Comments regarding The Lily Garden

Fantastic and simply outstanding bulbs!

We mailed an order for about 30 bulbs in August. We could never contact them in spite of our anxious communication efforts via email, telephone or even fax. Anyway, we knew that the bulbs were expected to be delivered in late September. This had been our first order with The Lily Garden. Although we could not get in touch with the company, we had great trust on Judith, and we knew that she will come through unless she was sick. This was because we read many good things about Judith that lead us to have great respect for her as a dedicated scientist who spent her life in hybridizing new varieties of Lilies, including the "Scheherazade".

Well, the "long wait" and trust were worth! We received nicely packaged fresh large bulbs on time. The Scheherazade, Silk Road, Sinfonia, Midnight, Dunyazade, etc bulbs were spectacular. We ordered Scheherazade and Silk Road bulbs from two other companies. The Lily Garden's bulbs were almost double the size of those bulbs and were of better quality.

We will order from The Lily Garden again, and we will learn to wait even if we do not receive any response from them soon enough. After all, isn't "waiting patiently" one of the virtues of a real "gardener"? Don't we have to wait for more than six months to see our Scheherazade coming through the ground in Spring?

We recommend the Lily Garden very strongly!

I ordered lilies in August. The lilygarden has been almost impossible to communicate with. I have emailed for order confirmation three times, without response. I have left a phone message, without response. The order was supposed to be shipped mid October. I finally got a phone message last week that the order was shipping that week, still hasn't arrived. It is October 28, and snowing tonight in Michigan. After several attempts at calling during their extremely limited office hours, no answering machine, I spoke to someone, who does not know if the order was shipped. I requested a refund if it has not been. Will I ever get it? Who knows.

Stay away from this site, unless you want endless frustration, and very possibly, no lilies.

I placed a first time order for bulbs from the Lily Garden on 9/3/08. I tried to confirm the order by calling several times and sending an email to which I got no reply. I was happy to find this site where I read of others having similar experiences. Today 10/23/08 I received all the bulbs I ordered plus a bonus bulb (Leslie Woodruff). So I wanted to post and encourage others that despite the lack of response to their customers they do send the beautiful lilies that they offer.

I can totally relate to the 2 negative comments previously posted. I sent an order as a pdf attachment to an email. After a week, I noticed that the email address on the website is different from the one on the order form. So I sent the pdf attachment to that address, asking for confirmation of receipt. Several days later, I faxed the order, commenting on the 2 emails that had gone unacknowledged. I soon received an email confirming that they had my order. This was in August and apparently I had ordered from the 2007 list of available lilies (which was still on the website). Three were not being listed in 2008 but she had two of them on hand and would be happy to send them. Regarding the one that was not available, she asked if I wanted to select another lily or receive a substitution selected by them. I immediately replied with a selection of another lily. I wasn't surprised that I didn't get a reply, assuming they were very busy. In mid-September, I emailed again and asked to have two collections added to my order -- 18 more bulbs. No reply, but I trusted that she would handle it. I didn't want to be a pesky customer.

Well, the bulbs arrived on Friday, Oct. 17. The substitution that I requested was not made. She did substitute one -- which is perfectly fine with me -- and she also sent two bulbs of the 2 they aren't offering this year. I thought that was very nice! All bulbs all looked nice and healthy. But the 2 collections were not included. She missed a potential sale as I have found another source.

So my conclusion is that they have an outstanding product and a successful business. Maybe now would be a good time to get a temporary office worker to process orders and return correspondence. Otherwise I fear their business will suffer as new customers like me become frustrated.

Is this company still in business? I called them multiple times in August and left a voice-mail to call me back. I sent them an e-mail in August. I sent them an order form with my credit card number. I called again today and checked their website to see if they were out of business. I have not once heard from this company. As far as I can tell, they have not charged my credit card for my order, and I have not received any bulbs or shipment notices. If they are out of business, they should update their website and voice-mail. Given all the positive comments in the past, I do not understand this behavior unless they are out of business. If they are still in business, it's a lousy way to treat potential customers. I was really impressed by their website and beautiful bulbs, but how do I buy them????

