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This year was my first year that I ordered from them. I used their 100.00 off 200.00 order several times to order everything that I wanted.
I spent upwards of 800.00 on 18 trees ( 2 peach, two cherry, 2 pears, 2 granny smith, 2 honey crisp apple, 2 black walnut, 2 chestnut, 2 blue spruce, and 2 willows)10 lbs potato seeds, 10 pks of sweet potatoes, 100 strawberry plants, 2 ground cherries, 3 gooseberries,5 raspberries,5 blackberries, 17 grape plants, 2 angel trumpet trees, 2 honeysuckle, 10 garlic blubs 2 pks peanut seeds and three blueberry bushes. (think that's all)
I have had mixed results with all the plants.
So far what has done well is:
Both Willows
Both Black walnut
Both Chestnuts
Both Peach
Both Pear
Potatoes
Garlic
Sweet potatoes
Honey suckle
Angel trumpets
All grapes
Blackberries
Plants that did not grow or died:
Both granny smith
Both cherries
Both honey crisp
One blue spruce
(all the above trees were one shipment and all did not sprout with exception of blue spruce it was shipped "alive")
Ground cherries
Goose berries
Plants with mixed results:
Blueberries are growing but very poor
Raspberries are pretty much dead
Strawberries lost 25 but none have bloomed, making runners instead.
I called CS about the 6 fruit trees I lost. The CS was wonderful with replacing them ( they had only two in stock the other 4 will be shipped next spring)
I found this site since I was searching for reviews on gunerys since I can't believe so many plants have died wondering if it as due to my error or the stock of gunerys. I have a pretty good green thumb and hate to think that I have lost so much money in dead plants. Seeing as they offer such a "wonderful" replacement it gives me the impression that they are aware of there stock not all being to standard.
While my first experience with CS was good I dislike the fact that I am set back a year on the plants producing.
I will be contacting CS for replacements of the plants that have died. That will be the true test of this company for me. if all goes well I will be ordering from them again despite the act that I have a 50/50 chance do good plants due to having such a huge selection. Either you have to have the money to run around to local nurseries to find what you want or the patience of getting the plants replaced with this company and not be wasting time and gas hunting.
I will be updating once I contact CS next week.
Melissia D.
On Jun 8, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
We apologize for the problems with your plants. We would be happy to reship them. A customer service representative will contact you for your account information."
On May 30, 2012, RockWhispererOK Bartlesville, OK wrote:
Posted on June 18, 2011, updated May 30, 2012
I have been trying to be open-minded about Gurney's service.
Last year I submitted an order for two bundles of white Candy onions and two of red. When the order came, the count in one of the bundles of the white was only about half what it should've been, due to the fact that they were larger. For one thing, I'd like to see more uniform sizes in a bundle of onions. The teeny tiny ones don't get very big and have to be saved over for the following year, and the big ones tend to bolt unless I hold them till all danger of frost has passed. So both end up being a little more trouble to get them to produce a decent onion. But I realize I could direct that complaint to most any seller of onion plants, unfortunately. I e-mailed Gurney's Customer Service and asked them for additional white onion plants because of the short count. Instead, they completely duplicated my order. By then, all my gardening friends had theirs planted and I just hated to throw all those onion plants away. So I planted them in every raised bed I had, and along the edges of the front flower garden, and the tiny ones went into flower pots. There were some things that I planned to grow that spring and didn't because I didn't have room.
So this spring, because I still had lots of chopped onions in the freezer, I ordered only two bunches of just the white Candy onions, thinking that would give me enough for fresh use through summer and fall, and some to share with friends and neighbors, as I always do. They sent three bunches and again, I was hard-pressed to find places for them all, since we had moved and I didn't have all my beds developed yet.
Yeah, I realize these things happen and since I had the choice of throwing what I couldn't use away, I thought it was better to get too much than too few.
I subscribed to get notices of sales and I found myself getting notices at least once a week, which got to be a little annoying after awhile. Most of them I didn't take advantage of because it isn't worth it to me to pay the shipping charges on just one or two little items since I can get things on sale locally. But the most recent one I took advantage of offered Stella cherry trees and Olympic pear trees for a pretty good price. There were also Josee everbearing lilac bushes. So I ordered two of each. I got the lilac bushes right away. They are small but doing ok.
The pear and cherry trees did not arrive. I had about decided, since it was already so hot here, that they would send them in the fall. So I didn't think anything of it until I got a postcard in the mail saying the pear trees were not available. Yes, they credited my credit card. When I went to check my order status I found that the cherry trees had been cancelled as well.
At this point I e-mailed Customer Service and told them that I would not be ordering from them from now on. These sales that they offer are only good for a certain period of time and I did order within the window. If the item is out of stock the computer can be set up to reject the order when it is placed, or just plain not have an "order now" button at all. Since the website accepted my order it just seems like it ought to be honored.
Barring that, I would have appreciated that if 2/3 of the order (and more than that if you're going by $$) cannot be fulfilled, they might e-mail me of this predicament and give me the option of cancelling the entire order.
At the very least, I would have liked to have received this information in an e-mail, which they do use to confirm my order and to tell me that the order has been shipped. Instead I get this CARD IN THE MAIL about the pear trees and no notification at all, at least not yet, about the cherry trees.
I received an apologetic reply to my e-mail and the representative added that a $10 coupon would be mailed to me because of my inconvenience. Except that I won't be using it because I believe I did say that I'm not going to be ordering from them any more.
The next day I got e-mail notification of yet another big sale, and I unsubscribed. I don't have time to make out orders for plants that they don't even have. Walking away now.
On May 30th, 2012, RockWhispererOK added the following:
This is an update, since I posted a new complaint and it was never logged in, I guess this is how I have to do it.
Last year, I said then that I was done with Gurney's because of the previously documented issues. But I yielded to the temptation when I found out I could use their $10 coupon WITH their $25 off promotion when the order comes to $50. NEVER AGAIN.
On 3-25-12, I ordered a Sea Buckthorn, two Hansen's Bush Cherry and a Red Lake Currant. The order came to $50.96. With $25 off, and my $10 credit, the order came to $15.96, but then there was shipping, which bumped the cost of the order up to $27.91. I ordered online at their website because their website has the capability of preventing orders from being placed on items that are out of stock.
On 3-27-12, I get an e-mail from Customer Service saying there was a problem with my credit card and I needed to call them and give them a different credit card number. I responded that I was having no troubles having my credit card honored and that, this being a last ditch effort on my part to convince myself to continue ordering from them, just cancel the order. I only use one credit card. They have no 800 number and I'm not paying long-distance charges to call them.
