The scoop on 'Karchesky Canna'

Let me begin by saying the quality of plants and the selection this company offers is outstanding. The communication however is aweful. Do not be surprised if this seller is unwilling to commit to a total charge including shipping after you submit your credit card number and request a total three times via email. She is clearly overwhelmed.

I have not been cheated by this company, nor do I expect any malevolent intent. I have placed a second order, but so far (14 days) I have yet to receive acknowledgement thereof.

I would like to see quick responses, BILLING CONFIRMATONS, and shipping info with tracking numbers in the future. In an age of rampant identity theft, it is alarming to do business with a company that does not seem to find this important. I just hope they shred their notes before throwing them into the trash.

Hello William,
I am very surprised and saddened to see this here from you today. Especially that you are publicly accusing me of credit card fraud which I am not taking lightly. I have never cheated you or anyone.
You didn't use you name, but I know who you are

I told you some of your order was not ready. In zone 5-6 the cannas just started up around the time of your first order which was quoted before shipping. As we do have tracking on all packages, I know that you received.Your second order I could not quote until I know what we have. You would have gotten the final quote as this order shipped. It was supposed to ship this weekend.

I am busy and finish orders as they come ready. I am sorry I am not efficient enough to your standards. When so busy this time of year, I can't be on the computer all the time. I do not consider that overwhelmed.

So the world knows that you have never been cheated here are your orders for all to see:

ORDER #1:
Mystique $14
Scarlets Rib $12
Intrigue $12
Howzat $18
Purpurea $10
Aries $25
Gemini .. $25 .. FREE
Total: $91
Shipping: 12
Total: $103
SHIPPED: 03-31-08
PAID: 04-01-08


Order #2:
Madame Paul Casaneuve .. $16
Panache..... 14
Tropical Sunrise.. 15
Ambassadour 18
Total: $63
Shipping: 12
Total: $75

Alice was great to work with! I asked for these to be shipped in late Jan. Now here in Phoenix its nice, but not very nice in Penn. They did not hesitate in going out in very cold temps and digging 6 beautiful plants and shipping once they got a slight break in the weather. Very satisfied and I planted them this morning in beautiful 70 degree weather. They provided more info than I could absorb about these beautiful plants and they are 3-4 inches deep with some of the best amended soil a plant could ask for. In addition, based on their recommendation, I planted about 2 cups of household scraps under the plants mainly consiting of coffee grounds, finely broken up egg shells, leaf lettuce and green beans. I think they will like there new home. Thank you Alice!

I have ordered seeds twice from Karchesky Canna and I am very pleased. They have a great selection of species cannas, and the owner is extremely knowledgeable. I sowed my canna seed directly in the ground and the plants bloomed only 2 months later, and continue to thrive. Great selection and service. Highly recommended.

I could not be more pleased with my experiences with this company thus far! I began my search for the perfect brugmansia, and found this wonderful website! Alice has been most helpful, knowlegeable and patient with my many questions via phone and e-mail.

While waiting for the brugmansia I have fallen in love with to be ready to ship, I discovered some cannas I couldn't resist. They arrived today -- fast shipping and so well protected against harm in transit. They are GORGEOUS!!! Mystique is fully 18 inches tall, with 3 more sprouts coming!!! And Pink Sunburst is already 9 inches tall -- and it is a dwarf! -- and it has 8 full leaves, and a new one unfulring even now! The varigation on both is just lovely, and they are happy, healthy plants.

I have another order pending, and if anything the quality I have just received has me even more excited! For quality like this -- I don't mind waiting until the brugmansia is "ready to be shipped"!

I will be happy to do business with this company again and again, and cannot reccomend it highly enough!

Thanks!!!
Kathleen

Ive Been Dealing With Alice for Years Now I get nothing but the Best Both Plants { Cannas } Brugs} and seeds I Highly Recomed This Company PHicks48

Thank you Alice very much , have received this superb rooted Dream Angel today in excellent condition no stress what so ever, packing A1.

I recommend Alice very highly, very conciencious vendor ,always given the buyer only Quality plants standing behind her product 100%, she has my trust!

Have bought Brugmansia in the past, and a book more recently. Everything has always been great. Highly recommend!

Alice spent significant time on the phone with me on several different occasions helping me make selections to build a smalll collection. She is very personable and an easy person with whom to do business. My plants arrived in good condition and I would not hesitate to do business with her again. With regard to some of the negative comments of late, I really have to wonder. I haven't met many nursery people who would spend significant amounts of time on someone who has never spent a penny with their company. But Alice made this commitment to me and I rewarded her with a nice order. I deal with mail order companies all over the country and would rank her amongst the better ones if you are a collector looking some personal attention.

