The scoop on 'Greer Gardens'

Company Profile   Greer Gardens Mailing Address: 1280 Goodpasture Island Road Eugene, Oregon 97401 (United States) Phone: 1-800-548-0111 Fax: (541) 686-0910 Visit Greer Gardens at: Greer Gardens in Eugene, OR » E-Mail them » Visit their website Recent reviews: Past month Past 6 Months Past 12 Months Positive 0 4 6 Neutral 0 0 0 Negative 0 0 0 This company offers a variety of plants. This company specializes in: Plants: Camellias Plants: Rhododendrons and Azaleas

Feedback History and Summary   41 positives 5 neutrals 4 negatives

Comments:

Rating Author Content Positive mtnqueen (13 reviews) On June 02, 2009, mtnqueen Ellijay, GA wrote: June 2, 2009 My first experience with Greer--obviously a "class act". I ordered 2 Nandina Harbor Belle. Plants arrived in absolute perfect condition even with 90 degree heat lately here in GA. Fed-Ex driver also deserves credit since he had the plants with him in the A/C part of the truck. Packing was perfect, very clever brace held plants exactly in place.I am completely pleased and look forward to dealing with Greer again. Positive doctrtim (14 reviews) On May 10, 2009, doctrtim Salisbury, VT wrote: I ordered a Actinidia kolomikta ‘September Sun’ by telephone. The plant arrived timely, packaged well, healthy and on the large end of the advertised size range. I'm pleased. Positive gowron (37 reviews) On April 27, 2009, gowron Athens, GA wrote: I have known Greer Gardens for a long time, having shopped in person when I used to live in Eugene and also during periodic visits to Eugene. I have long been aware of their great selection and absolutely superb quality. I recently mail ordered from them for the first time and the experience was equally positive. Plant was exactly as described, shipped promptly and securely packaged. You can't go wrong with them. Positive esteve59 (22 reviews) On January 24, 2009, esteve59 Annapolis, MD wrote: I inquired about a - Pinus aristata - Bristlecone Pine and Harold personally returned my email and actually took the time to take a couple of pictures of the tree since it was a special project (potentianl bonsai stock). I am pleased with the service and the very nice tree they sent me... Thanks Harold !! Gratefully, Streve B Positive pipercat (3 reviews) On August 23, 2008, pipercat Johnstown, PA wrote: Their collection of dwarf rhododendrons was very extensive, so I decided to give them a try. I ordered 12 plants with a very courteous sales person. I thought the shipping was pricey, but felt it was well worth it after receiving the plants so quickly. They were shipped to PA from WA in 2 days. One of the plants was wilted and never did recover. After several phone calls and advice received, they shipped a replacement which was larger than the original plant. Customer service and communication was great. I highly recommend this company. Positive prairiestyle (3 reviews) On July 14, 2008, prairiestyle Omaha, NE wrote: I purchased three Japanese Maples from Greer Gardens and was more than impressed. The tree I received were healthy, well-branched and arrived quickly in the mail. With the huge selection and quality of trees/grafts, I wouldn't hesitate to buy more from them in the future. Thanks! Christian Positive friskysue (4 reviews) On March 30, 2008, friskysue Kinston, NC wrote: I have been relying on Greer Gardens for 10 years now and am shocked upon reading negative comments.The plant material they have supplied me with has consistently exceeded my expectations. When I have had occasion to contact customer service, they have been more than obliging and I have come away feeling very assured that they do indeed care about customer satisfaction. I have done extensive landscaping in 13 years in New York State and am now beginning to landscape my new yard in North Carolina. I wouldn't hesitate to place further orders! Positive dannygates58 (13 reviews) On March 18, 2008, dannygates58 Jefferson, NH wrote: I ordered 2 phormiums from Greer Gardens. Shipping was pretty fast and the plants that arrived were really beautiful... large and healthy. Really an ease to do business with. I have already placed a second order with them based on my experience. On March 26th, 2008, dannygates58 added the following: I recieved my second order from Greer. Once again shipping was very fast and the plants that were recieved were beautiful and healthy. My only complaint would be that I had ordered a 2\'-3\' picea abies pendula. The plant measured just 21 inches but it is very robust and healthy so I can overlook that. I have never ordered a 2\'-3\' plant from anyone and actually recieved a 3\' plant anyway!! The araucaria araucana was ordered as a 6\"-12\" plant and in fact was 12\" Greer is absolutly one of my regular shopping locations from now on Neutral juanwillis (19 reviews) On October 30, 2007, juanwillis Winchester, MA (Zone 6a) wrote: I ordered two Japanese maples from Greer Gardens this past year. Given that I spent over $500, I was dismayed at the small root systems on each. One survived, but the other didn't live out the week. I called and was promised that Mr. Greer would respond to me. Instead a replacement arrived a couple of weeks later. It was great that they sent a replacement, but it would have been nice to have a heads-up that it was being shipped, and it would have been even nicer if there had been a root system on the replacement (if anything, there were less roots this time). I called and was again promised that Mr. Greer would need to respond to me. After not hearing back I called again and was told that a replacement would be shipped in the fall. I did indeed receive another replacement, again without any shipping notification but this time with a healthy root system. So at the end of the day, I have two fine Japanese maples, but it took quite a bit of doing to arrive at this point, and each time I had to initiate contact (I never have heard from Mr. Greer). I'm glad that the company did the right thing and sent two replacements (I have no doubt that they made little if any money on this transaction), but it also wouldn't have been necessary if the root systems hadn't been treated