Comments regarding Heirloom Roses

I have been ordering from Heirloom for 10 years, and I have always been happy with my purchases. The plants are small when they arrive, and sometimes defoliated, but they have always rebounded. The key to success with these roses, or any roses for that matter, is to follow the planting instructions in Heirloom's catalog (and included with your order): DIG A BIG HOLE (I think they recommend 2 feet wide, 2 feet deep), and provide adequate drainage.

I've purchased at least a dozen roses from Heirloom over the last 3 years. They are small, but grow quickly and have survived some very hard winters here in Cleveland.

I did notice that the roses I purchased from them last year were substantially larger than thoses received in the past.

I WOULD BUY FROM THIS COMPANY AGAIN. I read all the postings before buying 20 rose bushes last year. Yes, they are small when they arrive. About the size of a pencil. It can be kind of a disappointment at $15 a piece. But absolutely worth it...

A month after I planted them, one bloomed. 4 months after I planted them, they were full size. Granted I live in SoCal, so the growing season is year round, but I have clay soil, so most things don't do well. However, compared with the grafted roses I planted at the same time, the Heirloom roses are bigger and entirely disease free. (The grafted ones were also mail ordered. Three of them died and even though they are in a more protected, better watered spot, they remain susceptible to bugs and disease).

Heirloom's customer service was good. One variety was out of stock, and the company contacted me right away . If I had more room for roses, I would definitely buy from them again. (Maybe someday I'll rip out the grafted roses and replace them with some from Heirloom....)

An added benefit of non-grafted roses is that you can plant them deeper (a good idea if you live in a drought zone or a freeze zone) and you don't have to worry about suckers which bear some other rose.

I have ordered more than once from this company and I am completely satisfied with them. Roses travelled across country and arrived in perfect condition. Yes they were small, but not any more. After several weeks in the baking heat and humidity where I live, these roses have all had lots of new growth, some made a bloom or two which I wouldn't have expected till next year, and best of all they are still in perfect health. Laurel in customer service is very helpful and answers email quickly. I will definately order again.

Earlier this year I ordered a Chicago Peace rose to be shipped to my mother in Florida for Mother's Day. Several days passed after the expected day without shipment of the rose. When I called Heirloom they explained that availability had held up the order and they offered a rose of my choice free of charge along with the ordered rose as compensation. This was unexpected. I was expecting merely an admonishment to be patient. Two weeks after Mother's Day, my mother received a Chicago Peace and a Keepsake rose. Within a month, both roses were blooming. My mother is very happy.

They ran out of the rose I ordered -- but I didn't find out about it for 45 days after I ordered. They claimed, in the letter they sent me, that they tried to contact me via email and telephone, but I received no email, phone calls, or messages from them until I received the letter via snail mail.

Furthermore: DO NOT TRUST THESE PEOPLE WITH YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER. They do not have security in place to safeguard against credit card theft -- when they sent me a copy of my order via mail, my complete credit card number was included on the order and, according to Laurel Anderson, she prints this out to give to people for shipping, etc. They may be a small operation, but credit card security is not that hard to implement (I do it for a living).

"Heirloom Roses, Inc would like to assure our customers that we have their security at the top of our list of priorities. Sensitive customer information is seen only by qualified staff at order entry and our website and billing practices are secure."

Between last year and this I have ordered close to 50 hard to find roses from this company. I live in zone 4-5 Maine. The roses arrive small but very healthy and spend pretty much their first year developing, all bloomed that first year, albeit only one or two blossoms. This year, year two for 34 plants is extraordinary - mulched for a hard winter but not fussed over, they all survived, and with basically a 3 1/2 month growing season they are very large, blooming like crazy and just so healthy.

I will continue to order from this company - highly recommended, product very good, communication good.

I almost never post opinions on the internet, but after reading some of the negative posts, I really wanted to this time. I received three roses from Heirloom, and while they were on the small side, they've done wonderfully and are the best roses I've ever had. They've grown fast, have gorgeous foilage with no disease at all and each of them now has buds (and one beautiful flower). I couldn't be happier and would definitely order again.

I've ordered several roses from this company without a problem. Actually, the only problem that I've had is that the moles have found the roots too tasty over a long winter and killed a cabbag rose that I ordered a while ago. I don't profess to be a rose expert; I'm just happy that they grow and bloom. The plants are smaller than bare-root roses that I've bought, but they do catch up with the help of a little manure and some patience. All in all, though, I've only had good experiences with Heirloom Roses.

