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I ordered from this company for 3 years , until they filed for bankruptcy, everything I ordered was sent on time , packed well & did very well! I had no idea they were back in bussiness until finding this site, I have been checking the ratings of catalogs I have gotten & all of them have bad ratings , I will try this company (Michigan bulb) again! Thanks
I've ordered live plants from this company twice and had good results with quick shipping at the correct planting time. I've dealt with customer service twice amending an order and checking on ship date and was handled great both times. I wasn't aware of their past problems, but my experience has been very positive and they'll get more of my business. And you can't beat the prices.
On Jan 22, 2003, desertmonkey plainview, TX (Zone 7a) wrote:
I have ordered on occasion, and some things have died due to my own negligence. I requested replacements 2 years later, not knowing that a bankruptcy had occured. I recieved a gift certificate that was equal to what I bought. I think their plants are what you pay for, but then I don't like to pay regular nursery prices.
On Jun 6, 2002, SandyLyn Swartz Creek, MI (Zone 5b) wrote:
I placed a huge order with this company in late April 2002. The first shipment I received was the rose bushes and vine I had ordered, all of which were received in great condition. They have begun to sprout already. The bulk of my order was backordered. My only complaint is that you have to call them frequently to get a status on your order and when shipment is expected. I wouldn't have known that most things were backordered if I hadn't called them. But the rest of the entire order has now been received, and again, everything looks very healthy and was packaged superbly. I do think the new owners of this company are trying hard to win back trust from their customers. I would definately order from them again.
In early April I placed an order from Michigan Bulbs. A few weeks later I stumbled across this website and read all the horror stories...boy did I get worried.
Anyways, a week after Mother's Day (perfect planting time for me) I got the first bunch of plants... bare root roses. The roses were packaged well enough and looked healthy. By now they are already prospering.
Yesterday I received the rest of my order: several live plants, grasses, flowers, and vegetables. They were packed *superbly* and all look alive and very healthy.
And one other bonus, Michigan Bulb only billed my credit card for what I had received, even though my order had to be broken up for different planting times. In fact, in both situations I received the plants before being billed...so their arrival totally suprised me.
I have no idea who took over Michigan Bulb, but I really like the results so far.
I really am shocked at all the negative about this co. I ordered flowers, bulbs, and plants. I NEVER had a problem. If you follow the directions on how to plant and care for the products you would have had no problem.
Excellent results with bulbs. All bulbs, including the little "freebies" you get. Gorgeous Asiatic lilies have bloomed for me for 4 or 5 years. One time they substituted seeds for bulb order, and I had the best scatter garden ever. Some wallflowers have naturalized.
Plants? Roses? terrible results, but I never attempted to get money back or a new shipment. I am not going to order plants or roses again from any catalogue company, because I have good local sources.
I believe from all that I've seen, I am the only person that LOVED Michigan Bulb Company. If they ARE gone, I'll be devastated! I have been a gardener for over 30 years now, as a Military spouse, I always planted something everywhere we lived. Most of my plantings came from them, and I have always had good results! My neighbors would frequently ask me why I was planting dead "twigs". I had the last laugh when my Rose of Sharon, walls of China, bleeding hearts, Angel trumpets, and many others over the years bloomed profusely! I am now looking for a similar source but have had no luck. We have just bought our retirement home, and the yard is empty, and I had eagerly anticipated the catalog in the mail so I could start shopping.
Regarding plants from Michigan Bulb, I ordered butterfly plants in the spring 2001; they were small and looked bad. Once in the ground and a daily watering they look great, have grown like a weed and have bloomed 3 or 4 times since planting.
I ordered roses and pampas grass this spring. I would like to say that I have beautiful roses and they are still blooming like mad. The free 54 bulbs that I received for ordering online have yielded some of the most beautiful flowers in the neighborhood. I am very satisfied with my order, and my reorders. When one of my grasses arrived dead they sent 6 more, when I checked my email later, I found they had also refunded my money.
I have not had any problems with Michigan Bulb or Springhill until last year (2000). My Iris order was never received but it was paid in full. I had the promise of another delivery this fall/September. Guess it won't happen now. So sorry these things happen to established companies because of some other buying them and not knowing how to retain a business. I miss the catalogs and will enjoy any that come my way from which I can order.