Maybe ordering cannas from this company is a better experience than what I had trying to purchase brugmansia. I had originally put in an order for several brugmansia and as time went by I had changed the order somewhat but there was very little communication from Alice Harris regarding my order. So, when we finally did communicate she said there were only two plants out of my original order available. I went ahead and ordered them and paid for them. She said that regular shipping would start April 1st. She had also said that one of the other brugmansia I wanted she had set aside for me. But, now she is saying that she is not satisfied with it. Which now means I would have to wait even longer. I tried ordering another brugmansia from her and she asked me what I thought I should pay for it. When I emailed her an amount, I was promply told that amount was half of what she could sell it for on ebay. And that maybe I should wait longer before trying to order that particular plant again. Now, she has said that she will refund the money from the two plants I had already paid for. She doesn't have the courtesy to fulfill the order that I had already bought and paid for? This whole experience has soured me on ever doing business with this company in the future. I had also asked her about all the brugmansia she had listed on Dave's Garden. She told me that it was outdated and she would have to make some changes. I'm not so sure I believe that only because I visit Dave's Garden frequently looking for brugmansia and when I seen Karchesky Canna and all the brugmanisa they had listed I thought this was a chance to put in a nice size order. From there forward it was nothing but one problem after another and disappointment.

And in my personal mail from Russel:

"Alice, I don't know what the hell you are talking about I think you are a loon. You have some serious mental issues. You lady are paranoid. When I said that I was done with you I meant it. You don't seem to understand that when I don't want to do business with someone I DON'T DO BUSINESS WITH THEM! What part of that do you not understand? You know what lady, you blew it. I could have given you alot of business but because you treated me the way you did even after I thought we had made amends I could no longer associate myself with you. I hope this person that bought that brug from you enjoys it. I don't know them, even though in your deranged mind you think we do . I am sick of your shit and I don't want to hear from you any longer. OH! and one more thing I reported you to Ebay because you had not only posted my bidding history on Dave's Garden regarding the time you did have Edna listed but it showed other ebay members bidding history on the same item. I heard back from ebay regarding this and they said that was a big NO NO. SHAME ON YOU! Who the hell do you think you are? You say you are so respected how can that be? I think you pick and choose who you will do business with. You lady are pathetic. I do not want to hear from you again. Leave me alone! Like I said before, nothing you have interests me any longer.

How dare you! Accusing me of this! Who do you think you are? How important do you think your brugs really are? Just to let you know I have received 2 of Dream Angel, and that was the one I wanted to purchase from you from the very beginning. But, the way you conduct business, I cannot deal with. I will probably end up with the brugs that I wanted from you only I will get them through people you had sold them to. They usually all end up on ebay at one time or another anyway."

I tried to make amends with him.

Yes, we are done. I have never met such a negative person in my life.

I am glad he does not live near me :-)

Was very pleased to deal with Alice, customer service was excellent and my canna tubers look beautiful!

I can recommend Karchesky Canna with no reservations. I have been entranced by the beautiful variety of brugmansia on her website for about a year.

I didn’t think I would need to order plants as I have several excellent local nurseries to use in Southern Florida. I had asked each of them to contact me when they had more exotic versions available (gradated colors, double flower, etc.) and when more than a year had passed with no options, I decided to order from Karchesky Canna.

The vendor was immediately available by phone and answered all of my questions. She gave me several options and a few recommendations after which I selected from among her “sweetheart” hybrids.

As to the topic of purchasing diseased plants, I had this issue with Top Tropicals, and while they are quite close by, I no longer purchase from them.

The plant from Karchesky arrived quite mature and healthy and within less than a week. I will update this post as needed.

I'm sorry I must be the only person who cares that all the cannas she sent me were badly virsused. Personally I think she should not be selling cannas she knows are virsused and should destoy them. Be very careful buying from her if you have a large virus-free collection! It's not worth the risk, no matter how nice a person is!

As just about all cannas in the world carry some virus, I would say your cannas are not virus free.You might think so, but if you had them tested, you would most likely find they are not.
If you would destroy all virused cannas, there would not be any left in the world to enjoy.

No one works harder than us at growing cannas well.
No one offers better cannas than us.

Awesome cannas, with fast shipping. Great communications and a pleasure to deal with.

My experience in buying from Karchesky Canna was wonderful. I was looking for a white canna lilly to be sent to my mother in San Antonio, TX. Dave Karchesky said that although it was late in the season he would try to send a blooming plant. When my mother received the package, the first blooms were just opening on a very health robust plant with several canes and good rhisomes. Needless to say, she was delighted and potted it up right away (she's going to give it a little protection over the winter and then plant it out in the ground in spring). Dave was very helpful, shipping was very fast and I will definetly be purchasing more varieties in spring.

For one month now, I have been trying to obtain the second part of my Karchesky Canna order. The company is not responding to my request. Alice Harris keeps saying my order is coming and she will call me and this does not happen. I am very discouraged. My first two orders went well, but not my third order. I would like this problem resolved. I have been an excellent customer and I do not appreciate the poor customer service.

Not a mere "coincidence" that this company has a perfect score. Plants are superior, shipping prompt and customer service caring and friendly. Excellent rating is totally deserved.

I got a beautiful order of large healthy plants this past week. I couldn`t ask for better! Order with confidence.

