The scoop on 'Burgess Seed'

Company Profile   This company is affiliated with 9 companies: Direct Gardening House of Wesley Inter-State Nurseries Farmer Seed and Nursery Four Seasons Nursery Richard Owen Nursery / Exciting Gardens Kelly Nurseries Royal Dutch Honeycreek Nurseries Mailing Address: 905 Four Seasons Rd Bloomington, Illinois 61701 (United States) Phone: (309) 662-7761 Catalog Order Page: Hyperlink Paper Catalog Cost: Free Categories: Mailorder Gardening Association Member Plants: Fruit and Berries Plants: Ornamental Trees and Shrubs Click here to send email to Burgess Seed Click here to visit Burgess Seed's website Recent reviews: Past month Past 6 Months Past 12 Months Positive 0 2 11 Neutral 0 3 9 Negative 0 11 24

Feedback History and Summary   76 positives 37 neutrals 186 negatives

Comments:

Rating Author Content Neutral dsm14 (2 reviews) On September 29, 2008, dsm14 Westfield, NJ wrote: The quality of what I received was very mixed. Even among single collections of shrub and climbing roses, some exceeded expectations; roughly half were DOA. Hydrangeas were very disappointing. They also make you jump through too many hoops to get a refund--insisting on an original label even when they have computer records and you have an email of exactly what you ordered. I am going through the return process now; when it is completed, I will adjust the rating up or down. Positive JBLady (3 reviews) On August 25, 2008, JBLady Halifax, VA wrote: Great for the price. If you've orderred from Arbor Day expect about the same from Burgess. You won't get a 5 foot tree in the mail. Not EVERYTHING will survive. But for the price, if you have time and a bit of patience you can relandscape your yard for a fraction of the cost. Good for people just starting out. Buy a mass of stuff to fill your yard and supplement it with one or two more expensive things from a local nursery. I orderred hardier, easy-to-grow things from them (lilacs, trumpet vines, bulbs, peonies) and only lost less than a handful from the order. Again, for the price...very hard to beat. What you get will be small, but with patience and time will be beautiful. Positive trr998 (1 review) On July 28, 2008, trr998 Mercer, PA wrote: I ordered 200 trees, 100 hybrid populars (screen) and 100 hybrid willows. Aprox $324. Received order in 3 weeks (end of May 2008. Expecting dead sticks, but was very suprised the "dormont stakes" were sprouting tiny white roots, and yellow/white buds! These were perky stakes! I own a small 75acre farm and I needed line trees. So far all trees have taken root both in ground and 30 are in pots. So far only one Willow (in a pot) did not make it. Now considering that I would have spent over three times that much with a local grower (if I could find the tres I wanted) I made out very well. The order arived at the post office, by DHL. I have a p.o. box, so I had the postmaster call me when they arived. The order arrived in a large heavy duty green plastic sack. (about 40lbs). The inside of the sack was damp as to keep the stakes moist. (the paperwork was damp too, but so what) It is now the end of July 2008 and the trees have grown over 14inches so far! (Tom from Mercer, PA.) ps: I will order from these people again. Negative ABJ (1 review) On July 9, 2008, ABJ Elkton, SD wrote: Two years ago I ordered two lemon trees, lured in buy cheaper prices than other companies. It took so long to receive my order that I called the company to see if they had lost my order. When I finally received my two "sticks" they were full of bugs. I planted them seperately away from other plants and one died within a few days; it was eaten completely by these bugs. The other suffered badly. When I called the company for a replacement, they instead told me to go to a local garden center for advise and get something for the bugs there. No replacement at all! I will never buy from them again. Negative playbyplay (1 review) On July 7, 2008, playbyplay Hazel Crest, IL wrote: You would think with a company that sells plants, more effort would be put into quality. That is not the case with this company. People take great care in all the prep work, only to wonder if the 1 inch dead stick they sent you is going to do anything. After 6 weeks of waiting, to still have a 1 inch dead stick in the ground. Now comes the real fun part of jumping through their hoops so you can get a replacement dead stick. A whole year is wasted so you have to wait until next spring to get your plants from a "real" company. In the end you saved nothing. You wasted your time, hard work, and money. While a few did grow (if you call producing a single leaf growth) here is my success record. The rose bushes were 0 for 2. The rose trees were 0 for 2. The lilacs were 0 for 5. The raspberries were 0 for 5. The butterfly bushes were 0 for 2. The blackberries were 1 for 3. The weeping rose plants were 0 for 2. The climbing roses were 1 for 2. The apricot trees were 2 for 2. The sweet cherry vines were 2 for 2. Now it is important to note that really nothing is a sucess. The few things that are alive are just that, alive but a single shraggy leaf on a dead stick is nothing to brag about. This company does not sell inexpensive plants, it sells CHEAP ones. If anyone is looking for a real bargin, I have some dead sticks you can buy for a real low price. I will even give you some pictures that show what they would look like if they were alive and healthy. Maybe I should start a seed company? Oh wait, Burgess is already doing this. Negative hintonlady (3 reviews) On June 30, 2008, hintonlady Baldwin, IL wrote: This was my first mail order from a nursery. Sadly I stumbled upon this site too late. I tried to cancel my order but it was too late. (funny considering how long it took to process in the first place) I decided to do my best to be objective and patient. I ordered several nut and fruit trees and some grape vines. I did this not just for fun but because I aspire to produce a portion of my families food. Since they take so long to develop losing a season is very costly some day..... My trees arrived in a very sad state. Dried out twigs in a bag. They did not have soil or moisture as promised by the staff via phone. A few looked way past dead. They also did not measure to the height stated online. Thanks to this site I very carefully kept my shipping labels. After the stated time requirement plus extra I had to send away for my replacements. I had one walnut, one almond and one maple die right away. I had One apple die and grow in from the rootstock (not exactly a good