The scoop on 'Sexy Bloomers (South Creek Nursery of Palmyra)'

I ordered a large amount of Tree Peonies from this company in May of 08. I did understand at the time of purchase that my Peonies would ship sometime in the fall WHEN they recieved them from China. They made it clear that there were no refunds due to them having to prepay China for the plants to send them over here. My experience so far with this company has been great. Any questions I had while I was waiting for the plants was quickly and politely answered. At times I felt like I was calling them to much and asking too many questions, and they made it clear that I was not bothering them and that they were there to help me. My 29 Peonies arrived to me on Dec.10th They all appear to be very healthy, large, and in great condition. So far I am very pleased with them. I will update this in the spring to let you know how they are doing. I feel confident that most will be ok, and I know that if there is a problem with any of them Noel or Cher will be there more then willing to help me. I can only speak for myself and go by the quality of the peonies they sent me. I will definitely order more from them in the future. A+ so far :)

Adam

Sept 2 , I ordered 5 peonies from Sexy Bloomer. If I would have been told they take orders so they can have their money upfront when they order from China, I would have been OK with that. It is obvious either they don't have the money to order plants, then sell them, or they simply don't want to risk their own money, I would have been OK with that, but they mislead you. They imply , by omission of facts, to new buyers it will be just a week or two and they will have the plants. You wait, then they imply just a couple of more weeks, due to import, or agriculture inspection they will have the plants, not true. Then after a couple of months they say they have some, but not all, of the plants. Then they have the plants, maybe, but they will get to your plants when thay can, After all they have to sort through thousands of plants to make sure their inventory in correct and they got what they paid for, then they might get around to what you paid for. If they would say, We order our plants to be ready the middle to the end of December, I would not have ordered them. I also understand tha because the plants have been packed up so long a hefty percentage don't make it, because, once again they are packed up and shipped. I find this more than annoying. I will not do business with them again. Oh, and my favorite part, they will not refund your money.

We appreciate any and all comments about our product. This season, As china was low on inventory and growers - it took much longer for plants to be secured. It was hoped that plants on back order from Spring -- would have arrived in August as originally indicated. But our China counterpart was on another schedule - Plants did not arrive until Nov - Dec. Additionally, strict USDA import policies required import shipments to be sent in smaller lots - which eased inspection delay. We passed with flying colors, where other importer were stopped at the border. Our policy for ordering, which we do show in our terms and FAQ page at Sexybloomers.com/peony.htm - We only order in plants that are prepaid in advance. All funds are sent to China - which locks us into a price deal. Tree peonies are not grown here, we facilitate their import and distribution.
Hence - Once all funds are sent to china, we discourage refunds. Our mission is to import plants that have A end home. This season's crop is very large, and in good shape.

AFTER READING THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPUT FOR SEXYBLOMMERS ON DAVES GARDEN, AND SINCE I'VE ALREADY PLACED AN ORDER WITH THEM, I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO KEEP A JOURNAL OF MY EXPERIENCES WITH THE COMPANY UP UNTIL I RECIEVE MY ORDER. I HAVE NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE COMPANY OR ITS OWNERS AND RATHER THAN WAIT TO WRITE MY COMMENTS I WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED OF THEIR BUSINESS ETHICS WHILE THEY HAPPEN, IF ONLY TO JUSTIFY SOME OF THE COMMENTS I'VE READ. I PLACED AN ORDER WITH THEM IN LATE JULY FOR TREE PEONIES TO BE PAID THROUGH PAY PAL. THE INVOICED AMOUNT WAS CORRECT BUT THE LIST OF PLANTS WAS DISTORTED WITH DUPLICATES I DID NOT ASK FOR. AFTER WRITTING THEM, THEY SUGGESTED I WAITE UNTIL THEY SEND ME AN ACTUAL LIST OF THE ORDER GOING TO CHINA, WHEN I WOULD BE ABLE TO CHANGE OR ADD ITEMS BEFORE THEY WERE PROCESSED. AUGUST 16 2008

Sexy Boomers is NOT a company to purchase from if you are in a hurry for your plants. But they say that right up front.

