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On Oct 5, 2006, kmom246 Silver Springs, NV (Zone 6b) wrote:
I have been getting their informative catalogs for years waiting for the day that I had space to order in quatities of several hundred. That year is this year - 66 lbs of daffodils and 23 lbs of other assorted spring blooming goodies - over 1300 bulbs altogether! They were well packed, well labeled and plump and healthy looking. I placed my order several months ago, and they sent both an email & snail mail confirmation right away. Later, close to planting time, they sent me an email letting me know my order would ship soon so I knew my credit card would soon be charged. I've several acres to cover, so you know I'll be ordering from them again next year!
I ordered about 800 bulbs ( tulips, daffodils, crocus) last fall.
They all arrived on time and were very well packed. People were stopping in the street to comment on the quality of the tulips especially. The company gives tremendous value if you want large quantities. If you want somewhat fewer bulbs you can go to their sister company John Scheepers and pay only a little more for what I assume will be the same excellent quality. I intend to buy more bulbs this year and try some of their lilies too.
I have ordered many bulbs from this company over the years and have had nothing but good results. They are the first company whose catalog I look at when I am looking for bulbs. My last order (in late fall of 2005 for a number of bulbs on-sale at the end of their shipping season) was no different. Ordered many muscari, chionodoxa, and lilies. All arrived in great shape, and all have now bloomed (or in the case of the lilies are just about to bloom). Their only drawback in the past was that their (print) catalog had no color -- but that was OK given how low their prices were -- and now even that drawback no longer exists given their on-line catalog has color pictures for everything. They also appear to have one of the largest bulb selections of any company -- especially of the smaller, more-hard-to-find bulbs. I'll definitely be ordering from them again.
On Feb 25, 2006, Revnrose Clinton, NY (Zone 5a) wrote:
I ordered from VE this past summer, as I have in other growing zones in previous years. Being new to my area, I was especially concerned about the appropriate time to plant my bulbs -- before the date of the first killer frost. They shipped at the *perfect* time. As always, beautiful, healthy bulbs, wonderfully packed. I appreciate the separate bagging of their collections, since I want the plants but rarely wish to plant them in the suggested design. I appreciate their selection, their attention to detail, and their extraordinarily competent service. Their catalog and website complement each other beautifully. I appreciate their clarity on when the new catalog posting occurs and on the offering of early bird specials. I always feel that I receive more than my money's worth from VE, especially when frequently bulbs that are essentially annuals continue to show beautifully for three more years.
On Dec 2, 2005, jmorth Divernon, IL (Zone 5b) wrote:
Ordered lilies and Alliums at end of season sale. Received package soon thereafter. Quality and size were excellent. The Allium Schbertii were twice the size of bulbs previously ordered elsewhere.
On Nov 28, 2005, doghill6 Rogue River, OR (Zone 8a) wrote:
I used to split my bulb orders between Van Engelen and Brent and Becky's. I ordered everything from VE this year. They ship at the perfect time and all the bulbs (over 400) were perfect. B and B has good bulbs, but they always shipped so late I ended up planting in the freezing rain. Van Engelen has everything you could ever want, and great service, too.
On Nov 28, 2005, healsing New York, NY (Zone 7a) wrote:
My internet orders with Van Engelen and John Scheepers arrived within a few days and all of the bulbs I received were large and healthy! Their prices are the best I've found on the internet and the year end sale was an added bonus! This company does it right and makes ordering large quantities of bulbs affordable! The only thing I would advise is to order early in the season because much of their product sells out early.
I ordered a lot of bulbs from Van Engelen this year. I consider them to be quite a find! Their prices cannot be beaten as long as you're willing to buy at least 25 bulbs, which really isn't as many as it sounds anyway. The bulbs I ordered arrived promptly and are some of the biggest and healthiest-looking I've come across. They have a large selection with some unusual varieties available. I thought their shipping cost was very reasonable too. I've recommended them to my friends & family!
