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On Nov 15, 2009, stormyla Norristown, PA (Zone 6b) wrote:
This is a wonderful company to do business with. They have an extensive inventory of shrubs not easily found in my area. Of particular interest to me are the cold hardy Ackerman Hybrid Camellias.
I have purchased shrubs from them several times over the years and have never been disappointed. Once, one of the Camellias died within a short time of planting. Greer Gardens happily replaced it without any unpleasantness and offered good planting tips to insure future success. I will be sure to return to them for more nice shrubs.
On Oct 18, 2009, kfsphd Feasterville Trevose, PA wrote:
Fantastic Company!
I have purchased rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias from Greers about five times since early spring 2009, approx thirty plants total. Just placed an order for eight more.
All plants have been at a minimum the listed size, all healthy, well budded, well branched.
Harold Greer and his staff take the time to discuss plants with me, even communicating with me on weekends.
Perhaps of most importance, when you call, a real, live, person answers the phone!
Greers was the end of my search; I no longer buy rhododendrons elsewhere, neither nursery nor mail order.
On Sep 13, 2009, Rarejem (Julie)South Prairie, WA (Zone 7a) wrote:
I fell in love with an uncommon tree (toona sinensis flamingo) while spending time on DG. I looked everywhere locally, and searched several on line nurserys, but was unable to find one. I was referred to Greer by a fellow DG'r, and not only did they have the tree I was looking for, they were wonderful to deal with. I ordered the tree and within three days had a wonderfully healthy and perfectly packaged tree at my doorstep. I would highly recommend them to anyone!
June 2, 2009
My first experience with Greer--obviously a "class act". I ordered 2 Nandina Harbor Belle. Plants arrived in absolute perfect condition even with 90 degree heat lately here in GA. Fed-Ex driver also deserves credit since he had the plants with him in the A/C part of the truck.
Packing was perfect, very clever brace held plants exactly in place.I am completely pleased and look forward to dealing with Greer again.
I ordered a Actinidia kolomikta ‘September Sun’ by telephone. The plant arrived timely, packaged well, healthy and on the large end of the advertised size range. I'm pleased.
I have known Greer Gardens for a long time, having shopped in person when I used to live in Eugene and also during periodic visits to Eugene. I have long been aware of their great selection and absolutely superb quality. I recently mail ordered from them for the first time and the experience was equally positive. Plant was exactly as described, shipped promptly and securely packaged. You can't go wrong with them.
I inquired about a - Pinus aristata - Bristlecone Pine and Harold personally returned my email and actually took the time to take a couple of pictures of the tree since it was a special project (potentianl bonsai stock).
I am pleased with the service and the very nice tree they sent me...
Thanks Harold !!
Their collection of dwarf rhododendrons was very extensive, so I decided to give them a try. I ordered 12 plants with a very courteous sales person. I thought the shipping was pricey, but felt it was well worth it after receiving the plants so quickly. They were shipped to PA from WA in 2 days. One of the plants was wilted and never did recover. After several phone calls and advice received, they shipped a replacement which was larger than the original plant. Customer service and communication was great. I highly recommend this company.
I purchased three Japanese Maples from Greer Gardens and was more than impressed. The tree I received were healthy, well-branched and arrived quickly in the mail.
With the huge selection and quality of trees/grafts, I wouldn't hesitate to buy more from them in the future. Thanks! Christian
I have been relying on Greer Gardens for 10 years now and am shocked upon reading negative comments.The plant material they have supplied me with has consistently exceeded my expectations. When I have had occasion to contact customer service, they have been more than obliging and I have come away feeling very assured that they do indeed care about customer satisfaction. I have done extensive landscaping in 13 years in New York State and am now beginning to landscape my new yard in North Carolina.
I wouldn't hesitate to place further orders!
On Mar 18, 2008, dannygates58 Jefferson, NH wrote:
I ordered 2 phormiums from Greer Gardens. Shipping was pretty fast and the plants that arrived were really beautiful... large and healthy. Really an ease to do business with. I have already placed a second order with them based on my experience.