Then I get a reply stating that my order was reviewed and the credit went through. So I don't know what happened there. And no mention of when my order will be shipped. It doesn't arrive for three weeks. The Sea Buckthorn is not in the package. The shipping statement says, "Shipped Separately". I wait another week. I go to the website and look at the order there. It says simply, "Not Shipped". The Red Lake Currant plants were laying inside the box OUTSIDE the plastic and the roots were dried out. The Hansen's Bush Cherry had come out of dormancy and was budded out with fragile, almost white, leaves. Fortunately, we were having some cool, rainy weather and it adapted, with a little additional protection, after being planted immediately. So I send an e-mail to report the Red Lake Currants, which did not show any signs of life a week after being planted, and ask if I'm going to receive the Sea Buckthorn or not. They reply that it will be shipped between May 6 and May 27, and that they have sent me a credit slip for the Red Lake Currant since it is now out of stock and therefore they cannot reship. I respond that I don't want a credit slip, that I want a refund check that I can cash at the bank or a substitution of Manchurian Bush Apricot, which comes out at the same price as the two orders of Red Lake Currant. They respond they are out of stock for that. I respond that I will take an Aronia bush, then, which is priced a little lower, but that I would be willing to call it even with that. I say to ship it WITH the Sea Buckthorn. They say they can do that. Then on May 5, I get a package containing ONLY the Aronia plant. And I get a replacement credit certificate in the amount of $17.43, the price of the two Red Lake Currant plants, in the mail. I look at my credit card transactions and they put through a refund of $2.44, the difference between the price of the Aronia and the price of the Red Lake Currants, on 4-25. Something I didn't ask them to do, but I guess they were trying to go the extra mile. So I email them. I tell them about the replacement credit certificate and how I don't understand why they sent that, as I requested a substitution. I mentioned that the Sea Buckthorn was again not in the package. They respond that they used the $17.43 credit for the Aronia, and put through a refund on my credit card for the difference of $2.44. They tell me the Sea Buckthorn would be shipped between May 20-24. I e-mail back that I am not comfortable with them putting transactions on my credit card without my knowledge or approval and to please not do that again. I tell them May 20-24 is really too late for spring planting in Oklahoma, so just cancel that order and send me a refund. Not a credit slip, a refund. By now I'm so confused I don't know where I'm at, and I'm totally annoyed. They respond that they have put through a refund of $8.04 ON MY CREDIT CARD (@@%$#&*^%#^*&!!) and issued me a credit slip in the amount of $10.00, good on my next order. Geeze, if they were going to put the refund on my credit card anyway, why not do the entire amount and not bother with the credit slip? Oh, I guess I know why. I respond that I'm never ordering from them again, something I have, by now, already told them a couple of times, so I can't use a credit slip, and I asked for a refund CHECK to be SENT to me. I reminded them that I had told them to put no further transactions on my credit card and they did it anyway. A supervisor responds to me that they have been very busy trying to fulfill orders but that this has been done. On May 14 I get the credit slip in the mail, which I throw away, thinking the check will follow. Then, today, on reviewing my credit card activity, I see the refund of $8.04 on 5-8 and then, on 5-10, a refund of $17.43. *Sigh*.
Now that all the dust has settled, I total up all the credit card refunds and I end up getting the entire cost of the order refunded to me. I hope I don't get a check for $10 in the mail now because that will have me making a profit on this order. I ought to be happy about my free Aronia and Hansen's Bush Cherry plants. But I'm annoyed. If it isn't already obvious, here's why:
I ordered on their website, which is supposed to not have an "order" button to click on when the item is out of stock. Yet it's quite obvious the Sea Buckthorn was out of stock. They took the money for the order out of my credit card nearly a month before they sent anything. They should wait until they ship, and if it's a partial shipment, only draw the money for what's being sent. They have your e-mail address. They should e-mail you when they ship. They should e-mail you when something's going to be back-ordered or when it's out of stock, and ask you what you'd like to do: substitute something? refund? credit slip?. Other places do. If you ask for a check, they should send you a check and not a credit slip and not put the refund on your credit card, especially when they tell you they've done as you asked.
Clearly they are understaffed. Good customer service is impossible in their current situation. Apologizing and saying, "we try but occasionally we stumble" just falls flat with me when there is a problem with EVERY ORDER I PLACE. Maybe later I'll be happy with my free plants. Right now I just feel like I earned every penny of their value. On May 30, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
We apologize we did not have all of your items available for shipping. We will pass on your suggestion about emailing our customers if items are not availalbe. A customer service representative will contact your for your account information."
I ordered four plants: two never did anything, one is barely hanging on, and one has made it ( a grass ). They arrived in poor shape which could be delivery time, but all were very small to be able to reach the sizes stated in the catalog or internet. I have pictures and am going to contact them, because they emphasize100% satisfaction. But how do you reach them other than email which hasn't worked many reviews state. I will try calling and later report how that works.
On May 27, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
Thank you for your posting. We would be happy to help. One of our customer service representatives will contact you for your account information and take care of this for you."
Posted on April 6, 2012, updated May 27, 2012
Gurney's offers great coupons in the spring, which is the only reason I order from them. I've ordered several years in a row, hundreds of dollars of plants and trees. Unfortunately, their quality is deteriorating. They shipped me a baby peach tree this spring that was literally a dead stick, and were supposed to reship me an Asian pear that died last year, but did not. When I called about the pear, they had no record of the order, and the CSR couldn't find my order or the item number of the tree. I had to go onto Gurney's website, while I was on the phone with the CSR, log in, pull up my own order records, and find the information for the guy.
The reason I'm not giving them a negative review is that they are going to re-ship the peach and pear trees for free. But I am not going to order from them any more. After seeing the quality that Stark Bros. ships for the same price, I'm not going to buy the low quality trees again. I guess I've learned a lesson, and that I get what I pay for.
On May 27th, 2012, GardenRiot changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
My experience with Gurney's this year has been so poor that I wonder if it's changed management. The replacement Contender peach that they sent me is skinnier than a pencil, out of 100 strawberry plants that I set (two different varieties) only 60 are growing, out of 10 asparagus plants two came up, and one variety of sweet potatoes came to me so dehydrated that they never perked up, not even when I put one shoot in a vase of water in the house (no sun stress). I also order from other companies and buy locally, so it's not my gardening technique--my other strawberries are looking great, my other asparagus came up 100%, my other sweet potatoes I only lost one plant out of 50. I will never, ever buy from this company again--even if they replace the plants, I've lost a year on my asparagus, the peach is so tiny it won't bear for five or more years, and I can't replace the strawberries until next spring. Gurney's has really set my garden back. Take a look at their feedback--more neutral and negative than positive. This isn't just a few disgruntled customers, this seems to be pervasive. On May 27, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
Thank you for sharing your experience with our company. We apologize for the problems you had but happy to see it is being taken care of. Please consider giving us one more chance to offer you our World Class customer service."
On May 24, 2012, Scotty16 Mechanicsville, VA wrote:
I have several acres of land and decided to start an orchard last year. I went to a local nursery and purchased about 20 very expensive trees. We have apparently lost 8 so far.
That being said I figured I would try the online route. Ordered from Gurneys and am glad I did! Placed order the first week of March and received trees less than two weeks later. The packaging was great, all the roots were still very moist. This was my first bare root purchase, I followed the directions from their website for planting and as of today all the trees are full of leaves and doing great. Here are the items I ordered:
Order Number: 20621713100
Order Date: 03/02/12
ITEMS ORDERED
Qty Ordered Item Number Item Description Delivery Estimate
I was notified when the shipment was sent out. I am very pleased with this purchase!! We will buy more next year. I own a small company myself and I find that for every 100 satisfied customers 1 or 2 will slip through a crack. That being said I am sure this company does a large volume of sales, and sometimes things just go wrong. I say give them a shot.
On May 24, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
On May 23, 2012, plantgnome1 nowhere land, NY (Zone 6b) wrote:
Posted on May 20, 2012, updated May 23, 2012
Posted on October 8, 2011, updated May 20, 2012
I had purchased a dwarf meyers lemon and a lime tree in June and have contacted them three times in the past two months looking for a shipping date. The first answer I got was the usual "the correct shipping time for your planting zone" My second request has gone unanswered and today I sent a third request. As the account number for Guerneys is the same as for both michigan bulb and springhill nursery I know they are affiliated. Hence the lack of customer service and the stupid answer about proper shipping for zone. Well it is now mid october and since these trees (i am sure they will be seedlings) will be overwintered in my house, I would like to receive my order. I can't tell you how tired of the BS answers i get with these companies. This will be the last order I place with Guerneys. I have received every order from the reputable companies all ready. I am sure these reputable companies know what the proper shipping time for my zone is. Evidently guerneys, michigan bulb and springhill choose to ship whenever they feel like. Awful customer service and will probably ship me near dead trees using the slowest shipping methods available. Don't bother with Guerneys-purchase your plants with your hard earned money from one of the top rated companies where you can chose your shipping date.
