4 Currency Drive P.O. Box 2999
Bloomington, Illinois 61702 (United States)
1-800-944-2250
800-451-6481

Reviews:

positives
neutrals
negatives

Displaying the 50 most recent reviews

RatingContent
Negative
On Apr 28, 2021, h96s99 (1 reviews) from Contoocook, NH

I ordered 5 plants. They shipped on Saturday April 18 and arrived on Monday April 26. I knew 9 days in transit would be an issue. It was. Three of the 5 plants were in very rough shape (mostly yellow and brown leaves). Good customer service would have been to apologize and offer an immediate replacement or refund. I did not get good customer service. I was encouraged to plant them and give them a chance. It reminded my of the Monty Python dead parrot skit. I sent them a photo of my dead plant and gave them permission to use it in their promotional materials.

Negative
On Dec 3, 2020, AndreaMH (1 reviews) from Colorado Springs, CO

Buy local! Don’t waste your money with this company. I ordered $187 worth of plants and bulbs on 9/5/2020. Everything in the order was designated on their website as ‘fall delivery’. On 10/22/2020 I contacted them via their website requesting a refund. By that time we had experienced several hard freezes, temperatures were regularly below freezing at night, and planting the live plants and bulbs was no longer possible. Other than their standard automated responses I heard nothing so contacted them again via their website on 10/30/2020 restating my request for a refund. On 11/2/2020 I received an email from them requesting all previous correspondence regarding the issue. Up to that email, my only correspondence from them had been their automated replies, but I put my two requests and their automated responses together in chronological order and sent it back to them via email. After more automated responses, on 11/6/2020 I receive a shipping notification for my order. Note that I did NOT request the order be shipped, I requested a refund. I contact them again pointing out that I can’t plant either the live plants or the bulbs when they arrive since the ground is frozen. Even if I could dig a hole, the temperatures are below freezing at night so the live plants would die. I’m told, via email, that the live plants and bulbs can be “stored in a cool, dry, and dark place or planted in pots and kept inside until more optimal planting”. These are plants and bulbs that should be planted in the fall. They are expecting me to store them or keep them in pots for almost a year? That’s ridiculous! Now on 12/3/2020 the live plants (half the cost of the order) are dead. The bulbs have been stored in a ‘cool, dry, dark place’ but I seriously doubt they will be viable when I’m finally able to plant them next fall. I would have been far better off spending my money locally and getting quality plants, bulbs AND good customer service. I wish I would have read the reviews before ordering from this company. I hope someone else can learn from my mistake and avoid doing business with this company.

Negative
On Oct 24, 2020, AngieT725 (3 reviews) from Centereach, NY

Dear fellow gardeners, Do not order from this company. If you get the catalog, throw it out as I should have done. they charge you and do not send your merchandise. I ordered some perennials for Fall planting on September 7, 2020. 3 Cheyenne spirit coneflowers 1 Supeme Cantalope coneflower 1 Glowing ember coneflower 40 Glory of the snow With tax and shipping 129.43 I was charged on 9/11/2020. On the email confirmation of the order it states to allow 1-2 weeks for processing of the order. I expected with the Fall coming I would get the plants by end of September, early October. When the second week of October came and still no plants, I emailed asking for an update as I had not received a shipping update. No response. I just called today, October 24, nearly 7 weeks after placing my order. I live on LI and it is starting to get chilly here at night. We may ride out a warm November but who knows really? I would like the plants to be in the ground and established before we get a frost otherwise, dead plants. I asked the woman who answered the phone if she could advise me when the plants will be shipped as it is getting late in the season. I went to give her my order number and she said she doesn't have access to order numbers or their contents. Okay. That makes perfect sense. She asks for zip, last name and then first name. Her response is they have no information as to when order will be shipped. Okay.... How about putting me through to someone who is a bit more informed? Her response. No. No one has access to that information. Cracker jack customer service team and system! What also disturbed me was how disinterested and unhelpful this person was. I have contacted other companies with questions or concerns and the people who answered the phone were pleasant, helpful and seemed alive. And we even shared nice conversations or a laugh. This person sounded bored and disinterested. Sorry honey, it is your job to be helpful. Furthermore, what kind of system is this? You can't access individual order information? You can't give a paying customer an estimated date or any information regarding an order they placed? Unheard of. I remained as polite as I could but I had to ask about cancellation. She said I could send a letter with a copy of the orginal order which I just finished typing and it will go out on Monday. I also called my credit card company and started a dispute. How can you charge people before you send out the merchandise? That burn me. Charge me when you send it. And to have no idea when you are going to send the merchandise is even worse. I ordered from another company around the same time, High Country Gardens, and I received regular updates on shipping and it arrived when they said it would. They are all happily in the ground thriving. Dutch Gardens. Worst company ever. I should have checked here before ordering and I would have seen the same stories repeated from all over the country. Avoid at all costs.

Negative
On Sep 19, 2020, JohnOualline (2 reviews) from Santa Fe, NM

AVOID! It has been OVER 90 DAYS since they notified me that they were unable to fill my order placed on June 8th for Chocolate Vine, of over $100. I cancelled my order August 1st, 49 days ago. To date, I have not received a credit back to my credit card for the charges. They have auto-respond on their email; there is no excuse other than this is a sham operation that should be shut down immediately.

Negative
On Jul 28, 2020, Lucy_VA (2 reviews) from Brooks, GA

I ordered about a dozen rose bushes from this company. All were in poor shape when arrived. I planted all and 4 of the bushes never showed any growth. I notified the company. They initially told me they would be replacing the bushes. Now following numerous emails exchanges where they would ask for information, they informed me that I needed to have sent the shipping label within 14 days. I did not even know that the bushes would not put on growth since their correspondence said wait a few weeks for growth to appear. I believe they engaged in a delay tactic to make certain the 14 days expired and that I would no longer have the shipping label. This is a horrible company and I will not waste further money ordering from them again.

Negative
On Jul 22, 2020, jsimons (3 reviews) from South Hamilton, MA

Ordered a plant (Bleeding Heart) on May 8, 2020, expecting quick delivery. Was not informed otherwise, but was charged for the order. As of July 22, no delivery and no response to my email requesting a refund. Based on other's experience it appears I have been scammed by this company. Will complain to the Illinois AG if they do not respond to my latest email and I would urge others to do the same.

Negative
On Jul 21, 2020, Frenchtoast85 (1 reviews) from Lititz,
United States

If I could give no stars I would, overall terrible customer service and your likely time get ripped off. I placed an order with three items, it stated my order would be shipped in 2-3 weeks. I was being extra understanding when that time came and went with Covid, but it would have been nice if they would have emailed me to tell me they were running behind. After seven weeks without an email to be found they finally shipped my order. That took a week to receive, with a $12.99 shipping fee I would have expected faster shipping. Upon receiving my order there were two plants and one of them wasn't one I ordered. There was a note on the item I didn't order saying they didn't want me to be disappointed, but they ran out of what I ordered and substituted it for another item. Basically they didn't want to refund my money. After emailing them back and forth several times, they have yet to address my missing item and I told them I didn't want what they sent me. They stated that they can substitute the item if they sell out because I didn't tell them not to substitute, there is nowhere in the online ordering for me to op out of a substitute. In order for me to receive a refund I have to send back the item I never ordered at my cost with a written letter explaining why I'm returning the item. I seriously doubt that if I sent it back I would ever see my money, I'm sure they would come up with some loop hole to get out of refunding my money. Don't waste your time and money. STAY AWAY!

