Posted on May 11, 2011, updated August 18, 2011 Hello, fellow gardeners, I just wanted to warn everybody against buying from Frank Moro. Bellow is a shorter version of my story that I submitted to BBB of Canada, which, by the way, he completely ignores. I inquired Frank Moro about particular kinds of lilacs in July 2007. Mr. Moro responded by saying that he doesn’t have them at the moment and also suggested that we would pay him in advance to guarantee the lilacs that we wanted 3100USD. Mr. Moro also said that we would get the lilacs in a year, i.e. Fall 2008. I transferred the money after we agreed upon specific terms (variety, delivery date, and mail courier) In August of 2008 Mr. Moro told me that he would not be able to provide all of the requested and PREPAID lilacs. We settled on the 545 lilacs that he said he’d have ready to ship promptly. It took Mr. Moro 2 weeks (beginning of October) before he finally shipped the plants. He decided to ship them with a different mail courier (not the one we’d agreed on) and this made a huge difference in customs handling the plants etc. The parcel didn’t make it to Russia and was returned to him from London in a week. We tried to cancel the order and get a partial refund since it was already obvious that nothing good will come out of it. Mr. Moro reinsured us that the plants are in excellent condition and threatened to breach the agreement. He finally shipped the order on October 24th of 2008. It arrived to Moscow on November 3rd. When I received the shipment all the lilacs had brown roots (a sign of rotting), some plant labels were missing, the packing slip w/the plant specification was absent as well. None of them survived. I’ve lost clients and money due to Mr. Moro’s sabotaging business practices. Do not repeat my mistakes.

Posted on March 27, 2009, updated May 17, 2011 I've ordered Lilacs from Select Plus twice over the last 5 years for planting in my family's Northeastern Pennsylvania lawn and grounds. Their selection is superb, and the business a family one, with a true love of lilacs. Having many varieties on my wish list, I ordered the smallest sized plants they have (TPs, or 'Tree Pots,' I believe). The plants they sent were fine, well-rooted, and healthy, sans a few blackened leaves, which are to be expected when the new, tender growth is packed and jostled a bit. The plants from my first order of about 5 years ago are now first-rate specimen plants in the landscape. Last year's order of 6 plants has overwintered in the garden, are showing green buds, and I expect to plant them out into the landscape this fall or next spring. Of course, they do offer the option of larger plants, if you are impatient or have a larger gardening budget. They are not "computerized," and may take a little longer than a company that is automated to acknowledge an order, but they are on the up-and-up, and offer a great service to the lilac plant and those that love them.

Posted on July 28, 2006, updated May 2, 2010 I love the selection of plants that they have and after reading the rating I went ahead and ordered 3 plants. I had good email communication and I thought the plants that I had ordered...gallon size would be the size in the pictures on the web site. When the box arrive, I was disappointed...most of the leaves where black and falling off...I planted anyway hoping that they would make it...they did but growth has been slow..I hope that they make the winter here in NEPA..I have new growth..but nothing that makes me think that they will survive the winter...for this reason I am giving a neutral. I ordered early in the season and I have waited to see they lived the season and so far they have.

I've been buying lilacs from Frank Moro for four years now. He has the best selection I've been able to find on the web. Several of the lilacs I've bought, I have been unable to find anywhere else online. I've been extremely pleased with the plants. They are healthy and come well rooted. I've only lost one of the two dozen varieties of lilacs I've purchased, and Frank replaced it, no questions asked. I'll continue to buy from Select Plus. His website is also very useful.

I have had dealings with this fine company now for three years. I can,t say anything but positive things about this nursery. I haven.t placed any large orders due to my small garden size, but the plants which I have ordered and received have been of first rate quality. Even though I ordered the small sizes of lilacs, there were 4 bushes blooming well last spring. The descriptions were right on. I would highly recommend this nursery. I had been sent a refund cheque for sales tax or something 3 years back which I have not cashed because I thought their service and products were so good.

I have nothing but good things to say about Select Plus - I have been ordering from them since founder Frank Moro first posted his lilacs online, and find that routinely, the plants are nice sized and in good condition, the selection of lilacs is incomparable (hundreds of varieties) and of other plants imaginative, the prices are reasonable, the packing is good, and I really appreciate the extra effort this Canadian company makes for their US customers - they hand carry their plants over the border into New York before mailing them, so that they are never tied up in customs en route. This company is a star.

I have been dealing with Select Plus for the past 10 years. I've first met up with them at the Rochester Lilac Festival in NY and purchased 12 lilacs from them. There plants were thriving and extremely healthy with a great root system. Over the years, I have bought many rare and unusual plants from them through mail order , including many lilacs and perennials without any problems. I find it highly unlikely and peculiar about Len's experience. They've always had the motto of Customer Satisfaction is the most important and have always had superior customer's service. To hear such things from Len after MY 10-YEAR EXPERIENCE is not even possible. Did you even try contacting them in the last few months? E-mail,mail, or even telephone? There's many ways to communicate with them!!!

