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I have been ordering from Dutch Gardens for over 15 years now and I have found them to be fabulous -- in customer service, knowledgeability of product, and quality of product.
Every plant or bulb was shipped on time. On the rare occasion that a plant didn't grow, I would call the company and they would offer to either replace the item or credit my credit card or account. I have never been disatisfied with them. I would recommend them to anyone.
At my former home, I literally would have people coming with their grandchildren to see my garden. Compliments ran amuck! "How did you get this to grow? What a different flower. Where did you get it? Your garden is beautiful!" My former house was on the market and sold because the buyer fell in love with my garden.
I have recently moved to a new place and have just ordered some $400 worth of things to grace my new bare lanscape. Dutch Gardens gave me coupons and the "bill me later" option when ordering. I am anxious to create another beautiful landscape!
I have ordered from Dutch Gardens on numerous occasions for many years and have had only positive experiences. I mostly order items not found as easily at my local nurseries and am usually pleased with the plants. They may be small upon delivery but are most times hardy plants that survive and thrive. I am willing to pay a little more for their plants as they will replace a plant that does not make it or credit your acct. unlike my local nurseries. I have called them the following year if a perennial fails to return and they have cheerfully credited my acct. to be used when ever I please. I have spoken to them on numerous occasions and always received the most courteous responses. I have even had a representative work with me to get my totals the lowest possible! As we all know some plants make it and some don't, but I am much more likely to take a chance if I know the company will stand behind their guarantee. Dutch Gardens does. They also keep a running history of your orders. I have been able to find out what year I ordered a certain perennial and when it was shipped( ie.) the best time to divide and replant. I find that actually talking to the company instead of corresponding by email is a much more satisfactory method of communication and produces better results.
I just got 4 Burning Hearts Dicentra that I was having a hard time finding online. This is a somewhat fragile plant that was shiped VERY well! All four were a good size and are doing very well! I would order from this site again!
On May 4, 2009, Hemhostaholic Scranton, PA (Zone 5b) wrote:
I took a chance on Dutch Gardens (especially after readig some of the negative reviews) but after a fellow DG'er told me that she had never had a problem with Dutch Gardens, I gave them a try. I ordered 2 Stuttgart Cannas, 1 Japanese Iris (Stippled Ripples), 1 Dahlia (Treat), and 3 Lilies (Adios)...the Cannas were really nicely sized, the dahlia clump was nice, the JI was a nice size and the lilies were about as big as the lilies I ordered from Brent and Becky's! I took a chance on Dutch Gardens, and as a first time costumer I don't have anything negative to say about my experience at all. The plant materials were all great, the shipping emails kept me abreast of when the shipment would arrive, and the overall transaction was very nice! I'll more than likely be ordering from Dutch Gardens again!
I am new to mail-order gardening. Ordered 2 peonies, I iris and daffodil bulbs. When the order came today I was SHOCKED at the large size of the bulbs. I have never seen bulbs that large in local garden shops or retailers. The peonies were as described, with 2-3 eyes each and each with some healthy looking little roots (much nicer than bare root peonies I bought at a big box retailer which didn't grow). The iris was a nice size and had quite a few roots on it. The order was carefully packed and I love the individual labels which came with each item so I can mark where I planted them. Now dreaming of spring already with hopes I got them settled in their new homes adequately. If those daffodils don't bloom, it won't be because of lack of quality in the shipment I got, that's for sure!
I have ordered dahlia bulbs from Dutch Gardens for years and have been completely satisfied. A few years back I ordered peonies for myself and my mother and we both planted them in the fall - neither one came up - I contacted Dutch Gardens and they replaced them and mine were just huge this year - keep in mind it takes a while for peonies to get going. I placed an order for tulips for my daughter's birthday this fall and am hoping that she will be as happy with them as I have been with the dahlias.
