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I do not live in the area but was visiting New Jersey and went to the nursery-what a pleasant experience. The staff is very helpful and knowledgeable. Hank took me on a personal tour of his fantastic rhododendron gardens, the largest private collection I have seen in the East. They have one of the best selections of rare plants in the country and cater to the collector. Their plants looked very healthy. I highly recommend them. If you are a collector it is worth a long drive with a big truck to load up with all the goodies you'll find.
Ann at Rare Finds was absolutely fantastic!
I had placed an online order and a couple days later received an e-mail apologizing because the tree was out of stock. I called and spoke to Ann and she stayed on the phone helping me with a new selection that met my criteria then went out and physically checked the inventory. They had it and she gave me a follow-up call and shipped out that same day. I received the tree just a few days later and it was in perfect shape. Rare Finds Nursery went the extra mile for customer service and now days that truly is a rare find!
On Oct 5, 2006, labslug1 Chesterfield, VA (Zone 7a) wrote:
This past summer my first grandchild was born and to celebrate this blessed event my wife and I decided to plant a tree in her honor. Not just any tree but one that had her name; the Magnolia variety 'Elizabeth.' We had some trouble locating the tree but did finally find it at RareFind Nursery. Not having ordered from this nursery in the past I was a little bit apprehensive but I was extremely pleased with how quickly we received shipment and the size and good health of the tree. Elizabeth the tree was planted last week and while not apparently growing as fast as Elizabeth the baby I'm sure that in time the tree will end up taller then my grandaughter. Thanks!!
Quick, personable and thorough email responses to my inquiries; sage advice; incredibly fast shipping; extremely healthy plant material -- what more could one ask for? I have been mail-ordering plant material for years, and put this company at the top of my list of gratifying experiences.
On Sep 26, 2006, rcn48 Lexington, VA (Zone 6a) wrote:
Placed an order in March, 2006 - extremely pleased with the plants I received. Excellent quality and size for the prices. One plant (Caryopteris 'Summer Sorbet') wasn't going to be ready to ship until June and it arrived as promised around the first of June. It's now blooming and is absolutely gorgeous! My only complaint - I wish they would notify you of a shipping date for plants on back order. I had almost forgotten about the Caryopteris being shipped in June (my mistake, not theirs). Fortunately we were around when the plant arrived, a week later we would have been gone for three weeks and come home to find a dead plant! A quick email to notify you of shipping would give them a Postive+++ rating in my book. Would not hesitate to order from them again.
On Jul 10, 2006, Tigernach Charlottesville, VA wrote:
I'd never ordered from this company before, so I was a little hesitant, especially since their prices were rather high; however they were the only place I'd ever see carry rare native species like Sweet Fern and Sand Myrtle. They answered all my questions promptly over email, and after ordering, I recieved my plants within the SAME WEEK. I've never seen delivery that fast. Best of all, their plants had well established rootballs (indicating they were grown, not just dug up) and they were expertly packed. I even ended up with a free minuartia growing with one of the other plants!
Reflectively, the price was absolutely worth it. If they continue to grow other high quality natives then I'll certainly order from them again.
Had a great experience with the vendor. I had planted a row of 'University Helsinki' rhododendrons 2 yrs ago bought at a local nursery. I accidentally got roundup on one of these and it died. The other plants were already 3 ft tall and I could not find a replacement(the nursery did not carry these anymore). After much investigation online, this was the cheapest place for the size of 'University Helsinki" I needed. I recieved my order 3 weeks ago. A beautiful big healthy plant, carefully packaged and in great condition. Amazingly, the exact same size as the established plants I had in ground! I planted it and it is doing great. The leaf buds are elongating and leafing out and I am just very happy with the whole experience I had with this nursery. Would definitely order from again.
On Apr 4, 2006, tobee43 a sub zone 4A in a 6A, NJ (Zone 4a) wrote:
another perfect order! if you have looked every where and can't find it...just call them! instead of having our order shipped we took a two hour drive. well worth it. the staff is helpful and polite. i'm delighted with everything i rec'd from them. will order again and again!
On Mar 1, 2006, clastadhg Monroe, NH (Zone 4b) wrote:
Although I love their catalogue and still enjoy receiving it for its information and nice photos; I know look elsewhere to buy any plants I might be drawn to. In 2002, I ordered four Rhododendron-Capistrano,Bikini Island, schlippenbachi, and Jackson's Robust. The only one to survive was the Rh. schlippenbachii which to this day has not flowered. The other three did not make it to autumn. They appeared diseased, although I was not able to determine the precise cause of death.
On February 5th, 2007, clastadhg added the following:
I did in fact report the sorry state of the plants but they did not offer to replace them. And it was not four years later! , but the same year I received them.On Mar 1, 2006, Rarefind Nursery (Rare Find Nursery) responded with:
"
On Mar 3, 2006 9:58 AM, Rare Find Nursery added:
This is not a fair comment! Lodging a complaint 4 YEARS LATER?? Unfortunately this customer chose plants which are not hardy in his area, although we provide hardiness and cultural information in our catalog and on our website. He did not contact us regarding his dissatisfaction, and waited 4 YEARS to express his unhappiness! If he had called us in 2002 or even 2003, we would have tried to make things right. We make every effort to ensure that our customers are satisfied, and would have gladly worked something out with him. "
On Oct 23, 2005, declfi Fenton, MO (Zone 6b) wrote:
Hank and the gang and Rarefind Nusery are Outstanding. There plants have been strong and healthy (Rhododendrons & azaleas) . You can not go wrong here. Very honest and knowledgeable, with a awesome selection.
we ordered a magnolia tree from rarefind over the phone. the lady that took the order was really glad that the 2005 catalog was out. apparently there was some publishing delay. the people at the nursery waited a little bit longer to ship so the leaves would harden off so the tree was a little late arriving but definitely worth waiting for . really nice tree. i do wish rarefind would update their website. their website still has the 2003 catalog on it. my overall experience with rarefind has been very positive and i will be ordering again from them.