I don't think that Karchesky Cannas can't be beat in terms of choice. They are great communicators and were very willing to help me choose the best cannas for my situation. The plants are beautiful, big and well packed. I'm not buying cannas from anywhere else. Highly recommended.

so i come home last evening and waiting on my doorstep is a box marked "karchesky canna". i'm so excited that i feel like it's xmas all over again! (this was my first order and i really didn't know what to expect). since it's already night time i can't pot them up yet, but i just want to take a peak. everything was packed wonderfully . wow! if these are just not the healthiest most beautiful canna i ever did see! one can see the care that went into growing these beautiful plants!

i have purchased canna elsewhere only to be disappointed time again. well, no more! the selection is incredible! seems to me that if karchesky canna doesn't have, well it's just not worth getting.

you can purchase with absolute confidence, i guarantee you will NOT be disappointed. i just can't wait until next year to order more! thank you! and what a pleasure to deal with such an excellent company! finally!

Site has amazing selection of cannas I've never seen elsewhere.. Only way to order seems to be by email inquiry, which I've tried twice with no response. Guess that white canna that I've wanted will have to come from elsewhere if I can find it.

I got to Alice & Dave's attention that one of the cannas somehow didn't make it. I told them it's alright, that I wasn't asking for a refund/replacement of any kind, but they still sent me another plant at their expense! Talk about customer satisfaction! You can count on me for more orders next year.

Karchesky Canna boasts one of the largest online collection of exquisite cannas for sale. If you love cannas as much as I do, this place is definitely for you.

Karchesky has the best selection you will find anywhere! They communicate clearly about what is in stock and when it will ship. My order arrived quickly and when I opened the box, some of the canna flowers had opened in transit! Others already had buds on them. The plants were healthy and beautiful when I got them-they were packed very well. I also got a bonus canna-that made me very happy! The cannas are a little expensive, but that's because you're getting a whole plant-not just a rhizome. The cannas are worth every penny-especially when you get a bonus! You can't beat the selection and customer service here. I will definately order from them again. :)

Karchesky Cannas shipped them when they said they would and they arrived in great shape. The customer service was excellent and I am going to try to do business with them again in the future.

I ordered some cannas from Karchesky and I'm very happy. I received my order in less than 10 days, it was packaged very well and the rhizomes were clearly identified, not to mention big and beautiful and already starting to sprout! They are not the cheapest place to buy cannas, but they have the best selection... offering many cannas you probably won't find elsewhere, and the quality is outstanding. I would definitely buy from these folks again.

I have gotten alot of cannas from Dave and Alice at Karchesky Canna..They are the best. I highly Recommand them.
Been buying cannas from them for over a year they sell great cannas , super fast shipping. Plan to keep ordering cannas from here as I am a canna collector ! They have a wonderful selections..

I received some of the most impressive rhizomes I have seen for cannas. They are showing growth already and very large. Nice people to deal with and even included a little bonus for me! Look forward to dealing with them again. Steve

Never ordered mail order cannas before. Plants seemed to be okay. Packaging was also okay. Nothing to write home about, but, as I said, this is my first time for cannas. Compared to everything else out there, this could be the best company in the world for ordering cannas for all I know.

Great plants, well packaged. I highly recommend Karchesky Canna.

I ordered some canna recently and all are up and looking great! Perfect shipping and all.

I recently ordered and received a hard-to-find canna rhizome from Karchesky Canna. It was a bit pricey but I really wanted it and Karchesky was the only place that I could find it. I had questions before and after I ordered, and their customer communication was excellent. They were very helpful and all of my questions were answered promptly. The rhizome arrived very healthy looking, was a very good size, and was packed well. Just a couple of days after planting it it was already showing signs of new growth. I am very happy with Karchesky Canna and will definitely buy from them again.

Late summer 2003 I ordered 5 different seed packs of their beautiful Cannas.
Jan. 9,2004 I started all the seeds with 100‰ germination, they are all beautiful little babies.
Customer support was excellent concerning any questions I had.
§hirley

I purchased some cannas from them and they were just beautiful. Carefully packed and fast shipping too. I recommend them to others!

I ordered two plants-they were delivered quickly and were HUGE! Great people too! I will use them again..

I agree, the service can not be beat. Although I am having some difficulty with one of the cannas I ordered, they have been very positive in responding to me in getting a replacement. Their selection is great. A pleasure to do business with.

Mid May 2003 ordered 6 canna rhizomes. Approx $50 with shipping.

Order arrived in a very timely fashion. Attention to detail in the packaging was noteworthy.

Very responsive in email follow ups.

Karchesky Canna is in the premium category. Pucrhase with no worries.

Thanks!

I ordered some cannas from these guys last year (fall 2002) and was so impressed with the speed of shipment and quality of cannas that I was sorry I had ordered cannas from anywhere else (which I had). Also, the owners communicated very well by email and answered a lot of questions for me, including one burning question I had on the possible existence of a fragrant canna (yes, one does exist but it's apparently hard to propagate, so not available yet - Karchesky is waiting to get one from someone else, so they can try to propagate it). Anyway, Karchesky is highly recommended!