Rockwood Gardens

I remember Rockwood Gardens as a kid. My sister would always purchase from them, so when I was Googling mail order seed and bulb companies, and Rockwood Gardens popped up, I said 'Hey they're still around". I placed an order with them with a prepaid credit card that I purchased (as I won't use my personal one on the internet), it came back NSF, as their shipping charges are phenomenal. I removed one of the items I ordered, sent them a message stating to cancel the previous order. With the excitement of spring in the air, I made another order from them. That's when I started reading this forum; my stomach flipped and I became nervous. I requested from Rockwood Gardens to have my order shipped asap, considering it was payed for, and I own a small greenhouse in which I could place the plants until it was time to put them in the ground. I spoke to a customer service rep, whom by the way had absolutely no idea about the zone I am in (4b), but informed me she would do her best to have it shipped. In the meantime I sent several emails to the company, with never any response. My frustrations got the best of me, and I called to cancel my order. Next thing you know, my inbox was filling with responses from the company, finally answering emails from 2-3 weeks prior; each one apologizing for any inconvenience, and that they pride themselves on Customer Service. WHAT A JOKE! I have never seen a more inconsistent company as Rockwood Gardens! Here's the kicker...yesterday I went to use on of my prepaid credit cards, which was refunded by Rockwood Gardens, and one of them was declined...why you ask? Well, Rockwood Gardens, the kings of Customer Service decided to process the original order that I canceled!!!!!!!!! Can you believe the audacity? This is after one of their emails to me stated that they NEVER KEEP CREDIT CARD INFORMATION ON FILE!!!!! You can imagine my disgust and anger. So when I called them this morning, they got an earful from me. The funny thing is, the woman I spoke to barely spoke English, perhaps the calling center is not even on this continent! In conclusion, I recommend that no one should waste their time and money on this company, as in my eyes they are crooked!

I placed an order in the Spring of 2010. Kept waiting and waiting and waiting for plants to arrive. Finally got a notice saying they were having problems with their delivery service. In the meantime, I nearly killed myself digging up gardens in my backyard in time for the arrival of these plants. Orders came at different times. I received some of the plants and was informed that the rest were out of stock. I sent them a cheque with my order form and, of course, have never heard from them regarding any refund for the plants that were out of stock. I will never order from this company again!

I ordered over $200 worth of plants early this year. The date for shipment kept being put on later and later. Since the plants in my area, Brockville, ON, should have been planted in April or May, I was very frustrated and finally cancelled my order. Also, the person I spoke to lives in Florida and, of course, knew nothing about the seasons in Ontario, Canada. I decided to give your company one more chance, since I have been satisfied in the past. Again, today, I found that my Fall shipment of plants was not going to be shipped until mid-October, even though when I placed my order, I was told they would be shipped beetween Sept 13 and early Oct. I told the manager that I wanted them shipped ASAP because now is the time to plant them(though sooner would have been better). Frankly, if I do not receive my order very soon, I will again cancel and never order from your company again. Beverley Matthie

I sent my first order to Rockwood in February 2010 for a May delivery date. In June I tried to contact them and my phone call was answered by a woman in India. She couldn't understand me and I couldn't understnd her. I asked her to give me someone who could speak good english and she transferred me to a lady in Indiana USA. After talking to her for a couple of minutes I was told that my delivery dates had been changed and that I should receive my plants shortly. To sum my experience up. I have sent numerious e mails to Rockwood, talked on the phone to people in India, Indiana, USA and Ohio, USA. When I asked to speak to a representatiove in Canada, I was told that the Company ( a Canadian one ) didn't have anyone that I could speak to in Canada ??? Finally, I started to receive a few of my plants but, was informed that a number of them would be shipped in September 2010 and some of them would be shipped in May 2011. I requested that my money be refunded and finally some of it was. NEVER - I swear NEVER will I deal with this Company again. And to top it all off, I am still getting mail from this stupid company asking customers to order their plants from " Rockwood Gardens, Oakville, Ontario, Canada - ha, ha.

