Plant Ranch

Darin's plants grow well but their true identity remains very much a question. I have several trees that I bought a number of years ago and they have since matured, but I'm not sure what they are. I doubt that they are what they were advertised to be. Eventually they may fruit and I will have further clues to their identity.

We purchased 4 dwarf paulownia trees from plantranch in 2007. No instructions provided so we used our best guess as to proper planting in the fall. Spring 2008 no sign of life from any of the trees. Contacted plant ranch twice by email for advice or replacement. They never had the decency to respond. Other plants we purchased from them at the same time did grow but were so small their low price was understandable. My advice -- pay more and buy from a reputable company.

I have just completed a multiple purchase with this company. I am So satisfied!!! After years of buying online and through many mail order companies I have finally found a company that delivers what they advertise, and a small company at that. Yeah. All of my trees were in terrific shape, the paper they were wrapped in was still wet, My beautiful gardenia was in perfect condition, sent with a good root-ball in soil which was still moist, my milkweed was well developed and also sent with a good size root-ball in moist soil. After having years of DOA's and returns, I will skip the others and return time and again to PlantRanch. Thanks for amazing plants and ridiculously low prices, I appreciate both. Thanks again,Mary

ordered 8 fruit trees, a cacti, 3 kiwis etc. a few didnt make it, so i returned them with a check for postage and he replaced them. so he followed what he said he would. all plants are now growing and very healthy. i paid very little and got alot, so i am very satisfied and will order again from him anytime.

I ordered 5 plants from them, and received them in 9 days. The staghorn fern was huge, I never expected anything that big. The Bird of Paradise and Parrot's Beak were also very good sized plants. The Jasmine was tiny (just two leaves), but I expect it will grow quickly. The Fire Fern was dried out and looks quite dead. I misted it, and put it in a 2-liter soda bottle "terrarium" and am hoping it comes back to life.

My trees and plant were healthy. Good prices, reasonable shipping rates, and he answers email in a timely fashion.

I have bought several plants,from this company.I have been extremely happy with this company.They were a good size,shipped well,arrived moist.No problem with any except the paw paw,which it seems I have a black thumb for. I have tried to grow them numerous times,so this is probably my fault.They have offered to replace any with problems,and have been very courteous,and responded quickly.None of my other plants have shown any weakness,or disease.They are all flourishing. This includes hazelnut,olive trees,kiwi vines,etc. aimee

I purchased 4 plants from this company on a buy it now auction and paid immediately with pay pal. 3 of the plants were very tiny, but healthy, so I left neutral feedback on eBay stating such and that they were not worth the money, which they weren't. Seller waited for me to post, then left retalitory negative feedback saying I was mean, rude and could not read, how unprofessional. He also said I had sent many hateful e-mails, which was not true, I did not send ANY e-mails. This is the first negative feedback I've ever had and it sickens me that I cannot feel safe being honest.

This is a typical case as I noted below. A new member comes to this site to ONLY bad mouth people.

This member joined: lampshadelady signed up on Apr 24, 2007
at DG website .

This is a clear case of how this website & others are being abused. I did in fact post a neg. comment to this person for the horrible emails I had got from her, I dont think anyone has the right to attack another person & expect something for nothing while it was clearly stated what size is shipped.
We are rated in the top 400 sellers on all of ebay. the reason is clearly shown in our feedback & sales.

Its too bad DG still allows this to go on. Im sure a post will be made about my comments here, I know those of you that know me will understand, I dont have time to argue with webmasters.

When the trees and plants I order arrived, the first thing I noticed was the expert and non-wasteful shipping. Bravo! The plants I had ordered came in top condition for planting. Even the few I had to hold survived beautifully until I got ready to plant them. All survived and I marveled at the value. The selection of unusual, fragrant and rare landscape specimens is great. In fact, I just paid for a spring order today. Just a tip, read the fine print carefully, and save on shipping for every order. I can't wait for the postman.

I am a high school Industrial Technology teacher. I read about one of Plant Ranch's products-the redwood burl. I thought it would be neat to have one in my classroom so that the kids could watch it grow from the burl. I knew that this would be a neat thing for the kids to see and be part of. Budgets being what they are in schools (very poor!!!-who needs to spend money on kids and their education?? add a big note of sarcasium here!!!!) I thought I'd write to Darin about the possibility of making a donation to my school's Industrial Technology Department. Out of the kindness and willingness to help a school, he sent me 2 live burls. I put them in a plastic cut-off milk carton so that I could keep them watered. Well, since my "Green Thumb" is pretty much just a "withered ol' stump", I have to admit that I killed them. I wrote back to Darin and he will (again!!) go out of his way to replace them. I know that his product is a good one and it was not his fault that the burls met a terrible fate at the hands of this (me) "Green Thumbless" person. Therefore I truly believe that on a scale of 1 to 10 (one being the lowest possible) Darin and the Plant Ranch score a 20!!!! Thanks again Darin for helping me help teach kids-not every company is as willing as you are to help kids-especially when it concerns the all mighty "Bottom Line"!!!!!

I am a "late bloomer" in gardening since becoming disabled with Multiple Sclerosis took away my "social life" and confined me to home. Not being able to shop at local farms, I turned to the internet and was fortunate to find PLANT RANCH. Darin (the owner) has been very kind and patient in responding to my email questions (even stupid ones like "what is a ZONE") and special requests for various plants. I love that my plants are shipped when they are ready for planting where I live! This wonderful service allows me to order ahead of time and know they will be planted at the proper time to assure good rooting and growth (see how much he's taught me??). His prices are less than a quarter of what my neighbors have paid locally for their plants - and that's including the shipping fees! I am proud to boast that my shrubs and trees are growing much taller and fuller than their cousins across the street! Anyone with a negative comment about Darin or his business is obviously out to smear his good name and reputation - either to sway buyers to another site or simply trying to ruin this man's business. Maybe they need to find a constructive hobby! I am and will remain a devoted PLANT RANCH customer. I hope Darin never changes a thing!! As the old saying goes: "if it isn't broke - don't fix it". It is rare in this fast paced world of running a demanding business over the internet, to find someone caring enough to accommodate beginners like me. I am grateful to have found PLANT RANCH - where High Quality Products and Great Customer Service is a priority. BRAVO PLANT RANCH - KEEP GROWING STRONG!!!..... and Thank You for encouraging me to get off the sofa and make a garden of my own ( ;~}.

