Comments regarding Rockwood Gardens

I dealt with the former Rockwood Gardens in the 80's and early 90's and was always pleasantly suprised with the selection. I was very disappointed when I did not receive a catalogue from them anymore and I see why now - they had gone out of business. From what I can see by this website it was started in 2004 and still no online catalogue/still in the works??? Is this some indication of how this company is going to operate? I asked for a catalogue anyway and hope to be pleasantly suprised. Thanks and you all have a good day.

I bought a red maple tree one year before I bought my house (1994). When I got it, I planted it in a pot and transfered it the next year in my new backyard. It was mistreated by my daughters and my dog. So much so that it broke one day. My husband fixed it with a rope and a tutor. The next year we moved it in front of the house. In 1998, their was a big hail storm and the trunk bend until it was almost lying on the snow. After all these attack on it I tought I was going to loose it for good. To my delight, it is now taller then my house and bigger than any other tree on the street. I am very satisfied with my purchase.
Missou

I've dealt with Rockwood Gardens a few years back and I must admit, they are not all as bad as some porple make them out to be. I have just sent a note to Rockwood Gardens about some Chinese Elm hedges (planted in 1996)(7 out of 96) that have died...I will comment again when I hear back from them. - This new management will probably have less "negatives" - As you all know...some people are never satisfied.

I got a dwarf banana plant and a set of dwarf citrus plants (orange, tangerine, and lemon) in autumn, 2004. They did take a while to arrive, but the company was helpful when contacted by telephone and provided some instructions for care of the plants and what to expect when they arrived. When the plants arrived they were all healthy and in surprisingly good shape for having just gone through being shipped. I planted them and they all grew very well and now look much like the photos in the catalog. I'm fully expecting them to produce fruit when they mature. Overall, I would consider this to be a very positive experience and I would not hesitate to order from this company in the future.

I ordered from them for years and they always sent me exactly what I ordered. It also never took them very long to get them to me either.

I am rather surprised by all the negative experiences. I bought from Rockwood Gardens for years and was incredibly disappointed when they suddenly stopped sending out catalogues. I will admit that the first time I purchased from them I was surprised by the small size of their plants - not at all like the pictures - but one needs to understand that you get what you pay for and you're paying for what essentially amount to "starter plants". There is absolutely nothing wrong with starter plants! What better way to try out new and unusual plants for your garden than to buy them small and coax them along? You also have to remember that mail order is hard on any plant and, even once you get it into your garden, there are micro-climates, water and soil conditions, etc that can make all the difference in the plant surviving. Even with the ones that didn't make it, I have never had any problems getting replacement plants from Rockwood Gardens. I practically jumped for joy when Rockwood Gardens new catalogue arrived this spring - so glad they are back! The prices at the local garden centres are becoming outrageous.

A few years back I ordered several different plants, all looked really poor, but I planted them anyway.

My Wall of China unpruned is now 10 feet tall which is good as we put a fence up last year, but the old age home on the street directly behind us; also put in a second storey part to their building which meant they could see directly into our backyard had the China Hedge not been there.

I also ordered several Poplar trees which grew to an astonding height and still going. Most of the bulbs grew and are quite beautiful when in flower. I received my catalogue this year and was excited to see that I could order again from Rockwood Gardens as I had no idea why the catelogues had stopped coming a couple of years ago.

When I used the "rockwoodgardens@amtelecom.net" to get in touch with them, I found that there was something wrong and I could not place my order.There was a error message of Invalid Syntex Error. Yes I would order from this company again. The dead china hedge I received I was given a credit for unfortunately the company closed up and I was not able to reorder them. I am very happy to see that I again can order from Rockwood Gardens and I will be replacing the spots in the hedge that did not grow.

I noticed that Rockwood Gardens was very close to Shelburne where I live and this was a plus for me and I did not have to deal with companies in the U.S.A. I would like to see more companies that actually are Canadian companies. We need to support our own, and as it is most everything comes from the States.

I am soooooooooo sorry to hear that Rockwood Gardens is closed. I have had some plants that never grew but living in Quebec and the cold the chances are 50%. I orders some rosa bushes that are absolutely huge. The privet I ordered came as sticks but are now over 6feet tall. I ordered tulips and lilies that bloom every year for my enjoyment. I am now STUCK going to over priced nurseries. Honestly people as far as the mail goes........if ya dont want it recycle it. I didnt answer half that garbage but it didnt make the company any less in my eyes. I loved Rockwood Gardens and wish their doors were still open!!
Linda

My first experience with gardening (late eighties/early nineties) was ordering through Rockwood gardens. When I did receive something to late to plant I would just put it in the fridge till spring and then plant it. If I received something dead, I would send it back and always received another plant. I must admit when I received my first order I was taken back as everything looked dead and the free bulbs were small but 12 years later I have moved a bit of each of my plants and bulbs I had bought with me to my new home. I will probably buy more through the mail order as the prices are still better than the garden centers

My husband and I also ordered from Rockwood gardens several years ago. Believe it or not we ordered 235 Chinese Elm and they all survived except 10 to grow 8 ft. We also ordered bulbs and Blue spruce and neither of these survived. The promotional mail was a big disappointment they are probably involved with an American company to promote sales. Overall, the product was good and refunds were honoured through the catalogue up to two years. This year we will be supporting our local economy although the selection is not near as good.

