Comments regarding Avant Gardens

I had never ordered from Avant but based on their excellent Watch Dog feedback and wonderful choice of interesting and unusual plants,
I ordered 4 annuals. Somehow my order got mixed up with another customer. The Company informed me of the problem and told me to keep the misdirected order and they would resend my order ASAP. I was happy to get 6 free plants, but then my own plants were not delivered when expected. By the time they came they had been in the box for almost a week and looked it. Even before I complained, they were very quick to replace the plants. The new plants arrived in good condition and I was happy with the resolution of the problem. The misdelivery was not good, but I could not ask more than the excellent response to the problem. Mistakes happen to us all, but what counts is a company's response. I would definitely use them again and recommend them highly.

Posted on May 20, 2012, updated May 30, 2013
Avant Gardens has become my new favorite nursery after 2 very successful orders. Great diversity of offerings. Very competitive pricing with no shipping cost shock. They included a bonus plant with the 2nd order which was a thoughtful expression and gave me a new planting idea!

Avant Gardens consistently ships excellent plants that are packaged very carefully and arrive in superb condition. They also have outstanding customer service. Kathy actually emailed me a couple of weeks ago and asked if she could hold my shipment an extra week so that some plants I ordered could grow on a bit more. That is so unusual! I'm so used to having plants shipped to freezing Chicago in early April by companies that don't care. Really an exceptional company!!

Have ordered a couple of times and would happily order from Avant Gardens again. Plants were healthy and packaged with great care. Communication about shipping/answers to questions about plant care were timely/accurate.

Posted on May 12, 2010, updated May 14, 2013
Posted on May 16, 2007, updated May 12, 2010
I placed an order with Avant Gardens on April 13, 2007 for several viburnums, and other shrubs plus some unusual perennials. They sent a confirmation with a date for shipping, then followed that with an e-mail saying that due to frost warnings that they were holding the order for a couple of day. Today a BIG box of "as good as it gets" plants arrived plus a very generous bonus shrub. They must have picked out the bonus based on my order, as it couldn't have been more perfect. The plants are huge. I am totally thrilled with the service, the selection and the shipping. Patti

My order arrived with such good packaging, not a thing was broken off the large, beautiful, healthy plants. I can't wait to plant them after their recuperation time!

Posted on March 21, 2012, updated April 9, 2013
I ordered four fancy geraniums on Sunday and received them on Tuesday - that's fast! The plants were securely packed and arrived in great condition. They were large and healthy with lots of branching. Communication was excellent. I am delighted and will order from Avant Gardens again!

Beautiful Black Mimosa tree. shipped promptly and in excellent health.

Ordered Abutalon" Victorian Lady"on 10/21/012 and was delivered on10/23/012 in perfect condition and a much larger size than I was expecting. Very friendly service.

The tree and plant I ordered arrived well packaged and healthy even though they had traveled from Massachusetts to Washington State. I am pleased with their service and would order from them again.

I placed an order 4/22 and received it 5/24. I was notified when the order would arrive. The order of 3 Cuphea x 'David Verity' and one Lonicera sempervirons 'Major Wheeler' arrived very well packed and are vigorous and healthy plants.

I've ordered from numerous companies over the past dozen years or so, and have generally found that smaller nurseries/growers like Annie's Annuals, Brent & Becky's, High Country Gardens and Rare Find are the best bet for well-packed plants. All of them actually pack their plants like they were shipping them to themselves and I've never had any problems with any of these folks. I can now add Avant Gardens to that list. Not only did I get updates throughout the spring on the proposed shipping dates of the plants I'd ordered in January, but Kathy Tracey also advised me when and why they were splitting an order. The plants (Chelone glabra, Crambe cordifolia, Acanthus x 'Morning Candle," Sanguisorba tenuifolia, Vernonia gigantea, Thalictrum 'Splendide' and Humulus lupulus 'Aureus') were so carefully packed that there were neither broken leaves nor loose soil in the bottom of the box! And every single plant was really beefy and in healthy condition...not one needed any sort of 'babying' before being planted out. What a pleasure to do business with them. However tempting the 'bargains' from larger growers, I can't imagine getting better quality than what was offered by Avant Gardens. They are now going to the top of my 'go-to' list.

I ordered and received a little (key word) Arnolds Pride Fringe tree (sorry I'm not spelling it's "real name")... Almost a month ago. I'm used to getting some gallon sized plants via mail order, I know they can be quite small and... toothpick looking... this was one such.

It had about 6 branches, 4 were broken during shipping. There are some strange peelings or holes in the bark. I'm praying it's the "exfoliating bark" it's known for, and telling myself it's not too young for that. It was hardened off and is in ground...

I know they are late to break dormancy, but everyone who comes to see it asks why I'm growing a dead stick. There's only 2 potential buds (I guess due to breakage in transit) but they aren't breaking dormancy... It's been very unusually warm, but.. I'm in denial and telling myself I didn't spend... a lot of money for what I got, new plant or not, for a dead tree. No, I was irresponsible and didn't notify them immediately when I got plant about questions/concerns... I was ill. I guess the plant height is about described, maybe 12", maybe...