I ordered Tree Peonies in the '06 ('05?) period, when there was a family crisis. I heard from the company right off and they asked me how I wanted to proceed with my order. When I received those plants, the roots were huge and healthy. Unfortunately, none survived.

They kindly replaced them for me (my shipping cost). I've gotten 2 of them; the other 4 are on backorder. Again, I had good email communications the entire way. The 2 plants that arrived had nice roots and had begun to leaf out. They are currently looking really nice in my yard. I have every confidence in their growth.

Since these plants come directly from China, I understand that the deliveries are at times difficult. It's worth it to me to get the varieties they offer and I'm willing to wait, as long as there is good communication, so I know what's going on.

won 3 tree peonies on ebay, in june 2007, supposed to be delivered in late fall 2007, Dec. 6th, 2007, received email that they were ready to ship, after several emails, a phone call and now Jan. 14, 2008, and still no plants

We send our list and funds to china once per season. Our buy now / pay later option is a good program. However, as we enter 2008, we find there are 5 ebay winners (not this one) who had gladly accepted our buy now and pay later terms, only to not come forth with their payment when due, and resulting in the delay of delivery to the rest of our good paying clients.
The list and funds are being confirmed for the final time this week. We anticipate shipping plants end of janurary - best guess.
We appreciate all those who have been patient.
south creek nursery.

I ordered 2 tree peonies a couple years ago. I received the plants one day before christmas. I planted them and the next spring both plants died.
These plants were grafted tree peonies. Don't expect them to be the same as the expensive ones. Grafted peony has very Short roots, as six inches,while the owe root division one has over a foot long roots. I guess these peonies are leftovers from China since they always ship so late.
The bottom line is: you get what you are paying for.
Just my two cents

I bought 4 peony trees last fall and they offered to winter them until this spring since they were late in shipping due to overseas suppliers. Coming from China - this would be a very real possibility. I recieved them this spring and was very happy with them. I even ordered several more they had left this spring. They have emailed me to keep me updated on my orders.

Adding my comments to the growing compost heap below, this company is rude and incompentent. The shipping times they quoted were inaccurate, the plants looked dead, and the response to emails was uncivil. They have no qualms taking your money and deliver whenever they want to regardless of the climate or temperature. Would not do business with them again. I am sure they will post yet another diatribe of excuses below my comment, but the negative comments below speak for themselves. BUYER BEWARE!!!

As of april 24th, 2007 all orders asked to be held for spring ship have shipped as promised. We are located in the Western End of NY state. and It has been a crazy cold snow driven april, that included a 18" snow piling noreaster.. We prudently waited until local temperatures in the origin region calmed before we moved the 60 remaining orders off to the post office.

We are now shipping plants that were remaining from spring delivery, ship now / buy it now , to quick ebayers. Hopefully they will offer more positive responses.

I ordered four tree peonies last fall via ebay auctions. Although my plants were late arriving, three of the four plants are showing significant growth this spring. The company had problems delivering the goods last fall, but I as a buyer, was informed as to the problem with DHL delivery and customs during my wait.
I feel that the seller did everything in their power to make sure that the customer was satisfied. They offered to over-winter my order for me, but I elected not to, simply because we were experiencing a warm December which turned into an above average January.
The company has already responded to my email regarding the one that did not survive. I believe that they will make good on that, as well.
I would not hesitate on ordering from this company again. I feel they delivered the goods at great prices.
Thanks.
-gtbeetle
Mars, PA

