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On Mar 13, 2008, marieortiz Tolleson, AZ (Zone 9a) wrote:
I order a lot of plants on line and decided to place an order with PDN. I do not know if I would be placing a negative remark if my e-mails had been answered. I ordered some rain lilies and 2 of the 3 pots came with only one bulb. I was very disappointed when I received my order because of this. I know that a friend also ordered some and she received nice size clumps. If they had stated only one bulb for almost 15.00 I probably would not have ordered them.
I did order a couple of other plants that I would say were in good shape maybe a little small but nice and healthy.
I sent 2 e-mails to PDN and got no response over a weeks time. I then went and tried to e-mail the other address listed in a previous negative below and had it bounce back at me 4 times.
On March 15th, 2008, marieortiz added the following:
I have e-mailed the address given a 3rd time.On March 24th, 2008, marieortiz added the following:
I received the answer listed below:
I’m sorry that you were disappointed in the quantity of our zephyranthes bulbs. Our zephyranthes from Fadjar Marta are very much in demand. We divided nearly all of those bulbs, resulting in one bulb per pot. ‘Krakatau’ and ‘Batik’ offset very quickly so you should have more bulbs by the end of the growing season. ‘Fantasy Island’ and ‘Moulin Rouge’ are a little slower.
I still feel that they should list on their website that you are purchasing only one bulb and if I do order again I will be sure to check with them first to make sure I am receiving what I am expecting.On Mar 13, 2008, Plant Delights Nursery responded with:
"
On Mar 13, 2008 9:23 AM, Plant Delights Nursery added:
As customer service manager, I am writing in hopes that marieortiz will read our rebuttal to (her?) negative posting. First, I would like to respectfully address the topic of unanswered email. Since I am solely responsible for the disposition of all company email, I would like to clarify how our email is handled. We make every effort to answer all email received within 24 hours from the date of receipt (excluding weekends). On any given day during our busy season, we could easily receive 200 + spam-related emails. Those must be eliminated prior to responding to each individual customer correspondence. I am sure that I have, on occasion, inadvertently deleted a customer email while filtering through all of the junk mail. However, it would be highly unlikely the same customer email would meet the same fate twice. Could our spam filter block a legitimate email from the same customer more than once? I don't know, but perhaps one of our computer-savvy customers could answer such a question. Whatever may have happened in this particular case, all I am left to do is apologize and extend an invitation to marieortiz to try again. Perhaps the email address used to contact us was miss-spelled or sent to [e-mail:sales@plantdelights.com] The sales address is used for web confirmations only. The email address that we read and respond to is [email:office@plantdelights.com]
Kind regards,
Dianne Austin
Customer Service & Shipping Manager
Plant Delights Nursery, Inc.
(919) 772-4794 - Office http://www.plantdelights.com
On Feb 14, 2008, Rajl East Providence, RI (Zone 6b) wrote:
I have placed multiple orders from PDN over the past two years and have received strong, large and healthy plants which have flourished in my garden. They have rare and unusual but also many popular varieties, although PDN plants are healthier than many others and it is thus worth buying even some of the popular cultivars from them.
My e-mail inquiries, regarding the particulars of growing some plants that I was unfamiliar with, or about the prospects of a Texas-native Salvia surviving a Zone 6 winter, were answered quickly, one at about 8:30 at night -- demonstrating the work ethic and dedication of the PDN staff -- and in a detailed and friendly manner by professional research horticulturalists. The business office and customer service side of PDN is also a pleasure to deal with and has been very helpful.
This is a first rate, independently owned nursery where you get to deal with human beings who love plants and gardening and who even have a sense of humor. Great plants and staff, and a Tony Avent written catalog worthy of collecting. Highly recommended.
On Feb 13, 2008, MarthaMoye Jacksonville, NC (Zone 8a) wrote:
I've ordered from Plant Delights over the past 10 years. The plants grew well and were quite unusual. (If the plants started small, they ended up growing well.) One of the canna lillies even won a blue ribbon at the county fair!