Note from the Garden Watchdog editors:

ordered lilacs last jan-feb. difficult online order setup. called for confirm. of order. wife would see if order rec. and call back. no call. i call later. husband out of town and wife doesn't know husband's business. called when husband back in town. took order on phone. lilacs still under ice for ship date, understand.i'm over road driver so date is important. waited. called. lady tells me that shipments were made and doesn't know for sure if mine were sent.no lilacs. called. owner told me son messed up addresses in computer on some orders, mine one of them. so would sent the following week, so not being able to wait any longer cancelled order. informed me would charge-back cc. no charge-back. called. daughter would leave dad the message. no call back.$385 gone out the window. nada.

I happen to be staying with them at the moment. I happen to be the future mother in law of their daughter. It is shameful that Mr Moro has emailed you twice now asking for your name and you have yet not given him the info he needs to solve the post you have made.
Becky

MR LEN123,
In order to give you service I need a name and address with a real email address also. Please stop this run around for it does not help me to find you. there was no identification of you in your email as you said.
Frank Moro

Have sent numerous emails concerning daylily order placed over a year now still not resolved and did not hear back from company after sending a pic that they requested. Prices were very good but have not reordered from them due to customer service.

This was my first time ordering Daylilies from this company and I must say I am very pleased with the plants that I recieved They sent them expedia post to the B.C. coast took three days. I can not understand how Ms wongs plant could be in such bad shape because expidia post would only take two days to Edmonton. I will deal with this company again Chillout

I have dealt with Select Plus about ten years. I found their advertisement in a Canadian Gardening Magazine. At first I ordered lilacs, and they have an impressive selection. Later on, as they expanded, I ordered many more plants. The quality of plants was excellent. If some plants didn't do as well as expected Mr, Moro would replace it. In the beginning I used to phone him and later on I started e-mailing questions. Throught this period of time I have always received good service. I would like to add that, I became a member after reading a negative comment by Ms Wong, and wanted to be able to respond. While it is most unfortunate that she had a bad experience dealing with them, I believe this was an exception, My nine lilacs are thriving and bringing joy to us and everyone who goes by. Liliana

I ordered about $150 worth of lilacs, irises, daylilies and hostas in early March. This was my first time dealing with this company so I kept my order small and my expectation low, the prices were too good to be true. I have dealt with dozens of mail order nurseries,and have had only really good experiences, with the exception of one other nursery. I am well aware of the difference between dormant and dead. I had emailed them several times in April and early May to find out when my order would be shipped as I would be away from May 22 - June 2. I told them to NOT ship between these dates.I heard nothing. I advised if I did not hear from this regarding this issue I would have to cancel my order, got no answer yet again. I chequed with my credit card company, it was charged immediatley after I had ordered online. So, I hear nothing, and of course, I come home from vacation to a box on my doorstep. My sister had told me it had just arrived, she was looking after my garden and house while we were gone. I was disgusted when I opened the box, the irises were totally rotten, mushy and very smelly. The dayliles were one slimy mess. One lilac was in really good condition, the other two wear dead sticks. Hosta's were the wrong variety, no growth, rotten roots, not individualy labeled, I had no idea what it was. I emailed them immediatly, and no answer. I ordered everything on my husbands crerdit card so I will get him to dispute the charges, the customer service with this nursery is non existent. They did not answer any of my emails. I did check them out on this website before I ordered, and it looks like my expereience is isolated. I watched, nurtered and waited to see how the plants would grow. The dayliles, which are a virtually indestructible perennial, were easily killed by the rotten crown, leaves and roots. None of the iries grew, plus they substituted 'Immortality', a reblooming for regular tall bearded 'Coral Chalice'. I would think they would sub a rebloomer for a rebloomer, or else at least a similiar color, neither was done, and their choice was unacceptable to me. Anyway, didn't matter, all five of them never grew a single leaf. One hosta was okay, the other hosta were totally dead, never grew, the roots didn't even have eyes and I didn't get the order till June 1! Some hostas substituted again, but it didn't matter, they were dead! One lilac lived the other two never grew at all, they had virtually no roots to speak of. Unless they solve this issue to my satisfaction I will never order from them again. I am truly not a picky person, I have made huge orders online for years, without one problem. Until I ordered from Select Plus International, I couldn't believe what was written about some disreputable companies. I will not order from this company unless this issue is dealt with to my satisfaction. Why can't they answer an email? Hopefully this will get them to acknowledge me!

I placed an order for one lilac in April. It took one month for my order to get processed and sent. They sent out a great looking plant. The roots looked fantastic and the plant was healthy.

My first order (lilacs) was so great, I immediately ordered twice as many. Top-notch plants, good service and excellent packing. The order arrived in superb condition and is growing on very well!

I have been purchasing lilacs from SPI from 1997. Given the complexities of sending live plant material through Australian quarantine, SPI is to be commended on doing an excellent job. This will remain my source for rare lilacs for a long way into the future.

I don't believe anyone in North America has such a wide selection of lilacs. I've ordered 3-4 times from them (big yard). Twice some plants turned out to have been mislabelled, something I found out over a year after purchase (I had to see the blooms). The Maiden's Blush lilac is at least 10x more fragrant than other cultivars, the color is outstanding and unique, the shape of the florets is perfect. Highly recommended!