After reading some of the negative comments about the small size of the own-root roses they have received from Heirloom I decided I had to write. I have purchased many of these "tiny" roses from this wonderful company & they have grown into monsters within a year. My "teeny" Darlows' Enigma (planted May 2004) is a thick, green, 10 foot climber that is breathtaking on my Pagoda. Every single one of the roses I have ordered from them have done beautifully. I highly recommend them!!
Peg in Oregon

I am taking a wait & see attitude on this company - I was looking for unusual roses & sure found them on this website - but what I received was questionable at best. They say it will take a full year to see results, so next season will be the test. I am disappointed in that the site did not state how small & young the plants are.

I ordered from this company because of the wonderful roses that they have. I found garden watchdog before ordering so knowing that the roses would come small I took the chance anyway...I just wanted the roses that I ordered and could not find anywhere else. The roses are small in size compare to roses that are bought at a local nursery or store BUT they are shipped well and they are growing well. I could not plant mine right away (5 days after receiving) and they doing GREAT...I will order again. (one already has a bud on it)

I understand about own-root roses being smaller. That is no excuse for the tiny little thing I received 4 weeks ago. For the price, they can certainly let the thing grow for another year before selling it for $16 and almost $9 shipping (the box weighed about a pound, and 90% of that was soil).

I rooted cuttings 9 months ago that are bigger than what I received from this company. A very generous trader paid for this rose, I feel so bad that she was charged $25 for something this tiny, I did not have the heart to tell her and I pray she doesn't ask for pictures anytime soon (as in, any time in 2005).

I called to let them know how I felt about this, and although the gal was polite enough, the end result was basically "it's resting now and building up roots and will grow next year." In other words, I expressed unhappiness, and nothing is being done about it.

The guarantee is only for 3 months, and only covers it if it doesn't make it, not if you are unhappy with the size or if it is not growing (mine has not made one new leaf, while I have received bare roots from other companies that are already blooming (not just leafing out, but BLOOMING) 6 weeks after planting).

Me personally, I would NEVER order from this company with my own money. There are many companies out there that sell own root roses 10 times bigger for the same money. If they insist on selling these tiny things, then the price should be cut in half, at the very least.

I have seen quite a few comments about the small size of their roses. Don't let this fool you. These are "own root" roses and they will take off like you would not believe. I live nearby and have bought about 75 roses from them, all very tiny to begin with. "Sally Holmes" a tiny start after three years, I had to take a saw and prune out a main branch that was, I kid you not, 3 inches in diameter. Every one of mine has done suberbly. I live in Oregon, so I have the best of climates. Some of their roses may not do as well or be as lush if you live in the colder or dryer climes. But do not worry about the small size, they will make up the size difference in one year from the grafted types.
Fran in Oregon

I ordered six roses from this company as so called "John's Minature Roses!" Two are nearly dead - as in dying and I don't know if I can bring them to life. They surely did not ship them priority mail because nothing has ever looked like this via priority - plus they took forever to ship them to me!! Never again for me - the sad part is this hurts other company's who try to sell via internet. NOT BUYING FROM THEM AGAIN!!!

Never again! I knew I might be taking a chance, but this is ridiculous! I only ordered because the variety I wanted I hadn't found elsewhere. I ordered in early March, and it was to be sent by 3/20. When by April 10 nothing had arrived, I e-mailed - "scheduled for shipment next week" I was told. After my credit card statement came with $24.65 on it, I wrote again; same response.

The box arrived today. Pathetic. Small doesn't describe it. To say tiny is being generous. I truly believe that once my order was received they rooted a cutting. If it survives, and that's a big IF, it will be at least three years before it blooms.
If I were a commercial grower, I would be embarrassed to ship something like this with my company's name on it.

It pains me to say it, because this vendor has an enviable assortment of roses, but my experience with Heirloom has been a disappointment. I read these comments prior to placing my order and I knew what I would get would be small, but seriously. The plants are VERY small. They are potted up and look much the same now as they did when I received them over a month ago. I will baby them and they will live, but for $16 per rose, the size is pathetic. These roses need to be grown on for another year. I will only order again if they have a rose that I can find nowhere else, and not sure if I would then.

I will give this company a positive in the fact that they did communitcate well with me, they shipped 5 roses in a small box but for the most part the roses made it. Yes, they should let these cuttings grow another season but hopefully my specimens will make it over the next several months and grow! if you're looking for a hard to find rose I would recommend this company but if you want a rose bush that another company has and you want it much more mature in size than seek someone else.