Negative
On Jul 12, 2020, JonnieBean44 (1 reviews) from Marlborough, MA

I am very disappointed with Dutch Gardens. I placed an order for dahlias on 4/9. They shipped on 5/9 and when I opened the package they were all dead, some of them crumbling to pieces. To be absolutely sure I planted them but none of them sprouted. I requested replacements and received a confirmation on 5/18. The replacements finally shipped on 7/2. Out of the five replacement dahlias one of them was alive. I will not order from them again.

Neutral
On Jul 8, 2020, BensonGardens (2 reviews) from Saint Paul, MN

Posted on June 27, 2020, updated July 8, 2020 Dear Dutch Gardens, you are not very good at your job. I ordered a Blue Crown passion flower and 3 packages of crocosmia corms. I spent $65 including tax. I order from many nurseries. They were all able to deliver my products except in one case they notified me in a timely manner that the order would not be filled. You on the other hand have still not managed to get this order placed May 1st into my hands. I can only imagine that the crocosmia corms if they ever existed in your inventory are now hard little dead pebbles. I will not speculate on the passion flower vine. At any rate after hearing nothing from you, I inquired via email and received a reply on June 16 that the order had been "processed". I suppose that meant that someone walked over to the shipping room and yelled at someone to throw something in box and mail it. As of June 27- ten days later -I am still without product. Frankly I do not expect product. And if by some miracle I get the plant materials I expect them to be dead. I believe at some past time this nursery used be a respected business. I will not speculate as to what unfortunate decisions and mismanagement have led to its current state. Please learn from my experience and order elsewhere. I will do the same.


On July 8th, 2020, BensonGardens changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following: Today July 8 I received my shipment from Dutch Gardens. It was well packaged and the passion flower vine looks good. I am going to reserve judgement on the crocosmia corms as it is so very late. I have them soaking tonight and will pot them up in the morning. I will update this review once I see if they grow. The corms are decent sized but I cannot tell definitively at this point if they are viable or not. I am not feeling optimistic but we will see.

Negative
On Jul 3, 2020, 2melinda (1 reviews) from Lexington, KY

I placed an order of over $185 with Dutch Gardens on May 11, 2020. It is now July 3, 2020, and I have heard nothing from them.

Negative
On Jun 25, 2020, zophra (2 reviews) from Haddon Heights, NJ

Same experience as others. Placed an order in April. Credit card charged early May. I'm nearing the end of June with no plants. 5 emails with wishy-washy replies. The last one I asked for my money back and I haven't received a reply. Reading another person's post has given me the idea also that maybe I can work with my credit card company to get the money refunded. I will never buy from them again. Their catalogs will line the bottom of the kitty-litter box.

Negative
On Jun 18, 2020, pqsusan (1 reviews) from San Diego, CA

This is the second year I've ordered Great Queen Elizabeth gladiolus from Dutch Gardens, and it's the second year they've sent me something completely different. Both years, the glads arrived in sealed bags with labels saying "Great Queen Elizabeth," which they weren't. According to the photos and description of Queen Elizabeth, it is a peach-pink color. Last year, the glads were an unfortunate muddy pink, and this year they are a deep purple with a white stippling that makes them look diseased. Between last year and this, Dutch Gardens has sent me 70 gladiolus bulbs that were incorrectly labeled. At best, this is incompetence; at worst, it's fraud. I'll never do business with Dutch Gardens again.

Negative
On Jun 17, 2020, ahlume (1 reviews) from Marietta, GA

This company is absolutely horrible. I placed an order with them on April 26, 2020. This was for $296.24. The email I received indicated that it would be 2-3 weeks before my items would be shipped and then I would be billed at that time. When mid-May arrived and I still had not received anything I started to wonder what was going on. I waited until May 18th to email them and I also called them on this date to inquire about the status of my order. I was informed that it was in shipping and should be sent out shortly. I asked when I could expect it and the woman on the phone said she was not able to give me an exact date. A couple weeks passed and I still did not receive anything. In the meantime, my credit card was billed for the entire amount on May 21st. At this time I started to get a bad feeling about this business so I called again and their phone number continued to be busy for several hours. I finally reached someone and was once again told my product was in shipping and that they could not give me any more information than that. They said I needed to email customer service to address this. When I had emailed customer service before, I had not received an email back but I agreed to email them again. I sent emails to customer service inquiring about my order on June 8th, 13th, 16th and 17th. I also called during these times and was either met with a busy signal or when someone answered they continued to say they could not help me or give me any update on my order. The emails that came back from customer service were one-liners basically saying my order was still active. I asked multiple times about cancelling my order since they could not give me any update and were unprofessional in their exchanges with me due to not giving any information on my order and basically blowing me off on the calls and just sending me back to customer service. At this time, they have taken my money and I have not received any product and there is no indication of when or if I ever will. My last call was today to them in which I informed them that I had filed a fraud claim with my credit card due to the charge they made on it and that I would be reporting them to the Better Business Bureau. I asked to speak to a supervisor and again about the status of my order. The woman on the phone said, once again, my order was in shipping and that her supervisor was on the phone and could not speak to me. I told her I would wait as I was concerned I would not receive a call back. The woman on the phone said that was correct that they do not do callbacks, which also raised red flags for me as to why they would not reach out to a customer who was extremely dissatisfied. She also said there really was no one there that could help me and she was not going to allow me to wait for her supervisor to get off the phone. Thus, there was no one I could speak to on the phone, customer service does not respond, this company refuses to refund my money, and I never received anything. Therefore, they have stolen my money at this point and there are multiple red flags regarding the ethical operations of this company. I have informed my credit card of this charge and they have put it into dispute. I think it is important for others to know the shady and fraudulent practices of this company. It seems they are using the COVID situation to not fulfill their orders and yet they are more than willing to still take the money of their customers. It is shameful and horrendous when businesses operate like this in good times, but to do this when times are hard is even more despicable. My hope is that my money will be refunded at some point and that I can wipe my hands of this company as it has been an extremely stressful and negative experience.

Negative
On Jun 17, 2020, Petec4141 (1 reviews) from Rome, NY

I placed an order with Dutch Gardens on 04/29/20. I received a confirmation email indicating shipping time was 3-4 weeks. On 05/27/20 my credit card was charged and the order was not shipped. I emailed the company on 06/02/20, and 06/03/20 asking when the order would be shipped. I received a reply indicating they were shipping orders from the week of 04/23/20 and wouldn’t have an answer for 5-7 days. I replied on 06/05/20 and 06/08/20 asking for a refund. On 06/10/20 I received a response indicating they could not locate a record of my order. As per the FTC, all online, phone, or mail orders must be shipped within 30 days of receiving the order or by the timeframe provided by the merchant, whichever is longer, in this case 4 weeks. If a merchant is unable to ship within the timeframe they stated or the 30 day rule, the merchant must inform the customer in writing or by phone of the delay and allow the customer the choice to agree to the delayed shipping or a prompt refund. Dutch Gardens did not do this. Since Dutch Gardens has no record of the order but charged my credit card, I can only assume this is a fraudulent charge and have reported it to the credit card company as such. I have also filed complaints with the NY AG (state in which I reside and the purchase was made), the IL AG (state in which Dutch Gardens is located), the FTC for violation of the 30 day rule and not issuing a refund as directed on 3 separate occasions, and the BBB. Please read the reviews on google and yelp and all other available resources if you are considering ordering from this company. My story is the same is all the others. Billed. Charged. Order sent ridiculously late if at all. Read their responses to complaints on BBB. That alone is telling of how this company operates. The customer service shouldn’t even be rated one star. If I could give it negative stars, I would. Worst company ever! DO NOT purchase from this company it will only lead to filing complaints with every possible avenue possible and writing negative reviews on every platform. Just don’t.

