Fairweather Gardens

I loved this nursery. Got many plants from them, most of which are thriving. It's closed now, sadly, but I was wondering if anyone had a recommendation for an equally good mail-order nursery in the Northeast that ships good quality small trees and bushes.

I use to love to visit this nursery on their open house days and I have quite a few plants in my garden from them. I'm so sorry to see that they have closed.

An excellent nursery from which I bought a couple of times last fall. They have a great selection of plants, for me in particular, viburnums. Inded, I think I found out about this nursery in a book and thought, worth looking at online. I wanted some Carleseiis, prunifoliums, nudums and through the descriptions for their plants I felt certain that the characteristics I was interested in would be found in the plants I selected. Charactewristics like, frangrance, bloom features color, leave colors at different seasons. I found what think is an obscure nudum called Viburnum nudum var. angustifolium - Narrowleaf Possumhaw Viburnum. I got a couple of well-established specimens that I can't wait to seem go through their changes this year. All the plants I got were good size, affordable (19.95 to 29.95) with uncompacted root balls. Another sort of rare species is Lindera glauca v. angustifolia - Narrowleaf Spicebush, the leaves change color all year long and retain them in winter. They have an enormous selection of Witch Hazels in the $60s. I did not buy them from them as I found another trusted nursery that sells some variety cheaper and I am not too familiar with them. I think Fairweathers witch hazels are just a bit more established and that have quite a selection. The nursery I think only ships during the two planting seasons of fall and spring, ie not summer nor winter, fair enough, probably sell on location. Their packing is outstanding, boxes are super strong and no hint of damage. Who'd a thought that two of my favorite online nurseries are from central Jersey that I found after I moved down South.

i ordered several viburnums this fall from them. I've ordered from numerous highly rated mail order companies in the past, and I think that NONE have impressed me as much as this. A friend, who was here when the plants arrived, was amazed by the quality. The plants were huge, or as stated,healthier than any I've seen at any of the nurseries I perused all summer. The roots were completely HEALTHY, no rootbound plants as I've had horrors with in past. The roots were also white, the potting medium so "healthy" an earthworm even arrived with it. The plants are thriving. This spring, I have a bigger order (keep adding on) and I wish I had the money for more. Shipping is the same as any other online place (that I'd use), and it's worth it to me to not have to go nursery hunting, or deal with plants overwintered or rootbound or sick. Their selection is amazing for extremely hard to find (i.e. symplocos offered this spring), and it's fun to see what pops up each season. After losing TONS of money on plants of inferior quality, I'm all on the "you get what you pay for" track now. I LOVE this company. How I wish I lived closer, I'd be visiting them often.

Posted on March 29, 2012, updated October 4, 2012 Some people find Lycoris foliage to be unattractive, probably the same horrible people who recoil at the sight of wonderful hosta-like Colchicum foliage. For me, any plant that bounds into lush, vigorous growth in early spring and provides much needed greenery after a long, dull winter is delightful. And so what if it dies back slowly in midsummer, "marring" the sight of my ever-so-manicured garden beds? That is a small price to pay to grow such a beautiful plant that almost everyone will envy when it is in flower. So imagine my joy today when I unpacked a box of Lycoris chinensis in full spring growth. They were huge and had healthy, lusty foliage. Unpacking was a bit of a tedious operation, since Fairweather tried their best to make sure that the huge but brittle foliage remained in as good a condition as possible. Their efforts did not go unnoticed, LOL! This was a wonderful first experience with this company. The owner was friendly and knowledgeable and responded to both phone calls and e-mails in what seemed like minutes. I am not sure why the poster below was so displeased, but I guess some people can never be made happy. One negative thing about this order, however: they included one of their printed, full color catalogues in the shipping box and I am already drooling over some of their other plant selections. In other words, it will be great for my garden but horrible for my pocketbook, LOL! I intend to be a repeat customer. After years and years of buying plants through the mail, this appears to be one of the better nurseries out there.

