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I have ordered from Michigan Bulb on a few different occasions. Last fall I ordered blueberry bushes and some flowers. Just as they had stated, it was to late in the fall to plant and the plants arrived here the first week of April. I then ordered more plants this spring, when I didn't receive them after having been shipped I called the customer service number. I spoke with a very nice lady, who took the time to resend the order to me which I received in a very timely manner. The plants were in very good shape. The size is a little small, but I didn't expect them to be to much bigger. If I wanted bigger plants I could have gone to the local garden center and bought them for a lot more money. And any ways, I want to watch my plants grow. I will definitely order again from Michigan Bulb.
On Apr 14, 2009, Random00 Rancho Palos Verdes, CA wrote:
Placed and order with them via phone (03/01/09). Was not told that items were not in stock. 30 days go by so I called back (04/02/09) and found out the items are "estimated" to ship on 05/01/09 to 05/15/09. That's nearly 30-45 days!!!!
On a hunch, called them back to day, and now they are "estimated" to ship 05/20/09-06/06/09 That's 60+ days!!!
If you need/want your plants in SPRING, don't order from them. If you want your plants months later, give them a try.
BTW. When I ordered, they never informed me of the out of stock status/delayed shipping. When the shipping date changed, they never notified me of the change.
If they delay shipment again, I'll come back and update the status.
On April 14th, 2009, Random00 added the following:
I tried to email them from their OWN WEBSITE, and got an email delivery failure....
I feel disappointed for this company, as I spent a lot of time to planted the bulbs in Oct, 08 but a lot of bulbs still not come out.
1. I ordered 20 pcs of Branching Tulips n the quaility is not good cos I only see some leaves but no blooms.
2. I ordered 72 pcs hyacinths grape, around 50 pcs bloom but only bloom once. I also plant some hyacinths from the other company, they all bloom again n again.
3. I ordered 40 pcs Amemones Double, only 3 blooms, they are beautiful. however, I'm not expect only 3 came out from 40 bulbs. So sad!!
4. I also ordered 20 pcs of blazing star liatris but only one blooms n all other dead.
5. 20 pcs Twinkle Toes delayed n I feel angry cos I can't plant all bulbs in the same time. I only got it last month n plant it in the same time. I really want to see the flowers. But I know it will make me disappointed again.
I will not place order to Michigan again, it is not only waste money, the important thing is waste my time n now I need to buy flowers from HomeDepot to replant in the backyard. Otherwise, it looks empty.
On Apr 11, 2009, texasyellowrose Gainesville, GA wrote:
Ordered butterfly garden and phlox from MBC and arrived in March. Carefully replanted each individual plant in PRO mix and water carefully from bottom to prevent drying. Some of the plants had no apparent green but root systems looked healthy. Was unsuccessful in saving these, but called Michigan bulb to see if I needed to return these for replacement. I spoke to the nicest customer service (George) who assured me they did not want my plants back and that they would be replaced, giving me a new order numb er and date for shipping.
I ordered $50 worth of roses for my garden in March. When I received them, I noticed that they were very small-about 3 inches tall. Much smaller than any other rose I've ordered online.
I moved them over to a gallon pot so that the roots would take-no different than I would any other rose I order-and within 3 weeks 4 of the 6 roses had died. It is now April and the remaining two have also died. I've treated those roses no different than the other I received. While those are flourishing, the ones I received from Michigan Bulb did not. I don't want to waste my time calling them to have them send a replacement. I'm honestly disappointed that the time I spent taking care of them was wasted.
i ordered about 100 dollars worth of plants i recieved all but 1 . when my plants arrived they where in good condition healthy and pest free have not planted yet due to weather so hopefully they will due well once in the ground if they flourish i will order from them again if not i will take my buisness elsewhere so i guess time will tell will write back in few weeks with how plants faired once they where planted
On April 12th, 2009, shady_gal added the following:
i planted my plants in some starter beds a few days ago that i can bring in if it gets to cold at night i was surprised to see that they have already started to come up all of the growth seems healthy so far i geuss i hope i can expect the same once they are actually in the ground i ordered 1 colorful shade garden which included 10 perennial lilies 3 lady ferns 3 widows tears 6 lily of the valley and 3 fern leaf bleeding hearts which were all sent bare root and are doing good i also ordered 1 peppermint twist phlox which was supposed to be bare root but instead i got one that was already potted which was fine 1 ghost fern 1 bogo toad lily mix and 1 bogo cinnamon fern all are great the only thing that disappoints me is i also ordered 1 blue and gold toad lily mix which was supposed to arrive when the others did but the shipping has been delayed 3 times i hope it is sent soon i wish to plant it before the heat of summer other than that i will order from them again unless i get bad service or the plants dont live up to what they promise.On April 15th, 2009, shady_gal added the following:
i have more of a question i have ordered from mi bulb i recieve catalogs from springhill and brecks ive noticed that the account number is the same i have never ordered from either company are the companies affliated? if anyone knows could you let me knowOn May 16th, 2009, shady_gal added the following:
i am pleased to say that after planting my plants i recieved from mi bulb that all but 1 which was a lady fern have come up beautifully and are growing strong some have even started to bloom i am pleased with the plants that i have ordered i finally recieved the blue and gold toad lilies that i had been waiting for, for about 3 weeks planted them and they are also doing well i will order from this company again i will also keep my orders small so i will not have to wait weeks for all my plants to arrive hopefully
This is my second experience ordering from Michigan Bulb and I am dissappointed again. You'd think that I would have learned something from my first experience. I am tempted each year by their unique offerings, discounted prices and coupons (we all like a good deal). I pray that next year I come to my senses!!!
