The scoop on 'Michigan Bulb'

Company Profile   Michigan Bulb Mailing Address: P.O. Box 4180 Lawrenceburg, Indiana 47025-4180 (United States) Phone: 513-354-1498 Fax: 513-354-1499 » E-Mail them » Visit their website Recent reviews: Past month Past 6 Months Past 12 Months Positive 2 16 25 Neutral 0 5 8 Negative 3 13 21 This company is affiliated with Gardens Alive! This company specializes in: Bulbs: Spring-blooming Plants: Perennial Flowers Other helpful information: Member of Mailorder Gardening Association

Feedback History and Summary   270 positives 144 neutrals 496 negatives

Comments:

Rating Author Content Positive waltwego Elgin, IL (1 review) October 30, 2009 Just got off the phone with them. They are sending me a full refund from my spring order even though I wasn't completely unhappy with the order. Some plants didn't grow. Some grew but didn't bloom. Some bloomed but wasn't what I ordered. The boogie-woogie dahlia was beautiful. I was quite happy with another dahlia though that wasn't the one I ordered! I assume some of the plants that didn't bloom this year will bloom next year. To get a full refund is more than I expected. I'll order from them again. Positive celestialbev Bay City, MI (1 review) October 26, 2009 i have finally become a home owner and started my gardens. i was directed to MI Bulb by my dad, who was always loved them. he uses them exclusively for his mail orders. So, my ordering adventures began when i first ordered back in june. i took care to order before the last ship date for my zone, but when i ordered, the shipping estimates were out to august/september/october for most plants. i called them, and was told most items were out of stock, would be shipped at the date shown. the gentleman taking my call was a bit snippy, but not rude, and i chose to continue with the order. i got some of my plants right away, and all of them looked healthy. i have since placed three or four more orders. now i had a couple of problems. the echinops ritro plants came bareroot and never did come up. the butterfly bush arrived looking dead, and one of my cotton candy grass plants just never thrived and died. there was some other plants, some bare roots and others that were potted, that didn't live. i had been meaning to call them for a while, but i work the hours that they have customer service reps available. after reading the comments on here last night, i quickly hopped over to their website and left a email detailing the plants that had died. i went to bed wondering how long they would take to get back to me. i woke up this morning and checked my email before work and they had ALREADY set up the deliver those plants to me!!! this is within 6 hours of the time i had sent the email. i couldn't believe it! i don't know why others had problems with them, as my experience has been positive. they certainly have my business for years to come. :-) Negative ckani Gaffney, SC (2 reviews) October 19, 2009 Posted on October 12, 2009, updated October 19, 2009 This will explain everything. Order Date: 08/16/09 Order Number: ************ Order Total: $30.85 Charged: -$17.97 -$12.88 =30.85 right? I can count why can't Michigan Bulb? Attempted to charge 7.99 extra which was declined (debit card with exact amount for internet orders). I use a debit card for this purpose because some online vendors attempt to charge extras not approved. Sent me a letter stating they were going to withhold my last item because they were no longer authorized on my card. I sent a letter back and told them basically I was going to report it on the Internet Crime Complaint Center and BBB. Attempting to make unauthorized charges Withholding paid for items. Extortion letter I have forwarded a screenshot of their order screen for items and the 30.85 charge, a screenshot of my debit card with their charges and their attempted unauthorized charge, and their extortion letter claiming to withhold my paid for item unless I authorize extra charges. On October 19th, 2009, ckani added the following: Found out I had been double billed which is the reason for the bounce. Sent an inquiry though their customer support on here after he/she contacted me about the review. Never received a word back only a push back date on the item from their website. Three of the the Hibiscus plants were dried up and dead and had turned to dust. Received two bewilderbeast Iris which appeared to be almost dried up and had disease holes and fungus on the bulb portion. From their appearance I would say they have been sitting in a warehouse for a few months just drying out instead of MB shipping them quickly. If I pulled up an Iris from my property and threw it on the ground it would take it 3-4 months to dry out like that. I can't plant those in the yard because they are diseased and may spread so I will throw them away. Sent a cancellation for the last item because I found a similar item at the local nursery on huge discount (4.00) since it was the winter off season for such plants and guaranteed to be higher quality than what MB would ship. Dead plants/Sickly Plants Billing errors Ridiculous sloooow shipping Customer support that could care less Oh Whatever, It is Michigan Bulb look at their negative complaints list. Company representative comment on October 14, 2009: On Oct 14, 2009 12:46 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with: Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution. Negative Flower_addictnc Valdese, NC (Zone 7a) (4 reviews) October 14, 2009 Posted on October 10, 2009, updated October 14, 2009 As I understand MI Bulb Co. is an affliate of Spring Hill Nurseries, and Brecks. I have ordered from all 3 companies. Spring Hill always ships great plants, bulbs, etc. Their packaging is good too. If I ever had problems I always recieved excellent customer service. Brecks I ordered