On March 26th, 2008, dannygates58 added the following:
I recieved my second order from Greer. Once again shipping was very fast and the plants that were recieved were beautiful and healthy. My only complaint would be that I had ordered a 2'-3' picea abies pendula. The plant measured just 21 inches but it is very robust and healthy so I can overlook that. I have never ordered a 2'-3' plant from anyone and actually recieved a 3' plant anyway!! The araucaria araucana was ordered as a 6"-12" plant and in fact was 12" Greer is absolutly one of my regular shopping locations from now on
Here's the story: I ordered 1 Swiss Stone Pine (Pinus Cembra) at the 5-6 ft size. After about 2 weeks the owner (I think) contacted me and said the shipment was bouncing around because Fedex couldn't deliver (I live in an apartment). Now this person sounded genuinly concerned for me (as I paid a lot in shipping) and for the well being of the tree (almost as if it were an animal). Thanks to his timely warning I quickly went to their office and obtained the item.
What an impressive specimen! It's about 5'5" tall and didn't have a hint of wilting or browning despite it's long stay in the box. It was very well packed with a wooden frame to prevent it being crushed.
I've had great difficulty obtaining Swiss Stone Pine in any decent size. I highly recommend this company if you want hard to find conifers at a respectable size.
On Aug 1, 2007, Greer Gardens responded with:
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On Jul 31, 2007 8:43 PM, Greer Gardens added:
Thanks for the kind words. We were concerned both for you and the plant.
On Jun 17, 2007, balvenie Marysville, WA (Zone 7a) wrote:
1. Saturday May 26,2007 I e-mailed Greer gardens asking about a Rhodie which I did not see in the catalog and that I would call in an order for R. citriniflorum. The telephone order was made shortly afterwards.
2. On Saturday June 9th Dianne Johnson e-mailed me saying they were sorry but they did not have R. kawakamii.
3. On Thursday June 14th I received my package from Greer Gardens. It was a Lavender rather than a Rhodie so I immediately e-mailed them and stated the problem. (the Lavender was a very nice specimen of L. X intermedia grosso 'Dilly Dilly' and very well packaged).
4. This afternoon, Sunday June 17th (Father's Day) I received a phone call from Mr. Greer stating sometimes there are mix-ups, and probably someone in the mid-west now has a Rhodie instead of a Lavender. He said my citriniflorum would be replaced and to keep the lavender.
Mix-ups are to be expected now and then, unpleasant though they may be, but the response from this company has been very encouraging and I anticipate dealing with them more in the future.
I ordered from them based upon the reviews in the Garden Watchdog and have been satisfied with the results.
On June 20th, 2007, balvenie added the following:
Wed. June 20.
In todays mail I received the replacement from Greer Gardens. A nice specimen, in good condition and well packed in the Priority Mail container. Three days from our telephone conversation and the plant is in my hands. I think that is quite impressive.On September 4th, 2007, balvenie added the following:
Sept. 4, '07 After a few weeks the R. citriniflorum began to fade and subsequently died. I then e-mailed Greer Gardens and asked a number of questions as to whether I had 'abused' the plant or not. Nothing definite ensued but they stated since they did not have another specimen on hand at the time they would replace it next spring, if that met with my approval. Today I received an e-mail from Mr. Greer saying the arrangements have been made to replace the plant at the appropriate time. I thought that was pretty darn good customer service seeing as I had not requested a replacement in the first place. Needless to say, I am very satisfied with Greer Gardens, and their willingness to replace a plant which may in fact be a stinker to grow.
For the last several months I've been looking for a Nyssa Sylvatica (Black Tupelo) which is difficult to find in this part of the country. I've even asked some of the prominent Portland area nurseries to order one for me at great expense and have had no luck.
Then I discovered Greer. Not only did they have the Tupelo, they also had several Japanese Maples I'd been looking for. So I decided to make the two hour drive down to Greer Gardens and see the place in person. Greer's employees were very pleasant and drove us around the 14 acre nursery in a golf cart helping us find the specific trees we were seeking. The prices were quite reasonable and the Tupelo was actually taller than advertised by at least 18 inches.
All in all, a delightful family owned nursery with great trees and shrubs. Definitely worth the trip if you live in Oregon. I'll be back next year for the backyard re-landscape.