If you live in NC, you may want to visit PDN when they have their open house. (I assume they still have it!) As for ordering and customer service, whenever I've called to ask questions about certain plants, they've always been helpful.
I have been happy with the plants I have ordered from PDN. I love every page of the catalogue. Many of their offerings won't do well in my zone, but I like to read about them, anyway.
I learned of Plant Delights by reading a book written by the owner, Tony Avent. I have received 2 orders now and they greatly exceeded my expectations. On time, in full and fabulous. I could have used one of the hostas as a doorstop it was so big and I only paid a couple dollars more than I would have to get a 3 inch pot from alot of other companies. I could have divided it into 4 or 5 plants if I really wanted to.
They also propagate all of the plants they sell themselves. I have found this usually makes a huge difference in plant quality. Many well know companies buy flats of plugs from a grower, pot them up and then sell them shortly after with inferior root systems. If you have ever unpotted a plant and had all the dirt fall away leaving a small coil of roots in your hand, you know what I mean.
As for the sense of humor, I really appreciate it. The catalogs are not only informative but more entertaining than Letterman. My husband could give a whit about plants but he always reads Plant Delights catalog when it arrives. The website is a hoot too, with alot of great advise. I highly recommend the article on planting technique. It saved a couple of plants from other companies that had been struggling. I dug them up and replanted according to the advice, and they sprang to life.
Now if they could only open a Plant Delights North.
I have ordered from Plant Delights for a number of years. Their plants are always beautifully grown and arrive in very good condition. The people who package their plants do a great job at ensuring that the trip is as easy on them as possible.
I order plants from quite a few mail order companies and Plant Delights ranks at the top of my list for selection and quality.
This place, in my opinion, is wonderful. I ordered hosta and asters in July. We are having a horrible drought in this area and I was hesitant, however, I decided to live dangerously. It is October and the asters are just blooming like crazy. To my shock, the hosta bloomed and is doing quite well. The packaging and shipping were superior.
On June 20th, 2009, sacajawea added the following:
My order arrived late May; one of the hibiscus was damaged in transit; the main stem was bent (not broken). I immediately called the company and was asked to cut the stem at the break, be a bit patient and all would be well. They were right! They even thanked me for calling the minute I saw the problem. Other items in the order were great (and doing well) and the packaging was superior.
Once again this company shipped growing plants across the country and they arrived in great shape in the time frame promised. They have a lot of cool plants that are not available anywhere else, mon. Grow on Bro's.
On Oct 3, 2007, TranquilityGardens Rowlett, TX (Zone 8a) wrote:
Over the years, I have always been very pleased with the various plants purchased from Plant Delights Nursery. Last month, I was grateful that they chose not to ship my plants while the temperatures were in the mid-upper '90s. When the weather was cooler, the plants arrived neatly packed, healthy, and without heat stress.
My order with PDN was enitrely successful. The switch grasses were in excellent conditiion. The calla lily is doing wonderfully and has lots of new growth. Plants were all well-packed and shipping was speedy. Thanks!
On Sep 19, 2007, joegee Bucyrus, OH (Zone 6a) wrote:
My plants arrived from PDN in fine form, later than initially promised, but I respect any company that is concerned enough about quality to tell their customer "it's not ready yet." They offered me a refund -- I wanted the plants. :)
I ordered several plants in early summer, expecting them to arrive in September. The company called and asked if it would be OK to send them early -- I said sure and they arrived two days later in great condition. They've all flourished -- including the herbertia lahue which was dormant (as advertised) on arrival and is now sprouting! I will definitely order from Plant Delights Nursery again and love their quirky catalog!
On Sep 4, 2007, frankie6300 Chevy Chase, MD wrote:
I just wanted to weigh in on your company and its products. I recently received five (5) Acanthus hungaricus (Bear's Breeches) and I couldn't be more pleased. They were packed with great care and arrived in perfect condition. I am so excited! I couldn't find them anywhere else - on line or around here at local nurseries (and I work at a nursery...even our vendors didn't have them!) My only quibble: isn't there ANY alternative to ESP (Evil Styrofoam Peanuts)? Thank you Plant Delights...I was delighted.