I've know of and dealt with this company for probably about a decade. I hold them in the highest regard, and I learned much of what I know of roses through their website and catalogs. They first attracted my attention because they actively promote screening rose stock for rose mosaic virus (RMV), and have been a leader in increasing industry awareness of this malady. They screen their stock to ensure it is RMV-free, and offer only those plants for sale. The plants I've received from them are always very healthy, and lovingly packed to ensure they arrive safely and well-hydrated. I've read complaints about size of plants vs. cost on this site, but I would respectfully point out that you are paying for a healthy, virus-free plant on its own roots which will quickly catch up to and outstrip the growth of larger, less scrupiously propagated plants. You are also helping to support research into averting RMV in rosestock. I planted about 8 of their roses in the past 6-8 months, and all are thriving. One ("The Impressionist"-a stunner in both color and fragrance from John and Louise's own breeding program) promises to put the hybrid teas which were already in the ground (probably for several years) when I bought my house to shame! I tried to grow one of their R. gallica officinalis (Apothecary Rose) in a pot in Florida...foolhardy on my part, since gallicas need cold weather to thrive and bloom...but I'm always up for an experiment. The poor thing fought valiantly to grow for over one year before the stifling heat finally did it in...which should be taken as a tribute to the quality of their stock (and I am thrilled to say that I have one growing happily in my Vancouver, WA garden...I know it will have a much better fate here). The love and regard that John and Louise Clements have for roses is clearly evident to anyone who has ever visited their gardens, or has had any involvement in the rose world. I hope they are around for many years to come!

My experience with Heirloom Roses was very positive! I found them via the internet last April 2004 on a search for old garden roses. I was searching for varieties that I could not find locally and was pleasantly surprised when they had all five (REINE VICTORIA, FANTIN-LATOUR, ROSA MUNDI, ZÉPHIRINE DROUHIN and CARDINAL de RICHELIEU) of the roses I was hoping to find. I had no trouble locating and reading all the info on their website with regards to what size (small) and type (own root) roses that Heirloom grows. I am left wondering why so many people who have ordered roses from Heirloom did not find the same info? Even though the shipped plants are small I followed the planting directions and by late summer all of the plants had grown to nearly their specified height. The climbing rose, ZÉPHIRINE DROUHIN went from 12” to over 10’ which is astounding! I am expecting all of them to make it through the winter and I look forward to beautiful blooms this summer… I recommend Heirloom Roses to any gardener looking to experience the fragrance and beauty of old garden roses!

Hopefully all vendors will one day have a Virus Free policy, like Heirloom!
I planted a teeny own root "Jude the Obscure" last spring. It is now a 6 foot monster! As long as you feed them and take them care, they really do take off!

I purchased 1 rose from Heirloom because I couldn't find it else where and it was the tiniest, sickliest rose I have ever seen. Its was barely bigger than a newly rooted cutting. I babied it but it never thrived and I finally pitched it. Never the less Heirloom did refund me for the rose upon my request. I have heard many people complain about their small roses plus I think their prices are too high, especially for what you are getting. I won't order from them again but at least they gave me a refund.

First of all, their selection of uncommon and old roses is unbelievable. It was their online catalog that brought me to Heirloom in the first place (google search).

Excellent Inventory. I ordered two David Austin- and an unusual landscape rose, all of which I could find nowhere else in the U.S. during that time & season.

Great Customer Service. I received three small (as expected) but very healty plants. They began growing as soon as I got them into the ground. When I realized belatedly that I had received "Comte de Champagne" instead of the "Comtes de Chambord", I emailed Heirloom with plans to call early the next day. To my surprise, they handled it same-day via email: They apologized, told me they were shipping "Chambord" immediately (which they did!) and suggested I keep "Champagne".

A VERY positive experience. Most important, all four roses are healthy, happy and beautiful in my garden today.

Delightful.

Note: This company is also affiliated with climbingroses.com

I recently ordered one rambling rose from them. I paid $14.95 plus shipping, the bill was a little over $22.00. I recieved a small rooted cutting. It has two or three twigs on it and maybe 10 leaves, that's it. The only good thing about it is that it is green. I can't find anywhere on the website that states that a buyer will only recieve a small rooted cutting. It says the roses are potted and greenhouse grown which made me think that I would be getting a decent sized rose bush. I will never buy from this company again.