On May 16, 2007, doss Stanford, CA (Zone 9b) wrote:
I ordered a "Kim" from Greer Gardens and was given great service. The tree came in beautiful shape and was an outstanding specimen. It arrived within a week. I'm very pleased with the service, product and shipping.
On May 21st, 2008, doss added the following:
I called Greer's and ordered another Japanese Maple, it came right away and is a beautiful tree - packing was perfect. They had to check their stock but got back to me the same day. Another good experience.
I have been doing business with Greer Gardens for over 10 years and
I have never received more personal care at any other mail order place. Mr Greer really regards his nursery as a labor of love. His selection is unparalled and you will find few other mail order nurseries that even attempt to ship when the customer wants. Most ship at their own convenience. Also he never ships bareroot and that I love the most. There is always soil around the roots of his plants. This makes his shipping more expensive , but greatly reduces the possibility of plant failure.
On Jul 31, 2006, jillofall Colorado Springs, CO (Zone 5a) wrote:
I know July is not the best time to plant anything, and most suppliers won't even ship Rhododendrons, but Greer Gardens was able to send me two that I needed. The Shogun I received was marvelous. I also wanted a Mother Greer, but they were out of them. They called me about replacing my order with a Nelson's Purple. I've never been able to find anything about this rhody on the web, but it was a nice plant. I was amazed at the packing. I needed a crowbar to get the plants out.
On Jul 19, 2006, snapple45 Holland, OH (Zone 5b) wrote:
Ordered and promptly received a Ginkgo biloba 'Chris' Dwarf'. The plant was catalogue listed as 6" to 12". I received a two foot bareroot plant with good structure , good root mass and in overall excellent condition. The tree had been braced in the carton with a specially made wood frame. I have never seen such careful and sturdy packaging. This is a company I highly recommend.
On Jun 8, 2006, provincialblond Lansing, MI wrote:
I ordered an awesome maple tree from Greer Gardens:
‘Pacific Fire’ — 6'. A multi trunk tree with new growth emerging purple and orange, further offset by the bright red bark providing year-round color. Light green leaves turn gold in the fall. Growth rate of 12-18" a year.
The aforsaid tree arrived in excellent condition from Oregon: I am in Michigan; and I was suprised by the high quality of the delivery.
My first order from Greer Gardens arrived yesterday. My reaction: WOW! The plants are healthy, well-rooted, & larger than expected. Packaging was quite impressive with obvious attention to maximizing protection of the plants while minimizing shipping costs. This is the first shipment of plants I've received from any vendor that had watering crystals placed around roots. What a great way to help plants survive a transcontinental trip, & what a neat thing to be able to add to the planting hole! I'll certainly order from Greer Gardens again.
A couple of years ago I ordered a clematis heracleifolia davidiana from Greer. The plant I received did not look like the 5 year old davidiana I had and needed a partner for. I called the company immediately and someone took my name and phone number and the information that I thought I had the wrong plant. I received a call when I was gone and the message on my answering machine informed me that the plant looked bad because it was probably suffering shipping shock...this wasn't even why I called. When I finally did get hold of a human the "customer service" person made it obvious that he knew more than I could possibly know about the plant (without saying as much, attitude is everything), however if I was unhappy after the plant bloomed I would receive a refund. Never mind that I already had a mature plant of the same type I'd supposedly ordered. A few days later I receieved a call from another employee who said she had the plant and dismissed my concerns with, "you'll like it". Come bloom time it turns out I was right, I had been sent a clematis heracleifolia praecox, a very different plant in habit than what I needed. I did write the company, including photos of the two plants in question. I never heard back from anyone, never received the promised refund, never received any acknowledgement at all. I do not like dealing with companies that assume and treat me like I'm an idiot when I am not, it is even worse when the company ignores you and will not make good on a promise...by the owner of the company...who it turns out was the "customer service" person I spoke to.