Positive
On Jun 13, 2020, flowermaiden2 (19 reviews) from Saint Maries, ID

Posted on June 11, 2020, updated June 13, 2020 Posted on June 9, 2020, updated June 11, 2020 Posted on May 14, 2020, updated June 9, 2020 Posted on May 13, 2020, updated May 14, 2020 Posted on April 23, 2020, updated May 13, 2020 Posted on April 23, 2020, updated April 23, 2020 Posted on November 21, 2019, updated April 23, 2020 Posted on October 24, 2019, updated November 21, 2019 Dutch Gardens has come through with nice quality plants again, that were very well packed. I appreciate that they were delivered right to my door this time, so I could open the box immediately and begin taking care of them. I have planted them all, and they are doing well. While I had initially requested a later shipping date, due to the erratic nature of our early Spring weather, their early arrival has worked out well, since it has warmed up much earlier than usual and is staying warm. I ordered Coral Honeysuckle, two species of Foxglove and Golden Ball Coreopsis. The coreopsis is already blooming. I am very happy, and again, I thank Dutch Gardens for having this order delivered directly to my home instead of languishing in the Post Office where I might not have been able to immediately retrieve it. Good work, Dutch Gardens!


On August 24th, 2018, flowermaiden2 added the following: I hope this update will post. I've recently had problems with my comments not showing up or disappearing. This update concerns the beautiful, exotic looking Tiger Flowers that have resulted from the bonus freebie bulbs that Dutch Gardens included with my Spring 2018 order. They always send a few freebie bulbs along with the plants I purchase, and some of them come up and some don't. But since they're bonus bulbs, I don't complain if they don't grow. These lovely Tiger Flowers did -- bright lemony yellow, triangular petals with deep red splotching inside. My current plant has three flower stalks on it. It's so nice when these added inclusions blossom forth. Makes my entire order worth a lot more. So, thanks, Dutch Gardens.
On October 14th, 2018, flowermaiden2 added the following: Dutch Gardens has gotten it right, again. I was a little concerned about placing my Fall bulbs orders at two different times and paying in two different ways. I feared this might confuse them and possibly lead to a mix-up. But, they got it right. I first received my credit card order, which was correct and complete. I did inquire about my other order, which I paid for by check via the mail-in catalog form, as it hadn't arrived. The very polite representative found the order right away and told me it hadn't arrived from Holland, yet. It did show up in my mailbox around the time frame they said it would. All of these Fall bulbs are now planted in the ground. They were very healthy and looked good. Thank you, Dutch Gardens, for continuing to give me reliable service.
On October 14th, 2018, flowermaiden2 added the following: Dutch Gardens has gotten it right, again. I was a little concerned about placing my Fall bulbs orders at two different times and paying in two different ways. I feared this might confuse them and possibly lead to a mix-up. But, they got it right. I first received my credit card order, which was correct and complete. I did inquire about my other order, which I paid for by check via the mail-in catalog form, as it hadn't arrived. The very polite representative found the order right away and told me it hadn't arrived from Holland, yet. It did show up in my mailbox around the time frame they said it would. All of these Fall bulbs are now planted in the ground. They were very healthy and looked good. Thank you, Dutch Gardens, for continuing to give me reliable service.
On May 20th, 2019, flowermaiden
On November 21st, 2019, flowermaiden2 added the following: Dutch Gardens came through with my Fall bulbs. I was able to plant them after we had a warm patch of several days, and the ground thawed out again and the soil became workable. I should have some nice new Spring and summer flowers. The Cyclamen tubers were a little confusing as to which way to position them in the ground. The instructions said the flat side down, but neither side of them was particularly flat. Also, they had stuff sprouting from them, and it was thick protrusions. I don't know if those were supposed to be roots or the beginnings of stems. The underside had fuzzy thready stuff that looked like roots. We shall see, next year, if I did it right.
On April 23rd, 2020, flowermaiden2 added the following: So far, so good, this year. For some odd reason, they sent my double Tiger Lilies very, very early. Fortunately, it has been unseasonably warm for April, so I was able to plant them in the large pot on our deck. They are doing well. Now, about the rest of my order: I'm not sure what to expect. When I got the shipping notification for the Tiger Lilies, it said my order was being shipped under "two labels", but I only got the one box with the Tiger Lilies, and nothing more. I am assuming they're going to ship the rest of my order later? Or did they ship it all at once, and the rest of it got lost? I would like to know ...
On April 23rd, 2020, flowermaiden2 added the following: Customer rep. has informed me that the rest of my order has yet to be shipped. Nice to know it wasn't lost. It's still early in the season, so I shall wait for it, and I'm looking forward to planting it as soon as it arrives.
On May 13th, 2020, flowermaiden2 changed the rating from positive to neutral and added the following: Well, now things seem to be complicated. While my second order has arrived complete, with healthy plants that should do well, I am STILL MISSING the rest of my other order -- the one of which I only received my Tiger Lilies, but none of the other bulbs or plants I had also ordered along with it. I had thought they would be included in the second package, which I had thought would contain everything else I had ordered, but they weren't. I have both e-mailed and d-mailed Dutch Gardens, and am waiting for a reply. It's now mid-May, so this is very unusual. I've only gotten a busy signal when I've tried to call them. I paid a lot of money -- by check via mail order -- for both of these orders, but still am lacking nearly half the items. I do hope Dutch Gardens will either ship the rest of my plants, or refund my money, and that they'll respond to my queries. We shall see...
On May 14th, 2020, flowermaiden2 changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following: Update: Dutch Gardens customer care rep has responded to my e-mail. Part of my order has already shipped and should arrive soon (if they're talking about the second package, which was a separate order, I've already gotten that one). The rest of my order will be shipped soon depending on weather and availability. They reminded me to save the shipping label located on the outside of the package for the duration of the guarantee. Okay. We shall see if ALL of the rest of it arrives. They're having some rather severe weather in that area of the country, so I can see how there might be a problem with timeliness. And because they replied quickly, I am once again awarding them a positive rating.
On June 9th, 2020, flowermaiden2 changed the rating from positive to neutral and added the following: On may 23, 2020, I received a notice in my e-mail that a shipment had gone out to me via FedEx Smart Post, final delivery to our Post Office. It's now June 9, 2020, and I STILL haven't received it. I have tried to e-mail customer service, but keep getting an error message when I try to send it. I know things are slower because of the chaotic situations across our country. But I have some potted plants in this order that aren't going to be any good from having been in transit for so long. The tracking number they provided in the e-mail message wasn't in the form of a clickable link, so I have been unable to use it to find out when I can expect delivery. I paid for my entire order by check, via mail order through their catalog. Thus far, I have only received parts of it. Dutch Gardens has my telephone number. I would very much appreciate hearing from them, or they can use D-Mail to reply to this. I want my order, or else I want refunded the balance of my payment that covers this unreceived portion of it. Dutch Gardens, please respond to me. Thank you.
On June 11th, 2020, flowermaiden2 changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following: The Post Office cannot find the package. We're having to deal with them, now. Dutch Gardens did what they were supposed to do. I shall continue doing business with Dutch Gardens, but in the future when I order from them, I'm going to pay the extra to have it delivered directly to my front door instead of FedEx Smart Post where it gets left at the Post Office. I appreciate how promptly Dutch Gardens has responded to my queries. I thank them.
On June 13th, 2020, flowermaiden2 added the following: The package arrived! Amazingly, the potted Penstemons don't look too bad, despite having been in transit for so long. The bulbs look fine. Next season, I'm going to pay the extra to have my order delivered to my door instead of FedEx Smart Post. Hopefully, next year won't be so chaotic, either.
Company representative comment on May 31, 2017:
On Jun 7, 2015 10:33 AM, Dutch Gardens responded with:

Thank you for your post! It is always nice to hear from our customers! Happy Gardening!