I was very pleased that Plant Delights keep me informed on the shipping status.I was surprised to find that FedEx had delivered the plants to my office-instead of at my wife's office (the shipping address) on the opposite end of campus-the delivery man knows us by name-and must also know that my wife is not a gardener!The plants came in fine condition -the Aloe striatula is huge! I can hardly believe that they were able to get it in the box! I will be ordering more cool plants for steamy 8b from them in the future!
I am new to ordering plants on the internet, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was very happy with my order. My plants arrived happy and healthy with moist soil. Had I see them at a store, I would have bought them. The plants I chose were ones that I have read about in books but couldn't find locally. I have another order in already! Wish my plants luck now that they are in my hands :o)
On Jul 6, 2007, braun06 Hanna City, IL (Zone 5a) wrote:
I ordered a Bartzella Peony from the company and received a well packaged bare root peony from them in early May 2007. I was pleased by the size of the plant, its condition and the speed in which it arrived. Its untraditional to ship peonies in the spring but its nice they offer to nuts like me who cant wait until fall. The Peony has been establishing well and looking great.
This spring I ordered some hostas from Plant Delights. Their shipping is high and most of their plants are higher priced. However when I received my hostas they were huge. You are getting full sized mature plants from them! I would recommend them to anyone who is looking for unusual hostas!
On September 9th, 2007, jenireed changed the rating from positive to neutral and added the following:
I would like to change my review from positive to neutral. Although the hostas I recieved in spring were huge, 2 of the 3 ended up having crown rot and so now I have 1/4 of the plant I recieved. I had ordered some plants in mid-summer and again one hosta had crown rot and the lilies I ordered were so wet they rotted. I contacted them and they said their plants are better in spring and that by mid-summer their plants are pretty beat up from being in the greenhouse all summer. On September 15th, 2007, jenireed added the following:
When I paid $18 for a hosta, plus $18 in shipping I expect to get a very happy healthy hosta.
This was a hosta I paid $20 from them this spring (plus another $18 in shipping): http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j86/aka_margo/IMG_0726.jpg
To their credit when I first received this plant it was at least four times bigger than this. However it had crown rot and after most the leaves fell off this is what's left of it.
I still really enjoy reading the catalog, just won't ever order from them again.On May 31st, 2008, jenireed added the following:
Wanted to add that none of the lilium I received came up this year. They appeared rotted when I received them last year, so it really didn't surprise me that it didn't come up. I had ordered a two special rudbeckias, and both of those plants are doing fine.
My Ginsu Knife hosta I ordered in early spring last year from them is looking awesome. The rest of the hostas I received from them have actually decreased in size. So I will keep my rating a neutral. On Jul 4, 2007, Plant Delights Nursery responded with:
"
On Sep 10, 2007 10:35 AM, Plant Delights Nursery added:
To our DGW readers,
We always regret to discover that efforts to resolve customer disappointment remains unresolved.
I respectfully remind our customer that as stated in our July 23rd email, a replacement Lilium was approved.
If there is any promise or service we have not lived up to, please let us know so we have an opportunity to resolve those as well.
Regards,
Dianne Austin
Customer Service Manager
Plant Delights Nursery, Inc."
Have both ordered from and visited Plant Delights. Each experience has been a pleasant one! Very good place to go for rare and unusual plants. Orders are shipped promptly and well packaged; plants have been very healthy and are thriving in my garden.
Summer is here and the rush to get my garden planted has let up. I find myself planning for next Spring. I find now a good time to write comments on the vendors I used this time around. For the first time, I ordered from Plant Delights. I found the quality of their products to be superior and their selection to be one of the best. Above all, the information I have gleaned from the website has been very helpful. I have only found two other vendors (maybe three) to have reached such a high level of customer service. Plant Delights has been all that I had hoped it would be. As I came to write this, I was surprised to find all the negative comments that seem based on a perception of the politics at PDN. I guess I really never noticed anything all that offensive or even political for that matter. I like to think that most gardeners can look past political orientation when it comes to buying plants. As with any business, if you don't like the person that runs it, don't go there. To slam a business just because you do not like what it says really is not fair and is terribly misleading to other potential customers. If PDN's main fault is in the writing of its catalogue, go elsewhere, but let other gardeners not be misled by the political opinions of some. This is not a political forum. That said, I will again express my satisfaction with all the business and service aspects I have experienced with PDN. Thank you and enjoy the day.
