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I recently ordered from this company for the first time.The plants I received were beautiful, robust and much larger than expected. There were several communications back and forth because part of my order was out of stock and I must say it was more like dealing with "family," than the usual mailorder nursery. This is my "new favorite" source for plant material.
Have ordered from them this past spring(actually summertime) for the first order. I was completely amazed at the packing- using netting with paper.So little dirt was transferred to the paper that I could recycle about 95% of the paper. This is a first. Most all the plants are doing well. The few that did not make it was in part to our hot weather (unusual for us)and the pkg arrived several days before I returned from a vacation (they were aware of this). They replaced the ones they had in stock -with my blessings even though they were not always the same plant-. They did not have those in stock and would not for the fall shipment. I was pleased with how well they handled customer service and will for sure order from them again and again. Their plants are growing like crazy. Very happy customer.
On October 5th, 2009, Bubba33 added the following:
The first round of plants were in the ground on 6 July, during our very hotand no rain. Needless to say, these plants grew by leaps and bounds. The :Lamium I ordered has grown up to three feet, the Verbena is over 2 feet wide. Most of the other plants aare at least the size you would find in gallon pots. All I can say is that if this company has what I want, I will get it from them. They are the best!!!
this was the first time I have ordered from them. I ordered on Monday and received it on Wed. Great pkg and healthy looking plants. 1 of the guaras I ordered even had a tiny bud on it. Will order from them again!
On Sep 29, 2009, RollingPlains Chillicothe, TX wrote:
Everything arrived beautifully--thank you so much. I like doing business with your company. You have good plants, good prices and good service policies. I'll be back in the Spring
I recently received 35 plants that I orered from Santa Rosa's Fall sale. Awesome prices but even more awesome plants. Being on sale does not obviously have a bearing on quality!! These arrived quickly, well packed, and in fantastic condition. I have ordered from them before and received exactly the same service. Plus they stand behind their plants! I enjoy their fantastic selection especially the ornamental grasses. So many to choose from!! This company will have my business for years to come. I have let all of my gardening friends know about them!!
Just received an order of 30+ plants, most of them much larger than expected. Although some were pot-bound, all seem to be healthy and doing well so far. Prices can't be beat. I'm looking forward to placing my next order with Santa Rosa in the spring!
On Sep 26, 2009, tajataja Lake City, FL (Zone 8a) wrote:
I just received my order from Santa Rosa. WOW! The plants were so big, packed very carefully and they even gave me extras!! This is the second time I have ordered from them, and so far their are the best.
On Sep 24, 2009, teacup754 College Station, TX (Zone 8b) wrote:
I couldn't believe the excellent quality and size of the plants that I received! Shipping was phenomenal. The netting they use keeps the plants,pots and soil together, then everything is well wrapped and insulated in paper. I'll definitely be back!
On Sep 18, 2009, frecklesr Nacogdoches, TX (Zone 8b) wrote:
Wow! Truly thrilled with the size and health of the plants I received. Absolutely, the best packaging I've ever received with plants. Add to that....the PRICES...to die for!
Turned in another order the very next day. Santa Rosa Gardens has been added to my favorites list!
In the period of about three months, I have ordered around 60 plants from Santa Rosa Gardens. I have also ordered plants from other gardens during this time. To say that Santa Rosa Gardens has been consistently better than the other sources is an understatement. The plants were all well-packed and well-watered and healthy when they arrived. I had my doubts when I saw the condition of one box – damaged from shipping, but when I opened even the most dubious looking box, I was pleasantly surprised to see all the plants alive and un-damaged. The packaging and condition of the plants has been unsurpassed this season from any other supplier.
I must also thank the friendly staff. I was contacted about a mix-up on one of my orders before I even knew something happened. The situation was handled swiftly and professionally, and encouraged my continued patronage.
Good job, Santa Rosa Gardens!
See you next year. I can’t wait to see your new selection of plants.
On Sep 18, 2009, Btrflylady Hico, TX (Zone 8a) wrote:
The staff is so nice when you call for help and the assortment of plants is wonderful. Their packaging is the best I have ever seen and plants arrive on time as requested. I am definitely a repeat customer.
My experiences with Santa Rosa Gardens rates among my top experiences with any mail-order nursery. I received over 100 plants within 1 week of ordering, all very nicely and professionally packed, plants were very healthy and received in good shape with no wilting, despite 100+ temps outside. Prices were far better than anyone else on the web. I even had a little trouble with the checkout and was well compensated for this. So, from customer service, ordering, plant size, to delivery, I am extremely pleased with this company and would highly recommend them. A++ Thanks Santa Rosa! I'll be back!