To be honest this year was better than last year as the packaging was much better and the plants were healthier. My chief complaint is that everything was so small. The azeleas plants were small twigs and it will be years before they mature. None of the small bushes/cuttings (miniture roses) that I purchase last year survived and I fear the same for the azeleas. Also the bulbs were smaller than the same bulbs purchased locally. It would be nice if the glossy catalogs showed actually items rather than what could happen in the distant future! If you want small, inferior plants and bulbs this would be the company I would highly recommend.
I ordered a lot of BOGO plants. I knew from ordering from other mail order companies that the plants would be small. I was e-mailed when the plants were shipped and they all arrived very well packaged and in good condition. I did lose three of my mini rose bushes and one Blue Fusion geranium. I called the company and talked to a very friendly and helpful customer service person and told them what had happened. They verified that I had ordered these plants and told me that I would shortly receive replacements for these plants. In less than two weeks I was e-mailed that they had been shipped. When I received them they were again well packaged and seemed to be even larger( the rose bushes.) Instead of sending only the one geranium, they sent a package of three like originally sent. All of the rest of my plants have lived and grown great. I have really had a very good experience with Michigan Bulb. I have recommended them to all of my friends for getting good plants at a good price.
2- Shade Gardens $14.99 each
1- Tiger Lily Collection $14.99
I ordered from Michigan Bulb this year but my order has not been shipped. I was very disappointed when I went to track my shipping dates and realized that a "change" had occurred from the last time I had checked (I check weekly).
The two shade gardens are scheduled to ship any day now (we'll see if that happens or if there is a delay) but my tiger lily collection is now pushed back to AFTER May second for shipping, which is irritating, because, for where I want to plant these bulbs (because of their height, I will now either have to delay planting the hundreds of dollars worth of new (shorter) plants I've purchased or save spaces for the taller lilies and attempt to plant them without smashing or damaging my other plants while doing so.
I will be back to update my comment with details and a positive or negative rating as the items are received in April and (because of some bizarre reason) May.
On April 10th, 2009, JMKM1976 changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
I checked my order status again today am agast that in addition to being shipped seperately as I stated above, more delays have been applied to my shipments!
Order Date: 03/10/09
Items Not Shipped:
2 SHADE GARDEN/ 3P
Delivery Estimate: 04/17/09 - 05/01/09 (almost 2 weeks difference from the earliest shipping date from the first porjection given)
1 TIGER LILY COLLECTION (an additional 3 days added to the earliest shipping date
Delivery Estimate: 05/07/09 - 05/28/09
At this point, I would not recommend Michigan Bulbs to anyone though I will hold off giving a negative until I actually see the plants sent though. It's highly unlikely that they will still be dormant (and less susceptible to planting shock) when delivered so LATE!
My shade gardens, if not sent until may, will have a difficult time establishing themselves in the heat in the partial sun location I have chosen and as stated before, planting the tiger lily bulbs will be a challenge. Items such as hostas, bleeding hearts and ferns, in my experience do best if "hardened off" and then given at least 2 weeks of cool weather in their new home to become established. It doesn't appear as if mine will have that chance because of Michigan Bulbs substandard shipping practices.
Of course, my credit card has already been billed, though shipping has not occured!
It'll take some mighty fine plants to turn this into a postive rating though I think, I would rather buy dry (but live) plasitc bagged plants from WalMart than ever buy from Michigan Bulb again.
On April 10th, 2009, JMKM1976 changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
Opps! It's not negative yet!On April 15th, 2009, JMKM1976 added the following:
Big Surprise, more delays and changes from Michigan Bulb. At this rate, my order will be pushed back to next spring!