from for the first time with 3-4 seperate orders. All were recieved in good condition. MI Bulb Co. I will never order from again. I ordered 3-4 different types of tulips which were fine. I ordered a double order of Jetfire Daffodil which the bulbs were fine. Also, I ordered the Oriental Lily Bag. They were the tiniest lily bulbs I have ever seen. I have never, ever recieved such small bulbs from any of their affiliates or the box stores. I dont even know if they will flower in the first year due to such a small size. The largest bulb was maybe the size of a half dollar. The rest are even smaller. The worst was the mums I ordered. I ordered 12 cushion mums. First of all, the box was packed poorly. The mums were on the bottom in solid paper bags (I have never had live plants shipped to me in solid brown bags that were stapled shut). The mums didnt have any sort of bubble packaging in between them and the 9-10 bags of heavy bulbs. The mums were smushed flat. I never expect my live plants ordered from these companies to be huge. However, these were pathetic. The mums were one stem that is 4-5" long. That is all just one stem with a few leaves, and and open flower bud or two. I would rather they not be flowering, and growing. I have never seen such small plants shipped!!! Due, to their size I dont even know if they will survive the winter. It is late in the season, and they may not make it. I will mulch them and hope for the best. Lesson learned, never order from MI Bulb Co. Especially not live plants. I will see if the bulbs will do well come spring time. I will stick with their better sister companies, Spring Hill and Brecks. Danielle On October 14th, 2009, Flower_addictnc added the following: I was contacted by customer service regarding them reshipping the items to me that I thought were inferior. However, I am not interested in a reshipment. I do not want to order from MI Bulb again. I believe that the lily bulbs will be small as will the mums. At least, the customer service tries to fix the problem if you have one. As with their other 2 affiliates I have never had a problem with customer service. MI Bulbs quality is just lower quality than Brecks and Spring Hill. Not a suprise as the same items sold with SH and Brecks cost less through MI Bulb. Company representative comment on October 14, 2009: On Oct 14, 2009 12:43 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with: Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution. Negative dansb Mishawaka, IN (2 reviews) October 09, 2009 I placed an order in August and received a letter on Oct 2nd, 2009 stating there was an error processing my credit card but "rather than delay the order, it was shipped." Later in the day I received an email and recorded phone call requesting payment. I called customer service about their persistance and found out the order had not shipped. I can only believe this was a false statement to make me pay first. Needless to say, even thought they now have my payment, I will be returning the parcel because a company who has to resot to lies and is not truthful with their customers cannot really be trusted with my business. Company representative comment on October 14, 2009: On Oct 14, 2009 12:07 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with: Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution. Positive riv Pine Grove, CA (2 reviews) October 08, 2009 My rating is positive, but I have one gripe: MB's shipping is awful. First, they use UPS. I have had nothing but problems with UPS and I really hate them. Yes, I hate them. I've had so many things delivered to the wrong address, never to be seen again, which leads to many hassles with companies you buy from and trying to get things replaced. UPS will do NOTHING to help, simply repeating, "The package was delivered on such-and-such a date and time," when you tell them you did not receive your package. When I got my shipment email, all it said was that my plants had been shipped. I had to log on to my account to find out *how* they'd been shipped. It said by UPS. OK...whatever. I would like to see MB put your method of shipment AND any tracking numbers in the emails they send out, but that really isn't a big deal. It would just be nice. I start tracking my package a couple days later. I notice that there is no estimated delivery date on the UPS page, like there usually is. I wonder about this. The email I got from MB said "estimated" delivery would be 06/08. On 06/10, I actually get an email from UPS saying at 11:09, my plants were delivered; however, the UPS tracking page says that my plants have left their facility in transit to final destination at 11:09. Hmmm... I wait all day and no UPS truck shows up. I'm starting to freak out now, having had so much trouble with UPS in the past. I email MB and get no response. This is pretty messed up, imho. To this day, I have gotten nothing from them, and I have sent another email since then. The next day, 06/11, our mailman puts a box on our porch. When I look at the address, it actually has the address of our PO as the delivery address! At the bottom, there is a note to deliver it to my house! WHAT? Why is that? What a waste of time! I live in a semi-rural area, but not that rural, and while UPS comes up the street every single day, the mail service does not come up our road as it's not a county-owned road. I have a mailbox down on the corner which is very small, with two larger boxes for when someone in the area gets a package. Normally, the PO leaves a little note in your mailbox and you have to go in to town to pick up the package. Lucky for my plants, the mailman actually delivered my package. OK, I know this is not a review of MB...yet, although it kinda is...but of UPS, whom I hate. So, that is my complaint. I wish they'd use FedEx or just the USPS. Now, as