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After years of using another alpine plant nursery with mixed results, I tried Beaver Creek, and am completely sold. Good communication, superb robust plants shipped in great condition ( a lot of thought and care went into protecting them), and very reasonable prices. The Aquilegia jonesii clinched it for me!
On Apr 16, 2011, June_Ontario Rosemont, ON (Zone 4a) wrote:
I placed an order for 9 hardy cactus plants in January 2011, using the website, and received an e-mail confirmation that said I would be invoiced when plant availabiity was known. As the months passed without any invoice arriving, I got nervous and e-mailed the nursery. The owner responded with an e-mail explaining that the delay had been caused by late-melting snow, but all my plants were available and were about to be shipped, and I could just send him a check in the mail. 10 cactus plants arrived this week, in superb condition. The nursery sent all the plants I ordered plus a bonus plant from my "substitutions" list. I'm a happy customer!
Posted on April 13, 2010, updated April 16, 2010
Posted on April 6, 2010, updated April 13, 2010
Posted on April 6, 2010, updated April 6, 2010
Thus far, I have had exactly the same experience as the previous poster. I placed an online order in January, using the 4/09 plant list. Although I got an immediate verification of the order, I never received the promised 2nd email containing the amount due and other pertinent order details. In early February I sent 2 subsequent emails, one using the company email provided and the other through the Garden Watchdog website. Neither were replied to in any fashion.
On April 2, 2010, I noticed the website now had a plant list dated 4/10, so decided to place a new order. As it worked out, many of the plants I wanted earlier were no longer available. I told the company to ignore the January order if indeed it ever went through at all.
I got an immediate verification of the new order. However, so far, no second email with the total amount due, etc. I will upgrade this review to a positive when I get a definite communication from this company and the plants arrive in a timely fashion.
I am concerned that there is no phone number listed for this company. It seems a bit odd that a outfit of this size could only be reached by emails. The owner is supposedly "Robert Barlow", yet when I called information, there was no phone number listed for a Robert Barlow or for Beaver Creek Greenhouses. Something may be wrong with this picture, I will definitely add to this review when I learn more.
On April 6th, 2010, dave12122 added the following:
Note: From perusing the internet, apparently the owner's name is Roger, not Robert, However, information cannot provide a phone number for a Roger Barlow or Beaver Creek, in the US or Canada. This strikes me as very strange.On April 13th, 2010, dave12122 changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following:
Update: April 13th:
I just received a nice communication from Roger Barlow, confirming the 2nd order (less 3 plants that are out of stock). No word on whether the earlier emails/order was received. I asked whether some plants from my January order that are now out of stock are available in quantites too small to list.
The actual plants are due to come later this week, so I'll write more after I receive them. It does appear that emails are going through to the website at this point, so feel free to order on the internet!On April 16th, 2010, dave12122 added the following:
Well, I have to say Roger redeemed himself in spades for ignoring my earlier correspondence. First of all, he covered an upgrade to UPS 2nd day air so that the plants would get to me faster! In addition, the packaging was amazing, consisting of corrugated tubes surrounding 1 or 2 pots. Best of all, the plants were first class, and were so perfect they almost looked fake!! I was especially impressed with the deep plastic pots Roger uses which allows for ample root development. Some of the Astragalus and Oxytropis were in bloom, and frankly were the best I've ever seen. It was noteworthy to see some Opuntias sent as small plants, not just pads. Overall, a thrilling experience, and now I'm already contemplating my next order. Beaver Creek earns an 11 on a scale of 10!!
My second order in about 6 months arrived 2 days ago. As was the first order, everything was of great quality with a few bonus plants thrown in. They have a very large list with plants like eritrichium nanum & howardii, aquilegia jonesii, silene petersonii, as well as calochortus, fritillaria, etc. Don't let the Canadian address fool you, they have another location in northern Washington, so there is no customs/usda hassle. To give an idea of the expenses on my order: 31 plants $165, shipping $31, Phytosanitary fee $10.
On Aug 7, 2008, plantcrazy99 Mayerthorpe Canada wrote:
I have ordered from way too many mail order nurseries, and this is now my new favorite. My husband placed an order, and we could not believe the quality of the plants, the packaging, and the service. This is one man running this exceptional nursery, and it is unbelievable what he is able to accomplish. I have never seen plants packed so well, with not the slightest bit of damage. Next year I will probably order his entire catalog, I am that in love with his whole operation. I have ordered from many mail order nurseries, from China, the UK, the US and other Canadian nurseries, he is in my top 2. Normally I am happy with most nurseries, but usually even the best, I still have to deal with a little rot and broken or cut stems to fit the package. Not this one! Every plant was in prime condition, not one rotting shoot or bud, not one crushed leaf, I must say the attention and care of his packaging shows an amazing work ethic, and am now a customer as long as he will have me as one!!!! It is rare I feel grateful to be a customer, this is how my experience with Beaver Creek Nurseries has left me.
This is my second purchase from Beaver Creek in the past three years. I am pleased to report that this most recent experience was just as positive as was the first. This is by far the best mail order nursery experience I have ever had. Not only does Beaver Creek carry some difficult to find plants, but said plants are of excellent quality and size and the best-packaged that I have ever seen. Plus, the prices are also very reasonable.