I could hardly be happier with my purchase from Dutch Gardens. The plants were the largest I've received from any mail order company and were securely packaged. Shipping was quite fast.
I used a discount code on top of clearance prices and was concerned because the online total didn't reflect it, so I emailed the company. I received a very prompt and friendly reply reassuring me that everything was OK, and even got a personal phone call assuring me of the same.
There was only one problem with the order; one plant (a viola) didn't have the plastic bag over the soil like all the others did, and when I removed it from its cardboard packaging, I found the plant broken off from its roots. I didn't contact Dutch Gardens because it cost so little and I'd gotten such a great deal overall, but I'm confident they would have gladly credited me had I asked.
Even a couple of plants which I thought had died through no fault of Dutch Gardens (a brunnera I accidentally left for two days without watering, and a clematis which broke at the base for unknown reasons) came back to life--the brunnera has grown many new leaves, and even the hard, dry stick of the clematis has sprouted new life. Obviously, these were very healthy, hardy plants to begin with.
Not everything has thrived--only one of the three bareroot foxtail lilies has come up so far, and a few other plants are looking challenged, but I believe that is due more to our acidic clay soil than anything else. On the positive side, the hollyhock, hosta, sedum and aster plants look fantastic and have grown quite a bit since their arrival.
Overall, my expectations were exceeded, and I would not hesitate to order from Dutch Gardens again. The care they put into growing & shipping the plants was evident, and the customer service was outstanding!
As a relative newcomer to gardening, within the past couple of years I've placed orders from several of the larger companies that distribute eye-catching glossy catalogs. Dutch Gardens has established itself as my favorite. All of my orders have been shipped accurately and promptly, everything has arrived in excellent condition, and almost all the plants have thrived--a much better record than I've had with some other companies. (Also, Dutch Gardens is affiliated with Gardener's Supply Company; I just posted a description of Gardener's Supply's excellent customer service on their page at this site.)
On Jun 19, 2008, TheMartinClan Greencastle, PA wrote:
I recently ordered live plants from Dutch Gardens in response to an up to 70% off Spring shipped bulbs & perennials sale. I read the reviews before ordering and was a little worried that my plants would be in rough shape when they arrived. I decided to take a chance anyway as the savings seemed to good to pass up. I placed a small order that I received quickly. I was very surprised when my order (1 rose, 3 hollyhocks, 3 dahlia bunches, 1 ghost fern, 2 shooting star, 1 hardy fuschia, 1 honeysuckle vine, 1 anemone, & 1 coreopsis) came packed with exceptional care. The plants were all large and vigorous and the dahlias were three nice large bunches. They were in individual 4" pots (excepting the dahlias), each with very informative plant tags. Each pot was wrapped in plastic bags to keep in moisture and stapled at the side to keep the soil in. Then the pots were slipped into very tall carboard sleeves with tabs that were pushed in to hold the pot in place. I was so impressed that my "clearance" purchases were fantastically healthy and well-protected in shipping. Due to unforeseen family emergencies, we were unable to plant for almost a month, though the plants were kept well-watered. Despite their overly long stay in transplant pots, all of the plants are very healthy and finally (happily) in the ground were they belong! I am surprised by the variety of experiences with this company, but I will order again from them, probably in a small quantity like last time to ensure that the quality and care is equal to my first experience.
On May 31, 2008, santeelady Santee, CA (Zone 9a) wrote:
This was my first order from Dutch Gardens. I ordered Dwarf Sorbet Lily Mixture (10 bulbs) and Double Freesia Mix (25 bulbs). I was very happy with the condition of the bulbs. They were small to medium in size and looked really healthy. Shipping was realitively fast. I would order from this company again.
I placed in order with Dutch Gardens for two Tiki Torch Coneflowers and I was very pleased with their arrival. The plants were very healthy and robust. I have planted them a few weeks ago and they are doing very nicely. I will continue to order from them.