thing). Admittedly one apple fared well as did my mini citrus collection, grape trio and banana. I got the replacements today, they look just as sad. One did have moisture in the form of mold growing on the roots. In the end I will still not have everything I wanted even after replanting. Aside from losing a valuable season I also lost a great expense on my modest budget. The quality was very poor even in the items that did survive. I cannot afford to just waste hard earned money on junk. I would have been better off sending twice the cash for half the wares somewhere else. In the end I would have gotten more. Buyer beware, don’t be fooled by pretty pictures and too good to be true prices. Negative linda3540 (1 review) On June 29, 2008, linda3540 Kelseyville, CA wrote: We ordered "premium Blueberry mix" plants early in 2008 so we could have a blueberry crop this summer. We received 4 premium size plants and 2 small plants. As it happened, only the small plants thrived and the larger plants died. We then contacted them to replace the plants and mentioned the discrepancy between what we paid for and what we received. They ignored this and sent us another 4 plants that were about 4" high and pretty beat up from the shipping. When I again contacted them about this discrepancy, they requested we send back the original mailing label and one of the blueberries. Since we have only 4 blueberries on the six plants I have decided to forego the $9 difference and instead leave feedback for the way our account was handled and the frustration we encountered in dealing with Burgess seed. Negative usnavyvet (2 reviews) On June 27, 2008, usnavyvet Spokane, MO wrote: Ordered because of impressive catalog and low price coupled with their stated replacement guarantee. Purchased both a garden order and a tree order initially. The garden order plants arrived in fair condition, small, and poorly rooted. I planted what I could and bought other garden plants locally. The Tree order was even worse, with some trees having no roots at all. Planted anyway with expected results. provided root starter and drip lines, but failure rate was near 80%. Since after 3 weeks it was obvious to me that some trees would probably never root, I ordered a third order and double planted the trees. The trees received on the second tree order were in the same shape as the original order, and have had even a higher failure rate so far. (90%) Sent Burgess an email after a month and requested replacement trees to cover the failures of the first tree order Mailed the required shipping label (why they need this is beyond me, since the have the order in house) and then waited for two more weeks before they responded. The customer service responses were very brusk and non-involved. Never did they admit either a problem or suggest a solution. Their last communication indicated I would have to wait for 6 weeks, per their policy. (I thought that a month plus 2 weeks WAS 6 weeks ?) But they further stated that they would only adjust the orders all at once at one time. (Why and where is this policy stated? Seems like they make it up as they go along.) Meanwhile the growing season continues on and I still have no growth on the Burgess products nor any affirmative action from Burgess. I've written off the company as a scam and purchased elsewhere, but I think it unfortunate that such a company continues to thrive. Negative southernappmtns (2 reviews) On June 23, 2008, southernappmtns Tiger, GA wrote: Last year I ordered 9 pawpaw trees from burgess. When they arrived I at first did recognize what they were. There was a green bag rolled up and stuffed in the mailbox. When I opened it, there were nine sticks inside. It was obvious where the tap roots had been broken from carelessly pulling them up. Had there been a complete root system, the plants would still not have stood a chance being as how there was NO DIRT OR WATER in the bag whatsoever. Upon scratching off a portion of the bark, it was obvious that they had been dead for quite some time. Regaurdless, I planted them in pots just for the sake of seeing if jesus would raise them from the dead. After a couple of weeks, they were rotten and broken. By this time, the 14 day money-back guarentee had expired, leaving replacement as the only option. I guess I could have returned them for more dead sticks, but what would be the point in that? Then I would just have to pay shipping over and over. Being as how pawpaws are the only thing that I have ever ordered from them, I can't knowingly say that all of their products are bad. I do know that absolutely no effort was put into making these trees live. By the way... during the same season I ordered two pawpaws from Burnt Ridge Nursery... they came in pots. Strangely enough, they are growing today. Negative fuzzybuns (1 review) On June 11, 2008, fuzzybuns Spencer, IN wrote: Ordered plants. Dug big deep holes and put lots of sand, peat, and rich organic matter around sickly or doa plants. Lost over 75% of plants. Sent in original shipping lable to Burgess for replacement plants. Never contacted by Burgess. Called, and was told to call back. Called back. Bottom line: Burgess did not and will not make good on bad plant stock shipped to me. Fool me once.... ANYONE THAT GIVES THIS COMPANY A POSITIVE RATING IS IN THE MINORITY AND DOING THE GARDENING WORLD A DISSERVICE! The End. Negative cerconeb (1 review) On June 4, 2008, cerconeb Omro, WI wrote: Customer service is awful. After trying to contact them by e-mail and never receiving a response I reached them by calling their ordering line. I explained that I had purchased 100 privet hedge last summer, they had started growing, and over the winter every single one had died. I asked what my options were and the rep told me that I could get a voucher for more plants or I could get a refund for the cost of the plants. Per the reps instructions I wrote a letter stating I wanted a refund and sent along my original receipt, and waited. It has been a number of weeks and I finally received a letter with a voucher. They said I needed to read the warranty closer because it states you only have 14 days for a refund. It was their rep who explicitly told me that even though it had been numerous months, I could still get a refund. Their own staff doesn't even know what is going on. VERY FRUSTRATING TO DEAL WITH!!! Negative deadtreesinNJ (1 review) On June 3, 2008, deadtreesinNJ Phillipsburg, NJ wrote: Ordered peach trees and received twigs. They are shipped in a green plastic bag. Called Burgess, told them I thought the trees were