for the plants I received: They were excellent, except for the three William Guinness columbine, but I think they may bounce back. I ordered a Blue Girl rose and it is HUGE, with a really nice root system and large canes already sprouting new growth. I ordered candleflower and voodoo lily and sea holly, and they are all smallish, but the bulbs in the lot were very plump and healthy, the rooted plants had very nice, healthy roots, and they all have nice, healthy growth on them. Some of the plants will be in hothouse during winter, as it snows here, but I expect the other plants (foxgloves, meadow rue, evening primrose, tradescantia) will be fine outside with a nice mulch. I would like to see quicker response on emails, and I would like to see them using a different shipper. Also, packing peanuts are a great big NO-NO to me, and I can't believe there isn't something more earth-friendly they can use. What's wrong with shredded newspaper or straw or hay? at least you can compost those ingredients and recycle them. Packing peanuts are AWFUL. On October 8th, 2009, riv added the following: A couple of the plants I'd ordered eventually did not make it. I was promised replacements to come next February, but I've already received opne of the plants and the bulb set that were to be replaced. One of the bulb sets that I thought was not going to grow, sprouted up the day I received my replacement bulbs. I offered to pay Michigan Bulb for the replacements, but they refused my money. The other plants I ordered are doing absolutely great. The Blue Girl rose was just beautiful. The cobra (voodoo) lily I got was wild and had a little baby come up next to it, so it's like I got two plants. The foxgloves, meadow rue and primroses did not bloom, but they're growing nicely and I can wait 'til next year. Half of the widow's tears bloomed and half did not, but they were quite lovely. Some negative comments I've read are mostly about shipping times and the size of plants. Let's be realistic: 1. Unless you are willing to pay for overnight shipping in the middle of summer or winter, your plants aren't going to be shipped during those times. Imagine spending a week in a hot UPS truck. Or a freezing cold one. Trust me, I got some plants from another vendor that had endured this treatment and they were not in very good shape when they got here in the middle of 90-100 degree summer weather, which, inside a truck, must reach about 110 or higher. 2. I find that planting these little plants in pots the first year is better than putting them in the ground. It's a bit more work, but if you're a true gardener, you won't mind it. That way, if weather conditions warrant, you can move them inside or to a different location outdoors. I have never had a problem when using this method and the plants that have gone in the ground have had a good chance to develop their roots. If you have no patience, then stop mail ordering plants and just buy bulbs. 3. The size of the plants is, quite naturally, small. Do you expect to get something the same size as what you could buy at a nursery or Wal*Mart? Do you stop to think how much shipping would be for something that large? Not to mention the cost of such plants. I order from a few mail order plant merchants and I have, so far, been treated nicely by Michigan Bulb customer service. They have kept their promises in a timely manner. The latest shipment I got did not have those horrid packing peanuts, but the little airsacs. I hope this is a continuing trend, either with biodegradable substances or airsacs. Also, the plants came by the USPS this time, and arrived two days after I got my shipment notification, although I must say, customer service told me they'd been shipped UPS and I asked twice for a tracking number, which they totally spaced on and never answered, since...there wasn't one! Doh! They do need to get it together in that regard. On October 8th, 2009, riv added the following: A couple of the plants I'd ordered eventually did not make it. I was promised replacements to come next February, but I've already received one of the plants and the bulb set that were to be replaced. One of the bulb sets that I thought was not going to grow, sprouted up the day I received my replacement bulbs. I offered to pay Michigan Bulb for the replacements, but they refused my money. The other plants I ordered are doing absolutely great. The Blue Girl rose was just beautiful. The cobra (voodoo) lily I got was wild and had a little baby come up next to it, so it's like I got two plants. The foxgloves, meadow rue and primroses did not bloom, but they're growing nicely and I can wait 'til next year. Half of the widow's tears bloomed and half did not, but they were quite lovely. Some negative comments I've read are mostly about shipping times and the size of plants. Let's be realistic: 1. Unless you are willing to pay for overnight shipping in the middle of summer or winter, your plants aren't going to be shipped during those times. Imagine spending a week in a hot UPS truck. Or a freezing cold one. Trust me, I got some plants from another vendor that had endured this treatment and they were not in very good shape when they got here in the middle of 90-100 degree summer weather, which, inside a truck, must reach about 110 or higher. 2. I find that planting these little plants in pots the first year is better than putting them in the ground. It's a bit more work, but if you're a true gardener, you won't mind it. That way, if weather conditions warrant, you can move them inside or to a different location outdoors. I have never had a problem when using this method and the plants that have gone in the ground have had a good chance to develop their roots. If you have no patience, then stop mail ordering plants and just buy bulbs. 