On Jan 26, 2017 11:06 AM, Dutch Gardens added:

Thank you for your comment. We do value our customers insight. Our policy regarding substitution does allow for the correct plant to be shipped once available or a refund of the purchase price. Please note that if a customer receives a substitution we do not make them return the plant.

As for contact via email, we do try to answer every email received within 1 business day. If a reply has not been received the email is usually caught in a customers spam filter of their email. We do ask that the customers add our email address to their address book to prevent this from occurring.

Thank you again and happy gardening!


On May 31, 2017 8:18 AM, Dutch Gardens added:

We are sorry to hear of this customer’s experience as we do take pride in our customer care and try to answer all emails within 24 hours.

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem

Negative
On Jun 10, 2020, maria1971 (1 reviews) from Miami, FL

I placed an order on April 25,2020 totaling $112 and change. Never received an update. DG charged my card a month later. Nothing. I emailed them on 05/31 to request an update. On 06/02/20, they informed me that the last memo had them shipping through 04/20. So, my question is, if you know on 05/25 that your last ship date was 04/20, WHY did you charge me on 05/25 for merchandise you had no intention of shipping? I emailed them back on 06/02 and told them that the planting/growing season for these bulbs was almost over by the time they DID get around to shipping- so could they issue a refund? Then they responded that the order is now in the shipping department. How so? When? As of tonight , 06/10/20, I have yet to receive a shipping message or any other correspondence. Essentially they have taken my money and never shipped the merchandise. Incredibly unprofessional.

Negative
On Jun 1, 2020, cruggieri61 (1 reviews) from New York City, NY

I ordered something from Dutch Gardens on April 17th. I still have not received anything but the most annoying part is that I have sent 3 emails with no reply and their phone goes directly to a busy signal. I'm not so concerned about the delay (tho I would like to receive them soon) but I have to change the delivery address and I need confirmation from them them that they have received that request. Is anyone working there? Are they still in business? If they don't reply by tomorrow, I will have my credit company cancel the order. And it goes without saying, that I will never use them again. cruggieri61

Negative
On May 28, 2020, Bip407 (1 reviews) from Chadds Ford, PA

On 4/27/20, I ordered about $100 worth of cannas. Ok, not a huge order, but I’m a believer in reward-over-time. At that time during the Coronavirus crisis, their website said allow for 2 weeks to process the order. A week later, it said to allow for 2-3 weeks. A week later, it said to allow for 2-4 weeks. At the 3 week mark, I sent an email to the company requesting an update on my order. Just before the 4 week mark (8 days ago) after no email response, I called to inquire about the status of my order. Automated message after automated message about coved-19 and call back later (couldn’t even leave a message), I kept repeatedly calling (now my blood pressure was up). Finally someone answered the phone, and told me my order was “in process” and would be shipping within days. 8 days later, it’s still in the same status and has not shipped. We are now 31 days after I placed my order - I live in zone 6b, so by the time they bloom (I’m assuming they will?), it will be time to dig them up! I can’t comment in the quality of their product because this was the first time I ordered from them (and the last), but I can tell you that I have ordered from many, many small businesses during the pandemic to try and support them, and none have disappointed me like this. Sure, a delay is expected at this time, but nothing like this. I will not order from them again, and unless they can get their processing & shipping process up to par, I wouldn’t refer anyone to them. Again, I want to emphasize that I understand these times are unusual, but I have never experienced a purchase so disappointing.

Negative
On May 16, 2020, janncad (1 reviews) from Dallas,
United States

I ordered Denim and Lace Sage from Dutch Gardens before April 15. Today (May 15), I have yet to see any shipment. They won't answer their phones ever. I have emailed several times and only one response was tailored to my specific question. The canned email responses always state that the order is "in processing" [whatever that means] and once I asked for the order t to be canceled and a refund issued, they tell me they can't cancel because it is "in shipping"-- for over two weeks now. I am disappointed and discouraged that I will never get my order.

Negative
On May 7, 2019, Texasgal21 (1 reviews) from Round Rock, TX

After several attempts to get a ship date out of them and done with their "vague" we don't know responses I went back and forth multiple times to get them to cancel the order to which they said once it's in "process" they cannot guarantee cancellation, even though it was 2 weeks in and they would not ship for another 1 1/2 weeks. I told them repeatedly via email to NOT ship and surprise! All of a sudden they shipped after I told them I'd give them until that Friday to cancel the order. There are NO RMA instructions inside the box. On their website if you send the items back within 14 days you will get a refund of purchase which means you paid for shipping HIGH shipping I might add both ways!! This is not a REAL company. They have a P.O. box, they have a 800# that is a call center, the warehouse at the address given is for a Virtual World experience business, so they don't have a physical address. Which I figured out, far too late, means they are a DISTRIBUTOR only of said plants. They don't plant, nor harvest the plants, nor do they box and ship them. I'm not really sure who they do distribute for but if you think you are dealing with Dutch Gardens that has been in business for 100 years, as they advertise that's a lie. DO NOT buy from these unscrupulous people. Report them everywhere you can and try to keep others from giving them any of their money. Places like this should be driven out of business for the deception.

Negative
On May 4, 2019, YearRoundGarden (2 reviews) from Lake Oswego, OR

Posted on April 22, 2019, updated May 4, 2019 I ordered 3 Starfighter Lilies from Dutch Gardens on February 27 for $11.99. The shipping was $12.99, more than the lilies but they are the only site listing Starfighter this year. I ordered Lilies, other bulbs and plants from other sites around the same time. About a month later I had received my orders from other sites but had heard nothing from Dutch Gardens. I called Dutch Gardens on March 23 about the order and was told they are shipping to my zone but she had no visibility into the shipping schedule. I called Dutch Gardens again on April 8. The lady put me on hold for a while and then said the bulbs had just came in from their supplier. They are in the process of shipping them. I still have not received the bulbs as of today, April 22. I have tried to call them many times but only get a busy signal. OK, I know I have been scammed, like so many other people. I will leave similar comments on every review site.


On May 4th, 2019, YearRoundGarden added the following: I eventually did get a hold of someone at Dutch Gardens. They said something to the effect 'Oh my these should have gone out already. I'll get right on to it'. They sent the three bulbs via Fed Ex ground which took 7 days to arrive. I haven't checked shipping rates lately but $12.99 seems steep. When they bloom later this summer I'll see whether I got Starfighter as ordered.

Negative
On May 3, 2019, UrbanPlants (1 reviews) from Seattle, WA

DO NOT do business with Dutch Gardens. There are plenty of reputable online retailers who are much easier to work with and won't try to extort money from you. 2 of 3 live plants they sent were dead or not as described (a bare root specimen was sent instead of a 4" potted plant). Unlike other reputable online plant and bulb retailers, Dutch Gardens is unwilling to accept their mistakes without customers paying to return merchandise. It took a credit card dispute to get the money back, but even then Dutch Gardens has, 11 months later, threatened legal action to collect monies they were charged back as part of the dispute they lost. Dutch Gardens, since you will apparently receive this feedback, please know that the attorney general's office for consumer affairs will be in touch.

Negative
On Apr 30, 2019, beingignored (2 reviews) from Nine Mile Falls, WA

Dutch Gardens has an extremely poor customer service. Plus they do not honor their guarantees. Beware, do not order from this site. I have been ignored for my issues for over a year.

