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On Nov 21, 2009, loveslilies Youngstown, OH wrote:
Bought end of season fall-planting bulbs on clearance. Of 50 daffodils, 48 arrived (2 bags were short 1 bulb) and 3 bulbs were mush. The remainder were healthy and large. 2 roots for daylilies looked good. 2 packages of jacqueline asiatic lilies bulbs were firm but tiny - not the 12-14cm size posted on the website.
Called customer service which was very responsive, and offered store credit for the 5 daffodils and all the asiatic lilies. They wouldn't refund money because they were purchased on clearance, although that's not specifically stated in their written policy. I guess I'll see what grows and keep you updated. Neutral for now. I'm hopeful despite all the reviews I've read here.
On Oct 16, 2009, Loligo Murphysboro, IL (Zone 6b) wrote:
My mother ordered me some bulbs from VB as a birthday present -- when I came and saw the reviews, I was terrified! But so far, the experience has not been a total disaster. The bulbs arrived this week, at an appropriate time for planting. Everything she ordered was in there, and the bulbs are firm and healthy looking. They're definitely on the small side (especially the daffodils, which are half the size of bulbs I've received from John Scheepers before), but they do fit the measurements promised in the catalog descriptions.
My only quibble is the daylily: it's a single, anemic, trimmed-down fan, although with a healthy clump of roots. If it were earlier in the season, I would feel confident that it would pull through with no problem. But this late in the year, I don't know whether to risk it out in the garden, or plant it in a pot and keep it in the garage for the winter.
Given the pervasive problems they seem to have with plants not coming up true to name, I'm starting this review out at Neutral, but if everything blooms as labeled next spring, I will come back and change this to Positive.
On Oct 15, 2009, pastime Waterman, IL (Zone 5a) wrote:
Posted on November 11, 2007, updated October 15, 2009
I ordered 6 Destined to See daylily fans and 6 Green Envy coneflower roots from them in the Spring '07. The daylily fans were smallish, but caught up in size by the end of the season. They even bloomed which is great for a 1st year daylily. The Green Envy coneflowers were also small, but grew well over the summer and bloomed.
On April 22nd, 2009, pastime added the following:
In 2007 I ordered 6 Destined to See daylilies. They arrived in good shape and bloomed the summer of 2008. Unfortunately they turned out to be Wild Horses daylilies, not Destined to See. In the fall of '08 I took a chance and emailed them along with a picture of the bloom. The actually wrote me back acknowledging their mistake. Last week 12 Destined to See arrived. They were nice, healthy, big roots. On June 27th, 2009, pastime changed the rating from positive to neutral and added the following:
The 12 supposedly Destined to See plants are now blooming, and again, they sent me Wild Horses. I emailed them asking "what the heck!", No reply. I take back my positive rating and give them a neutral because the quality of the plants were good, but the company needs to look into why their stock of DTS is mislabeled. I wonder if people ordering Wild Horses got DTS instead.On October 15th, 2009, pastime added the following:
After numerous emails back and forth since June '09, they sent me another 12 plants labeled Destined to See with a note stating "this is the last replacement". Like I'm the one who goofed up! I won't know until next summer if I indeed received DTS. If they turn out to be Wild Horses again, I will then have 36 of them. Looks like I will be doing some trading on DG. I'll keep my neutral rating because the plants arrived healthy. I hope DTS turns out to be worth all the fuss.
Bought a himalayan blue poppy that was half dead on arrival and promptly died when planted. When I contacted VanB they said it was not meant for my zone; it likes cool and moist springs. We had the coolest, wettest spring in decades. I ordered elephant ears and it looked like a dried stone but I planted it anyway; it rotted in the pot. They said they will replace this next spring. Also, I ordered Stutgartt canna; this canna is sold for its variegation. It blooms after reaching a height of around 7 feet. This one has no variegation and bloomed about the size of a dwarf canna. I also bought foxglove, toad lily and hardy geranium and these are ok. I have some tulips and hyacinths from VanB and they are beautiful.