On Sep 8, 2009, seawatch888 San Diego-ScrippsR, CA (Zone 10a) wrote:
I purchased some perennials from Santa Rosa Gardens--not only were they well wrapped but also received in very good health considering how far they were shipped. They arrived in a timely manner and were larger than expected.
Sept 2 WOW what an unbelievable sale !!!!! Received my plants in perfect condition--just as fresh and happy as can be. Their packaging is so clever and effective. But, most of all, their customer service cannot be beaten. Dina is incredible !!!!!
On Aug 16, 2009, BJames1 Elizabeth City, NC wrote:
I love this company. Santa Rosa Gardens is great all-around: superb customer service, high quality plants, great shipping rates, guaranteed live-on-arrival, a wide assortment of varieties (especially grasses), and friendly and quick customer service. I have done business with them for several years and I look forward to ordering from them in the future. Actually, I can't wait!
On Jul 30, 2009, ueberwinden Florence, KY (Zone 6a) wrote:
Order 30535 was my first experience with Santa Rosa Gardens. I ordered a Carex Buchananii Leatherleaf, a Cordyline Bangkok, and a Acornus Gramineus Variegatus. I was pleased to see how well the shipment was packed, and each pot was in netting to keep the plant and soil intact. When I unwrapped each plant I was please with the size, and condition of each of them. There is nothing worse than having to chalk one up to experience and try to nurse a plant to health, or just wait until it is of size to plant out. I will be ordereing additional plants from Santa Rosa Nursery in the future. Thank you for a job well done.
On Jul 6, 2009, laura10801 Fairfield County, CT (Zone 6b) wrote:
I ordered a lot of plants because of their clearance sale. I was very impressed with the pricing.
The plants arrive, mostly in good condition, but they substituted a different cultivar for 2 of the plants from the one I asked for. I wrote an email complaining and asking for a refund of the plant costs and the shipping charges associated with them. I also offered to return the unwanted plants.
The very next day I was credited for the plants and there was no mention of me returning them.
Color me impressed! They'll be getting my business in the future!
I ordered about 20 plants from Santa Rosa Gardens and they arrived via UPS Wednesday. I am thrilled with the quality of their plants and the superb, caring manner in which they were carefully, individually wrapped!! Their emails confirming the order, telling when it will be shipped (with tracking information), were very timely and complete. They have instructions on the outside of the packing box about what to do when the plants arrive and also include a booklet of how to care for them. Wonderful experience!! This was my first plant purchase from them. Thanks for doing everything so right!!!
On Jul 3, 2009, congminglaoshi Tuckahoe, NY wrote:
Just got my big box of 21 plants from their sale. It was like opening a X-mas gift. Plants were very good sized for the price, very well wrapped, and arrived in great shape. Two minor concerns, there were some whitefly larvae on the bottom of the lower leaves of a veronica, but I removed the lowest leaves, and I don't consider it a big deal. An Agastache rugosa "Tutti Frutti" has oddly mottled leaves (dark green/lighter green irregular patterns) which look like a virus, fairly subtle but definitely something I will watch. Maybe they should check their stock and see if other plants of this cv are showing similar symptoms. The plant is robust, though, and I will plant it out and see what it does in the hope that maybe it is just a reaction to shipping stress or some other condition that will go away when it is in the ground. The ornamental sedges and grasses are nice starts, actually the Arundo donax "Peppermint" is ready to bust out of its pot. And I don't think I could find butterfly bush starts for cheaper, they are nicely branched, one with flower buds, not huge but very well grown and ready to go. I'll definitely order from them again.
The plants arrived while I was away on business, and my family opened the boxes. They were so astonished at the packing that they emailed me cell-phone-photos of what they found. Perfectly packed and protected healthy plants. I'm grateful for the care they've received all along from nursery to packing.
On Jun 27, 2009, carpincho70 Hot Springs National Park, AR wrote:
This is an awesome company. This was my second time ordering from them and though every plant in my order was on sale, they were all perfect!!!!! You wouldn't know they were from their clearance list!!!!! Trust them and buy from them without a doubt.
