The scoop on 'Fairweather Gardens'

I would like to add my highest praise for Fairweather's camellias. I ordered from them on the recommendation of a friend, and every one arrived big, healthy and in perfect condition. Their "tree tube" size plants are large and the more mature sizes are immense. I ordered by phone and can also say their customer service was a pleasure.

I cannot comment on their mail order service because I fortunately live close enough to take the drive to their nursery. My car is always chock full of big healthy plants for the return trip. All purchases have thrived except one magnolia that died due to my own negligence. It's only a couple of months until their open house days begin again. I'll be there.

what can one say about a company that is consistently excellent. my order arrived in perfect condition. the plants where not only healthily with strong root systems but they were far larger than i expected.

every year the staff is very patient and helpful i just never make it through the latin names! but i always get what i want.

this was certainly not my first order nor will it be my last....you can order with the utmost confidence, you will WILL NOT be disappointed.

I could not recommend this nursery more highly. They have a wonderful selection of hard to find tree's and cultivars. This spring I ordered seven trees from them, all of which were healthy and well packed. They were also all sized as advertized in their catalog. All their tree's I ordered had excellent root systems, and already appear to be thriving in the garden.

I have ordered from Fairweather since 2000 and have, for the most part, been quite satisfied. They have a great inventory and often carry items not found elsewhere from mail order sources. They overcharge, in my opinion, for shipping but the plants are well packed. I have never had a plant arrive in less than superb condition. The quality of the plants is first rate - especially the shrubs and trees. The perennials are comparable to other good mail order sources. The only plants that have failed have been perennials. Stay away from marginally hardy euphorbia - I have had no success with them and I am not a novice. Prices appear a bit high until you see what you get - never a twig but very full, established material. Do your own research because they certainly are not the hand-holding type, but if you know what you want and how to take care of it, you won't find a better source. One major drawback - no online ordering. They need to move with the times.

I received my order this weekend - I have ordered from Fairweather for the last three years - and once again I was extremely pleased. The plants were beautiful! They were well-packed, much larger than you will find at most nurseries and very healthy. I have had 100% success rate with the plants I've ordered the last few years. The trees I've received have been much envied by my gardening friends - they can't believe they were mail-ordered.

I will continue to look forward to each new catalogue so I can decide which plants to order that spring.

My trees and perennials just arrived. Healthy, well-packed, and larger than I expected. They're beautiful!

Received order exactly at the time requested, well packed, plants in very good shape.

Fairweather Gardens has stuff that no one else has, at least not here in Southeastern Pa! The upcoming Open House in Sept will be my 3rd visit.

Aside from the great plants, there is nothing better than a business that is responsive to client input. Last year we waited a long time in line and when we were not doing that we were wondering around the greenhouses without a wagon and thumbing through the catalog looking for what we wanted. There were people to help us, but I think they numbered about 3 or 4. This last spring, they cancelled the first open house due to snow, but they called me and asked what I might like to do with my pre-order. Good news. Better was when we did go,a full month later, they had indeed held my order intact. There were lots of wagons and you could not go 2 feet without tripping over someone who not only knew plants, they knew Fairweather's stock. To top it all off they handed everyone who entered an inventory catagorized by greenhouse. Plants of course were wonderful!! Excellent foliage and roots. I even saw them take some plants out of the selling area because they were not happy with one or the other and were not sure they would do well.

It may well be good to remember that Fairweather was not intended to be a retail nursery and as such they hire folks for the plants most of the year. They are far less demanding than people. No one likes to be treated poorly especially when you are spending your hard earned money, but isn't it great when progress is made in service and quality of product remains constant? Good work Fairweather!

I have ordered many items from Fairweather over the past 3-4 years and consider this to be the premier woody plant nursery on the East coast. Invariably the plants have been larger than indicated, in vibrant health and extremely well packed. A real (and often overlooked) indication of plant quality is the correlation between top growth and root ball size. Many nurseries (for understandable reasons) push top growth with heavy applications of fertilizer. This can result in plants that languish for some time when planted in the garden as the propotionally smaller root mass struggles to catch up with the top. This is never the case with plants from Fairweather. Prices may seem comparatively high, but the value is always excellent.
Last fall's catalog contained two things I've coveted for some time, so I called about the advisability of fall planting in a somewhat iffy climate. I was advised not to attempt it. This is obviously a company that cares more about long term customer satisfaction than sales.

I placed my first order with them last Spring. The plants were big, in good condition and the packaging was great! The only reason I rate this company as a neutral experience is their unfriendly, unhelpful attitude. Their arrogance is unmatched in the retail market place and it's a shame because they have a big selection and the pricing was great but I haven't decided yet if I will purchase from them again.

I'm a northern gardener in a pocket zone 6. Usually plants arrive for zone 5, we're on the lake in Ohio, but by that time we've missed the rains and I'm stuck watering my babies every night. I stuck a note on the order form in the off chance that because they are a small nursery they might notice my preferred ship time. They did!!!

Of course, this year we had a freak frost, the first in 25 years, and my big leaf magnolia got frozen in the UPS truck. So did everyone's vegetable gardens. By the Fall, it grew back from the ground taller than when it arrived. It must have had great roots. The other plants were very large, and healthy and didn't even notice they took a trip.
I'm very happy with their stock.