3. The size of the plants is, quite naturally, small. Do you expect to get something the same size as what you could buy at a nursery or Wal*Mart? Do you stop to think how much shipping would be for something that large? Not to mention the cost of such plants. I order from a few mail order plant merchants and I have, so far, been treated nicely by Michigan Bulb customer service. They have kept their promises in a timely manner. The latest shipment I got did not have those horrid packing peanuts, but the little airsacs. I hope this is a continuing trend, either with biodegradable substances or airsacs. Also, the plants came by the USPS this time, and arrived two days after I got my shipment notification, although I must say, customer service told me they'd been shipped UPS and I asked twice for a tracking number, which they totally spaced on and never answered, since...there wasn't one! Doh! They do need to get it together in that regard. Positive weebz10 Farmington, MN (2 reviews) October 07, 2009 I have placed several orders from Michigan Bulb and was amazed at how professional and orderly they process and ship the orders. Some times I don't understand why they can't ship an order other then when its the proper time to ship in my area. Thy must know what their doing as they always look healthy when they arrive. I know I will order from them again. KEEP up the good work Negative chubbi San Mateo, CA (2 reviews) October 06, 2009 I ordered some Rembrandt tulips from the company in august and mentioned that I would like to have it shipped soon regardless of the time zone but I never got my tulip bulbs. The date was postponed every week and finally when I called them they were rude and canceled my order. This is the worst bulb company ever!!! I am never buying anything from them. Negative sunandshadow Pittsburgh, PA (1 review) October 04, 2009 I ordered tulips, hyacinths, and iris (more that $100) from Michigan Bulb for Fall 09. Original estimated shipping date was september 16. This shipping date got pushed back first to the end of september, then to the middle of october. My original order had a note asking them to please disregard zone timing and ship my order immediately, which they totally ignored. After they missed the first estimated shipping date I sent an email to their customer service which was fobbed off with a form response of "we'll ship your order when it's appropriate". At the end of september I set an ultimatum - get my order here within 2 weeks (a generous amount of time given how patient I had already been) or I'll cancel it. Their reply was one sentence saying they had canceled my order as requested. What?! I didn't request it canceled, I requested it freaking shipped to me already. They didn't even ship part and cancel what they couldn't get. This company is totally unprofessional, I'll never order from them again and would discourage anyone else from doing so. Neutral artworksmetal Timberville, VA (3 reviews) October 03, 2009 I received an order this week from both Michigan Bulb and Gurney's. It's interesting to note that these are actually the same company. The bulbs look fine, and I'm convinced that there the safest thing to buy mail order. The plants are wimpy. A beebalm had only one leaf on it, another looked moldy. They were all rootbound. A raspberry looked OK, nothing to brag about. So I have my doubts about these plants taking before winter and coming back in the Spring. In the future, if I buy from them at all, it will be just bulbs. Positive Massgirl Franklin, MA (1 review) September 30, 2009 I also placed a large order of plants from this company, before discovering all the reviews posted here. Then I figured, well the prices were so good, I might as well see how it goes with what I've already ordered. Then, as many others reported, the ship date kept getting pushed back and pushed back. Every day, it was pushed back further. Finally it was pushed back so far, that I realized even if they were delivered on the day they are estimating, I can't get them into the ground and established enough before winter! So i got nervous and canceled my order. They were kind, and did so quickly for me. Then I started to hem and haw, and thought, I really, really want that 3-in-1 Rose of Sharon, so I went back and ordered a smaller group of just a few items. And, lo and behold, they were shipped the following week! Weird. The package came two days after they shipped, which I thought was great, considering other complaints about shipping. I went outside to retrieve it, and the box was so SMALL! I could hardly believe that 5 potted plants and 6 bareroots could fit in it! I was expecting styrofoam peanuts all over my house! I opened the box, and inside were the 5 potted plants all healthy, green, and beautiful (albeight tiny), packed with cardboard sleeves (from an environmental standpoint - brilliant!), and the bareroot plants in plastic bags. Not bad. I immediately unpacked everything, watered them, and then planted them this afternoon. The healthy potted plants look fantastic, so we'll see what happens this winter. The bareroot Phlox - one package was in great shape, easy to separate, no problem. The other one was a little moldy on the plant side (the roots looked great though), so I planted those right away as well. So far so good - better than I expected. I've already placed another order for some lily bulbs. With these prices, and their guarantee, I think it's totally worth it. But again, we'll see this spring how things look!! Positive riosamba Marlboro, NJ (13 reviews) September 26, 2009 Some of the plants that I purchased from Michigan Bulb did not grow. When I told them about this I was immediately issued replacment vouchers. Any company that will give a lifetime guarantee on their merchandise will keep me as a customer. Neutral veganman Glendale, AZ (10 reviews) August 