This has been the most frustrating and unpleasant experience EVER with a mail order garden company, and I have been gardening for many years. I sent in an order for bulbs by mail in July with a check for $67.00, which was promptly cashed. I have never heard from them again. I have emailed them 6 times, yes SIX!! with no response. When you call their telephone number, they do not even have an answering machine and they never answer, it just rings and rings. What kind of business is this? I am afraid I will be reporting them to their local Better Business Bureau as well as their Attorney General's Office. They are behaving in a disreputable fashion and I can only conclude that they are dishonest. I am sorry to have to write this, but I want others to be aware. Take your money and your business elsewhere.

I ordered 9 lilies from The Lily Garden last fall. The bulbs were large and healthy, and they grew true to name and flowered beautifully this year. They also added a bonus bulb of Scheherazade, which I thought was generous. Two thumbs up and I'll be ordering from them again!

Wonderful company! They really do guarantee their bulbs! I ordered lilies last year from this company and planted them in pots. Only 2 of the 7 survived. The Lily Garden replaced the bulbs.

This time I planted the bulbs in the ground instead of pots. Can't wait to see the blooms next year. Will definately order from The Lily Garden again!

Received my lilies last week. All were big and plump. I made a close inspection and found all of them to be nice and firm. I also got bonus bulbs like the other satisfied customers. Will definately order from them again.

I cannot rate this company high enough. I got my order exactly when they said I would and the size of the bulbs, well, the smallest of the 8 varieties was the size of my fist, about 4" across!!! I ordered 7 bulbs and received a bonus bulb for free!!! This is the only company I will EVER buy lilies from ever again!!!

I have ordered from The Lily Garden for 3 years. Ever year they blow me away with the size and excellence of their bulbs. Every interaction with this company has been marked by a kind of gracious generosity which is quite rare. This year I had ordered, in addition to other lilies, one bulb of ICE CAVES. Imagine my surprise when instead of one lily - I received a bag of 5 lilies with a hand written note explaining that because some of this type was blooming with a bit of pink they wanted to give me enough lilies to ensure I would get a perfect green and white one. This sort of thoughtfulness is a trademark of this company. If bulbs have looked a trifle small to the packers they always add a few more to make sure that the customer is happy.(and I am always made happy!) They are always very patient with questions and I think being able to talk to the actual hybridizer of the lily is invaluable. You do have to email,call or mail your order in - I recommend email which I have had a very quick response time with. Every time a package arrives from TLG - it is a bit like Christmas!

Very impressed! I placed a really late order after emailing to check on the stock. They shipped them out the very next day and they arrived really fast and in terrific shape, despite it being so late. Not only did they include the bonus bulb for faxing or mailing the order form, but they included extra bulbs of almost everything I ordered-I'm going to be busy! I didn't even place a very large order.
I'm super-impressed and definitely plan to order from them again this fall (promptly this time!!)

Nice bulbs and very generous from my past experience. I ordered from her this Spring and last year, and plan to do so in the future. It really isn't that difficult to send in an order via the mail :*) Give her a try!

What a great company! I like to place orders online so I put-off ordering from The Lily Garden, which requires customers to call/mail in orders (OK, so I'm shy and lazy). Well, my only regret is that I didn't order from The Lily Garden sooner! The selection is outstanding. The hybrids created by The Lily Garden are some of the most spectacular you will find anywhere, so I had to order some for my own garden. As billed, they sent extra bulbs that were accompanied by handwritten notes. The bulbs were perfectly healthy and well-sized. The Lily Garden may appear to be expensive, but you will get your money's worth and then some! I'm already selecting bulbs to order from them this fall.

Got my order within a week. Bulbs are huge with sprouts. Got more bulbs than what I ordered without getting charged more and the are all healthy. Also got for free 2 different kinds of lily bulbs. Sent them an email and got a prompt response to my question. Can't believe I got all of those extra bulbs. I had wanted to order more but my order was already $125. Now I don't have to wait till next year to get more since I have these extra bulbs but I probably will because they are spectacular.I can't wait for them to come up. Definetly recommend. You won't be sorry. Hope the lily beetle does't come to my area.