On Jul 2, 2009, liebran Valencia, PA (Zone 5b) wrote:
I ordered 2 Angel trumpets which arrived in pot, bent but not broken and so far look good in the planting. Also, I ordered two bleeding hearts-they arrived in a plastic baggie filled with potting soil and 2 bright gold stems (I assume from sulfur). I have planted the stems, but no results yet. I am not sure they are going to survive. Only time will tell,but I was not happy with the bleeding heart packaging. Karen Shaver
On Jun 11, 2009, onewish1 Denville, NJ (Zone 6a) wrote:
I placed an order that was shipped 3/25/09.. a part of the order was the PENSTEMON COLLECTION (73906)... I contacted the company twice to tell them there is no growth and they appear to be dead ... via there website... both times I received NO RESPONSE
I would not recommend buying from a company that doesn't not even take the time to send a respond to a problem
On June 11th, 2009, onewish1 added the following:
sorry for the typo... I meant responseOn June 16th, 2009, onewish1 changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
I did finally receive a reply 3 days ago... the replacements were shipped yesterday
Placed an order in March, 2009. Slow to ship. Some good, some bad: plants were well packed but small. The phlox had not sprouted and I'll have to see how they do, but they looked fine. Coneflower was backordered with NO indication of shipping date. Who knows when it will arrive. I have ordered from this company several times in the past, with mixed results. Some of their plants are very nice, others are marginal at best and don't live well. I have about 60/40 luck with them (60% good, 40% not so good.) Got a "deal" on what I ordered this time so I took a chance.
On Mar 5, 2009, 17decker Grand Junction, CO wrote:
Last April or May of 2008 I placed an order of Gaint Phloxs, Day Lillies, and other plants, thinking I would get them soon. No I didn't get them till that fall. I ended up losing all of the plants except for the day lillies. And even though the day lillies did ok they were not the plants I ordered. I have request my money back for the plants that died and was told that I could only get a credit. Since then I have made another order that should arive this spring and I'll have to wait and see if this will be a waste of money or just a fluke.
On Sep 15, 2008, SonjaSkyles Elk Grove, CA (Zone 9b) wrote:
About 5 years ago I bought a dark blue double tradescantia from them. When it bloomed, it was single and almost white. I contacted them, but I had to wait a year for a replacement, because they were out of them. The following spring I received what was supposed to be a replacement plant, but the plastic bag contained only peat moss and there was no plant in it. I contacted them again and was promised a new plant the following spring. I never heard from them and I will never order from them again.
On December 8th, 2008, SonjaSkyles changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
I made a mistake. The tradescantia order was from Van Dyck's. The order from Van Bourgoundien was in August of 2004 and it was for several bareroot plants, that arrived all black and shriveled up and never came to life. I was promised a replacement in the spring. As of 5/12/05 I had not received them and wrote to them again. I did not receive a reply to that e-mail, but I have now received an encouraging message from Sofia at Van Bourgondien, and hopefully this will be resolved.
On Aug 12, 2008, p1mkw Danville, IN (Zone 5b) wrote:
This company was recommended to me by a Master Gardener (president of the local chapter, BTW). So I thought they must be good. I placed a sizeable order with them last year. Probably 50% (or even less) survived planting. I figured either I had done something wrong, the plants weren't right for this area (I had check the zones so I knew that wasn't it) or 'something.' Not having learned my lesson last year, this spring I placed another order with them. Same experience as last year. Not one of the ferns I ordered from them survived, several lilies never sprouted and some of the plants that did sprout don't look all that great. The Blazing Star is the only plant that looks like something that will survive and even flourish. I'm sure the person who recommended this company has had good experience, but sadly I can't say the same thing for me. And looking at the other comments out here, I'd say more people share my experience with them than have positive experiences. There are too many other highly rated companies out there ... save your money and spend it with them rather than this company.
On December 6th, 2008, p1mkw changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
I would like to acknowledge that a representative form the company contacted me and is willing to work towards a solution by replacing the plants that did not thrive for me. I would encourage people in the future to contact the company first and give them an opportunity to resolve any issues you might have with them. I am changing my rating to Neutral based on their willingness to work on a solution.