dead, they told me to wait 6 weeks to make sure they were not just dormant. Waited the 6 weeks, called and asked for a refund, told Burgess I did NOT want a replacement, a credit voucher or other items from them. I am totally dissatisfied with the items I received. Not at all what I expected. Wish I would have seen this website first. Burgess told me that after 14 days I can NOT have a refund. Please help. I do not want anything else from them, expect a refund. Neutral narrowminded (6 reviews) On June 3, 2008, narrowminded Munith, MI wrote: My first experience with them this year sounds like everyone else's - spotty. The format of a plant by plant rundown is a good one: Dwarf pear trees - all very inexpensive; 2 in excellent condition and doing well; 1 never broke dormancy and finally died. French pussy willow - DOA - dried out and broken; never revivied. Tree peonies - a bargain - quite inexpensive and all in good condition, doing well. Phlox - good sized vigorous plants. Foxglove - none of them ever woke up - all now rotted away. American sycamore - never broke dormancy, now dead. Butterfly weed - healthy dormant tubers - doing well Bottom line - it's a grab-bag - you might get a great plant for a bargain, or genuine junk. I haven't tried to get a refund yet from them - will keep you posted. Negative organicfreak (1 review) On May 23, 2008, organicfreak Enon, OH wrote: I registered with this site simply so I could share my experience with Burgess Seed and Plant Company. My experience with them consists of two orders in the last 2 years. I'll make the first order experience short and sweet. It was a small order - around 4-5 plants - and all but one was received in mostly dead to completely dead condition. Like a devoted gardener freak, I planted them all just to see if I could revive them. No luck. All died. The order was something like this: 1-2 butterfly bushes (received dried out SMALL sticks), Walk-On-Me plants (thyme). I received 5 tiny, single strand starts. None survived. 1 Spice shrub. Received a dried out, barely rooted stick. No luck there either. As I stated, the order was small and not much money, so I wrote it off as bad luck and left it there. My second order was this year (2008). The condition of the order is below: 1 Dwarf Blueberry bush - rec'd FAIR plant and it seams fine. 1 Spice shrub - rec's pland broken down to about 3 inches tall with unwrapped roots which were brittle. No green was to be found. In other words - a dead stick. 1 Star Magnolia tree - Rec's with extremely dry, unprotected roots. I MAY have saved this one through extreme care and time, but it looks pretty weak. Blue potato spuds (5) - rec'd them in a plastic bag. ALL were ROTTEN and MUSHY upon arrival. Nothing quite like the smell of rotten potatos! I threw them away! 2 French Pussy willow starts - rec'd both extremely dry and one was broken at the roots. No root protection and neither had and green on them. Both died. 5 Red asparagus roots - Rec'd VERY dry in a plastic bag with no moisture wrap at all! If you have ever planted asparagus before, you know they are difficult. Good, healthy roots are the key. Of the 5 roots, 2 seem to be O.K. I was highly dissapointed with this one in perticular as I have a decent bed of Jersey Mail Hybrid asparagus already and love it! 2-3 assorded seed packs - I figured 'who could mess up sending seeds? I guess they can! I rec'd 2 packs of what I ordered and one pack of something else entirely! Again, being the plant loving freak I am, I planted them anyway. My 2 emails to them have been ignored. Needless to say, I find this company a complete waste of money and time. I could probably plant my $50.00 bill in the ground and water three timed weekly and expect a better plant than they could send! I will no longer order from them, nor communicate with them. Every grower I know will know my exprience with them as well. I have an extensive garden and landscaped yard I maintain and it is simply there loss. **My suggestion is to not order from Burgess Seed. Not if you truly love plants. Order from them simply if you would like to send them a donation and receive twigs and rotten plants for your compost heap. Hey, at least that helps the O-Zone! Neutral donba27 (4 reviews) On May 21, 2008, donba27 Adairsville, GA wrote: I would have to rate this company both negative and positive. If you are expecting to get large perfect plants, Don’t shop here. I made a few purchases of a variety of plants and will rate them below: Hedges 100 Privet Hedges….they arrived small to medium size and the shipment was short by 5 pieces. I notified them of the shortage and they sent me 10 new ones. We planted them and all but about 5 are fine. 15 Jumbo Hemlock hedges $23.00….Mostly junk…received plants from 6 inches to 18 inches (and these are JUMBOS LOL. After 2 weeks most of them are dead 100 Hybrid Willows…they arrived small to medium in size. After about a week they started showing life and are growing very fast Various ground cover…..Periwinkles, Walk on Me, Phlox, and Wintercreeper They are very cheap, but so small you can hardly see them in the bags…definitely not worth the bother. Various vines….Arrived very small and didn’t think they would grow but planted them anyway. Silver Lace, Trumpet Hummingbird are growing very fast Hall's Honeysuckle, Passion Flower and sweet pea barely alive. Kiwi ….ordered 8 (6 f and 2 M) one female was received dead. The others are growing, but much slower than expected Trees…. 2 Magnolia…receiver 2 mini pots with 3 inch trees….After about 2 weeks they started growing but very slow @ $3.00 each, they could hva e been better but are ok. 10 Weeping Willow Trees… We received 10 sticks. We planted them and they are growing fine. Considering they were $1.00 each we are satisfied. 2 Fig Trees…@ $7.50 each JUNK..received 2 tree’s approximately 3 inches each. After 1 ½ months, still alive, but still 3 inches . 2 Red maple…only $1.43 ea. Received 2 sticks, but they are growing fine Shrubs 2 Rose of Sharon @ $1.25 ea….received 2 …about 2 foot high well branched.. After 2 weeks growing very nice 10 Red Twig Dogwood total $7.50….received 10 small sticks. After 1 month they are growing ok 4 Hansen Cherry bushes. total $5.80….. Received 4 sticks about 2 foot. They bloomed after a few days and even got a handful of cherries on them. 2 Firethorn…total $4.75 ..received 2 approx 2 inches. After 1 month, growing very slowly, but alive. 