This is an 8-acre establishment in its 23rd. year with a 100 point rating and I am a first-time customer ordering only 5 bulbs, so imagine my surprise and delight upon receiving my bulbs with HAND WRITTEN notes such as: "White Butterflies (watch out -don't break the sprout)", and "Lilium regale -they sprout early so I added on an extra -if you don't break the shoot, both will bloom this year". Plus: a beautiful, complimentary "Silk Road"! Thank you, Judith and Catherine! I'll be writing back with photos of my first-ever lily growing experience.

I ordered a couple dozen bulbs on a Thursday. I got them the following Monday! They're all beautiful and big-and with great extras! I called on the phone and the woman who took my order was very polite and helpful. I highly recommend ordering from here! You will be thrilled with their lilies!

I was so excited to have found the Lily Garden last winter. I found myself ordering a bunch of selections that I hadn't seen anywhere else. They arrived in perfect condition and were of standard size, all bloomed the summer after planting. They gave me the choice of a delivery date, which was great and they arrived exactly as planned. During my lily selection, they quickly answered my questions via e-mail and were available by phone during the hours they had stated in the catalog. I would recommend the Lily Garden without a doubt.

I discovered the Lily Garden just before Christmas. I was shocked by the beauty of so many new varieties. The winter was still mild and I couldn't bear the thought that I had to wait until spring to plant the bulbs. So I emailed Catherine and asked her if she could put together a 10 bulb order and ship it before the New Year. She was so kind to reply my messages during the holidays and the package arrived just before the New Year weekend. I was so happy with the huge and healthy bulbs, not to mention the generous bonus bulbs. The bulbs should be growing their roots by now. :) If every single nursery operates like the Lily Garden, we’d no longer be surprised by honest and great mail orders.

Great service and good quality of the Orienpet bulbs! Thanks!

I've ordered three times from The Lily Garden and have only good things to say. Before ordering from them, our garden featured a few Stargazers from the local nursery and some gorgeous Muscadets from Costco. What a revelation to see all the unique lilies from The Lily Garden--I confess that I salivate over at the catalog all the time. Judith was very kind with my e-mailed lily questions and all the bulbs arrived healthy and plump. Last summer's lilies were magnificent, even though they were planted quite late. This fall, I put in two orders, unable to resist some of the company' unusual Orienpets and the Angela North Asiatic hybrid. My last order came with an extra Scene Stealer bulb--which are not inexpensive. Can't wait to see the bulbs flower next summer.

I received my first Lily Garden order a few weeks ago and couldn't be happier with the experience. There were a few communication lags early on, when I tried to reach them but couldn't, and email replies were very long in coming, but they came through when it mattered most and expedited my order when I suddenly needed them to. Most importantly, the bulbs are well sized and healthy, and the catalog and selection is beyond drool worthy. It took days to narrow down my order. Plus I feel very good ordering from someone who's done so much as a hybridizer.

This is my third season buying lilies from TLG - their catalog is great winter reading, the lily selection ranges from the tried and true to cutting edge. They are always responsive to questions and have excellent customer service.
I received lilies less than 1 week after my order was placed. They arrived in perfect condition, were generously sized. I can only say good things about this company - Thank you!

My bulbs arrived yesterday in beautiful condition. I am confident they will do well. This is a family operated business. They are hybridizers. They plant, nuture, harvest and ship their bulbs. The bulb are given TLC and it shows. Thank you Lily Garden for all your hard work and the lovely gift of 'Leslie Woodriff'.

After much deliberation and fretting and rethinking, I submitted my first order to Lily Garden in early spring. I loved everything in their catalog and chosing was torture! The order was promptly shipped; as I am in a cold zone but on a sandy south facing slope, I was very pleased with this option. My soil heats quickly in the spring and late shipping can be misery for my plants. There were some extra bulbs in two of the packages- I am not sure if it was because the bulbs were small for that type, or just for because. There was also one substitution - with a personal note detailing Judith's thought process in chosing it. Bottom line, she chose the sub for the same reasons I chose the origional; scent, bloom time, and bright color. I couldn't have been more pleased, in fact, the one she chose was one I had sadly taken off my order to begin with when Husband saw my total! Now it is three months later and all but one bulb are up and great and some are preparing to bloom. I will be placing my fall order any day now!