This was my first experience with Dutch Gardens. I placed an order for two Shady Nook Gardens and two separate plants. The plants were very well packaged and healthy. The Shady Nook Gardens that I purchased were bareroot. All of the items in these collections seem very healthy. I look forward to seeing them in full bloom. Overall, I am very satisfied with the items that I have received. I will order from this company again without any hesitation.
I love roses and have a small collection now of 47 roses. Last year I ordered the rainbow rose collection. All 5 bushes died within weeks of planting. They did not look good at all when I received them. I relayed my displeasure to Dutch Gardens sometime later and they to my surprise sent me a new rainbow collection this year that I received/planted the new roses in late March. They are doing fantastic, full of foliage, sprouting even more new growth and all 5 are begining to bud. I must say after my experience last year I was quite skeptical, but they are beautiful and I am very happy.
On Apr 11, 2008, sarazen Glen Rock, PA (Zone 6b) wrote:
I ordered two small orders from them this spring, mostly perennials and some bare root raspberries and blackberries. Plants were mostly small, but healthy. The raspberries were huge, and are in the ground already. I will see how things go. I did note that their prices were not always the best. I found a few things that I had thought to get from them at a better price from a better supplier, so in the future I will check around before I commit.
On April 11th, 2008, sarazen added the following:
Doh! Raspberries/blackberries were not from them. Never the less, the perennials I did get from them were very robust.
I have been ordering from this company for more than 3 years. I have ordered many bulbs (alliums, daffodils, tulips) and the bulbs have always been good quality, producing beautiful flowers in the spring. I just ordered 3 verbascum plants and liatris bulbs. The plants arrived in great condition, and were packaged exceptionally well. Their customer service is also great.
I have ordered several plants from this company over the years from roses to daylilies to alliums. The plants were always carefully packed and in good health. The plants and bulbs were of a good size too. I've never had any problems and they have good customer service also.
On Mar 30, 2008, faerygardener Angels Camp, CA (Zone 7a) wrote:
Just received my order from Dutch Gardens and I'm very pleased. I had ordered from them a few years back so took a chance in spite of some negative comments here. As I recall from past orders, the bulbs they sent were huge - Aztec lily 3 or 4 times the size of the ones I'd gotten at a box store in the past. Everything was diligently packed and in great shape - like opening a Christmas present! All bulbs and dahlia tubers are large and disease free.
They kept in touch in email about the shipping time for my order (zone 7). My experience was top notch.
On Mar 30, 2008, dakota57718 Black Hawk, SD wrote:
I'm a first time bulb gardener. I ordered the three season sampler of tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, mountain lilies, windflowers, allium. The bulbs were all fat and healthy, my order arrived for fall planting, nothing was backordered. So far everything is coming up beautifully. I planted hyacinths and tulips in containers and they are blooming wonderfully. I had a question when planting last fall and got an e-mail back promptly with the advice I needed.
I will definitely order bulbs from this company again.
On May 19th, 2008, dakota57718 added the following:
UPDATE: Now that all my bulbs have, are currently, or are close to flowering, I am even happier with them. Everything was beautiful - and the best thing about the 3 Season Sampler is, we've had something in bloom for two months already - with the alliums still to come. I give Dutch Gardens FIVE STARS!
I simply cannot say enough good things about Dutch Gardens. I have ordered from them many times and I have always received my orders on time. I can also check the status of my orders at anytime on their website and I love this feature. Their plants are robust and healthy. On the occasions where I have asked for replacements they have always treated me like I was the most important customer in the world and they have always treated me with the utmost respect. They really care about their customers. I will definitely continue ordering plants from them.
On Jan 24, 2008, PrimroseSue Medway, MA (Zone 5b) wrote:
I have been ordering from Dutch Gardens for many years, and have never had a problem with them. Their bulbs are always healthy and large, and they have a nice variety.
Unfortunately, their perennial prices have skyrocketed this year, so I'll just stick with the bulbs.