Posted on June 21, 2010, updated July 9, 2010 At the first of May, I placed an order for several Hydrangeas, Azaleas, Hibiscus, and other shrubs. My credit card was billed immediately but I didn't receive any form of confirmation that my order was placed. I finally, had to call customer service to get an order number or account number that verified they had taken my order and not just my money. Finally, I was able to go online and check on the status of my order. Since then the delivery date has been pushed forward every week and in addition every week I receive another notice that one or more of the items I have ordered are out of stock. I am now to the point where I have no confidence that anything will be delivered to me. When I call customer service I am always told that my order is in the process of being shipped. What is bothering me is that they will not refund my credit card for any of the out of stock items until the order has been shipped. Their reason is that they don’t want to have to do multiple refunds, so they will continue to hold my money until they actually ship something. When will that be, who knows? I have told them that the ship date they have now given me (next week) will be the last and once that passes I will be cancelling my order. It will be interesting to see what happens. I will post the results.

My experience so far is extremely negative. On March 28/10 I ordered from Rockwood Garden's on line $41.69 of merchandise consisting of 5 items. I've received one and when I look at my account on their web site they have no delivery date for the remainder of my order and today is June 21/10. I've sent 4 emails requesting information on my order and they have managed to completely ignore me. Took my money and ran kind of thing. Rockwood Gardens does not list a contact phone number but thur a Google search I've found one for them just now. I shall call them tomorrow and see if I can resolve the situation. I live in Northern BC and some of the things I ordered needed an early planting. It's already too late for a successful blooming. The phone number which is good is, 1-888-484-0066 for anyone else out there that would like to talk to these cheaters.

I won't order anything from rockwood gardens in the future. This company is really disappointed. I placed an order in April 9, and everytime I checked the order status, the estimated shipping day was constantly pushed ahead. The ordered item was finally shipped in June. All of I ordered are plants, but most of them they sent roots. The rest of plants they sent were half-dead. I don't think they can survive. I will not deal with this company again.

I placed an order with rockwood gardens on march 26 and was given a shipping date of April 19.The date was constantly pushed ahead, when it hit May 24 I phoned rockwood to cancel (this is B.C.,I start my plants in Mar,Apr not in June).They said the order hadnt shipped, would cancel and refund my credit card in a couple of days.They had charged my card the day of the order, but still havnt refunded, its been over a week. I had noticed this company was owned by Brecks so I thought it would be reliable,but apparently not.

I am so frustrated with Rockwood Gardens. I placed an order on March 4th. They had no problem charging the full amount to my credit card on that same day. I enquired right away about a shipping date as we are having a really early Spring and I wanted these plants a month ago. I was assured that the order would be expedited shipped on April 12. Well I noticed on April 21st that they still hadn't shipped the order. I contacted them April 27 and they say the same thing they said April 21st. My order is being expedited. Currently it is being processed, but allow 2 to 3 business days to process the order, and then another 5 to 7 business days to ship it. I have sent numerous emails and they even contradict one another. One guy says it will be 3 to 5 days to ship and then right after that the next guy tacks on another 2 days. I feel that I am getting stalled over and over and doubting whether the order will ever get shipped. I specifically enquired about early shipping since we are having such a great early spring and I was told that the latest it would be shipped was April 12th. I feel like they took the money for 2 months under false pretences

I dealt with the former Rockwood Gardens in the 80's and early 90's and was always pleasantly suprised with the selection. I was very disappointed when I did not receive a catalogue from them anymore and I see why now - they had gone out of business. From what I can see by this website it was started in 2004 and still no online catalogue/still in the works??? Is this some indication of how this company is going to operate? I asked for a catalogue anyway and hope to be pleasantly suprised. Thanks and you all have a good day.