so harshly in the packaging process. Negative dcfidler (1 review) On September 20, 2007, dcfidler Alexandria, VA wrote: Called to order 2 dwarf maple fjellheims in early September, and was told they would go out shortly. I explicitly explained (and they had it in their order info) that they needed to arrive before September 21, when we would be leaving town for 10 days. I was assured (this being September 5) that they would go out in "a couple of days" and would arrive "well before the 21st." When I called on September 20th, I was told "we don't know why they didn't go out - we still have the trees sitting here. Do you still want them?" These were supposed to be an anniversary present to my husband. No offer was made to ship them overnight (I was told they couldn't ship them on a Thursday or Friday) or to in any way compensate/fix the situation, even after I explained that these were an anniversary present. Nothing. So in essence, I was left to scramble to find them and pay overnight shipping from someone else. Company representative comment on September 28, 2007: On Sep 28, 2007 4:32 PM, Greer Gardens added: I can only say we made an honest mistake. For some unknown reason the paperwork just slipped through the cracks and did not get back to the office so the plants could be shipped. And, yes we should have offered to send the plants next day air. I certainly would have done that, but since we seldom ship next day air the employee she talked to did not realize that was possible, though he does know better. My apologies for this error. It is not the way we want to run our business. Sorry also I was not around to immediately answer this, as I was out of town chairing the very successful Western Regional Rhododendron Conference. Thanks to all for being understanding that even in the best of situtations, mistakes do happen. Positive omniexist (8 reviews) On July 31, 2007, omniexist Bealeton, VA wrote: Excellent company! Here's the story: I ordered 1 Swiss Stone Pine (Pinus Cembra) at the 5-6 ft size. After about 2 weeks the owner (I think) contacted me and said the shipment was bouncing around because Fedex couldn't deliver (I live in an apartment). Now this person sounded genuinly concerned for me (as I paid a lot in shipping) and for the well being of the tree (almost as if it were an animal). Thanks to his timely warning I quickly went to their office and obtained the item. What an impressive specimen! It's about 5'5" tall and didn't have a hint of wilting or browning despite it's long stay in the box. It was very well packed with a wooden frame to prevent it being crushed. I've had great difficulty obtaining Swiss Stone Pine in any decent size. I highly recommend this company if you want hard to find conifers at a respectable size. Company representative comment on July 31, 2007: On Jul 31, 2007 8:43 PM, Greer Gardens added: Thanks for the kind words. We were concerned both for you and the plant. Harold Greer Positive balvenie (8 reviews) On June 17, 2007, balvenie Marysville, WA (Zone 7a) wrote: 1. Saturday May 26,2007 I e-mailed Greer gardens asking about a Rhodie which I did not see in the catalog and that I would call in an order for R. citriniflorum. The telephone order was made shortly afterwards. 2. On Saturday June 9th Dianne Johnson e-mailed me saying they were sorry but they did not have R. kawakamii. 3. On Thursday June 14th I received my package from Greer Gardens. It was a Lavender rather than a Rhodie so I immediately e-mailed them and stated the problem. (the Lavender was a very nice specimen of L. X intermedia grosso 'Dilly Dilly' and very well packaged). 4. This afternoon, Sunday June 17th (Father's Day) I received a phone call from Mr. Greer stating sometimes there are mix-ups, and probably someone in the mid-west now has a Rhodie instead of a Lavender. He said my citriniflorum would be replaced and to keep the lavender. Mix-ups are to be expected now and then, unpleasant though they may be, but the response from this company has been very encouraging and I anticipate dealing with them more in the future. I ordered from them based upon the reviews in the Garden Watchdog and have been satisfied with the results. On June 20th, 2007, balvenie added the following: Wed. June 20. In todays mail I received the replacement from Greer Gardens. A nice specimen, in good condition and well packed in the Priority Mail container. Three days from our telephone conversation and the plant is in my hands. I think that is quite impressive. On September 4th, 2007, balvenie added the following: Sept. 4, \'07 After a few weeks the R. citriniflorum began to fade and subsequently died. I then e-mailed Greer Gardens and asked a number of questions as to whether I had \'abused\' the plant or not. Nothing definite ensued but they stated since they did not have another specimen on hand at the time they would replace it next spring, if that met with my approval. Today I received an e-mail from Mr. Greer saying the arrangements have been made to replace the plant at the appropriate time. I thought that was pretty darn good customer service seeing as I had not requested a replacement in the first place. Needless to say, I am very satisfied with Greer Gardens, and their willingness to replace a plant which may in fact be a stinker to grow. Positive DaveNW (2 reviews) On June 11, 2007, DaveNW Portland, OR wrote: For the last several months I've been looking for a Nyssa Sylvatica (Black Tupelo) which is difficult to find in this part of the country. I've even asked some of the prominent Portland area nurseries to order one for me at great expense and have had no luck. Then I discovered Greer. Not only did they have the Tupelo, they also had several Japanese Maples I'd been looking for. So I decided to make the two hour drive down to Greer Gardens and see the place in person. Greer's employees were very pleasant and drove us around the 14 acre nursery in a golf cart helping us find the specific trees we were seeking. The prices were quite reasonable and the Tupelo was actually taller than advertised by at least 18 inches. All in all, a delightful family owned nursery with great trees