21, 2009 I've had mixed results in the past with this company. Recently, after a heatwave, I contacted them for replacements on plants I've had for a few years. Their Customer Service department was prompt, courteous, and very helpful. Less than a week later the credit vouchers for the plants they no longer carry were in my hand, and the replacement orders are on my account. My replacements will be here in the fall, and spring...........year-round shipping and bigger plants would be a nice change, but I'm relatively happy. Company representative comment on August 24, 2009: On Aug 24, 2009 2:19 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with: Thank you for your kind words; we greatly appreciate you taking the time to post this. We strive for 100% Customer Satisfaction. I apologize for the inconvenience, but unfortunately plants can't be shipped all year round - they would never withstand the intense heat in the trucks in the summer, or the freezing temperatures in the winter. We also ship plants at the proper planting times. (Just thought I would let you know why we can't ship year round). Please know we are always here to answer any questions you may have or assist in any way we can. We look forward to serving you in the future. Happy Gardening! Positive cfeist Ypsilanti, MI (1 review) August 08, 2009 I placed a fairly large order late spring and received the complete order within a couple of weeks. This was my first experience with ordering plants online and I was not too sure what to expect. I have been very impressed with the quality of the plants I ordered. Every plant is growing! A few of the dry root plants died off (lupines, coneflowers) but I think that may have just been bad luck because they started off okay. I have since called MB and they have scheduled these plants to be reshipped in the fall. I have already placed my fall order and I am hoping the experience is just as positive. Company representative comment on August 10, 2009: On Aug 10, 2009 11:24 AM, Michigan Bulb responded with: Dear Valued Customer: Thank you for your kind words; we greatly appreciate you taking the time to post this. We strive for 100% Customer Satisfaction. We are always here to answer any questions you may have or assist in any way we can. We look forward to serving you in the future. Happy Gardening! Negative lesliematt Fayetteville, GA (1 review) July 09, 2009 I have been ordering from this company off and on for years. Some plants arrive healthy, some not, but I was always reassured by the lifetime guarantee to replace the plants. I just got a letter stating that they will no longer allow me to order from them and will not honor any outstanding replacement certificates that they already issued. I think this is bad business to offer a guarantee and then not follow through when a customer gets replacement plants. Company representative comment on July 16, 2009: On Jul 16, 2009 11:42 AM, Michigan Bulb responded with: Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution. Neutral Lilithanne Pittsburgh, PA (1 review) June 18, 2009 I've ordered from this company off and on for years. Most of the time everything worked out okay but this year wasn't so great. I ordered asters, red mini hollyhocks, and a Josee lilac. Only the asters arrived: one is healthy, one is iffy, and the third looks dead. All were extremely root-bound. Nevertheless, I planted the three and time will tell if they live. Shipping on the hollyhocks were pushed back to the end of September. :-( The packing slip says that the Josee lilac is out of stock but they made no mention of a refund, so I had to email. Last year I ordered peach double hollyhocks. They grew but didn't flower. This year, nothing, not even leaves. I've found this company to be hit or miss, so I never spend a lot of money with them, although I'd like to. Company representative comment on June 19, 2009: On Jun 19, 2009 10:26 AM, Michigan Bulb responded with: We do offer a lifetime guarantee on all our products so if you have any problems with your plants let us know and we will be happy to reship. Neutral alphiemom Levant, ME (2 reviews) June 17, 2009 I have ordered from Michigan Bulb on and off for 20+ years and the quality of their plants have been hit and miss. BUT, they do stand behind their guarantee. I have requested a reimbursement for plants that died years after I ordered them and Michigan Bulb has always sent me replacements, or given me a credit or returned my money. No questions asked. My advice, if you order from them, keep a copy of the Invoice. Company representative comment on August 06, 2009: On Aug 6, 2009 2:34 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with: Please know that we can always look up an order if you do not have your invoice. Our company is based on 100% Customer Service - we strive to keep our Customers happy. Please let us know if we can ever be of assistance to you. Negative wardawg3916 Picayune, MS (1 review) June 15, 2009 i guess i'll be getting my money back sorry just remember MB if you would not buy it dont sell it.....its that easy sick to see what i got for the money IF YOU WOULD NOT BUY IT DONT SELL IT Company representative comment on June 19, 2009: On Jun 19, 2009 10:22 AM, Michigan Bulb responded with: Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution. Positive openspaces New Ringgold, PA (3 reviews) June 15, 2009 I have been dealing with Michigan Bulb for several years and have always been pleased with their plants and service. They just sent me a replacement clematis in great condition and quickly. Company representative comment on August 06, 2009: On Aug 6, 2009 2:35 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with: Thank you for your kind words; it is greatly appreciated. Our company is based on 100% Customer Service; if you are not satisfied, then we have not done our job. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance. We look forward to serving you in the future. Negative sakimotokitty Matthews, NC (1 review) June 14, 2009 I had a pretty large order from Michigan Bulb. However, I have had around 30% success with the plants I finally received (around 50+ plants). In addition-the site leads one to believe that an order will ship in the spring only to ship in the fall (I ordered 6 under this assumption). I guess I'll try to get the plants that died replaced-but I just hate to get my hopes up again for plants that will very likely die-again. Company representative comment on June 19, 2009: On Jun 19, 2009 10:22 AM, Michigan Bulb responded with: Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution. Positive Mnoriega777 Omaha, NE (1 review) June 12, 2009 I just received a fairly large order of perennials from MB Co and was pretty happy with the quality of the shipping. The plants were either potted in small pots with soil, or were bareroot. The leaves were green and all plants seem pretty healthy so far. The bareroot bleeding heart plants are very tiny, but I got them for a great price, so I just plan to plant them in small pots inside for now and then put them in the garden this fall when they are a little bit bigger and stronger. I also ordered from this company about 10 years ago and had many plants die when I put them in the ground (I realize now that it was probably more the inexperience of the gardener than the fault of the plants) and was extremely frustrated that they don't have a 1-800 number so that I could contact them about it. However, now that email is so much more common than it was then, it's not as much of an issue since I can contact them through email now. I do still have 3 absolutely gorgeous climbing roses on trellises from that order 10 years ago that are thriving to this day! Neutral mhoffman1978 Chicago, IL (2 reviews) June 11, 2009 I'm another person who consulted this page after placing an order for the first time on June 4. I'll update when I'm able to evaluate shipping and plant quality. I'm indoor gardening in Chicago, so these plants will go into pots whenever they arrive and won't freeze outside. Still, when I order online, I do want "instant gratification" - I wait for these things to get here. I've just noticed that one of the plants I added to my cart is listed in its description as shipping only in the fall, yet my order predicts it will be shipped out in a few days. This leads me to wonder whether the online order status page bears a meaningful relationship to my actual order. I'm hoping all goes well. If this site delivers as promised, it will have given me a very nice deal for some specimens I can't easily find at local garden stores. Positive rmds Grayling, MI (1 review) June 10, 2009 I was leary about placing as order after reading the reviews, but decided to give MB a try again since I ordered from them nearly 12 years ago. I received healthy and larger plants than I expected to receive for the price. I paid approximately $ 1.25 a plant after their specials and 2 for 1 sale. They sent my plants very early in April, ( I did not specify a shipping date ), which was much too early for my Zone 4. I went ahead and planted them anyways since I had the plants all over my windowsills. It is now the beginning of June (after 4 hard frosts and a light snow) and all of the plants are doing great!! The yellow pincushions have actually bloomed!! I have been ordering perennials by mail-order for over 15 years and MB was just as good as many of the larger higher priced companies. I am so happy that I went ahead and ordered from them. I ordered Moonbeam Coreopsis,Knautia,Scabiosa,Clara Curtis Daisy,Coneflowers to name a few and every one of their plants have doubled in size and I ordered over 40 perennials!! What a great bargain!! And I need to mention I must have dug up and replanted some these poor babies in different sites at least 4 to 5 times until I was happy with their placement. I am placing another order this week I am that pleased with their perennials and they certainly fit into my budget. After not being able to perennial garden for over 8 years ( and this is my passion ), I wanted to start again with many plants as money allowed and my MB order has filled my new garden beautifully for a mere $ 47.00 !!! Negative diamonddiva1954 Indianapolis, IN (1 review) June 10, 2009 Twice I have recieved Rembrandt Tulips from this company, 1x as gift, another order I purchased. They grew well the 1st year or 2, in a nice sunny, southern exposure. The 3rd year? I have NO Rembrandt Tulips anywhere to be found. OTHER kinds of tulips I ordered from here grew well. I just have to assume that either the Rembrandt tulips were not meant for this zone, altho the paperwork said they were, or else they're not as hardy as advertised. Either way, my days of buying from Michigan Bulb are gone-ppfft-no more. I expected those beautiful tulips to last longer than a couple of years, & I'm soooo disappointed. I have also received TOTALLY DEAD tomatoe plants as a gift from a friend who ordered them from Michigan Bulbs. It wasn't worth the effort to get replacements. Mark this company OFF your list, folks. Negative eyfng San Gabriel, CA (8 reviews) June 08, 2009 I placed an order with Michigan Bulbs last October. The gold stargazar lily is not available until this fall. On the website, it didn't say "out of stock". I cancelled this item and ordered it from another nursery this spring, the plants are growing healthy with big bulbs now. All other bulbs of lilies and irises do not grow well and are not producing flowers. It just waste my time and work of planting them. One good thing is that they do a fast money refund with email confirmation. Negative tmdono Huntington, NY (1 review) June 07, 2009 I am a lifetime gardener and understand the risks in buying bareroot plants, but have not been happy with Michigan Bulb. My plant order from April arrived on June 4th to Zone 7 Long Island. The plants in plastic bags appear dessicated already. Summer snow plants in pots look awful too. Some reviewers say "they replace dead plants and have a lifetime warranty" but that ignores the loss of, in some cases, weeks or in some cases, now that the spring is closing, a full growing season for next spring. Positive thegladiator Pottstown, PA (Zone 6b) (5 reviews) June 06, 2009 On 3/19/09 I took a chance on MB because they are the only ones that sell the Nearly Black Rose bush that my wife has really wanted ever since we bought our house. So, I ordered it along with some strawberry plants, purple Verbena and Josee Reblooming Lilacs. Their shipping time for my area is 4/6-6/12. As I started to receive my plants form other catalog/online orders I began to wonder if I would ever see this order as the shipping time on my order was changing daily and getting closer and closer to the 6/12 date. So, in April I called (long distance since they don't have a 1-800 #). about my order and was told my items would be put on priority shipping list except the Lilacs. I was OK with it as it is still early enough for a good planting time. I received my order on 5/20 and everything is growing very well. I did have 3 Strawberry plants that were DOA that I will be calling to get replaced and the Rose plant still has not come out of its dormancy and the Verbena looked ragged but they are surviving. My Lilacs however, showed up on 6/1/09 and were in great shape and are doing wonderfully. I gave them a positive response since my plants are alive and doing well so far. I hope the Rose comes out of it dormancy stage as my wife is starting to seem disappointed about the quality of the plant. Like I read in one of the other comments, you must have lots of patience with this company. I may try them again, Maybe. On August 11th, 2009, thegladiator added the following: My rose finally started to flower a couple of weeks ago and my wife loves the color of the flower. Only one of the Verbena has started to flower and the other 5 plants are still just plant. they are alive and doing well but no flowers. I hope to see them all flower before snow fall comes to my area. My strawberry's didn't produce very much and seem to be dying. I planted them in hanging bags and feed them every 14 days with miracle grow so they will get the nutrients they need but it doesn't seem to be helping. I have had one of the Lilac plants die but the other 2 seem to be surviving. I hope they survive the winter. I would love to see them flower. I'll keep my rating a positive and restate my last comment. I may try them again, Maybe. Negative AmyA26 Midland, TX (4 reviews) June 02, 2009 Last year (2008), I really got hooked on true lilies. Didn't know much about them and didn't know which companies were reputable to by from (also didn't know about this site!!). Found Michigan Bulb and loved the prices.I ordered over 30 bulbs from them. It is now June in Texas. Most of my asiatics are about 1 foot tall (these are varieties that are supposed to be 3-4 ft. tall). There are no signs of buds on 95% of them. I did get a measly two flowers. Lilies I ordered from B& D Lilies this spring are already taller than these awful specimens. Payed $15 for an Allium Globemaster that never came up also. These people are terrible. Don't even know if it's worth to call and complain. Very disappointing. Positive windsocklady Elbridge, NY (2 reviews) June 02, 2009 I just received a large order from Michigan Bulb. Most of the plants were the "potted" variety and looked very good. There were a number of bareroot plants and so far, so good. Before I plant in my garden, I put them all in 4" pots with potting soil to make sure they will grow before I expend all my energy planting them and having them die. MB is very good about replacing any plants that do not grow, and I have had them do that many times. They do have a lifetime warranty on all of their products, so I do not hesitate to buy from them. Negative thatstinks Auburn, IN (1 review) May 28, 2009 on april 29 I order some sub-zero mixed hibiscus from them .received them on may 02. and they looked like little twiges . they looked like the stuff they packed them in dead as could be. i planted them any way, but they still have not showed any signs of life. this is the 30 day of may .and they are still looking dead. Positive amf94597 Walnut Creek, CA (5 reviews) May 25, 2009 Like many people, I was slightly nervous about ordering from Michigan Bulb. In the last year, I have now ordered and received my orders three times. Overall, a very positive experience. Their prices are cheap, they have excellent coupons, although, yes, it's not as nice as popping over to my local nursery for some new plants. On the other hand, they tend to have a very different selection than my local nursery and-- yep-- they're a fraction of the cost. The bulbs I've received from them have done fabulously, as have the bareroot hostas and Valerian. The packaging is quite good-- the individual plants were shipped in protective cardboard sleeves in small pots with dirt. My only misses with them have been hydrangeas-- and the ones from my third order are doing very, very well, so I must come to the sad conclusion that perhaps the problem with the first lot of hydrangeas lay with the gardener and not the nursery. Potting bareroot/small plants up and then keeping an eye on the leaves has helped me enormously-- the plants get a good start (I have clay soil, which can kill plants super-fast) and I can make sure that I've really got them in the right amount of light before I commit them to the ground. Lastly, Michigan