Order Detail
You may track most shipped packages (depending on the carrier used for delivery) by clicking the corresponding blue "Track Package Here" link below. For any items that have not yet shipped, please use our delivery estimate as a guideline.
this is lifted directly from the order tracking via their web site.On April 17th, 2009, JMKM1976 added the following:
ANOTHER 2 DAYS added to the shipping dates, and I only checked yesterday! I sent MB a mail explaining that I want the items I ordered by May 1 or I will cancel the order entirely. After all, the pink and white bleeding hearts that are part of the shade gardens bloom in May to early June, at the rate they are adding delays, they'll never have a chance before the heat comes to grow at all before they start going "heat dormant", which means they may well die or rot in the ground before the next year. It's kind of hard for a plant to hibernate (and live through it) if it never had a chance to gain sun and soil energy after coming out of dormancy. Photosynthesis is a must for plant life, I suspect a plant that goes many months without completing these cycles will starve and die.
Order Detail
You may track most shipped packages (depending on the carrier used for delivery) by clicking the corresponding blue "Track Package Here" link below. For any items that have not yet shipped, please use our delivery estimate as a guideline.
Order Date: 03/10/09
Order Total: $33.72
Items Not Shipped:
2 SHADE GARDEN/ 3P
Delivery Estimate: 04/24/09 - 05/08/09
1 TIGER LILY COLLECTION
Delivery Estimate: 05/14/09 - 06/04/09
On April 21st, 2009, JMKM1976 changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
I am giving Michigan Bulb a negative. Today, I recieved an email response from them about my order saying that my plants are still "growing to specifications" and will be shipped when they are ready...whatever that is supposed to mean. Either they have what I ordered during the season and planting time needed, or they do not. I guess they don't.
I then checked the shipping dates again, as with EVERY time I have checked, they are further delayed (each day seems to bring abour 2 to 4 additional days of delay!):
I can order the items elsewhere and save myself the bother of dealing with Michigan Bulb though I doubt they handle cancellations any better than they handle shipping items in a timesly manner.
This has to be the single most ridiculous ordeal I have ever experienced with ANY mail order company EVER and I won't squander the few gardening months I have each year on places like MB again!
As the saying goes, one dissatisfied customer will tell ten more and I intend to do just that. My entire family gardens, it's a cultural thing in the area, we're raised to grow food and beauty alike. MB won't be getting any positive word of mouth advertising from me!
On May 1st, 2009, JMKM1976 changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following:
The day after I sent a cancellation request to Michigan Bulb, I recieved an email saying that it would be impossible to cancel my order because it was already packed to ship.
I went to the site and logged in to track and the estimated date of delivery had been changed to 4/47 to 4/29 on both packages. So, I waited.
On 4/29 I recieved the first package containing two shade gardens. ABout the items in the gardens:
1. The Astilbe are big roots compared to some others I have recieved via mail order
2. The White bleeding hearts are fair sized, bot too smal but not exactly advanced in size
3. The varigated hostas aren't the tinest I have ever received via mail order but they are pretty small. I'm hoping they will love their location and thrive despite their size.
4. The bleeding hearts are by far the tinest roots I have ever seen for this species in my entire life! I'll be amazed it they managed to put up more than a stem or two this year.
5. The delphinium roots are also extremely tiny but also very dry. I don't know if they will live but have planted them anyway to see what happens.
Today, 5/1/09 I received the tiger lily collection and as suspected, the bulbs have already broken dormancy and have grown 1 to 3 inch stems already. However, they are good sized bulbs, bigger than the white tiger lilies that I bought at the local nursery.
I'm changing my rating to positive because I am, for the most part, happy with what I received and if it all lives it's a great deal for the money... if it doesn't, there is a lifetime guarantee on everything.
Still, if you want your plants at a specific time, don't deal with Michigan Bulb, it's just not fair to have to fight with a mail order company (and go as far as cancelling the order) to make certain that you get the merchandise in time to plant. It ruins the gardening experience. On June 2nd, 2009, JMKM1976 added the following:
Most of the plants are up in the ground, no sign of the the lady fern, delphinum and some of the tiger lily bulbs. It will probably be years before the bleeding hearts fill their places in the garden. I'll request replacement for whatever hasn't emerged because they have been in the ground for a month and should have shown at least some small sign of life by now.
After the ordeal involved with getting them in the first place, I cringe at the thought of requesting replacements and battling over those as well. BUT, if people do not stand up for themselves then poor sales standards will continue.