On Mar 24, 2005, langbr Olathe, KS (Zone 6a) wrote:
Placed my first order with Van Englen in July for fall planted bulbs. Arrived on time and were packaged nicely & clearly marked. All bulbs were in good condition with not a single bad one in the entire order. I will purchase from them again in the future.
On Jan 4, 2005, tabasco Cincinnati (Anderson Twp), OH (Zone 6a) wrote:
I placed three bulb orders--mostly wide a variety of daffs, allium, muscari, lilies, spanish bluebells and amaryllis--from VanEngelen during 2004. All the bulbs were in good/excellent condition and true to the quantities and varieties I ordered (according to the labels). This is the third year I have ordered from VanEngelen.
The company offers an excellent range of bulb choice and very good pricing. The bulb quality and sizes seem excellent, especially given the competitive pricing. The only issue for me was the (seemingly) late delivery in the autumn of my summer orders.
My order from the November/December Close Out Sale was an excellent buy and arrived immediately. They were beautiful Amaryllis bulbs, more allium and special daffs.
Since the VanEngelen catalog has no photos, I use the Scheeper's catalog for a bulb's photo ID. I find the drawings, organization and descriptions in the VanEngelen catalog
very attractive and usable, though. The websites are quite attractive and serviceable, too.
I will definitely order again from VanEngelen/Scheepers. If you find yourself looking for bulbs of the unusual or the tried and true, a good variety, and good pricing, VanEngelen is for you. I recommend them!
We have ordered literally thousands of bulbs from this company for many years and have been very pleased with their quality and prices overall. They have been very good about crediting for any bulbs that arrived in unsatisfactory condition. They are also quite reliable for selling bulbs that are "true to type" unlike some other bulb companies.
On Nov 22, 2004, nevadagdn Sparks, NV (Zone 7a) wrote:
I ordered lilies and small bulbs from the Van Engelen end-of-season sale. The bulbs were dispatched promptly, with notification and UPS tracking emails to keep me updated. The bulbs I received weren't in tip-top condition, but they had clearly been stored properly and were in the best condition I could expect for the end of the season. Had I ordered at the start of the season, I would probably go on and on about how perfect the bulbs were.
At only 25% off, the bulbs were a tremendous bargain--5 Orienpet lilies for under $7.00. I was hard-pressed to come up with enough selections at the reduced prices to make the minimum order of $50.00, but I prevailed (and duly planted).
I'll probably make Van Engelen one of my main end-of-season fill-in-the-gaps bulb suppliers. If I suddenly develop a desire to plant every inch of my front yard in orange tulips or large-trumpet yellow daffodils, I'll also consider Van Engelen for a peak-season supplier.
On May 25th, 2005, nevadagdn added the following:
I'm not sure which lilies are which at this point, because I ordered and planted lilies from Old House Gardens, The Lily Garden AND Van Engelen. I duly put a nice copper marker by each and every lily. Then the tree guys came, and in the course of removing half an elm tree, half of the stakes vanished, either stomped into the ground or drug away with chunks of elm tree (I'd be furious except it was a terribly difficult job and they didn't damage the house, the arbor or the fence in the process). Then spring happened, and the Bishop's Weed (Aegopodium podagraria 'Variegatum') shot up. The lilies I planted are emerging above the Bishop's weed, but the remaining markers are in there...somewhere. At any rate, all three vendors' lilies appear to be doing splendidly.
The non-lily bulbs I purchased are all doing well.On July 20th, 2005, nevadagdn added the following:
The lilies are gorgeous.On November 15th, 2007, nevadagdn added the following:
The "problem" with ordering from reputable suppliers like van Engelen, if you want to call it a problem, is that there's just no drama involved with ordering or the product. This year's order was just like all others: good quality product delivered in a prompt fashion with good communication.
On Oct 26, 2004, SugarMaple Southbridge, MA (Zone 5b) wrote:
I ordered 325 bulbs, including tulips, daffodils, and two types of lilies. Except for two moldly bulbs and one dried out bulb that was nearly dust, the bulbs were all in fantastic shape. The dried out one didn't actually matter since there were 4 extras of that type in the shipment. I ordered the bulbs on a Monday and received them that Friday. The rep on the phone was very nice. I am looking forward to seeing how many actually come up next Spring and Summer, and to seeing how much of a "mix" their mixes really are.