Positive
On Jan 7, 2019, Stephenjdavid99 (1 reviews) from Kenner, LA

I ordered a couple 3 in 1 angel trumpets from Dutch gardens and received them back around 1st of sept and didnt think much about it and went ahead and planted them not expecting them to do anything till spring ..to our surprise they started growing and bloomed they're first flowers right after New years 2019 ..so beautiful thank you Dutch gardens

Negative
On May 16, 2018, MrReed (1 reviews) from Greensburg, IN

I find it very disturbing that a so called reputable company would publish their telephone number, but after many attempts were not answered. When emailing get the same discourteous service. No reputable company would process your credit card before shipping a product. After finally speaking with someone, they tell you that they are not sure when it will ship and could not find the items I have ordered. Yet they processed my credit card in advance of shipping. I also contacted them yet another time to cancel my order and they would not permit the cancellation. This falls in the category of a scam. I have now filed a grievance with my credit card company and will be notifying the BBB along with completing a Google Review.

Negative
On Apr 28, 2018, Jlangan (1 reviews) from Dennis, MA

My very first order with them and I wish I had found this forum first! The impression I am left with is that they are masters of bait and switch. I ordered 3 Sonia Rose plants when I found them available on their site as I’ve been searching for quite awhile. They have sentimental value for me. When my order arrived I found 3 plants with a generic name that they claim are “similar” since they were unable to get the Sonia’s. No information at all on what they actually are, and searched the provided name on their website returns 0 results. Likewise, the gift with purchase, a gorgeous and unusual lily bulb was substituted with some common bulbs that I can get right now at 80% off from our local WalMart. I called their number, getting a call center of course. I was offered the option of a refund or being placed on a waiting list. I opted to wait list until I could attempt to contact the company directly. Emailed, and got no response. The Sonya roses are still being offered for sale on their website. I will attempt one more email, try the call center again for a refund if I get no response, and as a last resort contact my credit card company to resolve as these were not inexpensive plants. Extremely disappointed.


Company representative comment on April 30, 2018:
On Apr 30, 2018 11:00 AM, Dutch Gardens responded with:


We are sorry to hear of this customer’s experience as we do take pride in our customer care. We do have both a refund and a replacement guarantee which is clearly posted on our website and we stand behind them. We are sorry to hear that the customer received a substitute for this item and, of course, we would be happy to issue a refund.

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem

Negative
On Nov 27, 2017, Agnis (4 reviews) from Ridgefield, WA (Zone 8b)

Stay away from this company! I ordered and paid full price for Pink Ruffles Oriental Poppies. They turned out to be solid red, not ruffled. Because the plants came in the fall and bloomed in the spring, it was not possible to tell the company about the problem within 14 days as they demand if one is to get a refund. I complained. I asked for a replacement. I was told they no longer carry Pink Ruffles, but I could have a credit voucher. They never sent a credit voucher. Now, at last, I have found something I want to buy from them. I have tried. There is no way on their online order form to tell them I have a credit. The woman I spoke with on Friday said she couldn't look anything up, so I should call on Monday. The woman I spoke with today is at a call center, and she said that she knows nothing. She actually said that she could place an order for me and charge me for the plants. She also said that there is no telephone number for the company, that I should write an email or send a letter. I have been writing emails, and I get nowhere. I am being cheated out of $27.97.


Company representative comment on November 28, 2017:
On Nov 28, 2017 9:01 AM, Dutch Gardens responded with:

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem

Negative
On Nov 3, 2017, jidi (1 reviews) from Reno, NV

Bulbs took 6 weeks to ship though they indicated they would ship in 1-2 weeks. It snowing today so we had 1 weekend to plant the bulbs before the ground becomes frozen. Three bulbs were rotten. It's impossible to actually talk to someone on the phone and they do not respond promptly to email. I will never buy from them again.


Company representative comment on November 6, 2017:
On Nov 6, 2017 2:29 PM, Dutch Gardens responded with:

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem.

Neutral
On Aug 26, 2017, woodspirit1 (6 reviews) from Lake Toxaway, NC (Zone 7a)

I received their fall catalog today, 8/26/17. I thumbed through it and it looks great but I vaguely remembered problems with this company so I checked here. Boy! am I glad I did. Thanks for all you comments and warnings. I'm going to go see what Bluestone is offering.

Negative
On Apr 11, 2017, Steven_t (1 reviews) from Annandale, MN

I ordered cannas and begonias and wanted to start them earlier in the greenhouse for better summer displays. The company refuses to send them earlier. It has been well above freezing for awhile and there is no reason they couldn't have been shipped a month ago. Plenty of companies will accommodate that request and I will not be ordering from this place again.


Company representative comment on April 12, 2017:
On Apr 12, 2017 10:21 AM, Dutch Gardens responded with:

We are sorry to hear of this customer’s experience as we do take pride in our customer care. As many know the weather this year has been very unpredictable this year. While it may be warm in your location we have to take into consideration the transit. We want to make sure the plants reach our customers in the best condition possible.

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem

Negative
On Apr 7, 2017, tombaak (25 reviews) from High Desert, NV (Zone 5a)

WARNING: If you close the account you paid with, EVEN AFTER RETURNING ALL MERCHANDISE, you will not get a refund. THIS COMPANY IS HEARTLESS! Flowers are a symbol of love and life, and this company has taken the death of my mother in law as an opportunity to benefit their bottom line. My mother in law placed a $600+ dollar order the week before her death. When the first box arrived a few days after she passed away I returned the box and contacted the company to let them know it was being returned and why. I asked them to please cancel any remaining shipments and was informed that 5 other boxes had just shipped. I told the representative that those boxes would be returned as well once they arrived. Dutch Gardens refunded the contents of the first box, but when I called to find out why the other 5 boxes hadn't been refunded, the representative confirmed that all the merchandise had been returned, but told me that the company would only refund to the debit card that paid and since the debit card was no longer valid (checking account had been closed due to death) they had no way to refund the orders. I requested they issue a check to the estate, or simply give store credit for the remaining amount. I was told that the request would be forwarded on the the appropriate person. It has now been 9 months, I have called several times, and each time I am told the request for refund has been made, but the company stands by their policy of not refunding returned orders if they are unable to refund to the card that placed the order. Basically, this company does not dispute the fact that they received this entire order back. They simply refuse to issue a refund in any form other than to credit a debit card that is not valid, and won't accept a charge or credit. I wish I had kept the plants and spread them around to her many gardener friends and planted some of them with my girls in our own garden to remember their grandma by. I was just so overwhelmed by the unexpected death that anything other than returning the boxes seemed more than I could manage. The death of a loved one is a very emotional and exhausting time, and this company has made what should have been very easy, a difficult and enduring challenge.


Company representative comment on April 12, 2017:
On Apr 12, 2017 10:19 AM, Dutch Gardens responded with:

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem.

Negative
On Mar 2, 2017, TMichelle (7 reviews) from Platteville, WI

Their catalog offers a variety of "free gifts" if you order, but the on-line order form will not accept the catalog code for the free gifts. They're also somewhat overpriced, though the selection is excellent. I'll update this later when I receive my order. However, since so many others here have complained about their customer service (and since I just wrote a letter to them explaining my frustration about their on-line order form refusing to accept the codes they give for the free plants with each order, in hopes I get a prompter response. If I do and if this is fixed, I'll change my review.