After reading all your comments on Rockwood Gardens (they don't call their catalogues this anymore) I thought I should put my two cents in. Most of my bulbs from Rockwood Gardens have grown, even if they were small. At different temperature climates, some bulbs need to be planted at different depths or some bulbs must be removed from the ground in the fall or they will DIE. Glads are an example of ones that may not survive if left in the ground. However, some people just leave them in the ground anyway either expecting them to live OR not really minding if they do not return. As well, you should plant your bulbs according to YOUR LOCAL garden center's instructions. This is not to say Rockwood Gardens hasn't sent you some duds but I have ordered from them numerous times over the years and have not been disappointed. I have a 12 ft Red Maple tree I purchased 5 years ago that arrived as a twig all of 6 inches long!!! Granted I have had no success with their orange trees (although my friend who is an avid gardener had no problems with his), I believe it is due to my lack of knowledge re citrus trees and Rockwood Gardens refunded my money anyway! My numerous citronella plants from Rockwood Gardens are flourishing and I have used that strong plant and made more for my friends. Again, complaining about free bulbs is absurd. Treat it as a bonus if your free bulbs grow (which mine did) as they were FREE! One final note, look at your local climate. Even if the average low is acceptable for the plant, you may get enough days that the temperature dips below this and your unprotected plant(s) may die. Throw some hay over your garden as an easy and cost effective insulator. As well, keep in mind the location of your plants. If they are in a sheltered area, they are less likely to suffer the damage from a colder than normal winter. People should research what plants thrive in their area before making purchases of plants that they are not sure of where they come from, clematis andwisteria plants are normally tough to grow anyway, while marigolds flourish. Just food for thought.

I have ordered several times - the only time I had a problem with Rockwood was with plants, Bulbs seem to be great! I did have a problem with 3 rose bushes from Rockwood, and they replaced them free of charge, all I had to pay was shipping. The replacements were very beautiful this year. I have had orders late, and had plants that arrived dead with no hope of survival and have always been refunded or replaced with other items of my choice. I would stick to bulbs, if you do order from Rockwood. I am disappointed that Rockwood does not have a web site, and as for a Phone number, I called Directory assistance, and they do not have a toll free number, or accept collect calls on the regular number.

I have been a Rockwood customer for about 7 years. I have always been satisfied with their products; my orders always arrived fresh and in good condition; the planting results were always what they advertised; and if & when it didn't work, I was always satisfied with their replacement, exchange or refund policy! So here's at least one positive letter.

My mother has purchased from Rockwood for several years, and was always pleased with her purchases. On her recommendation, I purchased hardy lily bulbs about 3 years ago. I am a novice gardener, so I can't really comment on the bulb size. But I can say, 3 years after planting, the lilies are growing fantastically! They have reproduced themselves over the past 3 years. Vibrant colors of red, orange & yellow, and have grow to a height (the initial bulbs) of 36" to 48". Presently, as of July 8, 2000 there are over 50 lily flowers in bloom, with about another 40 in waiting. I have no bad comments to make, however it did take a long time for them to come in the mail.

I was really disappointed to read all the negative comments about Rockwood. I have been dealing with them for over 10 years and have never had any problems of any kind. My orders have arrived on time with healthy plants and bulbs. If your orders are late try putting the blame where it belongs, our postal service STINKS. It takes three weeks for a letter to get from Ontario to Alberta so am not surprised that parcels take much longer and plants can't survive that long without watering.

My wife has had only success with her orders from the Gardens. But the biggest surprise was that she also received a check for $2000.00 from their contest this summer. They are for real.

My wife has been ordering plants from Rockwood Gardens for many years. In that time she has had mostly success with their product. On occasion some plants have not been up to par, but that can be expected when using the mail system for delivery as opposed to direct purchase from a local gardens. As to the sweepstakes...well today she won $2000 from their last sweepstakes promotion and it is legitimate. I thought I would pass on our side of the story to let others know of her good fortune and the fact that she is a satisfied customer.

I've ordered several times from Rockwood Gardens; granted, sometimes in shipping stuff won't survive, I just wrote them and received a refund. Big deal, like all plants are hardy enough to survive being tossed around in boxes in our postal system.

I received an order of houseplants from Rockwood. I was very happy with the quality that they were. They have done a lot to improve. And they are all growing like weeds.

This year was the first year that I ordered anything from Rockwood Gardens and I have to say that everything came in good shape. All the plants were in little pots and were still damp. Most had new leaves starting. The only thing that I found annoying was the tiny bulbs that they sent as a bonus for buying a large quantity. Also the promotional mail for sweepstakes was excessive. I received two copies of everything. If they would have but more effort into larger bulbs for their bonus gifts and less effort into paperwork, I think more people would be happier. I know I would have been.

I have been buying from them for over 10 years and my yard is covered with their plants and shrubs. I must admit that a few have died over the years, but most are doing well. I have a snowball bush I bought 10 years ago. It is now over 8 ft. and the flowers are huge in the spring. I also have shrubs and perennials which are all doing fine. I will admit they do send a lot of junk mail, I have never won anything except seed from them but I still think they are pretty good. I have never had problems getting refunds for plants that didn't grow or died. Service was prompt and efficient. I will continue buying from them.