I ordered bulbs from them last year. They came at the right time for fall planting, and were the biggest, healthiest bulbs I've ever seen! Seriously, the daffodil bulbs were bigger than my hand, and several of them were close to splitting into 2 or 3 large bulbs.
I'll have to remember to post here again in the spring, when everything comes up. But after a few years' experience growing these types of bulbs, I don't anticipate any problems. These were in much better shape than anything I could buy locally.
One side note: I ordered mixed bags of everything, so you'll never hear me complain that they sent the wrong variety.
On April 9th, 2008, julsie added the following:
I'm getting a fabulous show from those huge daffodils they sent last fall! The blooms are actually bigger than a lot of my established daffs, which I wasn't expecting. I'd say my investment was an astounding success, better than I could have predicted.
The only thing that disappointed me was the crocuses, because a lot of them just didn't come up. However, I have to blame the neighborhood squirrels, because they thrived in most parts of my yard and never appeared in others.
On Oct 22, 2007, n2birds Lakeland / Memphis, TN (Zone 7a) wrote:
Based on prior comments, I was very reluctant to order from Dutch Gardens. However, they were the only place I could find the Bulb Bopper, so I decided to go on and give them a try. I ordered 40 mixed daffodils along with my bopper. I was very pleased with the size of these bulbs - they were some of the largest bulbs I have ever rec'd ! They both arrived from 2 different locations, but at the same time. At this time, I'd say I am very pleased with them as a vendor. (I feel sure they will bloom, come spring)
Back in April 07 I ordered $120 worth of bulbs. They did not look to good upon arrival but at that time I was not experienced with bulbs and didn't realize that they were not top quality. As of this date they did not sprout except for two dahlias. I e-mailed Dutch Gardens and told them that I was a member of Daves Garden and the very next day they e-mailed me and offered me a refund or credit. I chose a credit as I appreciated their integrity and will definetly continue to do business with them.
Ordered a daylily and 4 packs of different bulbs. Dutch Gardens must not realize that April is often still winter in Iowa. Came home from work to a wet box of frozen bulbs that had obviously been sitting on my doorstep in an ice storm most of the day. E-mailed Dutch Gardens to tell them most of the bulbs were frozen. They responded promptly and sent an entire new order at their expense. The bulbs were lovely and the daylily was quite large. They now appear to be growing quite nicely. Dutch gardens has nice quality products and in my opinion, their customer service is top-notch.
I ordered two hybrid Clematis from Dutch Gardens...they arrived in beautiful condition and were well on their way to vigorous growth when they arrived. I've had mixed results from this company in the past, but I wasn't so disappointed that I wouldn't order from them again (some items, like Regale Lily bulbs, were downright unbelievable, and others, like tuberous Begonias, were disappointingly small in the past years that I've ordered from Dutch Gardens). This time, these were among the best plants I've ever received via mail order. I also ordered Lily bulbs and Dahlias from them this year, and so far, all looks pretty good with those as well. I will definitely order from them again now!
On Apr 11, 2007, russellmuegge Hamilton, IL wrote:
I recieved two boxes of bulbs from Dutch Gardens and as in the past I was happy with my purchase. The bulbs were large and in very good shape. They are a good company to do business with and they are very good about answering their emails.
I ordered 3 packages of bareroot sets described as "three top sized roots per package" = 9 total. One package had really tiny roots, but the other two packages each had 5 healthy ones. So I guess I am ahead in the long run.
I've ordered dahlias and begonias from them for the last few years and the quality has always been top notch. I just received some climbing roses and some perennials. The packaging and quality look to be among the best that I have seen. They are not cheap but they deliver variety and quality. I recommend them.
I LOVE this company !!! Ordered Red Parade Tulips from them, and they were the biggest bulbs I have ever seen, 15/16cm. Big is definitely better. Huge and healthy, and they smelled fresh too, straight from Holland to your doorstep. Will definitely order from them again !!