I've ordered twice from Plant Ranch--once for myself, once a gift order--and have been very happy with the results. The plants were healthy and well-packed, and all are doing nicely.

By far the worst experience I've had buying plants online. The plants were dried up and not a single one survived. A total waste of money. The worst thing, however, is the owner. Forgive me for saying so, but I think this guy is seriously unhinged. I received a number of bizarre emails from him accusing me of being evil and rude simply for being unhappy that I didn't get what I paid for. He made incoherent threats to file a claim with the government because I complained. I decided that it was easier to wave bye-bye to my money that deal with this wacko. Maybe that's his strategy.

YET Another person that joined today to only abuse this great website & slander others. I again this may NOT be professional but I must say that this person went to the extent of taking my name, addr & phone number & posting it all over the web for joining music clubs, porn etc...
If anyone should have a problem AGAIN I am very willing to help them. Please email me for details or questions.

As always, Best regards to my fellow friends & plant lovers

Darin B., Pres.

i have read some comments about darin and plantranch and it breaks my heart because i have not experienced dealings. geez!! after dealing with house of wesley, darin could do no wrong, except forgetting my phone #, lol!! i am self employed and i have dealt with some losers and it sure isn't easy! i am very accomodating! just say that darin more than met my expectations!!! i just ordered a large order for a sale at my home, and they were large and very healthy. darin not only filled this order for my sale but he also added extra plants, i am having an exotic plant sale and i am so excited because the plants will sell!! that woman that was talking crap about getting dead plants, well honey, i think you have darin mixed up with house of wesley, what you wrote sounds all of how house of wesley does business. darin does business none of that! i'm a patient person, but plantranch has such a fast rate of delivery. he says the way it's going to be and STANDS BEHIND IT!! if you want a business that will stand by their product, go to PLANTRANCH, his business services are like none other. one other thing and i'm done. one of the most things i am drawn to in a business is family, i have talked to his mom and she's so sweet! did i run too long? well, it's hard to make it short when there are sooo many good things to say!! purplehaze891

HORRIBLE!!!! I have never left a negative comment for an online nursery before now. I can forgive small plants, "dead looking" bare root plants. These are to be expected and if the plants are of high quality, I can forgive a late delivery. This company was horrid. I THINK A LOT O F THESE POSITIVE COMMENTS ARE FAKE. Lost your order in the mail but it wasn't their fault? This company "loses" a lot of orders in the mail. I ordered $70 worth of plants from this company and for TWO MONTHS I waited. No reply to emails. I had to BEG for my order. It was recieved in the last week of June. These were TINY dead bareroot plants. All were dead on arrival except three and they quickly died the next day. No leaf growth on anything. Dead sticks. I left nuetral and one negative comments on ebay describing the plants exactly how I recived them and how long it took to get them. This Darren person responded with all negative retaliatory feedback calling me an unreasonable hateful person and for ebayers to beware of me. I had NO negative comments before this. Not only did I have to BEG for my order, not only did I recieve ALL DEAD plants with NO REFUND. But he left me those comments!! IMMATURE, poor business practices. Terrible. NEVER AGAIN.

I find it very sad that people use daves garden to post such angy & false information. As always I make every attempt to resolve a problem if someone has one with a shipment. I make my living from selling plants WHY would I ever not want a good paying customer to not come back? I (Darin) Have been doing this for over 25 years. As with this post most are very pleased. What I find disturbing is that people ONLY come to this website to join & post bad comments. Most PLANT people will agree we (you & I) are not normal people, Plant (nature type) people are very caring, honest good people. Should anyone ever have a problem. Talk to me thats all it takes. People like this that call names & slander others & never give anyone a chance have deeper issues than a bad order.
Im sorry if this does not seem very professional. BUT I am human, I work very hard & am not going any place but to grow more quality plants. My friends & 70,000 plus customers on eBay do disagree with post like this. Please take a min. a check out these peoples accounts, they signed up mearly to post bad comments.
Im sure this will draw attention by same like people. If your a plant-o-holic like myself and many others, Im sure you will understand the reason for this post.
Come visit my website & get to know us here at the farm, the many photo's & information will give you the feeling of what we are. better yet Give me a call. Im always happy to chat with fellow plant people. :)

Best regards
Darin

After having mediocre to very bad luck with several mail order plant companies, I found Darin and the Plant Ranch on Ebay. I have placed two orders with the Plant Ranch. The first one was last month, and I immediatly placed a much larger second order after seeing the healthiness of the plants he sent. I received the second order yesterday. Both orders were a wide variety of plants, shrubs and trees. From the first order, every single item I bought is doing very well; new growth is apparent on each and every plant. Some have doubled in size, or more already! There's something to be said for that in the very hot sun and recent drought conditions of central Florida. I simply followed the instructions included with the shipment, nothing more, and am getting great results. The order I received yesterday looks wonderful! The plants were very carefully wrapped and packaged, each was still moist. All are extremely healthy looking, and most are already showing new growth. I soaked the roots overnight as instructed, and will plant it all today. The first order arrived in less than 10 days, the second took about 3 weeks - not bad at all for the "busy season"! I worked in a nursery years ago in the north, and I DO know about the busy season! I honestly wasn't expecting it for maybe another week. So not only do they get orders out as fast as they can - they do it RIGHT - every plant was packaged with pride, nothing was rushed, in spite of how busy they are! To my surprise and delight, they even included some extras! I highly recommend the Plant Ranch - it's the only place I'll buy MY plants from now on!

I would first like to say that I would not trust anyone who had a problem with this company! I had an order that got lost in the mail because of no fault of the PLANT RANCH but I called and explained what happened and I spoke with the owner who was the nicest person I have ever purchased anything from. He replaced my order quickly. When I received the plants they were packaged just the way that I would have shipped them. Mind you I purchased these plants durring the winter with the outdoor temp. being between 27 and 34 degrees. These plant were perfect. I found them easy to plant and they were just as described... actually they were even better. I am very interested in some of the other plants that they have and I can not wait to order more. as soon as I get these the way I want them. So trust me when I say that Plantranch should be the first place you should look to for qaulity plants and caring customer service.