On Oct 19, 2004, weebles64 Dayton, OH (Zone 6a) wrote:
I ordered aprox 1500 bulds in the early summer....they just arrived within the week they said they would be here. I was missing one selection, a phone call and two days later it arrived. I priced many sites and this was the cheapest.....the bulbs were large with none of them soft...... Will have to wait to see how the blooming goes, but I will order again
Have ordered more than 1200 bulbs each in 2002 and 2003. Never found a better price elsewhere for quantity, though Brent and Becky is close. Will order again for in 2004. A triplet planting of Nymph double amaryllis was expensive but spectacular giving 5 weeks of bloom.
I ordered 950 tulip bulbs from Van Engelen in the fall of 2003. I received some bulbs which did not look very healthy, and it took a few days, and a few phone calls for them to let me know whether these bulbs were acceptable for planting or if I should send them back. The owners daughter was the person who I spoke with, and was told that they should be alright, but that she would note my account so that if the tulips did not grow properly, they would know that I had called to notify them of this condition. All but 100 of the bulbs came up much as they were described in the catalog. On the whole, I was happy with the tulips, but I did receive several types which I did not order, though they were labeled with the names of the bulbs which I did order. My tulips peaked only a week ago, so I have not had a chance to call Van Engelen yet to discuss these two issues, but I do hope for a full refund for the "Beauty Queen" bulbs which did not come up. And, I am concerned that what you order, may not be what you get, as I am selling the tulips, and need to know what I am marketing before it blooms. I also noticed that there were not always 100 per box (of 100). I recommend counting the tulips carefully, so that you get what you paid for.
I ordered quite a few bulbs from this company (parrot tulips & hyathincs). The only problem I had was I ordered a mix of colors, and the colors all seemed to bloom at different times, starting with the darker colors & then ending with white on the hyathics, and for the tulips, starting with the lighter colors & ending with the dark reds, so that at times, there was only 1 or 2 colors blooming. I don't see how that could be the fault of the company though. The other possible problem was the boxes of bulbs might have had over or under 100. I didn't bother to count, but noticed on some areas I'd use the entire box, and on others, I'd have some left over, for approx. the same size area. If I order again I'll probably order color-specific bulbs, although, at this point, I don't have any space to plant others! Overall, if you need a large quantity of bulbs, this is the place to get them.
On Mar 23, 2004, vidamc Fenton, MO (Zone 6a) wrote:
2 years ago I ordered about 1200 various bulbs and the next spring I had the most fabulous display coming down my driveway. Unfortunately, since we had just built our house I wasn't aware that the voles apparantly outnumber the bulbs because they ate most of them over the first winter. Last year I ordered more bulbs and they are all coming up beautifully this year. Bulbs have been excellent size and great condition. I will continue to order from them.
On Mar 8, 2004, sweetgumpods Des Moines, IA (Zone 5a) wrote:
Recuperating from heart bypass surgery I got carried away and ordered 100's of daffodil bulbs. The bulbs arrived on time and they were hugh!!!!!!!!!! Larger than my husband's fist. We are leaving for Holland next week for 7 weeks and believe me, we will wait until we return home to buy our new bulbs from VanEngelen.
On Nov 18, 2003, mvespa Englishtown, NJ (Zone 6b) wrote:
I would definately order again. I placed a large bulb order with VE and the majority of the bulbs were great. Only a few rotten lilies out of about 45 that were ordered. The daffodil bulbs were superb, what a great value! They readily credited by credit card for the rotten bulbs, so customer service is wonderful. The only minor negative is that they delivered my order a week after the expected ship date, so I had to wait in anticipation and put off my planned planting dates. But other than that, they were great.
On October 20th, 2004, mvespa added the following:
I ordered again and the bulbs came very quickly! They were all top size, top quality bulbs. Once again an job extremely well done!