The 5ft dwarf Tulip Tree "Little Volunteer" was more than I expected. Perfectly shaped. Just right for the spot we have ready. I've gotten large trees shipped in before, but Little Volunteer was packaged so well, it never shifted in the box and not one broken branch on it! I'm so impressed with the tree, the care with which it was shipped and the oh-so-important communication with Mr. Hoffman to make sure it arrived at the best time for me. And such a good price for all this service. Like with all large plants, shipping fees can really get up there. But I really wanted this tree, and to get it from anywhere else meant special ordering AND paying additional shipping anyway. The important part for me was that all these extra hoops were worth it. And in THIS case, they certainly were. There's never not enuf time to tout the best professionals.

Posted on May 8, 2011, updated March 30, 2012 This nursery sends beautifully packed, healthy, good sized plants. They have a great selection of rare and underused shrubs and trees. The Neviusias and the Halesia that I ordered were both in flower at the time of shipping, but came out of the box holding their flowers and looking like they hadn't been in a box for 3 days. Great nursery.

I ordered a Variegated Tulip Poplar (Liridendron aureomarginata) from these guys and I can honestly say the tree was in great shape, nice sized and the packaging was phenomenal especially for a tree 5 feet tall. It arrived in perfect condition, which is no small task and is thriving in my yard now. I will be ordering again and highly recommend this nursery.

Although the Fairweather Gardens online catalogue is extensive, I was only interested in one plant, Azalea Golden Showers. The price of this species was $24.95, which is reasonable. However, the postage for the one plant to be shipped to Connecticut (2 small states away) was $30.00!! I sent inquiries to a few other online nurseries to find out what they would charge to send an Azalea of a similar size, and the general consensus was that $10.00-$15.00 would more than cover the postage. So, I wrote to Fairweather gardens and asked them if they would reconfigure the postage since I was only getting one plant. Incredibly enough, Fairweather didn't even have the decency to answer my email. I'm sure I could have ordered a lot more and perhaps then the postage would not have been so out of whack. But, why should I be FORCED to order more just to have a reasonable postage quote? If someone needs just one plant, any nursery should respect that. The bottom line: two hallmarks of a successful nursery are courteousness and flexibility. This outfit apparently has neither, so I am taking my money elsewhere.

Plants ordered in the spring have thrived... Fairweather is near the top of a short list of my "go-to" mail-order retail nurseries.

I ordered two dogwoods from them this spring. They arrived beautifully packaged and were a nice size. I kept them indoors for a week and then put them on my covered deck in a sheltered spot. Both blackened and died within 2 weeks. These were expensive plants. I emailed Fairweather Gardens and within a week got a response from them. They gave me a full refund. Obviously they stand behind their product. I will continue to order from them in the future. Their plants are great and this is my first bad experience.

I absolutely love this place! We have ordered from this company for the past 3 years - everything from shrubs to trees to flowers. Everything we have purchased from them has been healthy and has grown extremely well. Even with the snowy winters and dry, hot summers of the last few years, the plants have not only survived but look good. I will definately continue to purchase from them in the future.

I love this company - it is definitely my favorite mail order source for shrubs. I have been ordering from them for several years, and their selection of hard to find gems is fabulous. Although shipping may seem high, the care taken with packaging is worth every penny. I wasn't home one year when the boxes arrived, and my husband (who is not a gardener, but recognizes quality when he sees it) was incredulous at how well things were packed and how lush and healthy the plants were when they came out of the box. Plants are always large and healthy and settle in to my garden beautifully.

Very, very pleased with this vendor. My plants arrived in great shape and were much larger than I expected. Fairweather carries some hard to find plants like sweet fern [Comptonia peregrina] and the button bush selection 'Sputnik' both of which I ordered and both of which are beautiful. Other plants in the order were equally fine. Will absolutely order from them again.

I ordered a Magnolia virginiana 'Greenbay' and it arrived packed in great condition and great size. Upon planting in my yard, it started growing immediately.

I've just ordered from Fairweather Gardens on the advice of a friend. Like others who have posted here, I've found they have a wide variety of plants which are hard to find elsewhere. Their prices and shipping charges may be a bit on the high side, but in this case you definitely get what you pay for, both in terms of quality of plants and care of shipping. I ordered four small trees, and was absolutely amazed at the way these had been packaged. Their packaging method of plastic bags, twist ties, string, and packaging tape, as described in the post by pileorocks below, immobilized the containers at one end of an oversized box. The the plant tops were left suspended in the open space above, surrounded by nothing but air. Not a leaf was lost, and not one twig was bent, let alone broken. I'd definitely order from them again.