I normally do not deal with mail order nurseries as I know that the samples are small and cost about the same as larger plants one can get locally at about the same price. Several years ago I made an exception and ordered something from Michigan Bulb. What a disaster - nearly all was rotted and mushy. However, the "free" Astilbe bulbs (I think) sat around for months before I just stuck them in the ground to see what would happen. Lo and behold, they grew into beautiful plants that we enjoyed for years.
I have been a Michigan Bulb customer for 5 years now and have had nothing but great success. I ordered 23 roses (different varieties) this spring and every single one of them have not only lived but are blooming and beautiful. When you get them they look like they are nothing but stem but always have I had success if I follow there instructions. I have also ordered fruit trees, lilacs, and trumpet vines and all are alive although they did not bloom this year. With Michigan bulb you also get the plants when it's the best time to plant and it usually is staggered to make it easier to plant immediately. If Michigan Bulb does stay around it is the only mail order company I will be using after my other experiences.
I have never had a problem with them. Most of the plants I ordered have survived well, and those that did not Michigan Bulb replaced, once I let them know that they did not survive. I am very happy with Michigan Bulb Company.
I got my order from Michigan bulb in spurts. I was only charged for the items as they were shipped. They arrived looking healthy. The plants I ordered from Michigan Bulb are thriving in my yard.
Back in March 2001, I placed 2 surprise orders, at the same time, for my husband. One was from Michigan Bulb (~$95) My husband started receiving the shipment from the Michigan Bulb Co. in mid-April. The shipment arrived in excellent conditions and properly labeled. We are quite satisfied customers and look forward to future ordering!
I have made several purchases from MBC and with the exception of a couple of Lombardy Poplars, have had excellent luck. The "Wall of China" bushes I ordered are an ideal privacy fence and I have received many complements on their beauty as well. I stumbled onto your website looking for theirs as i am looking to purchase more bushes for another privacy fence. It's a shame to lose a good, cheap garden supplier.
Michigan Bulb offered a bulb basket for tulips that was the only answer to the mole/vole problem we have here in Southern Virginia, and I will sadly miss the availability of those products!
I have been gardening with Michigan Bulb for over 10 years now. Yes once in a while you get a plant that looks very sickly on arrival, and may not make it no matter what you do, but they stick by their guarantee even 3 years later, and replace it. What does not grow to my satisfaction I send a letter and get replaced. This beats spending $5-$10 more on a nursery item that has the same chance of dying, and winding up paying for it again the next year. A whole lot of patience is required. Be sure to save your invoices helps to have the numbers handy as well as remember what you ordered, and what did not come up, or for that matter grow. My advice buy small get their free bulbs they offer occasionally and build up, I like their buy 1 get the next for a penny offer or their double for the money.
I have been ordering from them for over 25 years. Yes, some things didn't do well, but some things I have ordered from other companies, didn't do very well, either. I have a flowerbed right now that is popping up their bulbs and things all over the place. They have always replaced (very generously) any thing that I have had a problem with. They say in the catalogues that the things you get will not look like the pictures because they are dormant. What more do you actually expect?
I placed my first order with Michigan Bulb on March 23, 2001. I ordered the Patio Strawberry, Patio Blueberry, Miniature Citrus Collection (lemon, orange, and tangerine trees), Apple Tower, and Hanging Tomato plants. My purchase also made me eligible for 54 free bulbs. I received the strawberry plants and bulbs on April 6, 2001, exactly two weeks after I placed the order. Today, April 10, 2001, I received the blueberry plant and citrus trees. I am very happy with the service I have received so far. The strawberry plants have almost doubled in size in less than a week, and the rest of the plants arrived looking healthy. Am I concerned that I haven't received the apple and tomato plants yet? No. I was told by a customer service representative that it could take four to six weeks to receive everything, and after just 18 days later, I'm only waiting for two of the seven plants I ordered. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I'd have no problem ordering from them again next season.