and shrubs. Definitely worth the trip if you live in Oregon. I'll be back next year for the backyard re-landscape. Negative pollinatorbob (1 review) On June 05, 2007, pollinatorbob Dayton, OH wrote: I have never posted a negative against any garden, and it does not come easily. But I have received 0 satisfaction and I feel I have a right to complain. I ordered a Magnolia "Vulcan" after receiving Greer Gardens Catalog in February. I found this tree very hard to find, so I thought getting my order in early would assure me the best chance of adding this to my collection. So I sent my order in Mid February. In Ohio February is the coldest month of the year with expected temperatures -10 to -20 degrees. The Greer garden order blank gives you two choices for shipping perference. One to state exactly when you want your order shipped. Then there is an additional statment at the bottom of the order blank which states "if you do not choose a specific ship date, your order will be sent at the appropriate planting time for your zone." So I left the specific date blank, knowing that they would ship my tree at a reasonable planting time. Well, almost two weeks after my order was mailed, I came home from work and here was my tree, boxed, sitting at my back door. I could not believe it had been shipped since we had been experiencing blizzard conditions, which was all over the weather reports, and that specific day it was -5 degrees. And February is the coldest month of the year here, which any experienced nursery should be aware of. So I took the tree in the house and unboxed it and not surprisingly, the roots and planting material were frozen solid as a block of ice. And it was a very nice tree. I get distrubed when nice plants get abused, so I was not happy. I called Greer gardens that same evening and spoke with a man in customer service. He pulled up my order and the first thing he noted was "you didn't fill in a ship date". I explained to him the sentence on the order blank that assures the buyer that their order will be shipped at the appropriate planting time. I think he was lost for words, so I asked to talk to his manager. Mr. Greer took the phone and told me that the tree was probably fine, simply keep in inside until planting time and I should have no problem.Not that I relished taking care of a tree in my house for 3 months, but I told him I would. I wanted to think he was right, but experience taught me that this tree might not be able to handle such a shock. "It was cold here this week in Oregon" he went on "it got down to 50 degrees this week." Mr. Greer started to give me instructions for care of the tree. Since I have been gardening for nearly 50 years, I explained that I didn't need to be told how to take care of a tree.Not feeling any better about the outcome, I told Mr. Greer that all I wanted was the guarantee of his word that if my tree didn't live, that I would get a replacement. He didn't sound happy at the prospect but assured me that if my tree didn't live to call the nursery back and he would indeed ship me the 'live' tree I paid for. Well, my tree didn't live, it just shriveled up in the pot. So I called the Nursery, spoke to customer service and my complaint was noted and I was told that they would get a replacment out for me. Three weeks later, no tree. So I called again and again spoke to a man in customer service. He pulled up my order and said, "yes, I see where you have called in, I will check into it and make sure your tree is sent." It is now June 4 and I still have no tree. So this is the reason for my negative post. I think I should be able to take a man at his word. and I don't think I should have to 'shake the tree' several times and still get no result. I would love to hear from this company and be assured that they are going to honor their promise. I would hesitate to recommend them to anyone based on my experience. Bob Faulkner. Dayton, Ohio On June 8th, 2007, pollinatorbob added the following: All I can say is Huh?! If all my correspondence is wrong, then why in my private email that Mr. Greer sent, is he sending me my Magolia, finally. I do want to set one thing straight. He is correct in saying that I was wrong about the ship date on the order blank. The statement is actually on page 149 of their catalog and under SHIPPING DATE reads the following: \"Unless you give us a specific date to ship your order, we will ship at the appropriate planting time\" So I stand corrected even though the point is the same. The remainder of my response I sent in \"private\" to Mr. Greer. Being an honorable man, I won\'t fight anyone over the internet. You may belive him if you want, but if I made up this entire story, I should take a job in Hollywood. Mr. Greer, you should be ashamed. Bob Company representative comment on June 07, 2007: On Jun 7, 2007 8:34 PM, Greer Gardens added: I don't want to fight with this person, but his response is so petty. I thought I explained it in the private email to him. We made a mistake sending the plant to him as early as we did, but we were glad to correct the problem, but he gave us no way to contact him. Yes, he called, but left us no number so we could get back to him as to when we could give him another plant. In the end we sent him a 5' plant for the 2' plant he ordered but apparently that is not enough for this man. And remeber all of this for one $29.95 plant. We try very hard to treat customers fairly, but we ask the same in return. Also, I have to say I received no private response at this writing from this man. Bob, I am not ashamed of trying to help a customer all of which could have been solved if he given as a phone number. And may I again say we provided this man in the end even more than he ordered which we would have done anyway without all his complaint. Harold Greer Positive doss (39 reviews) On May 16, 2007, doss Stanford, CA (Zone 9b) wrote: I ordered a "Kim" from Greer Gardens and was given great service. The tree came in beautiful shape and was an outstanding specimen. It arrived within a week. I'm very pleased with the service, product and shipping. On May 21st, 2008, doss added the following: I called