Posted on January 6, 2010, updated January 6, 2010 Posted on April 30, 2009, updated January 6, 2010 My large order arrived quickly and the plants were full and healthy. People complain about the shipping charges, but when you see how these plants are packed, you know it took someone a lot of time. Pots are removed to keep the weight down, then rootballs are bagged in plastic (with lots of rich moist soil), and twist-tied shut. Then they are gently tied into the shipping boxes with cotton twine. Not a leaf was clipped, not a stem was broken. Well worth the expense.

I have ordered from Fairweather Gardens for several years now, and would like to give this company the praise they deserve. I have ordered from many companies in the past and very few are as good as Fairweather. My plants have been full sized, bursting out of their containers and very vigorous and healthy. Echinacea "Pink Double Delight" came as a full gallon with many healthy buds. By July, the plant was huge with multiple blooms. All shrubs have been large and vigorous. Their selection is amazing and their catalog is a plant lovers delight-and it lacks that airbrushed, too- good- to- be- true look that many of the big companies catologs have. Their shipping charges are reasonable considering the size of the plants and the excellent packing provided. I am waiting for my 2010 catalog so that I can place this years order.

Posted on July 08, 2009, updated December 30, 2009 I placed a spring order with Fairweather Gardens of about 9 viburnums. The plants arrived well packed and very healthy, larger than I expected. They were not root bound and due to the time of shipping, just breaking dormancy as they should have been. It is now mid summer and all of the viburnums I received from them are doing incredibly well. They were planted in good soil, have been kept well watered and responded great. All in all I am impressed with the quality of plants sent to me by Fairweather Gardens and will make an effort to order additional shrubs I am looking for from them first.

I got 3 great pawpaw trees from them. Even though I ordered late in the season, they were perfectly dormant, but leafed out well once I planted them, and they're thriving now. I've heard that pawpaws don't transplant well, but these are all doing great, unlike the one I got from a different nursery.

I placed an order and went to the open house to pick up my plants what a nice place... disappointed because it was too early in the season to see everything in bloom.. but all the plants bought from there are doing very well Items purchased are in my journal https://davesgarden.com/community/journals/vbc/onewish1/75173/

I love this company and consider myself a long-time customer. I visited the nursery on 03/18/09, which was one of their "shopping days." One of the plants I purchased was a Magnolia x wieseneri, about 5'- 6' tall and full of buds. Well, as the buds began opening, I noticed that the foliage was wilting and later turning black. I called Fairweather on Saturday, 04/25/09, in mid-afternoon. Not unexpectedly, I had to leave a message. Mr. Popham (one of the owners) called me first thing Monday, 04/27/09, and indicated that he believed the problem to be bacterial in nature. Without asking, he told me that I would receive a credit (refund). There was no "it's not our fault," "too bad." I received written confirmation of the credit on 04/29/09. I will continue to shop here for their great selection of plants.

Yes, the shipping might seem expensive, but the plants I recieved were HUGE, the biggest I've ever received from any mail-order company, and they were all in tip-top shape, you'd never know they'd been in a cardboard box for a couple of days. They were all in big containers with plenty of dirt, so obviously that costs more to mail. But receiving such large healthy plants is well worth the cost. There was a small "glitch" in my order, but the nice person I talked to on the phone went out of his way to make it to my satisfaction. A+!

This is my first review - the first time I have been so incensed that I just had to say something. I was unwilling to complete my order. I spent several hours compiling a cart of just the plants I really really wanted for our new place - about 15 or so, none larger than a trade gallon and most a good deal smaller. I get to shipping - it's $90. From a place just a couple hundred miles away, and for not that many plants. I thought to myself "that is insane." They lost a sale. Someone is pocketing extra money, and it's not UPS. I bet a lot of folks get to the end and say to themselves "Well, I just spent all this time deciding which plants, I may as well." and then get taken advantage of. Don't let it happen to you. Shop elsewhere, if you can.