On May 20th, 2012, plantgnome1 added the following:
I received my sticks ( dwarf meyer lemon & Key lime) plants on October 13 and immediately repotted into a decent sized pot. The lemon tree was about a foot tall or a little less -no branches and a few leaves. The lime looked a little better at least it had branches and more than a few leaves. I put them under grow lights for the required amount of time a day. They did grow a bit. I put them outside when the weather got warm enough. The lime looks pretty good a bit fuller and taller-no flowers or fruit. The lemon is still 1 stick which just keeps getting taller and growing leaves-one little nub of a possible branch. These were seedlings in my honest opinion. I don't expect flowers or fruit for at least another year. I think the good reviews on their website are put there by their employees. Their website should tell you when to expect flowers and fruit, not make it sound like you'll get a bushel full of fruit the first season you plant them. Should have purchased older plants elsewhere.On May 23rd, 2012, plantgnome1 added the following:
After emailing these people for for information on what they shipped me. I finally got the following:
Thank you for your email. Our dwarf citrus trees lemon, lime, fig, and orange are not grafted. We produce these plants from cuttings; therefore, they are on their own roots.
And this info is not on their website description of this plant. Then they decided to add (only in their email to me) THREE years before bearing fruit. They tried to make it look like it was on their web but its not. I am now waiting to here the age of the twigs they sent me. On May 23, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
Thank you for your posting, we appreciate your feedback to improve our services to our customers. A customer service representative will contact you for your account information and check into the delivery of your order.
On May 21, 2012 11:35 AM, Gurney's Seed & Nursery added:
I apologize for the inconvenience. Starter plants, as opposed to larger plants, do the best when being shipped across the country. Large plants are also more likely to suffer from transplant shock. Grown under carefully controlled conditions, Gurneys starter plants do not suffer from transplant shock, are easy to plant and reward you with amazing growth. Within 2 yrs, your starter indoor fruit trees should be the size of the larger plants you may purchase locally. In addition, most local nurseries do not offer a lifetime guarantee"
Among a number of other items, I ordered a packet of Scallop Hybrid Mix Summer Squash from Gurneys. I started the seed early inside and planted 9 of these in my garden. Now I have 8 Zucchini and one Pattypan... I sent a note in to the service department and received no answer. Several weeks ago I did a review on the product and never heard back from them AND the review was never posted. I am posting a negative review per day until they either publish or spank my hands. A week ago, I started responding to every sales email sent to me by Gurneys with a request for help on the item. I did get a "standard reply" from Eddy, but nothing meaningful.
On May 22, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
Thank you for posting. We apologize for the problems you had and we would be happy to help. One of our customer service representatives will contact you for your account information."
flush your money down the commode, and beat your head against the wall. Easier than trying to deal with "Customer Service". Placed on on-line order, site would not accept the coupon for free shipping. So, I e-mailed customer service, received response from "Larry" and "Dave", as well as "Susan" telling me I'd left stuff in my basket. Susan sent me another coupon - used it, and 50% off prices became full price. Called company twice, long distance, hung up due to extended wait times. Called AGAIN, "Customer Service" can take orders, and transfer you to an "immediately available" supervisor - who takes 5 minutes to answer your call, doesn't understand WHY you are frustrated, and hangs up on you. Guess what, Gurney's. Keep your plants, and your coupons, and your Customer Service. I'll pay more to shop elsewhere. I didn't unsubscribe; I just blocked your emails. Catalogs? I recycle at the dump - won't even open them anymore. Do yourself a favor, shop elsewhere.
On May 22, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
We appreciate you taking the time to post. We apologize for the problems you had trying to use your coupon and our service. One of our customer service representatives will contact you for your account information so we can work on getting this corrected. "
On May 21, 2012, June_Mo Carrollton, MO (Zone 5b) wrote:
After months of clicking the unsubscribe link in emails, I've been unable to unsubscribe. I finally set it to go into the spam folder, and I see it's still coming.
On May 21, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
We appreciate your post. We apologize the un-subscribe did not work. One of our customer service representative will contact you for your account information and have this taken care of."
This review compares my experiences ordering from Gurneys and White Flower Farms. (I'll also post this review under White Flower Farms on this website.) I had positive experiences with both companies.
RASPBERRIES
I ordered one raspberry variety from Gurneys, and one from White Flower Farms. The raspberry bush from Gurney's sprouted right away and is doing marvelously. The raspberry bush from White Flower Farm took a few weeks but is beginning to sprout leaves now.
TOMATOES
I wanted to try three different heirloom tomato plants this year and wanted to be able to choose each variety. Gurneys didn't offer such an option so I ordered from White Flower Farms.
Unfortunately the plants arrived about a week before I could plant them (impossible to plan since they just say the plants will be sent at the right time - no specific date), so I followed the instructions on what to do with the plants in the meantime.
Two did just fine and are now flourishing in the garden. One went rapidly downhill while still in its pot and by the time I knelt down to plant it, it literally came apart in my hand. I called the company and asked if I could split the cost of a replacement plant with them since it wasn't their fault I couldn't plant it right away, but they wouldn't hear of it; they sent me a new plant at no charge, and it arrived in perfect shape and is now flourishing in the garden.
TOMATO CAGES
I ordered four strong tomato cages from Gurneys (they only come in sets of two) and though they were quite a bit pricier than your average tomato cage, they're also *quite* a bit sturdier than your average tomato cage. They look great and were worth the extra cost.
TOMATO AND RASPBERRY FOOD
I ordered tomato and raspberry food along with a tomato blossom rot prevention product from Gurneys, and they arrived promptly as did the other items in my order. It's too early to say how they'll perform, though.
SQUASH
I ordered zucchini and summer squash plants from White Flower Farms, and a winter spaghetti squash seed packet from Gurney. (A plant wasn't available.) The zucchini plant arrived broken in a box with other plants that were perfect, and White Flower Farms immediately sent out a replacement free of charge. It and the summer squash are both doing great. The winter squash is also doing great; it germinated and grew faster than I would have thought possible.
YELLOW PEPPER
I ordered a yellow pepper plant from White Flower Farms. It arrived quickly and in perfect condition, and is flourishing in the garden.
SWEET POTATOES
I ordered sweet potato plants from Gurneys. They were the last to arrive of my order but they kept me informed so I wasn't left wondering. Of the 12 plants, a few were quite vigorous and a few were almost dead. I planted them all and so far about 9 appear to be healthy. They haven't been in the ground long, though, so the others could still come back.
HERBS
Here my experience differs between Gurneys and White Flower Farms quite a bit. I wanted to order plants but in many cases they weren't available, and so I had to order seeds instead. This was the case with green onions, too, which I ordered as seeds. These were my orders:
Gurneys:
- French tarragon plant
- Green onion seeds
- Basil seeds
- Dill seeds
White Flower Farms:
- Oregano plant
- Thyme plant
White Flower Farms: the oregano and thyme arrived in perfect condition and are doing great.
Gurneys: my order arrived quickly. The French tarragon plant didn't look all that strong, but I figured once it was in the ground it would perk up. It didn't; instead, it weakened every day until it was dead despite special care and attention. I bought a new tarragon plant at a local nursery to replace it. The seeds were even worse. The basil and dill seeds failed to come up at all, and I planted *many* of the seeds. (And I did follow the instructions!) After 3 weeks I finally dug some of the basil seeds up to see if there was any activity, and there was none. Just dead seeds. Of 12 green onion seeds, only 3 came up. I looked at the packets and there were no dates, so I wonder if I was sent seeds that were years old, especially when I compare how fast the winter squash seeds from Gurneys came up. So, I bought herb plants at a local nursery to replace the Gurneys no-shows.