Greer\'s and ordered another Japanese Maple, it came right away and is a beautiful tree - packing was perfect. They had to check their stock but got back to me the same day. Another good experience. Positive fancypantsnancy (2 reviews) On February 09, 2007, fancypantsnancy Sandy, UT wrote: I have been doing business with Greer Gardens for over 10 years and I have never received more personal care at any other mail order place. Mr Greer really regards his nursery as a labor of love. His selection is unparalled and you will find few other mail order nurseries that even attempt to ship when the customer wants. Most ship at their own convenience. Also he never ships bareroot and that I love the most. There is always soil around the roots of his plants. This makes his shipping more expensive , but greatly reduces the possibility of plant failure. Positive jillofall (6 reviews) On July 31, 2006, jillofall Colorado Springs, CO (Zone 5a) wrote: I know July is not the best time to plant anything, and most suppliers won't even ship Rhododendrons, but Greer Gardens was able to send me two that I needed. The Shogun I received was marvelous. I also wanted a Mother Greer, but they were out of them. They called me about replacing my order with a Nelson's Purple. I've never been able to find anything about this rhody on the web, but it was a nice plant. I was amazed at the packing. I needed a crowbar to get the plants out. Positive snapple45 (10 reviews) On July 19, 2006, snapple45 Holland, OH (Zone 5b) wrote: Ordered and promptly received a Ginkgo biloba 'Chris' Dwarf'. The plant was catalogue listed as 6" to 12". I received a two foot bareroot plant with good structure , good root mass and in overall excellent condition. The tree had been braced in the carton with a specially made wood frame. I have never seen such careful and sturdy packaging. This is a company I highly recommend. Positive provincialblond (5 reviews) On June 08, 2006, provincialblond Lansing, MI wrote: I ordered an awesome maple tree from Greer Gardens: ‘Pacific Fire’ — 6'. A multi trunk tree with new growth emerging purple and orange, further offset by the bright red bark providing year-round color. Light green leaves turn gold in the fall. Growth rate of 12-18" a year. The aforsaid tree arrived in excellent condition from Oregon: I am in Michigan; and I was suprised by the high quality of the delivery. Positive Cloisters (10 reviews) On May 23, 2006, Cloisters New Bern, NC wrote: My first order from Greer Gardens arrived yesterday. My reaction: WOW! The plants are healthy, well-rooted, & larger than expected. Packaging was quite impressive with obvious attention to maximizing protection of the plants while minimizing shipping costs. This is the first shipment of plants I've received from any vendor that had watering crystals placed around roots. What a great way to help plants survive a transcontinental trip, & what a neat thing to be able to add to the planting hole! I'll certainly order from Greer Gardens again. New Bern, NC Neutral declfi (29 reviews) On April 14, 2006, declfi Fenton, MO (Zone 6b) wrote: I made an order to Greer gardens in the first part of March I ask if the would ship as soon as possible. They made know promise but said they would do what they could. I called twice since then asking if they would ship. It is now April 14th with 1 week in transit the earliest I could receive the plants would be April 21 or 24. This is UNACEPTABLE! When you Charge 20 bucks for a 1-gallon plant you should be jumping thru Hoops. I will not be back. There are way to many good mail order companies to waste my time. On April 15th, 2006, declfi added the following: I do not remember exactly when I made the order to Greer Gardens. It was made by phone. But I asked 3 times for shipping, the reason being I had ordered Rhododendrons and it was getting hot here in St. Louis. I stated this when I made the order. I called back a week or two later (By phone no record) because it was getting hotter and asked again if they would ship. They told me they would put an early ship because of weather. I called back a week later, give or take. (By phone no record) It was going to get into the 90’s and I had a vacation coming up April 22. I told them if they could not get them here by then to cancel my order. They said OK. They did not say “yes we will get them to you” or “no we can’t”, just “OK”. I did not hear from them and on April 13 I sent the following email. Hi It is going to be 90 Degrees here tomorrow and looks like the 80's are here to stay. If you cant ship my order Monday Please cancel. I am really disappointed in Greer Gardens I Tried to get you to send my order ASAP Because of the Heat and an up coming Vacation. Now 6 Weeks later No Plants. Very unhappy customer Dennis Fitzgibbons I did not receive a responds to this email. They never stated why they could not ship and I never received any information or email correspondences from Greer garden. Mr. Greer stated call and we will fix the Problem. How many times do you have to call? I cannot say the exact time frame because it was by phone and No correspondences. Dennis Fitzgibbons St.Louis On April 17th, 2006, declfi changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following: Mr. Greer explained that there were some mitigating circumstances. They were out of his control. So I am changing my rating to neutral. Company representative comment on April 15, 2006: On Apr 14, 2006 8:53 PM, Greer Gardens added: Dennis Fitzgibbons ordered this at the end of March, not the first part as he said. Yes, we made "know" (actually "no" promise) as delivery as a plant was not yet in from a supplier and he Dennis asked that the plant arrived before April 22 which it will, as it will be shipped by two day air next week. We fulfilled our promise and if Dennis is unhappy, he can contact us and we will solve the problem. Harold Greer President, Greer Gardens On Apr 15, 2006 8:35 PM, Greer Gardens added: I am sure Dennis Fitzgibbons, wants to be fair, but he has not given us time to even answer. The email he quotes that he sent us was on Thursday. The two days of the week we don't have someone