Joy Creek Nursery

Posted on May 13, 2021, updated July 19, 2022 I just received two plants I have been seeking unsuccessfully for years: Cotinus coggygria 'Nordine' Red'. I got two in the year 2000. It's a cultivar developed by the Morton Arboretum. I moved and left two of them behind and always regretted it because I could not find them again. Lo and behold, Joy Creek had them! I ordered them, and they are the most perfect little plants. I couldn't be happier.

I’ve been ordering from Joycreek for several years now. I appreciate the quality of their plants. While they are not large plants they are generously substantial for the price.Their plants have been very healthy and durable for me not matter the size. Everything I’ve ever received was carefully packaged as well. The shipping being calculated later made me a little nervous the first time but I didn’t think the shipping was unreasonable for the far distance the plants were being shipped. Joycreek is one of my go to online nurseries now. The only problem I have is trying to stay in my budget because they have so many plants to choose from.

I ordered a half-dozen hardy fuchsias and one other perennial from Joy Creek this spring and received well-packed, healthy plants. It's uncertain how well they will overwinter in my area, but worth a shot, and this is one of the very few mail order perennial nurseries that has a substantial fuchsia selection.

Ordered some Rudy Haags and I was disappointed in the shipment. The plants were extremely loose in the pots, the plants were small (like they had been moved from a smaller pot to a larger pot and then shipped to me), and the foliage was bright yellow vs green. The plants will survive - but the quality was definitely subpar to what I have received from other Dave’s Garden top companies.

I took a chance and ordered 16, 4-inch pots of aster frikartii 'Mönch' from this company that I had never heard of before searching on Dave's Garden. The online inventory was accurate, and they were very kind on the phone about changing and accidentally entered incorrect amount on my original order. Communication was a bit spotty after the initial confirmation of my order. I was given an approximate shipping date but heard nothing else from the company. I received my shipment within 5 days after the estimated shipping date, with everything packed well and in good shape (moist but not wet soil, slightly flattened but very healthy foliage that sprung back to shape after a couple hours out of the box, plenty of newspaper for padding and to retain moisture). I was pleased that all arrived safely but would have liked a notification of shipping with a tracking number, as the weather in my area is 90 degrees plus right now and the box sat on our front porch for many hours unnoticed. Overall, would order again but would probably follow up around the shipping date to confirm when it's on the way.

Order included "Dianthus 'Rose de Mai' ", this is the lovely fragrant Carnation that is used in perfumery, also one "Cistus ladanifer" - fragrant Rockrose also used in fragrances (from whence Labdanum originates) the plants arrived late, but on USPS fault, as Joy Creek used "Priority 2 Day" shipping- apparently USPS wanted to hold on to my (live) parcel longer than three (hot Arizona) days! I feared my plants would have perished in some postal warehouse, languishing in the heat, but they arrived warm to the touch, but quite alive. I was afraid the Dianthus would not make it- but I see now new leaves growing out from the stalks (thank goodness) The cistus is thriving. I was pleasantly surprised at the large, robust sizing of the plants, and the lush appearance of the plants also. They arrived in very good soil-paks, quite large and very convenient for transplanting into the garden.

This was my first order from Joy Creek, and I was very pleased. Joy Creek offers some difficult-to-find plants, which all arrived in good condition. They also were very accommodating in allowing me to make changes to my order, as I was planning a new bed. All in all, a pleasant experience. I will be a return customer.

Ordered and received 4 plants (lavender, thyme, hydrangea, rosemary). All very healthy, perfectly packaged for shipping from west to east coast. 6 months later, all 4 plants are thriving. Will order again from Joy Creek nursery next year.

I love this nursery! About half my clematis collection is from them, and they send such lovely, large, healthy plants. I order from them just about every year and recommend them to anyone who asks.

I often look through Joy Creek Nursery's online catalog, and finally placed an order. I received an email saying that my order would be shipped on Monday and I received it on Tuesday. (The nursery is in Oregon and I'm in Washington). The plants are beautiful, and beautifully packaged, with lots of newspaper surrounding the soil keeping everything moist. The root systems are robust. I am thrilled with the huge variety of plants available - I have wanted Grevillea for years! Shipping is always going to be expensive for plants, but the plant prices are so reasonable, that I was able to get quite a box full. Shipping isn't charged until actual shipping charges are known. I am extremely pleased with everything about this order, and intend to place more orders with Joy Creek.