Two years ago I ordered a number of various bulbs from here. Packages were marked with right names, when they flowered, they were anything BUT what I had chosen! Ordered early to INSURE getting a certain variety of tuberous begonia, recieved a bag of mixed gladiola bulbs instead, and the dahlia tubers proved to be types not even listed in their choices! I wrote them a letter of complaint, NEVER heard a word back! Now when their catalogues come in, they go right in the scrap pile for recycling.
On January 7th, 2009, olesagegrouse changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
After almost 3 years, I have been contacted by the company and they are going to stand behind the original order, REPLACE, free of charge what was sent erronously, when proper shipping time occurs for this zone. I think, that after all that time, it's mighty BIG of them: time will tell when I see results, til then I'd like to remain neutral in opinion.
On Jul 15, 2008, allyphant San Francisco, CA wrote:
I'm not a gardener but I just decided to plant for fun. My mother loves dahlia's so one day I came by the Van Bourgondien's website and was aww-ed by the varieties of bulbs they carried and was delighted by the clearance sales. I ordered a few varieties of dahlias .. and ordered strawberry plant, toadlily and a hot flash calla lily.
I found the company's shipping a bit hard to deal with because they only ship during season but never have an expected arrival date, so you basically sit and wait until it ships.
It finally came and the dahlias and strawberries are beginning to grow leaves. The calla lily and the toad lily bulbs came and were a bit dry, so I'm not sure if they will grow. There is one dahlia bulb that might be mislabelled because the leaves are coming out different from the rest of them. We'll just have to see later. I noticed a lot of people have problems with their mislabelling.. hopefully these ones are the ones I ordered.
Two years ago I received a $10 coupon for this company and ordered 3 Christmas ferns. They arrived healthy but small, but they were after all, a bargain -- only $10 for 3 with the discount and shipping.
Last year 2 of the ferns were still healthy, one was marginal and after the winter snow melted, all I could find of these 3 evergreen ferns was 2 of them. The 2 are still small but they live. For $5 each for the 2 that live, I could have done just as well locally, so be advised that you get what you pay for!
In late March I ordered 5 Picasso Calla Lilly bulbs and Green Envy Echinaceas from VB. The order was received promptly and safely, the Picassos have been planted in a pot but have yet to grow, but since I dont exactly live in zone 10 I expect it might take sometime. However the green envys (bareroot) never grew at all and ended up dead. Upon calling them, I was informed they were now out of stock and was given 2 other types of echinacea as replacements without any trouble and they were received promptly. They also sent 7 of one type of echinacea instead if the 3 that they were supposed to send so I was pleased with that, but as of now nothing has shown any signs of growth. Overall I can't complain about customer service and shipping but the quality of plants remains to be seen, I will adjust my feedback according when I see what becomes of my bulbs/bareroot plants.
On June 23rd, 2008, WinterStinks added the following:
Just as an update all 5 Picasso bulbs are coming up nicely so they are doing nicely however everything else is DOA, everything they have sent bareroot has never shown any signs of life. I have also since found out (according to American Meadows) that many of their bareroots are wholesaled off to other places and "quite often they are bad" from being transported multiple times, as this was one of American Meadows excuses for some dead items. So i would say order bulbs or even plants but anything bareroot should be avoided.
I can only give a partial review since I just got my order from them last week (and not the crocus bulbs I orderred since they don't ship those until fall), but from what I can see I have no problems with them.
Shipping was reasonably fast, everything was packaged well (a nikko blue, bleeding heart and a doz everbearing strawberries). It's too early to tell about the nikko blue and the bleeding hearts, but the strawberries!
The strawberries were just a crown with roots. I planted them Sunday afternoon and when I went outside yesterday evening at least a handful of them had sprouted leaves!!!
Very impressive.
On June 5th, 2008, donicaben changed the rating from positive to neutral and added the following:
Now that it's been a few weeks and I've had a few orders with other nurseries I'm a bit wiser.
Though the strawberries are still EXTREMELY healthy (the only thing saving this from being a negative review) my hydragea hasn't grown, and my bleeding heart not only didn't grow, but the inch of grow it had on it when I bought it is totally brown.