I don't know if it's dead, I don't know what's up with the bark, I think I may have lost more money in mail order and I now swear to use only one company (if any) for the rest of my life. Just my experience, mail order can be a huge risk....

"On May 5, 2012 10:38 AM, Avant Gardens responded with:

Hi
I'm not sure who you are, but I'm not aware that you even contacted us about the damage or the state of the plant's condition. Perhaps if you contact us about your issue we can address your problem.
The Chionanthus 'Arnold's Pride' is a slow growing, at first, small tree. It does have exfoliating bark. As for size, a starter plant from mail order is not the same as purchasing a common tree at a local home depot.
Katherine Tracey
Avant Gardens
"

I just received my first order from this company, for veronicastrum and allium. Communication was excellent from the very beginning and they responded very quickly when I e-mailed to request that one of the plants I ordered be switched to something else and then later when I requested to move up the ship date. The plants themselves could not be nicer. All of them are just breaking dormancy and have lusty top growth just beginning and full, vigorous roots that fill their pots. All in all, they at the ideal stage to transplant them into my garden. On top of it all, they even included a small creeping sedum as a bonus plant. What a pleasant surprise!

I also need to say that the packing was superbly done with newspaper. It was very easy to unpack with no messy spilled dirt everywhere and no annoying packing peanuts to deal with. Kudos to them for that!

I will not hesitate to order again from Avant Gardens in the future if they have something that catches my eye.

Very prompt service. The plants I ordered were larger than expected and very well rooted. Packing was excellent. Definitely one to keep in mind for future orders.

Large plants, beautifully packaged. All are growing well. I will order from them again.

I ordered 6 plectranthus and the order arrived today in great condition. The plants are big and healthy. Packing was great!! I would order again from Avant!!

Beautifully packaged and very healthy plants arrived along with a bonus Asarina procumbens which I am looking forward to getting to know.

Can I give three positives? Love love LOVE this nursery. I ordered a Crambe and two purple elephant ears. I ordered probably at the busiest time and when they told me they weren't shipping till this week, I asked if they could go sooner, they said they'd try but they were swamped with orders placed earlier. Fair enough.

My plants arrived today, and despite the UPS guy just dumping the box on end in my holding box, the plants were flawless. NOT ONE SPECK of soil out of place. They were in pots, excelsior on top of the soil held by a rubber band and wrapped in newspaper, and then laid in the box with enough packing material to hold them still. The elephant ears had leaves that were hanging out of the newspaper and there is not a mark on them. They also sent a bonus plant which I almost missed because I unpacked the three I knew I bought, and didn't think to check the box till I was taking out the packing material for recycling. I've never heard of asarina procumbens, but I think it will be a nice addition to my new garden. Stellar company, stellar care of the plants, for all those who ship in loose plastic bags full of peat moss, you can learn a few things from this place. Thank you for such great plants and great service, Avant Gardens!

Fast shipment, tree perfectly packaged and the tree is quite healthy. Would definitely buy plants from Avant again in the future. I also received a bonus groundcover that was unexpected, but appreciated!

Thanks for a wonderful experience!

Posted on July 22, 2009, updated May 11, 2011
I recently ordered begonia Mandalay Pearl and begonia Bonfire. I received notice of shipment on Monday and received the plants on Tuesday -- super fast shipping. The plants were large and healthy and beautifully packed so they arrived in great shape. There was also a surprise "extra" -- a Pseuderanthemum rubrum. I have ordered from Avant Gardens before and wouldn't hesitate to order from them again. They have great plants and great service.

The plants arrived to me in excellent condition and look very healthy. I'm excited to finally have Spigelia marilandica and can't wait for my two new specimens to grow into big plants full of flowers, and attract those little feathered gems (hummingbirds). Same goes for the honeysuckle, 'Major Wheeler', to see it covered in blooms. This company kept me well-informed about the status of when my plants would be shipped, and I'm very appreciative of that. Thank you for the nice plants, and I plan to do more business with you in the future.

The pruning workshop was informative and relaxed. It would have been useful to have specific pruning stations set up where we could practice sharpening our own tools and pruning nursery stock (topiary anyone?!). Lots of good questions asked/answered.

Posted on August 31, 2010, updated September 24, 2010
I ordered three Kirengeshoma palmata after admiring this unfamilar plant in a friend's shade garden. After visiting Davesgarden.com I found that Avant Gardens had them available and quickly placed my order. Three days later they were in my posession, beautifully packed and green and healthy. As an added surprise a Carix Blue Bunny was included.

I wish I could visit in person but see it's a 3 1/2 hour drive but will surely be a happy customer again and will pass along their name to garden club friends.

One of the great benefits of the internet is that a world of plants that are usually not available locally becomes available to anyone with access to a computer. One of the bad things is that your first order requires a certain amount of trust on the part of the buyer in the integrity of the seller. Avant Gardens repays that trust many times over. They ship beautiful, well-packed plants quickly. They are an excellent source of quality plant materials. I ordered some asters and hardy begonias and they were in my hands within a week of the order. My thanks for a job well done.