I bought a red maple tree one year before I bought my house (1994). When I got it, I planted it in a pot and transfered it the next year in my new backyard. It was mistreated by my daughters and my dog. So much so that it broke one day. My husband fixed it with a rope and a tutor. The next year we moved it in front of the house. In 1998, their was a big hail storm and the trunk bend until it was almost lying on the snow. After all these attack on it I tought I was going to loose it for good. To my delight, it is now taller then my house and bigger than any other tree on the street. I am very satisfied with my purchase. Missou

I've dealt with Rockwood Gardens a few years back and I must admit, they are not all as bad as some porple make them out to be. I have just sent a note to Rockwood Gardens about some Chinese Elm hedges (planted in 1996)(7 out of 96) that have died...I will comment again when I hear back from them. - This new management will probably have less "negatives" - As you all know...some people are never satisfied.

I got a dwarf banana plant and a set of dwarf citrus plants (orange, tangerine, and lemon) in autumn, 2004. They did take a while to arrive, but the company was helpful when contacted by telephone and provided some instructions for care of the plants and what to expect when they arrived. When the plants arrived they were all healthy and in surprisingly good shape for having just gone through being shipped. I planted them and they all grew very well and now look much like the photos in the catalog. I'm fully expecting them to produce fruit when they mature. Overall, I would consider this to be a very positive experience and I would not hesitate to order from this company in the future.

I ordered from them for years and they always sent me exactly what I ordered. It also never took them very long to get them to me either.

I am rather surprised by all the negative experiences. I bought from Rockwood Gardens for years and was incredibly disappointed when they suddenly stopped sending out catalogues. I will admit that the first time I purchased from them I was surprised by the small size of their plants - not at all like the pictures - but one needs to understand that you get what you pay for and you're paying for what essentially amount to "starter plants". There is absolutely nothing wrong with starter plants! What better way to try out new and unusual plants for your garden than to buy them small and coax them along? You also have to remember that mail order is hard on any plant and, even once you get it into your garden, there are micro-climates, water and soil conditions, etc that can make all the difference in the plant surviving. Even with the ones that didn't make it, I have never had any problems getting replacement plants from Rockwood Gardens. I practically jumped for joy when Rockwood Gardens new catalogue arrived this spring - so glad they are back! The prices at the local garden centres are becoming outrageous.

A few years back I ordered several different plants, all looked really poor, but I planted them anyway. My Wall of China unpruned is now 10 feet tall which is good as we put a fence up last year, but the old age home on the street directly behind us; also put in a second storey part to their building which meant they could see directly into our backyard had the China Hedge not been there. I also ordered several Poplar trees which grew to an astonding height and still going. Most of the bulbs grew and are quite beautiful when in flower. I received my catalogue this year and was excited to see that I could order again from Rockwood Gardens as I had no idea why the catelogues had stopped coming a couple of years ago. When I used the "rockwoodgardens@amtelecom.net" to get in touch with them, I found that there was something wrong and I could not place my order.There was a error message of Invalid Syntex Error. Yes I would order from this company again. The dead china hedge I received I was given a credit for unfortunately the company closed up and I was not able to reorder them. I am very happy to see that I again can order from Rockwood Gardens and I will be replacing the spots in the hedge that did not grow. I noticed that Rockwood Gardens was very close to Shelburne where I live and this was a plus for me and I did not have to deal with companies in the U.S.A. I would like to see more companies that actually are Canadian companies. We need to support our own, and as it is most everything comes from the States.

I am soooooooooo sorry to hear that Rockwood Gardens is closed. I have had some plants that never grew but living in Quebec and the cold the chances are 50%. I orders some rosa bushes that are absolutely huge. The privet I ordered came as sticks but are now over 6feet tall. I ordered tulips and lilies that bloom every year for my enjoyment. I am now STUCK going to over priced nurseries. Honestly people as far as the mail goes........if ya dont want it recycle it. I didnt answer half that garbage but it didnt make the company any less in my eyes. I loved Rockwood Gardens and wish their doors were still open!! Linda

Bandits. If you want something small, this is the place.

Of all the gardening companies to buy from in Canada this is the worst!!!!! They have a very bad reputation and it is best to stay away from them. Their plants are inferior and sometimes even mislabeled! I have never seen such small plants and bulbs before. Most are dried up or rotted. How they stay in business is beyond me. Ask any Canadian Gardner and they will tell you the same.