At the time when I first reviewed I didn't know that most other nurseries send you plants with gobs of green leaves and about a foot of real growth. Silly me.
Yea, I'm not orderring here again.On June 6th, 2008, donicaben added the following:
I'm still on the neutral, but leaning toward positive.
I just got off the phone with their customer service. They are replacing the hydrangea and substituting the bleeding heart with a hollyhock (they're out of the bleeding heart). If these replacements work out I will be changing my rating back to positive.
On May 11, 2008, gavinsmom Lakewood, OH (Zone 6a) wrote:
I ordered from this company in spite of hit or miss results in the past because it was the only place I could find the "Orion" begonia that I like so much. I have moved and wanted to replace the ones in my old yard. Since everything was 1/2 off, I ordered a few things. The butterfly bush was dry and poorly packed. We'll see how it does. I had to soak the begonia roots, as they were dry as a bone. They are coming up okay. The lily bulbs were okay, sprouting in the packages, but neither rotting nor too dry. Order from this company knowing that there is a risk that you will not be entirely pleased, and only order when there's a big sale.
I ONLY order bulbs from this company using the wholesale catalog and I understand that a small percentage of the bulbs will be rotted or damaged and that sometimes they are mislabelled. I've ordered from them for over a decade and this is how I get 1,000's of crocus lining my driveway in a cost-effective manner. The prices are incentive for me to continue ordering from them knowing the negatives.
I've had similar experience as mjzajic. The bulbs I ordered from them were fine if a bit small, but perennials--specifically daylillies--were not. Several years ago I ordered what I thought were 3 blue daylillies (Prairie Blue Eyes) at what seemed to be a great price. They were in ok condition, but just tiny shoots and took 3 years to finally bloom. When they did finally bloom, they were not blue at all, but salmon w/ red in the center. They are not bad-looking but not even close to what I ordered. I have moved them several times because their odd color does not really go with anything else I have. Maybe this is "just me" but I have never really enjoyed them because every time I see them I am reminded of the fact they weren't what I thought I was getting.
On Feb 6, 2008, EugeniaBostwick Pinckney, MI wrote:
Von bourgondien sends out two catalogs, one wholesale, one retail. Unfortunately they use a lot of gimmicks with their customers, but their prices are sometimes good. Last year I placed a large order that included achimenes. These arrived very late, in early summer! They needed to be started MUCH earlier. However, I did not complain and I started them in pots. Only one of thirty actually grew! I work at a plant nursery, and know how to start and take care of plants.
I have ordered and received bulbs and perennials from van Burgondien for several years. All the bulbs I ordered were both bargain priced, came on time, and were mostly fat and healthy and large. The bulbs have been all outstanding and the variety they offer is exceptional.
However, my experience with ordering perennials from van Burgondien is not one I will repeat. All three times they made a mess of the order, one batch of pink double hollyhocks being delivered a year later, after I had already re-ordered it and received the re-order thinking they had lost my original order. None of the perennials ordered came at the best planting time. One batch of very expensive new cultivar of a violet daylily was a disappointment I am still angry about. The root they sent is a single tiny one which I ordered and planted three years ago. Last year one of the six plants was big enough to produce one flower. After waiting two and a half years I discoverd they had not shipped me the variety I had purchased and desired, but a very ugly brown and dark purple one. The money lost was bad enough but the disappointment after nurturing the pathetic starts for so long and finding they were the wrong one was infuriating. I will continue to order bulbs from van Burgondien, as long as they continue to be good, but never again will I risk ordering any perennials which come late, mistaken, and often in very poor condition.
My calls to them about problems were answered with smooth assurances without any follow up. mjzajic.
I was getting ready to order from the Virginia store (aka the bulb lady) when I saw all these posts. I couldn't believe it because I grew up on Long Island where the catalogue used to be based. They were considered one of the premier nurseries, and I have ordered from them in the past with good results. So I googled Van Bourgondien Long Island and came up with the website for what I think may be their original nursery--www.vanbnursery.com . They do mailorder, so may be worth a try.