On September 1st, 2007, boru added the following:
I might add at this time that since I last wrote I have experienced a slight problem with an item from PDN. Now I am able to evalaluate how they address a customer complaint. I will state at the outset that I always read a vendor's guarantee and understand what must be done if a problem arises before I place any order. PDN's instructions are very clear and include an admonition that customers need to adhere to their return policies in order that there be no misunderstandings. While some may feel that this straight forward approach is cold, I personally appreciate it. I know from the outset exactly what is expected of me. In my second shipment from PDN, one pot had spilled, despite what I consider a very good job of packing......these things occur in the best of situations. I contacted their customer service within the stated amount of time and asked what they would prefer I do with the plant in question. I must admit that I failed to use the listed customer service link the first time and received no response. When I went back to the instructions, I quickly noted my error and again sent the email. Once I used the proper link, my issues were immediately addressed and I had a new plant in a matter of but a few short days. The staff were very courteous and did not ever imply that what had happened was in any way my fault. I was very impressed with the reponse and I will say again that I have found PDN to be one of the best vendors with which I have dealt. Thank you and have a nice day. boru
I came to check out Brent and Becky's Bulb's ratings, as I've ordered from them for the first time and was moderately surprised to see Plant Delights Nursery (PDN) in the "Watchdog 30". Based on my experience with PDN, I would deem them highly overrated.
To put it concisely: arrogant, condescending, and overpriced.
PDN is definitely not much of a value, particularly if you live in the West. It amazes me that someone can have such seeming contempt for his customers, charge them high end prices for avarage quality, yet have them adore him all the more.
There are half a dozen nurseries that have lower ratings here that I would happily recommend over PDN, including Big Dipper Farm, Digging Dog and Kartuz. All have provided me with better quality plants at more reasonable prices. They send orders without an attitude and don’t try to impose their politics on their customers via their catalog.
My best advice is to spend 10 minutes on a search engine to a) make sure that nobody else has the plant you want and b) compare prices, especially if you're going to be induced into buying several more spendy plants to justify the big minimum shipping fee.
In some cases, you'll be truely shocked. For instance, last month I was able to get Crinum amoenum for less than $3.00 per two inch bulb. PDN? $25!
On August 13th, 2007, dubhloaich changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
A few brief comments regarding PDN's response (ironically signed "respectfully"). First, you won't find an order from me for a Crinum because I'm not fool enough to send you $25 for a Crinum species I can get from another reputable vendor for less than a fifth of the price. Further, you won't find any orders from Scappoose, Oregon from me because I lived in Portland the one time I ordered from you. I believe that is going on five years ago. My zip code at that time was 97203, if you really want to verify that I ordered from you.
People do occasionally move.
My one order was from your website. I received a group of very average looking plants and one sad little Sarracenia ‘Ladies in Waiting’ that had several brown pitchers and one partially developed pitcher when it arrived and then never put up any additional vegetation before expiring. When I lay out $20 for a plant, I expect something viable. So, yes I HAVE HAD FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR COMPANY.
I stand by my opinion that PDN lacks in overall value (quality in consideration of price) for residents of the West Coast. Being associated with a high profile plant hunter/writer/lecturer does not turn sow ears into a silk purses in my book. Expressing my opinion that it is worthwhile to compare prices is hardly a libelous act. In fact, most people consider it the duty of an informed consumer.
Now, if I was very unlikely to ever order from you again before, I clearly won't be doing so in the future, ever. And, trust me, I have been tempted, as Mr. Avent's eye for plant collecting and development is not in question.