Company representative comment on March 2, 2017:
On Mar 2, 2017 12:24 PM, Dutch Gardens responded with:


A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem

Negative
On Jan 18, 2017, ippslee (3 reviews) from Grass Valley, CA (Zone 9a)

I ordered a rose from this company and it arrived bare root in the heat of summer; it was brown with broken roots - no sign of life. I tried to coax it along for two months and there was no green just brown twigs that snapped. I told them of the problem and asked them to replace it, which they did. However the second one was exactly the same; bare broken roots and a dry brown stalk. Now they will only give me credit and not return my cost. Why would I want to take a chance on anything else?


Company representative comment on January 20, 2017:
On Jan 20, 2017 8:39 AM, Dutch Gardens responded with:

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem

Negative
On Dec 14, 2016, Cizzo67 (1 reviews) from East Walpole, MA

BE FORWARNED OF THE DUTCH GARDENS REFUND/RETURN POLICIES IF YOU ORDER FROM THIS COMPANY! YOU WILL END UP PAYING FOR THEIR MISTAKES. I ordered three Christmas cactus plants and they waited almost a month to send these to me. The plants arrived at my door mushy and dying. These were supposed to be Christmas gifts, so I immediately called the company to find out if there is any way to revive the plants, and was told to send an email to cusomter service. Three days go by without a response to my email so I called again. The rep told me that I could wait and see if the plants survive (doubtful) otherwise, my other options were to 1) get replacement plants next year because they were done shipping for the year, or 2) I could send the plants back to them AT MY EXPENSE and they would refund my money LESS MY ORIGINAL SHIPPING CHARGES! This is the most ridiculous policy I have ever heard of. So tell me what company sends you a defective product and expects you to eat the cost? I asked if I could speak with a surpervisor, but "gee, there was no supervisor working today". I asked if they could have a supervisor call me when they are available, and was told "that's not how it works, you have to call them". I asked for the name of the supervisor so I could call tomorrow, but, "gee, they don't know who might be working tomorrow, I just have to call, that is how it works". I have never been so FRUSTRATED with a company. I have purchased from several online companies and found Bluestone Perrennials has not only high quality products but excellent customer service and satisfaction. Stay away from Dutch Gardens!


Company representative comment on December 16, 2016:
On Dec 16, 2016 7:57 AM, Dutch Gardens responded with:

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem.

Negative
On Aug 3, 2016, Rise22 (15 reviews) from Roseburg, OR

DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THE FOLLOWING SCAMMERS!!! Burgess Honeycreek Summerstone Royal Dutch Gardens Four Seasons Exciting Gardens They will take your money and rip you off...they are ALL from Bloomington, Indiana. Just look at a catalog - they all have the SAME PHOTOGRAPHS for the SAME PLANTS. IF you order, you will get something DEAD or DYING. AND, it is up to YOU to send it back at YOUR EXPENSE....this is awful!!!!! They are KILLING the plants!!!!! Everyone should INSIST on either getting a replacement plant at THEIR EXPENSE, or GET THEIR MONEY BACK!!! MAKE THEM....even if you have to threaten them with Small Claims Court. Otherwise, this will continue - what a travesty!!!!


Company representative comment on August 4, 2016:
On Aug 4, 2016 10:58 AM, Dutch Gardens responded with:

We are sorry to hear of this customer’s experience.. We do have both a refund and a replacement guarantee which is clearly posted on our website/catalogs and we stand behind them. We do not require that you return anything to get a replacement of an item that has died.

We are affiliated with some of the other companies listed but these are separate companies.

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem

Negative
On Apr 14, 2016, flowerlady22 (2 reviews) from Huntsville, AL (Zone 7b)

I have ordered bulbs from Dutch Gardens since back in the early 90's before they had a website, just a catalogue. This spring I ordered tubers and 1 Eternal Fragrance Daphne. The Daphne was listed as being in a quart pot, price was $29.99 What I received was a 3 inch, 3 1/2 inch diameter pot with a 3 inch tall twig that had 1 small limb on it and 1 leaf. I contacted them and explained what they had sent. I got a small message back saying "sorry you are not happy. send it back and we will make an adjustment". I have to pay for shipping, on top of the $30.00 cost of the plant. This was their fault, not mine. I will not order any more. I usually order twice per year, and definitely will not be recommending them to my friends. Especially not, since they are an affiliate of Burgess Gardens. I think the people who are pulling website orders must have pulled the wrong one and I also think they hired some very inexperienced workers who didn''t know what they are doing.


Company representative comment on April 21, 2016:
On Apr 21, 2016 2:15 PM, Dutch Gardens responded with:

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem. We, of course, would not ask the customer to return this item if it was our mistake.

Negative
On Feb 23, 2016, Birdingmom (1 reviews) from Palo Alto, CA

I ordered 200 Sorbet tulips last July. I dutifully put them in the refrigerator for 6 weeks (since I live in California where it does not freeze) and planted them in early November. They are coming up now, and they are the wrong three colors. This is such a huge disappointment, and I obviously can't do anything to correct it this season. I can, however, make sure I never order tulips from Dutch Gardens again. I have been purchasing bulbs from them for many many years, so this is quite disappointing, and unacceptable.


Company representative comment on March 2, 2016:
On Mar 2, 2016 2:13 PM, Dutch Gardens responded with:

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem

Negative
On Sep 25, 2015, GardenLover2887 (1 reviews)

Short review: Late delivery, unhealthy plants, substituted unreasonable plant, and refusal to help resolve problem. I ordered several items in mid-August. Nothing arrived until earlier this week; that package had a sedum in bad shape and a bare roots climatis instead of the potted plant I ordered. The climatis had a note saying "we don't have what you ordered. We're sending this so as not to disappoint you." I called to tell them about the sedum and that I didn't want the bare roots plant. I offered to send a photo to show the problem with the sedum, explaining it would cost me more time and money to send it back than it would to throw it away. When they declined, I confirmed the balance had not been shipped and canceled my order. A few days later, they emailed that they were sending out the rest of the order! My efforts to explain my cancellation were met by rote responses, so I called today to talk to a supervisor (Amy). I suggested we try to resolve this to avoid more aggravation to both sides of this dispute. She said she has no authority to resolve anything; I would have to send a regular letter to Emily Watkins, Office Manager, and that Ms. Watkins does not accept phone calls or emails! My explanation that I would not be able to send a letter due to circumstances I explained was met with the same rote response. I have had great success with every other company I've dealt with by mail. But Dutch Gardens-- bad plants, late delivery, in appropriate substitution, not consumer friendly--I'll never do business with them again.

Neutral
On Sep 20, 2015, ellenfoster (10 reviews) from Hinesburg, VT

I've ordered several times from Dutch Gardens. They have good bulbs at a reasonable price. The plants I've received are just OK. My biggest complaint is there they don't have a zone on every plant in their catalog and their web sight is difficult- only will put up 10 plants at a time, which makes comparisons difficult. Also the cart does not have pictures of the order. I order tulip bulbs from several sights, because I'm picky, but I like to make sure that I haven't ordered 10 peach colored tulips. Other sights have a picture of the order in the cart to make that easier. I decided to only order from them if I cant find it somewhere else and I have to have it.

Negative
On Sep 8, 2015, judyd224 (1 reviews) from West Hartford, CT

I placed my order on July 31, 2015, and have received nothing. I have tried phoning, but get continuous busy signals. They do not reply to emails either My receipt said I would get my order within two weeks, and I am still waiting. This company is a joke. They need to be reported to the state Department of Consumer Protection.