I started ordering from MBC about 4 years ago and the orders were mostly roses. The roses I received at the beginning appeared to be dead and looked like sticks, but I planted them anyway, and I am still enjoying the roses thatthese "sticks" produce. I have lost some roses during the very hot months that were in the triple digits. When I did lose the roses, I wrote a letter and received the replacements and/or certificates fairly prompt. I may have lost a little bit on shipping and handling costs, but looking at what I originally paid for their roses and what I received in replacements or certificates, I feel is equitable.There are other plants that I ordered from MBC that didn't do well and I either received replacements or certificates. Honestly, I can't complain in these circumstances. If I were to purchase these plants through a local nursery and they died, the consumer is just basically out of the money. So, at least Michigan Bulb Company did give me my money back or replacements - to me that is fair. As long as Michigan Bulb Company is good to me on their guarantee policy, I will be a loyal customer.
This is not the same company I dealt with late 2000. I never had any problems with a complaint - I always got credit, even when I got asubstitution for tulips and I just wanted to know the colors because I had planted my flowerbeds with color schemes in mind.They just credited me for the substitution and I kept the tulips and put them where it didn't matter what color. Now I realize the proof is in the pudding. Spring may bring me many surprises. And if I am not delighted, I shall scream indeed. I have diagrams of what I planted, where, and what color. I have all my receipts and so when things start popping up I will know what is not right. At this point I am very satisfied with MBC.
I just wanted to say that I have purchased from MBC through the mail many times in the past and I have never been dissatisfied. In fact, one year I made about a two hundred dollar purchase. The plants, shrubs and trees started to come in and I put them on our deck. We had just bought a lab puppy and had let the dog out to play. The puppy got into all of my products and destroyed them. Only two were saved and were good enough to plant. The next day, not really believing that I would get a refund, I called MBC and told them what had happened. She asked for my order number, laughed and told me some stories that she had heard, and that was it.I promptly started to get what plants that I could at that late day, I also received a full refund for the plants that were too late to send to me. I live in Alaska. I don't mind buying from MBC, and I will always buy from them. One of the two plants didn't make it over the winter, I told MBC and I got a new one the following year, with an extra one to boot. I love shopping with them, and will continue to recommend them to my family and friends.
I've been dealing with this company for more than seven years and I have NEVER had any problems with them. I've even returned 3 year old plants (roses) that weren't producing and they were replaced! I read the other comments and was quite surprised. My neighbor and I have no problems to report about this company.
Thus far my experiences with MBC have been good. Many years ago I ordered some Poplar trees from them. They came in as sticks but grew well. As the years went by I lost two or three and MBC replaced them without question. Last year I ordered 30 China Wall hedges. Again I received sticks but followed the directions to the letter. I lost three but MBC replaced them without question. All are doing well and some are over six feet tall in only the second season. Count me one of the lucky ones.
My very first order was for about $70.00 worth of plants. Many of them were dead on arrival or did not survive the first year; however, the hybrid poplars and the Chinese wall hedge did great and are still growing strong (some plants are 5 ft tall already). Michigan Bulb sent replacement vouchers for the plants that did not survive and I intend to use them this year. I have had good luck both contacting thecompany and getting results.
I have been ordering from Michigan Bulb for over three years. Most of what I order are bulbs, but I have also ordered perennials. In only one instance have I had plants die. I contacted Michigan Bulb, they sent a replacement for one of the plants and sent me a credit for the other that was no longer in season. They also sentme a letter of apology along with a $5 coupon for my trouble. My replacements arrived in good shape and have grown very well. This took approximately two weeks.I rarely order ANYTHING through the mail other than bulbs and native, hardy types of perennials. I would no more order a rose bush via mail-order than I would groceries. Some plants must be seen and inspected first hand by their very nature. I hope Michigan Bulb looks into these problems and tries to find a way to resolve them. Their service, product and prices are something I would miss.
I ordered from Michigan Bulb then saw this page and cancelled my order with no problem. They sent me several flowers anyways, because they could not stop shipment in time for free. All have done well too my suprise. Doesn't anyone have anything good to say about this company? If you need a catalog or contact look at their website and email customer service. I had no problem with a quick response.