I recently ordered and received (3) Bletilla ground orchids from Joy Creek Nursery. The plants arrived quickly and were packed extremely well. I was amazed at their size and vigor. They were slightly dry when I unpacked them (a good thing as overly wet plants can get moldy in shipment and the added weight would increase the shipping cost). I watered them well the evening they arrived and they were plump and as good as new the next morning. I should say these plants were half the price of the only other online nursery I found that had them. A great deal in all respects. I don't order from Joy Creek Nursery often but have always been totally pleased with their plants.

Best Not to Order from this Company. This was my third attempt with ordering from this company. Plants were listed on their website. Then they always email saying Oh, We don't have that plant. We were just going to update our list. 3 times. This is not an accident. Rubbish ! Major Problems at this co. I was reading other reviews - poor plants, etc. For some reason buyers are not leaving neg. Please don't waste your time. Links should be removed from davesgarden.com to this company. Looks like No Returns, No Plants, and if mailed, Poor plants. Skip this one.

I live on the east coast and I wanted to buy a Golden Hops vine but couldn't find one anywhere. I tried all of the local garden stores, even nurseries in other parts of the country I have lived. All to no avail. Finally, Logee's told me I should try Dave's Garden. Sure enough when I searched for the Golden Hops only ONE nursery had it and that was Joy Creek! I ended up calling and spoke to Kathy in the mail order department. She was so knowledgeable that I ended up having several conversations with her. Not only did I buy the Golden Hops, I bought 3 clematis vines. I have never had luck with clematis (have killed at least half a dozen!) but I decided I wanted one to grow along with the hops, so I decided to try again. The hops and all three clematis' are doing great. I have never had a clematis grow the way these are growing - big bushy vines - and very healthy. I highly recommend Joy Creek and I'm sure I will be ordering from them again.

I hate o be predictable but- GREAT experience. The online ordering was a breeze. The plants were shipped on time, well packaged and in wonderful condition. This is my 1st time ordering with this company but you can rest assured they are in my email garden folder for next year.

When I needed to locate a plant that I knew would be hard to find, I knew just where to go. I always wanted to order from Joy Creek Nursery and here was my chance. I was not disappointed at all. The communication was great and I never had to contact them as they were always one step ahead. The plants were healthy and robust and I can’t wait to watch them grow. Thanks again!

Last summer I fell in love with a couple of varieties I saw at Denver Botanic Gardens and could only find them here. I was pleased when the plants arrived and are growing happily.

I have ordered from JC several times over many years and always received decent plant, but, this year I ordered 9 plants at very reasonable prices and they were absolutely amazing. Best plants I have ever received through mail order (other than hostas or daylilies). I have been ordering through the mail for over 15 years.

Have ordered plants from Joy Creek Nursery for several years. Last order placed in March 2017. They have an excellent selection of perineals. Most of plants they sell are quart size or larger. Have never had any problems with any of the plants recieved from Joy Creek.

I garden in urban Minnesota (zone 4b) and rural Washington State (zone 8). I just made an impromptu trip from MN to WA and contacted Joy Creek to inquire about a last-minute order. They not only accommodated my untimely request, they did so with great cheer and my plants arrived in WA three days later! All were in marvelous condition, wonderfully packaged, and complete with substantial, sturdy root systems. I have found mail-order plants often arrive looking a bit shattered and needing some time to recover--these will contribute to the beauty of my garden in their first season. I am already contemplating my next order and highly recommend Joy Creek Nursery to my fellow gardeners!

Beautiful and reasonable plants. Shipping was also reasonable and FAST. Excellent communication. Received a phone call and three emails regarding shipping cost and delivery respectively. A wonderful experience. Will order from them again.

Had a long, helpful conversation about choices for my garden with the representative on the phone (I forgot her name...sorry!). She confirmed that I wanted my plants sent in the winter, warned me carefully about the status of various plants, and made sure of shipping dates. Plants arrived packaged exactly as described, in perfect condition. Since most are bare root, will check back when they bloom. Root balls are fantastic--exactly the size they should be--fully filling out the pot, but not root bound. Root systems really healthy. Most have buds to show they are about to go, and the And oh my, what big root balls! These are grown out in big deep pots, the clematis fully developed in 1 gallon pots. The ones that are evergreen are lovely specimens, also with lots of extra buds about to go. So glad I found this company!

Have ordered star jasmine plants and Graham Thomas honeysuckle plants from this company within the last 3 months. What excellent customer service they have; especially since I was ordering these plants for our East Coast South Carolina garden! The packaging was excellent without any broken branches and I’m talking 2-year old, 36” high Star Jasmine vine plants that arrived alive (that is a plus!), green, with very good root structure. The Graham Thomas honeysuckle plants were smaller ( not tiny) plants but excellent packaging for the trip across the country provided living, undamaged green plants with good root structure. I planted all the plants within 24 hours of arrival and NOT ONE OF THE PLANTS HAS SHOWN ANY TRANSPLANT ShOCK even after having been in the ground for the past 4-6 weeks! This was a first for me! I’ve ordered from a large number of different nurseries on-line and Joy Creek has been a very positive experience. The shipping charges may be a bit high for some gardeners so it’s best to order multiple plants in one shipment if you can. I will be purchasing more plants from this company for my 2018 Spring planting.