My first experience with gardening (late eighties/early nineties) was ordering through Rockwood gardens. When I did receive something to late to plant I would just put it in the fridge till spring and then plant it. If I received something dead, I would send it back and always received another plant. I must admit when I received my first order I was taken back as everything looked dead and the free bulbs were small but 12 years later I have moved a bit of each of my plants and bulbs I had bought with me to my new home. I will probably buy more through the mail order as the prices are still better than the garden centers

My husband and I also ordered from Rockwood gardens several years ago. Believe it or not we ordered 235 Chinese Elm and they all survived except 10 to grow 8 ft. We also ordered bulbs and Blue spruce and neither of these survived. The promotional mail was a big disappointment they are probably involved with an American company to promote sales. Overall, the product was good and refunds were honoured through the catalogue up to two years. This year we will be supporting our local economy although the selection is not near as good.

I made the phone call to the Rockwood Gardens today. I saw 1999 catalog and I planed to order few plants from them. Surprise! Rockwood Gardens doesn't exist any more. I wonder how the Spring Garden works. I hope I will not find that many complaints about them.

After reading all your comments on Rockwood Gardens (they don't call their catalogues this anymore) I thought I should put my two cents in. Most of my bulbs from Rockwood Gardens have grown, even if they were small. At different temperature climates, some bulbs need to be planted at different depths or some bulbs must be removed from the ground in the fall or they will DIE. Glads are an example of ones that may not survive if left in the ground. However, some people just leave them in the ground anyway either expecting them to live OR not really minding if they do not return. As well, you should plant your bulbs according to YOUR LOCAL garden center's instructions. This is not to say Rockwood Gardens hasn't sent you some duds but I have ordered from them numerous times over the years and have not been disappointed. I have a 12 ft Red Maple tree I purchased 5 years ago that arrived as a twig all of 6 inches long!!! Granted I have had no success with their orange trees (although my friend who is an avid gardener had no problems with his), I believe it is due to my lack of knowledge re citrus trees and Rockwood Gardens refunded my money anyway! My numerous citronella plants from Rockwood Gardens are flourishing and I have used that strong plant and made more for my friends. Again, complaining about free bulbs is absurd. Treat it as a bonus if your free bulbs grow (which mine did) as they were FREE! One final note, look at your local climate. Even if the average low is acceptable for the plant, you may get enough days that the temperature dips below this and your unprotected plant(s) may die. Throw some hay over your garden as an easy and cost effective insulator. As well, keep in mind the location of your plants. If they are in a sheltered area, they are less likely to suffer the damage from a colder than normal winter. People should research what plants thrive in their area before making purchases of plants that they are not sure of where they come from, clematis andwisteria plants are normally tough to grow anyway, while marigolds flourish. Just food for thought.

I just found this site. I wanted to add my two cents worth. I wish I had been online several years ago and found this site, before I spent money at either of the above-noted nurseries. What they sent was half-dead. The perennials that survived only did so for that season and didn't come back the following season. Some of the bulbs survived, but many of them weren't what they were supposed to be. The free bulbs did nothing. The poplar trees, which allegedly grow 6 feet a year -- well, a few of them survived, but haven't grown more than 6 inches in 2 years. I advised them of the problems, and was sent a replacement certificate, but thereafter never received any more catalogues, so couldn't redeem it. Live and learn, I suppose. I will not deal with this company again, and it has put me off of ordering by mail from anywhere else.

I have ordered several times - the only time I had a problem with Rockwood was with plants, Bulbs seem to be great! I did have a problem with 3 rose bushes from Rockwood, and they replaced them free of charge, all I had to pay was shipping. The replacements were very beautiful this year. I have had orders late, and had plants that arrived dead with no hope of survival and have always been refunded or replaced with other items of my choice. I would stick to bulbs, if you do order from Rockwood. I am disappointed that Rockwood does not have a web site, and as for a Phone number, I called Directory assistance, and they do not have a toll free number, or accept collect calls on the regular number.