I made 3 plant orders from different companies this year (Gurney's, Henry Fields, and Michigan Bulb). I was not expecting much from Michigan Bulb since they were the cheapest out of the three. Michigan Bulb really surprised me because they turned out to be the best value and had, by far, the best quality plants shipped. The live plants healthy and vigorous, they literally looked like I could have picked them up at the local nursery. The missouri primrose was huge. The bareroots were large and in good shape. I used the $20 off coupon and buy-one-get-one-free and for $34.68 plus S&H this is what I received:
I am really impressed with the level of quality I have received from them, will definitely order from them again, but probably not Gurney's or Henry Fields.
I hesitated to order since I'd seen so many negative reviews, but took a chance with the coupon offer. I was very pleased with Michigan Bulb. They stated an email would be sent when my order was shipped - and it was - one week after I placed the order. The bulbs were large, bare root plants in good shape, and the plant (size as stated) budding with still moist soil.
If the plants don't make it through the year, I can only blame it on my own laziness, not through any fault of the supplier.
On Mar 6, 2009, moradventurous Dallas, TX (Zone 8a) wrote:
I have ordered twice from Michigan bulb and had mixed feelings. I ordered two rose bushes, one grew and one did not. I ordered a variety of bulbs. Some grew (glads) and some (most) did not. I can't complain too much, because I've been issued a refund for the plants that did not grow, but next time I'll try somewhere else to avoid the inconvenience.
On Jan 28, 2009, PattyPerrenial Idaho Falls, ID wrote:
I had the best experience with MB. We bought a house two years ago from a very avid gardner. Within a year most of her work had been killed by my black thumb. I decided to turn things around. I read books about gardening and decided to start with some perennials. I orded 6 Rose of Sharon shrubs, 4 hydrangeas, and 2 Pink Parasol Clematis from Michigan Bulb. I was expecting them to come in two weeks. I called when my shipment didn't come and was assurred my order was there and was being shipped according to my areas planting schedule. I was really glad they didn't ship it until the ground was ready for it. I wouldn't have known any better. They all came together, really REALLY well packaged. They were small but the catalog said they would be. I planted them immediately, watered, and nurtured them and in a week or two there was new growth and flowers grew on my Rose of Sharon and Clematis in the first year! I've called with gardening questions and have always been helped and given lots of good tips and advice. I am a dedicated lifelong customer and am looking forward to placing my next order.
I ordered several plants from Michigan Bulb in 2008. Early in the year, probably late spring or early summer, I ordered the dwarf citrus collection - orange, tangerine, lemon, and lime. They arrived promptly and were all lush and green right out of the box. The lemon even had sweetly-scented flowers on it. They are thriving now (January 2009) in a sunny window; the tangerine, lemon, and lime are getting really big. The orange is still really small, but I believe it is root-bound, and I believe this to be my fault due to my lack of experience gardening.
In the fall I ordered a number of flowers for next year's garden - grape hyacinth, tulips, pink daffodils, poppies, hollyhocks, lillies. It all arrived promptly and in the same shipment. I planted right away and after some unseasonably warm weather the grape hyacinth started to sprout. So, the bulbs were definitely viable! Hopefully they will survive until spring.
Spring shipment of plants did very well. Most were a replacement for a fall order that did not do well; probably not enough time for roots to develop before winter. No problems with their guarantee being met. Plants received in healthy condition and grew great! A few plants that were slow to grow were relocated to a different place in my yard where the soil texture and lighting were more likable to the plant; I called customer service to get this info and found them to be very helpful. I ordered hollyhocks, foxglove, a butterfly bush, asiatic lilies and lupines.
I placed an order on 08/04/08 for the "Endless Bloom Perennial Garden", which contained 54 plants. The original ship date started in September and kept being pushed back until mid-October, which is when I actually received the order.
The contents of my order were all there, and very carefully packaged. Each of the "potted" plants (Foxglove, Coral Bells, Mums, etc) were much larger and healthier than I expected. Most had a good 4-5" of green growth, and the Mums had tiny buds on them. I am expecting most of the "bareroot" plants (Daisies, Hollyhocks, etc) to survive the winter, as the majority of them had good root systems, although a couple might not make it, which is to be expected. Out of the 54 plants I received, I would say maybe 3 of them I am not sure if they were dead or alive on arrival. I'll have to wait until Spring to find out!
Overall, I am VERY pleased with this company, and as long as they honor their Lifetime Guarantee, I will continue to order from them for years to come. If you are new to "bareroot" plants, keep in mind they are supposed to look like dead sticks/root systems, as they are shipped in the DORMANT state -- At least give them a chance to grow before rating the company poorly.
