The scoop on 'Netherland Bulb Company'

This is my first review. I felt I needed to tell of my experience with Netherland Bulb, because it was, for me, extraordinary. In my first year of operating a nursery, I had purchased many daylilies from Netherland. When bloom time came around, I noticed that alot of them weren't what they were labeled as. I called the company, and was so pleasantly surprised on many levels. The lady who I spoke with was the sweetest person you can imagine. She listened, didn't make me feel like I was lying, and asked if I could email some pictures of the plants. I took pictures as they came into bloom. Then I received an email from them saying I didn't need to send any more pictures, and they gave me a very generous credit. I am very happy with all aspects of this company! And, by the way, it wasn't even their fault that the plants were mislabled, it was the grower's mistake.

As the Grounds Supervisor for a large College Campus here in Iowa, I have nothing but "Positive Comments" to extend about the staff, products and services rendered by this organization. Over the past 10 years, I've had only one concern with the product I received. I made one phone call to Customer Service, then received replacements for the items in question. In addition, I've had opportunities to compare their products with others in the business and have found Netherland Bulb Company to stand out above the rest. They will continue to be my first choice throughout the growing seasons. . .MRM

I have ordered from Netherland Bulbs for the last three years and have been nothing but pleased with every order. Don't be fooled by the discount prices--the bulbs are every bit as good as the "full price" bulbs I've ordered over the years.

I am on my way to placing this year's order.

I have ordered from this company two years in a row and have been extremely pleased with service and product. I will continue to order from this company. All bulbs were as promised, packed well, and in excellent shape. They have performed as promised.

Netherland Bulb Company are a nest of thieves. Last spring I received a shipment of nearly $2,000 worth of plants in very bad shape. Lots of them were entirely rotten. I called the company and let them convince me to keep them all and see how many I could salvage. You guessed it! 3 weeks later I had no recourse and no help from them! What a rip-off.

We are in contacting with this customer regarding the refund that was charged back to her credit card on August 8, 2005, so I think it is far to say that the statements made by badweed are not entirely true.

Just received my wholesale order of crocus, daffs, and alliums. All excellent size. The daffs were huge. I've always had good dealings with this company. Polly @ Perennials Plus

Thanks for your kind words, we appreciate your business.

I purchased a Blue Bell dahlia from the Netherland Bulb Company because of the lovely color illustrated. While the dahlia is healthy, the color isn't even close. I wrote them over three weeks ago and included a photograph of the actual dahlia comparing it with the color advertised and have yet to hear from them.

We have sent djballington a new package of bulbs and the bulbs are doing well. The customer was pleased with the package and the progress of the flowers to date.

Ordered 32 ferns from them at 35% off -- $1.46 per plant. Including shipping and tax (they have a NJ presence, bummer), it came to about 1.85 each. They arrived the next day! Packing left a little to be desired -- the pots came out of the flats and bounced around a bit; I'm sure FedEx wasn't any help, either. Plants were well rooted in deep 2x2 pots. Some had larger leaves than others (some were just starting to send up fiddleheads), and some got mangled in the box, but with luck, all will survive due to healthy root systems. All in all, very good value for the price.

Thanks for your kind words, we appreciate your business.

Just received over 300 bareroot plants that were on sale through their website for 30% off their original price. All plants were in good condition, though the potted meadow rue is a tiny little plant.

I was charged the normal 12.5% shipping of purchase price for an order over $250. What wasn't mentioned on their website is that the shipping charge is done on the ORIGINAL price of the plant regardless of what your discount price might total. So be aware that when you order $300 worth of plants your shipping won't be $37.50, it will actually be $48.75. Illegal...probably not. Good business practice....sure isn't!!!

As a result of this posting we have changed our policy on shipping charges for web specials. We have clearly explained how shipping is charged and capped the shipping charged at 9.5% on the pre-discounted subtotal. Unfortunately, the bulbs and perennials still weigh the same discounted or not. We have not raised our shipping rates in many years despite the mounting fuel charges assessed by every trucking and parcel delivery company. We try to be as fair as possible and we appreciate the honest posting and hope that you better understand our position.

Just received my 1st order. I am totally impressed! All very nice bulbs!
Company had quick delivery. Product was packaged well. Order department person was polite and professional. This vendor shall continue to have my business.
Cindy- Paws n' Plants

Thanks for your kind words, we appreciate your business.