Negative
On Jul 7, 2015, roncag (2 reviews) from Gretna, VA

I ordered lily bulbs and a hydrangea plant on May 17, 2015. The website states that it takes 1 to 2 weeks to ship. As of July 7, 2015. I still have not received my order. I emailed them 3 times without any response. I finally called them about 3 weeks ago and was told that there was a delay because of the hydrangea plant. Why not let me know that? Most companies would send the rest of the order and just backorder the one not in stock. But, at the least, I should have been contacted and asked how I would like to proceed. The rep that I spoke to said they would see what they could do to get my order to be as soon as they reasonably could. I think we were way past reasonable. Lily bulbs are to be planted in the spring, it is too late to plant them in my area now (Southern VA/NC). I emailed them to cancel the order, who knows if they'll even read my email as they never have responded to any of the past ones.


Company representative comment on July 9, 2015:
On Jul 9, 2015 9:06 AM, Dutch Gardens responded with:


Orders are typically processed within 1-2 weeks of receipt. Because we inspect, hand select and hand wrap every plant to ensure the highest quality product and the safest shipping, you can expect us to ship your order within 1-2 weeks of receipt. Also, please keep in mind that an order may ship out later depending on availability of plant material and weather conditions.

We have tried to contact the customer via Dmail but have not yet had a response. We do hope to hear from the customer as we would like to resolve this problem.



Positive
On Apr 24, 2015, shadenut (2 reviews) from Charlotte, NC (Zone 7b)

I have used Dutch Gardens twice this year and have had a positive experience. Both times the plants arrived when expected and packaged well. Now I can only wait and watch, to see how well the plants do. Can anyone explain the truth regarding the relationship between Dutch Gardens and Royal Dutch Gardens? I was told by a representative of Royal Dutch that Dutch Gardens is a sister company, that is their "Budget" outlet! It is curious to me that both their catalogs and receipts look identical. Since I have had a very negitive experience with Royal Dutch and a very positive one with Dutch I only want to repeat the positive.


Company representative comment on June 7, 2015:
On Jun 7, 2015 10:36 AM, Dutch Gardens responded with:

We are happy to hear that you have had a positive experience with us! Royal Dutch Gardens is a sister company however, a separate company. We are sorry to hear of your experience with them but please note they have a 1 year replacement guarantee as well! We hope you take advantage of the guarantee and look forward to serving you in the future.

Negative
On Mar 16, 2015, mathdoc (1 reviews) from Northridge, CA

I placed my order 3 and 1/2 months ago (Order number: 34460123) I cannot get any date of when my plants will ship. At one point I was told they were shipping to my area, but no email with any shipping date. Now I will be out of town for a week from 3/28/ to 4/4 and they need to either cancel my order or make sure it arrives before then. If it arrives after 4/4 it is already getting pretty hot in my area to plant what they might send. I emailed from their site and from my email. Hope I get some response. They take a long time to respond. I don't think I have ever seen any other company say it take 2 days or more to check an order? There are so many other companies out there that can tell you when they are sending your order I doubt I would ever order from them again. Just poor customer service.. simple as that.


Company representative comment on June 7, 2015:
On Jun 7, 2015 10:39 AM, Dutch Gardens responded with:

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem.

Negative
On Nov 14, 2014, Fgarb (1 reviews) from East Haddam, CT

Just received bulb order from Dutch Gardens and they shipped the wrong tulips. They took my order for one type of tulip and shipped me a completely different type of tulip. I ordered a soft yellow/salmon and they shipped me me a white tulip with red flames on sides. They also failed to send me the free tulips they advertised if over a certain order amount. I called their call center and they told me they could send another type I also ordered so I could add to that but they would charge me the difference ANDI had to pay for shipping. I said why do I have to pay for shipping when you sent the wrong order? They said they weren't authorized to do anything about shipping. I asked to speak to a manager and they refused to connect me, even though they had just put me on hold to talk to someone. When I asked to speak to that same person 5 minutes later they were unavailable. I was then told the manager doesn't speak to customers over the phone and I could send a complaint if I wanted. When I looked for their corporate office number it directs customers back to call center. I was advised there is no number to contact anyone from mgt directly. I asked for a refund on my messed up order and will never do business with them again. If you want to order from a company who takes your money and then refuses to talk with you when you have an issue so you can resolve it before it becomes a complaint AND decides to substitute whatever they want,even when the product is completely different ( picture ordering blue jeans and getting an orange pair instead and being advised its an adequate substitution.) then roll the dice with this company. What makes me sad is they used to be a good company but they have gone downhill. They also offered to send me what I originally ordered if it came in later but at this point mid Nov New England its too late. These products are time sensitive and I've already lost 2 weeks ordering from them. Order from Colorblends they are wonderful and I got exactly what I ordered from them in less than 5 days!!!

Negative
On Oct 30, 2014, hnerz (1 reviews) from Raleigh, NC

I ordered from Dutch Gardens last year and everything was fine. This year it's been a disaster. Wish I had read the reviews on this page first. I ordered a variety of bulbs and a plant on 9/15/14. After almost 7 weeks, all I've received is the plant, the bulbs have not come. Like others, I've used the email form that seems to go nowhere -- twice filling it out and getting no response. I have called 4 times, spoken to customer service twice. Each time they said the bulbs would be shipping "any time now" but would give no specifics. During my last phone call, I asked if I could cancel the order as it is getting late in the season, and like others, I was told I have to do it in writing. I sent the email requesting that they cancel the order and they wrote back asking if I was sure I wanted them to try and cancel it? (Who does this? And why "try"?) I responded saying yes, cancel it and then I got an email about how my request has been "forwarded to the appropriate department" but it may not be canceled because it might ship. I wrote again asking them to cancel, and again they said they would try but their policy is "we can not guarantee cancellation unless it is requested the same day the order is placed." Unbelievable. These appear to be delay tactics which make me wonder if something isn't seriously wrong at this company. According to their BBB profile, they have 15 employees, so I don't understand why communication between "departments" is so complex. Whatever the reason, the bottom line is: they don't appear to be able to deliver their product or even predict when they will be able to do it. Customer service is terrible and their operations are not in the 21st century. They don't seem to utilize any of the standard business practices that exist in retail today, and for that reason, I will never do business with them again.

Negative
On Sep 20, 2014, Skyegarden (1 reviews) from Kirkland, WA

I have purchased bulbs from Dutch Gardens for years and have always been happy with them and referred many people to them. This year however, has been dramatically different. It started with my first order that contained dahlia bulbs that were labeled with a different name than what I had ordered and 2 Thomas Edison Dahlias that were all shriveled up. I called after trying to get the TE bulbs to come back to life after several weeks, and they sent replacements. I asked if they could rush them because we were getting late in the season but they said they couldn't and it took a really long time to receive the new bulbs (something like 4-5 weeks) I again received 2 Thomas Edison bulbs (that did not look healthy) and other dahlia bulbs labeled with different names than what I had ordered. By the way, I currently have 17 very healthy dahlias in my yard (4 which I purchased from Dutch Garden's last year) so I have experience with Dahlias. I called customer service and said that it was too late in the season (and they take too long to re-ship) for me to get replacements on this last shipment. I asked for a credit to be applied to Fall bulbs I was planning to order but I also asked to be credited for the shipping charges because I knew I would have to pay for the shipping charges on the new bulbs. The Customer Service Representative was very unpleasant and kept saying "you got product from us so you received the shipping". I told her I understood that and would have no problem covering shipping if I made a mistake in ordering but, that they shipped me defective product and the wrong product (on two occasions). She just kept repeating her same phrase over and over so I asked who else I could talk to. she told me I had to write a letter (could not call or email) the Office Manager. I wrote a letter to the Office Manager detailing everything that happened and also explaining that I needed these particular bulbs because I had a garden design company and my yard was being showcased in a charity event and that now there were empty spaces. I included the list of the $75+ worth of fall bulbs I would be ordering if they would refund the shipping. My response was a form letter with a credit for the defective and incorrect bulbs (no shipping charge credit). In the meantime, another dahlia bulb I have ordered has still not bloomed (one of the replacements for the wrong bulb they sent me) and it's the end of September. I would guess it is also the incorrect bulb. I am so disappointed in not only the defective bulbs I received this year but by the rude and unresponsive customer service I received. I will no longer recommend Dutch Gardens to friends and clients because of this. If anyone has suggestions for a better bulb company I would love to hear them


Company representative comment on September 23, 2014:
On Sep 23, 2014 2:41 PM, Dutch Gardens responded with:


We are sorry to hear of this customer’s experience as we do take pride in our customer care. We are happy to say that we still use the same wonderful growers that we always have. We always strive to select top size/top quality bulbs for our customers.