On May 13, 2005, Rarefind Nursery (Rare Find Nursery) responded with:
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On Sep 16, 2005 7:29 AM, Rare Find Nursery added:
You will be happy to know (as we are also!) that our new and much improved website is now online. We are still adding pictures and updating plant listings, but you now can order online. Please visit again! "
On May 6, 2005, AnniesWeePlot Pennsauken, NJ (Zone 6b) wrote:
I first heard of this nursery while doing a web search on Google regarding rhododendrons.
I then visited their 11 acre nursery and display garden last summer and although I couldn't purchase anything at the time, I knew then I would be able to purchase the rare and/or difficult-to-find species I was seeking for my new home and garden.
I grew up the daughter of a horticulturist/arborist and the grandaughter of an arborist and while I don't, myself, have the immense wealth of their combined knowledge, I was taught how to gauge high quality and health in plant species. You'll find both at this nursery.
To say that the staff is knowledgable and helpful, is a gross understatement. And what's more, they're passionate, frank, and surprisingly endearing. I cannot recall a time that I found a nursery that was so welcoming, so well stocked for such rare species, nor display gardens so beautifully natural. If you visit, plan to spend hours so you can take in the display gardens to see the mature habits of a given species. May is ideal to see many of their Rhododenrons.
I made two visits this April 2005, one at the beginning and one at the end of the month. Both experiences were excellent and I went home each time with wonderfully healthy and beautiful species.
On the early April trip there were two gentlemen who had traveled from Washington D.C. specifically to purchase a single rare japanese maple. I saw them when they left... their SUV was packed...
As beautiful and useful their plant catalog is, if you visit in person, be prepared to find an enormous amount of species that aren't listed in the catalog. You'll probably find yourself saying, "Whoa! There's that _fill in the blank_ I've been trying to find!!" and oddly, you too will find yourself driving away with a fully loaded auto and a huge grin on your face. Pack a plastic tarp in your trunk before you go. A large, plastic tarp...
While I can't speak to their shipping, since I purchased my items on-site, I cannot fathom there would be any difference between orders made in-person or by mail in the quality of care and service that one receives.
Best experience I've had... ever... in purchasing plants.
On May 28, 2004, jesup Malvern, PA (Zone 7a) wrote:
I visited there as part of a tour from the Rhododendron Society meeting in King of Prussia (around 45-55 min away). My father is a serious rhododendron/azalea/etc collector and grower, and we both thought they had a great setup and wonderful plants.
I picked up several rhododendrons and a japanese maple (shindeshojo) there. They have a lot of unusual varieties/cultivars, and they have a really nice garden area with larger plants that you can walk around and see how some of these varieties will grow up to be. I saw one rhododendron with a single flower around 5-6" across. They also have a bunch of perennials and japanese maples and other bushes/trees, as well as daylilies. I would have loved another hour or two there.
The owner is very knowledgable about rhododendrons.
Their catalog (printed) is _excellent_, though the number of color plates is limited. My father said it's one of the best-written (and most informative) catalogs he's seen, and my father is a _major_ gardening/plant geek - board of the American Orchid society (and judge), raising unusual rhododendrons/azaleas/laurels for decades, etc.
On April 14th, 2005, jesup added the following:
Hank Schannen (the owner) is a great guy to chat with, and very helpful. Their 2005 catalog is just about to go in the mail (a few months late apparently) with hundreds of new varieties of Rhododendrons (and many other plants). I was quite impressed with the Japanese Maples they had, and they have a wide variety of other unusual species and selections.
Hank managed to get the tissue cultures for "Hoopla" (bicolor very hardy Mehlquist yak hybrid from UConn) when UConn stopped propagating them.
I visited Rare Find nursery yesterday. What a treat! I was given a personal tour by Hank, the owner. He knows his plants and is an expert on Rhododendrons. If you are interested in Rhododendrons, this place is worth a trip from just about anywhere in the U.S. I liked Rare Find because the plants are locally grown in Central New Jersey and because they carry varieties you cannot find in a local nursery. I bought some beautiful Pieris, Rhodendron and, my favorite, Sciadopitys verticillata.
I have dealt with Rarefind nursery for three years and have been extremely pleased with their plant material. Ron, the nursery manager, is very helpful and knowlegeable. The nursery offers plants that are hard to find and this year they went out of their way to supply a plant that they didn't offer for sale. They found the plant, picked it up and shipped it to me. This goes above and beyond what anyone should expect from a nursery. Again, I must stress that the plant material is top quality, good size, packed well for shipping and last but not least they grow. I highly recommend this nursery!