I ordered madonna lilies and something else in Fall 06. When I received lilies (6), 5 of them were sprouted 4 inches or more. I emailed and was told to plant them, they would be fine. Spring came and 2 managed to send out an inch or 2 of leaves. Nothing else. I just emailed ,enclosing my original email, and they have issued me a full credit to be taken off my next order. (I have since learned that they would not likely survive in my zone, also they have increased price, likely dueto all the refunds they have to issue) Now, what to do with the refund! Should I order something as simple as a daffodil? Seems in past years I didn't have a great experience, but they keep sendlng catalogs, hence I forgot! I never did see a $25 off $25 order. Must have been a special mailing, or a misprint somewhere. I have always seen $25 a $50 order or more, hence why my mind halves all their prices.
Need suggestions on what to do with my credit!!! They were prompt via email!
On Jun 3, 2007, tepelus Fremont, OH (Zone 6a) wrote:
I ordered from VB for the first time this year, ordering 3 Lady ferns, 2 Pandora's Box daylilies, 1 Blueberry Sundae daylily and 1 You-Angel-You daylily. All but one Pandora's box is growing decently, the one that isn't is very small, but I am patient and will give it some time. I hope that they all come true to flower. The ferns, on the other hand, came as three little dried up sticks without any signs of life, so I planted them each in four inch pots in dirt from the spot of which they will be planted in, mixed with sphagnum peat. As of right now, one has three fronds, one has two and the third has one. I'm going to continue babying them until I feel they are large enough to survive in my garden. I have bought bulbs from them through retail stores and had good luck with those, but I won't order from these guys again unless they have something I really, really want and can't find elsewhere.
On May 27, 2007, saintartaud Kansas City, MO (Zone 5b) wrote:
Did business with the sister company, and despite the order being late, was pretty pleased with the quality. Mind you, I'm basically a beginner and just learning to discern this stuff.
The order through Van B. arrived in a timely manner, and everything looked OK when it arrived. Results in the spring were mixed, but I am willing to conceded this could have been due to weather conditions and the local squirrel population. The corydalis and Cum Laude tulips did very well and made it through a late frost swimmingly. The English bluebells sprouted but never flowered. The species tulip violacea never came up at all. There is a possibility I received crocuses instead, but since I couldn't remember exactly where I planted everything I might be wrong. Since I was looking forward to the species tulips most, this was a big disappointment.
Worth taking a chance with the $25 off, but also worth being cautious. I may or may not order from these companies again.
On Apr 26, 2007, figaro52 Oak Lawn, IL (Zone 5a) wrote:
I've been generally satisfied with this company; however, upon reading many of the comments here I'm starting to get worried! I placed two orders from VB this season. I received one of them yesterday -- a dahlia tuber and some non-stop begonia tubers. Everything looked great. The balance of my order is to be shipped after May 19. This concerns me since the original ship date was to be after April 16. Perhaps something's on back order. I'm expecting red tenor phlox, some more begonias, another dahlia and some achimenes. I'll update this comment when I receive the balance of my order.
On May 4th, 2007, figaro52 added the following:
A rep from VB saw my April 26 post here and contacted me for more information about my order. She determined that it was being held up because one small item (the achimenes) was on back order. She rush shipped the begonias, phlox and dahlia to me. The items arrived yesterday in excellent condition. Nice healthy eyes on the non-stop begonias. VB seems to ship small clumps of dahlias rather than single tubers. The phlox roots were very much alive. I continue to be satisfied with my "VB Experience"!On June 5th, 2007, figaro52 changed the rating from positive to neutral and added the following:
I am changing my rating to "neutral" for the following reason: On my order 2559651, the Stars of India (achimines) were scheduled to ship on 5/19/07. I checked my order status on their website only to see the notation, "item no longer available." But did I get any communication from the Bulb Lady about this? Noooooooo!
I will consider myself lucky that I've had what amounts to reasonably good luck with this company. And obviously that's all it has been -- luck! However, I will not press my luck any further and will not do business with this company in the future. I get "really frosted" when vendors do not communicate with their customers. Just when you think things are going well...
