Quality Dutch Bulbs Inc.

Ordered some plants over a year ago which did not sprout. Returned the shipping label with a letter explaining and as yet have heard nothing. There is no answer at the "800" number given and no email address shown on the net. One must be suspicious of companies which hide thier accessability and consider it a desire not to deal with customers directly because it is a bother.

All orders were placed during the same week. Arrival time spanned over a month. All plants appeared well-wrapped and healthy at that time.All were planted as per instructions. Astilbe, white - all 4 growing; only 2 flowering; Amethyst Astilbe, all 4 growing, only 1 flowering); Goat's Beard - all 4 growingAstilbes are planted next to foundation; in heavy clay with some amendment and excellent drainage. The Goat's Beards are planted in part sun, amended heavy clay, but not as well drained as Astilbes. NOTE: catalog promised complete instruction guide; a single sheet with almost no text and minimal artwork was sent.[update September 1999]All 4 Goat's Beard are dead; 6 of the Astilbe survived.

My first experience with Netherlands Bulb was disappointing. I was enticed by the beautifully photographed gardens in the catalog. I ordered a "lily collection", some bleeding hearts, and freesia bulbs. I ordered them in June, believing that the order wouldn't be shipped until that coming autumn. The order arrived within a few weeks. I was 7 months pregnant and had no business digging to prepare a flowerbed. I noticed little gnat-type insects in the peat that the bulbs were shipped in. I should have taken a hint. After planting the entire order, not a thing grew. I went to all that exhausting work for nothing! The catalog from which I ordered was called Quality Dutch Bulbs. I don't agree!

I just ordered from them this year. I think their prices are reasonable. I received my things in good timing and so far, almost everything is coming up. I think I had one moldy bulb out of about 34 plants. All the daylilies had two eyes and they have all comeup and are growing well.[update 7/1999]Following up on my comments about Quality Dutch Bulbs, 14 of my fifteen lilies bloomed very nicely and matched the pictures in the catalog. So far, two of the cannas I received are blooming and the others have good foliage. Of the daylilies I received, all of them bloomed, but only one was the variety it was supposed to be. I wrote Quality to tell them about it, and they sent me a credit for the daylily package I had purchased. I was very satisfied with my purchase and customer service from them.

I ordered from Quality Bulbs last year for the first time. I received the dahlias, canna, white tiger lilies, hosta and ferns in the middle of March (I live in Michigan; there was 8" on snow on the ground then). I potted everything up to start inside, and in May wrote to them to report on what hadn't survived. They replaced all the canna, dahlias and lily bulbs, even though some had survived. So far I was happy. But one of the hosta was not the variety I had ordered, and the white tiger lilies turned out to all Asiatic lilies, and the white-with-violet edging Eveline dahlias turned out to be huge dinner-plate yellow. I didn't bother contacting them again and certainly won't order again.

They are a sister company with Netherlands Bulb; same good service, and toll free number.