I would like to add my highest praise for Fairweather's camellias. I ordered from them on the recommendation of a friend, and every one arrived big, healthy and in perfect condition. Their "tree tube" size plants are large and the more mature sizes are immense. I ordered by phone and can also say their customer service was a pleasure.

I cannot comment on their mail order service because I fortunately live close enough to take the drive to their nursery. My car is always chock full of big healthy plants for the return trip. All purchases have thrived except one magnolia that died due to my own negligence. It's only a couple of months until their open house days begin again. I'll be there.

what can one say about a company that is consistently excellent. my order arrived in perfect condition. the plants where not only healthily with strong root systems but they were far larger than i expected. every year the staff is very patient and helpful i just never make it through the latin names! but i always get what i want. this was certainly not my first order nor will it be my last....you can order with the utmost confidence, you will WILL NOT be disappointed.

I could not recommend this nursery more highly. They have a wonderful selection of hard to find tree's and cultivars. This spring I ordered seven trees from them, all of which were healthy and well packed. They were also all sized as advertized in their catalog. All their tree's I ordered had excellent root systems, and already appear to be thriving in the garden.

I have ordered from Fairweather since 2000 and have, for the most part, been quite satisfied. They have a great inventory and often carry items not found elsewhere from mail order sources. They overcharge, in my opinion, for shipping but the plants are well packed. I have never had a plant arrive in less than superb condition. The quality of the plants is first rate - especially the shrubs and trees. The perennials are comparable to other good mail order sources. The only plants that have failed have been perennials. Stay away from marginally hardy euphorbia - I have had no success with them and I am not a novice. Prices appear a bit high until you see what you get - never a twig but very full, established material. Do your own research because they certainly are not the hand-holding type, but if you know what you want and how to take care of it, you won't find a better source. One major drawback - no online ordering. They need to move with the times.

I received my order this weekend - I have ordered from Fairweather for the last three years - and once again I was extremely pleased. The plants were beautiful! They were well-packed, much larger than you will find at most nurseries and very healthy. I have had 100% success rate with the plants I've ordered the last few years. The trees I've received have been much envied by my gardening friends - they can't believe they were mail-ordered. I will continue to look forward to each new catalogue so I can decide which plants to order that spring.

My trees and perennials just arrived. Healthy, well-packed, and larger than I expected. They're beautiful!

Received order exactly at the time requested, well packed, plants in very good shape.

Fairweather Gardens has stuff that no one else has, at least not here in Southeastern Pa! The upcoming Open House in Sept will be my 3rd visit. Aside from the great plants, there is nothing better than a business that is responsive to client input. Last year we waited a long time in line and when we were not doing that we were wondering around the greenhouses without a wagon and thumbing through the catalog looking for what we wanted. There were people to help us, but I think they numbered about 3 or 4. This last spring, they cancelled the first open house due to snow, but they called me and asked what I might like to do with my pre-order. Good news. Better was when we did go,a full month later, they had indeed held my order intact. There were lots of wagons and you could not go 2 feet without tripping over someone who not only knew plants, they knew Fairweather's stock. To top it all off they handed everyone who entered an inventory catagorized by greenhouse. Plants of course were wonderful!! Excellent foliage and roots. I even saw them take some plants out of the selling area because they were not happy with one or the other and were not sure they would do well. It may well be good to remember that Fairweather was not intended to be a retail nursery and as such they hire folks for the plants most of the year. They are far less demanding than people. No one likes to be treated poorly especially when you are spending your hard earned money, but isn't it great when progress is made in service and quality of product remains constant? Good work Fairweather!

I have ordered many items from Fairweather over the past 3-4 years and consider this to be the premier woody plant nursery on the East coast. Invariably the plants have been larger than indicated, in vibrant health and extremely well packed. A real (and often overlooked) indication of plant quality is the correlation between top growth and root ball size. Many nurseries (for understandable reasons) push top growth with heavy applications of fertilizer. This can result in plants that languish for some time when planted in the garden as the propotionally smaller root mass struggles to catch up with the top. This is never the case with plants from Fairweather. Prices may seem comparatively high, but the value is always excellent. Last fall's catalog contained two things I've coveted for some time, so I called about the advisability of fall planting in a somewhat iffy climate. I was advised not to attempt it. This is obviously a company that cares more about long term customer satisfaction than sales.