I ordered 3 clematis plants from Joy Creek this spring. Beautiful plants, they arrived in great shape. I planted them and all grew and bloomed the first summer. Big surprise: when it bloomed, one of the plants wasn't what I had ordered. Joy Creek quickly sent out a new plant to correct the mistake. Very happy, I will definitely order from Joy Creek in the future.

I recently ordered Roses & Lavenders from Joy Creek. The original rose I ordered was not in stock & had to be replaced with another rose. Customer service is A+ The roses were in really good shape, good, strong, well developed canes & root system....& the lavender, big plant with loads of top growth. Also like the different varieties of plants they have, not the same old thing you find everywhere else. All I can say is "WOW"!!! Thanks Kathy & Mike

last year I ordered a salvia that arrived broken....they immediately replaced it with a large healthy specimen/their solution.....this year the order was for a Euphorbia Characias collection......the good sized plants arrived... well packaged with excellent root systems..........very happy.........this nursery is for serious gardeners.......you need to know what you are looking for while navigating the website....this isn't White Flower Farm et al.......which......if you are looking for the unusual......and difficult to locate.....is a welcome relief........

I recently ordered plants from three nurseries. Of the three, Joy Creek was my least favorite in terms of the quality of the plants on arrival. Of the six caryopteris I ordered, three were healthy and are doing well, two arrived in what I consider standard shape and are doing merely ok, and one arrived with just two small leaves on it and it appears that one won't make it despite lots of TLC upon arrival.

I ordered clematis Lasurstern (couldn't find it anywhere else). Received a healthy plant; pleased with the purchase.

I have ordered from Joy Creek on several occasions and the results have always been outstanding. My order last spring was particularly remarkable. The plants were well packaged, arrived in terrific condition, and grew very well. Joy Creek offers plants I cannot find anywhere else. They are very responsive to questions, and their plants are remarkable. This is more than a gardening company; it's a vocation.

I've purchased on two separate occasions from Joy Creek, and both times the plants have been wonderful. The nursery is all the way across the country, but I received the plants within 2 days of shipping. I'm already making a list to purchase again. I also like that there is no minimum order, although it is cheaper shipping wise if you order more than one plant. The shipping for one plant was still cheaper than some of the other mail order nurseries that I buy from.

My clematis order arrived in a very timely manner and was exactly as advertised. In addition to the plant material, I was impressed by the careful packaging and use of recycled newspaper padding for shipment.

A stellar transaction from beginning to end. I ordered one plant, an Agapanthus which was delivered immediately. I called to see if the plant could be shipped in a Priority Mail Flat Rate Box rather than UPS 3 day air (considerably less expensive) and the woman on the phone had already taken care of it...as if she could read my mind! The plant was small but healthy, with extensive root development. I would definitely place future orders with Joy Creek Nursery, they rock!!

i recently received four fuchsia plants from Joy Creek Nursery and was very pleased with the order and customer service. The plants they sent were well packed, in very good condition, and much larger than those I usually receive when ordering on line. They looked more like those you get from a local nursery. And the customer service was even better. Originally I made an error when placing the order on line and wasn't sure it went, through so I called and I was obviously talking to a real person, at the nursery, who knew the system and wanted to help. She straightened every thing out quickly and we chose the least expensive way to ship the plants. Then a few weeks ago they called me, personally It seemed the plants were behind in growth and the order would be late, so they wanted to know if I wanted to cancel the order. I said no so I received the plants. You can't ask for better and I'll definitely recommend them and use them again.

Great experience with Joy Creek all around. The have a great selection of hard to find plants. I ordered several different bletilla and veronicastrum. As others note, they don't show shipping charges until you have actually placed the order, but a simple email to them asking for a ruff estimate was replied to within short order. Great communication on when the order is received, processed, and shipped with tracking. The plants were packaged up great and all arrived safely. The bletilla came in nice deep pots. The veronicastrum were wrapped up large soil blocks... very large.... nice and healthy.

In September of 2015, I ordered several aconitums from Joy Creek. I received them in early October, and, even though aconitums can be a little touchy to wrap and ship (they sulk...), the plants arrived looking great and took to the garden right away. Good-sized plants, too. I spoke with the folks at Joy Creek about a change in the shipping cost, and found them to be pleasant and efficient. All-in-all, I would recommend this company whole-heartedly.