To make a long story short, DO NOT BUY FROM THIS COMPANY. I ordered seven tree peonies off eBay for immediate ship and late ship back in May/Dec 2006. It has been this long and my last standing issue has not been resolved despite numerous excuses from Cher. My "Buy It Now" plants were leftovers from her fall orders so those were shipped OK. Regarding my fall order that shipped in December - that was a nightmare. First of all, they shipped six plants and billed me for seven. Two of them were not what I ordered. All of the prices were so off from what was quoted that I couldn't reconcile the invoice. You wouldn't believe the amount of time I've spent chasing this order and I'm quite done with it. I do give Cher credit for her prompt e-mail and phone calls and yes, the plants are alive and doing okay. However, it doesn't make up for the fact that they are not organized, have no clue as to what they ship out, and even when presented with facts they act like they are right and the customer is wrong/doesn't know what they are talking about. The worst part is that because of the delay between billing and shipment, you realize too late that errors were made. I told Cher in Jan/Feb 2007 that I was going to call VISA and ask for a chargeback for the missing plant. She placated me by telling me that she'll ship a replacement out to me in March. It's April 20th, no plant, no follow-up. I honestly don't expect anything to be resolved at this point. Don't waste your time and $$$.

to make a long story short. We must wait for China to ship / or in the case last season, when DHL finally moved the product from one reception hub to an adequate USDA inspection hub. This caused an unnecessary delay for us. As did the unusaly April weather. Plants are shipping again on 4/23/07 to all those who are waiting.
When plants are received and ready to pack out, one person packs each order. Each order is counted 3 times, once as plants are selected from inventory cartons, once when they are wrapped to the box, once when they are put in the box.. and each time the invoice packing sheet is checked. If a client is to receive 7 plants, it is checked that 7 were in the box. However, none of us are perfect regarless of our checks and balances.
This buyer notified us that they were one plant short. Any they have been the only one so far who has notified us of a shortage. This buyer has also been told a plant will ship separately to them, at our cost, either this spring, or from a fresh crop this fall. China indicated this spring, that most of their plants at that time were experiencing unusal bud drop, and did not want to ship plants in feb / march.
We hope that once this buyer does receive the missing plant, they will spin a positive comment into the mix. At least we are trying.
c

As of april 24, 2007 -- this buyer was sent the missing plant at no further cost to them.
I have yet to see a positive response on this.

This company cant seem to get their act together with regards to shipping times. See the volumes of reviews below with one excuse or another. I am in Zone 5 and after being promised delivery of the plants in October/early November, then late November (they kept changing the time), I received the plants around December 21, 2006. Anyone with a clue knows that you do not send plants to ZONE 5 in late December because they will die. Totally disgusted with the way I was treated by this company. They refused to offer any remorse or refunds. Tried to file a complaint against them but since it was over 60 days since I paid (because I didn't file earlier since they kept stringing me along, I was stuck). In my opinion THEY ARE THE WORST COMPANY AND SHOULD NOT BE IN BUSINESS. WILL NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH THEM AGAIN. HIGHLY RECOMMEND STAYING AWAY FROM THEM.

I am very pleased with my tree peonies. I received them
three weeks ago and they are breaking buds already. We have had some unually bad frost here, but now we are getting our usual rain.They are nicely branched and healthy. They were well packed for shipping and arrived without any problems. I was well informed of the shipping time when I ordered them and had no worries about it. They have great communication. Thank you, I will want to order from you again!

My three tree peonys arrived this Spring instead of last Fall. The nursery held them until the ground was defrosted in zone 5. The plants are leafed out and appear healthy and strong. I understand the circumstances of the delay and would order from this nursery again.
Anne, near Chicago

My experience with this company was actually negative. I was convinced the plants will never be sent. They finally came, some in April and the rest of them in May of 2006. Since August 2005 when I ordered them, Cher promised the plants will be sent in October, then November, then end of November, them December, and so on.... It was extremely frustrating to keep asking about them, and every time to get another lie. I think I must have gotten every reason under the sun for this company's inability to do what they're supposed to.
On the bright side, the plants were really nice. Not all of them, but most. I hope they will manage to go through this season ok.
The Rockii peonies were very nice and big, with many brances. I don't know though if they are still dormant (it's May) or dead. I guess will see.
I am not sure I would order from this company again. The plants and the prices are very nice. But the frustration...