I placed my first order with them last Spring. The plants were big, in good condition and the packaging was great! The only reason I rate this company as a neutral experience is their unfriendly, unhelpful attitude. Their arrogance is unmatched in the retail market place and it's a shame because they have a big selection and the pricing was great but I haven't decided yet if I will purchase from them again.

I'm a northern gardener in a pocket zone 6. Usually plants arrive for zone 5, we're on the lake in Ohio, but by that time we've missed the rains and I'm stuck watering my babies every night. I stuck a note on the order form in the off chance that because they are a small nursery they might notice my preferred ship time. They did!!! Of course, this year we had a freak frost, the first in 25 years, and my big leaf magnolia got frozen in the UPS truck. So did everyone's vegetable gardens. By the Fall, it grew back from the ground taller than when it arrived. It must have had great roots. The other plants were very large, and healthy and didn't even notice they took a trip. I'm very happy with their stock. Also, I left a message requesting directions to the nursery for the sale. They arrived in the mail a week or so later. I've never spoken to anyone, but there is defineately someone there.

I have only ordered for the first time this fall and was extremely pleased with the size and vigor of the perennials and, in particular, of the shrubs. The price was very reasonable given the size of the plants sent. I plan on ordering again in the future.

Their selection is really interesting- The shipping is first rate and the plants are of truly excellent size- no babies here. Many of their plants can't be gotten- in the sizes that they sell- from many or any other mailorder growers. This is a small operation and they do make it clear that having a lot of personal attention- esp. by phone is an iffy proposition. In ref. to comments about plants being sold out- Hard as it is, it pays to order early- they can't re-grow oversold items overnight- That is the frustrating thing about this business: try as you might, you can't always predict what might be popular, what might succumb to a disease, what might not propagate, etc.

I ordered several plants in advance to pick up at one of their open days. Quality is generally good, although one of the honeysuckles appears to be dead. The main problem is with buying any additional plants at the open day. I waited in line for 3 hours to make a purchase on the Friday - I hate to imagine what the Saturday was like.

This place has a great selection of trees that are hard to find. I called to place an order for a fig tree that was about $10 under the minimum order. I asked if I could fill in the order with some flowers, or a planter, etc. and the person said he didn't have time for that. The catalog would cost $4 and there wasn't enough time for me to receive one and place an order (Friday was their last day to send out plants?). In summary, they emailed me to let me know they had what I wanted, but wouldn't send it to me. Extremely unhelpful person on phone, and extremely frustrating experience. If you can find what you're looking for somewhere else you'll save yourself from having to deal with these people.

I placed an order with this company for more than the minimum required (that in itself is annoying). Several weeks later I received a letter indicating that some items were not available which brought my order under the minimum. I am annoyed because they have something I really wanted and have had a hard time finding. Now they will send nothing.

I have placed several orders with Fairweather Gardens. The shrubs, their packaging, and the timeliness of their arrival were outstanding. They were as robust as the shrubs in local good garden centers.

Just wanted to comment regarding the order placed with Fairweather Gardens. My plants arrived on time and they were healthy and bigger than what I expected. I was very pleased with the packaging -- especially since I ordered a tree that had an additional charge for handling and shipping -- it was worth it! All plants arrived in great shape -- they were excellent. I do want to comment on the service I received from Fairweather Gardens. I did not find the staff very friendly or helpful. I was looking for a particular tree and emailed the company about availability. The response was curt, arrogant and rude as is their whole catalog with all the do's and don'ts for contacting them. They gave me the impression that they had been inconvenienced by answering my question. If this had not been a plant I was dying for - I would not have placed the order with them and I'm not sure that I will order again.

I phoned to discuss several plants, prior to purchase. The owner was SO helpful, particularly about botanical information. I ordered, and the plants arrived promptly, in robust, healthy condition. I was thrilled with my interaction, and will be purchasing more plants this spring.