to answer email are the days Diane (who does our orders@greergardens.com email) has off. I have since called Mr. Fitzgibbons and left a message as no one was home and he has not returned a call to my toll free call back number. Yes, I expect he should have time to answer, but he had not given us that time. He admits he does not remember the times or dates he supposedly called. We are a small company and we care a lot. Contrary to his statements of six weeks from when he ordered, it is now just three weeks from the day he placed his order. We try to get plants in the customer's hands even faster than that, but there are times when that is impossible. Most gardening customers realize that. All I ask is the Mr. Fitzgibbons be fair and not say six weeks, when it is actually three weeks. Harold Greer President, Greer Gardens Positive cmacathya (1 review) On March 27, 2006, cmacathya Seattle, WA wrote: A couple of years ago I ordered a clematis heracleifolia davidiana from Greer. The plant I received did not look like the 5 year old davidiana I had and needed a partner for. I called the company immediately and someone took my name and phone number and the information that I thought I had the wrong plant. I received a call when I was gone and the message on my answering machine informed me that the plant looked bad because it was probably suffering shipping shock...this wasn't even why I called. When I finally did get hold of a human the "customer service" person made it obvious that he knew more than I could possibly know about the plant (without saying as much, attitude is everything), however if I was unhappy after the plant bloomed I would receive a refund. Never mind that I already had a mature plant of the same type I'd supposedly ordered. A few days later I receieved a call from another employee who said she had the plant and dismissed my concerns with, "you'll like it". Come bloom time it turns out I was right, I had been sent a clematis heracleifolia praecox, a very different plant in habit than what I needed. I did write the company, including photos of the two plants in question. I never heard back from anyone, never received the promised refund, never received any acknowledgement at all. I do not like dealing with companies that assume and treat me like I'm an idiot when I am not, it is even worse when the company ignores you and will not make good on a promise...by the owner of the company...who it turns out was the "customer service" person I spoke to. On May 21st, 2006, cmacathya added the following: Greer Gardens did contact me right after I made this complaint. I don't have a lot of free time to spend on the computer, hence it taking me so long to reply. I had just found the Dave's Garden website, hence my complaint seeming to take so long after the original fact. I replied to Greer directly that I wasn't surprised they hadn't heard of my complaint since I'd been treated so poorly the first time around. I did write them an extensive note around a year after the original order, complete with all the necessary details of the transaction. I never received a response to this letter, since it never came back to me I have to assume that it was received, but ignored. I am still trying to find the time to track down the original paperwork, in fact it had been on my mind today. I do know that I made every effort, from first receiving the order, to let Greer Gardens know that I had the wrong plant and I stand by my original comments as to how I was treated. To Greer Gardens, I will make an effort to look through my files this week, but I did reply to you with my name, address, and approximate date of the order so that you too would have a chance to find me in your files... and I did not hear a word back from you this time either, not even an acknowledgement of receiving my email. On June 3rd, 2006, cmacathya added the following: This is an update on my complaint. I did check my records the evening of May 21 and sent, via email, all the details to hgreer@greergardens. The email bounced back due to a full mailbox on that end. I tried later in the week, same results. I just resent the email, and again it has come back to me. The original complaint did get a response, to my email address, from hgreer so I should have the correct address, I used it once before successfully. I do find it interesting that I didn't get any sort of email on May 27 from hgreer, even though it was done before. I AM trying, this is what I mean by how I feel there is a lack of interest in the customer. hgreer, please clean out your emails on your server so that I can send you the information...or if you prefer you can email me and ask me to send it by snail mail. On June 4th, 2006, cmacathya changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following: It is 9 pm on June 3, I tried resending my email to "orders@greer..." and it went through. I just got off the phone with Harold Greer and while a certain amount of confusion remains it would seem that my issues will finally be resolved. I appreciate Mr. Greer calling so quickly after he received my email (the company has been having trouble with their email of late according to Mr. Greer). Mr. Greer said he would refund my money for the plant and I will change my earlier negatives to neutrals when this has been done. I also promised to again provide Mr. Greer with samples of both clematis' blooms and leaves once the plants bloom in August. At this point in time I feel a very positive attempt has been made to get things right and again, I appreciate Mr. Greer's quick response and efforts this evening. Thank You! On June 7th, 2006, cmacathya added the following: Actually, if I could make it a very, very positive rating at this point I would. After getting off on the wrong foot and finally being able to talk with Harold Greer we are ending on a positive note, on both sides I hope. I received reimbursement for my plant, as requested and Mr. Greer was more than kind in also sending along a gift certificate for future use. His efforts to make this right are very appreciated and along with their wonderful catalog I now will also recommend the customer