On Oct 28, 2003, SteveFtWorth Fort Worth, TX (Zone 7b) wrote:
I ordered for the first time from this company this year, and placed an order for Hyacinths, Lilies and Alliums. The Lily bulbs were enormous...as big as those of B&D, which specializes in them, and much larger than anyone else I've ordered from. This is the only site I could find that offered 18/19cm Hyacinths, and they were perfect and just what was advertised. The only problem I had was one rotten Allium Globemaster bulb. Normally I wouldn't make a big deal over one bulb, but this variety is not cheap. I e-mailed VanEngelen and they wrote back and immediately credited back my card for more than the value of the individual bulb. I was worried about what quality and service would be like from a large, very inexpensive wholesaler like this (but you must order in quantity), but so far it's been flawless.
I ordered over 500 bulbs from this company after seeing reviews on Garden WatchDog. I am very pleased with my order and would definately order from them again if I need large quantities of flower bulbs. Prices are comparable or better than Sam's Club. I ordered one of their preplanned gardens and 200 daffodils. I counted the bulbs in the preplanned garden and always had the correct number, but more often a few extra. I didn't even count the daffodils because over half the bulbs were doubles or triples so I knew I had plenty. I only had obout 5 soft bulbs in the whole order and they were more than adequately replaced by extra bulbs received.
On Sep 11, 2003, celeste1 Clarksville, TN (Zone 6b) wrote:
I had been a very satisfied customer with this company and received great products. The problem is their customer service. Last year, I had ordered Casa Rosa lily bulbs from both them and their sister company John Scheepers. When the lilies bloomed it was quite obvious that they were not what I had ordered. They were neither the color nor the shape of Casa Rosa. I explained the situation to them and asked for replacement bulbs that WERE the Casa Rosa. I was told that since no one else had complained of receiveing incorrect bulbs for Casa Rosa, they would not replace the bulbs and that my soil pH must have changed their color. Yeah, right! So if you have been sent something by their mistake, don't count on them correcting it. It is a real shame too, because I had always thought they were a good company to deal with. I guess they are ONLY if there is not a problem.
I have ordered over $1000 of bulbs from VE for each of the past 3 years. I am pleased with their prices, quality and customer service. I plan to continue to use them as my supplier.
I made several orders from this company in the fall of 2002. I am very pleased with all aspects of my experience with this company. Their selection is extensive and the website was very easy to navigate. I received an order confirmation and a shipping notice (with a tracking number) for every order. The bulbs were large and in great condition. They offer the best combination of quality and service of any vendor I have worked with. When I did get one batch of narcissus with some mushy bulbs, I obtained a prompt credit from a very pleasant customer service rep. My first choice for bulbs.
I ordered 200 Narcissi from them: 100 King Alfred DN2 and the Grand Narcissi Mix. Biggest bulbs I've ever seen! A lot of the DN2 were big double bulbs with one or two smaller ones attached (probably more like an extra 100 bulbs or so). They're all coming up now and are spectacular. I've order daffodils from several different mail-order companies, and these are by far the nicest; I even managed to buy them during a sale, so I spent < 30 cents per bulb. I was so impressed with the shipment I sent them a thank-you note. Wholesale only, though.
On May 27th, 2004, patwood added the following:
Ordered more daffs from them (and Scheepers) last year; very nice bulbs; all bloomed this year.
i buy 100 paperwhites from this company every year, and they far exceed the quality to be found elsewhere- better size, heavy flowering, shipped on time.
I ordered huge number of bulbs from a few places each fall, including VE.
Prices at VE are good, but the quality is consistent with the price. If you want better quality, try Brent & Becky's Bulbs instead.
Few years ago I ordered Scilla sibirica 'Spring Beauty' from Brent & Becky's Bulbs. I ordered the same from VE last fall at lower price. They are all blooming now. The flowers from VE are much smaller than the ones from Brent & Becky's.
You get what you paid for. I'll order more from Brent & Becky's next time.