On May 21st, 2006, cmacathya added the following:
Greer Gardens did contact me right after I made this complaint. I don't have a lot of free time to spend on the computer, hence it taking me so long to reply. I had just found the Dave's Garden website, hence my complaint seeming to take so long after the original fact. I replied to Greer directly that I wasn't surprised they hadn't heard of my complaint since I'd been treated so poorly the first time around. I did write them an extensive note around a year after the original order, complete with all the necessary details of the transaction. I never received a response to this letter, since it never came back to me I have to assume that it was received, but ignored. I am still trying to find the time to track down the original paperwork, in fact it had been on my mind today. I do know that I made every effort, from first receiving the order, to let Greer Gardens know that I had the wrong plant and I stand by my original comments as to how I was treated. To Greer Gardens, I will make an effort to look through my files this week, but I did reply to you with my name, address, and approximate date of the order so that you too would have a chance to find me in your files... and I did not hear a word back from you this time either, not even an acknowledgement of receiving my email. On June 3rd, 2006, cmacathya added the following:
This is an update on my complaint. I did check my records the evening of May 21 and sent, via email, all the details to hgreer@greergardens. The email bounced back due to a full mailbox on that end. I tried later in the week, same results. I just resent the email, and again it has come back to me. The original complaint did get a response, to my email address, from hgreer so I should have the correct address, I used it once before successfully. I do find it interesting that I didn't get any sort of email on May 27 from hgreer, even though it was done before. I AM trying, this is what I mean by how I feel there is a lack of interest in the customer. hgreer, please clean out your emails on your server so that I can send you the information...or if you prefer you can email me and ask me to send it by snail mail.On June 4th, 2006, cmacathya changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following:
It is 9 pm on June 3, I tried resending my email to "orders@greer..." and it went through. I just got off the phone with Harold Greer and while a certain amount of confusion remains it would seem that my issues will finally be resolved. I appreciate Mr. Greer calling so quickly after he received my email (the company has been having trouble with their email of late according to Mr. Greer). Mr. Greer said he would refund my money for the plant and I will change my earlier negatives to neutrals when this has been done. I also promised to again provide Mr. Greer with samples of both clematis' blooms and leaves once the plants bloom in August. At this point in time I feel a very positive attempt has been made to get things right and again, I appreciate Mr. Greer's quick response and efforts this evening. Thank You!On June 7th, 2006, cmacathya added the following:
Actually, if I could make it a very, very positive rating at this point I would. After getting off on the wrong foot and finally being able to talk with Harold Greer we are ending on a positive note, on both sides I hope. I received reimbursement for my plant, as requested and Mr. Greer was more than kind in also sending along a gift certificate for future use. His efforts to make this right are very appreciated and along with their wonderful catalog I now will also recommend the customer service. Thank you Mr. Greer, for all the time that has passed you ended up making this a positive experience. All the Best!On Mar 27, 2006, Greer Gardens responded with:
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On Mar 27, 2006 10:25 PM, Greer Gardens added:
I am sorry this person is so upset, but we can't fix what we don't know about. We receive very few complaints, and I as the owner, that this person refers to, have never heard of this before. Though it was supposedly two or more years ago. Why did this person wait so long to complain? These kind of complaints are unfair, because whoever "cmacathya" is has not identified themselves so we can correct an error if there was one. We would be glad to correct any error, but we can't correct what we don't know of. We want to do things right.
On Feb 12, 2006, dottik Oakland, OR (Zone 8a) wrote:
As I live only about 50 miles from this nursery, I drove up yesterday to purchase in person. What a wonderful experience! The employees I met were really glad to be of assistance and the stock on hand is huge. And, this is before the season has really started. I was especially interested in Camellias and Greer has a very nice selection. All that I saw were healthy looking. It was just too bad most had past their blooming season. I was able to buy all 4 of the cultivars I was looking for, a Crape Myrtle tree, and a Rhododendron for an excellent price. I will definite purchase from this nursery again!
I have placed 2 orders with this company the past couple years. Both orders have been for dwarf/miniature conifers. All plants are doing fine. Greer gardens has consistently sent larger plants than advertised and in some cases, much larger. The reason I am so happy with the sizes sent is that these are very slow growing items. I will definitely order from Greer again. Also, customer service and speed of shipment has been good.
I have purchased from Greer Gardens twice; one experience was positive, the other unhappy, but I'm pretty sure the latter was my fault, not theirs.
First, the good news : I purchased and planted a 3-4' cryptomeria japonica 'black dragon' a few months ago, and it is doing great.