I have been a Rockwood customer for about 7 years. I have always been satisfied with their products; my orders always arrived fresh and in good condition; the planting results were always what they advertised; and if & when it didn't work, I was always satisfied with their replacement, exchange or refund policy! So here's at least one positive letter.

I have ordered plants from Rockwood gardens sporadically over the last 10 years. I haven't particularly had a high success rate with the outdoor plants. The bulbs were dug up and eaten by the local wildlife so I don't know if they were the right colour or the right type. The indoor plants thrived beautifully! (my Bird of Paradise was growing fine until the neighbors cat pee'd in it)I originally lived in Guelph and my husband and I decided after looking through the catalogue that we would try driving over there to see if we could buy anything direct since we lived so close. We drove up the driveway and got out of the car to face a picnic table full of people staring at us. I asked if we could buy direct and got the rather rude answer - that they "didn't deal with the public". Like it was something distasteful.One positive point is that whenever something didn't survive, I always wrote to them and received a refund or more plants. (yes they even replaced the ones eaten by the squirrels - but I just ordered a mixed variety replacement) Some of the bulbs were lifted and transplanted with us when we moved and flourished until the earwigs got them.

My mother has purchased from Rockwood for several years, and was always pleased with her purchases. On her recommendation, I purchased hardy lily bulbs about 3 years ago. I am a novice gardener, so I can't really comment on the bulb size. But I can say, 3 years after planting, the lilies are growing fantastically! They have reproduced themselves over the past 3 years. Vibrant colors of red, orange & yellow, and have grow to a height (the initial bulbs) of 36" to 48". Presently, as of July 8, 2000 there are over 50 lily flowers in bloom, with about another 40 in waiting. I have no bad comments to make, however it did take a long time for them to come in the mail.

My plants had short uneventful lives as well!!! When I finally found the information to apply for a refund from Rockwood they graciously sent me a certificate for the dollar value of my lost plants. The very strange thing about this is that since that time I have not received one catalog, or junk mail from them. Consequently, I also cannot use my gift certificate if I don't get a catalog! So, if you want to know how to stop the junk mail, get a refund for greater than half your order and they never bother you again!

Ouch. After reading all those complaints, I guess I won't bother complaining about one grape vine that didn't grow. However, my free bulbs bloomed, the ferns grew, the 4 ivy plants grew, the bleeding heart grew, as did the few other plants I had ordered. Things came in time for planting (in Southern BC zone). You can't expect your plants to look like the magazine pictures the first year. BUT I won't be ordering from them again. Mainly I will buy locally.

I ordered products from Rockwood in March 1999. I was highly disappointed with the products when they finally came, as they looked dead when I received them, and never revived after being planted. And yes, the junk mail still comes. I think these folks put good mail order Canadian seed and plant companies to shame!

I was really disappointed to read all the negative comments about Rockwood. I have been dealing with them for over 10 years and have never had any problems of any kind. My orders have arrived on time with healthy plants and bulbs. If your orders are late try putting the blame where it belongs, our postal service STINKS. It takes three weeks for a letter to get from Ontario to Alberta so am not surprised that parcels take much longer and plants can't survive that long without watering.

I have contacted this company numerous times and asked that the immediately stop sending there junk mail to my parents. My parents are quite elderly and they think they are going to win everything that is sent to them. My father has spent hundreds of dollars with this company and yes some of the plants have survived but you wouldn't believe the size of the garden compared to the amount of money they have spent. They could have hired a professional and had 10 times the gardens and not had to plant these tired or half dead plants. Is there any end to the leeching of the elderly?

Last year (1998) I received a number of plants from Rockwood - I had not yet realized they were the kind of company who relentlessly sends you junk mail and has no qualms about selling your name to other companies. I also wasn't all that impressed with their plants. HOWEVER - I had one plant that did not grow at all, and when I faxed them to ask for a refund, they replied immediately, and sent me a refund certificate no questions asked. I used the certificate to get some bulbs for the spring, although I will avoid ordering from them in the future.

