expecting a free gift, so that was a nice touch, especially since they are day lilies and I like day lilies. However, they are dormant, and I don't always do real good with dormant plants, but I took them out and the roots looked good on all three of them - so I went ahead and planted them - two of them have impressed me with their growth, and the third one while slower is showing signs of growth. But the main point here is that even if these didn't/don't do well (or at all) I can't really complain since they were freebies. Though if they do end up doing well, I might actually take a chance and purchase a few other bareroot dormant) items from MB. So, MB might actually restore my faith in bare root (dormant) flowers with their free gift. So, as with GC, I am happy with the plants I did receive, but in this case I was missing four plants instead of just one. I was told three of them are shipping separately - on the invoice. Trouble is it is noted on said paperwork that I should get those three by the end of March, and it is currently mid-April already. Still, as I mentioned I above, I'm holding off really complaining about this for now because it was noted that they were shipping separately. Now if I never get them... *coughs* Well, this neutral might turn negative instead of positive. Anyway, my problem (at the moment) is the one plant that was listed as being in the package which was not. It is a potted rose, and actually the one color I really wanted (pink)... Well, I wanted both a pink and a red (which was why I ordered a pink and a red), but I might have been a tad more patient if I'd gotten the pink instead of the red, but probably not, because... I emailed MB about the missing plant, and did get a return email which let me know that the company had received my email and that they would get back to me. Well, obviously they haven't. If I had gotten a reply, I would have held off positing this rating and review until I had gotten all my plants, because as with GC I really wanted to by able to give MB a positive rating. The packing and the condition of the plants I did receive were at this time better than the packing from any other company I've dealt with. So, yes, if I do get the plant(s) I've been charged for in a timely manor (and alive) I would not only change my rating but be willing to order from MB again. In closing I'll share the main reason I decided to order from MB, despite their having a less than perfect rep with consumers. Many years ago my mom used to order from MB, and to the best of my knowledge she never once had a complaint with them. Well, I now live in the same location she did, which means I've got her gardens, and if I'm not mistaken several of the Easter Flowers (sorry, I know that isn't their official name) still going strong were ordered from MB - probably over twenty years ago, but I know it has been more than ten. Last year I started playing around in the gardens, deciding to do something with bare spaces and move things around to my satisfaction. Well, that started with moving almost all the Easter Flowers (and other plants, but not MB plants) to different locations, and this year all those that I moved came up and did just as wonderful in their new spots as they were doing in their old spots. So, that in addition (of course) to the coupon was why I decided to take a chance with MB. On May 3rd, 2008, ConGar changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following: Well, I\'m finally back to change my rating. *sigh* Meant to do this yesterday but because of storms couldn\'t get online. I got my Chocolate Cosmos (3), and while one of them did die, I take full responsibility for that. It was healthy when it arrived, but I was not. Not only was I feeling bad, but they also arrived on a bad day - I was very busy and didn\'t have the time needed to repot them right away. Yes, I unpacked (and watered) them, but didn\'t repot and that (I believe) is why one of them didn\'t make it, which means it is my fault and not MBs. Plus I only lost the one, the other two look pretty good since repotting, so I\'m not going to complain. And, lastly, I received the rose (mini Judy Fischer) that was missing from the first shipment. Thankfully I was able to repot it right away, and while it was a bit small (smaller than the other MiniRose) it looked good, and has (since I repotted it) grown to the point where it is almost as big as the other one now. Alas I did have two of the three Festuca Grass die on me, and in this case I don\'t know why, so I can\'t exactly take the blame here. However, one of the three (the second biggest clump) is still alive, so if I can keep it alive hopefully by next year it will be big enough to divide and I will eventually get the spaces filled in. (Still can\'t comment on the bulbs, they haven\'t come up, but they haven\'t been planted long either. However, after getting my entire order I am feeling very positive about MB despite the fact that there has been a bit of die-off.) Negative daphne1602 (1 review) On April 17, 2008, daphne1602 Hamilton, OH wrote: Why do I fall for Michigan Bulb every year? Must be the flurry of beautifully colored catalogs. Every year I order 60 or 70 dollars worth of plants and receive 25 cents worth of dead flotsam. Seriously, you can't tell the tops from the roots on this stuff and what isn't already dead (they probably send me your returns!), soon dies. You can baby Michigan Bulbs plants all you want, even