I bought a Jatropha and an Elephant's Foot on ebay, then added an Ibervillea to my order. Darin included a Lava Ficus at no charge. He waited until the weather- it's winter here- was appropriate for shipping, then shipped the plants in a very timely manner during a warm spell. Dealing with Darin has been a treat, communication has been great, and I hope to buy more plants from him again.

Normally Im happy with Darin .. But right now im not so sure i should be . I bought 2 Orange trees .. they are PONCITRUS .. Instead of sweet oranges they are Sour and Used to make Epicac Syrup for Helping people throw up .. looking them up i went threw several pages and they also contain Toxins .. especially the fruit and thorns ... trifoliate is a root stock not a orange tree.. I found out threw Bragging and then sent in a picture to a citrus Group i belong too.. Talk about Heart broken .. I called darin and left a message ..Nothing and he wont respond to ebay either Normally he answers my calls after that he wont I emailed darin and let him know he goofed and that i know im not the first one that told him .. he wont change his ads.. People are getting ripped off ..and about 430 are possibly going to buy Trifoliate trees that are left and believe them to be sweet oranges .. I contacted ebay and they sent me a link to Internet fraud .,.. I used it since at 6.99 per plant and a thousand sold a yr Darin is not only making good money but he is also ripping people off and knowing it .. Sorry darin but my conscience says you stink now ..Tammy

Tammy..
I remember this problem way back last year.
I had informed you that my help had made a mistake & sent you stock we use for bonsai use. Mistakes can happen, You were nice & understanding, I refunded you money & even sent you a gift of a mini orange.
I dont understand why now you have posted this, This is a small 4 person operation. I know what I grow & sell. I am far from what you have said here... my helpers here are not always as knowledgeable as I would like them to be on plants & they do make mistakes sometimes, all I can do is offer my help to correct a problem should it happen, just as I did with you.
When we last spoke I thought everything was fine. We do still sell both & I have had another problem like yours, it was also corrected. We are human & mistakes will happen, I grow over 500 types of plants here.
Please be assured I will always make things right, Other post here show this as well..
Please call me with questions as I would like to see what this is rising from.
269-445-3212
thanks Darin

Being one who is still in the learning curve, this is one positive experience out of many negative in the last year. This is one company that took the time to contact me back and walk me through what I needed to do (even though there were instructions). There are many companies who sell for the money and then there are companies, like the Plant Ranch, who sell because they love what they do.

I just received my order from PlantRanch yesterday. I am very impressed with the size and the health of the plants I ordered. I have done orders with other companies in the past, and can honestly say that I had some reservations about this one. But after unpacking, I was amazed with the quality of the plants. All were wrapped and packaged to maintain moisture, and for protection. All were way above the size I was expecting. Many were already showing new growth!!!!!!!!!! As it was a rather warm drizzley day here yesterday, I got them all in the ground - or pots - and every single one of them looks fantastic today! No droop at all!!! I am very very happy with this purchase and will definately be a return customer!!!!!!

I bid on some Plumeria cuttings (5 to be exact) through Ebay and won them. I was incredibly surprised to see just how big they were, and that they were already rooted, all at an extremely fair price. I've been reading some negative feedback about PlantRanch and wanted to clear some of the air around them. When I hadn't received them as fast as other sellers (sometimes I'd get items within a week of won bids and got spoiled), I simply contacted them to ask if they'd sent my cuttings yet. They reminded me of the time frame it MAY take to get the products won or bought. It clicked in my head that it stated CLEARLY in the item description of the timeframe I could expect to receive my plants. I was patient and waited maybe a couple of days, and low and behold, there they were. Five HUGE, rooted Plumeria cuttings that I am EXTREMELY pleased with. I'm deifintely a repeat buyer with Plant Ranch. I hope this info helps some people understand that where there may be some unhappy customers, I'm quite the opposite. Thanks for letting me share my experience with all of you and Happy Planting! :o) Shannon

I purchased 4 plants, 1 male and 1 female Kiwi, 1 mock orange and mini dwarf lilac on May 20. The mock orange and lilac were DOA and the male kiwi died a couple days later. Only the femal kiwi survived. The company makes you wait until beyond the guarantee by stating the plants are dormant and need time to grow. In all fairness they did offer to replace them if I would return the plants or take pictures and pay the shipping costs to resend them. I declined as I did not want to spend more money on the risk that I would received more plants DOA.

On October 24, 2005, I won an eBay auction for 17 dwarf burning bush plants from plantranch. I paid by PayPal, and the plants arrived on November 12, 2005. The auction stated shipping times of 1-2 weeks, or 3-4 during busy times, so the plants arrived within a reasonable time. I actually received 23 plants rather than 17, so that was kind of a nice bonus. All of the plants were of the size described in the auction, and all had good root systems. And at less than a dollar per plant, the price was right. Based on this experience, I would likely buy again from plantranch.

I won a multiple auction from Darin on e-Bay. Everything happened EXACTLY as it was described in the listing. Once my plants arrived, I was dazed and amazed at how large they were, not to mention super healthy! The S/H was very fair, as was the final price of each item. All the plants' root balls were securely enclosed and moist. They were all bundled together and carefully wrapped in news print for insulation and protection. They were then put into a solid and well cushioned cardboard box and sent out to me. Being as they are a 'warm weather' plant, I was concerned about how they would do during shipment in mid-November. I was prepared to received my plants in a less-than-great shape due to their exposure to the cold temperatures during transport. However, they couldn't have been better. I am amazed at the quality, individual beauty, health and overall condition of these plants. I have purchased plants through mail order many, many times before. Never has the product been as healthy and vigorous as these plants are. Usually, they are weak to begin with and, if I can resurect them, they don't turn out to be the nice plants that are pictured in the ads. My experience with Darin and Plant Ranch has been nothing less than a totally pleasant experience and I look forward to doing business with him many more times in the future. After reading some of the other comments that have been left for Darin and Plant Ranch, I find it hard to believe that I could have had such a great experience, when, in some people's opinions, he is horrible to deal with. I consider myself to be a fairly picky individual, when it comes to buying things. I have nothing, but great things to say about Darin and this company. Granted, this is my first experience. However, I have met and dealt with A LOT of people throughout my lifetime. I've learned that regardless of how hard you try, YOU CAN'T PLEASE EVERYONE 100% of the time. Unfortunately, some of the unpleasable people have too much time on their hands and make themselves feel bigger and badder by tearing others down. Now I know that some on the negatives may have a shred of truth to them, however, as far as I am concerned, Darin and Plant Ranch are reputable and worthy of my recommendation to others, as a place they can feel comfortable to spend their hard earned dollars.

