Just thought I'd remind others that Bluestone Perennials has their half-price sale on until May 31. I order a lot of my perennials from them and have found them to have very good service, great plants, and things are properly packaged. I just made another order...can't help myself! They seem to have a good selection right now but I guess it will decrease as the sale continues. They have a good rating in the Watchdog.
Happy perennial gardening!
Bluestone Perennials Half Price
CMoxon - glad you posted this already. I just placed my order with the sale prices - my third one this spring with BP. They've been really good!
Glad I'm not the only one addicted to BP!
Any favorites from them this year?
ROX
Tough question! I mean, this year, everything is still pretty new because I just planted my first order last weekend. I really like the look of the dwarf astilbe "sprite" that I ordered - it's very compact and healthy looking. I also love the colours of the 3 heuchera that I got - plum pudding, june bride, and snow angel. Last year I got some Japanese anemones that I just love - Andrea Atkinson, Victor Jones, and Honorine. I'm really excited about the clematis I got this year, Florida sieboldii. Looks like it'll be a spectacular flower.
Everything I planted five weeks ago is doing pretty well. I got echinacea Rubinstern, Coreopsis Mayfield Giant, Gaura Whirling Butterflies, Salvia nemerosa Carradonna, Geranium Rozanne, and Chocolate Mint.
Last week's shipment was really robust, with plants very ready for planting (so why is it always raining again? whine whine)
It is an addiction! The prices, plants, coupons and free shipping in exchange for packing materials return.....oh my! Last week's plants are waiting to be planted and today I ordered another 40 or so, including my first two clematis, three different hostas, two agastache, two asters, two salvias, my first astilbe, and several others. I didn't spend $100 or pay shipping. I like that plants are generally sold in three-packs. It's a good number to plant, or to share with a friend, which is how the last two orders were for me. It's large variety for reasonable money.
(BTW, my shopping cart first had about $300 in it, but I spent hours on this rainy day getting it to be a reasonable amount - in cost and planting logistics. :-)
The plants I ordered a couple of months ago (a Krossa Regal hosta, some Rudbeckia 'Goldstrum" and a dwarf butterfly bush are all healthy and robust -- which is also how they arrived. I recommend Bluestone to everyone I meet who's interested in gardening.
CMoxon,
Thanks for posting about the 1/2 off sale. I'm running out of yard and pots but oh my goodness, 1/2 off!
4paws,
I'm with you about the rain! It just started again. When is it going to stop? Ooh, I want to get that Salvia you mentioned (Carradonna). Salvia does surprisingly well for me on the coast, but I'll bet it loves it up in Hoopa where it's so much warmer.
I placed an order last night and my credit card is still smoking. I love Bluestone.... but my DH hates it- lol!
Well, I did some damage to my card this morning! But I kept my order fairly sane. I'm glad I saw a post about the 1/2 price sale - now I have a permanent link there! BTW, hi to terracotta & 4paws! Beautiful morning here!
Sanna
It's gorgeous here, too, this morning, Sannajane. But the rain has sure made the grass and berries get out of control again.
Sometime in the summer when it's foggy down there, you Eurekans will have to take a drive to Hoopa for some fun in the river sun. We've got our own private swimming hole.
Now I have to sit back and wait for my order to arrive. That's the hardest part! But at least I can plan for it in my mind...
The hardest part for me is making the order affordable! lol
(the weather turned miserable again...boo!)
First let me say that I love Bluestone. I have ordered hundreds of plants from them over the last several years. They were the only company I ordered any perennials from this year.
But I would add that the quality of the plant you get from their 1/2 off sale is not always the same as rest of their stuff. I've gotten high quality stuff, and I've gotten junk, it can go either way.
SB
SB,
I'm sorry to hear that. Did they replace the "junk" plants you received when you contacted them?
I have ordered from them for several years now- both regular season and clearance sale plants. I can tell no difference in the quality of the plants as I have never rec'd anything but top notch plants from BS. There have been a couple of times where a plant didn't thrive for me [prob due more to my brown thumb] but they have always replaced them quickly and w/o hassle.
I hope for all of us ordering from this sale that the plants are healthy and thrive in our gardens. If not, we should contact the Co. I am confident BS will make it right.
Thanks for the info CMoxon! My credit card is now smoking too! I love this place and my early spring ordered plants from them are doing well. It is just getting too hot to work outside except early morning and late evening and the mosquitos are out then in droves.
BUT this time I would not let myself order ANY plant that I did not say: "I know where it will go" before I hit the order button. Well, just one plant.
How long do you have to get them to "make it right"?
Sterling
Thanks berrygirl - I had seen this in their FAQ:
"We offer a 100% unconditional guarantee. If you are not satisfied, we will reship or refund immediately. We want you happy because we want to stay in business."
but I was not sure if anyone here had experience with any "time boundries"...?
I had the same experience as stressbaby with their half off sale last year--I didn't bother trying to return any of them and the vast majority pulled through and look fine now, but the quality is definitely not as good as the stuff you pay full price for (The plants were all alive and I figured it fell into the category of you get what you pay for!). So if you're ordering from them for the first time with this sale, don't let the quality of the plants influence your opinion of them too much--their full price plants arrive in much better shape.
I bought 18 echinacea Rubinstern this spring in their half off sale, and some were better than others. I emailed to praise and tell them about the two that were suffering and rec'd an email back to let them know how the sad ones did. They didn't make it, but I put them right in the ground, no babying. They didn't make it, but probably would have if I potted them first. For the price, it's not worth complaining.