I found out about this vendor thru the internet and telephoned Kathy to inquire about purchasing rudbeckia Herbstonne. She knew exactly what I was talking about and proceeded to tell me all the necessary information. I subsequently drove about 75 miles to her place of business and purchased the plants. Had I not been in a bit of a hurry, I would have liked to look around some more. I will definitely go back....It's worth the trip. Thanks Kathy

Posted on July 31, 2010, updated July 31, 2010
Posted on August 27, 2005, updated July 31, 2010
Since I am only 2 hours away from Avant Gardens, I decided to drive there instead of ordering through the mail. I figured they probably had many more items than just what was in the paper catalogue.

What a treasure trove! A tremendous selection of rock garden plants including the rare Lewisia tweedyi, endless coleus, a whole greenhouse of hostas and shade perennials, etc. Everything looked quite healthy despite the cruel drought. I found "Trish" to be extremely knowlegable and very helpful...a true gift from God. She was also willing to state when she didn't know the answer to a question, but when the owner, Kathy Tracy arrived I was able to get some identifications on rex begonias that weren't in the catalogue. Some plants that looked especially good this time of year in case you happen to be lucky enough to live nearby:

Caryopteris divaricata Snow Fairy- variegated white and green, lovely

Leonotis menthoides - beautiful Agastache like orange flower

Orostachys spinosus- weird succulent

Pedilanthus tithymaloides variegata- Zic Zac, attractive yellow, red and green mix

Begonia "Sinbad" - pretty white veined green leaves, reddish underneath

And many more, too numerous to list. I would feel confident ordering from them through the mail...there wasn't a "dog" plant in sight! Extremely, extremely strongly recommended!!

Received my order on Wednesday after placing an order on Sunday night around 10 pm. Plants were very good and even got a bonus!! Packaged well and very healthy looking. Good selection and price. Would do business with them again.

I live an hour away from Avant so every year for the last 10 yrs I make the trip and make my purchases there. Kathy has never been the friendliest person but this time she was just plain miserable, snappy, and rude. I understand everyone has a bad day but I also work in retail and don't think that is an excuse to treat loyal paying customers so poorly. I would recommend shopping with them only online and to not go to the nursery in person unless you enjoy abuse. I will not be going back again.

Positive ,absolutly.
Wonderful packing and the plants are teriffic.

Two kolwitzia and three durantas were delivered yesterday. The kolwitzia were quite nice and full. One was a little stressed from shipping but has already perked up. The duranta were smaller specimens than the kolwitzia, but that was expected and they are very healthy and even showing some buds. Communication was excellent. They let me know immediately that there would be a delay in shipping out the duranta and asked if that would still be an acceptable timeframe for delivery in my area. I’m very pleased with the products and service I received from Avant Gardens and will likely order again, especially as I just moved into this home and have a huge yard to play with here.

Purchased a plant. Was told 9 days later that they only had one in stock and it wasn't in good shape. Appreciate that they didn't send me a plant in good shape, but wish it wouldn't have taken over a week for them to let me know.

I have ordered plants from Avant Gardens several times and have always been pleased with the items sent. Everything is very carefully packed. I appreciate the good service and large variety of plants they carry!

Ordered one hellebore and five moonflowers (the morning-glory type vine, not the Datura) -- all arrived in the time specified; plants are healthy, good size, and were packed with precision! High marks for great service. And I think they sent me an extra moonflower -- a gift to a new customer?

This could have been a negative, but Avant Gardens couldn't have been nicer. I ordered a bunch of plants from them, and I'm 99% certain I specified a different shipping address than my billing address. You guessed it, the plants went to the wrong address, where they languished in a box for several days.

Worse, when I checked my emails, I realized that they had informed me of their intention to mail the plants to that address and asked for confirmation. I never responded, so they went ahead and sent to the wrong address. I thought for sure they were going to rub my nose in that and tell me it was my own tough luck for not answering their order confirmation and would refuse to replace any of the plants.

Instead, to my delight and amazement, they agreed to a total replacement of the order--with no arm twisting necessary. I had carefully told them which plants were probably going to make it, and which were not, but they went ahead and replaced the entire order, no questions asked. I really appreciated that. I do think it was their mistake in sending it to the wrong address, but it was definitely my mistake not to have responded to their confirmation email.

On top of all that, the plants look great. Nice size, very healthy, and all are thriving. Thanks so much!

I ordered several plants, including some tender vines. These arrived in excellent condition, moist and nicely wrapped so that the foliage was also protected. Since I planned to put these in my river garden, it was 2 days from arrival to planting, and they have acclimated beautifully to the garden. One of my picks was not available but they had notified me beforehand.

I first ordered from Avant Gardens when I was seeking Hellebores and trailing Coleus which were not available at my garden centers. Their plants are carefully packaged for shipment and mine always arrive when promised. Perennials in my garden from their nursery are thriving.

I ordered a Witchhazel "Diane" about two months ago and it arrived today. The plant was much larger than expected and well branched. This was a wonderful value for a hard-to-find shrub in my area. The packaging was well done and the shipping was prompt. Communication about the shipping date was excellent. I would order from this company again without hesitation.

Wonderful, healthy plants, carefully packed and quickly shipped. Highly recommend them!