I am a young and new gardener; I tried out several ordering companies and must say was disappointed with the plants I received from Rockwood. They were very small, but to my amazement I planted them and fertilized them andthey all grew and bloomed. My major concern with them has been misinformation. I am sure that many people received the free peacock orchids this last year and they toted them as blooming in spring well that is wrong I did a little research and found that they are not hardy at all zone 9 and that they require a long growing season in hot sun. They are native to Ethiopia. They in fact bloom in late fall. Mine began to bloom this September, well that's a little late; we had frost before 3/4 of them could bloom. The buds froze before they opened. They also claim that they have hybrid tea roses that are hardy in all the country! I was under the impression that more than half of Canada was zone 2 or lower and tea roses of this type are hardy to zone6 without protection and zone 3 with protection, that is great, But hey be honest and say that.I did receive all my plants and they all grew but I question their honesty and integrityI guess in short research the plant before you buy!!!

My wife has had only success with her orders from the Gardens. But the biggest surprise was that she also received a check for $2000.00 from their contest this summer. They are for real.

I was searching for Rockwood Gardens on the net, trying to find them and get a number to call. Instead I found this site of all the unsatisfied customers of Rockwood Gardens. What a shock. I thought I was the only one that had a problem with them. I too have had bad experiences with this company. I have received merchandise credits for items that did not survive the winter etc., unfortunately I can't use them because I haven't received another catalogue from them since the credit certificates were issued. Of course they have to be used within a year. What a laugh! I have received all the junk mail, all the info and prize stuff. They should realize that their customers don't care about all that; we just want good products and service. I could get long-winded but from what I have read it has all been said. I guess just spreading the word will be the best way to prevent others from getting ripped off like we were. In addition I would suggest to by from the honest business people who sell the same product in our own community. Gardening is great way to get out your stress and frustrations so lets get out there and enjoy the great plants we have and buy our new ones from the people we know.

I have been ordering from Rockwood Gardens for a few years now. Like most people who have responded, I've received many plants that did not grow, received Sticks in many cases, but I have always sent them a letter outlining the replacements I request, and/or the credits I request. I had recently ordered Mini Rose Hedges (6) and they did not flourish. They replaced all 6, which again did not grow. I therefore listed numerous items I wished that they replace them with, to the total of the cost of the hedges (and requested that they pay postage and handling on them). I have received most of the items requested, and those they did not have, I received a cheque for the amount remaining. I find a letter works well with them,I haven't tried calling them. (This latest letter was sent by fax to them, with a follow up fax requesting response) I have ordered all sorts of different things from them: Bulbs, Roses, Rose of Sharon etc, and some items flourish, others do not. I have given them the benefit of the doubt, however it becomes frustrating always having to request replacements.

Boy, I wish I had seen your site before I got involved with this company. Rockwood Gardens is the most unethical, least customer satisfaction driven company that I have ever come across. As a Marketing Professor, I have seen some good ones but Rockwood takes the cake. I unfortunately placed an order with them in March. As May rolled around and still no sign of my order, I found their phone number (which they don't publish as they don't want you to call them) and found out they had not shipped the order and couldn't tell me if it would be shipped anytime soon. So I cancelled it. They told me tough and they were going to ship it to me and charge me for it anyways. So come June, sure enough the order came and I refused it. Also sure enough charges were laid against my credit card. So here it is now late July, and the company is still placing entries on my credit card account without my authorization and I am battling with the credit card company to have these charges removed. What a headache. Also their junk mail could fill a landfill each year I am sure.To everyone reading this: DO NOT BUY FROM ROCKWOOD. They are unethical and are ripping people off and trying to get your money even if you don't have any merchandise.

We ordered Lavender mountain Lilies On May 25, l998 and they turned out to be yellow. I am very disappointed with the company as we have been dealing with them for years and don't get any satisfaction when complaining to them. I suggest from now on people go to a good garden outlet in person to get bulbs. It pays in the long run and the contest for big money is like any other --you get what you pay for and the odds of winning are too great to put up with the fustration of inferior plants.