I have ordered form Heirloom Twice and both times I was pleased with what I recieved. Although the plants were pretty small I potted them when I got them and they are all doing well. After a summer of being in pots last year my yellow roses were put in their beds at the beginning of September last year and they are doing great and my roses that are still potted from last year are growing out of their pots! They seem small at first but they do grow. At least they have for me.

The staff at heirloom also put up my my many questions about different roses and how they would perform in different conditions.

All in all I am pleased with Heirloom Roses and would purchase again!

I have been consistently pleased with Heirloom Roses' plants and their customer service. I recently purchased 5 roses from Heirloom Roses' website. I prefer to order online these days, but I've also placed many orders with them by phone, and Heirloom Roses' phone staff is one of the nicest there is. Both resources have their advantages: The website is user-friendly and has up-to-date availability, but some of the roses that are listed in the catalog aren't available online.

The 5 roses that I received were very nice-sized, own-root plants. The root balls were incredibly sturdy and filled the entire pots (standard nursery bands). The plants were also very healthy and well-foliaged, considering that it is now July and the plants were shipped all the way from Oregon to New York. The packaging was well done -- not at all excessive but very secure. This is actually the second order I placed with Heirloom Roses just this year. The roses from the first order are in the ground and growing very well. In the past I have occasionally received somewhat smaller plants than the ones I got this time, but I have never received unsatisfactory or problem plants. However, I definitely think that if you are growing roses in a challenging climate, then you might want to get the gallon-sized or larger potted roses from some of the other mail-order vendors. The size and age of the plant can make a lot of difference when you are trying to grow some of these marginally healthy cultivars of roses.

Heirloom Roses guarantees their roses to be virus-free, and I applaud their commitment to providing an unblemished product for their customers. It is really singular in the industry. I bought my first roses from Heirloom many years ago, and many are still in my garden today, flourishing. I really like the possibility that these roses might be in the garden for a long time, maybe even exceeding my own lifetime.

I ordered 3 roses from them, 2 last summer and 1 this spring. Sarah did not survive the winter, Sweet Bouquet did, and is a robust 1 1/2 ft. tall with blooms the size of a nickle. Mary Rose, planted 5/6/04, is a runt at 12 inches with no hint of blooms to come.

I emailed them to complain about the lack of progress and to inform them that I have minature roses that are larger than the three (full size roses) I got from them, all of which were planted at the same time. Their response was, that I was made aware, at the time of purchase, that their roses were, "young and small, but, if planted according to instruction, in a big hole, in full sunshine, will respond very well". NOT! All were planted in a 2'x2' hole, in full sun and have been pampered beyond belief. I do not mind receiving small rose bushes, I just don't expect them to STAY that way, especially when all my other roses, acquired this year, are doing so much better.

The fact that they tried to insult my intelligence by saying I had probably planted them wrong is what I'm complaining about. The other complaint is, why did it take them 9 days to respond to my message?

Have ordered many roses. Always happy with size and quality. Wish they would merge the mini roses back with the normal ones... Pain to have to order from 2 different web sites, pay multiple shipping, and have to figure out which has the items in stock and which are cheaper...

DECOBUG

Ordered 16 roses from this company. They arrived very late (I ordered Jan 1), and I live in zone 5 - so they needed to be planted early to get established. They were "twigs" but not even healthy ones - 2 were DOA, 4 more were dried out looking, and the rest did not have developed root systems. I have received bands before, but never anything this tiny. They will never make it through the winter here - if they last that long.

Emailed them with a complaint - and received no response.
Then called to protest, and was told to "put them in the mail" and return.

I posted photos of what I received to and online rose group - and those who have ordered from them in the past agreed that these were extraordinarily puny.

On the other hand - I also ordered from Chamblees, Ashdown and Michael's. Got healthy plants (the ones from Ashdown were huge) with root systems, and they are happily developing in my garden.

Heirloom is also very expensive for what you get (or don't get). For the same price or cheaper you can get well-grown own-roots or bareroots, or 1, 2 and 3 gallon potted plants from other suppliers.

I realize that other folks posting here have had good experiences - but mine was more than negative - it was awful. Would suggest that if you live in zone 5 or above - don't ever order from them unless you plan to have twigs that you will baby for the next three or four years, if they survive.