Sadly I must add my negative review to the growing compost heap.
This company has since been booted off of ebay and is no longer "selling" .So, to numerous complaints of fraud, missed shipments, and excuses I now add mine. I am still waiting for my peonies to ship from this company. I was finally advised that they had renewed their usda permit and were able to ship!!!!!!! Renewed their permit! It is now almost February, peonies were to have shipped months ago but due to family emergencies, postal issues, permit issues, planets being out of alignment (pick your own issue) they have not been shipped. Wanting to not receive dead plants... (where are they while waiting for permit renewals ) I've asked for a full refund. I was told that I could not have my money back because the funds were in China. I've since filed a Paypal claim and will follow it up with a mail fraud claim with the USPS.
You truly get what you pay for. I strongly urge others to think twice before dealing with Sexy Bloomers.

we are shipping a new crop from our grower partners end of feb. We apolize for the delay, but family medical issues come first, then.. the government second. Yes our 5 year import permit came for scheduled review. It happens.
WE at this point are ready to rock and roll.

We appreciate any comments that are posted. To all our clients, you may purchase from us or you have the right to purchase directly from any of our network China growers. We work with one Chinese company who uses their resources to supply our needs and meet your requests from their vast list of growers. As to crop failures, we will honor any requests for replacements. Each season we plant from the crop received, and are aware if there are problems. If problems are reported, we transmit that information to our chinese growers. Checking our file, (as i do not have their name), it appears we have not received any reports from this buyer. Plants must be imported dry and void of all soil and contaminants to pass import customs. We are not responsible for how the plants are planted at the end location. But if a problem is reported to us, rather than just on a watch report, we can react to resolve the issue.
noelle

I too was burned by this company. It was about 3 years ago, I ordered 4 hostas from her. I received only received 2 of them, one of which survived. I did file a complaint with the BBB.

plants are scheduled to be shipped in late feb.
It is not our intention to be so late, but family does come first.

Plants arrived at Christmas time, much too late to establish before our southern (Dallas TX) spring begins. This was particuarly distressing as the plants were large, well branched with good roots, but showed signs of dessication from being dug quite some time ago. The plants tried valliantly to start growth in spring, but slowly declined and finally died. Btw, I am no beginning gardener and grow several tree peonies with great success in my garden.
Dave S.

this is cher. Last season we held over a dozen test plants, and kept them in a totally unheated, unprotected room until spring. Plants were not wrapped or planted, just laying on a table in the worst conditions. In spring, about april / may test plants were planted in several different areas. To date all survived and are growing well.
This was a critical test, showing that the plant material even in the worst condition possible does survive.
As to Dave's situation, if the tree peonies start and after beginning growth, go dormant as his have, to wait. They are going through a process and they will return. We have seen that on other late planted test plants.
We also provide a good replacement policy, and encourage him to contact us for details
cher

I, too, ordered tree peonies from this place off ebay. In short, shipped late (Dec--zone 5), planted late and did not survive--surprised? I wasn't. Lured by low prices--got what I payed for I suppose. Comforted myself by believing that the green tree peony was probably going to be pink anyway. Didn't even bother complaining because what reputable nursury would even dream of shipping this time of year? Take your chances if you want-- I rolled and lost.

The is cher.. SCNOP
as of this date.. march 2005, this person has NOT contacted me about a problem with last season's purchase.. as per our instructions.. we ask any who have problems to contact us .. to get their free replacement. Our chinese grower has graciously responded with replacements for all past seasons with our issue.

We did hold several shipments to send this spring as requested by purchases. As of last week.. we received email of HIGH marks that the crop received late last seaon.. not only strated up, but showed small flowers.

Also we found that shipments coming in so late from China.. had no mold, shipped better, and held up.

To get a negative from someone.. who has not contacted us to assist if about the problem.. is not fair.

On a further note.. the new CROP list for 2005 is now up.. and orders again can be booked.
We offer a Buy now // but not payment due until orders transmit to our 2 growers in china again in the fall

cher
315-597-5330

I ordered 10 tree peonies from Cher last year (2004). I received the shippment on 12/24/2004. All tree peonies were healthy. Beacause I am leaving in California, I planted they right away. Now, they all start showing some sign of live so I will order some more this year.

