P.O. Box 4147
Arcata, California 95518 (United States)

Reviews:

positives
neutrals
negatives

Displaying the 25 most recent reviews

RatingContent
Positive
On Jul 27, 2023, weimersuzanne (4 reviews) from Mertztown, PA

I just purchased Cyrtanthus obliquus and a Bomarea hirtella from Telos. First off the selection is wonderful. The prices are good and Diana answered all of my questions quickly and thoroughly. After I placed my original order I decided I wanted to add something else so Diana reccomended I place a new order for the additional item and she'll combine the two and refund the shipping on the other which she did promptly. My order arrived quickly and my plants are healthy and look great. I would highly recommend Telos.

Neutral
On Aug 10, 2019, pebbles123 (3 reviews)

I am a sucker for top notch customer service. Not what it used to be. Very condescending people. I canceled my order

Negative
On Jul 30, 2019, Nanthawat (2 reviews) from Portland, OR (Zone 8b)

I purchased Oxalis palmifrons and Oxalis versicolor from them, they sent me empty husks and rotten bulb, I tried contacting them, showed them pictures of the bulbs they sent me...first she said that those weren't the bulbs they sent and they don't recognize it (even though it literally came from them) and they accused me of fabricating the situation and called me a con artist.

Negative
On Nov 25, 2018, Tikaani (3 reviews) from Shelton, WA

This company sells bulbs on Ebay. Dealing with the business owner over a problem order was not a pleasant experience as she was nasty and miserly. I will not detail the specific circumstances, but its safe to say that if you have a problem order, you might be S.O.L. I had no problem with the packing or the product, its the customer service.

Positive
On Sep 19, 2014, Alexander_R (6 reviews) from Santa Clarita, CA (Zone 9b)

This was my first time ordering from this company, and I am very impressed. My order was nearly $200 for 9 different varieties, all very difficult to find, and I received everything I originally wanted without any problems. Diana the owner even added in a few extras for free. I have only grown the Tecophilaea cyanocrocus before, and based off of that, I can say these bulbs are blooming sized.

Positive
On Sep 13, 2014, Patty57 (27 reviews) from Wake Forest, NC (Zone 7b)

This was my first order from Telos Rare Bulbs. Was pleasantly pleased with them. I like their website, communication was great, packaging of plants, wonderful and the plants themselves were very healthy. Would order again!

Positive
On Feb 20, 2012, jbreuner (2 reviews) from Orinda, CA (Zone 9b)

I've ordered twice from Telos and have been very pleased with both orders. My bulbs arrived on time and in very good order, and always with some extra bulbs thrown in for good measure. Excellent quality and value, and everything I put in the ground has come up beautifully. They sell a wide variety of bulbs from all over, not just the run-of-the-mill varieties you'll find in the retail nurseries. Definitely recommended!

Positive
On Nov 21, 2011, Ispahan (55 reviews) from Chicago, IL (Zone 6a)

Posted on September 4, 2005, updated November 21, 2011 I placed my first order with this company in July of 2005 and was delighted to find that the owner was exceptionally communicative and helpful. The bulbs received were of exceptional quality. I just placed another order with her; I can't wait to receive my new goodies! :-)


On November 21st, 2011, Ispahan added the following: I placed two more orders with Telos this fall and was please to find their quality and customer service is still impeccable. My new bulbs are thriving! We are so lucky to have this company around to propagate and sell rare geophytes that are often available nowhere else.

Positive
On Sep 11, 2011, psychloman (50 reviews) from Brooklyn, NY (Zone 7a)

My first order from Telos;five different Lycoris and one Chlidanthus.I can highly recommend this nursery,the bulbs arrived in great shape and some had massive root systems.Had I known the length of the root systems I would have bought deeper pots.Can't wait to order again.

Positive
On Feb 11, 2010, PamelaQ (22 reviews) from Navarre, FL (Zone 8b)

I just received my bulbs with healthy green leaves on them. They look very nice and arrived in a very timely manner. All in all, this was a very nice shopping experience!

Positive
On Nov 24, 2009, SDCA (20 reviews) from San Diego, CA

I just received my second order from Telos. My first order was several years ago and all of those bulbs are still alive and some are even flowering now. There was a bit of a mixup with my second order and, long story short, I am 100% satisfied with the way the situation was resolved. I'm not a bulb specialist but I do know that Telos' selection is unique and the plants show up quickly and in fantastic condition. I will definitely be back for more. Potential new customers should order with confidence.

Positive
On May 3, 2009, balberth (18 reviews) from (Zone 9a)

I received an order from Telos last year, and currently have an order in with them for shipment this year. They offer a lot of quite hard to obtain material, and that which I received, as far as I can tell, was correctly identified. Shipping is very seasonal, depending on the dormancy cycle of the bulbs, and is therefore not usually instant like you might expect from other larger scale retailers, and the ordering process is a little bit complex, but I did receive almost immediate confirmation of my order. Many of the bulbs that I got were small. Some of the species are just naturally small growers, and some of the bulbs were just small - though they did tend to send extra bulbs if they were small, and I can't really complain when it's such a rare species to begin with. All the bulbs I received were viable and broke dormancy when their season came around. I'm pleased with my experiences with Telos and will definitely be ordering again - they offer very rare material at a very fair price, and the quality is good. The bulbs are not always the biggest, but given the species offered, I don't consider this a problem.