When issuing a credit voucher we do not include shipping and processing fees. As long as the amount of the voucher is not exceeded we do not ask that you pay shipping and processing when using the voucher.

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem

Negative
On May 29, 2014, yooperexpat (2 reviews) from Louisville, KY

Posted on May 17, 2014, updated May 29, 2014 Posted on April 9, 2014, updated May 17, 2014 been ordering from this company on and off for 40 years, always excellent quality .This year ordered plants and DG can teach other companies how to ship. Each plant completely protected in a cardboard collar, no damage whatsoever. Not like other companies.


On May 17th, 2014, yooperexpat changed the rating from positive to negative and added the following: I spoke too soon. My first order was fine. The second I waited and waited and waited, emailed and called. Finally got the "top size" lily bulbs, one type were very small and the other were seedling bulbs. Had to cancel the plant I ordered also and am still waiting for a refund. I did not realize the company had been sold. Probably will not do any more business with them, too bad as they were a good company.
On May 29th, 2014, yooperexpat added the following: last comment: it is the end of May. I still have not received any refund for the cancelled plant. I was told I had to mail back the bulbs to get a refund thereby throwing good money after bad. Will not do business with them ever again and suggest that others don't either.
Company representative comment on May 21, 2014:
On May 21, 2014 11:14 AM, Dutch Gardens responded with:

We are sorry to hear of this customers experience. We are the same great company that you ordered from previously. We provide top-sized bulbs and healthy stock by the best growers in Holland and the U.S.

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information.

Negative
On May 17, 2014, neveragaindg (1 reviews) from Bloomington, IN

I've just had a terrible experience with Dutch Gardens and will never do business with them again. The main problem is a total lack of information and communication. My order was way late in arriving so I called to find out the problem. One item was back ordered, so I said to cancel it and ship the rest. The person on the phone couldn't tell me when my order would ship. "Well, I know they'll be doing some shipping this weekend....". In the meantime, local stores have had these plants for sale for over a month. Why don't they do partial shipments when something is back ordered like other companies? Several days passed and still no plants. Unlike other companies, this one doesn't alert you when they're shipping products. You just have to check mail delivery every day, day after day, waiting, wondering. So I called again. Still no one could tell me when/if I would ever get my plants. I said to cancel the entire order and refund my money so I could buy the plants locally. "You ordered online, so you can't cancel by telephone." You've got to be kidding. So I went to their website and sent a message via "Customer Service, Contact Us." Still nothing. So I called again. This time a wonderful woman actually helped me. She said messages from telephone calls must be hand-written and sent to another building. Not much effort is put into internal communications, let alone with customers. Evidently there's a lack of computerization at Dutch Gardens. She put me on hold and found out they had never received my Customer Service message. They think that function might not be working. Really? So I sent an email message, then waited and waited, wondering if I would have to file a small claims suit in court. I sent them an email message titled, Can Someone Please Help Me? explaining my situation, but no response. In the meantime, my order arrived yesterday. I've never had this much trouble dealing with what appears to be a large company. If they can't join the 21st century and provide decent customer service, I don't think they should be in business. Terrible experience. If you do business with them, expect lots of frustration, and good luck to you.


Company representative comment on May 21, 2014:
On May 21, 2014 11:10 AM, Dutch Gardens responded with:

We are sorry to hear of this customer’s experience as we do take pride in our customer care. As many know the weather this year has been very unpredictable which has started our shipping later than usual. While it may be warm in your location we have to take into consideration the transit. We want to make sure the plants reach our customers in the best condition possible.

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem.

Negative
On May 9, 2014, dandolly (1 reviews) from Lake Saint Louis, MO

Posted on May 9, 2014, updated May 9, 2014 Posted on May 9, 2014, updated May 9, 2014 Posted on April 21, 2014, updated May 9, 2014 I am a 20 year customer of Dutch Gardens, and was always happy. But since 2013, it's been problem after problem. For my fall 2013 order, they sent 1) the wrong daffodils (so now I have a mismatch) and 2) "mixed color" crocuses that were all white except for 5 of 7 purples and no yellows. Today, the final indignity. I received a $100 gift card for my birthday, but when I called to use part (for two spring-planted perennials) but reserve the rest for my fall order, I was told the gift card was "use it all, or lose it." I have never heard of such a thing! They plan basically to steal some money already paid to them unless I use the card all at once. They were a nice company; now, just more greed and incompetence.


On May 9th, 2014, dandolly added the following: What Dutch Gardens wrote in response to my post is a lie. 1. They never contacted me. 2. When I called back a few days later to try to divide the gift card, I was given the same "use it or lose it story"—that is their policy, even though they deny it here. 3. I worked it out with them that I could make my fall bulb order along with my small spring order, so that I could use the whole gift card at one. 4. Two weeks later, I called because my spring order had arrived, and was told my order was "dead" because of some technicality they could not explain; since I had discarded my gift card (having thought I used it all up) I asked for replacement card number so I could order again, and was told they'd have to check into it. Bottom line: Dutch Gardens has effectively taken $100 of gift money without providing any product in return (also called stealing). This once excellent company has been sold to an outfit called Burgess, and is now an operation designed for now other purpose than to steal customer's money, either by providing shoddy product or no product at all. Long-time Dutch Gardens customers be warned: THIS IS NO LONGER THE COMPANY YOU KNOW. It is a sleazy operation.
On May 9th, 2014, dandolly added the following: Oops, typo in point 4: "…because my spring order had NOT arrived…"
On May 9th, 2014, dandolly added the following:
Company representative comment on May 13, 2014:
On Apr 24, 2014 2:42 PM, Dutch Gardens responded with:

We do apologize if this customer was given misinformation. We would of course let her carry the balance of the gift card. We have contacted this customer to be of further assistance regarding the certificate as well as the Crocus.


On May 13, 2014 1:50 PM, Dutch Gardens added:

We have, again sent a Dmail on 05-11-14 to try to resolve this situation. We do show an fall order that was shipped on 09-25-13 as well as a new order placed on 05-01-14. Both orders were placed using the gift card. We are sorry to hear of the confusion but we do show that we have done what was requested.

Negative
On Apr 19, 2014, FlowerKing (4 reviews) from Shawano, WI

The orginal owners was Quite Good, Not these guys This Company has been SOLD to someone who does not care, I ordered some fernleaf peonies from the orginal company, But before I received them, the company was sold I did not get what I ordered, I won't order here anymore SAVE YOUR MONEY AND ORDER SOMEWHERE ELSE!


Company representative comment on April 22, 2014:
On Apr 22, 2014 10:21 AM, Dutch Gardens responded with:

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem.

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