2 Mock Orange…only $1.50 for both. Received 2 about 3 ½ ft high well branched. After 1 month, I stone dead, one is just barely showing some sign of life. 9 Hibiscus total $5.75 received 9 about 1 inch. After a month 2 are about an 1 ½ but alive, the remainder show no life at all 3 Arkansas Ansonia total $10.95 Received 3 about 1 inch. After a month, there is nothing left but dirt. 2 Huron Sunrise Grass…..total $9.50 received 2 about 1inch…. After 1 month, growing about 3 inches now so very slow. Various Roses…. Good price…received nice bushes but was short one. Notified them and they replaced the one missing. After a month growing very nice. The purchases were made from Burgess Seed, Honeycreek Nurseries, and Direct Gardening. I contacted them by email and got quick response to the e mail; however; it took over a month for me to receive the missing items. It only takes 1 to 2 days to charge your credit card, but well over a month to process your order. I have not contacted them yet about the dead items that I received, so I can’t comment on how they will respond. To sum it up, There are a lot of better nurseries out there, but not at these bargain prices. If you have the time to wait for these plants to grow, then you are getting a bargain. If they honor there guarantee to replace the dead plants, I will definitely shop there again. Negative asianstan (1 review) On May 21, 2008, asianstan Hurley, NY wrote: what a horrible business you got there Burgess! i was so hopeful of my 24 Jumbo Canadian Hemlock bushes id ordered some months ago. The arrived after about 6 weeks in a inhumane sac suitable for referral to the cruelty to horticulture society. anyway. 6 were dead on arrival. the remaining 18 were planted and cared for. 3 days later a spring rain left not one needle left. 2 days later theyre all dead. Before they all succumbed id returned my shipping label with a letter requesting 6 replacements. They were allegedly shipped on 5/9/08. It is now 5/21. nothing. I just called a few minutes ago to check on them and i got the rudest woman i'd ever spoken to. ** dont get confused but after the survivors died i called again after sending in anohter letter. I was told that i must first send in the shipping label from the dead 6 (should i ever get it) before they can re-raplace the entire order. I asked the woman if i could pay extra for the replacements to be overnited. She said sure, just call and arrangment after the first order comes. So, i just called again because im sure theyre somewhere dead on a mail truck and asked about them. I told this 2nd woman how the previous had said i could pay extra for expedited shipping.... "we dont' do that kind a shipping". "well the last woman i spoke to said i could pay extra for it" "well she was wrong." "ok, is there anyone else i can speak to?" "nope" "you dont have a supervisor or anybody etc...:" "nope, well there are supervisors but they're on call.. ill put you on hold and let one know youre there, but a supervisor aint gonna get your order overnited anyway so youre wasting your time" "fine ill waste it then" (click) and here we are. I could have driven to Burgess from NY 6-7 times for this order since may 9th. I've wasted a lot of money in my life but this is by far the worst. stay away from this company, no good!!!!!!! Negative awahili (1 review) On May 11, 2008, awahili Pine Mountain, GA wrote: I have purchased plants from Burgess and several of their affliated nursery companies. To date I have been shipped plants sealed in poly bags that did not grow, came in moldy, moldy and mildewed, bulbs rotted, other plants with an 80% growth success. I have my shipping paper work and will attempt to get replacements. To realize bulbs are rotten and not growing takes longer than 14 days. Final statement: I will send appropriate paper work to attempt to get replacements on those things which failed; however, I will not order from this company, its affliates, or any one connected with Plantron, Inc. Negative Kimcoco33 (2 reviews) On May 7, 2008, Kimcoco33 Milwaukee, WI wrote: Unfortunately, I found this site after I'd already made a purchase. I kept my fingers crossed, but no such luck. I ordered 40 privet hedges, and received literally 40 sticks with roots sticking out the bottom. Paperwork was wet, thrown in the same package as the so-called privet "hedges", which I would not, under any circumstances, call a hedge or anything along those lines. I returned them in accordance with the return policy, within two weeks with the original shipping label. I sent with a delivery confirmation, received a delivery confirmation, but every time I called to ask about my credit, they could not tell me whether they received them (though I had provided them with the delivery confirmation #), and they would always reply, "well, IF you returned them and IF we received them,...." they were absolutely clueless. I gave them the delivery confirmation #, date, time, etc. via phone and email, and FINALLY (after threatening to dispute with my credit card company) they issued me a refund for product cost, MINUS return and delivery shipping fees. I WOULD NOT ORDER FROM THIS COMPANY IN THE FUTURE. Negative supeernana (1 review) On May 7, 2008, supeernana Abilene, TX (Zone 7a) wrote: Hi. Placed order with this company last year and then found this site. Was hoping I'd be able to post a positive, no such luck. I did try to do something another person had suggested, I planted some of the trees and shrubs in the ground and some in planters so they could be babied. Nothing lived. The plants looked dead to begin with but knew from reading here that had to be sure to let enough time pass for them to break dormancy or would get that line from the company. Well, sent a letter and the package label by certified mail asking for replacements, haven't heard from company yet. Bulbs didn't do well either as the glads had what looked like mold or mildew on them. Will wait and see but think I wasted my money with this company. Learnt a lesson the hard way, check things out first. Positive muskrat_ranch (2 reviews) On May 4, 2008, muskrat_ranch Alberton, ON (Zone 3b) wrote: We ordered trees 100 evergreens & approx 25 ornamental/berry/nut trees. Long way to ship, the Northernmost edge of Minnesota, but the trees arrived in good condition. Some of the hemlocks look rough (not fresh, dried out) but the bulk of the evergreens are pleasing, good size, roots, etc. Many of the ornamentals exceeded our expectations for size, root mass, esp. for the bargain prices. Will probably have to replace 3 runty Juneberries that are likely DOA & a maple with some root malady but we knew to save the shipping label & if we eventually get new ones with no hassle