I have ordered from and visited the Fairweather Nursery in NJ. I have always received the size or larger plants than I expected. They are very well packaged in custom designed boxes. Without question the best mail order nursery for woody plants I have dealt with in 30 plus years. Bob and Bob are the owners and a bit fussy but good plantsmen.

I ordered from FW in spring 1999 (four items). I was quite please with what arrived, although one magnolia had recently been potted up and was a tad small for the pot. I didn't find the prices as expensive as many say. They don't have ordinary plants, they pack, and ship, beautiful plants, and often, as they say, you get what you pay for. As I am formerly from NJ/PA area, I sent my sister down to visit during an open house, she called me back RAVING about the place, she has since returned and sent many of her friends; I have also referred people because of what my sister said, and I have heard nothing but very good feedback. On a negative note, the gentlemen can be slightly snippy when they answer the phone. All in all, I heartily recommend the place and can't wait until I settle in one place again and can start gardening again.

I hate to break the chain of complimentary posts here but after two placing two separate orders with Fairweather, I was less than impressed. My first order was for a fall blooming camellia. In total with shipping and handling I paid $40 for this plant. What arrived was nothing more than a 12" single stem cutting. I was horrified, I felt ripped off. I never complained because I just never had the time, my fault I guess. That was two years ago and this plant has barely grown. This past fall, I saw a similar fall-blooming camellia at local nursery that was close to 4 feet and was only $34. I should have bought it.This past spring I placed another order for a Phormium and a purple cordyline. the phormium was out of stock so I never got that one but I did get the cordyline, or should I say, I received a pot that the cordyline should have been in. There was absolutely no top growth whatsoever. Knowing that cordyline is not a dieback perennial, it was apparent that someone goofed big time. This time a I wrote Fairweather and complained and I did get a refund, no explanation, but I did get a refund. I later reordered the same cordyline from Plant Delights for less money and received a super looking plant. I have been told by people who have visited the nursery during their open houses that they have gotten great deals. Perhaps I will try that some day. In the meantime I will never order through the catalog again. Also, I really think their handling charges are obscene especially since I did not notice anything out of the ordinary as far as packing goes with my orders. It's not like they're giving their plants away so they shouldn't have to make it up on the S&H charges. Everything about this nursery is expensive, the catalog, the plants, the shipping, and the handling, so be prepared. For what they charge, I would expect nothing less than perfection which is a far cry from what I experienced. Sorry Fairweather!

Ordering late in the season, I was able to obtain several hard-to-find shrubs from Fairweather. The plants arrived PDQ and very carefully packed. The owners of Fairweather were extremely helpful when I phoned to discussavailability and hardiness - even checked their plant databank for cultural information. I've ordered from them previously, and have always been very happy with the plants and the customer service.

I have had the pleasure of dealing with Fairweather Gardens for the past 3 years, and have never been disappointed. Their plants are healthy and substantial and they are the nicest people to deal with.

I'm an avid gardener, I greatly appreciate your website, and I'd like to offer my two cents on one of my favorite mail-order nurseries, Fairweather Gardens in South Jersey.For about the past four or five years, Fairweather had moved to near the top of my list of preferred companies to deal with. I found that their catalog was very interesting and well-organized, and that their selection of plants were extremely well-chosen. Their prices were always a bit high, but the outstanding quality of plant material that they sent almost always justified the price. The customer service was perhaps not their strongest suit, but it was certainly more than adequate, at least to meet my needs. This Spring, the Spring of 2000, however, I must report somewhat less satisfaction. I placed an order, never received confirmation that the order was even placed, and heard nothing and received nothing for more than two months. My phone calls were handled professionally and courteously, but they never were able to give me a concrete answer as to what had happened to my order or when or if it was to be shipped. When my plants did arrive (finally!), they were, as always, top notch and healthy. But it kinda messed up my spring planting season thinking that I had two hundred dollars-worth of plants coming in early or mid-March and then not receiving them untilearly May. I'm not sure what the explanation is for all this. Maybe all of the positive word-of-mouth that customers like me have been spreading about Fairweather over the past few years has added up to a big increase in sales volume for them, which they were not equipped to handle. Whatever the reason, I was disappointed this Spring, but I've had so many good experiences with Fairweather that I'm certainly going to give them another chance next year. We'll see what happens.