I purchased some plants from Joy Creek Gardens after visiting my son in TN and finding trouble getting a good selection locally. I ordered from two places and he quickly told me that Joy Creek's plants arrived in great condition and not to bother with the other company in the future. I look forward to buying from them again for my own Grants Pass garden!

I've ordered twice from Joy Creek and both times the plants were delivered promptly and in great shape. Their prices are competitive and the plantings were just what I was looking for. I especially like that they reference the Great Plant Picks site in their descriptions. One downside is that they don't tell you what the shipping costs will be until after the order is placed. Not sure why, since they were not too high.

Posted on June 7, 2015, updated August 20, 2015 Posted on June 3, 2015, updated June 7, 2015 Not happy. I contacted the company via email concerning a plant that I received. The Echinops "Artic Glow" arrived solid yellow and the leaves wrapped into a tight ball. After planting, the leaves wilted off. The company never responded to my inquiry. It is bad enough to send an almost dead plant, but to ignore my email is even worse. It seems they do not intend to guarantee the plants they sell. I messaged them within 5 days of plant delivery. Would not do business with them again.

We just got a bunch of plants from them and they are all beautiful and took right off. They have some unusual stuff but we ordered too late to get a lot of things we wanted so we are going to be sure to check their listings early and often next year.

Plant arrived in a timely manner and looks quite healthy. Based on this little plant, I would try Joy Creek again in the future.

Since the Joy Creek website states “During our peak shipping times (April through June) there may be up to a three-week delay in shipping orders.”, I submitted my order on their website 22 days before my requested shipping date. When I received no indication it had been shipped on 4/6/15, I emailed them and was told it would ship on 4/13. When that didn't happen, I emailed again and was more or less informed that folks who ordered in January were getting 4/6 shipping. After several additional email exchanges, I did get shipping on 4/14. Three day shipping charge (evidently, only option to most states from 3/2 to 10/14) was about $29 for 4 plants. You do not find out this amount until after plants have shipped, however. There is also a $4 handling charge. Once the plants arrived, they were well packed, decent size and healthy, however. Might not order from Joy Creek again due to higher shipping cost (USPS priority mail would be cheaper and about as fast; I suspect) and some difficulty getting shipping when I requested.

Joy Creek Nursery is a real joy and lives up to its stated mission! What great selections and plant details. I placed my first order in early 2015 for 9 plants to grow here in Zone 9b in Florida. Every special plant I ordered was delivered timely and in perfect condition. They are now growing on in bigger pots to acclimate them and to allow me to place them in the best location in the garden. They are healthy and vigorous. Two of the plants I selected are hardy fuchsias and I cannot wait to see how they grow here. I received a personal email from the company and replied with my appreciation. I have high confidence in Joy Creek Nurseries and will be returning for more plants. Great experience!

I recently ordered six Impress Purple lavender plants from Joy Creek Nursery. They were, by far, the best plants that I have ever purchased mail order. Each plant was individually wrapped and in perfect condition. The root system of each plant was awesome......not one plant was rootbound. Their selection of lavender plants is extensive and I will definitely be orderering from them again in the Spring. I only wish that I had found them sooner!

I have ordered plants several times from Joy Creek, and have never been disappointed. For one thing, their shipping is first-rate. The plants arrive fresh, and never root-bound. When I plant them, they take off. Really remarkable! I love their selection and prices, and a pleasure to deal with.

Posted on June 19, 2014, updated July 26, 2014 I have been a member of Daves garden for around 8 years and have written 16 positive and 2 neutral reviews in that time. This is the first negative review. Joy Creek shipped me 15 diseased growing cannas. The 10 Tropicana had huge lime green streaks just like the pictures on the internet and the 5 Stripped Beauty had brown where there should have been white. I have lived in N.J. for 35 years in the same house but have been growing cannas for most of my life. They are beautiful plants. The plants that were shipped to me were so obviously diseased that Joy Creek should be embarrassed to have even sent them. I have repeatedly asked for a refund to which I receive a response that they are having their cannas tested by a lab. Now they don't even answer my e-mails.Whatever the lab says they did not test the plants that were sent to me. I have about 500 plants growing at the present time of over 60 varieties and know what a diseased canna looks like. I wouldn't trust anything they say to me. I even barter cannas with my local nursery for other plants. The owner of the nursery likes my cannas because they have no virus. He and his son who does some planting for me as I have had 4 back surgeries agreed with me 100% that the cannas that I received from Joy creek were all diseased. I lost about half of my rhizomes this winter due to the cold I have always stored half of them in the garage and the other half in my basement which I have been doing for 35 years. I had to buy additional plants this year or I would have had a half empty garden. The only people that haven't ever sent me virused merchandise are Karchesky Canna who is the best canna resource in the USA and where I have been buying from for 8 years who grows over 150 types of cannas and Florida Hill Nursery who offers guaranteed virus free tissue culture plants but a smaller selection. I am so disappointed in Joy Creek for shipping me diseased merchandise that they should have been embarrassed to have even shipped and to not give me a refund is dishonest. I could understand if they had shipped me rhizomes which can look healthy but carry the virus, but to ship me such obviously diseased plants and not give me my money back is just plain wrong.