White Flower Farms herb score: 100%
Gurneys herb score: 0%
That said, I didn't call Gurneys to ask them to replace the plants, as I was at the local nursery with my husband anyway and it was easier and quicker to just buy the plants there. Gurneys may have gladly replaced the plants if it had known of my experience.
Overall my experience was positive and I would order from both companies again. I did feel White Flower Farms had an edge in that I felt like I was dealing with a smaller business and real human beings more so than with Gurneys, and they also had more live plants in the fruits and vegetables I wanted (rather than seeds), but on the plus side, Gurneys offered better specials and they sell some nice extra items like the strong tomato cages.
On May 19, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
On May 15, 2012, Smackeyz Fuquay-Varina, NC wrote:
Posted on May 16, 2012, updated May 16, 2012
Posted on April 26, 2012, updated May 16, 2012
I placed an order for a cherry tree, plum tree, and a dwarf key lime. Received the cherry and plum but the dwarf key lime was back ordered......No problem. Received what was supposed to be my order for the key lime 2 days ago. My box was packed with someone else's order (4) butterfly bushes including their invoice. Of course I immediately sent an email to find out where my key lime is. No response. Sent 2nd email tonight and still waiting for a response. In the meantime, these butterfly bushes are dropping leaves like crazy and I've taken them out of the box and am nurturing them on the back deck. I'll keep everyone informed. I realize mistakes sometimes happen, but it's how Gurney's reacts that will keep my business or not. I'm really hoping I can change my experience to positive.
On May 15th, 2012, Smackeyz changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
I finally received the key lime I ordered. Seems like it took forever, but I finally got it. The plum tree is looking good...the cherry tree is living, but not doing so well. Not sure how they grow, but it took a long time to come out of dormancy which I thought was unusual. We'll see how it grows.....On May 15th, 2012, Smackeyz changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
Oh, and thank you Donna...You are the best!!On May 15, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
Thank you for letting us know. A customer service representative will contact you for your account information and make sure your order is shipped to you. Please keep the butterfly bushes with our compliments."
I am a first time customer of Gurneys, and have been completely satisfied with my experience with them. Specifically, I completed two separate orders, one for flowers/shrub and the other for raspberries/blackberries:
MAY NIGHT SALVIA, BLACK EYED SUSAN, MIXED BEE BALM, MAXIMILLIAN SUNFLOWER, BLUE BUTTERFLY DELPHINIUM AND VARIEGATED WEIGELA.
I received these items in well-packaged boxes, with good instructions on what to do. Some were bare-root, some were in small pots, all were completely healthy. In fact, I have had 100% success with these plants, despite some late frosts in PA. The Weigela plant was stunted by the frost, but I have observed new growth in the last couple of days. Also, the Black-eyed susans have just started growing despite being planted about a month ago. All others have taken root in my soil and are growing quite nicely!
Also ordered HERITAGE RASPBERRY, CAROLINE RASPBERRY (x2), JEWEL RASPBERRY, ARAPAHO BLACKBERRY, OUACHITA BLACKBERRY AND APACHE BALCKBERRY. It took about 5 weeks since I planted them, but they are all showing a break in dormancy with either growth on the cane or root suckers. Again, 100% success with these canes. I followed their directions and also did my own research on how to prepare the soil in order to make sure the plants got off to a good start.
My orders were shipped in a timely manner, and Gurneys sent me emails to update when my orders were shipped. To me, they seem to be a well-run mail order firm that can absolutely be trusted. Thank you Gurneys!
On May 5, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
On May 4, 2012, Nell495 Manassas, VA (Zone 6b) wrote:
The first plant arrived totally dead. I emailed the problem and got a response within a day or two. They said they would send me another. The second shipment arrived and the plant was alive, but full of bugs. I made the mistake of opening the package near my houseplants. Now my houseplants are full of bugs. Sheesh.
Seriously, stay away from Gurney's!
On May 4, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
Thank you for your posting. We apologize for the problem with the plants. A customer service representative will contact you for your account information.
"
I had a decent experience last year ordering seeds, so this year placed an order for both seeds and plants -- a collection of three tomato plants and rhubarb.
The tomato plants arrived in April, even though it was 40 degrees and there were still frost warnings for the Chicago area -- so I have to try to keep them alive and healthy indoors for over a month -- not something I'm really that good at. And to top it off, I paid $12.99 for three of the mangiest, puny tomato plants I have ever seen. I wouldn't buy them at Home Depot for $1. I feel ripped off.
I called the customer service line and was offered no satisfaction. In fact, when I told the customer service person that I was disappointed and would rethink ordering from Gurney's in the future, she said "That's fine" and hung up.
On May 4, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
Thank you for your posting. We apologize for the problem with the plants and for the agent. A customer service representative will contact you for your account information this way we can reship to you."
Gurney's Seed & Nursery is the worst mail order company I've ever dealt with. If I could give it a worse that negative rating I would. It took the plants 10 months from the order date to arrive. All plants arrived wilted, dead or moldy. Had replacement certificates issued. The customer rep told me that there was no shipping charge for replacements. I tried to order new plants and was told that the rep "lied" and ALL plants were charged shipping even if the original plants arrived dead. Company would not honor the replacement guarantee. I told the guy that I expected them to honor what the rep told me regarding shipping, they refused. Next stop-Better Business Bureau where there are TONS of complaints about this company. I'll be adding one more!! BUYER BEWARE-DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY OR ANY OF IT'S AFFILIATES. It goes under many names including Gurney's, Spring Hill Nurseries, Henry Fields, The Garden Store, The Michigan Bulb Company, Breck's Bulbs, Audubon Workshop, Flower of the Month Club, and Gardens Alive--all companies are held under the umbrella company of Scarlet Tanager LLC.
On May 2, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We apologize that the agent did not honor what was agreed upon and for all of the inconvenience. A customer service representative will contact you for you account information and take care of this for you."
Ordered from this company last year successfully and decided to try them again. Was not disappointed, the 4 Indian Pinks I ordered were well packed in the cardboard tubes and looked great. all are planted and doing well (3 days later). My only negative is the length of time for delivery, I ordered in early March and they just arrived here in Tx, almost 2 months later. We had a very warm winter and these could have been in the ground for weeks. Otherwise a very affirmative positive for Gurneys.
On Apr 29, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
Thank you for your posting. We apologize it took so long to receive your order. When shipping our plants we follow the guidelines set up by the USDA and ship at the proper planting time for your zone based on availability,"
Don't get on their e-mail list--I couldn't get off of it. Finally called and talked (?) to their customer service in INDIA who couldn't understand me. I requested to talk to his supervisor who said he would have removed. We'll see.
On Apr 28, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
IWe apologize for the inconvenience. A customer service representative will contact you for your account information and make sure email address had be opted out."
Posted on September 19, 2011, updated April 26, 2012
When I was 10 years old, I used to sell Gurney's seeds. We could order a minimum order of 20 large envelopes of garden seeds to sell to our neighbors and I was able to make enough money to go to the fair. That was 54 years ago, and since then I've always looked forward to getting the seed catalog in the mail. I have ordered many seeds and orchard trees from Gurney's over the years, and I was always pleased with the quality and timing of orders. I have many apple, pear, cherry, peach, and apricot trees from them. I usually get my sweet potatoe plants sent as well, and they arrive in a timely way. They look a bit shabby when they get here, but a day or two in water, and they spring back and can be planted.
More recently, I have had some difficulty trying to buy a Sugar Pearl Apricot. The first year I ordered it, I sent the order in March. I got conformation for the order, and then later was told that they were out of stock, and I was refunded.
The next year, I sent the order in the day after I got the catalog in December. Again, I got a conformation notice in the mail, but later was informed by mail that they were out of stock, and I got refunded again.