In my last order I had sale Columbines. They were all robust. Same for Dianthus.
It's true that non-sale plants were bigger, but of different types.
I have a lot of experience with Bluestone and their guaruntee is the most wonderful I ever encountered. I've had plants replaced years later and I've had the same plant replaced twice even when the plant's death had nothing to do with them. Usually wonderful people on the phone too.
Dave
Thanks for the good words - makes me feel better about ordering from them!
Dave,
Your comments on Bluestone could have been written by me- ditto.
Anyone know how long this 1/2 price sale will last?
:^)))
Until midnight Wednesday, May 31.
Hurry Molly before we buy 'em out- LOL!!
Heehee, I already filled my shopping cart. Saved it and been waiting til the last possible moment to click that button that says "spend your money!"
Good for you! Did you get a bunch of goodies to put on your gorgeous piece of FL real estate?
Well I sure hope so, but I just went and look at the cart and I can't remember what a lot of those botanical names are. Guess I have to go back and drool all over again.
Gotta tell ya, it takes a while for anything to grow out here on this sand hill. I do remember a lot of what is in my cart grows in sand, sun and drought.
Molly
Guess I am joining the gang. I selected my plants and left them in my cart . Big hole in my credit card , but everytime I logon I read this thread and I wanna click "Continue". Just 30 hrs more....Oh my !!!!!!!!
But the sale is Sooooo Goood and everyone raving about the quality of plants...what should this first time newbie do place an order online or not.....huuum
Tweety ( pondering)
Tweety, The plants could be a little ragged this late in Spring, but if they aren't good they will stand behind them 100%.
I put my order in this morning. When you put something in your shopping cart, it won't save that plant for you will it?
No, Dave47, it doesn't save the plant. That's why I shopped and placed the order before posting a notice on the Frugal Living Forum (sorry) and then came here and found it already posted.
But....now I want to add stuff to my order.
(so addictive! Good thing it stopped raining)
I didn't think so. I hope Molly & Tweety aren't disappointed.
Me, too.
Oh, you bad, bad enablers :) I ordered a bunch of clematis and some monarda. The clems will be small, but I have ordered clems from them before and I know they will grow. I moved last year and left all my clems behind, so I have to start collecting again :D Can't beat $4 a clematis.
I got Huldine, Comtesse de Bouchaud, Multi-Blue, Venosa Violacea, Villa de Lyon and some Colrain Red monarda.
This message was edited May 30, 2006 6:31 PM
Anybody want to split some plants with me? Lots of what I want is 3 plants for the price and I can do with just one. I can post a list if anyone is interested.
Lana
Okay Lana,
What's your choices? Please post your list.
Molly
:^)))
Here's the list, the price is for 3 plants the plant codes at the beginning of each plant are for easy search on the website:
ACKES- Achillea tomentosa 'King Edward' 5.47
CAEVS- CAREX oshimensis 'Evergold' 5.47
ASRFS- ASTER 'Raydon's Favorite' 5.97
ASPDS- ASTER novae-angliae Purple Dome 7.47
CAJES- CAMPANULA glomerata Joan Elliot 6.97
DIAFS- DIANTHUS deltoides Artic Fire 5.47
ECPBS- ECHINOPS ruthenicus Platinum Blue 6.97
GAASS- GAILLARDIA Arizona Sun 6.47
PHKAS-PHLOX paniculata Katherine 6.47
PHSTS-PHLOX paniculata Starfire 6.47
SAPKS-SALVIA lyrata PURPLE KNOCKOUT 5.47
SAPLS-SALVIA nemorosa Plumosa 6.47
SARQS-SALVIA nemorosa Rose Queen 5.47
SOFIS-SOLIDAGO Fireworks 5.97
VESCS-VERBASCUM Southern Charm 5.47
VERFS-VERONICA spicata Red Fox 5.47
I will keep one each of the above plants so there's two of each up for grabs. You must be a DG member. You must have a paypal acct which is attached to your checking account and not a credit/debit card or the money won't get to me in time to order. The special ends tomorrow night so I'll have to have funds by then. It's short notice but I know we can do it! Also, if there are a couple other plants you're wanting that I'm not ordering I would be happy to add them to the order and send them on to you. I will post what is still available as people let me know what they want. Shipping from them to me is going to be approx 14.00 total, I'll divide that by number of plants to get shipping per person depending on how many plants they want. Shipping from me to you will be the cheapest of USPS Priority w/del conf or Flat rate w/del conf. Anyone have a promotional code from their catalog? I haven't gotten one of their catalogs yet. I think that's it. If you have any questions ask away :~)
Thanks!
Lana
Lana,
I've already ordered two of the three salvias you listed (not Rose Queen), and rec'd the aster Purple Dome in my order last week. Raydon's Favorite almost made it to this order, but I went for September Ruby instead, and I ordered the GAILLARDIA Tokajer, not AZ Sun.
Though I ordered on Saturday, there's no guarantee these plants will be available when they pull my order (I haven't heard from them yet - I imagine they've been slammed!).
Anyway, what I want to say is: I'm happy to share one of each of these if I get them with you, if you're not able to get the full order for yourself. They'll go through a lot of travelling, however.
Just a thought to try to help out.
Laura
Thanks Laura, I'll certainly keep that in mind, if I'm not able to get some of these that I want I'll check with you. I appreciate the offer.
Thanks,
Lana
Lana- I checked my order. My order went from $98 to $48 due to sold out stuff...there's one way to manage a budget.
Yeah, does that mean I can choose more stuff LOL! Was any of what they don't have on my list or do you know?
Lana