I'm cool with that. No breakage at all during shipping, probably getting a whole bunch of trees helped because they were all bundled together? I would not venture to buy more delicate items like perennials but would get trees again. If some catastrophe strikes & everything dies in June I'll post again. Bottom Line: Met our expectations for bargain trees, did not expect filet-mignon at these prices & so far are satisfied with what we received. On June 13th, 2008, muskrat_ranch added the following: Mid June: the ornamentals are all doing well except the 3 we suspected (plus one rugosa rose the dog ate). Sadly the Cdn Hemlocks did not survive. Many of the evergreens have died too, will go the replacement route. Ornamentals: thumbs up Evergreens: thumbs down Star performer: the Japanese Lilac Negative sparkymarky (1 review) On April 29, 2008, sparkymarky Rapid City, SD wrote: They offer a one year warranty. We spent nearly $100 on shrubs and all but a few of them died, most within weeks. We waited to warrant them until this spring to make sure the other few made it through the winter. Now, to spend nearly $100 you know there were a lot of shrubs at their price. Anyway, I saved and sent all the little tags in, and then they tell me they needed the PACKAGING...you know, those muddy plastic bags that they stuff all the little sticks in. So, I'm out the money, another year without shrubs around the perimeter of my property, and hoping I can afford to buy shrubs with my small gardening budget. BURNED!! Negative Helen_C (1 review) On April 29, 2008, Helen_C Gainesville, FL wrote: Extremely negative in my opinion. This is the email I sent them... "From Eroyal Dutch I ordered 4 Black Magic Elephant Ears (No. 32426747) From House of Wesley I ordered 2 Bat Flowers (No. 32426755) Both are part of your Company according to my research. First of all I am going to say that I find your customer service extremely poor. I ordered AND IMMEDIATELY PAID FOR the following ON APRIL 9TH. 4 Black Magic Elephant Ears in the total amount of $43.39 2 Bat Flowers in the total amount of $28.99 Grand Total I PAID is $72.38 I have called three times to find out where my plants are. I was given a “parrot” answer each time saying they have shipped and were shipped on APRIL 19th. No further effort was EVER made to find out WHERE my plants are. Well, here it is, April 30 and I have YET to receive my plants. So I called again today to get my money refunded and was rudely told that I could NOT get my money refunded and no attempt would be made to put a tracer on this shipment until MAY 19TH????????? A MONTH for a tracer on a shipment paid for (and supposedly sent on April 19th) is more than outrageous. This should have been done immediately after my first call. THAT’S customer service. I have also checked your rating with the Illinois Better Business and some other sites on the web and, not to my surprise, your rating is “unsatisfactory”. Had I known this, I would never have done business with your company. I intend to spread the word among my friends and fellow gardeners about your “customer service” and I how feel I have been ripped off. I know my order is small, but I do expect decent customer service. Well, I tried to call AGAIN and speak with Richard Owen, President of your Company, and was told he does NOT take calls from paying customers??? Interesting and I have duly noted that. Please make note that I have NO intention of ever doing business with your company again. I want a refund in the FULL amount of $72.38 credited to my VISA. I should not have to pay shipping on products that obviously I’m never going to receive. If I ever DO get these plants, I will be returning them to you and I want to be removed from your mailing list. I expect a timely response to this email or my next step will be to contact the Illinois State Attorney General’s Office" On April 30th, 2008, Helen_C added the following: Well, I called this \"company\" again today to find out why I still haven\'t received my plants. As per the norm, I got the usual song and dance from their so-called \"customer NO service\" so I asked to speak with a Manager. I was transfered to \"Kevin\", who sadly has no last name, and I was treated just as poorly as ever. I could not get any kind of an answer as to where my plants were and when I asked about a tracer being put on my order, I was first told that \"policy\" will not let them do a tracer for 30 days. THEN this clown told me that \"we really don\'t have any kind of tracing policy with the post office\". I also tried to explain that I had received dead plants and Kevin asked me how I assumed they were dead and not just dormant. I figured that when a plant crumbles in your hand after removing it from their \"shipping package\" that it is safe to assume that it\'s past dead. So Kevin tells me that it takes up to 6 weeks for these plants to start to bloom. How does a plant that crumbles able to bloom? I advised this Kevin guy that I\'m finished talking with him and dealing with a company that does nothing but rip off people and my next step will be to file a complaint with the Illinois Attorney Generals Office, which I am doing today. I\'m out almost 80 bucks for the order I\'m never going to get, plus I\'m out another 25 bucks for dead (not dormant) plants. DO NOT BUY A THING FROM THESE THIEVES AND RIP OFF ARTISTS!! Negative fred12345 (1 review) On April 26, 2008, fred12345 Bend, OR wrote: The plants I received from burgess were seedlings and the roses had a single pencil size cane. These people should take there operation to the swap meet where they belong. I am still waiting for the last part of the shipment, this is beyond fertilizer Positive jfshrub (1 review) On April 21, 2008, jfshrub Deatsville, AL wrote: I recently purchased 300.00 in trees and shrubs from this company, they were sent as described and I followed the directions for each tree and plant, I had less than 5 plants out of over a hundred that did not produce, I think that is outstanding for mail order, plus the fact that I have a green thumb (amature landscaper) but the money I saved was well worth the small loss and I will be ordering again next year. Jerry Neutral hoganhound (2 reviews) On April 17, 2008, hoganhound Albuquerque, NM wrote: Lots of stress in these posts about plants! Thats terrible and surprises me too...I Have ordered maybe 6 times 2007-2008 through burgess and friends, have had no problems as of yet. I see many posts regarding $100-$300+ orders...I would caution against such large orders from discount catalogs. If I dont know