The Gardenstore

Just saw your site.... I ordered plants from this place last summer and many arrived dead. I deducted the dead from the bill, sent them a check etc. End of story. Not really. They sent me to collections for the total bill, never cashed the one they got, denied they got it. Sent them another check in November...they cashed both. I have written, called etc....no response.

Let me tell you - don't, under any circumstances order from The Gardenstore. I ordered in January, finally got a box in the middle of June that had been in transit for about 3 weeks. There was no correspondence from the company all contact was made by me as to when things were going to be shipped, then to top it off they lied about when the last items ('Pink Lace' Hydrangeas had been shipped. Again when I called them wondering where they were I was told they were no longer available and they had not been shipped.

I ordered over $150 worth of plants from the Garden Store in March, and wanted folks to know that my order was nothing but dead plants and roots. After a few calls and six weeks later, I received their check the end of June, cashed it, only to have my bank call me today to inform me that The Garden Store had stopped payment on it. Well, it's $100 down the drain, and it's cured me of buying from any garden catalog in the future. I'll stick to the local nurseries from now on! Good luck to anyone out there waiting for a refund.

Boy did I get suckered! Had I known this was Michigan Bulb I would have never placed an order. I really wanted the 'Lucifer' Canna and I did get 3 Canna tubers. 1 was DOA and the other 2 have green leaves but have yet to bloom. What a surprise that will be just to see what color since the foliage was supposed to be scarlet red trimmed in yellow…I have since learned to deal locally because lies and deceit are so much more difficult face to face.

I also have had excellent luck with "The Garden Store" catalog buys, located in Grand Rapids Michigan, but wish they would do on-line orders.

I was a bit surprised to see the negative comments about The Gardenstore. We just received our first order from them this spring and very happy with everything. We ordered two trees, which are now leafing out and several perennials, which arrived in good shape and are now growing. If they continue to perform as they have so far, we will definitely order again next year.

It is & it isn't comforting to see that so many others have had the same incredibly horrid experience I had with the ONE item order I placed with the this company. They have with out a doubt the absolute worse customer service & treatment of their customers of any company I have ever dealt with. I would most certainly not recommend them to any one. I received nothing but the run around and lies from the multiple phone calls I made to this outfit over a period of six weeks to check on the status of my order. On what they told me was their last shipping day of the year, that since my item had not shipped, they could offer me one of two options. I could wait and have my item shipped next year (if I had wanted it "next year" I would have ordered it "next year"). Or they could refund my money. I opted for my money back. When their refund check arrived they had the unmitigated gall to write on it for a refund reason "changed mind/did not like" If I had either change my mind I would not have called one it every two days for 6 weeks!!! As for "did not like" how would I know?, I never saw it! I give this company thumbs down 120%.

I tried 'The Garden Store' (aka 'Michigan Bulb') last year - got my stuff, it was of reasonably quality and did OK for the price I paid. Ordered again this year - some of my order was missing, some plants trashed on arrival. They want to give me credit - I explain that I don't want credit, I want the plants that I've been planning on getting, now I've got these empty spots. I have to write for a refund - has been 2 mos. and I'm still waiting. NEVER AGAIN!

I placed an order and made several follow-up phone calls to them inquiring about my order, which had not been shipped to me over a 4 month period. They did charge me for the order and I called them again. I was told that my order had been shipped to me and was returned to them without any stated reason. The mailing address they stated was the correct one. However, I use a post office address and when I spoke with my post office, they had not returned any package that was addressed to me. I receive packages at this address on a weekly basis and live in a small town, (where the postal workers know me) so I feel very confident that this company is unreliable and did not actually send me anything. I am also waiting to see if my refund for this order is forthcoming.

I placed a small initial order from this outfit in March 1998. It arrived within days of my Springhill and Dutch Gardens orders. I was pleasantly surprised - packaging was comparable, only 1 of the 21 items received was unacceptable. And overall, I got better results than with the other two outfits! Two additional items failed shortly after planting, but all were refunded promptly with the correct documentation. One caveat - each shipment arrives with a planting instruction booklet which includes one replacement/refund form. Be patient; request your refund (if needed) after you're reasonably sure all your plants are performing. Fingers crossed, I am ordering again from them this spring.

I got a catalog in today's mail from 'The Garden Store' also located in Grand Rapids, MI. While the order form has an 800# for ordering, a non-800# for customer service, and some varieties have Latin names; the items and descriptions seemed very much like those in Michigan Bulb catalogs. Out of curiosity, I called the 800# and found out they are a "sister company" of Michigan Bulb (located right down the street). The name "Jim Meadows" isn't on this catalog--it's "Jon Greene". Just a little information in case anyone receives a catalog.

A friend told me about wonderful material that she had received in the mail. She said the prices were wonderful and she was very excited. It sounded like Michigan Bulb Co. to me. I searched the very large colored envelope and very, very small in the upper left hand corner the Michigan Bulb Co. address was printed, with the Grand Rapids, MI address. I think this is extremely deceiving. It seems that many of us are aware of the extremely poor quality plants that are received from Mich. Bulb. The address of The Garden Store is Oak Ridge, Tenn.

I have ordered from this company, and I think this company is a part of Michigan Bulbs since the address is same. Therefore, I will never recommend anyone buy from this company. I am waiting for the replacement plants for the third time. I ordered Lupines, Primrose lilac, and some bulbs. The Lupines and the lilac never survived, so I requested for a replacement. They got here, and died. I requested again, and this time, I got rotten roots for lupines. I am so upset with the rotten roots, so I decided to write you.

I called to order their catalog, and they answered, "Michigan Bulb". Notice that the customer service hotline number, 616-771-9540, is the same as for Michigan Bulb. The catalogs seem totally different, but prices are similar. I haven't ordered from The Garden Store yet.