The items have been postponed for shipment countless times. The first shipment date was early Sept. Now I am canceling my order because the cold weather will be in WI in 2 weeks and I wanted to plant all of my bulbs at the same time. I am especially worried about the quality of the order as mentioned in several previous comments. I am not willing to wait any longer. I guess you get what you pay for!
I placed an order with Michigan Bulb on 9/27/08 for :
LILY CHECKERED
FRITILLARIA DWARF PURPLE
FERNLEAF BLEEDING HEART
TULIP GREEN MYSTERY FAVORITE
ORANGE CANDLEFLOWER
SEDUM CREEPING RED
LILY TROUT
TULIP VARIEGATED FIRESPRAY
WINTER ACONITE
LILY LOLLIPOP
BLEEDING HEART COLLECTION
I ordered by phone because I wanted to make sure the things I was ordering were in stock. I was using some of them for a themed swap box. I was told that everything was in stock, and that they could put a rush on the order so I would receive them in time to ship my swap box out by the due date. By the end of the weekend, I noticed my order kept being pushed back further and further. I called and was told that everything would ship out within two days except the bleeding heart collection, which was on back order. I was fine with that, since the collection was for me and not part of my box. I received the order as promised and was very excited :) Then disappointed to find that the lollipop lily bulbs were NOT in the box. That was to be my "candy plant" for my swap partner. Called to notify them and the young woman was a little snarky, but said they would ship replacements out quickly. While we were on the phone, I noticed that the bare root fern leaf bleeding heart only had one in the package as opposed to the three it should have had, and that one was extremely dry and brittle. So that was added to my reship as well.
Hopefully I will receive the reship today or tomorrow. The Bleeding Heart collection keeps getting pushed back further and further.
All that said, aside from the fern leaf bleeding heart being very dry and brittle looking, everything else looked good. We'll see in the spring when I should see growth, so I'm reserving full judgment and leaving my rating as Neutral until I see what happens in the spring.
Really a shame that so many have had really bad problems with this company, I remember my Dad and I ordering from them when I was younger with no problems, and they usually added a bonus.
Ordered plants & bulbs 3 months ago and ALL were to be shipped within 2 weeks. I receive PART of the order and the invoice confirms that the balance of the order is to be shipped within a few days. Check back "online" and the balance of the order has been moved a month away, check again later and now it is 2 months away. Finally, after the 3 month wait, I get my order minus one variety. Check back and the variety I didn't get is no longer even showing up on my order, they cancelled it. Go check on this item and it is still available for sale on their web site. Why was this portion of MY order cancelled and why did it take 3 months to get plants that they SAID would be here in 2 weeks?????????
NOT a company I will be doing business with any longer!!!
I have to add my review to those that wish they had read here prior to ordering. I placed my order in early August. I checked the order status 2 days later only to find out my order would not be shipped for 2 months. Everything I had ordered was in season. I promptly sent Michigan Bulb an email canceling my order. Now 2 months later I get a notice that they will be shipping my order. I sent them multiple emails reminding them I had canceled the order. Today I received my box of dead plants. JUST SAY NO! Their customer service is a joke and their plants are even worse.
Although I have had some unfortunate experiences with plants not blooming, I was very pleased by the company's quick and gracious acknowledgment that replacements would be sent.
My luck has been better with their bulbs than with small perennials, such as daisies, balloon flowers and coneflowers--which might be because they ship them in the Fall and perhaps they are not ready to survive winter.
They might do a better job of indicating which bulbs are subject to squirrel and rodent attacks--not just tulip bulbs, but lily bulbs and some others did not produce, I hope because of animals rather than bulb defects.
I ordered a bunch of oriental lilies because the ones that I had ordered from Breck's in the fall didn't all come up and I was hoping to fill in some of the gaps. I also ordered a few hydrangea's and some toad lilies. Well, none of the lilies came up, and I thought that maybe they were just young bulbs, but I called them (because they have a guarantee) and asked. They gentleman told me that if they weren't up, they were probably dead and they are re-shipping them in the spring. They are also reshipping the toad lilies, as they didn't make it. I kind of thought that they might not live when I recieved them, they didn't look very well. I ordered 6 hydrangea's of a few varieties and only one did not make it. They were very small, so I wasn't really surprised to have one die. They are sending the toad lilies now, which has me a little puzzled because they just don't strike me as a plant that you would want to plant right before a northern Michigan winter, but I could be wrong...that's what the guarantee is for, I suppose. I guess you could say that I am not really ecstatic about the product that I have received to date, but they have been really nice about sending out replacements! Hopefully next year I will have a ton of lilies :)
Well, I bought about 25$ from Michigan Bulb and I have mixed feelings. My gladiolus are outstanding but many of the other things didn't even come up. The prices are alright but once you add on the shipping your not getting that great of a deal. I wouldn't reccomend ordering from them. Blooming Bulb seems like a good replacement. I was verrrry happy about there Iris.