exactly what Im getting, nor in what condition it wil show up in, (IF I CANT PICK IT OUT!) well, then I would not spend an amount of money that would upset me if any problems arise. Rather, expect less from deep discounted sources, and you wont be (too) dissapointed. Having said that, I have ordered small quantities of trees, bulbs, in/out plants and, so far, no probs...Tree seedlings are a bit small for my taste. If I can get it locally I dont buy catalog stock. I want to say that if you want to dump $100 + dollars on plants, head to the local Native nursery and buy 2 really expensive, cool specimens and be much happier for it than with a large green bag full of "I forgot I ordered SO much" on your doorstep in 1-2-3 months. And, from time to times, for shts and gigs blow $10-$20 online...I and you will be happier and more confident/less stressed that way...isnt that the point of buyin plants? Good luck! Negative teddea (1 review) On April 15, 2008, teddea Chicago, IL wrote: I had a reorder place in Jan. 2008 for items thats didn't grow the previous year. I spoke to an agent on March 7th and she assured me that they received my reorder and it would be shipped in April because I'm in zone 5. Well, today after looking at this website I called to update staus only to find out that my order was shipped on March 19th. I haven't received the order so I asked to trace it. I was told that there was no way to trace the package until it's 30 days lost (april 19th). I expressed obvious concern that if this happened I would be planting in the first week of June the way they ship, and was greeted with 'there is nothing I can do'. I then asked to speak to shipping and was told that they can't contact shipping but wait until the 19th and they will trace our package. Well, if plants are sitting in a plastic bag within a plastic bag, in the back of a mail truck for 30 days, what kind of product will I receive? I asked why can I order something from Hong Kong and get it in a week, but I live in the same state as the company that sells the product and can't receive my product in a reasonable frame of time and got the 'there is nothing I can do'. There is no reason to keep dealing with this organizxation Positive gardenerKB (1 review) On April 15, 2008, gardenerKB Marshalltown, IA wrote: As explained in the catalog, the items ordered were sent at the appropriate time for planting. The bushes looked green and healthy and had nice root systems; the grasses were green and carefully packaged, also with nice roots. We chose Burgess because of the competitive prices and were not disappointed. Negative Freds_Garden (1 review) On April 11, 2008, Freds_Garden Varysburg, NY wrote: Last year I ordered plants and they never usurvided. They were basically dead by the time I got them. We tried and of course the plants didnt. This year I ordered some additional plants figuring ok. We will try again. Well the trees that came in were broke in half, no root stock and obviously were in that condition before they were shipped and they cracked like a dead twig. After writing to them, the reply was, well we have this quarantee, of course we will replace it ...... but....... return the label and we will either give you credit or replace the plant. Obviously by the time you get the paperwork, the plants will be gone. Maybe they are planning it that way and we should all let the attorney general know in your state as well. This will be the last time I ever deal with these people and I am not afraid to let anyone know to stay away from this company. Negative clemin (1 review) On April 11, 2008, clemin Grants Pass, OR wrote: First experience with Burgess seed were Blueberry plants which arrived broken and much smaller then the stated 12"-18". Decided to overlook it. Placed a second order for $110.00 worth of Trees, bushes ect. Called Burgess to ask if order had been shipped. No, it had not. Good, because I have had an unavoidable Emergency come up and must leave for a few weeks. I needed to Cancel the Order. I was told, I need to send in a written Cancelation request. And what if you send order in the mean time? Very uncaring customer service person said that was the best they could do. Very unhappy with this co. BEWARE-AVOID-once they get your money, you are at thier mercy and will see just how much they value thier customers. Positive Idahobio (1 review) On April 10, 2008, Idahobio Burley, ID wrote: Ordered 10 trees, 3 yuccas and 10 asparagus. All arrived healthy and free of mold. Some of the trees had a few small branches snapped. Overall OK. I think I will risk another order and see what happens. Negative amanda529 (1 review) On April 9, 2008, amanda529 Butler, PA wrote: Please save yourself the hassle and DO NOT order from this company. I wouldn't trust any of its affiliates either. I placed a $300 order with this company. I'm not going to go into every detail of my exchange, however, I will tell of the thing that ticked me off the most. I paid extra for a blueberry collection that was to be potted and delivered at 18-24" height. The cheaper/younger plants were stated as being 12-18" in height. The plants that they sent me and I paid EXTRA for were barely 8" tall, pot and all. I was nothing but pleasant and professional to them on the phone and only asked that I be credited the difference between the older and younger plants. They can't DO that at their call center and you must mail in that stupid all important shipping label and their billing department MIGHT take care of it. I told them that was rediculous in this day and age and I wouldn't be ordering from them again. Please save yourself the hassle. The enticing low prices and pretty pictures in their mailers are not worth the hassle. Spend the extra money and buy a plant from a more reliable and customer oriented business. Positive Maryweather1 (2 reviews) On April 6, 2008, Maryweather1 Marshall, MI wrote: I was terrified to get my order, because I ordered before I found out about this site. The negative reviews definitely had me thinknig twice, especially since I ordered about $150 worth of products. The only thing I'll say is that they sent me my products way too early. The bareroot things came when we had 7 inches of snow on the ground, so I wasn't really able to plant them. They also sent me the potted live plants, which I am keeping in a window and won't plant until May, because that's when we're out of danger from frost. Everything that came was in good health. I ordered 16 carnation plants and they're healthy, and the Hosta and Astilbe roots were quite substantial