Also, I left a message requesting directions to the nursery for the sale. They arrived in the mail a week or so later. I've never spoken to anyone, but there is defineately someone there.

I have only ordered for the first time this fall and was extremely pleased with the size and vigor of the perennials and, in particular, of the shrubs. The price was very reasonable given the size of the plants sent. I plan on ordering again in the future.

Their selection is really interesting- The shipping is first rate and the plants are of truly excellent size- no babies here. Many of their plants can't be gotten- in the sizes that they sell- from many or any other mailorder growers. This is a small operation and they do make it clear that having a lot of personal attention- esp. by phone is an iffy proposition. In ref. to comments about plants being sold out- Hard as it is, it pays to order early- they can't re-grow oversold items overnight- That is the frustrating thing about this business: try as you might, you can't always predict what might be popular, what might succumb to a disease, what might not propagate, etc.

I ordered several plants in advance to pick up at one of their open days. Quality is generally good, although one of the honeysuckles appears to be dead. The main problem is with buying any additional plants at the open day. I waited in line for 3 hours to make a purchase on the Friday - I hate to imagine what the Saturday was like.

This place has a great selection of trees that are hard to find. I called to place an order for a fig tree that was about $10 under the minimum order. I asked if I could fill in the order with some flowers, or a planter, etc. and the person said he didn't have time for that. The catalog would cost $4 and there wasn't enough time for me to receive one and place an order (Friday was their last day to send out plants?). In summary, they emailed me to let me know they had what I wanted, but wouldn't send it to me. Extremely unhelpful person on phone, and extremely frustrating experience. If you can find what you're looking for somewhere else you'll save yourself from having to deal with these people.

I placed an order with this company for more than the minimum required (that in itself is annoying). Several weeks later I received a letter indicating that some items were not available which brought my order under the minimum. I am annoyed because they have something I really wanted and have had a hard time finding. Now they will send nothing.

I have placed several orders with Fairweather Gardens. The shrubs, their packaging, and the timeliness of their arrival were outstanding. They were as robust as the shrubs in local good garden centers.

Just wanted to comment regarding the order placed with Fairweather Gardens. My plants arrived on time and they were healthy and bigger than what I expected. I was very pleased with the packaging -- especially since I ordered a tree that had an additional charge for handling and shipping -- it was worth it! All plants arrived in great shape -- they were excellent. I do want to comment on the service I received from Fairweather Gardens. I did not find the staff very friendly or helpful. I was looking for a particular tree and emailed the company about availability. The response was curt, arrogant and rude as is their whole catalog with all the do's and don'ts for contacting them. They gave me the impression that they had been inconvenienced by answering my question. If this had not been a plant I was dying for - I would not have placed the order with them and I'm not sure that I will order again.

I phoned to discuss several plants, prior to purchase. The owner was SO helpful, particularly about botanical information. I ordered, and the plants arrived promptly, in robust, healthy condition. I was thrilled with my interaction, and will be purchasing more plants this spring.

I have ordered from and visited the Fairweather Nursery in NJ. I have always received the size or larger plants than I expected. They are very well packaged in custom designed boxes. Without question the best mail order nursery for woody plants I have dealt with in 30 plus years. Bob and Bob are the owners and a bit fussy but good plantsmen.

I ordered from FW in spring 1999 (four items). I was quite please with what arrived, although one magnolia had recently been potted up and was a tad small for the pot. I didn't find the prices as expensive as many say. They don't have ordinary plants, they pack, and ship, beautiful plants, and often, as they say, you get what you pay for. As I am formerly from NJ/PA area, I sent my sister down to visit during an open house, she called me back RAVING about the place, she has since returned and sent many of her friends; I have also referred people because of what my sister said, and I have heard nothing but very good feedback. On a negative note, the gentlemen can be slightly snippy when they answer the phone. All in all, I heartily recommend the place and can't wait until I settle in one place again and can start gardening again.

I hate to break the chain of complimentary posts here but after two placing two separate orders with Fairweather, I was less than impressed. My first order was for a fall blooming camellia. In total with shipping and handling I paid $40 for this plant. What arrived was nothing more than a 12" single stem cutting. I was horrified, I felt ripped off. I never complained because I just never had the time, my fault I guess. That was two years ago and this plant has barely grown. This past fall, I saw a similar fall-blooming camellia at local nursery that was close to 4 feet and was only $34. I should have bought it.This past spring I placed another order for a Phormium and a purple cordyline. the phormium was out of stock so I never got that one but I did get the cordyline, or should I say, I received a pot that the cordyline should have been in. There was absolutely no top growth whatsoever. Knowing that cordyline is not a dieback perennial, it was apparent that someone goofed big time. This time a I wrote Fairweather and complained and I did get a refund, no explanation, but I did get a refund. I later reordered the same cordyline from Plant Delights for less money and received a super looking plant. I have been told by people who have visited the nursery during their open houses that they have gotten great deals. Perhaps I will try that some day. In the meantime I will never order through the catalog again. Also, I really think their handling charges are obscene especially since I did not notice anything out of the ordinary as far as packing goes with my orders. It's not like they're giving their plants away so they shouldn't have to make it up on the S&H charges. Everything about this nursery is expensive, the catalog, the plants, the shipping, and the handling, so be prepared. For what they charge, I would expect nothing less than perfection which is a far cry from what I experienced. Sorry Fairweather!