Dee

I found out about this company through a book I have on English roses in the American garden. They list this company as a resource for ungrafted English roses. I called them on 3-29-04 and ordered Pat Austin and Alnwick Castle English roses. Within a week I received an invoice showing an order number and what I had ordered from them with an approximate shipping date to my area of the USA. The roses arrived on time and in good condition. They were bareroot and a soaking for a few hours in a lukewarm bucket as they stated on the planting instructions did them well. The plants are small about 12 inches tall but they have no evidence of black spot on the leaves and are still doing well in my yard. I would do business with them again.

Love their huge catalog--I usually lose about three entire days when it arrives, poring through the new stuff and compulsively making lists.

They are *so* tiny when they arrive, it's a little heartbreaking, but every one I have ordered has grown well. I can't wait to try the legendary Darlow's Enigma.

For this next garden, I plan on ordering 80% own-root from Heirloom, but filling in with a few "annuals" grown on root stock (from my local nursery, probably), for more immediate gratification. (Well segregated from my Heirloom roses, so that when the root-stock roses give up the ghost from freezing or viruses, I can shovel-prune 'em.)

I've always found this a very good company. Honest people, good shipping, incredible selection, healthy plants.

I placed my first order with Heirloom Roses last month. As requested, they sent the plants in mid-April.

The roses were very well packed and arrived in good condition, although two of them have small yellow spots on their leaves, which hopefully are due to the trip from Oregon to Florida and not a sign of disease.

This is my first experience with own-root roses, so I didn't really expect anything. Therefore, I wasn't disappointed when I unpacked five small pots with iddy-biddy roses. However, what I certainly didn't expect were buds on such small plants!

The planting instructions included with the plants contain great information. It certainly sounds like the people at HR have a lot of experience growing roses. I'm going to follow their instructions and let y'all know how things go. :)

I have roses everywhere; inside, outside on 2 acres, greenhoused- I stopped counting after 150...I'm planning to order my next 100 roses from Heirloom. I love the way own-root roses look the second year compared to grafted roses. We've had some labeling problems. They've also been wonderful about propegating some really rare roses. Virus-free is really an issue with me after dealing with rose mosaic virus in plants purchased elsewhere. It is hard work spading up 3-year roses, and heart-breaking also.
I also love that I can order year-round, although I do keep a weather eye on heat during shipping. Shipping costs are a wee bit high, and I'd love a club discount for frequent customers or sales that reduce shipping once in a while, are you listening, Heirloom?

I've ordered several roses from Heirloom and have loved every one of them! Yes, the plants are smaller than from other places, but that's stated clearly in the catalog. All but one of the roses I've ordered bloomed the first year, and I expect the lone holdout will do just fine this year. I hope MOSMOM is right about Darlow's Enigma blooming in a shade garden- I have one on order this year for my shade garden! I will definately do business with Heirloom again.

Yes, plants were small, but I followed their planting instructions and the 4 roses I received grew vigorously and bloomed as well. I like the fact that these are own-root roses.

Two of the roses did not arrive with the shipment-- When I called, I was told that they hadn't done well in the greenhouse and the company did not feel good about shipping them. Customer service has been prompt and courteous. They offered to replace, but because of my specific requirements, I am waiting for spring.

The catalog suggested that Darlow's Enigma would grow and bloom in full shade-- well it certainly does!

I got Champlain climber last June, it has been an excelent plant. Its about 5 times larger than when planted and has produced about 2 dozen blooms with another dozen buds showing. All happening in one of the hottest and dryest summers in 20 years.

I had bought four roses via the Internet this year and was very satisfied with them soooo....

While out traveling in the Pacific NorthWest this last week I dropped in at Heirloom Roses.

Heirloom Roses is a very professional organization... and I do mean organization. All of the gardens were lovely and the sales shed was in excellent order. Wandered around for several hours and ended up buying two more roses!

I GIVE AN A PLUS RATING TO HEIRLOOM ROSES!

I have bought roses from this company for the past two years and will be ordering more soon. They have a wonderful selection and the plants are tough. One poor rose was lain on by our huge dog shortly after it was planted, then trampled by my husband a month later. It recovered and has been covered with blooms all this summer. I trusted them when they suggested some could take shade, and now have two blooming in fairly dark areas where I would have sworn roses would never grow.
I am a careless gardener who is forgetful about watering and almost never uses insecticides. My sucess with Heirloom Roses is a testimony to their quality.

Have made several orders in the last two years. Good customer service. Plants arrived as stated. Company responds to email and phone correspondence and has been helpful with follow up questions. The plants arrive disappointingly small, but do grow vigorously by the second year. Some of them are tough as nails, surviving numerous transplants and general neglect.