In 2003, I ordered a very expensive Goldmine Yellow Peony from Dutch Gardens. I e-mailed them in 2004 saying that although the peony came up, it didn't bloom. They responded for me to give it more time -- that it can take a couple of years for a peony to bloom -- and to keep in touch. In 2006, it bloomed. I e-mailed Dutch Gardens and told them that it bloomed, it was very pretty, but was a pale yellow, not the bright yellow pictured. And that the plant itself was beautiful. Much to my surprise, they gave me a $20 credit, since the flower wasn't as yellow as expected! I was very (happily) surprised and can't wait to choose more bulbs!
On Jun 10, 2006, LenasGarden Tiffin, OH (Zone 5b) wrote:
Even though there were quite a few Negative and Neutral ratings, I decided to place an order because they had Hakonechloa Aureola which is a yellow and pink hued grass. Their price was low and they offered free shipping, so I thought I'd give them a try. I kinda braced myself to be disappointed because of some of the other buyers experiences, but I was pleasantly surprised. The plants were really excellent and I was impressed with their superior packing. I ordered three plants and they were each enclosed in a cardboard tube to protect the blades of grass. They were nestled into another box for secure shipping. They arrived moist and showed no sign of wilt. I ordered in March and received the plants in May - which is Ohio's planting time. The grass is healthy and growing.
I was very happy with my purchase and I definitely would buy from them again.
On Jun 8, 2006, jmorth Divernon, IL (Zone 5b) wrote:
I have periodically ordered from this company over the years and been satisfied. However, this year I ordered two sets (6) of a new lily (Salmon Star) which they apparently ran out of; instead of consulting about substitution they choose to send me 10 lilies of their choice (Muscadet). I've plenty of them already so I informed them that I was not satisfied with their policy of substituting without consultation and didn't really want what they decided to send. They told me to keep their choice and to tell them my preference. I responded that my choice would be Black Beauty. When these arrived late last month there were three sets totalling 9 Black Beauties. The end result- a still satisfied customer.
On Jun 3, 2006, beaker_ch Columbia Heights, MN (Zone 4a) wrote:
This spring when the tulips bloomed, I was dismayed to find that some of the bulbs I ordered fro Dutch Gardens were not true to name. They were very nice about it and refunded me my money. Later, after seeing a plant I wanted on one of the forum threads, I went looking for it and Dutch Gardens was the only place that had it. I ordered 3. Upon receiving my order, I was very happy to find 3 very healthy plants packaged very similar to orders I received from Lazy SS Farm. They also sent me 3 bonus Regale Lily bulbs and this was on an only 18.00 order. I'm very leery of most of the "dutch" bulb sites, but I think Dutch Gardens tries to do a good job. I will order from them again.
I will say this is another great company. Last fall I ordered hundreds of bulbs and my spring garden looked outstanding. Very healthy and large bulbs. Also I ordered two rose bushes and they are doing very well. I can't wait to seem them blooming over the summer.
I will order again from them. Thank you
I have had mixed success with Dutch Gardens. I have placed orders with them for three years. My orders have always come on time and in pretty good shape. But, sometimes their stuff doesn't grow. I know this is normal. Plants weren't designed to live in a box for a few weeks and then expected to grow. I have still kept a positive rating because they have great customer service. My emails are always answered within two days. If I am not happy, they refund my money. Another plus, their dahlia bulbs are great.
On May 14, 2006, KSORENSON123 Montgomery, IL wrote:
I am a 5 year Dutch Garden fan. This year I decided to add
a more enhanced tulip area. I call it tulip mania. I blew the
neighbors away. I added 250 bulbs to the mix. I can not
hardly give the cuttings away fast enough. Today is Mothers day and the late spring Tulips are still kicking. Much thanks to cool weather. 1 Tulip is little. I will blast my yard with
crocus for next year. The Roses are a knock out also.