I have ordered 8 tree peones fom this company in May and October, The plants were shipped to me right before Chistmas. The whole process was quite smooth, and the plants I received are huge compare to tree peonies that I received from other sellers. The only negative part is that those tree peonies were shipped so late that the ground in my 5/6 zone was frozen. Luckily, the company provided instruction how to store the plants for next spring planting if the gound is frozen.


Luping

The huge range of choices of tree peonies is great! the plants arrived in great shape and I am looking forward to seeing them bloom!

I ordered four peonies and three of them arrived just beofre Christmas. They were good sized plants with healthy robust roots and multiple branching. The price was extremely reasonable and Cher has been very helpful and attentive.

I am back again this year to get more of your Chinese Tree Peonies. I do so love the communication and the quality of plants that I recieve from Cher. This year was no different than last. Thank you and I will be getting more.

My experience with this company has been very positive. I ordered 10 tree peonies in 2003. Unfortunately only one survived the winter and made it to fall of this year. I decided to order some more in 2004 again and mentioned my failure to Cher. Although there appeared to be some problems in shipping this year I not only got the 10 I ordered in 2004 but she replaced the ones from last year. This years crop looked much much better than last years. Most of the tops had two the three strong branches and the roots were large, numerous and very healthy. By the way, the prices for these peonies are a real bargain. If you check other sites for similar or equivalent plants, the cost can be 2-3 times the asking price from South Creek Nursery.
Cher has been very good to work with, has answered all emails and queries promptly and has kept me apprised of problems and delays.

I ordered 6 tree peonies and they arrived in wonderful condition. I'm so looking forward to having these growing and blooming in my garden. They are hard, strong stock. I will definately be looking for more of these from Cheryl. Thanks so much. I will always be happy to tell anyone of the quality of these plants.

Thuis is a wonderful comapny to work with. Extremely honest and emails are answered with the feeling that you are dealing with a friend.
They are reliable and trustworthy. This company is a wonderful addition to any gardeners list for great plants.
Thanks Cher for making it all so easy not even counting with great shipment of truly beautiful plants

Ordered 4 tree peonies on ebay in spring 2004. Everything went smooth. Emails were answered promply. Although the plants arrived too late to plant this year they did look to be very healthy. They have been planted as per the instructions for overwintering. They will go in the ground in the spring.

I received the 2 peony trees as promised and have planted them both and am looking forward to watching them grow and produce beautiful peony`s. Cher has always been very helpful and always answered all my e-mails and has been very friendly and has even called me when I had questions. I hope to buy from her again when my peony`s have bloomed and I am still happy with her. I have no complaints at all and am sure I wont in the future. She has been great to me.

I had no problems and was lucky that this fall/late winter was very mild so I was able to plant my peonies directly. Plants look healthy. I work at a retail nursery myself and I do know how much we charge for tree peonies. Also I did compare internet prices before bidding on ebay and I think prices are really good here. Thanks Cher

I ordered four tree peonis from this company Oct. 2004.
I expected I can receive them before the ground going
to be freezen. However, I know there were flood in the
area of China that the company emport peony from,
so some delay could happen, and realy happend.

I received the peonies just before the Xmas, when it is
freezen. However, the warm weather this year give me
good chance to transplant them directely to my yard.
All plants are looked good, I will see if they are really
good in spring and summer.

Whatever happens, I would like to see it is positive so far.

The Chinese Tree Peonies I ordered from this company arrived in beautiful condition. They are quite large, with good healthy root and stem. The selection and price were both excellent. My only complaint is that because of having to wait until they were dug up in China and shipped, they arrived too late to plant before the ground froze. However, I consider this a minor negative, since they are easily over-wintered for planting in the spring.

A clear explanation of how to get the variety of Chinese Tree Peony I desired (when it wasn't the variety being auctioned on eBay) was provided by contacting the company. Nobody bid against me, and I won the auction for the minimum price, and designated my chosen variety in further communication with the company. My Paypal account information was provided, and I dismissed the desire to see the plant 'right away' (despite my anticipatory excitement). After Thanksgiving, the plant arrived in excellent condition, and had a very healthy rootstock and several buds that looked very viable. It did arrive too late to plant in CT, as the ground had frozen. I potted the plant up as per the enclosed instructions, and it is sitting in my unheated garage (again as per their instructions) awaiting spring.