On Dec 23, 2004, nunoi changed their rating to positive and added the following:
I have ordered bulbs from Van Engelen for about 4 or 5 years and have increased the the order substantially each year. This year I even ordered from the end of season's sales also.
VE has excellent bulbs at excellent price. Their customer service is exceptional.
I used to find bigger lily bulbs from Brent & Becky's. This fall the lilies from VE were as big as those from B&B if not bigger. I wish I had ordered more from VE. By the time I decided to order more, the lilies were all sold out.
I ordered $1500.00+ worth of bulbs this fall. The bulk of that amount went to VE. I already have a long list to order from VE for next fall. On July 29th, 2009, Pitimpinai added the following:
I have been ordering bulbs almost exclusively now from Van Engelen. All the bulbs are excellent at very good price. Lilies are a bit of a disappointment, though, because they are not always true to name. And the bulbs are not always the largest.
I will still order other bulbs, especially spring bulbs from VE.
Love this company and its spring bulbs.
I have order bulbs from this company for two years, about 2,000 in all--tulips, daffodils, lilies, etc. All were healthy and produced excellent plants and blooms. The end of season clearance offers especially good value.
I've ordered many bulbs from them over the years and they've turned out well for the most part. They have a good selection. Their orders are always fulfilled correctly.
On Mar 8, 2003, Lizzytish Wareham, MA (Zone 7a) wrote:
I placed an order with this company this year in the fall and the bulbs were of good size and very healthy looking.
Obviously they are not up yet but it was nearly 500 bulbs mostly alliums of all different varieties I am hoping for a spectacular garden, but their service was great and the order was complete.
I will hold judgement on weather or not to order again until I see the finished product.
On May 31st, 2003, Lizzytish added the following:
Well it is now time to add comments to my assesment. Many of my alliums are up and blooming, and many of them have simply keeled over and died. Those that died are right along side those that are blooming so I think that it has to be the bulbs and not the soil. They came up and formed a flower bud and then did not bloom. I will get in touch with them and see what they say. I will not change my rating until I contact them.
I order bulbs from this company for the garden center where I work and for home use. I have always been happy with the selection, size, and condition of the bulbs. A $400 order I placed for a planting job last fall that included large numbers of dozens of varieties arrived complete and in exceptional condition. I highly recommend their amaryllis bulbs--great selection, huge bulbs, almost all produce multiple flower stalks. Also had great success forcing paperwhite bulbs from this company for Christmas sales--bulbs were 1/3 or more larger than those from other companies we tried.
I've ordered from Van Engelen for about ten years, between 1000 and 1200 bulbs every year. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, lilies, amaryllis, and paperwhites. Everything comes in great condition, packed wonderfully, and does extremely well. I like to plant early (because I plant bulbs under pansies) and have to request a two week earlier shipping date. They are not thrilled with that, but they ship them early. Their lilies seem to become available late and can hold up an order, so I've started splitting into two orders to accommodate that. Their prices and selection are great. I also get the John Scheepers catalog which has pictures of most of their stuff. I couldn't be more pleased with this company and will continue to order from them.
On Jan 20, 2003, Gardengail Bridgeton, NJ (Zone 7a) wrote:
I have bought bulbs from many companies over the years, and from this one for probably the last 5 to 6 years. There bulbs are superior in size and their prices are great. I would not buy anywhere else.
I ordered about 500 bulbs from them last year. While they came in a timely manner and in good condition, I wasn't happy with their "pleasing mix" of colors on my tulips. When they came up spring of 2002, I had the 80-90% of my Tulip Bouquet Mixture one "color" , a yellow and red tulip. Like the Tulip Colour Spectacle. Not what they showed in the pictures. (purples, pinks, yellows etc.)
Also, my "pleasing mix" of Tulip Single Late Majestic Mix was 75% Tulip Toyota, a sort of red with white stripes tulip, again not a "pleasing mix".
That said, the rest of my order which was specific in nature was great. they all came up and were absolutely beautiful. Even had cars slowing down as they drove by. Will definately order from them again, but have learned my lesson and will NOT be ordering any "Pleasing mixes"!