Now the bad news: I previously purchased a 4-5' sciadopitys verticillata, and it died within a few months. However, I believe the reason is that, being a novice gardener, I got too anxious and asked for delivery too soon. Unfortunately we had a late snow storm the day I received it, so it was a week or so before I could plant it, and the roots were probably damaged in the mean time. Furthermore, the soil was too wet, and we had several more weeks of unseasonably cold weather and a hard frost afterwards.
Since it seemed unreasonable to ask them to take responsibility for my mistakes, I did not ask for a refund.
I'm a little late for feedback on an order from last June but I didn't know about this site then. I ordered a 6-8 foot yellowwood and several kinds of stewartias. I was a little worried about getting this size of trees shipped cross- country. But the shipping box was about 6 feet long and reinforced with wood. Inside were beautiful stewarties and a 10 foot (!) yellowwood with the tip carefully bent over. Great packing!
I would pay $10 (make that $20 if it was refundable) for their catalog if only it had pictures, but with so many different plants it would be difficult to do I suppose. I use it for reference now even without the pictures.
First, I sent an email asking questions about the tree I wanted to buy that I saw when traveling in New Zealand. I was worried about the zone information because I was told in NZ that trying to grow it in USDA zone 8 was pushing the envelope. Not at all, Harold Greer personally responded and told me that he had started his from a plant purchased in NZ 20 yrs ago and was hardy to minus 20F. I ordered the tree: Toona Cedrela sinensis, It was shipped by Fed Ex well padded stems, and roots bagged in plastic with well composted soil and the water retaining gel. Arrived in 24 hours in perfect shape. I am very satisfied and will order there again.
On Jul 14, 2004, peterspaulding Contoocook, NH wrote:
I recently ordered two magnolias from Greer Gardens. They were shipped all the way from Oregon to my home in New Hampshire. Both trees were very well packaged, but one had been damaged to the point that the main trunk was broken. I called the company and they immediately replaced the damaged item. Not only was their product of high quality but the customer service is excellent! I will definitely do business with them in the future.
I ordered a large (5-6') magnolia from them and was looking for this specific variety. They were extremely helpful over the phone, informative, and attuned to personal service. The plant was shipped in its own customized container, was well-protected and in great shape, and was an excellent value for the money involved, both price of the plant and shipping halfway across the US. The catalog they sent was mouth-watering, and I will definitely buy from them again.
I just ordered a Gingko biloba "Golden Globe" from Greer, and it arrived here in California in a very timely manner and in great shape. It was VERY carefully packaged! The representatives that I dealt with on the phone were all very pleasant and worked hard to get me exactly what I wanted (for instance, I specified that I wanted a tree that had not had the leader trimmed). They do seem just a tiny bit disorganized there, but I had the feeling that is because they are set up more for buying in person rather than on the phone. In any case, they were very helpful and my little tree looks great. I am very pleased and will buy from them again.
On Mar 21, 2004, revclaus Denver, CO (Zone 5b) wrote:
Last year I ordered a Japanese maple "Corallinum" from Wayside, which came packed badly and broken off below the graft. They were hopelessly awful in terms of customer service. To replace it I went to Greer Gardens on the recommendation of a friend here in Denver.
Their customer service is disorganized, I agree, but the owner called me two or three times to let me know that they did, indeed, have a Corallinum in stock and he would be happy to send it. We had a great conversation, and I ordered a Pixie too.
They were delivered as promised, packed beautifully, in great shape, and as of 3/20/04 are breaking leaf. I would unquestioningly order from them again. You just have to persist in calling them if you want service. Picture this: your local garden center with several employees, busy with spring and summer customers, answering the phone ringing off the hook from out-of-town callers! That's Greer Gardens. But the owner did take the trouble to return my calls, and he was exceptionally friendly on the phone.
I have ordered a few times: Always friendly, great plants, and they pack their plants very well. A big Japanese Maple I got from them had it's own wooden frame build around it so it wouldn't bang around in the box during transit. I'm impressed. The tree and other plants I got from them came in great shape and are doing great in my garden.
On Feb 17, 2004, jesup Malvern, PA (Zone 7a) wrote:
I've received two orders (4 and 6 or 7) of rhododendrons from Greers purchased by my father (who collects azaleas et al, and lives in the middle of a huge laurel forest).