I sent my order into Rockwood Gardens around the end of April, in hopes that I would receive something by the end of May. I did not of course, so I decided to check the internet to see if there was a website, and this is the site that I found. Of course after reading all the FAQ's, I panicked and called the number that the previous people had left. It only rang a few times, when a female answered, so I politely asked about my order and if there was any idea when the order would be shipped to my area. She informed me that they weren't due to come out till the first week of June, and I said "so, what your saying is, next week?" She replied. Yes. So, I waited two and a half weeks and received my flowers. The plants arrived healthy, a few were back ordered, and I received them later that same week. So, now it is the first week in July and all the plants seemed to have taken well, except for a couple but they do suggest it takes a few seasons. However, I have decided, it is not worth the worry and the fact that I have to depend on when I receive the plants, in order for me to begin my planting. I will go to nurseries around the area instead. Even though the plants were in good heath, and the price seemed right, it's still just not worth it. I'll shop elsewhere thanks.

Like everyone else, I have been deluged with junk mail and winning prize forms and every other mail-order company's catalogues until the paper is almost unbearable! I started out pretty optimistic about it all, way back in January and February, even into March. Then I received confirmation notices saying I was short by $11.00, and assumed I had miscalculated the S&H, so I sent more money. By mid-May, I expected to receive notification of delivery, but that never happened. I was still hopeful two weeks ago: after all, in Calgary planting time is generally the Victoria Day long weekend. I planned to plant everything during my week of vacation May 24-30. By May 20, still no delivery notification, so I tried them by phone. I have the Call Again feature on my phone, and since the number was busy, I kept trying. I'm still trying to get through.My vegetable garden is in, my perennial bed dug out, I'm all ready to plant, the Victoria Day weekend has come and gone, and I still have no perennials! I've been told at least 5 times that I am a "Preferred Customer" (at least that's what all their catalogues and order forms stated). So if I'm such a valued customer, where are the perennials I ordered!!! I wonder how the "un-preferred customers" are treated?

I have been attempting to get a simple reply from Rockwood Gardens regarding an order I placed with them in 96 and 97. I had placed alarge order for shrubs and ground cover among other things, and when the order eventually arrived it was short by a very large amount. 75% of the shrubbery was missing and 75% of the ground cover. The other order was of such poor quality that practically the entire order neededreplacement, about 105 plants of an order for about 130 plants. Rockwood never even acknowledged my letters requesting a refund orreplacement. I have reached that point where Rockwood appears to like to have their clients so frustrated and disgusted, that they would as soon write off the thing for the sake of my own sanity.I find it surprising that such a company is still in business in the waning days of the 20th century. Yet Canada seems to have adopted theAmerican model of doing business - let the buyer beware!! Surely, all of these media that place their advertisements must be also answerable for the promotion of a company that has such a legendary history of dissatisfied customers. Pity!

I sent my order to Rockwood Gardens on March 25, 1999 and they cashed the cheque on March 31st. It's April 9th and I just found this site andsuddenly panicked thinking I've probably been taken also so I called. I was only on hold for about 2 minutes, which was a pleasant surprise but I quickly became annoyed when talking to the customer service rep. I asked for the status of my order and she said they weren't due to ship to my area yet. She then looked up my order and told me that it didn't matter anyway because some of my items were on backorder. When I asked which ones she told me the Rose of Sharon and the 3 In 1 Butterfly Bushes. That's a joke since the only other thing I ordered was a blueberry plant for the patio. I asked her where the plants were coming from and she said she had no idea. I was under the impression that Rockwood Gardens was a greenhouse and they manufactured everything right there. Instead, I found out that they order from 'all over' (wherever that is) and the plants get shipped to their warehouse where they sit until they get shipped to customers. No wonder most things are dead by the time they get to us! I was then told not to expect my shipment before the end of May. I told her my concerns, that I had discovered this website and had read pages and pages of complaints against the company. She rudely pointed out that anything not received would be fully refunded. I guess you live and learn.