For many years almost ( 50 ) I have ordered from Michigan Bulb. In our first home I will never forget the package of very small plants I received I really didn't know that much about gardening and I didn't know if it was worth my time planting them but I did , 13 years later you would not believe the huge Red Maples many Yellow Bells etc. I left there. Everyone had lived . I have ordered off and on from them , last spring for the first time I had 3 plants die so I called them . The young man was very nice and gave me credit right away on my account. I really do recommend this company and plan to order from them again.
I ordered 7 bushes from Michigan Bulb company and two daisy plants. Then I saw all the complaints listed about them. I was VERY surprised when the bushes came. They were in excellent shape and because the company was out of burning bushes they subsituted a potted one. All are alive and thriving.
My daisys were to be shipped later and are to arrive in August.
On Jul 8, 2008, quasymoto Bloomfield, IA (Zone 5b) wrote:
I am going to paste a copy of the email I just sent MB as I had been a very happy customer for years. I heard people talk about their bad experiences with the company and would tell them to give MB another chance.
Yes I had received orders where things were dead, broke or what ever and 1 email and they were replaced. But heres the deal. By complaining or requesting that they replace the items I am now listed as a BAD CUSTOMER because I expected live and prospering plants after I paid for the plants and the S&H.
So BE WARNED, IF YOU WANT LIVE PLANTS.Try someone else.
I am writing as I have been A CUSTOMER for years and I have promoted your company to gardening friends who had a bad experience with the former owners of the company letting them know it's now owned by a new company and they have been Very good to me.
I just called to find out why 2 orders I placed have not been shipped just to find out I have been classified as a bad CUSTOMER as I ask for a replacement in accordance with your guarantee if the plants I order and pay not only for the plant but the shipping too and they arrive dead or broken or just completely fail.
Well theres a fine How do you do... As a reward for posting in online gardening forums such as Daves garden, Gardenhere.org and a few others and attempting to change the way people feel towards you. I get a slap in the face.
So here's what I am going to do. As a senior member of Gardenhere, I am going to post this treatment so others can avoid being labeled Bad because they expect LIVE plants that they spend their hard earned money on. They will be forewarned that yes if you pay and are a returning repeat CUSTOMER You too can be "TAGGED"
Since I am a moderator on the forum and have been a member since the site started newcomers tend to listen to the warnings. And on Dave's Garden, Yes I am going to list you there as well.
Then I am going to Blog about you and on my own website that I get a good amount of traffic for gardening and cooking tips I am going to add you to the black list so others may be wary and know what to expect.
In this day and age you can not treat paying customers like this. I am on a limited income and gardening is a lifeline for me. You just cut part of it off.
So Thanks for the PAST Great customer service and NO THANK'S to the way you treat people.
I hope you can avoid being treated like this.
Quasy...
I placed an order with Michigan Bulb this spring for a four season hedge and a red perennial collection (two for the price of one). I received all the items in early May--all items were present, and they looked as advertised; dormant bareroot, bulbs, and some small plants. I was a little worried about the packing, since they all seem to have been just thrown in a box with some packing, and some of the plant material had spilled out of its packing. However, I planted all items, and other than sporadic watering, pretty much neglected them. 30 days after delivery, there was some activity in all my plants, with the exception of the Rose of Sharon, which still looked like a dead stick. I called Michigan Bulb and explained the situation, and they said that although they could not replace it this year (no longer the correct season for shipping/planting), they'd make a free replacement order to be delivered next Spring. I agreed, and went about my life, including some out-of-town travel. I returned last week from about 10 days away to discover...green leaves and growth on the Rose of Sharon! I have since called and cancelled the replacement order, and am very happy with my plants.
Ordered dragonflower, liriope, hydrangea, veronica, tall phlox & caryopteris August 8, 2007. Invoice date is September 28. Plants arrived end of September & set in prepared garden bed to overwinter. Only things that came up this Spring were dragonflower & veronica. No sign of caryopteris, liriope, hydrangea, or phlox. Prices aren't cheap when the plants die. The liriope & hydrangea were replacement plants for previous order that were DOA. Giving a neutral rating because MB appears to be responsive to customer concerns, stands behind guarantee & does replace the plants. However, it's aggravating to spend time & effort planting & expecting things to grow, then having to pull dead twigs from the ground six months later. Much better quality plants, outstanding customer service & faster shipping from Bluestone Perennials. Will not order from Michigan Bulb again.