On Jun 27, 2009, luvshergarden Weatherford, TX wrote:
Just received my first order from this nursery and I am extremely pleased. I placed my order on the 21st and received it on the 25th. Plants are in outstanding shape despite the 100+ temps! Plants were beautiful, very healthy (even though all were on'clearance'), they were packed very well and were a good size. Plants were very reasonably priced and they even sent me a $5 off coupon for my next order. I will definitely look at this company first for my next plant purchase!
I have been going through DG's top 30 mail order companies and placing preliminary orders to see how I like each company's products. Santa Rosa Gardens was one of the top ones, imho. The plants were a credible size and in good condition. The end of season prices for some of them were fantastic and, I should add, they didn't look like left-overs which some companies send you....
I was a bit nervous about the shipping because they went across the country and the weather in the middle was 110 degrees in places. I was very impressed to see they were wrapped in many layers, each had plastic netting like you sometimes see on fruit, and they came through perfectly . Needless to say I just sent them another bigger order!
On Jun 24, 2009, eddiehaskell Baton Rouge, LA wrote:
Just received my order and I'm THRILLED with not only the size of the plants, but the condition as well. They managed to fit over 15 large, healthy plants in one box. Healthy, beautiful, plants - not leggy or yellowed or crowded at all. Still amazed at the quick turnaround. Will DEFINITELY order again.
I have ordered from this company a few times and every plant is in great shape and very well packed!. I love the selection of grasses and will order in the future.
On Jun 3, 2009, trailrunner55 Opelika, AL (Zone 8a) wrote:
The order arrived in 1 day with perfect packaging and every plant in great condition. This the 2nd time I have ordered from this company. The plants I got 2 yrs ago are all doing great. I fully expect these to do well also. I am definitely going to order again in the future.
We live in Southeast Texas and were finding it impossible to locate an ajuga ground cover for our front beds. We had some years ago, and it flourished for us. After exhausting all local nurseries and those within 100 miles, I began to search online, finding Santa Rosa Gardens. I made a phone call and reached Dina - and what a delight! She, very professionally and with a friendly attitude, discussed what I was looking for and offered what was available. Since my full order wasn't at her fingertips at the moment, she offered to contact her distributor and let me know what he had growing and soon available. (I have worked in the service industry and have a "pet peeve" about people failing to return phone calls, especially when they indicate they will. Dina was wonderful!) She called me back within 20 minutes with answers and then called again, offering more options after a conversation with her employer. She was quickly and efficiently able to not only fill my order, but save us some money in the process! Our order is shipped and we are eagerly awaiting receiving it, knowing that should any of the plants be dead or destroyed, we have a one-time replacement guarantee. I was quite impressed with Dina's job performance and should we be in need of any other items for our yard, my first contact will be Dina at Santa Rosa Gardens.
On Jun 2, 2009, soldiersong North Plains, OR (Zone 8a) wrote:
I ordered from this company several times late last summer. Since my order was late season, I waited to comment until now, when the plants have had an opportunity to perform.
Despite the worst winter in history up here in Oregon (we were snowed in for 13 days, no power for 4), every plant I purchased from this company is healthy and growing.
Because I ordered at the end of the season, the plants I received were a pot bound and a bit scraggly, as would be normal with seedlings left in small pots for an entire summer. They appeared and clearly were healthy, however.
Everything I ordered arrived packaged well, and as described.
On May 19, 2009, Blackbelt_Lizzy La Grange Park, IL wrote:
Very nice plants for the price (I love the $2.99 specials!!). The plants were purchased for new gardens at a local elementary school so our dollar went a long way to fill the gardens. I had a very large order (4 boxes of plants) and I was happy to see no peanuts. It was like Christmas in May unwrapping all the plants!!
Good variety of plants and I will definitely order from them again.
On May 19, 2009, Tex68 Long Branch, NJ (Zone 7a) wrote:
On 5/08/09 (Friday) I ordered some plants from SRG for the first time. I checked my order online on 5/11/09 (Monday) and it says it was already shipped. I was impressed! But I also noticed that they substituted 2 of my red verbenas for a white one, which would had been okay, but the problem with the white one is - it grows upright to 2 feet tall and I needed crawling verbenas as groundcovers for a slope. I called right away hoping my package was still there awaiting pick-up from FedEx and maybe they can make some changes. Dina answered my phone call and told me my order went out already and I explained to her my dissatisfaction with their substitute. With no hesitation she told me to either keep the substitutes or give them to a neighbor and she would either give me a refund or a credit to my account. I chose a credit and true to her words, within minutes I received an email confirming the credit to my account. That is customer service at it's finest.