Finally, I feel your response here completely validates my comments regarding the general attitude of your organization. How excellent of you to provide a clear example of what folks can expect from you. I have now changed my rating to negative so as to draw attention to how you all treat people. I invite them all to read the comments from PDN's representative and ask themselves which is the bigger abuse of this forum, my initial comments or Ms. Austin's response. On August 20th, 2007, dubhloaich changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
After cooling off, I am changing the rating back to neutral. Although Ms. Austin's response seems quite impolitic considering she represents the business; my feelings regarding my past interaction and my current opinion of Plant Delights Nursery fits most closely to what Dave's Garden describes as a "Neutral" experience.
In any case, if you want to get a feel for their approach to customers, be sure to thoroughly review their ordering information page:
Pay particular attention to their guarantee policy and their “How To Be A Good Customer” statement and judge for yourself. On Jun 16, 2007, Plant Delights Nursery responded with:
"
On Aug 8, 2007 10:18 AM, Plant Delights Nursery added:
Dear dubhloaich,
We have carefully checked our customer database and to the best of our knowledge, we have never sold a Crinum (for any amount) to a customer residing in Scappoose, OR. If we are in error, we would love to know what service or promise we have not lived up to that would prompt such a scathing note about our owner, our catalog, plants or service. If you receive our catalog, please let us know who you are so we can remove you from our mailing list.
If you have not had first-hand experience with our company, we view this post as an abuse of this forum and an intentional act to do us harm. This forum is a place where gardener's can post about their first-hand purchasing experiences (good or bad), not a place to launch a smear campaign. Posting unfounded negative or neutral posts about a company unjustly damages ratings and compromises the value and integrity of this forum.
In closing, we would like to say that we welcome all forum comments from our customers' who can describe their experiences with our nursery. If you have an "axe to grind" with us regarding our catalog, costs or other general non-purchase related topics, please feel free to email us at office@plantdelights.com.
On Aug 20, 2007 9:34 AM, Plant Delights Nursery added:
We are uncertain why any customer who had a bad experience 5 years ago would suddenly find the need to disparage us this long after the fact, especially since we have none of the same shipping and customer service staff that was here five years ago when this alleged problem occurred.
During the last five years, we have continued to improve in both plant quality and customer service, which has allowed our business to continue to grow, based solely on the word of mouth of our customers.
I applaud that you have been able to find a plant cheaper than we offer it, which may often be the case when dealing with nurseries which for various reasons don't need to or know how to be profitable. Sadly, if more nurseries understood the basics of business economics, we wouldn't have lost so many wonderful (non-profitable) nurseries over the last few years. Sadly, there are people such as you, who try to make nurseries feel ashamed for covering their costs and charging what they must to stay in business. As a result, many owners simply choose to close their doors and consequently the availability of interesting plants continues to diminish.
Judging by the high number of equally acerbic posts by you on various other sites, you seem to have anger and victimization issues with which we are not medically qualified to address, but we sincerely hope you will get the help needed to enable you to better enjoy the rest of your life.
--
Tony Avent
Plant Delights Nursery @
Juniper Level Botanic Garden
9241 Sauls Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27603 USA
Minimum Winter Temps 0-5 F
Maximum Summer Temps 95-105F
USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
email tony@plantdelights.com
website http://www.plantdelights.com
phone 919 772-4794
fax 919 772-4752
"I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself...at least three times" - Avent"
On Jun 11, 2007, wickerparker Chicago, IL (Zone 5b) wrote:
The first time I ordered from Plant Delights, they called just before my shipment date to say that one of the plants I'd ordered was unavailable. It was a little too late to start looking for it somewhere else, so I have to admit that was annoying. But I've been devouring their catalog and drooling over their tremendous selection of plants for years, so I gave them another try this spring and was highly satisfied. I've found their customer service to be excellent, the plants were great, and arrived exactly when they promised them. I wish I lived closer so I could visit their gardens!