Year #3, I sent the order in early again, and the same thing happened as in year one and two. I was so disapointed that I called a service rep, and shared my disapointment. (Since on the cover of the newest catalog sent were Sugar Pearls on sale) The guy from Gurneys was polite, and told me that they were out of stock, and that the catalogs are published long in advance. He said he was sorry for my disappointment, and would send a $5 gift card, which he did. I wasn't able to use it, as it expired long before the next growing season. Later a funny thing happened, I received an empty box from Gurneys. It was the size of the box the tree would have been shipped in. It had all the paper things that come with a tree, but no tree, and a notice that my tree was out of stock! How cost effictive was that? (I learned that Henry Fields and Gurneys are one and the same company.)
Year #4 Against my better judgement, I sent in my order early for the sugar pearl apricot, (I really wanted it!) And Guess what? I got it, along with another plum tree to replace the one that died. I didn't really know about life time guarantee, but I didn't care about that. The Sugar Pearl was very crooked, and mis-shaped, but it has started growing and with some bracing, I'm getting it straitened out.
Now I'm in year # 2 trying to get a TruGold peach tree. Next year will be #3. I do hope I get it while I'm still young enough to care for it and see it produce.
Advice to Gurneys: I think your sales deparment is doing such a great job marketing your products, that your production department can't keep up. It seems that better internal communication between sales and production needs to occur. You can't make money of you don't have the product to sell. I do understand with plants sometimes you have crop failures. But when you market a product as the best thing since sliced bread, and then can't deliver, it makes for very bad customer relations. Just my opinion. I will update this saga next year.
On April 26th, 2012, tveguy changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
Well, after the original posting, I did recieve a reply from customer service on Sept. 25th. They asked me for my order number etc. I responded with their requested information, and I told them that I had been refunded, so they didn't owe me anything at the time. I have yet to get a responce to that e-mail. Then I sent in an order early this spring for some seeds and of course, the Tru Gold peach. I received intermitant e-mails telling me the status of my order, and I remember thinking, well, at least they're communicating. On april 24th I recieved an "out of stock" e-mail. I've copy and pasted it below:
Janesville, WI% %$bill_zip$ship_name$ship_addr1$ship_addr2$ship_city$ship_st$ship_zip$order_item_no$order_item_descforeach "ord_item_count" article "ordered"if brand_num = "1" then includearticle "gasurvey"if brand_num = "2" then includearticle "awsurvey"if brand_num = "4" then includearticle "shsurvey"if brand_num = "5" then includearticle "gusurvey"if brand_num = "6" then includearticle "hfsurvey"if brand_num = "7" then includearticle "brsurvey"if brand_num = "8" then includearticle "mbsurvey"if brand_num = "1" then includearticle "gafooter"if brand_num = "2" then includearticle "awfooter"if brand_num = "4" then includearticle "shfooter"if brand_num = "5" then includearticle "gufooter"if brand_num = "6" then includearticle "hffooter"if brand_num = "7" then includearticle "brfooter"if brand_num = "8" then includearticle "mbfooter"if brand_num = "9" then includearticle "bpfooter"if brand_num = "10" then includearticle "pgfooter"if brand_num = "12" then includearticle "bcfooter"if brand_num = "14" then includearticle "sgfooter"if brand_num = "15" then includearticle "hcfooter"if brand_num = "16" then includearticle "pcfooter"if brand_num = "17" then includearticle "atfooter"if brand_num = "18" then includearticle "iocfooter"if brand_num = "19" then includearticle "spfooter"if brand_num = "21" then includearticle "tsfooter"if brand_num = "24" then includearticle "tmfooter"if brand_num = "25" then includearticle "tcfooter"if brand_num = "29" then includearticle "rshfooter"$brand_cs_phone.
I replied to their e-mail asking them what this was all about, and today, I recieved another e-mail telling me that the tru-gold peach was once again out of stock. This make it 3 years now and still no tree. I think I have figured out the scam! They get to use my money interest free for 6 to 10 months, then send it back, Just think how much money they can use this way interest free! What a scam. I'm seriously considering reporting this to the state's attourney gerneral as a scam. Has anyone out there who has ordered this tree gotten one? I'm sure that they need to send out a few just to keep it from looking like the scam it is. I am finished with Gurneys!On Apr 26, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
Thank you for your posting. We apologize for the problems you have had trying to get the Tru Gold Peach. I will have a customer service representative contact you for your account information and check on the peach tree for you.
Thank you for your post. We checked into this for you and it looks like we had a near total crop failure this year. One of our representatives will contact you for your account information so we can work on sending you one this fall."
Posted on April 26, 2012, updated April 26, 2012
Posted on April 19, 2012, updated April 26, 2012
Posted on April 9, 2012, updated April 19, 2012
I ordered 16 plants and 30+ packets of seeds from Gurney's online in January 2012 after receiving a catalog in the mail with a 50% off coupon attached.
The good:
I am very happy with with the seeds I purchased. All have grown quickly and and have had consistently higher germination rates than the packet indicated.
On the few occasions I have contacted customer service, I have received prompt, professional, and helpful responses. I was especially happy to see that after reporting a problem with the "Check order status" feature on the website, it was fixed soon afterwards.
Most -- about 3/4ths -- of the plants I have received so far have ranged in condition from acceptable to excellent. (I have not yet received two plants I've ordered; one is a tropical that was recently shipped and the other is backordered.) Some that arrived looking quite pathetic (due to severe pruning) have turned out to be viable and vigorous. This is especially true with the dormant raspberry plants I received, all of which were 6" to 12" twigs on arrival but have grown rapidly.
The bad:
Customers have no control over the timing of shipping, although we're assured that plants will be shipped "at the appropriate planting time". The vast majority of my plants arrived at the beginning of March. Technically, I'm in zone 6b, but I live in a remote area on top of a mountain and no one in their right mind here plants anything outside before May 1st. We have frequent frosts in March and early April, usually including at least one hard freeze. I was forced to bring almost a dozen huge pots indoors when we experienced a hard freeze and I had to keep them inside -- taking up a huge amount of room -- until the cold weather had passed. They're back outdoors now but chances are they'lll have to come back in at least once.
When Gurney's says that it has shipped something via UPS Ground, they actually shipped it through the inexpensive UPS "Basic" service where the package is turned over to the post office and the mailman delivers it. This adds at least a day to shipment time because the post office does not deliver these packages until the following business day. It's also highly inconvenient in my case because my mailbox is roughly a mile away from my house and the post office does not deliver packages at all -- I have to pick them up from the post office the next day, adding another day to shipping time. Mostly this bothers me because the statement that most packages were shipped by UPS was a deciding factor in ordering from Gurney's (UPS delivers to my door).
Gurney's doesn't provide as much information about their plants and seeds as I would like to see. For example, they do not state the species of the passion flower they sell and some of the reviews at their website indicate that produces flowers of a different color than those pictured. There is also no indication of what root stock their fruit trees are grafted to.
The ugly:
Earlier I said that about 75% of the plants I received were in acceptable or better condition. The other 25%, well...
A passion flower vine I ordered was shipped in a "bio pot" inside of a cardboard tube. This plant was obviously DOA and had extensive damage despite the outer packaging being in good condition. Whoever packed this particular plant would have had to have been aware of its condition. The biopot was ripped nearly all the way through in two locations and the plant's main stem was broken (inside the intact cardboard tube). As a result, most of the potting soil had spilled out into the main cardboard box, the roots and remaining soil were completely dry and the plant was clearly deceased.
I requested a replacement for this plant and a $0.00 order for a new one was created almost immediately. It hasn't shipped yet but I'm confident that I will receive the replacement.
Unfortunately, it looks like I'll have to request replacements for at least three more plants. I just hope that Gurney's will honor their replacement policy on these and that the replacements will be problem-free.