This was my first order fromt this company, I also used the code which gives $25 off, but to protect myself I only placed a $25 order, so all I would be out was the $8.95 shipping cost. I also wrote a check and mailed the order instead of giving out my credit card number. My order was promptly acknowledged by e-mail, including a separate reply to my request to ship early (before the stated beginning ship date of March 19 if possible). My order arrived March 22. No one tried to convince me to increase my order (other than by sending me more catalogs).
I ordered 2 bags of Chinchincheree (Ornithogalum thyrsoides) purportedly containing 10 bulbs each. More than half were moldy and shriveled or rotted.Those that were not moldy,shriveled or rotten were tiny and already sprouting. One bag contained a small, almost rectangular piece of gravel in lieu of one of the bulbs. I also ordered six narcissus described as "Summer Daffodil Erlicheer" which appear to be plantable, although sprouting already. However, they were not rotted or mushy and except for sprouting, were of average quality.. I suspect they may have been somebody's fall '06 inventory, as the ones in my garden have already bloomed.
I also ordered a Gloriosa Rothschildiana (Climbing Lily) I do not know if what I received was good or bad quality, as I have no experience with what it should look like.
Considering I only paid $8.95, I did not get ripped off, but the quality of the order did not give me the confidence to place additional orders, especially in light of their overall negative rating on this site.
Thank you so much for the information. I was considering ordering from this company, but thanks to your warnings, I believe I've been spared considerable grief. I'll stick to companies I know.
On Jan 17, 2007, cannaqueen Mantua, OH (Zone 5a) wrote:
I had received this company's catalog and had written out the
order. The coupon allowing you to deduct $25.00 from your
order was a big influence on my ordering some bulbs.
I decided to check the ratings on this company and was surprised at how many people had not been fairly treated
by this company. I want to thank these people for taking their
time to express their disappointments with this company.
This has influenced me enough to the point that I will not order
from this company. My order has been placed with a company that works hard providing quality plants for its
customers. cannaqueen
On Jan 25, 2006, daisygirl_13 Indianapolis, IN wrote:
this is a portion of an email I sent to Debbie, the company's president:
1. In 2003 I ordered some anemone (bulbs) & some garden phlox. I planted everything according to the directions given. In the spring I waited & waited for the phlox to sprout and discovered that the plants that were assured to be “only sleeping” were instead dead.
Many of the anemones sprouted but only a few bloomed (and they were bright pink instead of the blue that was advertised!)
2. I requested a replacement for the phlox and chose a different type of plant (Malva) hoping to have better results.
The malva was dead as well. (I was issued credit for the anemones but haven’t applied it, fearing the same results).
3. Then I decided to give phlox another try & ordered some to replace the dead malva.It never showed as much as a tiny sprout.
I’ve spent the last two years:
Pleading w/customer service reps to please just refund my money (they refused)
Staring at empty spots in my flower beds and hoping something I bought would sprout
paying shipping for each replacement
I sent this to Debbie twice w/no response. I was instructed to use a email different address, which I did...no response. I called asking to speak to Debbie & was told a supervisor was trying to contact me. Finally, "Ron" left a message to call him about my "refund".....when I did there was only a message indicating Van B. was closed for the holidays!
I called after they opened & talked w/Ron.....we agreed on an amount for my refund. He said :
1. it was almost a sure thing & just needed to clear it w/a supervisor
2. he'd would call me "in 20 minutes"
3. he'd send some paperwhites as an apology for all my trouble
He didn't until over a week later-after I'd called numerous times!! Meanwhile I'd found even more charges on my bank statement from my past transactions & emailed this info to Ron. When he called he said he couldn't find this additional info....I said I'd email it again & could he call me right back?
He didn't, & after a few days of leaving more messages for him Debbie herself called. She wanted to replace everything & I said Ron offered me a refund. She said he wasn't authorized to do that & began questioning me about my experience as a gardener because she couldn't imagine why these plants weren't growing for me.
She wanted me to
- send her pictures of my flowerbeds to make sure the exposure was correct
- email her all the info I had just given "Ron"
-.and she claimed I had BOUGHT the paperwhites! (It seemed to me she had not even bothered to research the nature of my complaint before she called).
I have order forms & bank records to prove VanB owes me $92, which I've offered to share w/her.