On Jun 11, 2008, Kimberwitch Des Plaines, IL wrote:
A year ago we bought our first house with a large yard full of nothing but grass. While being excited about having a "blank canvas" of a garden to work with, I also panicked about what it would cost me. I read many websites and gardening magazines about an affordable way to fill a garden with plants and they all said mail order companies.
I went to the Michigan Bulb Company’s website after seeing an ad in the paper and was thrilled to see their prices for flowers. They were so much cheaper than other companies offering the same plants. I understood that they would be tiny seedlings or bare root, dormant plants, and that my garden may not look full and lush this year, but next year it would look better. It was a trade off I was willing to make for saving money. I ordered about $300 worth of plants.
Every garden center in my town, with all their master gardeners have warned me that this company is horrible and that I should never buy from them. ALL my plants are coming up, and ALL of them are thriving. I put the plants in within a few days of receiving them. I tested my soil and made amendments where necessary and I couldn’t be happier with the results. My husband and I look forward to going out and seeing the growth progress every morning and evening.
I would recommend Michigan Bulb Company to anyone who is willing to be patient with their garden and is looking for an affordable way to landscape.
I rec'd my first shipment today from Michigan Bulb. With all the negative comments I was half tempted to cancel my order. I have to say, this first shipment pleasantly surprised me! I rec'd 6 phlox root systems. They have tender pale green shoots coming off of them and they are moist and tender. The roots appear very hardy. I hope the rest of my order is just as good as this shipment.
On Jun 8, 2008, viktor13 Holly Springs, NC (Zone 7b) wrote:
I have ordered all of my spring and fall bulbs from MB co. and they all came shipped very nicely and all bulbs sprouted withen the first week in the ground. Was a little weary about "real" live plants but ordered some anyway with one of their coupons. Once again, plants arrived very healthy with lots of little baby sprouts allover. They are all doing great. Orders need to be taken around the time your zone allows the plants to be planted for best results. I will continue to order great, healthy plants & bulbs from MB co.! If your undecided from other remarks @ least try their bulbs you won't be dissapointed.
On Jun 7, 2008, cddls1029 Travelers Rest, SC wrote:
in April i ordered 3 black elephant ears and two rose bushes needless to say i was upset when i checked online and they stated my order was not recieved so i called i spoke with a supervisor and she told me she was sorry that my order had been lost and i would have to reorder my flowers, i told her i did not want to be charged twice to my credit card she assured me i wouldn't.
well i recieved my order within two weeks my flowers were very healthy and have sprouted so much since i planted them. i am so excited that each day when i water them i see new growth and i get more excited to know that they are going to be beautiful when they finally get full size.
THEN..... on June 3rd i recieved another package in the mail from michigan bulb i was surprised cause i hadn't ordered anything from them since the first order.....inside i find the same exact order i had already placed and they lost.... i was upset to know that they probablly charged my credit card again so i call...
when i talked to the woman she appoligized for the inconvienence and credited my card back the money and told me to keep the flowers as a gift from them...
now i planted them and they are doing beautifly they are doing so good... i love michigan bulb. i will be a fiathful customer to them for many years to come.
this is my first time owning my home and i bought land to beautify and its great to know that michigan bulb will be there to help make this land come to life.. thanks michigan bulb!
Early in the season I ordered their Waterfall Petunia collection and a Hosta collection. All arrived looking good. After a couple of days I lost 1 of the 12 petunias and a couple of days later another one died. Both phone calls to Michigan Bulb were handled by 2 very polite and friendly agents and both plants were replaced. The hosta are doing well and the petunias are blooming also, and this is after they've already suffered a transplant. I would not hesitate to purchase from Michigan Bulb again.
On Jun 2, 2008, SummerFlowers Indianapolis, IN wrote:
I placed an order with MB on April 22,2008. I have recieved 2 plants out of my order and they were in good condition. It was a month later that I got them. In my box was a list of the things to be shipped the 31st of May thru the 12th of June. I just checked on line again and now they have moved it to the 12th thur the 28th of June. I would just like my order and why do they keep changing it? I do not think that I will be ordering from this company again.
On Jun 2, 2008, tobycat Gettysburg, PA (Zone 6b) wrote:
I have to say I'm surprised to be giving this company a positive rating, but my experience was good. I placed an order to get a specific type of tree peony, and then ordered enough extra to qualify for the coupon. I also was certain to order things that I was pretty certain from years of experience mail ordering plants would survive the stress of shipping and handling and were fast growing (like hosta) because I figured the plants would be small. Everything has done very well except one (of three) tree peonies that was promptly replaced, and the new one has already leafed out nicely. So then I made a second order figuring I was pressing my luck, but recieved enormous roots of geranium and bleeding heart that are doing great. If you need alot of plants and can stand to wait (I have space enough for a nursery garden where I grow things out) consider giving them a try.