Both shipments were excellently packed, and arrived (in southeast PA) in perfect shape. The plants ranged from the smaller varieties to pretty huge (around 3' and almost as wide with dozens of buds). All were in bud, and would have flowered modulo deer. (The second, larger order is currently surrounded by netting and hopefully will be blooming soon.)
They definitely seem to have an excellent selection as well, given the wide variety of variants my father got.
While I was not able to order from Greer Gardens this past year (oh how I missed doing that!) I have placed several orders in years past. I must say that after receiving the plants ordered, all other nurseries I had previously ordered from paled in comparison. Ordered 2 Viburnums, a paperbark maple, and a few other nice selections. Every plant, except the maple has lived (the maple not being of the company's fault, but my own...froze in a pot when I had to move to my new residence). The Viburnums were around 2-3' tall and are now appoaching the 4 1/2-6' size and look wonderful. Ordered several western redcedar plants from them around 2 years ago and though mother nature played many cruel tricks on those poor plants their first year (frequent flooding, 2 hailstorms, and then a very dry summer) now I can walk around a five to six foot tall evergreen and they look marvelous. The plants, upon arrival, were twice the size as similar evergreens from Wayside Gardens. Healthy plants abound from Greer Gardens and I look forward to completing a new order next spring. Shipping may be high but that's the price I pay for ordering something from the West Coast when I live in the Midwest. Have had to deal with customer service only once and it was concerning a plant which was out of stock and they refunded the price without my asking, which was a welcomed shock for me. Very friendly, honest people.
We have been very pleased with the large plants received from this company. We've ordered a number of 5'-6' (1"+ caliper) ornamental trees from this company and all have done well in our north coastal New England zone. The packaging is very good but shipping is expensive (understandable) but that is quickly outweighed by the excellent quality of their stock. One 6'-7' kousa dogwood failed and they promptly credited our account over the phone. Their prices on large landscape size Japanese maples are often better than local nurseries even with shipping. Their website is of little use & we do wish the catalog would arrive sooner.
I ordered some Thuja conifers from Greer a couple of months ago, and they came as expected. The root system was nicely developed. The packaging was excellent, and so far every one is healthy. I've only ordered once from them, but I would not hesitate to order again. Now if I only had a larger yard...
This was the only company that had the Idaho State Flower in stock. I placed my order via email, and received confirmation the next day. Two days later the order arrived. Plant was 2 feet tall, and packaged well. Leaves were heavily spotted with brown, but having never seen the plant in person before, I did not know if this was normal or not. The plant has been planted in shade and watered daily. The brown spots are gone, and I'm thinking it was a case of shipment stress. I am very pleased with the outcome of my order.
I orderered three rhododendrons from Greer Gardens this spring. Here in Connecticut, every plant available is one of the "iron clad" rhodies in white, pink, purple or red and I wanted something more unusual. The catalog outlines time of bloom, foilage characteristics, etc. Having studied it ALOT, I took the plunge and ordered over the phone. The plants came carefully and cleverly wrapped. All three plants are simply beautiful. I will definitely order from Greer Gardens again. The ladies on the order desk were helpful, too.
On Jul 9, 2002, golddog Western, PA (Zone 6a) wrote:
A wonderful family business with tons of Rhodos and Japanese maples, among many others. If you are looking for trees and shrubs that are of good size, then look no more. I bought 2 Japanese climbing Hydrangeas recently and couldn't believe the maturity of them. Stems were 2 1/2 to 3 feet long. Only gripe is the late delivery of the seasonal catalogue.
On Jan 22, 2002, Copperbaron Vicksburg, MS (Zone 8a) wrote:
Unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable. Oh, and by the way, did I mention that this site is unbelievable. Their catalog is just a sheer pleasure to read. The color photos are outstanding. The width and breadth of what they have to offer is nowhere else to be found.
There are other places on the internet such as Heronswood, Camelia Gardens, Weird Dude's Plant Zoo, Forest Farms, Mellingers, etc. that offer a large variety of hard to find plants in the trade, but none of them can compare to Greer Gardens. The plants I ordered were shipped as if the folks cared whether or not the plants arrived to me safely, which they did. I will one day visit this nursery.