in size. The Lavender was good, and the Gladiolus bulbs were a good size and healthy. The potted Gaillardia were small, sort of wimpy, and the foliage was yellowish. But, I took them out, planted them in potting soil, stuck them in a window and gave them ample water, and in just about a week they've grown a lot and are green and healthy. I also ordered nine rose bushes, with mixed reviews. Some of them were small and wimpy, but some of them were huge with thick stalks and an enormous root system. Looked fairly healthy, but we'll see about that. Overall, nothing they sent me was dead and I was impressed by the quantity of items I received for the money. I've got lots of work to do! Neutral rmolby (1 review) On April 3, 2008, rmolby Norman, OK wrote: So far I'm going Neutral. I ordered $66 worth of plants from this company on 3/15/2008. I ordered online and have not received any other communications from them, nor have I receive any product. I emailed the about a week ago and never received a reply to my inquiry. I tried to call them today, 4/3/2008, and their line was busy every time I called, no voice mail options or anything like that. This is getting ridiculous. I then decided to come here and check to see if other have had problems as well, and after reading all the neutral and negative comments, I’ve decided I will NEVER, let me repeat that, NEVER EVER order from this outfit again. My final rating will depend on the condition of the product when it arrives, IF it ever does, and if any of it lives. R Neutral neon_sky (2 reviews) On April 2, 2008, neon_sky Tulsa, OK wrote: I ordered a Climbing Blue Moon rose. Well, a rose arrived. There was no advance notification from the company, so I had no idea when it would come. I came back from a business trip to find an unmarked plastic bag crammed into my mailbox with a bunch of other mail. You would think they could mark the plants so that the mailman has some idea how to handle them! He's amenable to leaving things on the porch if he knows he shouldn't crush them. Anyway, this poor squashed bareroot plant is not even the rose I ordered. It is a Climbing Blue Girl rose, according to its label. I know these are not the same thing, and I don't know if I'll like the Blue Girl. I received no notice from the company about any substitution. Sigh.... I've decided to plant it and see how it does, but I'm not happy with the company and wouldn't order from them again. Neutral Dredly (1 review) On March 31, 2008, Dredly Saylorsburg, PA wrote: I'm going Neutral as of now, it may turn negative later but will not be positive. I ordered over 150.00 in fruit trees (apple and "fruit cocktail), shrubs (Hardy Privet, Rose of Sharon), berry bushes (blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry) in early Feb. I was quoted a time frame of later April - Early May which was fine as I have a lot of work to do in the yard before planting (ie: fencing, mulching, etc) The first part of my order arrived on March 26th, the rest arrived on March 29th. IT is still freezing here, actually snowed today. The timing is way off. In addition many plants appear to be less then 1 year old, while others appear to be 2+. I have some pieces of hedge that are over 3 feet tall and others that are less then 1 foot tall. Also, I received 2 pieces of "sticks" that were labeled as Rose of Sharon, they have no roots at all, when i called and requested replacements I was told to return the shipping label... for a stick. Now I have to wait to plan the rest of my hedge due to their poor laborers. AS mentioned. If everything survives and I get my replacements for defective trees this will be a "neutral" and I will probably buy from them again as the prices are great. If the plants don't survive or the warranty isn't honored this will be a negative. I doubt I'll be buying from DirectGardening.com or Burgess anymore unless the plants I have perform extremely well Positive Idahoan (17 reviews) On March 29, 2008, Idahoan Boise, ID (Zone 6a) wrote: I have ordered from Burgess for years with no complaint. I placed an order this year and the seed portion arrived before the live plants. The live portion arrived today. I ordered creeping phlox and they arrived green and moist with new growth and the bulbs look just fine. I have no complaint about this company. Positive farmgrl32 (1 review) On March 29, 2008, farmgrl32 Shelby, OH wrote: I have ordered from Burgess Seed & Plant in the past. I am fully satisfied with my order and I am getting ready to place another order this weekend for over $150.00 worth of plants. My last order I placed was a smaller order of Colorado Blue Spruce and Wisteria. The pine trees arrived in the green bag, but was moist and all had very strong root systems. The wisteria upon first look I thought I was sent a stick, I did a scratch test and they was fine. I planted the wisteria, wisteria is a very slow growing plant they take about 5-7 years to actually get large flower blooms. They are still alive and about 4 ft tall now, for wisteria that is a very impressive growth rate. Two of the pine trees did die, but that is a chance a person takes even if they are buying from a well known greenhouse. I do not think 2 out of 12 plants dying are bad odds. Some of the pine trees upon arrival was a little rough with black needles and some needles falling off, but again for the price this is to be expected. However, I planted the trees despite some of their apperance looking a little frail gave them plenty of room for the root system and today they are all about 3 ft tall and they all look great. As with the wisteria, colorado blue spruce are slow growing as well but their growth rate has also impressed me. I also planted the free peach seeds and they were not only interesting but very flavorful as well. I will be sending another order to Burgess for some more plants and trees, I am very impressed with the prices and the plants. Buying from a greenhouse costs three times as much and you still take a chance of something dying. I have had great luck with Burgess. I also might add, Burgess cannot keep up with the weather in every state, as many states such as Ohio have many days that are unseasonable, I wait to place my order until it is time to plant, that way I avoid getting plants to early. Thank You Burgess for the great prices and great plants. Negative mcollum83 (6 reviews) On March 28, 2008, mcollum83 Hay Springs, NE wrote: Months ago I placed an order for two musa banana plants (grow bananas at home!)