On Jun 6, 2007, kkirschbaum Yonkers, NY (Zone 6b) wrote:
I ordered a few plants from them two months ago, and they seem to be doing ok. I'm eager to see how they flower and survive the winter. What I like about this company is that they have a good selection of rare or unusual plants, and they seem to pay attention in their catalogue copy to how their plants do in heat and humidity. The shipping costs and the packing were ok -- by far not the best I've experienced but certainly not the worst. They certainly were in a hurry to charge my card -- immediately after I placed the order but before I received anything. What I don't really like though (and thus the neutral rating) is the sarcastic tone on the website. It hardly makes one feel like a valued customer. I could do without the 'humor' in the catalogue too. Some of it is harmless and goofy, but some of it verges on the offensive - the cover illustrations are of questionable appropriateness. The covers in the last two years have had a political slant, and even some of the humor inside seems political in nature (and pretty slanted to one side too). In a recent email newsletter there was a fair bit of politically flavored commentary about climate change. I'm all for free speech, but I'd rather not be confronted by a nursery's political opinions.
On November 29th, 2007, kkirschbaum changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following:
I just received an order of plants from PDN that arrived very fast and in great shape. This is my second order this autumn, and I've been very well pleased both times with the quality of the plants, their size, and the packing. I also like the wide selection of unusual and unique plants they offer, so whatever the tone of the writing in their catalogue may be, the plant material is great. At the end of the day, that's of course what matters most.
On May 30, 2007, RaytheGardener Abingdon, MD (Zone 7a) wrote:
Highly recommended.
Second time ordering, plants arrived quickly, shipped on the date promised in good condition. One plant from the first order failed (unknown reasons) and eventually died. They offered great personal care advice to try to revive it and upon notification that efforts eventually failed, sent a replacement immediately.
Makes me sometimes wonder why some other nurseries can't give ship dates or ship healthy, well-packed plants.
I ordered several plants . I was very amazed at the care that was given to the packing of them, they were all in wonderful condition and arrived on date given. Was sent a very nice thank you e-mail, because I sent them one praising the packing care. Will order again. They were in 4" pots, tall, robust, nice.
On May 5, 2007, amylavy zanesville, OH (Zone 6a) wrote:
I sent an email to this company to thank them for the wonderful order and servce I received.. The plants were just beautiful and the size of them, all the better!! I will be ordering from them for years to come or until I run out of zone 6 plants to purchase..
On May 5, 2007, gabriellacat Springfield, VA wrote:
I have ordered from Plant Delights for the last 5 years or so because of the unusual plants they offer. However, I have been disappointed several times because of plants that arrive looking OK but then fail not long after the short notification period during which they will replace the item. (However, when it happens within the notification period, they are good about replacing.) The latest time this happened was about 3 weeks ago with a dwarf dark elephant ears that arrived with 3 weak but seemingly alright stems. After planting (during which I noticed that it had a very meagre root system) and adequate watering, it failed, again just outside the notification period. This has happened to me about 10 times in the last 5 years and always makes me feel robbed. I've noticed that frequently the more unusual the plant, the weaker the root system. I think PD needs to grow some of its stock longer before offering it for sale.
I ordered an assortment of plants from Plant Delights for the first time this year. I am very pleased with the size and quality of the plants I received. Everything was packed carefully and arrived undamaged and on the appointed date. The customer service folks had to call me to clarify some information and they were friendly and helpful. This is a great source of many unusual plants and I wouldn't hesitate to order from them again. I admitt some of the comments I read here gave me pause, but this establishment has such a good reputation I decided to take a chance. I am really glad I did!
It is always a pleasure to order from PDN, knowing that you are going to get what you paid for. I ordered and quickly received an Eucomis Sparkling Burgundy ( a gift for a friend), a Buddleia x weyeriana Bicolor and a Tiarella Pink Skyrocket. The three critters were good size, healthy and with good roots and very well packed for the shipment. Thumbs up and I will be back!