I am a return customer of the plant ranch. I have added many stock plants to my bonsai collection and also to my yard. The plants have always came in a timley maner and the packing was great,never dry.All plants were as discribed if not a lot better :-) with great roots and the pricing is great. I have read some of the neg postings from other and I feel this way....if you want instant landscaped yards go to your local walmart ....pay for plants that will probably die because of lack of care ( water ). I know I use to work for them. And by the way try finding a lutter walking stick plant there at wally world....good luck..... for me plant ranch is the way to go.I find that they answer there emails always and are very nice. Matter of fact I just recieved another order last week, 4 contorted locust ( second shipment of these) 4 red leaf birch 8 chinese elm and I just orderd more of there products. And look forward to doing more business with them.I am a very happy customer!!!

I have bought plants from several internet gardening sites and have found PlantRanch to be the absolute finest site on the internet. So much so that in the past several years I only buy from PlantRanch. Their selection is unbelievable. Their service is top-knotch, and they never hesitate to drop what they're doing to educate a customer on proper care, planting, or propogation questions when you call or email them. PlantRanch definetly gets my 2 green-thumbs up (and my gorgeous yard proves it).

Just a few words to relate MY experiences with Plant Ranch. This is a list of things I have purchased from PR and all have been received in good shape and considerably larger size than the exact same kind of plants from major catalog sales nurseries, as well as sellers on eBay. All the plants I ordered from PR were sent in less than 10 days and all are growing. I didn't order anything in the heat of Summer,just asking for trouble there. Bad time to plant/set out as well. I have had no occasion to test PR'S replacement policies as all plants have been 100% satisfactory. Prior to my first purchase from PR, I had never heard of or had any contact with PR at all. My Paulownia trees from PR were so much better than the six,yes,six others from three different places, I then bid and bought the remaing items on my list. Again I was not disappointed in the plants I received. As for people complaining about return shipping, I was told by a major catalog nursery,when only 7 American Arborvitae trees survived out of THIRTY-FIVE! I would have to dig up ALL of them and return them along with my original invoice to get a replacement shipment. On a more positive note,two very small almost dead Paulownia trees from a Michigan catalog nursery were replaced very quickly and with no returns asked for or any hassle at all. However, Plant Ranch's Paulownias were and are four times as big and already growing nicely and I have just got the dormant replacements that I had originally ordered BEFORE my first order from Plant Ranch. I won't know anything for sure on these till they break dormancy, If they do. I just came across this site on a link supplied from a fellow member of Garden Web Forums and felt I should relate my experiences with this seller. What else can I say but I am totally happy with my purchases and the whole buying experence from this seller. Until I have any problems that can't or won't be resolved I'll continue to shop this seller when I need something. twroehmAThotmail.com Sept 07 2005 Two Paulownia trees Oct 08 Two Pink Jasmine Vines Oct 10 2005 Three white Jasmine vines Oct 12 2005 Five Burning Bush Plants

I am absolutely thrilled! Thrilled I tell you...THRILLED!! I ordered a large variety of plants and trees and knowing I had to wait for certain items to be dug later than others I sent an email with the list of items I purchased asking approximately when I could expect shipment and they responded promptly with an estimated time frame and my package arrived the day I expected it. All plants were properly labeled and nicely packaged. All plants have strong healthy roots and fresh green foliage (except for those that are dormant of course). I am just tickled with my purchase and you can be assured that I will be a life-long customer of Plant Ranch. The value and customer service is outstanding. I am very pleased indeed!

I paid about $50 for 10 trees. But they were cooked in transit, given USPS loaded my plants at 8:30AM and delivered them at 4:30PM. (8 hours in the truck with day temperature above 90F, with afternoon west direct sun, above 107F. September 23, 2005) When delivered, the package was very hot in touch (above my body temperature.) The plants were severely wilted and the root rot was obvious. 5 Paulownia plants were dead within 1 week in late September. 5 Hybrid Willow plants’ original roots were all rotten; thus I tried to rescue them by inducing the roots from the top part of original hardwood cuttings by wrapping with moist sphagnum moss. The attempt worked and the new roots started from the hardwood cuttings. However, we had cold front in late October, and they started to die out. They are not dormant, the plants are dying from bottom up – the roots and crowns (base trunks) are declining. They will not survive through this winter. The owner of the Plant Ranch seemed to assume that my plants had minor stress after transit; thus he said that it would come back if I plant in semi-shade. Then after 1 week, he changed the story and claimed that the plants went to dormant. He completely disregards the fact that my plants had severe heat damage in transit. I kept sending the digital images of the declining/dead plants; and his response was, “We don’t know what they are. It will normally come back.” And finally, he wrote me not to send e-mail any more. I did not use any impolite language or expression. Since Plant Ranch’s owner insisted that the plants were just dormant and not dead, I contacted several nurseries in the USA and several Paulownia experts in Japan, including the author of the famous Japanese book, “Paulownia cultivation methods.” These experts unanimously concluded, “I am afraid your plants are dead, and they will not root in next spring.“ Since Plant Ranch is not accepting my e-mail, My husband called them and explained that my plants’ roots are gone and there is no green or white underneath the root skins, nor underneath the base trunk, nor underneath the crown, and that every single inch of my plants has no living cell left. But the owner of the Plant Ranch insisted that it was normal. I must add that in my city in Florida, Paulownia plants would start going dormant in November normally, and not in September or early October. Willow plants will probably go dormant in late November to December. The neighbor’s Willow trees are still green as of now, on November 1. I am not an expert in these trees; but even deciduous plants with nature of dying back to the ground in WINTER, must not lose all roots in early FALL. It simply does not make any sense to me if they were supposed to lose all roots before going dormant. Plant Ranch owner sent $14.95 check to my husband, INSTEAD OF REPLACEMENT PLANTS on Oct. 21 for 5 Paulownia. ( One month after they shipped the plants.) But the letter enclosed was rather hostile, “I decided to just do a refund to end this transaction, as I am afraid YOUR WIFE WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED WITH ANYTHING I SEND.” I am utterly shocked. The problem was simply that my plants were heat damaged in transit and died. It was not because of going dormant, nor was that I would be disappointed with anything they send. (I left a positive feedback in June for their dogwood tree, even though they have not given me any positive feedback to that purchase as of yet.) I lost $25 and 1 month of my time, trying so hard to prove that the dead trees are dead. It was so impossible that the Plant Ranch already decided their plants could not die even after 8 hours of continuous above 90F heat exposure. I lost the chance to plant the 12 trees in this FALL. (2 Free Tree Coupons ignored.) But more disturbing is this experience. By promising that they would send the full replacement, including S/H, ASAP if the plants were delivered in anything but FINE conditions as long as reported within 24 hours of delivery in the e-bay listing is a business contact between the seller and buyer. Plant Ranch used this false promise to provide false sense of security to trick the consumer into buying their plants. And if there is any damage in transit, they will go extreme to avoid fulfilling their promises. 24hr-warranty was a lie. And it is DECEPTION. If any one of you disagrees with me, please buy my plants from me. I can sell them on e-bay with their digital images and the copy of the expert opinions that I acquired from Japan and USA. I think that I am pretty lucky to have only $25 loss and 1 month of agony from this business with Plant Ranch. I am not robbed more than $20K by Irish contractors or movers. I am not being killed or raped by a robber. Instead, I learned the valuable lessons and made connections to several masters in Japan and USA. ( I can learn from them about Paulownia culture etc.) As for trees, I had already had Paulownia seeds before I ordered the plants from Plant Ranch. So, I will grow Paulownia from the seeds next spring. (It will take 2-5 years to mature.) I have acreage with Florida native trees. Thus I am going to transplant young trees next spring to my yard. (I know how.) My laziness caused me to order the plants from Plant Ranch. Their plants, especially the ones grown in cell trays, do not withstand stress in transit to my city and their packing method is not good enough to protect the plants from high or low temperature in my city. I think it is wiser to purchase the live plants locally or propagate them myself. Thank you for reading. And please forgive me for my imperfect English due to my nationality’s being Japanese. I hope this information is helpful for you.