...but I was disappointed that shipping was only by date, not by weather. So a week later I found banana plants elsewhere! And I called to cancel my order and the "nice" lady that answered said that it is company policy to have me handwrite and sign a letter, and mail it to the company to cancel the order! I replied "you're kidding me" and in the most sassiest of all sassiness the lady replied "NO I'M NOT FRIGGIN' KIDDIN' YOU" so needless to say, I had an irate person on the phone, I asked what the price of the order was, it was under $20...and I said, fine just send them. Then the lady became nice...and started telling me how to take care of banana plants. She said that the leaves will appear dusty, and that I should take a child's toothbrush and rub the leaves clean, and then take the toothbrush and stick it in the dirt, and this is how I pollinate the plant, and this is what makes it produce bananas. Like a good girl I sat there and listened to this, knowing that that is impossible! And guess what? Edible bananas do not need pollinated! And had they been edible seeded bananas, the pollination is done with their flower! Not their leaves and the soil. Well, needless to say, that "dust" on the leaves is a waxy substance, that yes, it does need cleaned off, but it will not pollinate my plant. So I got off the phone with her (she told me I would get a big pamphlet on how to take care of my banana [in the first box she says, like it will come in it's own box...LOL]), her having taken me for a fool...turns out a week later my "plants" show up. During a cold week, with a box full of holes, the plants laying on their sides, bags over the pots (which did nothing to keep the soil in BY THE WAY), dirt totally covering the leaves...and plants that are all but dead! After over a week, they are still just dying! And one was an inch tall, the other maybe 2, both with only 3 leaves! And I know the problems not on my end, because I ordered 44 from somewhere else, and they are all doing fine! After finding this site, and having my own experience as well, I will never do business here again! Oh, and this pamphlet that tells me how to take care of bananas? No, it is a generalized pamphlet, a few sentences on every plant, nothing I wouldn't have known already, plant and water! Protect from cold...REALLY! Neutral rwand (1 review) On March 28, 2008, rwand Sparta, MI wrote: I rated my experience neutral, because Burgess fully kept its part of the agreement, which is what I expect when I do business with a company. I gave Burgess my money, and in timely fashion Burgess sent the seeds and plants I ordered. Compared with other experiences reviewed here, mine might be considered positive. On March 9, 2008, I placed an order that included largely seeds and bare-root trees. I was apprehensive after reading other reviews and placed only a modest order (~$40) for inexpensive items. My order arrived in two parts, seeds on March 25 and trees on March 27. The trees were small (appropriate for the price) but alive and mostly well-rooted. Our delivery person drove into our yard to deliver the trees. I was available to process them immediately by planting in a protected area, where they will remain until replanting during fall after they go dormant. Burgess really means 'bare-root'. The trees arrived with no protection to the roots other than the plastic bag in which the trees were shipped. Had my trees sat roadside on a hot day, their outcome might have been different, but since they were processed immediately I am optimistic over their survival. I will mention two minor disappointments regarding my order, the first of which is my issue, not Burgess'. I ordered their 'tree sampler', their choice of inexpensively-priced, overstocked trees. I dreamed of receiving exotic, flowering and ornamental trees that would adorn my yard at a remarkably cheap price. I received a fine assortment of trees, none of which fits well into my landscape. I hasten to add that Burgess did its part by sending live, well-rooted trees. I might advise, though, unless you have a large space to fill with any available trees, you might pass on the tree sampler, since I guess exotic flowering and ornamental trees are unlikely to be overstocked. A second issue I raise concerns a $3.95 packet of watermelon seeds that contained a total of only seven seeds. Instructions included with the seeds indicated that I should plant 3-4 seeds/hill and thin to a single plant/hill. At almost 60 cents/seed, I will not be following their planting instructions! If my seven seeds provide me with all the watermelons I want, I will be satisfied that I got my money's worth. Nonetheless, seven seeds for $3.95 might be a bit stingy, and I will keep my packing slip should ultimately I be dissatisfied with my purchase. Overall, at this point I believe that Burgess fully met my expectations, and if my satisfaction continues I will not hesitate to order from them again. Neutral engravogirl (3 reviews) On March 18, 2008, engravogirl Godley, TX wrote: Despite negative comments from other customers, I decided to risk $30.00 with Burgess seeds. I ordered one packet of seeds and 2 pairs of Elderberry plants in mid January from their web site. The seeds arrived in a timely manner, along with my free promotional Peach vine seeds and tomato seeds. I had not received my Elderberries by March 15th, so I e-mailed customer care to find out the status of my order. I received an e-mail the next day telling me I would get my order within 7-10 days. However, I got the package 2 days later on the 17th. Makes me think that customer care is not completely informed about shipping dates; or they are just telling customers what they think they want to hear. The Elderberry plants were packed in a green plastic shipping bag. I think a box would have protected them better - but they were in good shape despite this. A tiny scratch test on each bare root plant revealed that they were alive and well. They were a healthy size as well, with pencil width stems. I received a 2nd free set of the Peach vine and Tomato seeds in the mail with my Elderberries. This was probably an oversight on their part. Overall, I'm happy with the plants and seed, but I'm left with the feeling that I was lucky - this time. I will probably order from them them again, but I still wouldn't risk more money than I'm ready to loose. Also, this company does not send e-mail shipping notifications for customers who have ordered on-line. I hope this will change - it would help belay the wait and worry of dealing with a company with such negative reviews.

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