On Apr 27, 2007, adadia Glenmoore, PA (Zone 6b) wrote:
Plant Delights is almost too good to be true! My experience was excellent from start to finish - amazing selection, quick processing and shipping, reasonable prices for such rare plants, and the plants themselves are beautiful and arrived in immaculate condition. Highly recommended!
On Apr 12, 2007, tggfisk Garner, NC (Zone 7b) wrote:
I luckily live quite near Plant Delights and never miss an open house if I can at all help it. The gardens are ever-evolving and breathtaking! The plants are always wonderful and a collector's delight.
As for the catalog, having met Tony Avent several times, and having read numerous articles by him, I can't imagine it any other way. Don't change a thing!
Have read the catalogs cover to cover since I discovered this place. I learn lots, and the writer is a hoot. I'm guessing his sense of humor is lost on the poor souls who don't know that 'Jihad' is arabic for 'struggle', and don't understand the comedic use of hyperbole. Alas for them. When my friend (a landscaper from Seattle) came to visit last summer, he made this place his Mecca (n.b., now I'M doing it... get it?). We lost track of time in their display gardens and nursery houses, and totally forgot to eat lunch. Each of us came away with souvenirs - my Boehmeria 'Nichirin' is now established and beginning to leaf out for spring. I'll go back - but I'll bring some lunch!
On Mar 22, 2007, Cretaceous El Cerrito, CA (Zone 9b) wrote:
I placed an order with Plant Delights Nursery on December 1st, 2006, for eight ferns and one Spikemoss (Selaginella).
Last week the nursery called me to say that my order would ship soon, but that one of the ferns (Cheilanthes alabamensis) had sold out and would I like to substitute another plant (which I declined to do).
The plants shipped on March 19th via Fedex and arrived on the 21st in good shape.
Overall, I would say that the plants were a little on the expensive side. The Fedex shipping was also costly. My biggest disappointment was not receiving the Alabama lipfern (Cheilanthes alabamensis), which I had originally ordered back on December 1st.......
On March 23rd, 2007, Cretaceous added the following:
By the way, I also received the "Gardening Jihad" catalogue from Plant Delights Nursery, and would have to agree with the previous review. I think it was irresponsible (and ignorant) to use the title/artwork.
As an ex-Londoner living in California, I'm only too aware of the results of the so called "Jihad" which occured last year on the London transport system.On July 1st, 2007, Cretaceous changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
I recently ordered a further three ferns from Plant Delights Nursery and noticed that I was charged $ 27 for “Air Service” shipping.
The plants were shipped USPS Priority Mail and the package weighed four pounds. There is absolutely no way I can see anyone justifying this cost for shipping these already fairly expensive plants.
I have regularly sold items on eBay and printed my own USPS Priority Mail labels. A four pound package does not cost $ 27 to ship via Priority Mail !On Mar 22, 2007, Plant Delights Nursery responded with:
"
On Jul 3, 2007 4:36 PM, Plant Delights Nursery added:
Dear Cretaceous,
Yes, we agree that it is very expensive to ship live plants to our West Coast gardening friends. Our shipping charge also includes the handling expense incurred with each order we process. Though you elected to order three plants, the $27.00 minimum shipping/handling charge facilitates the processing and shipment of six plants. We realize that everyone will not always need or want six plants, but whether an order is for one plant or multiple plants, fixed expenses force us to adopt a minimum shipping charge in order to remain in business.
In addition to the fixed expenses, the State of California Department of Agriculture requires documentation of certification against Gypsy Moth, Witchweed, Imported Fire Ant, Burrowing/reniform nematodes and Japanese beetle. This is a requirement for any nursery transporting live plant material across California state borders. In cooperation with the State of California, each plant must be treated with a low-toxicity pesticide drench prior to leaving the nursery. In order to administer these chemicals, we are required by law to employ a licensed professional. The cost to offer our plants to gardeners on the West Coast is greater than plants shipped to customers in other states. We recoup expenses along with the actual cost of carriage through our shipping/handling fee.
Also, I will mention that we were unaware of your concern surrounding our shipping charge. We would have gladly addressed your concerns had you expressed them while placing either of your two orders this season. We regret that your experiences with us have prompted an array of neutral and negative posts.