I am overwhelmed by the size, quality, condition -- and NUMBER of the bulbs I received. They are so perfectly formed and clean, I wonder if these folks stay up at night polishing them. And they are so generous with bonus bulbs I was able to fill in all those awkward spots with plants I am confident will reward me with outstanding bloom and delicate color. The Lily Garden is everything a plant company should be: innovative, customer-oriented and run by real gardeners! I feel sure I will be ordering from them again and again. Spread the word and share this gem with all your gardening friends; the world will be a more beautiful place with their exquisite lilies in bloom.

The Lily Garden sets the standard for quality, variety and service. I was initially reserved when I saw there were substitutions, until I realized that the subs were the more expensive varieties that I had restrained myself from buying! Not only that, they doubled the quantity substituted. My $15 selection (3 bulbs @ $5 each) became $60 (6 bulbs @ $10 each). There were two substitutions on my order, so I'll always remember to check that little box in the future. The bulbs themselves are fat, solid and unusually large for their type. Needless to say, I won't be looking any further than The Lily Garden for lily purchases in the future; they have a lifelong fan.

I ordered lily seeds and received a bonus package of seeds with my order. Considering I mailed my order in, I was very surprised by the speedy way my order arrived. I plan to buy bulbs from them in the spring.

Awesome Service and Awesome Bulbs.

I received my first order from the Lily Garden on10/14/05. The bulbs were nice, but some of my order was missing.
When I notified them of the problem, they were very polite and promptly sent me the missing items which I received today. Furthermore, they sent me an extra bulb with the second shipment even though I had received a bonus in my first order. I am tremendously pleased. Very professional, prompt response, good product. I couldn't ask for more. This company deserves every lily lover's business.

Sent my first order in September, 2005 with instructions for an early October delivery. Shipment arrived promptly. Bulbs were huge! I ordered 3 of the O.T. Lily "Silk Road" and 3 of the Asiatic "Duo." Also received 1 of the O.T. Lily "Scheherazade". Have already planted my bulbs and can't wait for next year. (I also can't wait for the Spring catalog).

I bought 12 lilies from The Lily Garden late in the spring. They sent me 18 and everyone has taken off. The bulbs were very large and did well. A+
I don't think that you can miss.

The Lily Garden sent huge, healthy bulbs (the nicest I've ever received) and a bonus!

I recently ordered from The Lily Garden for the first time. I have always been skeptical about mail-orders, but I will DEFINATELY order from them again. Not only did I experience prompt shipment, but what a pleasant surprise when I opened the box! These are the biggest, healthiest looking bulbs I've ever seen. And much to my surprise, they even included a bonus bulb!
Thanks Lily Garden for the wonderful experience!

Received my order today from The Lily Garden and I'm very pleased. The bulbs are huge, firm, and healthy and they were well packaged. Only ordered 9 bulbs and still got a couple of much appreciated freebies! Will certainly be ordering again. Thank you Judith, for sharing your passion; you are a great gift to gardeners.

I participated in a coop for the first time and ordered a few varieties that are not offered anywhere else. The quality and size of at least half the bulbs were much bigger than any others I have ever received before. Very healthy and very fresh. They even included a bonus which is from what I understand pretty much standard practice for this company.

The bulbs i received from the co-op were huge. The largest (most expensive) actually bloomed this year full size and just gorgeous. I will definately buy more this time around.

The selection is incredible. I'm always looking for something different. I ordered quite a few bulbs because I just could not decide. Most of the bulbs I received were absolutely wonderful. A few came smaller than expected but to my surprise there was a second bulb when this was the case. I was impressed. Many places do not bother to do that.

A couple did not grow so I emailed them. They replied immediately and will replace them this fall. Very nice customer service.

I also was very happy with the bonus bulb "Silk Road". I was surprised that the bonus bulb would be something different like that.

Overall I am very happy with the quality of the bulbs and the customer service. I would be willing to recommend them to anyone.

I placed an order through a lily coop sponsored by a memeber here on Dave's Garden. The bulbs were ordered and recieved from "The Lily Garden."

My experience with the transaction was exceptional and I was more than pleased with the bulbs and the professionalism of the sponsor.

I recommend "The Lily Garden" to other gardeners interested in purchasing lily bulbs.