On March 18th, 2006, daisygirl_13 changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
After my conversation w/Debbie I decided I shouldn’t have to jump through any more hoops as I had been doing for almost three years. I sent her an email w/documentation requesting all my $ back and threatened to take my complaint to the BBB if I didn’t hear from her in two weeks. …no response.
So, I called the phone number she had given me when we had talked before (this was different from the one given in the catalog) several times in a row and asked for her. I was offered her voice mail but refused & asked for someone else that could help me. When the (cordial!) people in this office realized I wasn’t going away I was put through to the secretary (Fran) of either the president or VP.
She was also very cordial (unlike Debbie!) and I emailed all my info/documentation to her.
Nine days later somebody called to tell me a full refund was on its way. Apparently this company is more interested in saving money than saving their reputation w/customers (why did it take them nine days to decide on a complaint less than $100?) Included w/the check were $30 worth of gift certificates (ironic!)
I’ll update you as to how well my free plants grow……
I'm very reluctantly changing my rating only because I received a refund. NO ONE should have to go through what I did!
On Jan 14, 2006, bestgardener Cincinnati, OH wrote:
Van B's has good bulbs but are rather pricey. Their plants are small and not really worth the cost. I have bought plants from them and many have died. I would rather buy the varieties at a reputable garden center.
I hope their customer service has improved. I dealt with a very rude customer service rep a few years back,
On Sep 13, 2005, goodongranada Lindenhurst, NY wrote:
my dahlias were just beautiful and my lilies were better this year than last.
Note from the Garden Watchdog editors:
This comment was submitted from the same IP address as several other customer comments, including three that were determined to have originated from company representatives. It is the stated policy of the Watchdog that companies can NOT submit customer feedback to inflate their own rating. The rating, originally positive, was changed from positive to neutral so that it would not affect the overall rating given by customers.
On Aug 22, 2005, victorianangel Lake Arrowhead, CA wrote:
Bought a fairy rose, 3 butterfly bushes, 4 geraniums, 3 phlox, some foxtail lilies, and something else that I can't remember. The fairy rose, looked dead from the begginning and has never showed any signs of live...ever. One butterfly bush has come up, one geranium, no phlox, and two of the foxtail lilies, but one died right away. I contacted them and they did respond via e-mail three or four days later. They said to send them the invoice number which I had thrown away. I provided them with the transaction number from the bank, and the date of purchase and two weeks later and four e-mails to them and they have never responded back to me. Will not try this company again. I buy a lot of mail order bulbs, but this was the first plants.
On September 15th, 2005, victorianangel changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
I wanted to add that since my post I have worked with the most delightful customer service representative named Doris!. She issued a refund for the amount of my purchase and was so awesome, I gave them a second chance and have ordered bulbs from them. Will continue to post as the saga continues. If you need assistance...Doris is the ONE#1. She needs a raise.
My husband ordered fall bulbs from your company. ( He's always a bit skeptical of ordering from catalogs.) Well he did all the planting and took almost all the credit. The flowers were beautiful. People would even stop when they saw him working in the gardens and comment on how beautiful they are. He gives you a lot of the credit. I can't wait to see what he orders this fall, I'm afraid he might be outta control. :) Great job VanBourgondien's, Thank you.
Note from the Garden Watchdog editors:
When this comment was posted, it was followed by a note from "Welley" that was sent to the Garden Watchdog helpdesk, although from the wording it appears the user intended for it to be sent to Van Bourgondien:
"Deb,
It's done, my comment pushed you to the 50/50 mark, glad I could help. And please tell that wonderful husband of yours that you have three sisters!!!
Shelley"
It is the stated policy of the Watchdog that companies cannot submit customer feedback to inflate their own rating, nor can they coerce or entice positive feedback. The rating, originally positive, was changed from positive to neutral so that it would not affect the overall rating given by customers.
On Aug 13, 2005, dandy_lion Bay Shore, NY (Zone 7a) wrote:
I am very new to gardening and I have been experimenting with numerous mail order gardening companies. I was quite happy with my purchases.