One of the two maypop (passiflora incarnata) plants I received was in excellent condition when it arrived and has thrived. The other appeared very sickly, with only a few leaves attached, all of which had a "moth-eaten" appearance. Despite considerable TLC, this plant died after about two weeks.
One blueberry plant -- a dwarf Tophat -- appeared to be in reasonably good condition on arrival but rapidly died back and is now deceased after roughly two weeks. The other blueberry plants are doing great.
Of the two grapevines I purchased, one (the seedless Glenora) is thriving and gorgeous. The other, a seedless Concord vine, appears to be diseased or of extremely poor genetic stock. The main stem/trunk is non-viable, the shoots are stunted and thhe leaves are very small, cupped, pale (chlorotic), and dry at the edges.
Suggestions (since Gurney's staff seems to read these reviews):
Please consider offering your customers more control over shipping times and methods. It would be extremely helpful if customers could choose a preferred two-week shipping window (e.g., first half of March, second half of March, first half of April, second half of April, and so on) within your usual shipping schedule. It would also be great if you offered more shipping options, such as allowing customers to pay a bit more to get UPS or FedEx home delivery.
Please provide more information on the plants that you sell. There are numerous passiflora species, but the one you sell as "passion flower" does not indicate which species it is. Nor do your fruit trees indicate the root stock they're grafted to, and in some cases you sell mixed seed packets without specifying the cultivars that are included.
Please implement improved quality control measures. Even in my relatively small order of 16 plants, there has been a huge amount of variation in the condition and packing methods used for the plants I've ordered. Some bareroot stock was shipped out basically dumped into a box with the roots of multiple plants tangled together and only a scant amount of damp shredded paper. Others were clearly packed with great care, wrapped in several layers of cellophane to protect the roots and prevent the damp wood shavings from drying out. Some berry plants were stripped of thorns before shipping; others were not. Some plants were shipped dormant while others (of the same type) were shipped blooming.
On April 19th, 2012, isande changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
I am changing my rating to negative at this time.
I contacted Gurney's via their website email form to request refunds for five plants. I have used the same method to contact Gurney's several times and have always received a prompt reply. This time they have not responded at all after more than a week (possibly more than two weeks).
Yes, I said before that Gurney's customer service is outstanding.... and it is, in my experience, at least until you expect them to stand by their guarantee and provide a refund for dead/defective plants.
I ordered 16 plants.
1 was backordered and has not yet arrived.
2 arrived dead.
4 arrived with severe problems and have failed to recover.
5 arrived with mild - moderate problems and will probably survive but will never be as large, healthy, or productive as the plants I got elsewhere.
4 arrived in good condition and are healthy and thriving.
I doubt I will actually receive a refund. This has been an expensive reminder of why checking reviews before ordering from any vendor is so important.On April 26th, 2012, isande added the following:
Surprise, surprise. I received a D-Mail from a customer service representative offering replacements, refunds, or credit. Of course I requested refunds for the five totally unacceptable plants... and then received a response that she would ship replacements (but only four of five were on her list). Two would ship this month, one in September and one next year.
When I replied and once again stated I had requested REFUNDS and did not want more sickly or dead plants... no response. This is exactly what happened the previous time I contacted them and this is the very reason I changed my review from neutral to negative.
ATTENTION GURNEY'S: I've already replaced the plants with healthy ones purchased elsewhere. I want the REFUND I was promised. I don't want more plants, especially not months or years from now. I want my MONEY BACK -- as your guarantee promises -- and I'll pursue whatever avenues I have to -- starting with the BBB -- until I get it.On April 26th, 2012, isande added the following:
The customer service representative came through with an apology and says that I will receive a refund. The amount she quoted appears correct, so I'm hopeful. I'll update this review once I receive it.On Apr 26, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
Thank you we appreciate you posting your experience with our company. We do offer the lifetime guarantee and anything that does not do well or that you are not satisfied with we will be happy to refund, reship or send a replacement certificate.
We will be happy to refund you or send you replacements whichever you prefer. Our customer service representative will contact you for your account information."
I ordered one Blue Angle Climbing Rose. I usually do my research prior to ordering anything online since I have been ripped off in the past. I was looking for a specific rose which this company had. I read the reviews and I would not have ordered from them do to the ratings, but I really needed this specific rose so I figured I'll order it. Whats the worst that could happen? I would lose 20 bucks. So, I ordered not expecting too much. I ordered on the 16th of April and the rose arrived on the 24th, well packaged and alive. I am very pleased so far with this company. I planted it and I will keep you updated with the progress of its growth. Ordering any type of live plant online is always a crap shoot at best. There are so many things that can go wrong prior to being delivered. The company should always take the extra steps to make sure the plant has the best chance to survive the harsh conditions of being mailed. Thank you for the rose.
On Apr 26, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
Posted on May 28, 2011, updated April 19, 2012
Posted on May 16, 2011, updated May 28, 2011
Posted on May 15, 2011, updated May 16, 2011
This was my first year ordering something from an on-line nursery, and i decided to go with Gurneys. I placed a rather large order ($192) that consisted of many things. all the seeds were shipped/received on time and in good shape as were most of the bare root items i bought. however the 2 chandlers i ordered (item#75479) showed up to early and all leafed out. We had 2 cold nights about 1 week after I got them and they are dead. I also ordered a bunch of raspberries and blackberries and while most are doing well 1 candy red(item#80900) 1 mammoth red(item#80892) and 1 chickasaw blackberry (item#80887) did not survive and are now dead and lifeless(they didn't look all that great even by bare root standards when i got them). I will change this to positive depending on gurneys handling of my situation. i am satisfied 100% with all the other products from gurneys accept my dead plants i got. i waited awhile before posting this to make sure their was going to be no new growth on said dead plants.
On May 16th, 2011, T_Kezar changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following:
i have been contacted by Donna from Gurneys, and have been offered replacements for the few bare rooted plants that didn't do well. Not only was she friendly and professional, but she responded quickly and obviously cares about their reputation. After reading a lot of the reviews i must state that i don't believe they deserve the bad rep they have been given by a lot of the reviewers. I haven not yet gotten the confirmation on the replacement shipment yet but i trust its in good hands. Even if they do make a mistake i know they will go out of their way to fix it. i will update when i get confirmation on the reshipmentOn May 28th, 2011, T_Kezar added the following:
i received the first part of my replacements 4 days ago . was the chickasaw blackberry, while there was almost 0 root on this new blackberry it seems to be doing well. wont know for a few more weeks, but i think she will be good. the rest of my replacement items are out-of-stalk for the summer and i will get them this fall. also the 2 chandlers i planted that came way to early and went threw 2 frosts (with all there leaves already out) have started to throw up new growth from the ground(all stems above ground are dead) . so in all good faith i cannot ask for replacements for the 2 blueberry bushes. I WILL BUY FROM THEM AGAINOn April 19th, 2012, T_Kezar added the following:
everything is green and happy . just got the last 2 red raspberry replacements today and upon their arrival i promptly ordered 30 asparagus crowns (2nd yr heavy) . looking forward to their arrival. im sure gurneys wont disappoint On Apr 19, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
Thank you for your feedback. We will be happy to reship the plants that did not do well for you. A customer service representative will be contacing you for you account informtion."
On Apr 15, 2012, Rhizomes123 Pittsburgh, PA wrote:
I received a catalog in the mail with a coupon on it for $25.00 towards anything in the catalog. I usually throw all of their catalogs in the garbage because of a bad experience that I had with them in the past. Years ago I ordered from them. Weeks passed, months passed and I never got my plants or an email explaining the delay. It was a horrible experience because I have been ordering from Gurney since the mid 1970's. They did apologize (that's all) but I was very, very angry because of missing the beginning of the gardening season. So to get back to my review, since anything that I ordered would be free, I decided to give them another chance. I had nothing to lose. I ordered a Meyer Lemon tree and artichoke seeds. I received the artichoke seeds very quickly and an invoice stating when the Meyer Lemon tree would be shipped (invoice shipping time was around March 12th). The tree was shipped right on time and was in good condition. As i am typing this review, the lemon tree is still healthy and thriving. The artichoke seeds are growing very well and are healthy. Everything was FREE to me like they advertised in the catalog. I have nothing to complain about. Although I am reluctant to place a large order with them, I am satisfied with the service that I got when placing this particular order.
GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE. We started to order Lombardy Poplar with this company, an order of 6 "offers" with 3 plants for offer, then realized we did not know if it was the original italica poplar or not, and it was not clear in the order form that the fulfillment would be 18 trees. So we called up the company and found it to be true - actual order amount was not clear from what the assistant was reading online. Then we learned they were not italica. So we did not go through with the purchase. Same day, we found italica elsewhere and bought them. So imagine our surprise ten days later when our credit card was charged $140 by Gurneys! We had given them no address and had no order confirmation number! There was some glitch in their accounts.
The first person I called tried to haggle me to accept the order! When I mentioned lawyers she put me on hold and then disconnected the call! The next person told me I had to give Gurneys our mailing address, then receive the trees, and only then call back to do the refund. She was very efficient and nice. The third person was really nice as well and issued the refund. We're actually glad we found this company because they do have a terrific inventory and we like the way the matter was resolved. We'going to give them a big order of trees for our farm next autumn.
Posted on March 21, 2012, updated April 12, 2012
My husband and I ordered plants on March 11, 2012. After reading the reviews on this company, we were worried if we made a mistake ordering from Gurney's. It turned out we didn't! We got our first order today - Grape Reliance Pink Seedless and Grape Cayuga. Both of them along with the order of strawberries were scheduled for delivery 03/25/12-04/15/12. And an hour ago we got our grapes. To be honest I didn't expect to see much of the 1-year-old plants. To my surprise I was wrong! The plants look very healthy, with well-developed root system and a few wonderful buds ready to open. We are very, very pleased how quickly we received the plants and how good they look. We requested to ship the strawberries sooner if it is possible before the heat starts. We definitely update our review once we receive our order, but so far, thumbs up to Gurney's!
On April 12th, 2012, gingerandgill added the following:
As promised, we are updating our review. The grapes are doing great and suprised us by clusters of tiny grapes (two on each plant). We are so looking forward to seeing them to ripen! Gurney's did ship the strawberries sooner, we already planted them, just waited for a few days to see how they'll do. Forty-seven out of received fifty are growing beautiful healthy leaves, the three plants looked dead when we received them but we planted them anyway to give them a chance. Sadly, to this day there's no sign of life. But taking into account that only three plants out of fifty didn't make it, is not that bad. In general, we are very happy with the quality, packaging and overall efficiency of the company. We will definitely order from Gurney's again. Thank you, Gurney's! On Apr 12, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
Last year I purchased three twigs which were meant to be a Fragrant Abelia, an Azalea and Butterfly Bush. All these shrubs looked stunted and unhealthy but I decided to give it a try. It wouldn't be the first time a runt has thrived in my garden. They were three inches at the time and now two are roughly 6 inches save the Abelia which is still around 3 inches but happily growing green leaves. I guess that's what you call progress. Anyway they are all odd shaped and barely hanging on to dear life. I have already replaced the Azalea with a hydrangea from White Flower Farm (the Azalea is in a hospice pot) and will replace the BB (also destined for the hospice pot) but will leave the Azalea just for fun to see if its robust enough to grow another inch this year. Just kidding, I'll replace the Azalea as well at some point. I will never purchase anything from this company again. There are too many other nurseries offering healthy robust plants.
Posted on February 14, 2012, updated April 9, 2012
Placed a big order tonight for apple trees, a peach tree, blueberry bushes, a bareroot rose bush, a lilac, a peony, flowers, seeds and a hybrid poplar tree. I'm staying optimistic and will update as things start to arrive!
On April 9th, 2012, amut added the following:
Everything has arrived now. All of the apple trees, the peach and the poplar trees are growing and looking good! The blueberries, lilac and peony just arrived last week and still look pretty much dormant, but I'm following the growing instructions and am positive. The Blue Girl bareroot rose is growing as well. I haven't planted the herbs seeds yet but have no doubt as to their germination. I will definitely order from Gurneys again.On Apr 9, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
I've been buying Gurneys since I was a kid. 35 years ago, they were pretty good, they really suck now though.
They have nice varieties, and really stay on top of that, which is nice. Their catalog is nice. They have nice discounts, although their list prices are so high it brings them down to reasonable. The bad part is, their trees are ALWAYS horrible. They are always seriously defective in one way or another. Normally, they are growing at some bizarre angle that is nearly impossible to correct. You will not get a good tree from them; it's just which shade of suck you're going to get.
On the other hand, some of their varieties are really good, and you can always kill the tree, and graft the scion wood on something else, or bud it on some root stocks.
On Apr 3, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
We appreciate your feedback and we apologize that the tree you received was defective. One of our customer service representatives will contact you for your account information and reship a new tree to you."
BLUEBERRY ELIZABETH
RASPBERRY RED LATHAM 1YR
MIXED FOXGLOVE
SILVER LACE BLACK PRIMROSE
The foxglove did arrive in poor shape. The box was completely smashed and the plant was wilted with terrible looking leaves. They have been in the ground a few weeks and thriving. It was probably a mixture of bad packaging and mishandling.
Everything else arrived in excellent shape with great packaging. This is my first order with gurneys and I will probably order again. Shipping time was average.
On Apr 2, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
We appreciate your feedback, thank you for posting. A customer service representative will contact you to see if you need a new foxglove reshipped. Happy Gardening."
Well where do I start? Gurneys in the past has been a great company to order from but a couple days ago I received my live plants from them, one a arctic beauty male kiwi and a gooseberry bush. Now I understand economically things are tough in the U.S. and I'm a firm believer that quality and volume is the only thing that will hold this country afloat. Today everyone wants to grow their own food and I'm sure nursery and seed companies are gearing up to be busier than ever with the high cost of groceries, but these plants I received were far from fair in their quality for price i paid. I received my 3 inch high hardy kiwi plant in a 1 1/2 inch dried out peat pot. If i saw a 3 inch tall kiwi vine at a nursery with my own eyes with a price tag that said $17, I would walk right past it with a serious laugh! This is what I got and it was so dry the leaves crumbled like dried oregano. My gooseberry plant was 5 inches tall and cost $13, one little twig. I have to say, it was alive though, but still not satisfied! I would rather buy from China if this is the crap we are going to pay for, for some rich guy to sit behind a mail order company desk and give us little cuttings for our dollar! I am really disappointed. Customer service was great though, the lady i spoke with was very friendly and understanding. I should have bigger plants coming and live ones. Hopefully this company will get its quality up to par and start selling plants the real American way with honesty, integrity, and a desire to please customers.
On Mar 30, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
Thank for for letting us know about the problem with your order. We apologize for the problems and we will pass this along to our Quality Control Department. Our Customer Service Department does their best to help our customers. Thank you for the nice compliment. "
On Mar 27, 2012, southerngranny Gruetli-Laager, TN wrote:
Reading all the comments, like one gal stated. Wish I knew of this web-site before I ordered over $200.00 of plants.