Received my order Thursday, and I've never seen plants packaged better than them. It looked like they were shipping chinas or crystals, and best of all NO styrofoam peanuts. Each plant/container was wrapped with protective netting and corrugated paper. Except for the echinaceas, the plants were full, lush and vigorous. However, the echinaceas (I ordered pink, red and white) were kind of small and the soil medium was kind of loose on them that a couple were literally upside down in their pots. But it looked like I can still grow them.
In general, Santa Rosa Garden is a top-notch company and I find their customer service very impressive and outstanding and are very much involve in the nursery. Unlike some nursery companies that outsource their customer service to some call center in another country who have no clue at all as to what's going on in the actual nursery.
On May 19, 2009, Santa Rosa Gardens responded with:
"On May 19, 2009 9:13 AM, Santa Rosa Gardens responded with:
Thank you so much for the comments. As always, if the Echinaceas (or any of your plants) do not perform well, please let us know. We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
We are very pleased with the packaging we've been using, but are always looking for feedback to make improvements. We try and balance between economy and ecology, and always bear in mind that packaging is NOT cosmetic. It is designed to protect the plants safely to their destination with as little waste of resources as possible.
I have ordered from three or four nurseries this year, and this by far has been the fastest shipping! The plants I received were healthy and well packed. They did not have a couple of the plants I ordered, but I felt like they tried to make up for that with other similar plants. I was pleased with my order and would order from them again!
On May 10, 2009, Steve_S New Kensington, PA wrote:
I believe that Santa Rosa Gardens is a top-notch outfit, especially for unique/hard-to-find ornamental grasses. I ordered over 25 (estimate) grasses from them. They all arrived fast and healthy. They are also very affordable. Most of the plants are on the small side and will take a year or two to mature, but that is expected and you get what you pay for. I live in Zone 6 and was very ambitious trying to get a headstart on the growing season. The only thing for me, a novice, was that I wished I didn't order and plant so soon (early March) since about 7 miscanthus plants didn't survive the early spring cold. For Zone 6, I would recommend waiting until mid-may to plant. You may be able to find bigger plants at a local nursery, however if you have the time and patience to let them grow you can get a real deal at Santa Rosa.
On May 14th, 2009, Steve_S changed the rating from positive to neutral and added the following:
On May 16th, 2009, Steve_S added the following:
My apologies, my additional comments were not added last time. My comments above stand, but what I wanted to add is that in reference to bigger plants locally. My local Lowes store now offers Calamagrostis acutiflora Karl Foerster, Miscanthus sinensis Gracillimus, and several others for $9 per plant that are much, much larger, taller, and in large one gallon pots. These are meaty plants. They are planted and are showing growth after one week. I will use Santa Rosa for the unique hard-to-find varieties.
On May 22nd, 2009, Steve_S changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following:
Unexpectedly, a package arrived at my doorstep. It was full of miscanthus sinesis Gracillimus plants! I am estatic and floored by the kindness and extreme customer service provided by Santa Rosa Gardens. As noted earlier, I lost some plants due to early planting. Despite this being my fault, Santa Rosa still backed up the products and replaced them. Again I am beyond floored and did not expect this in any way. I find it hard to imagine having better service that this: Great communication whether it's phone calls or emails, fast, professional delivery, healthy plants, passion for their trade, and strong commitment to satisfy the customer. I am beyond satisfied and humbled by the service. Thanks again and am beyond pleased. On May 10, 2009, Santa Rosa Gardens responded with:
"On May 16, 2009 10:45 AM, Santa Rosa Gardens responded with:
Steve,
Thank you for posting your comments and thoughts. We do value your feedback. I'm familiar with your grass order and am disappointed with the neutral feedback, considering the quality of the plants and the special attention provided by customer service. Gardeners rely on ratings within the Garden Watchdog and it's extremely important to our business that they accurately reflect the quality and service provided. Neutral reviews are not seen favorably by potential customers.
Since our goal is that every customer would have a positive shopping experience at Santa Rosa Gardens, I felt the need to mention the specifics of the order and point out the difference between a niche grower like ourselves and a big box supplier.