service. Thank you Mr. Greer, for all the time that has passed you ended up making this a positive experience. All the Best! Company representative comment on March 27, 2006: On Mar 27, 2006 10:25 PM, Greer Gardens added: I am sorry this person is so upset, but we can't fix what we don't know about. We receive very few complaints, and I as the owner, that this person refers to, have never heard of this before. Though it was supposedly two or more years ago. Why did this person wait so long to complain? These kind of complaints are unfair, because whoever "cmacathya" is has not identified themselves so we can correct an error if there was one. We would be glad to correct any error, but we can't correct what we don't know of. We want to do things right. Harold Greer President Greer Gardens Positive dottik (10 reviews) On February 12, 2006, dottik Oakland, OR (Zone 8a) wrote: As I live only about 50 miles from this nursery, I drove up yesterday to purchase in person. What a wonderful experience! The employees I met were really glad to be of assistance and the stock on hand is huge. And, this is before the season has really started. I was especially interested in Camellias and Greer has a very nice selection. All that I saw were healthy looking. It was just too bad most had past their blooming season. I was able to buy all 4 of the cultivars I was looking for, a Crape Myrtle tree, and a Rhododendron for an excellent price. I will definite purchase from this nursery again! Positive redwing48910 (4 reviews) On October 09, 2005, redwing48910 Lansing, MI wrote: I have placed 2 orders with this company the past couple years. Both orders have been for dwarf/miniature conifers. All plants are doing fine. Greer gardens has consistently sent larger plants than advertised and in some cases, much larger. The reason I am so happy with the sizes sent is that these are very slow growing items. I will definitely order from Greer again. Also, customer service and speed of shipment has been good. Positive jetoney (4 reviews) On September 22, 2005, jetoney Westerville, OH wrote: I have purchased from Greer Gardens twice; one experience was positive, the other unhappy, but I'm pretty sure the latter was my fault, not theirs. First, the good news : I purchased and planted a 3-4' cryptomeria japonica 'black dragon' a few months ago, and it is doing great. Now the bad news: I previously purchased a 4-5' sciadopitys verticillata, and it died within a few months. However, I believe the reason is that, being a novice gardener, I got too anxious and asked for delivery too soon. Unfortunately we had a late snow storm the day I received it, so it was a week or so before I could plant it, and the roots were probably damaged in the mean time. Furthermore, the soil was too wet, and we had several more weeks of unseasonably cold weather and a hard frost afterwards. Since it seemed unreasonable to ask them to take responsibility for my mistakes, I did not ask for a refund. Negative danmoser (1 review) On September 15, 2005, danmoser Lincoln, NE wrote: I really want to like this company, but I have to say I'm probably done doing business with them. The two trees I've purchased in the last few years both died. I'm willing to acknowledge both deaths might be my fault, but I'm frustrated at the customer service this latest time. I bought a columnar sargent cherry in the spring. It didn't look very healthy when it arrived and it died over the summer. I have tried to contact customer service -- sending two e-mails and leaving a phone message -- to see what, if anything, they might be willing to do about it. They have not returned my messages. I don't understand that: Perhaps I'm out of luck and just need to eat this loss. If so, I can live with that; such are the hazards of gardening. But to not get a response at all ... this is definitely one of my pet peeves: Companies that promote an e-mail address, but then don't respond to e-mails. Well, like I said, I'm probably done with Greer Gardens and would warn others, too. Company representative comment on September 15, 2005: On Sep 15, 2005 8:47 PM, Greer Gardens added: We truly want to help this customer, but the emails he says he has sent have not reached us. We have had some difficulty with email, so maybe he sent them, but we have not received them. Email is something that can be lost easily by email programs. We don't promote our email address, but we try to see that we answer any email received. I have also responded to him directly since I heard this complaint. I hope he has the goodness to acknowledge that we did respond. We try very hard to provide excellent plants. These Prunus sargentii were excellent trees and we have had no complaints whatsoever about one this year, though we will be glad to replace his tree. Any newly planted tree can die even given the best conditions. We can't solve what we don't know about, but we do solve what we do know about. My apologies if we made any mistake. We do care. Harold Greer President, Greer Gardens Positive sd915 (3 reviews) On April 21, 2005, sd915 La Grange, IL wrote: I'm a little late for feedback on an order from last June but I didn't know about this site then. I ordered a 6-8 foot yellowwood and several kinds of stewartias. I was a little worried about getting this size of trees shipped cross- country. But the shipping box was about 6 feet long and reinforced with wood. Inside were beautiful stewarties and a 10 foot (!) yellowwood with the tip carefully bent over. Great packing! I would pay $10 (make that $20 if it was refundable) for their catalog if only it had pictures, but with so many different plants it would be difficult to do I suppose. I use it for reference now even without the pictures. Neutral cutiebug (6 reviews) On March 20, 2005, cutiebug Saint Louis, MO wrote: In spring of '03 I ordered a columnar Sargent cherry from Greer, paying $40 for the tree and $60 for shipping. When I received it I was dismayed to find that it had been "hatrack" pruned: what appeared to have been a 9' tree had been cut back to 7'. I was unhappy about this and contacted Greer. The owner responded promptly to my email and