Ordering wasn't the problem, it was "out of stock" after the order was placed, money sent. Dealing with Customer Service, not one but at least 5 different reps with different answers to one problem. I requested a swap for 1 product they were out of stock. Same price, plus I already paid shipping, plus customer service stated I needed to send an extra $7.34 for the shipping, which of course like decent person I sent. Now this past week,l I get an invoice with money due. 1st it was for the total amount of the product, now it turns out they want another $3.34 as of yesterday. Yet last week on email I was told this invoice was paid in full!. Go figure! Bogus, scam or just sloppy book-keeping on their part. Certainly hasn't been a good experience for this ole gal. I read somewhere they are customer oriented, will replace product with an upgrade if out of stock? Really? I will not buy any further plants/trees/seeds from this company. I've explained to them, they can send a complete refund plus the shipping, plus the extra $7.34 (They've cashed all my cks) I will send back their plants I graciously swapped . Customer service should reflect the owners, or do they? No more excuses or promises. I've heard them all
On Mar 27, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
We apologize for any problem you had with your order and we appreciate you letting us know. A customer service representative will contact you for your acount information and take care of this for you.
"
On Mar 22, 2012, linus6800 Tellico Plains, TN wrote:
I placed an order of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries with Gurney's. I am happy to say that all of the plants that I received were fresh, healthy, well packaged and sent at the proper time. I am very pleased and will order again from Gurney's in the future.
On Mar 22, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
I bought their 3 dwarf citris plants and the lime tree died. I had no problem with them sending me a replacement...6 months later along with a rose that was on back order. It wouldn't have bothered so much except the fact that the roses were to be "shipped at the proper time for planting". I received 4 at the proper time, but the last one didn't arrive until 2 weeks before Xmas. I live in SLC Utah (ski country) and the proper time for planting is DECEMBER????. The ground is frozen solid!! The rose was not a rose bush. It was no bigger than my dwarf lime tree (about 3 inches tall) and my lime tree died again!! I had no choice but to plant the rose bush in a pot and it has also died. After struggling to keep the lemon alive it has also died. The orange is the only one that has survived. The 4 rose bushes on the original shipment has also survived well, but they were actual bare root bushes, not sticks. It's not a lack of effort or know how. My house looks like a jungle inside because I am very good with plants. The quality of their product is just horrible.
On Mar 8, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
We appreciate you letting us know of the problems you had with your order. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account infomation and see what we can do."
I think it's a good idea to commend work well-done. In addition, since I had a good experience with Gurney, and some folks didn't, I would like to help balance the negative feedback by sharing my own positive experience with this company. It's very simple. I ordered many packages of seeds upon the recommendation of a friend, and I used the $25 coupon. I ordered the seeds, and the seeds arrived in a timely manner and in great condition. I planted the seeds at the appropriate time, and everything went well. I conversed with a representative one time in the process because one of the items I ordered was not available. The person I spoke to was professional and kind. I am honing in on just the right produce to grow in my garden, and many times I find the seeds locally, but I wouldn't hesitate to order from Gurney again.
On Feb 22, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
I spent about $245 with this company. I ordered countless seeds for immediate planting. Their website states that seeds ship immediately which is what I was counting on. After 6 days, nothing has shipped. Now I'm told that the "immediate" shipping on seeds is "if they're in stock". My gosh. How dishonest. At the time I placed my order I should have been told what was in stock or not. I will NEVER do business with Gurney's Again. I believe they are conducting shady and probably illegal business practices by charging my card and misrepresenting to me the "immediate" shipping claim. STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY. ANY COMPANY THAT OFFERS YOU $100 OF ON A $200 ORDER IS UP TO NO GOOD!
On Feb 20, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
Thank you for letting us know about the problem with your order. I apologize for any mis-communication. A customer service representative will contact you for your account information and check on your order for you.
"
I have purchased trees and seeds from Gurney's for about 15 years now. I received items that are representative of the advertisements. The apple, peach, pear, and nectarine trees all have done well and are prolific. I also have several grape vines from Gurney's that have done well have over two inch diameter trunks. I have had a few plants die, and Gurney's always either replaced the plant or offered a credit. There is some delay in addressing returns during the busy part of the season, however, Gurney's responses have kept me aware that they are addressing the issue. The seeds (peanut, squash, beans, cucumber) also have done well and I order these every year, and I supply a local food pantry with fresh vegetables all summer. I have ordered Georgia Jet sweet potato slips for some years now, and Gurney's has often supplied more than my order request assuring a good harvest. I have ordered from other nurseries, but I always check Gurney's first. After some 15 year experience with this nursery, I certainly recommend them as offering a good product and at a good value.
On Feb 4, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
Thank you so much for your wonderful testimonial. We really appreciate hearing from our customers and that you have been a customer for over 15 years, we thank you for letting us be your gardening friend.
"
I have been ordering from Gurneys for 30 years and have always gotten good service. On the few occasions a plant did not survive they shipped a replacement at the proper planting time. It is always important to order early while supplies are good and so they can be shipped at the correct time. I will be ordering from Gurneys for many more years.
On Feb 1, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
On Jan 30, 2012, tidy Lakewood, CO (Zone 5a) wrote:
While I will never order from Gurney (or Field's) again, they did refund most of my money, without being asked. I had ordered and planted Vinca and lilacs which failed to thrive and were non-existent by the following spring. The wild flower seeds grew and even came back the next year. I wrote them just to explain the plants died even though they had been cared for according to directions. They sent a check for partial payment! I wrote again to ask for an explanation. They then sent another check, minus S&H, plus a new seed packet! Odd, since I had specifically complimented them on the seed growth as being different than the plant death! Their customer service people do not read, their plants do not thrive, but they do cut checks.
On Jan 30, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
We appreciate you taking the time to post. We apologize for any problems you may have had. A customer service representative will contact you for your account information."
On Jan 16, 2012, grasshoppaa Cedar Rapids, IA wrote:
I have ordered items more than once from Gurney's. I like the bargain prices. My wife made fun of them, calling the trees "little sticks." However, all my "little sticks" have continued to grow. One of them, a Contender semi dwarf peach tree, died back to about 6 inches the first winter, with only one leaf left alive above the graft. I called Gurney's, they had a record of my purchase still. They offered to replace it, even though I had the tree for a couple of years. They said that they were out of stock for a replacement that year, which was disappointing. However, the tree came roaring back, growing 8 feet in one year. I think the tree must have been listening when I called and didn't want to end up in the yard waste container. My kids all enjoyed the peaches it had this year. It was completely loaded and stands about 12 foot tall after it's third year. They were much better than the variety that I got from the local nursery that died a few years before. Gurney's is a bargain hunter's type of company; it pays to be patient.
On Jan 16, 2012, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
I am quite surprised there are negative remarks about this great company as we have had a great experience.
Husband and I just retired and moved to a new area summer of 2011 (northern New Mexico) we were very excited about the ability to have a very large garden. We ordered approximately $300 of seeds, fruit trees, and plants through several orders.
Late November, I emailed Gurneys with a question regarding one of the peach trees (leafed only 1/2 the way up the trunk - what does it need?). Was not requesting a replacement, just information, but Gruneys immediately replied that a replacement tree will be sent.
Of the approximate 30 different vegetable seeds - only the peas failed to thrive. Then again neighbors recently told us they have never been able to grow peas in our unusually windy area (not to mention the drought of 2011). I mentioned this to Gurneys in the same email with the peach tree question and they immediately sent us seed replacements for the peas. We had so much wonderful produce that I was actually bragging about our summer crop and not worried about the peas. We are always striving to be vegetarian and live over 30 miles from town making it hard to keep fresh vegetables on hand. Gurneys allowed us to have a wonderful crop (we supplied many neighbors with fresh vegetables - great way to make new friends) and allowed an abundance to can and freeze for the winter months. We really appreciate Gurneys!
On Dec 8, 2011, Gurney's Seed & Nursery responded with:
We really appreciate your sharing your gardening experience with our products. Sounds like you had an awesome garden with lots of good fruit and veggies. Any time you need any information on seeds, plants or trees just let us know we have all kinds of information available for our customers."