Over the past several years, I have ordered many hundreds of bulbs from this company, mostly daffodils and other spring bulbs, and some perennials. The orders were filled correctly, shipped at the requested time for planting in my area, and the bulbs were of consistently top quality (at what I felt a very good price). One year, a shipment of a couple hundred daffodils contained two dozen or so that were shriveled "blanks." I reported this and they very promptly sent a larger number of replacement bulbs, and their customer service department telephoned to apologize and be sure I was happy. For the 2002 fall planting season, my order included 250 mixed daffodils. The shipment arrived, labeled as mixed daffodils. When they bloomed in spring 2003, all were the same variety. All were lovely, but they weren't what I ordered. I reported this and sent along photos of the blooms that had resulted. A couple of days ago, out of the blue, a box appeared at my door containing 250 replacement daffodils. I hadn't asked for a replacement, wasn't expecting it -- a great gesture on their part. Given the unpleasant experiences I've had with many mail order plant/bulb companies, it is nice to encounter a company that gives more than lip service to customer satisfaction. All my dealings with Netherland Bulb Company have been positive, the bulbs have been top quality, and when they made an error they corrected it with no evasiveness or runaround.

Thanks for your kind words, we appreciate your business. We try to do our best and resolve issues when they do arise.

Ordered Apricot Beauty and planned on receiving 50 peach/apricot single tulips bulbs,instead received, in one bag, bulbs for a large, beautiful frilled purple/lavendar double tulip + a smaller pink and white combo. While the color looks sensational with my Williamsburg blue house it isn't going to work for the interior which is blue and peach. Oh well, variety is the spice of life.

I have been ordering wholesale from Netherlands Bulb for a number of years. To date I have felt their material was "adequate" for the price, with an occasional "very good". The same was true for my bulb and perennial order this year, but for the first time I also included marginal water plants in my order. I was VERY disappointed with the size and quality of these plants. I called to complain and was told the person who handles complaints was out. So they took my name and order number so she could call me back later. That was over three weeks ago and I've yet to hear from them.

I used this company for a fundraiser. Their wholesale prices on bareroot perennials are very good, and the plants are of excellent size and quality in general. However they did make some substitutions of varieties with out notifying us and one group of clematis arrived in poor shape. They did give us a credit on that. Stick to dormant, bareroot plants and bulbs if ordering, skip the small potted stuff.

We have greatly improved our line of small potted plants. We take all comments posted to this website to heart and would appreciate another try.

Excellent bulbs and perennials. I have always had good service from this company. Never had a bit of trouble with the plants. They keep track of your order and know exactly when it will arrive from Holland.

Thanks for your kind words, we appreciate your business.

Last year I ordered 150 Red Emperor bulbs from this company. When they emerged this spring, they were white, orange and yellow and all of varied sizes. I planted them in a display area, amid large brambly roses at great personal risk only to find I planted colors I would never have chosen! I called the company and asked for either a refund or replacement bulbs. They explained that Red Emperor could entail many different colors. I was obviously talking with someone who didn't know tulips. They refused to refund my money or send me replacements. I can only hope the squirrels dined on the bulbs and they will just be GONE by next spring. Big yellow CAUTION sign for this company. [update 4/1999] I previously registered a complaint regarding this company. In all fairness, I need to register a compliment. I had received the wrong colored tulips two years ago. I complained to the company and was told they had issued a caveat regarding a shortage of red emperor tulips. I had no recall of such a warning and grumbled about the wrong color all summer long. Much to my surprise in Sept. of 1998, I found an unsolicited shipment of replacement bulbs on my front porch from Netherland Bulb Company. I planted them last fall and was treated to a wonderful display of gorgeous red emperor tulips this spring. Thanks, Netherland Bulb Company!

I like this company a lot mainly because of their good service. Although I received the wrong colored daffodils, they sent me friendly acknowlegement to my request for a replacement the next fall. They replaced my 25 tulips when I asked them why they did not bloom. (They suggested that I did not refrigerate them, which I didn't) The freesias, crocuses, tulips, and daffodils they sent me were all very healthy and a good size.

I ordered two varieties from them last fall, and they either shipped the wrong bulbs, or they don't look the LEAST bit like their photos or descriptions. I am very disappointed.

I don't like the mediocre quality of bulbs I received from this mediocre company.

Netherlands Bulbs is HORRIBLE! I got suckered by the prices, and ended up with a bunch of seriously diseased tulips - so sick that I can't plant any more in that bed for two years.

Last year, I ordered tulips, daffodils, and crocus from Netherlands Bulb Co. The bulbs came well before the ground froze (very important here in North Dakota) and all the bulbs were large and disease free. After a rather cold winter, although with major snow cover, all the bulbs survived and grew nicely. They even survived a late frost. All the bulbs bloomed well and died back at the normal time for here. Because they did so well this year, I'm assuming they will be back next spring. I plan on ordering more from this company this year because of how happy I was with the quality and prices last year.