assured me that the tree would recover, and that he'd pruned it to make it branch more fully. What I found, though, in the two years that have elapsed is that the tree has issued forth unsightly shoots at 45-90 degree angles to the originating branches, so that the tree looks like an ungodly candelabra. I reconnected with Harold Greer and tried to explain to him that I was unhappy that he'd engaged in such drastic pruning w/out giving me a choice in the matter, as Forestfarm, to cite one example, would have. I also said that of the many columnar cherries I'd seen at local nurseries, not a single one had been pruned in this fashion, and that, as far as I knew, it was a type of pruning used on commercial, fruiting cherries only. He reiterated that the tree would, over time, assume an acceptable form, just more full. I pointed out that I'd chosen a columnar form precisely because I didn't want it full, and that I wasn't happy about having to gaze at this monstrosity for however many growing seasons it was going to take for it to calm down (if ever). He responded w/a huffy, "the customer is always right" and an offer to give me credit for the cost of the tree (but not the shipping, mind you) on my next purchase from him. So I give credit to Mr. Greer for responding promptly and for offering at least a partial refund, but be warned that you may want to make sure that he keeps his shears holstered before you buy. As for my cherry tree, I’m going to root a couple of the vigorous shoots and start over with the tree, on its own roots this time—so I’ve paid about $110 (including the rooting pot) and frittered away two years for what will turn out to be a 10” whip. Wow! Company representative comment on September 15, 2005: On Sep 15, 2005 9:01 PM, Greer Gardens added: I am sorry that this lady was unhappy. Because of shipping size restrictions, had we not cut the tree, which I still say will not matter as the tree grows, she would have had to pay about 200% more. We tried to explain that to her. She quotes Forest Farm, which is a wonderful company and a friend of ours as we recommend each other ofter. However, Forest Farm limits the size of the plants they ship and they would not have shipped as large of tree. We try very hard to please, and with the size restrictions that shipping companies are placing, we will not be shipping as large of trees as she asked for in the future. We do are care and try very hard. Harold Greer President, Greer Gardens Positive grammagt (1 review) On March 10, 2005, grammagt Portland, OR wrote: First, I sent an email asking questions about the tree I wanted to buy that I saw when traveling in New Zealand. I was worried about the zone information because I was told in NZ that trying to grow it in USDA zone 8 was pushing the envelope. Not at all, Harold Greer personally responded and told me that he had started his from a plant purchased in NZ 20 yrs ago and was hardy to minus 20F. I ordered the tree: Toona Cedrela sinensis, It was shipped by Fed Ex well padded stems, and roots bagged in plastic with well composted soil and the water retaining gel. Arrived in 24 hours in perfect shape. I am very satisfied and will order there again. Positive peterspaulding (2 reviews) On July 14, 2004, peterspaulding Contoocook, NH wrote: I recently ordered two magnolias from Greer Gardens. They were shipped all the way from Oregon to my home in New Hampshire. Both trees were very well packaged, but one had been damaged to the point that the main trunk was broken. I called the company and they immediately replaced the damaged item. Not only was their product of high quality but the customer service is excellent! I will definitely do business with them in the future. Positive mrsjones (9 reviews) On June 09, 2004, mrsjones wrote: I ordered a large (5-6') magnolia from them and was looking for this specific variety. They were extremely helpful over the phone, informative, and attuned to personal service. The plant was shipped in its own customized container, was well-protected and in great shape, and was an excellent value for the money involved, both price of the plant and shipping halfway across the US. The catalog they sent was mouth-watering, and I will definitely buy from them again. Positive texas_annie (1 review) On June 08, 2004, texas_annie wrote: I just ordered a Gingko biloba "Golden Globe" from Greer, and it arrived here in California in a very timely manner and in great shape. It was VERY carefully packaged! The representatives that I dealt with on the phone were all very pleasant and worked hard to get me exactly what I wanted (for instance, I specified that I wanted a tree that had not had the leader trimmed). They do seem just a tiny bit disorganized there, but I had the feeling that is because they are set up more for buying in person rather than on the phone. In any case, they were very helpful and my little tree looks great. I am very pleased and will buy from them again. Positive revclaus (25 reviews) On March 21, 2004, revclaus Denver, CO (Zone 5b) wrote: Last year I ordered a Japanese maple "Corallinum" from Wayside, which came packed badly and broken off below the graft. They were hopelessly awful in terms of customer service. To replace it I went to Greer Gardens on the recommendation of a friend here in Denver. Their customer service is disorganized, I agree, but the owner called me two or three times to let me know that they did, indeed, have a Corallinum in stock and he would be happy to send it. We had a great conversation, and I ordered a Pixie too. They were delivered as promised, packed beautifully, in great shape, and as of 3/20/04 are breaking leaf. I would unquestioningly order from them again. You just have to persist in calling them if you want service. Picture this: your local garden center with several employees, busy with spring and summer customers, answering the phone ringing off the hook from out-of-town callers! That's Greer Gardens. But the owner did take the trouble to return my calls, and he was exceptionally friendly on the phone. Positive IndianaGardener (4 reviews) On March 20, 2004, IndianaGardener wrote: I have ordered a few