I have nothing but GREAT things to say about Darin and the Plant Ranch!!! I had a couple of issues with two of the Plants, but I called their number and found nothing but PROFESSIONALISM and COURTEOUS attention!!!! The plants have been replaced and a t-shirt added! ~~ I think that sometimes people want to assume the worst and forget how to be human !!! I have a fatal disease that at age 39 caused a stroke, that robbed me of the use of my left side and has diminished all quality of life, it will lead me on much sooner than I had ever planned. ~~So, now I look for things in life that are truly important ! Each time allowing for the benefit of the doubt and choosing my battles wisely and handling each with integrity. I have found that this often resolves the issue without the anger and stress!! ~~ My point is ~~ Life is often too short for Drama ~~ Take it easy and tread lightly ~~ Be good to others, and better to yourself ~~ This is the legacy I want to leave behind me ~~ so that each time one of my family members go out into my gardens they will be able to find beauty and remember me there ~~ All the best to each one of you !!! ~~Sandy~~

I had NO problems with Plant Ranch via eBay at all. One plant was a little wilted (the Elephant Ears), but all it took was one week and it came alive. It will take awhile for this plant to grow, but I have nothing but NICE things to say about his site. The Mandevilla is about 6" tall already and the Bird of Paradise is, too. Keep up the good work!! :-)

My experience with Darin was two years ago but I will never forget how awful he was to deal with. I bought weeping cherry trees, which eventually came as dead sticks. I said so in my feedback and he was instantly all over me. The things he said in retaliation were inaccurate to say the least and did not represent anything that had taken place between us. He eventually agreed to replace the trees because I just kept sending him back copies of what he had said, but they took forever to come and none of them were any good, but I just wasn't willing to deal with him any more. His is the only negative feedback I ever received on ebay, but he has tons. When you look closely at his feedback, you find that even many of those that are checked as positive actually say negative things, but he still claims them as positive responses. He seems to be a very angry and defensive person, whose life would be better if he just did it right the first time. There are too many others out there to buy from, or better yet deal with people here at Dave's Garden. No one here will rip you off or call you ugly names!

Buyer beware! My purchase of Darin's high quality nursery stock turned out to be a bent stick. My husband burst out laughing when he saw it. When I complained, Darin wanted me to send the stick back and then pay for shipping for a new one. When I said that that wasn't a satisfactory solution (who wants to pay for shipping 3 times?), he threatened me with negative feedback, called me names and sent really creepy e-mails. Take a hard look at his feedback on ebay. He's got tons of mutually withdrawns, neutrals, negatives. Many of his postives have negative comments on them. You *might* be happy when you purchase something from Plant Ranch. But, don't expect any satisfaction if you have any problems.

In June My Husband And I found The Plant Ranch Through eBay. We have 2 Huge Lots that Needed Some Colorful Foilage. We Were VERY Impressed With Their Prices and Excellant Descriptions Which Helped Us Determine What Would Do Well In Our Area. When Our Package Arrived We Followed Darin's Planting Instructions and Most Everything Took Well, and a Couple Plants Did Not. We Emailed Darin To Find Out if we Could Get Replacements And to Also Find out if Perhaps Those Couple Tree's - Plants Would not be Wise to Try again and to Perhaps try Something Else that Would do Well here In Southern Missouri. Darin Sent us his 1-800 Number and We Discussed Our Questions. He Was VERY Informative and VERY Helpful... In Fact He Told us to Send him an Email with the Tree's and Plants we Would like and he Would get Them out to us Next week. He even told us about a new variety of Variegated Weeping Willow That They Were Getting and Offered To Send Us one! That was very thoughtful......Thank You Darin! We Cannot Wait To Get It and Be The First To Have One In Our Area!! If you are looking for a GREAT Place To Purchase Beautiful Tree's And Plants....... THIS IS THE PLACE! Thank You.... Pamela And Ron Ehlers Merriam Woods, Missouri 65740

The only semi bad part of my 3 seperate experiences with PlantRanch are slow shipping times. I completely understand, though--considering this is a family owned business. I have bought several things from this company and EVERYTHING has flourished: 5 Burning Bush 1 Fig Bush 4 Gardenia Radcans 2 Mock Orange 1 Sugar Cane 2 Weeping Cherry Trees I always got very prompt (within 24 hrs) email responses when I had a question and all emails were concise and polite. I will continue to do business with PlantRanch. I wish they had a tree I'm looking for : Hakuro Nishiki standard. It apparently is hard to find in Standard form---but I'm sure, with time, they will add it to their great variety of plants. I would recommend this company to my friends (and have).