Ordering late in the season, I was able to obtain several hard-to-find shrubs from Fairweather. The plants arrived PDQ and very carefully packed. The owners of Fairweather were extremely helpful when I phoned to discussavailability and hardiness - even checked their plant databank for cultural information. I've ordered from them previously, and have always been very happy with the plants and the customer service.

I have had the pleasure of dealing with Fairweather Gardens for the past 3 years, and have never been disappointed. Their plants are healthy and substantial and they are the nicest people to deal with.

I'm an avid gardener, I greatly appreciate your website, and I'd like to offer my two cents on one of my favorite mail-order nurseries, Fairweather Gardens in South Jersey.For about the past four or five years, Fairweather had moved to near the top of my list of preferred companies to deal with. I found that their catalog was very interesting and well-organized, and that their selection of plants were extremely well-chosen. Their prices were always a bit high, but the outstanding quality of plant material that they sent almost always justified the price. The customer service was perhaps not their strongest suit, but it was certainly more than adequate, at least to meet my needs. This Spring, the Spring of 2000, however, I must report somewhat less satisfaction. I placed an order, never received confirmation that the order was even placed, and heard nothing and received nothing for more than two months. My phone calls were handled professionally and courteously, but they never were able to give me a concrete answer as to what had happened to my order or when or if it was to be shipped. When my plants did arrive (finally!), they were, as always, top notch and healthy. But it kinda messed up my spring planting season thinking that I had two hundred dollars-worth of plants coming in early or mid-March and then not receiving them untilearly May. I'm not sure what the explanation is for all this. Maybe all of the positive word-of-mouth that customers like me have been spreading about Fairweather over the past few years has added up to a big increase in sales volume for them, which they were not equipped to handle. Whatever the reason, I was disappointed this Spring, but I've had so many good experiences with Fairweather that I'm certainly going to give them another chance next year. We'll see what happens.

I purchased plants from this nursery for the first time this Spring. I was looking for some very hard to find plants and they had them. Shipping was unbelievable. I have never seen such time go into packing the plants. Well one of the plants never leafed out and they were matching so I had to get another. They shipped another to replace the dead on at no cost and now my matching trees look great.

I have ordered hundreds of plants through the mail from many different nurseries, and Fairweather Gardens are without a doubt the best-grown plant material I have found! They may be a little pricey, but really no more than other well-known nurseries for the same plant. I have lost several magnolias from other nurseries, but not one single plant from Fairweather. They simply know what they're doing and obviously care!

I have their catalog which is one of my favorites to dream in. The pictures are great, and they have good accurate information about the plants. I decided to go to their fall open house last fall, and was totally amazed. Their selection of unusual and rare plants was extensive. They had extra nursery help on hand from Longwood Gardens and the level of help was great. They were able to answer any questions you may have had. The plants for the most part were exceptional. Since it was their last open house day, some of the best was gone. Understandably. I can't wait for their spring open house. I highly recommend them.

I have ordered from them since Day One. They have a great selection, the plants are of good size, healthy, well-packed. One of my favorite mail order nurseries.

I ordered from Fairweather Gardens in January 1997. I first called them regarding a few trees that I wanted and they were very helpful and cordial. I received my Magnolia "Yellow Lantern" and "Franklin Tree" in late March. They were expertly packed and were very full and in good shape. You must order early, as their stock is a bit limited, and they will not ship stock that they feel is not ready. (Three items I ordered were canceled because the owners felt they were too small) My total order was for seven items and they called me and offered to send my check back, and consider the order cancelled. I am certainly glad that I accepted what was in stock. All the shrubs I ordered are thriving. Their catalog is informative, with some photographs and drawings. Prices are a bit high, but I feel that they are worth it because the stock quality is so high. Postage is at 15% which for me is high, but since I only live 1 1/2 hours away, I can visit. I highly recommend them.

I ordered four plants from Fairweather Gardens this Spring (1997). They are a bit pricey; but the plants were beautifully packed and very well branched. The Oakleaf Hydrangea I planted this spring has two promising trusses of flower buds, both the Cryptomeria japonica 'Sekkan Sugi' and the Parrotia persica were well branched plants at the top of their estimated size range, and the Chionanthus virginicus is healthy and vigorous. Their catalog also has some unusual items and I will be ordering from them again. They are based in NJ so their offerings are East Coast biased. Not a branch was broken. They are bare root plants as I recall.

Their catalog costs $3.00. It has some color photos and line drawings and thorough descriptions. They offer a good selection of unusual and rare plants, mostly trees and shrubs. Their catalog lists almost 50 varieties of magnolias, over 20 varieties of viburnum and lots of deciduous azaleas, hollies, etc. I placed an order with them in Spring 1997. It arrived the week I requested. The plants were incredibly healthy and vigorous and were very well packed.