Ordered numerous items from MB last year to plant this spring on our new property, formerly a horse pasture. I was anxious to get some significant growth going, but everything I recieved was either half dead or so minuscule I'll be nursing most of them all this winter in a green house before they can survive in a real planting. Got 2 of the "all season shrub collections", and some are doing okay while some show no hope. Ex: Two forsythia bushes arrived as bare 2 foot 'sticks'. One is leafing out just fine but the other shows no signs of life, although they are planted in the same soil mixture and cared for identically. That makes me believe it's not anything I'm doing wrong. Three poplars that are supposed to be fast growing are still the same sticks they sent 6 weeks ago; no sign of buds or life...
They shipped (by regular US mail) 12 tomato plants in a box not half the size of a shoe box, jammed full of packing materials and more advertisement. Crushed and dried out when I got them, and not even four of them show any promise.
I understand the need for occasional substitution, but they sub'd blackberries for the raspberry collection I ordered. They obviously haven't done their homework, because blackberries in Washington State are darn near considered noxious weeds, they're so abundant and aggressive. Customer Service is a huge misnomer with MB, and I won't be ordering anything else from them, ever.
Unfortunately for MB, I'm retired military and tend to warn my decades worth of contacts when I get less than acceptable products or response. Just wish I'd seen this site before I wasted $200...
First, last spring......i ordered black & blue violas. they arrived weak, nearly dead...........i planted them, they died. I called & they were able to replace the black violas but not the blue because they weren't expecting to receive anymore, BUT they gave me a voucher for the remainder of the balance. Okay, that's fair.
This spring..........i receive my black violas, again very weak, again after planting them 2 of the 12 survived & barely at that.
So I have my voucher, which I can only use through mail order. Fine. I figure, live plants are obviously a problem with them, so I will order bulbs with my voucher.
So I look through their site & mag, and place my mail order.... Peonies & Double Anemones.
I get an email stating they received my order & it's being process. Cool. It's going quicker than I thought. I am pleased......UNTIL I go check the order status online.
Order reads:
Double Anemones
ship date OCTOBER
No mention of the Peonies or why the anemones are being shipped so late when the company ships until mid-June.
So I email them..........and surprise, get nothing but an automated response. They never personally responded.
So I called, long distance, to get an automated system (which i don't remember last year). Either I got disconnected or I pushed the wrong button, either way, I had to call long distance again.
This time I was put through to RICHARD. He speaks as if he could careless about what I am talking about. Very dull & then immediately on the defense when I ask him about the order.
I ask him why the order is being postponed until October & what happened to the rest of the order. He tells me they didn't have the Peonies in stock & the Anemones won't be available until Fall Shipments.
I try to find out why this was so hard to relate that to me & don't get a clear answer. So I ask to cancel the order.
I tell Richard, "I have either received dead plants, dying plants or delayed shipments and no or poor responses. So just cancel the order, I will go elsewhere."
He gets puffy & says "It's cancelled." and then just sits there. So I say thank you & hang up.
Then check the status to make sure it was cancelled & I have been keeping an eye on my credit card to make sure no charges are being made. For some reason I am very untrusting of this company and Richard.
I have NEVER had such bad customer service from a company. I will never be ordering through them again!!
It's not hard to let your customers know what is going on without giving attitude about it!!
On May 21, 2008, Calliandra13 Wrightwood, CA wrote:
I was concerned about my order since it hadn't arrived in the time specified and the tracking information was showing confusing information.
I sent three emails nothing more than an automated response. Even their on site customer service messages weren't going through and they told me to call another number that wasn't listed on their site. The phone calls to customer service ( both numbers) were both frustrating and expensive since they do not have a toll free number. I only got a live person by saying I wanted to place an order. Not sure the live person was better than automated response. It took eleven days from shipping to delivery. Plants are in bad shape. I will put them in my urgent care nursery and see what happens. In any case, I will not be calling, emailing or asking for replacements. Life's too short. There are so many other nurseries to buy plants from....
I placed two orders with MB towards the end of March. One order had about a dozen plants the other about 7 or 8. The plants arrived and they were small plants but they were shipped nicely and were healthy and all them have grown and some even flowered since being planted. I was not expecting larger plants and used their $20 off a $40 purchase offer so for the money, the plants were decent. The only issue I had with them is they shipped the plants way too early to actually plant outside but luckily I have the space to nurse them indoors.