The only reason for the neutral rating is that Plant Ranch cannot compete in quality or size of plants with some of the other merchants I have frequented. When I shop by mail it is normally for plants not available at Home Depot or Lowes. So when I found PR on ebay and read the ratings here, I decided to place a small order. All this said, let me be precise out of fairness. The prices are excellent. Shipping is not too bad either. Today six plants arrived and are now been acclimated. There roots are healthy and I am sure they will grow nicely. If you're not looking for specimin plants, give PR a shot for some basic, albeit not too common plants.

I purchased about a dozen or so plants from Plant Ranch through eBay last month, all of which exceeded my expectations and, in spite of the hostile efforts of a sneaky squirrel, are thriving gloriously. As a result I have a bunch more goodies from them on the way. The Plant Ranch selection is vast and ranges from ordinary to very extraordinary flora of excellent quality at unbeatable prices. I am now finding it possible to guiltlessly pursue a gardening hobby that leans toward the unusual! I have gotten prompt and pleasant responses, both by phone and email, when I contacted Plant Ranch with questions. Overall, I am a very, very satisfied customer! The info posted on the Plant Ranch eBay item pages was invaluble in my being able to select a bunch of plants that are perfect for a difficult location (an extremely hot NYC rooftop that bakes in the sun). About the time I expected my plants to be arriving, I emailed Plant Ranch about concerns that my plants might possibly get stuck in the mail (I've had mailing problems in the past). Plant Ranch responded promptly, alerted me to the fact that they were swamped with orders and provided an alternate e.t.a. for the plants. But they beat their own deadline (the plants arrived 2 days later) by nearly 2 weeks and, even though I didn't feel I had to wait overly long for my order, there was a nice note enclosed with a discount coupon thanking me for my patience. The plants all arrived very nicely packed and looking healthy. I wasn't able to plant them for about 5 days, so I simply followed the enclosed instructions for such cases and had no problems at all. In one instance, I had some questions about my waterlilies and called Plant Ranch. Darin took my call on the spot and very pleasantly gave me plenty of good advice and reassurance. Although I found myself wishing that each plant arrived with detailed planting and care instructions, I honestly don't believe this is particularly reasonable on my part...I certainly never got anything of the sort when I've physically shopped at a nursery location to buy plants. In fact, the eBay pages provide quite a lot of planting and care information. Whether you're looking to pick up an old garden standard or in the mood for something new to tickle your horticultural fancy, I recommend Plant Ranch without hesitation!

I discovered plantranch on eBay and I've thoroughly enjoyed my dealings with them. I feel their prices are very reasonable and, though the plants were small - they were VERY healthy!!! I prefer to buy smaller plants as I find they are easier to establish and produce a healthier plant in the long run. Communications with them have been excellent, they've always been friendly and informative and I hope that my relationship with this company flourishes and becomes as strong and vibrant as the plants I've purchased from them.

I have bought several plants from this company - each time with worse results. The shipping time was slow, packaging poor, no instructions came with anything except the bulbs. The 1st shipment had several items missing. When I emailed and explained of the shortage they assured me the items were there - I am a grown woman who has dealt with plenty of mail order companies...of course I unwrapped every soggy wringled piece of paper looking for the miniscle plants they pass off on ebay. The finaly straw was with some lupine roots that I had ordered, along with other things - they arrived soggy wet, wrapped in drippy newspaper and smothered in trashbags. The smell made me vomit. They were moldy and totaly rotten. I immediately emailed the company and received no response...I waited 3 days before calling - no answer and I called many times. Then I posted negative feedback on that 1 item. I had posted + feedback on all the other things even though mistakes had been made, shipping took long, and the plants were not exactly as described on ebay. I was then given negative feedback - for what! Paying on time, holding up my end of the bargain! Buyer beware! This company has few ethics in dealing with its customers.

I have bid and ordered from Plant Ranch in April, still no plants received. I contacted many other ebay bidders and they too are getting no plants and no return emails or nasty ones. One email I received was sent by a lady that STILL has not received her plants after a month so she left negative feedback. It was from Plant ranch stating if she removed the Negative she placed on his feedback Then he would send her a refund. BLACKMAIL??? I have been on the computer emailing this man and still no emails as of late. I see on the feedbacks and by emails there are horrible plants being received. Some people are leaving positive feedback with negative responses. READ the feedbacks all of them. Last email from him he told me it would be a couple of more weeks until I get my plants...that will make it 2 months??? he says they only have 5 people working there, then it's only 6 people, then some say 4. He needs to get more help or stop selling.... Anyone that leaves Negative feedback for a good reason gets negative back from him. why??? He wouldn't want to wait as long as we all have. I am guessing I will get bad plants also...DO NOT DEAL WITH PLANT RANCH PS I have the emails to back myself up

I FIND IT SO DISAPOINTING THAT PEOPLE ONLY JOIN DAVES GARDEN TO BE DISHONEST, HERE IS THIS USERS PAYMENT IT HAS NOT BEEN 2 MONTHS..
. ___B
____ave
st cloud, FL 34769
United States.
Amount:
$22.46 USD
Date:
May 17, 2005
Time:
16:43:38 PDT
Status:
Completed
IT HAS JUST BEEN OVER 2 WEEKS..

Buyers purchase has been refunded, I thought this information might be usefull due to buyer stating they have been waiting 2 months. please read complaint below .. during may we posted on all auctions & payments that came in to please allow at least 3 weeks for shipping.
+++PayPal Case ID:
PP-085-646-253
Reason for Dispute:
Non-Receipt
Buyer's Comments: sierra1008: D. Bunting
I won the bid on April 30,2005. I asked him ahead of time if it would be a problem that I would be out of country when the bid ended and would pay when I returned. He wrote back ok. I had my husband contact him when I won the bid and remind him I was paying when I got back. It was ok with him. the day I returned I sent Pay pal for the amount. I also told him I wanted 2 trees not one and sent the full amount...all this he agreed to. I paid on May 17,2005. It is June 1, and no plants or package yet.