As the variety I wanted is not readily available in the United Statesand is distinctive (a bicolor 'Hua Er Qiao') I thought that even if it arrived late or in poor condition, it would be a reasonable gamble. It did arrive late, but, as I stated above a well rooted graft was provided, and I would not hesitate to recommend this company for this product, given the potential limitations introduced by the shipping from China which introduces the possibility that plants might arrive and require special care until permanently sited when weather conditions would permit.

My experience with this company and the rep from Sexy Bloomers has been negative from the start. I ordered 3 tree peonies (and paid for them) over a year ago. It is now almost Thanksgiving in Zone 5 and I still have not received the plants. All my emails from this person have been very snotty and curt. Of course they refuse to refund any money under any circumstances. When I suggested to her that it was too late to plant in this zone, she, in effect called me a liar. I will never do business with this company again and fully intend to lodge a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

I purchased a tree peony months ago that was to be shipped in late Nov. at the opportune planting time. The peony has arrived and appears to be in good shape. My buying experience was a good one. Thank you.

I order 4 tree peonies from them recently. I am very happy with all aspects of the transaction. The ordering, shipping, billing processes were all exactly as described on their web site. Cher was very good about answering my questions and keeping informed.

I recently bought Tree Peonies from this company and am satisfied with the services I received. They were polite and helpful and shipped quickly. I won't know till spring how my peonies perform, but they look like I expected and I look forward to seeing them bloom.

I had a wonderful experience with Sexy Bloomers (South Creek Nursery of Palmyra). I bought four (4) tree peonies by Ebay auction in April. We had a Paypal problem with one of the auctions, but we worked it out with a couple of emails and Sexy Bloomers sent me in effect, and extra free tree peony. They arrived by priority mail and were the best packed by any garden mail order business that I have ever dealt with, which is very many. Service was prompt and courteous I don't know what all the fuss is about. I would rate this company A+ and definitely do business with them again. Paul in Huntington Beach, California.

Another New Year! 2004 Sexybloomers.com offered 60+ varieties of Chinese Tree Peonies from 2 mainland growers. The stock arrived for the paid preorders later than preferred, but in some cases it was a blessing. Plants were huge this season. As the temps during shipping were so cold, there was no intransit mold on the grafts. Most responses for the crop were favorable. Also we provided an alternative planting method, holding the stock in paper tube containers until spring planting was permitted. The additon of a second Chinese grower added even more choices to the mix.

A new list for 2005 should be available on the website in late January. We hope that the list will increase by another 5-10 varieties. Shipping / handling may increase, with the proposed increase in postage rates, but the cost of the plants should remain constant. Over 300 orders were shipped this season, despite the delayed processing due to an unexpected credit card processor update. Look for more good plants from Sexybloomers.com!
Feel free to see the list - http://www.sexybloomers.com!

My experience with Cher was very negative. The tree peony was ordered on ebay and mailed out much later in the year, making it impossible to leave feedback.
Shipping/handling charges were $12, the box came priority mail (which means she gets a free box from the P.O.) and the shipping cost was $3.65. You do the math! The shipping was promised for early October, and the plant did not arrive until after Thanksgiving- a little late for planting in zone 5!
The plant was obviously dead and gone when it arrived, when a complaint was lodged, Cher promised to replace if it didn't grow the following spring. When a second complaint followed in spring, she sent out a mass mailing saying she would replace the plants if she was sent an additional $12. She blamed everything on her grower in China. While it may be their fault, she is the one that sold the plants and she should be the one to replace them. When I told her this, this was her response QUOTE: Here is you chance.. Yelp about it.. and you'll miss out. I did you a favor by emailing you today..
She got VERY nasty and I kept the emails, intending on reporting the company to BBB. I never did, but I wish I would have! Who knows how many she ripped off!

I bid on a hosta from this company on ebay and PAID for it and never received it. This was 2 years ago (I think). I contacted Cher who said she didn't get that particular hosta, but would replace it with another...that never came either. So, I would not recommend this company to ANYONE.