I ordered from Van Bourgondien two years in a row now. The first year I purchased a few cannas, candy lilies and festuca elijah blue. The festuca arrived in great condition and took off even though I planted very late in the season. This summer the cannas and lilies all came in beautifully.
This year I wanted to find something that would grow in my yard where have pretty bad soil. I ordered liatris which the catatog said was good for bad soil. I was shocked not only that they grew, but right now they are blooming like crazy even though they shouldn't their first year. ( I ordered them from a 50% off newsletter and planted them late in the season.) I wasn't expecting much. I also ordered some more festuca and it is also doing very well.
Happy Gardening!
Note from the Garden Watchdog editors:
This comment was submitted from the same IP address as several other customer comments, including three that were determined to have originated from company representatives. It is the stated policy of the Watchdog that companies can NOT submit customer feedback to inflate their own rating. The rating, originally positive, was changed from positive to neutral so that it would not affect the overall rating given by customers.
On Aug 12, 2005, grammypag West Babylon, NY wrote:
My dahlias and cannas that I bought this spring are doing just great. My casa blanca lilies from last fall were just beautiful this year. I cut so many stems for the vase. The fragrance was a little over whelming though. So far I am a happy customer.
Note from the Garden Watchdog editors:
This comment was submitted from the same IP address as the company representative, who also submitted feedback as "foofoop" It is the stated policy of the Watchdog that companies can NOT submit customer feedback to inflate their own rating. The rating, originally positive, was changed from positive to neutral so that it would not affect the overall rating given by customers.
I placed an order this spring and everything arrived on time and in great condition. My lilies were beautiful and I am looking forward to placing another order this fall.
Note from the Garden Watchdog editors:
This comment was submitted from the same IP address as several other customer comments, including three that were determined to have originated from company representatives. It is the stated policy of the Watchdog that companies can NOT submit customer feedback to inflate their own rating. The rating, originally positive, was changed from positive to neutral so that it would not affect the overall rating given by customers.
I ordered a couple of plants from this company and thought they were pretty good. They had a 50% off sale at the end of the spring and I ordered a bunch of plants. I wasn't sure what to expect, but when they
arrived they were very nice. We had great results with their dahlias, callas, glads, daylilies and hosta. I plan to buy from them again this fall.
Note from the Garden Watchdog editors:
This comment was submitted from the same IP address as a company representative, who also posted comments as "grammypag" and "foofoop". It is the stated policy of the Watchdog that companies can NOT submit customer feedback to inflate their own rating. The rating, originally positive, was changed from positive to neutral so that it would not affect the overall rating given by customers.
On Mar 23, 2005, messygardener Brightwaters, NY wrote:
I am new to the forum, but was compelled to write after seeing so many negative comments.
I have planted bulbs and perennials from Van Bourgondien for three years in a row now and have always had pleasant experiences with their products.
Their Giant Dinner Plate Dahlias are out of this world - my blooms were tremendous - and the colors - breathtaking!! I made sure that I cut several for bouquets to bring as gifts for all of the summer barbeques I went to!
I will say that the Hellebores I ordered did not bloom, but their customer service staff apologized and issued replacements promptly.
I think this is a good company to order from.
Note from the Garden Watchdog editors:
This comment was submitted from the same IP address as several other customer comments, including three that were determined to have originated from company representatives. It is the stated policy of the Watchdog that companies can NOT submit customer feedback to inflate their own rating. The rating, originally positive, was changed from positive to neutral so that it would not affect the overall rating given by customers.
I have purchased from them in the past and have found the best prices and almost always good quality. I wasn't happy with some geraniums but they did replace them for me. Buying perennials through the mail isn't the best choice but it is the most economical. Now when I buy, I always plant in a soil that has been mixed with compost so those less hardy plants will survive and have a better start. It saves me the hassle of waiting for a replacement and not knowing if the replacement is going to be any better.
Note from the Garden Watchdog editors:
This comment was submitted from the same IP address as the company representative, who also submitted feedback as "grammypag" It is the stated policy of the Watchdog that companies can NOT submit customer feedback to inflate their own rating. The rating, originally positive, was changed from positive to neutral so that it would not affect the overall rating given by customers.