Bulb has been fabulous about replacements. This last order, two of the plants arrived dead (the other six were healthy and green) and one bulb was mushy (and I knew I was ordering on the very, very end of bulb season-- the ones in our local nursery are mush now). They've sent a very generous set of replacement plants and backordered an entire replacement package of bulbs for me for next year (and only one was bad-- so that's certainly very generous of them). Overall, it's a very good deal for what you pay and if you need to fill in in your garden. I will be ordering from them again. Positive WorcesterAnglo Worcester, MA (Zone 5a) (1 review) May 15, 2009 I've ordered several times from them in the past two years because - with the special offers that always seem to be available factored in - you can get a lot of plants for little money. I've had many more hits than misses, and they have willingly replaced plants that failed. It's true that their system for projecting shipping times can be frustrating, but when I've ordered by early March the plants have arrived by early April, which is as early as I want them in Zone 5. Of course, if money grew on trees I'd always shop somewhere like Bluestone Perennials, but with a largish garden to populate and limited funds, Michigan Bulb has been a useful resource. Positive uniblab Baton Rouge, LA (2 reviews) May 14, 2009 I ordered nine raspberry bushes and three hostas. These were all bare root. They arrived on time and healthy. I will order again in the future. Positive CandL Reynoldsburg, OH (5 reviews) May 12, 2009 I really feel that Michigan Bulb Co get's a bad wrap. I have never had any troubles with this company. I just called them yesterday about a rose I purchased that isn't coming out of dormancy. They are replacing it, no questions asked. While there have been times that their plants don't come out of dormancy, I know I can call them any time and they will replace it for me. That's terrific customer service. I recently had six bareroot plants in the vegetable drawer of my fridge for well over a month because of bad weather. I pulled them out in late April, and they had started sprouting while still in the bags. Once planted, all of them are coming up and looking great. I love ordering from this company. The price is right, and they have fantastic service. Neutral pcklz Oxford, MS (1 review) May 05, 2009 This year is the first time I've ordered from Michigan Bulb Company - and although I've checked off neutral -- that neutral is bordering on a negative at this point. The projected delivery dates seem to be readjusting each day. On my order, out of about 8 items 3/4 of them now show the latest shipping date as being after their company shipping policy's last spring shipping date. More worrying is that by mid/late June, it's getting too hot to ship plants into the Mid-South. Willing to wait and see what happens..but I'm getting awfully suspicious that they can't deliver, and if they do ..what arrives will be burnt to a crisp, or cooked like spinach.... Negative Capt_Paul Pleasant Hill, TN (1 review) May 05, 2009 Pretty much the same as most others here. Ordered the stuff a month ago. I called this morning to find out they had to "grow my plants" and they wouldn't be "big enough to ship" 'till 5/12. They said nothing about this on the phone when I ordered. At least now I know they will most likely delay me further. I will grow my own from seed from now on...it will be much faster! (cheaper too) Negative tlc1418a Charleston, WV (1 review) May 05, 2009 I ordered flowers in early March and they were on the shipping schedule for my zone for April 1. The ship date changes every time I go to the website to check the status and i mean every day it gets farther out. As of this morning the new ship date is between 6/2 and 6/22. I really wanted to plant THIS year. If I didn't want these so bad, I would have cancelled already and I am still considering it. DON"T order unless you are a very patient person. Neutral wesdindm Des Moines, IA (1 review) May 04, 2009 Nearly everything in my order from last May either died, didn't come up or grew and did not bloom. I had always relied on them for quality bulbs and usually got questionable results from other plants. However, they did replace all items in the order when I called them. (No 800- number). I ordered a few more items and really hope these replacements will do better. Negative Chezca Hayward (Z8b-9a), CA (Zone 8b) (2 reviews) April 23, 2009 Just don't order from this company. They keep pushing my order back to JUNE! I ordered on April 9th... Nothin' on their website that told me that the plants were on WAITLIST, otherwise I would never have ordered them. I should've listened to the comments here... Oh well... shudda-wudda-'cudda! :) On May 7th, 2009, Chezca added the following: I just got a note from their customer service rep. Anybody here got one? I guess ENOUGH NEGATIVES of the same complaint got their attention? But alas, the email was nothing more than a generic "need your account info so I can REVIEW your situation/order", same generic email I get when I complained not once, not twice, but three times before. Oh and btw, I cancelled my order. Admittedly, I'm no saint to be that patient! (IMO when you order a plant from this company, they go and hunt down the seed and only start planting it when they get your order; THAT'S WHY IT TAKES SO LONG:) Negative bookreader451 Waterford, NY (Zone 5b) (6 reviews) April 17, 2009 As of today all the mixed pink daffodils I ordered for the front of my house have come up a lovely yellow. They did come up but they certainly don't match the colors in the rest of the garden. I will contact Michigan bulb but I have been waiting to see what else does/doesn't come up.

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