++++I would also like to add I am shocked by the foul words that have been posted here & that daves garden allows such.

Great to work with. Fast shipping and even got extra stuff. thanks

I have dealt with Darin, and his crew for well over a year now, and I can say NOTHING but wonderful comments about his Plantranch business. As a "newbie" ebayer, I make some bidding, paying and just about every mistake that one could make with out ANY repercussions at all. I was forgiven, and even given extra plants. I have spoken to Darin on the phone and had him talk me through things, and NEVER was he curt, angry, or left me to believe that I was as dumb as I was...I am still learning, but with gentle patience, Darin has even talked me through other ebay problems. I always send a A+++ as soon as I pay for my plants b/c I have NO doubt that I am gonna get my money's worth and then some..... I have gotten extra plants, something "new" to try, all in the name of a wonderful business person. I have also dealt with Tracey,an employee there, and I know that she shares Darin's love of people and plants. I have read some of the neg feedback on the ebay website, and again here, at this site, and have to believe that the people who say these terrible things have no self-esteem of their own, and therefore can NEVER be satisfied. I feel very sorry for them, and hope that someday, they will feel good enough about themselves, that they can give their fellow man/woman a break, and not expect total perfection. Which of course is totally impossible anyway. I will continue to be a faithful and happy customer of Plant Ranch, and know that things will settle down soon, and Please think before you write....words can never be taken away, and really do hurt more that "stick & stones". And, as for Darin, and his employees, all I can say is "keep up the good work" and this too shall pass. May your plants get rain and sun in the proper amounts when you need them, M.E.

I ordered 5 red elephant ears and 1 hardy cactus on E-Bay in December to be delivered by May 1. I let it go until I contacted by the middle of May. The package finally came. Was I diappointed! The cactus was an unrooted cactus blade. The elephant ears were nothing but little plugs. All that for a little less than $30.00 including postage. I contacted them and received word that I could return everything. Apart from the lack of quality, there is the isue of deceptive advertising. The outfit reminds me of some companies that are no longer here, but resurface under another name. Buyer beware!!!

Took about 4 weeks, but worth the wait. All plants were extremely healthy looking and started growing immediately. I will be doing more business with them, I'll just start ordering a little earlier next year.

4+ weeks and still waiting. I'm not holding my breadth any more though, of late there seem to be alot of complaints about his shipping and attitude.