Don't let the fact that this nursery is in Canada put you off. I'm not sure exactly how the business works, but it appears that the greenhouses are in Canada but they also have a business presence in northeastern Washington state, from where the plants are mailed (USPS Priority) after inspection.
They have a very good selection of alpines, Primula, Cyclamen (what I stocked up on!) as well as lots of other choice and unusual goodies. They also have (hooray!) Glacidium palmatum, a gorgeous, difficult to find and expensive woodland plant. The size being offered is probably a year, maybe two, but it is also about 1/4 the cost of three year old plants that I have (rarely) seen.
What stands out most about this nursery is the care the owner takes with the plants. It is apparent that it starts with germination and extends to arrival of the plants at the customer's door. That he puts a lot of time, love and pride into his product is an understatement.
I can't say enough good things about this nursery. I anxiously look forward to ordering from them again in the future.
This company is a delight! They are both personable and professional. When one of the plants I really wanted was out of stock, the gentleman actually went back through the greenhouses to check if he could find ONE more plant. Who does that in this day and age? And when my plants arrived, they were spectacular - one even blooming. This company could & should teach lessons on how to pack plants that survive the trip and thrive. Their packing job was perfect. On top of it all, I even got a bonus plant. Oh yes, I will be a return customer. I'll just order earlier next year - and probably more!
I have been purchasing plants from Beaver Creek Greenhouses for a number of years. This is an excellent company in every aspect. Beautiful and well-grown plants, excellent packaging, and service.
I am very surprised by taramark's comments and I wonder if this person is even commenting about the same company because Beaver Creek does not accept credit cards.
On Sep 16, 2007, altagardener Calgary, AB (Zone 3b) wrote:
I just made my first order to Beaver Creek Greenhouses. I was completely satisfied with the transaction, and I look forward to ordering again.
The business offers an excellent selection of alpine and rock garden plants, from a list that is kept up-to-date with respect to availability. The website itself is a useful reference. (More photos would make it even better. Perhaps with time, that will come.) I sent my order via e-mail, and received confirmation of receipt almost immediately. Very shortly after, I received confirmation of the availability of my plant choices, and then later, an e-mail informing me of when the plants were shipped. (Note that the business does not take credit cards, according to their ordering information.) Communication was terrific.
The plants reached my location the day after being shipped - can't beat that. The plants were packed with the most extraordinary care (the best packaging I have ever seen, as described in a previous posting!), and arrived in perfect condition. The plants themselves are very nice, well-grown and well-rooted specimens. The order was also shipped with an extremely generous number of bonus plants - unexpected, but always a pleasure to receive!
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this business to others.
On Jun 6, 2005, fangNJ New Providence, NJ (Zone 6a) wrote:
I ordered plants from it last year. They were shipped during the dormant stage. This spring, everything came up. And they are pretty healthy. The price is really good. Also there is bonous plant. The only drawback is that they don't have too many selection for shady garden.
On Apr 4, 2005, Zuzu Sebastopol, CA (Zone 9a) wrote:
After running into so many nurseries that no longer ship plants to California, I hadn't even considered ordering from a Canadian nursery, but a glowing recommendation sent me to this site. Boy, am I happy it did. Not only did the nursery ship the plants here, it did it more quickly and at a lower cost than most U.S. nurseries would have.
My order was shipped on Monday and I received it Wednesday morning. The package contained the largest alpine plants I've received this year. The superb packaging has already been described in an earlier post. I can only agree that it's a fabulous system.
The nursery offers a highly varied selection of plants at extremely reasonable prices, communication by e-mail or telephone at every step of the process, bonus plants galore... It was a thoroughly satisfying transaction that I plan to repeat on a regular basis.
Over the years, I have ordered a plethora of plants from a number of mail order nurseries hbere in the US. However, I have NEVER had such a positive experience as with Beaver Creek Greenhouses.
First off, the communication was outstanding, with the owner sending me e-mails at every step of the process. Not only were the plants shipped practically the same day I placed my (e-mail) order, but I have never seen such superb packaging: Each plant had excelsior placed in the top of the pot to prevent the soil from falling out; the pot itself was placed in a plastic bag; a piece of corrugated cardboard was then wrapped around the pot and plant to ensure that nothing was damaged in transit. All in all, a total of 6 rubber bands were used on each package to hold everything securely. As for the plants themselves, they were gorgeous - large healthy specimens in pristine condition. They have a great selection of alpine plants, great prices, too. Plus, they also sent bonus plants with my order, something that was totally unexpected and, of course, much appreciated.
As this company is located in Canada, I had anticipated a possible problem with shipping. However, they obviously have the whole customs thing down pat as there was no delay at the border at all.
I wholeheartedly recommend that you order from this company. I promise that you will not be disappointed!
I was searching for an unusual plant. The guy at rarefinds suggested here. The owner was wonderful, had the plant and shippied it in less time than I expected. They arrived in far better shape than most, if not all, of the mail order plants that I have received. A+++++++++++++++++++