My own personal experience with ordering from Michigan Bulb was fine. If you receive something in the mail and it doesn't look good, make a phone call, they will resend it. Everything that I have planted, has grown and looks great.
I was truly shocked to see there had been problems with Michigan Bulb. I have done business with them for the past five years with no problems whatever.
I have had no problems from Michigan Bulb. I have used them for several orders of about 3000 plants will replace any and all problems you report wonderful. Plants and bulbs in good condition.
I have one thing to say about this company: who the heck taught them how to pack plants? No wonder there are so many complaints about dead and dying orders!I ordered 10 mosquito plants and 1 butterfly bush from them. They arrived at my house -- along with a mysterious "free surprise gift" that looks somewhat like a rose bush -- in a 6" wide 1 1/2' high box -- via UPS. The box was throroughly taped shut, had no air holes and there was nothing on the box that said "this side up" or any real indication that there was a top or bottom to it.Everything was packaged within cardboard holders. The butterfly bush and the "gift" were standing upright and in reasonable condition. The mosquito plants were all jammed in the box tightly ON THEIR SIDES -- I couldn't get them out in one piece and three were destroyed. The plants had a "moldy" odor (no, not the citronella fragrance, this was definitely mold) and dirt was all over the box. All of the mosquito plants were BADLY damaged and twowere dead.In summary: that was the first and last order I'll place with Michigan Bulb. I'm not going to bother demanding a refund on the mosquito plants and I don't much care for the indifference and lack of respect they show for their plants. I'll be contacting them to demand that they cease sending me catalogs and to take me off their mailing list.
I have ordered several hundred dollars worth of roses and shrubs. All of which are coming along very well. My only regret was ordering too early, after a few weeks of planting they sent a catalog at half the price. I will know better next year.
I ordered from them for the first time and so far so great. My order was on time and what I asked for, my 'Nearly Black' rose is incredible - it took off as soon as it hit the soil, and after only a month it's blooming. I live in zone 9; we have a strange growing season that nobody really understands, I believe I should have gotten my plants and bulbs a lot sooner then their policy, but climates are different. Then only real problem I had was my strazzberry and strawberry's kicked as soon as they hit the soil but come to find out the soil I was using was way too rich and the sun was way too hot for them at the time…The problems I had were caused by my ignorance. My husband made me call them to get them replaced (he loves the lifetime guarantee) and they didn't hold it against me at all; boy was I surprised when they told me my replacements would be here in 3 weeks. The lady was very knowledgeable and told me how to rectify the problems I was having she even told me that if it happens again I could either change to something different or could continue to try again. I'm sorry everyone else seems to be having a problem but I know in my heart that I will never change my mail order company.P.S. The peacock orchids that were my freebie aren't in the ground but the roots are growing out of the bag.
I am writing in response to the complaints about Michigan Bulb Co. and I think good things should also be heard, seems how people always hear about the bad in a situation. After reading all the feedback, I was a little nervous that I would become one of the angry customers and writing to complain, but the next day I received my order. I thoroughly went through the bulbs and they looked just like the ones I bought from Lowe's two days ago. I know how it is to be a budget gardener and that's why I decided to order from Michigan Bulb Co., they provide hope to people who can't or won't spend hundreds of dollars on flowers. I am a satisfied customer and I will order from them in the future. Good luck to people who aren't satisfied, I'm sure you'llhave a problem or two with any company you order from!
My father, uncle, and brother, as well as myself, have all mail ordered numerous times over the past two decades, from the Michigan Bulb company. Most of the stock received did flourish. Any that did not, was returned for replacement. Gooseberry bushes were the only item I ever had trouble with, being that we purchased a single 'set' and it did not take to our clay soil for the first two seasons. Afterwards, it thrived! Patience paid off. Their shrubs, bulbs, and fruit-bearing trees were ordered by the rest of my family and did well in their varied parts of the South East sector of the state.
Michigan bulb company in my opinion has always treated me good. On placed orders I got exactly what was ordered except for one time in which the substitution was better. I also had a couple of bad seedlings delivered, which were replaced.On stuff that wasn't growing or out of stock I received a full credit no questions. I have ordered through them for two years and am very satisfied.