if they survive they aren't worth the effort. Spend a little more and buy from your local nursery, at least you can see what your really getting. Positive den2 (1 review) On April 13, 2008, den2 wrote: I ordered two sets of triliums from Michigan Bulb, and received them pretty quickly. The rhizomes were small, but looked fresh and viable. However, one trilium was not included in the shipment - there was an empty plastic bag labeled with the correct info, but no rhizome. I sent an e-mail to their customer service, and shortly received a notice that a replacement had been sent. It arrived quickly, and seems to be in good shape. Now, if they will come up as advertised.... Neutral maureen1952 (3 reviews) On April 13, 2008, maureen1952 Worcester, MA wrote: I have ordered from Michigan Bulb and hope i have finally learned my lesson. "you get what you pay for". On a positive note they are responsive and will resend or refund plants that die. Unfortunately, that is most of the plants they send. They also replace plants that are out of stock with whatever they choose. They send plants WAY too early for my zone. I complained about it this year as I got my plants the beginning of April and I can't safely plant them till the end of April or even mid May. The customer service person said they would resend them at the end of April but i received another e-mail that said that I should try to nurse them along till I could plant them outside. I don't THINK so. On June 26th, 2008, maureen1952 changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following: The people from this company read my review and have been very responsive and accomadating. They have changed the delivery date at my request and will resend all the plants that died. So I\'ll see next Spring what happens. Positive willy2 (1 review) On April 12, 2008, willy2 Jamestown, NY wrote: I have to report I am pleasently surprised with the recent orders I have received from Michigan Bulb. I placed several orders from them this spring and although things arrived a little early the quality of the plants and bulbs is very good. The internet order I placed was acknowledged in a timely manner via email. They notified me when the order was shipped. Given the price I will order more from them in the future. Positive kaob (1 review) On April 11, 2008, kaob Midlothian, VA wrote: I buy plants and bulbs from this company and its associated companies: Spring Hill, Henry Fields, Gurneys, Brecks Bulbs, Audubon Workshop and I am missing one. There are 7 companies total. My experience so far is being positive with Spring Hill and Michigan Bulbs. I had a very few plants dying soon after arrival or a short time after but they had always replaced them. I will continue to buy from them despite a couple of bad experience with the customer service. Sometimes you just don't get the right person on the line, but it takes only a few more phone calls till you can work it out. For the money is worth the effort, anyway. I am now trying the Royal Dutch, we will see how they do. I am definitely happy with this Spring Hill and Michigan Bulb, plus if they ship the items in the fall, they do not charge your credit card until then. I bought a few bare root plants and they came in good shape and they always thrive. People do not understand the concept of "bare root". I usually open the box right there and soak the plant in water overnight and plant it the next day. It works very well. Neutral doxiedr (3 reviews) On April 8, 2008, doxiedr Burlington, NC wrote: I spent $103.26 and got 57 plants in all. Some were basically peat pellets with seed starts in them (coreopsis, columbine, sweet william), and some were nice reasonable bare roots (mock orange, "Nearly Black" rose). None were extremely large, but for the price, who can expect that? It's actually cheaper and quicker than buying seeds and peat pellets yourself (although not as gratifying, but that's another post!). I did have a chocolate cosmos and one (of three) lobelia die on me quickly after potting, but I'll take a 96% success rate on 57 mail order plants every day! I even had a good customer service experience when I decided to change my order not once, but twice, after initially placing it online. Smooth sailing on that, and the order arrived perfectly correct. One particular note: I bought a blue poppy from Michigan Bulb for $17.99. Figured I could test their "lifetime guarantee" on this tough-to-grow plant (I'm in 7B; NC Piedmont). Well, the thing is flourishing in its pot, even after shedding all its original foliage and all but convincing me I'd have to make the call for a refund. All my other plants are looking good too, despite their somewhat shrimpy appearance right out of the box. Bottom line: For the price, Michigan Bulb is pretty good. On May 30th, 2008, doxiedr added the following: I\'m keeping my rating positive...for now. But the \"Nearly Black\" rose I ordered is thriving...and as red as can be. Of course, it could be worse; but I do have a Mr. Lincoln red already, and didn\'t really need another in my tiny rose garden. The Nearly Black is what I wanted. The blue poppy is now dead. They\'re finicky anyway, and I may have done something wrong, but now I have to call and ask for replacement money. It doesn\'t seem like that will be fun. On the plus side, most of my other plants are thriving. A buddelia that was literally a small twig is 3\' high and blooming already! And the mock orange is exploding