times: Always friendly, great plants, and they pack their plants very well. A big Japanese Maple I got from them had it's own wooden frame build around it so it wouldn't bang around in the box during transit. I'm impressed. The tree and other plants I got from them came in great shape and are doing great in my garden. Positive jesup (5 reviews) On February 16, 2004, jesup Malvern, PA (Zone 7a) wrote: I've received two orders (4 and 6 or 7) of rhododendrons from Greers purchased by my father (who collects azaleas et al, and lives in the middle of a huge laurel forest). Both shipments were excellently packed, and arrived (in southeast PA) in perfect shape. The plants ranged from the smaller varieties to pretty huge (around 3' and almost as wide with dozens of buds). All were in bud, and would have flowered modulo deer. (The second, larger order is currently surrounded by netting and hopefully will be blooming soon.) They definitely seem to have an excellent selection as well, given the wide variety of variants my father got. Positive tykey (3 reviews) On October 31, 2003, tykey Stewardson, IL wrote: While I was not able to order from Greer Gardens this past year (oh how I missed doing that!) I have placed several orders in years past. I must say that after receiving the plants ordered, all other nurseries I had previously ordered from paled in comparison. Ordered 2 Viburnums, a paperbark maple, and a few other nice selections. Every plant, except the maple has lived (the maple not being of the company's fault, but my own...froze in a pot when I had to move to my new residence). The Viburnums were around 2-3' tall and are now appoaching the 4 1/2-6' size and look wonderful. Ordered several western redcedar plants from them around 2 years ago and though mother nature played many cruel tricks on those poor plants their first year (frequent flooding, 2 hailstorms, and then a very dry summer) now I can walk around a five to six foot tall evergreen and they look marvelous. The plants, upon arrival, were twice the size as similar evergreens from Wayside Gardens. Healthy plants abound from Greer Gardens and I look forward to completing a new order next spring. Shipping may be high but that's the price I pay for ordering something from the West Coast when I live in the Midwest. Have had to deal with customer service only once and it was concerning a plant which was out of stock and they refunded the price without my asking, which was a welcomed shock for me. Very friendly, honest people. Neutral jeepers13 (5 reviews) On March 09, 2003, jeepers13 Eugene, OR wrote: I have the great pleasure of living in Eugene, home to some of the best nurseries on the West coast. So I've visited Greer Gardens personally, and I have a lot positive to say about them. Firstly, their selection of plants is enormous and includes many unusual cultivars. Every specimen I inspect looks vibrant and healthy. A visit to the nursery proper is much like a stroll through a park because the grounds are expansive, peaceful and well landscaped. I've always received genuinely friendly assistance from the staff, who are knowledgeable and willing to do a little research if they don't have the answer about a specific plant. All in all, it seems like a business that offers much to the customer, and where the employees appear happy to work there. So why not a positive rating? The price. I recently purchased lovely, 3-4' witch hazel (Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold Promise’) elsewhere for $32.95. I did a little price checking afterwards at Greers and found the same specimen, also of excellent quality marked at $69.95. "It's an extra %10 off the marked price" I was told. I've found similar, huge disparities on other plants as well. I'm not about to pay nearly double the price for any nursery. It's too bad they're so expensive, because the experience at Greer Gardens makes me want to shop there more. Positive cowgardener (30 reviews) On February 11, 2003, cowgardener Southport, ME wrote: We have been very pleased with the large plants received from this company. We've ordered a number of 5'-6' (1"+ caliper) ornamental trees from this company and all have done well in our north coastal New England zone. The packaging is very good but shipping is expensive (understandable) but that is quickly outweighed by the excellent quality of their stock. One 6'-7' kousa dogwood failed and they promptly credited our account over the phone. Their prices on large landscape size Japanese maples are often better than local nurseries even with shipping. Their website is of little use & we do wish the catalog would arrive sooner. Positive bendrl (9 reviews) On December 04, 2002, bendrl Oakland, CA wrote: I ordered some Thuja conifers from Greer a couple of months ago, and they came as expected. The root system was nicely developed. The packaging was excellent, and so far every one is healthy. I've only ordered once from them, but I would not hesitate to order again. Now if I only had a larger yard... Negative carlosc (2 reviews) On October 31, 2002, carlosc wrote: This nursery has an extensive catalog, but their customer service is poor and disorganized. I ordered a 3-4 foot tree from them and was charged a sizeable shipping fee. It came packaged in a fairly flimsy tube, which Fedex had somehow managed to break in half and then taped back together. Inside was the leafless stump of the tree. This isn't entirely their fault, but when I reported the problem, the employee said that they would get back to me and I "might" receive credit. However, no one ever contacted me again nor did I receive credit. This is quite a contrast to my experiences with other mail-order nurseries. Company representative comment on April 21, 2005: On Apr 21, 2005 10:36 PM, Greer Gardens added: We have asked this customer to respond to the complaint so we could solve the problem, but they never have. We try very hard to see the plants arrive in good shape, but the shipping companies can destroy anything. We would have gladly responded to his request, though we did not get his complaint. Harold Greer

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