First, the price difference. Yes, if you can find ornamental grasses locally, they will likely be larger than those offered through mail-order. In reviewing your order, I see you paid $2.99 each for 10 Miscanthus Gracillimus and $3.99 each for 3 Calamagrostis Karl Foerster, considerably cheaper than the $9 trade gallons at your local big box store. They may offer 3 or 4 grass varieties, while Santa Rosa Gardens grows over 150 varieties. Santa Rosa Gardens also offers complete customer service with 4 generations of growing experience to back up each and every plant sale. You will not find that in the garden department of a super store.
I agree with you, March was too early to receive your grasses in Pennsylvania, but we try and accommodate gardener's requests, despite our planting time recommendations. We do honor any loss of plants with our 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you have not done so already, please let customer service know of any plant losses due to early planting.
Your order included 11 different grass varieties, requested for March shipping. We were able to ship all of them in March with the exception of the 2 Schizachyrium scoparium and the 2 Panicum virgatum Northwind. The Schizachyrium shipped out at our expense 4 weeks later, while the Panicum Northwind never became available this spring, due to partial crop failure. A substitute was offered, but not accepted and a $10 gift coupon was provided, in addition to the credit for the cost of the 2 Panicum Northwind.
In total, you received 32 grasses at the cost of $125. That's an average of $3.90 per grass. Considerably less than at a big box store, and certainly more variety than they could possibly offer.
In review, I felt that our customer service handled your order exceptionally, making every effort to provide your grasses at the requested early ship date, and communicating in a timely and professional manner.
If there is anything we can do in the future to provide a more positive shopping experience, please contact us and let us know. Our goal is to provide plants that succeed in your garden and create a long term relationship with gardeners as a grower/supplier they can trust.
Thank you for your continued business.
On May 21, 2009 8:26 PM, Santa Rosa Gardens added:
Steve,
Thank you so much for posting your satisfaction with the handling of your order. We really do make every effort to provide the customer with plants that succeed. There's no better advertisement than beautiful plants growing in one's garden!
True gardener's garden for life, and that's the relationship we want to form with our customers.
On May 6, 2009, connietn Brentwood, TN (Zone 7a) wrote:
I ordered from Santa Rosa last summer during their end-of-the-season sale, and it was such a good experience that I ordered again this spring :) The packing method they use is very impressive! All the plants arrived looking very healthy. Prices are extremely reasonable, especially for grasses that are difficult to find locally. Customer service is excellent!
Would definitely order from them again, especially for unusual grasses.
I ordered several items online from Santa Rosa Gardens for the first time this year. The prices were great (lower than most other places) and they had some unique items I was looking to buy.
My order arrived the week I had requested it and all the plants were in healthy condition and well-packaged. I was notified that one item I ordered, Panicum 'Northwind', was back-ordered and would arrive in a few weeks, but this was not a problem for me. All-in-all, I would definitely recommend Santa Rosa Gardens to anyone.
On May 5, 2009, Santa Rosa Gardens responded with:
"On May 5, 2009 12:26 PM, Santa Rosa Gardens responded with:
Thanks so much for the comments and for your business. Thanks also for understanding about the short delay with the Panicum grasses. Panicums are one of the last grasses out of dormancy for us and we don't like to ship until they are showing good growth. "
On May 1, 2009, Pinetucky Swainsboro, GA (Zone 8a) wrote:
I am very pleased with my order from Santa Rosa Gardens. The plants look great! My order was shipped the week expected. The packing was very good and communication was excellent. I'm sure I will be buying more here in the future.
On May 1, 2009, Santa Rosa Gardens responded with:
"On May 1, 2009 3:15 PM, Santa Rosa Gardens responded with:
Thank you for your comments and your continued business. It is much appreciated! Have a great spring season!"
Just received an order from Santa Rosa Gardens. The plants were
healthy and in great condition on arrival to my doorstep. Packaging
is very good as is all communication with this company. I've ordered from SRG before and will continue because I know I'll never be disappointed. In fact, I just placed another large order!
today, I received my second (ever) order from Santa Rosa Gardens. The plants were extremely well packaged, arrived promptly and are in beautiful condition. This is a terrific company to do business with - I am not a large buyer, but they will always be top of my list to check for product, before purchasing elsewhere. Thanks, Santa Rosa!
On Mar 24, 2009, Santa Rosa Gardens responded with:
"On May 1, 2009 3:17 PM, Santa Rosa Gardens responded with:
Susan, it's always a pleasure helping you out with your gardening needs!"
On Feb 16, 2009, vossner Richmond, TX (Zone 9a) wrote:
Was happy and impressed with the plants delivered by the company as well as the professional and friendly customer service. Buy from them w/ confidence.