with blooms and new growth. I\'m still overall positive about this company; just now with some reservations. On July 17th, 2008, doxiedr changed the rating from positive to neutral and added the following: I\'m sheepish to post this, but the \"mock orange\" I just wrote was thriving not too long ago would still be thriving, if I hadn\'t yanked it out of the ground...it was not a mock orange. Turns out it was a honeysuckle shrub--an invasive plant in my state. It was bare root when it arrived, so maybe it was an honest mistake on Michigan Bulb\'s part...but still a shock. When I called for replacements for everything I\'d lost, there was no problem at all. They issued me a replacement certificate for the plants I\'d lost. I even asked it they would reimburse me for the perfectly fine red rose they\'d mislabeled, and they did. So I\'ll place another order in the fall with that replacement money. Think I\'ll stick with bulbs, which they seem to be better at in general. Any company that ships you an invasive shrub deserves a neutral rating at best. Positive Audrey5 (1 review) On April 8, 2008, Audrey5 Parker, CO wrote: I emailed an order on 2/18/08, it was received in full today. I received updates from Michigan Bulb on shipment, and could track my shipment with UPS online. The order is mostly perennials, and they all were packed very well, are green and with good root systems. For the prices I paid, it is a very good deal. How I handle them now will have a lot to do with if they are going to survive. I would definitely order again, because of the different varieties available, the ease in ordering, the health of the plants received, and the sales and coupons I could use. Positive luvforbugs (1 review) On April 5, 2008, luvforbugs Bakersfield, CA wrote: I put in a large order to MBC in January. I received the order in March. I unwrapped everything and put the potted plants in the bathtub to soak. I took pictures of everything. Yes, at first they are shockingly small plants but you have to keep in mind that dormant plants are not very attractive and sometimes look dead. My trumpet vines looked like dead brown sticks sticking out of a small container of wet dirt. I was very nervous about my bare root plants and bulbs because my yard was not ready to be planted in due to relandscaping. The bare root plants and bulbs ended up sitting in my closet for a week and 1/2. Well, after everything was planted in their appropriate spot the plants have been taking off. For example, despite my abuse to the bare root strawberries, after 1 1/2 weeks they started to develop buds. I wish I could put pictures up to show that MBC is completely reasonable when you keep their prices in mind. Don't expect an atractive plant when the description specifically say "bare root" or "bulbs." Positive big_tme_gardnr (1 review) On April 4, 2008, big_tme_gardnr Ashland, KY wrote: I have used Michigan Bulb for several years now and overall I have been satisfied with the quality of the plants I have recieved. They were not my first mail order company, and they were definitly a step up from the other guys. They have honored their guarentee thus far, and have actually sent me extra plants. A lot of plants come in sets of three for x amount of money, and two thrive and one dies. In each case I have reported that two plants thrived and to please send one replacement, they have always resent three plants again! The only problem I have had is this past fall. (2007) I placed an order in late summer and they waited too late to ship it to me and our weather had already gotten bad. So far it doesnt look like any of the plants are coming up, (with the exception of some lily bulbs) however I am going to give a little more time for spring to sink in before I make a replacement request. If this experience is the same as I have had in the past, I do not forsee any problems. I hope I dont get "kicked out" like so many others have in the negative comments that I have read. Negative jaas6uvk (1 review) On April 4, 2008, jaas6uvk Livingston, TX wrote: I received my shipment after approx. ten days. It is only a partial order. No word when the balance can be expected. I was extremely disappointed with what I found in the box. It was filled with Styrofoam "peanuts" which is normally good packing material. Unfortunately the contents of two of the three packs of primroses and what I think is the remains of a hydrangea plant(s) was mixed in with the peanuts. These were so lifeless and dry that I could not easily identify which was which, The remaining plants and the potting medium in the clam shell still sealed packages were shaken out of the cups. The soil was in one end and the wilted plants in the opposite end of the clear container. The blackberry "plants" and the grapes also look lifeless. Compared to plants that can be purchased in the local nurseries at a lesser price this box of plants is a complete joke. No, I have not contacted them about the problem and I do not intend to waste my time doing so. Based on the size of plants and the method of shipping I would not take another item from them if the MIBULB.COM president pulled in my driveway and handed it to me. They beat me out of my money and I have learned a lesson about "Spectacular Offers" and mail order plant purchases. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. They will not get the second chance. jaas6uvk, Texas

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