THIS IS LENGTHY, BUT WORTH READING; BEWARE OF PLANTRANCH'S SHODDY BUSINESS PRACTICES! Following are the details of my experience (including dates/times) with Plantranch. I purchased 5 plants in four different auctions from Plantranch on eBay. As instructed, I waited until the last auction closed to submit payment on April 14th. I included the $6.50 s/h they charge for shipping an order of 1 to 5 plants. Below I am cutting and pasting the emails I sent and received (email addresses spam blocked); please take note of the dates on these emails: From: Zo_t_s@-----.com To: plantranch@l---------.net Subject: 5 plants I ordered; shipped yet? Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 06:57:11 -0400 Hello, I'm -intro name here- (Lady_Zoe7 @ eBay). About 2 weeks ago I paid you via PayPal for the following eBay auctions: 4370895544, 4369537209, 4368939032, and 4369536360 (I ordered 2 Pampas grass plants). Would you please tell me if these have been shipped, and/or when I can expect them? Thank You, (name here) ======Plantranch's response:====== From: plantranch To: zo_t_s@---.com Sent: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 14:19:03 -0700 Subject: Re: 5 plants I ordered; shipped yet? Hi, Thanks for your email & thank you for being patient. We ask that you allow about 2-3 weeks from date of payment. This is our busy time of year and we are a bit behind as well. as we are a small 5 person operation here. You should have this very soon & thank you again for being patient and understanding. THANK YOU ! PLEASE DONT FORGET TO ALLOW ABOUT 2 WEEKS FROM PAYMENT DATE TO GET YOUR ORDER. ========== So I waited another week, to allow 3 weeks to pass, and then email Plantranch again: From: Zo_t_s@-----.com To: plantranch@--------.net Subject: Re: 5 plants I ordered; shipped yet? Date: Sat, 07 May 2005 00:32:17 -0400 Hello again, I'm e-mailing you to let you know that it has now been three weeks since I've paid for the plants I ordered from you on eBay. Can you please tell me if they have been shipped yet? Thank you, (name here) ========== Plantranch never emailed me back on this one, so after a couple more days I emailed again, this time copy/pasting previous emails (which you've already read above) to inquire about my order: From: Zo_t_s@-----.com To: plantranch@l--------.net Subject: 3rd time trying to contact you. Date: Mon, 09 May 2005 17:55:26 -0400 Dear Plantranch, Below you will see the email I'd sent to you over a week ago, and your response; it is now past three weeks since I've paid you (including s/h charges) for these auctions. Please let me know if my plants have been shipped, as I am more than anxious to have them start growing in my yard. **Copied/pasted emails omitted, please read above** =================== I recieved no response from this request. As of today-- May 11-- It has been almost a month since I paid Plantranch for these five auctions (see payment details copied/pasted below). Payment details from My eBay page for Garden Watchdog audience review. PLEASE NOTICE THAT I INCLUDED S/H CHARGES IN THIS PAYMENT (if you have an eBay account, you can match this text to your recent purchases): Buyers Payment Status **This order has been paid through PayPal. Payment was sent to: orders@locallink.net on Apr-14-05.** Seller info: plantranch( 21543 ) Shipping Seller should ship to: (name & address omitted here) 7-- O----- M------- Dr. R------- , NM 8---- United States Payment Item # Item Title Qty. Price Subtotal 4368939032 Sapphire dragon~ PAULOWNIA TREE~ SUPER FAST GROWING 1 US $2.99 US $2.99 4369536360 SUPER PINK~ MONSTER SIZE ~~~ PAMPAS GRASS PLANTS ~ 2 US $1.99 US $3.98 4369537209 exotic BLOOMING PASSION VINE~edible fruit 1 US $3.99 US $3.99 4370895544 3 ' tall~Sugar~ MAPLE TREES~ Make your own maple syrup 1 US $3.99 US $3.99 Subtotal: US $14.95 Shipping and handling: US $6.50 Shipping insurance (not offered) : -- Seller discounts (-) and charges (+): US $0.00 Total: US $21.45 (If you look at the PayPal payment page, you'll see that it automatically includes s/h in the payment action; hence, I paid s/h at the time of final sale on April 14th.) Because I hadn't heard back from Plantranch and hadn't recieved the plants I'd paid for, I left negative feedback for each auction on eBay. Please read below the feedback I wrote for Plantranch's profile on eBay, and their response: Paid seller 1 Mo. ago-I paid s/h fees- emailed many times, NO PLANTS/NO RESPONSE Buyer lady_zoe7 ( 0 ) May-11-05 13:29 4370895544 Reply by plantranch: BUYER SHORTED PAYMENT & DID NOT PAY S/H COST TILL A WEEK AGO May-11-05 14:22 Paid seller 1 Mo. ago-I paid s/h fees- emailed many times, NO PLANTS/NO RESPONSE Buyer lady_zoe7 ( 0 ) May-11-05 13:29 4369537209 Reply by plantranch: YES WE ARE BEHIND SORRY WE ARE JUST 5 PPL HERE, PLANTS HAVE SHIPPED NOW May-11-05 14:22 Paid seller 1 Mo. ago-I paid s/h fees- emailed many times, NO PLANTS/NO RESPONSE Buyer lady_zoe7 ( 0 ) May-11-05 13:27 4369536360 Reply by plantranch: JUST PAID S/H COST .. BUT WE ARE BEHIND & SORRY WE ARE DOING OUR BEST May-11-05 14:23 Paid seller 1 Mo. ago-I paid s/h fees- emailed many times, NO PLANTS/NO RESPONSE Buyer lady_zoe7 ( 0 ) May-11-05 13:25 4368939032 Reply by plantranch: OUR FEEDBACK SHOWS WE ARE HONEST & A GOOD SELLER, SORRY FOR DELAYS May-11-05 14:24 ===================== Now, here is the negative feedback Plantranch left on MY eBay Member Profile; my comments will be at the end of each feedback: TOLD THEM WE WERE BEHIND, JUST RUDE & MEAN, PLANTS HAVE SHIPPED Seller plantranch ( 21545) May-11-05 14:21 4368939032 **In which email was I rude and mean?? Please do point that out to me.** TOLD THEM WE WERE BEHIND & SORRY, SENT DEMANDING, THREATENING EMAILS TO US Seller plantranch ( 21545) May-11-05 14:21 4369536360 **Really? I didn't realize a simple question like "Have you shipped the plants yet?" was demanding or threatening!** WARNING~ NOTHING BUT RUDE.. NEW USER WITH LOW FEEDBACK & BAD ATTITUDE Seller plantranch ( 21545) May-11-05 14:21 4369537209 **So, in your mind low feedback automatically means BAD eBay'er who must earn the right to purchase anything on eBay without being slammed for it? I've been on eBay for a few years and a few profiles; I'm hardly a newbie. Oh, and exactly where did I come across as rude with bad atttitude?** CAUTION~NEW USER NO FEEDBACK, THUS WHY MANY SELLERS DONT ALLOW LOW BIDDERS Seller plantranch ( 21545) May-11-05 14:21 4370895544 **With high priced items this is sound logic for sellers to refuse sales to low feedback bidders, but we're talking about $22.00 here! Besides, I'm not dealing with "Many sellers"; I'm dealing with YOU. For ME, your CUSTOMER, you've not provided anything near quality service customers should be able to expect from someone with your reputation. Apparently, in your mind it's okay to accept someone's money then fail to deliver and hope no one notices. When someone does speak up, you ATTACK instead of own up to the problem.** =========================== In summary, I did everything the Plantranch's auctions instructed; I waited until the last auction closed, I purchased 5 plants and paid the $6.50 s/h charge AT THE TIME OF THE FINAL SALE, APRIL 14th, waited the 2 weeks for delivery as stated in the auction, then waited another week as requested in your email. All I wanted to know in an email is when could I expect delivery of plants I paid in full for. I was cordial and willing to be patient. Plantranch is way out of line by posting this negative (lying) feedback on me; they could have, but failed to, take(n) two minutes to write a response to my email to say "oops, we're running behind on processing orders. Your order is delayed but will be shipped on Tuesday/Wed.." or whatever day. Instead they ATTACK me for thier shoddy business practices. I will go now go out of my way to let others know to avoid them! SHAME ON YOU, PLANTRANCH! SHAME ON YOU FOR TAKING MY MONEY, TAKING YOUR TIME TO DELIVER THE PLANTS AND IGNORING MY EMAILS, AND THEN ATTACKIING ME FOR HOLDING YOU ACCOUNTABLE!

My experience has always been very positive with plantranch. They are the #1 seller on ebay, I ordered a kwansan cherry from them 1 year ago and it is blooming like crazy.2 gold weeping willows, ferns, lilacs, the list goes on and on. Don't hesitate to buy from Darin, his products will fit any yard anywhere, thanks Darin keep up the good work! Ed

I've ordered twice on eBay, mainly for a friend who needed some small trees and shrubs for a new piece of property. I was a little surprised because the weeping cherry tree was just a stick and the 5 dwarf lilacs were scraggly. I ordered in mid to late fall and frankly didn't feel like planting anything so I kept the bareroot plants wrapped and damp all winter where they proceed to sprout and leaf out! They may not make it outside but not due to anything Plant Ranch did. I just recieved an order of jasmine and honeysuckle, both are in great condition...small but very green and sending up shoots and leaves like crazy. Bet I'm gonna plant these this time!

Last year I purchased plants from several mail order companies, and by far my worst experience was with the plant ranch. Some of the plants were very, very, very small. Some of the plants were dead on arrival. And the rest of the plants were leggy stems that no amount of pruning will ever turn them into worthwhile additions to my garden. They would not reply to my e-mail messages, and in order to contact them I finally had to make a long distance phone call. I will not purchase plants from this business again. There plants are of very poor quality and their customer service is terrible.

i have sent 3 emails to this buyer to try & help .they wont reply... we have a free warranty for 1 yr if customer will contact me 800-270-8287, this is a toll free call. i cant help if a customer wont let me..20,000 happy customers & 99% + pos feedback on ebay shows we help & are a honest seller
pls call me anytime if i can be of further help
Darin