While I am here, I would like to extend our sincere apologizes regarding the cancelled Cheilanthes alabamensis. We were very disappointed too. We lost every plant in our crop of 62.
In closing, we would like to go on record saying that it is our desire and preference to always meet customer concerns with professionalism and fairness whether over the phone, by email, in person or on these forums. We appreciate the same and will look forward to new opportunities to serve you in the future.
I just got their catalog and will prob. be ordering from them sometime this year. However, I must agree that the artwork and commentary is a bit over the top and offensive (my boss particularily did not like the Gardening Jihad title on it - he is Jewish and basically banned me from having it in the store he hated it that much!) The redneck (at least I think that is what it was supposed to be) commentary at the end was just plain stupid and ignorant - and I'm a Redneck! I don't think politcal stuff should be in a gardening magazine but ... it is free speech and as long as the quality is good and the prices reasonable for what I get in return I will shop there. I just think they need to rethink their humor before they get in to real trouble.
On Mar 14, 2007, jpolk34 Hattiesburg, MS (Zone 8a) wrote:
I ordered 2 canna 'Tropicanna' and the 'Borneo Giant' strain of alocasia, all the plants arrived in great shape and much larger than I expected. Its been over a week now and while I still haven't put them in the ground, I potted them and they are doing great, already sending up new shoots! Their prices may seem a little more expensive than other mail-order nurseries, but believe me your paying for quality and more than likely, larger plants. Will buy from PDN again!
On Mar 9, 2007, mrs_colla Marin, CA (Zone 9b) wrote:
Great collection, fast delivery, very good packing ( not one plant damaged, full box, and wrapped and filled with paper, not those nasty white thingies that get lost all over the place).
The plants fill their pots with good roots and look happy, just waking up. ( I can't wait to see their face when they meet our California climate :-) )
Thank you for your plants, they are exactely what I hoped for, I will order again.
And no, the cartoons in the catalogue do not bother me!
I shop with Plant Delights every year as well as try to go to their spring open house. I have always had a wonderful experience with their plants. Their catalog is so wonderful that I never throw one away and keep them for future reference.They always have a wonderful selection of the new and the rare. A true collectors delight! If you have never shopped with them.....please go to their website and order their catalog! Just wait til you see it! Their nursery is also a botanical garden, so if you are ever near their area, please call and try to get an appointment to visit or at least tour the gardens. They are amazing!
On Dec 29, 2006, bordersandjacks Seabrook, SC (Zone 8b) wrote:
I love this nursery, I would order just to keep the catalog coming.
In April 2005 I ordered baptisia Blue Pearls. When they bloomed this spring they bloomed white. I thought I must have ordered the wrong thing. About that time the nursery contacted me through their newsletter and said they accidently shipped the wrong plant for a week or so at the beginning of the previous season, and just to contact them and they'd send new plants. I promptly came down with pneumonia and planted nothing this past spring because I was so ill.
This fall I placed an order and sheepishly included a request for replacement plants. I mean, come on! It's been a year and half and the plants they sent are lovely, if not the color I orginally wanted. I felt like such a slacker for waiting so long. They just laughed, sent the new plants, and I didn't even have to trot out my sob story about being sick.
On Dec 4, 2006, theras_garden Fairburn, GA (Zone 7b) wrote:
I'm SO in love with my Sparkler Sedge that I'll probably order more next year! It's a standout in the shade! The Sundown Coneflower did not have a chance to fully bloom this year since I ordered late but it looked like it was starting to turn orangish-red before cold weather hit. I'm very excited to find this great nursery with unusual plants. I enjoyed reading their catalog (and amusing comments throughout). 2 green thumbs up!
On June 15th, 2007, theras_garden added the following:
I ordered another sedge to compliment my Sparkler Sedge and it's growing beautifully. Update on Sundown Coneflower: My jaw drops every time a new one opens...so gorgeously orangish-red. Ordered 9 plants this year and all handling our Georgia drought like estabilished plants.