Positive
On Sep 22, 2008, elli77 (1 reviews) from Richmond, CA

I placed a large order with telos and am very happy - some of the bulbs are a bit smaller, but you get extras. the majority of the bulbs are fat and firm - for sure a retailer to keep in mind when thinking about bulbs.

Positive
On Nov 8, 2007, Tropicanna (12 reviews) from Clemmons, NC (Zone 7b)

Telos has a great selection of rare bulbs at a good price. Just received my first order from them, it shipped quickly, and included some extras. Will surely order from them again and recommend them to anyone interested in the unusual.

Positive
On Oct 4, 2007, kudzu9 (7 reviews) from Seattle area, WA (Zone 8b)

This site has an amazing variety of unusual bulbs, and has photos of most of the plants. The prices seem quite reasonable for such exotic stuff, and I ordered over $100 worth of bulbs since I felt comfortable based on the positive reviews in GardenWatchdog. I received the shipment when promised (a lot of the bulbs are for fall delivery), and I received almost everything I ordered (2 bulbs were out of stock, and a refund check was included to reimburse me for these). The bulbs were all clearly packaged and there were planting instructions or extra information provided for many of them. All of the bulbs looked healthy, and Telos even included some extra bulbs in the shipment. I'll definitely be ordering again.

Positive
On Sep 22, 2007, vossner (118 reviews) from East Texas,
United States (Zone 8a)

I am impressed w/ the bulb selection and think the prices are reasonable. Shipment was prompt and communications efficient.

Positive
On Dec 28, 2006, cowboy (11 reviews) from cairo, GA (Zone 8b)

i ordered 12/20/06, they came 12/26/06. 2 each of 2 bulbs, fine quality, planted, and ready to do their thing. * * * * * (5 star)


On December 28th, 2006, cowboy added the following: sorry, WRONG company, telos hasn't responded since 12/18/06 about availability????????????

Positive
On Dec 22, 2006, Strever (10 reviews) from Hiouchi, CA (Zone 8b)

very good selection of rare bulbs & plants, with quick efficient delivery. nice size also

Neutral
On Nov 28, 2006, mamajack (17 reviews) from Fate, TX (Zone 8a)

the bulbs were sale priced but still very small for the money. they sent one extra bulb of one of the varieties.

Positive
On Nov 4, 2006, dmj1218 (23 reviews) from west Houston, TX (Zone 9a)

I recently recieved an order from this company; which I put in at the very tail-end of their shipping season. This is an outstanding bulb company--excellent quality and included many extras. The bulbs were all large and expertly shipped. This is probably the best company that I have ever ordered bulbs from and wished I had put in a larger order. They will definitely get repeat business from me next year!


On December 9th, 2006, dmj1218 added the following: I recently received a second order from this company and am even more pleased with the product and service. If you are a serious bulb collector, this is the best nursery for hard to find species. One should be aware that there are variations in size among different members of the same genus--for instance Lycoris and Crinum; not all species of Lycoris and Crinum have the same size bulbs even at maturity. There are natural variations within a genus and if one is aware of these natural variations--then what you get is quality form this company. I will add bulbs to my collection every year from Telos Rare Bulbs. And the extra bulbs are greatly appreciated and above and beyond the norm.

Positive
On Oct 19, 2005, dave12122 (83 reviews) from East Haddam, CT

I ordered only three different types of bulbs, but they were expertly packed and appear very healthy. Telos included 2 free bulbs so that I got 6 of one variety instead of 4! I would definitely order from them again!.

Positive
On Sep 2, 2005, nevadagdn (118 reviews) from Sparks, NV (Zone 7a)

Communication with this company was excellent. I received order confirmation emails, and when both of my selections proved unavailable, the owner sent me an email with a list of what was available from my substitution list. Although I received substitutions, they are bulbs I also craved, and they are just beautiful. The Lilium parryi are so gorgeous I almost hate to put them in the ground because I just want to look at the bulbs!

Positive
On Aug 26, 2005, ching (6 reviews) from Austin, TX

Great bulbs! A few were much larger than I expected, and they even threw in a couple of extras. Everything arrived right on time with their shipping dates. The catalog gave an honest description of what I received. I couldn't be happier with my purchase. John

Positive
On Jul 9, 2003, SGP (2 reviews)

I have purchaed bulb, plants from this nursery for several years and their plant material is in excellent condition upon receipt. They are very help in providing plant culture information and any question asked. Prices are reasonable and you get what is described in catalog.

Neutral
On Mar 11, 2003, tranquil (2 reviews) from Ladson, SC

I bought bulbs from this person. They arrived in good condition and correctly named. I will buy again from her.


On March 12th, 2003, tranquil changed the rating from positive to neutral

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