AARRGGHHH!!! I wish I had found this site prior to sending my order to Rockwood. I just mailed it a week ago as a present for my parents. Ithought I was doing something really nice for them and now it may end up being a depressing nightmare. I sent them a cheque for over a $100 and I am sure that will be cashed no problem!! I do appreciate that I was able to get a phone number from your site. I have been trying to find that. I was wondering if anyone had ever contacted the Better Business Bureau about Rockwood Gardens. I think I'll start by calling Rockwood themselves, now, and see what they have to say and see how they treat me. I'll keep you updated. Talk about closing the barn door after the cows have gotten out! Thanks for providing this site! {update] Since the email I sent you last night, I have contacted the BBB in Rockwood Garden's area and they provided me with the name of the person in charge of Rockwood Gardens and their fax number. If anyone wants the BBB report, contact the BBB - Mid-Western Ontario, 354 Charles Street East, Kitchener, Ontario N2G 4L5, phone: (519) 579-3080 fax: (519) 570-0072. Their business hours are 10-3. They will email the report to you. And they are really quick at responding. I sent my fax around midnight and received a reply from them at 9am!!

I went on a long drive last spring to go buy seeds, bulbs and plants from Rockwood Gardens in Rockwood Ontario. My Dad went there many times over the years rather than ordering by mail. They have closed their doors to the public and are exclusively mail order now. I wonder why? why won't they deal in person anymore? I don't trust mail order companies. No one at Rockwood Gardens would even answer the door, just a slot to put your mail order into. No thanks Rockwood.

My wife has been ordering plants from Rockwood Gardens for many years. In that time she has had mostly success with their product. On occasion some plants have not been up to par, but that can be expected when using the mail system for delivery as opposed to direct purchase from a local gardens. As to the sweepstakes...well today she won $2000 from their last sweepstakes promotion and it is legitimate. I thought I would pass on our side of the story to let others know of her good fortune and the fact that she is a satisfied customer.

I have learned (after wasting many postage stamps) not to order anything, or enter anything in this company again. Thankfully, I learned this before I spent too much money! I have been receiving mailings from Rockwood Gardens for about 5 years now. I am glad I stumbled onto this website, as I have suspected it is a company of very ill repute, and after reading all of the comments, I now know it is fact. I have probably filled several garbage cans over the years with their junk mail. Have entered most of their Sweepstakes and Finalist entries - never won a dime, even though they said I did! I have never ordered anything from them until this year, when I ordered 10 lily bulbs. To my surprise, I actually got them, and on time too! They were a good size and seem healthy, but won't know for sure till next summer. I will not ever be ordering again though, and as far as their junk mail is concerned, I'll just keep filling trash cans. I am an avid gardener, so I'll keep the catalogues, but only to look at for ideas on plants I will buy elsewhere!I have a friend who has just ordered a lot of spring flowering bulbs from Rockwood this fall. He said they confirmed that his order was received, and the stuff would be sent at the proper planting time. Hasn't heard from them since. It is October 22nd, and planting time here is late September or early October. I suspect he has been "had"! Some friendly advice would be to NEVER order live plants from a mail-order company; perhaps only dry dormant bulbs, and then only from reputable companies for which other people have given you good references. Never order from Rockwood Gardens…don't be fooled by all the pretty pictures in those mail-order catalogues!

I placed an order in January for what I thought would be spring items; credit card payment was taken in February. Come May, I was a little anxious so I called, only to be informed that the order was in the shipping area and no way to cancel. Well I finally received my order the end of June. Needless to say the cannas and others were very late coming up and flowering. On top of this the cannas (two different varieties, not yellow) all turned out to be yellow. I will never order from this company again.

I placed an order with Rockwood Gardens in early August. I have yet to receive anything from Rockwood Gardens. I phoned and was told they were still waiting for a couple of items - they did not know how long it would take. I have ordered from Rockwood Gardens before and only half came up. Their seed packages are tremendous and grew overwhelmingly - I won these! Junk mail is horrendous and unless I get my order within the next 2 weeks I will never order from them again. But really there are enough nurseries and garden centres around that you really don't need to shop by mail-order except for seeds maybe.