First time ordering: 13 plants, $112 total, out of which $34 was shipping+handling (UPS ground to Georgia). The plants had excellent root system (better than most companies) and were very well packaged (95% recyclable) - not a leaf moved during shipping - worth the $4 handling. I think shipping at about a third of total is reasonable for plants that I could not find anywhere else - at least not in such a good shape. Yes, I would prefer to know the shipping price in advance; on the other hand, they obviously charge what the shipping company charges. In answer to an older comment about how the company should use USPS shipping boxes: I found that my box was quite heavy and I believe it was due to the gravel in their potting soil. In other words: I believe the plants would have been too heavy for a standard USPS box. I will definitely order from this company again. I will also choose carefully what I order, aware of the trade-off: plants in excellent shape versus shipping fees to the East coast.

I’ll preface this review by saying that I get close to 90% of my plant material from mail order sources. I’ve ordered from enough nurseries to know whose stock is good for specimens, whose is good for price or volume and when things go on sale. Sadly, I’ve found I’ve cut back ordering from some sources because the shipping costs have sky-rocketed. That being said, I was a bit uncertain when I first placed my order with Joy Creek Nursery, as final shipping costs wouldn’t be assessed until the material was actually sent. Since they had the exact plants I wanted (and couldn’t find elsewhere), I figured I’d give it a shot and hope for the best. Well, I’ve just received my Joy Creek shipment, and I don’t know which was more impressive ... the quality of the plant material or the care taken in packing and shipping. I was truly stunned to receive such large, healthy, established plants. What a delight. Not only was the stock carefully and well packed; they arrived a day early and in perfect shape. On paper, Joy Creek’s plant material seems to be in the moderate price range, but that belies the size and quality you actually get. While the shipping costs may have been slightly higher than those of other nurseries, I didn’t feel they were exorbitant. Both the plants and the handling charges were worth every penny paid. I look forward to ordering from Joy Creek in the future.

I ordered eight plants from Joy Creek Nursery, and because the order was placed relatively late in the spring, I could only hope to receive some of what I ordered. Instead, less than two weeks later, a box arrived with all eight of the plants, beautifully grown and in very good shape considering the four day transit they'd undergone. I am so pleased with the quality of this order, and indeed all eight are planted in the garden and look like they're already settling in - two days later! I will not hesitate to recommend this nursery to all of my gardening friends.

Joy Creek has a very impressive selection and the plant size is generous. I have purchased clematis plants on two occasions. I do have two concerns that are weighing on my future purchase decisions: I order from many mail order companies and Joy Creek is the only one that does not provide the shipping cost until after the plants are shipped. Why is that? Also, compared to other companies, Joy Creek's packaging seems unnecessarily heavy which, of course, increases the cost. Second, on the two occasions that I have ordered, I have received an email confirmation of everything on my order. I order early so plants are shipped over a month later. However, on both occasions, when the order arrived, it was incomplete. Looking at the invoice, it states that the missing plants are "not available this year". I would appreciate getting that information as soon as Joy Creek knows the plants are available after all. I might have been able to order the plant elsewhere. I count on the plants arriving as promised.

I've been ordering on-line from Joy Creek for almost 10 years & have not once been disappointed with the plants they've sent me. They have a huge inventory to choose from, plants packaged nicely & their customer service has always been very responsive & helpful. I received my first order for this year today & once, again, I'm extremely pleased with the plants they sent me. I was blown away by the size hosta they sent me [which is their exclusive] ... I am a hosta collector & I don't even get that when I pay the big bucks for OS thru AHS, First Look or other auctions. That was so very much appreciated. Thanks Joy Creek & if you can give me any advice on successfully growing D. Carol Mackie is appreciated.

Posted on April 30, 2009, updated May 8, 2014 A very positive experience, ordered 6 Clematis from them that I couldn't find anywhere else (alas one wasn't in stock) - and wowser, the sizes are fantastic! I called right before they were shipping the original order for an add-on, great customer service and very helpful!