Comments regarding Heirloom Roses

Two years ago I planted 55 roses from this company. I ordered more (lost count) last year. No special care. All but one are thriving. Ordered another 33 this year. I was skeptical at first, but I've been growing roses for 40 years and I am convinced this is the best product on the market. Get them small and bareroot and they'll adjust to your garden conditions, unlike others that do well for a couple of years and then peter out. Haven't had to test their customer service as everything I've ordered has been delivered when expected and in perfect condition.

I couple of years ago I ordered 4 roses, one was suppose to be Lamarque. It had a blush tint, not the yellow it is suppose to have. I spent 2 years looking at pictures on the internet of white climbers, trying to figure out what it was. A Rosarian friend of mine finally ID'd it as Mme Alfred Carreire.
I contacted Heirloom to tell them of their mistake and couldn't believe, after all this time ,that they were not only apologetic but offered to send me a rose of my choice. This kind of customer service just doesn't exist today and I will become a customer once again.

Ordered 2 roses from Heirloom the other week. Both arrived in excellent condition (across the country to VA). They were quite large for band pot roses and had strong very full root system that filled the pot. This is not the first time I have ordered from Heirloom and with how these roses looked, it will not be my last (I just need a bigger yard).

I had a fabulous experience. I ordered six David Austin roses. They arrived impeccably packaged, healthy and beautiful and even quite leafed out.

Considering how inexpensive they are through this retailer, I expected to receive little dormant stubs in baggies. I'm super thrilled to find this was not the case. The great thing is I can plant more roses at this price point, and I don't worry about the size-they'll thrive, I can tell.

The website has a lot of info on each rose as well as some general information about rose care. The information allowed me to choose more shade tolerant roses, and even had more to offer than David Austin's own website does.

I called once to alter my order, and the lady was extremely kind on the phone. She even refunded me two separate charges though I hadn't asked her to do so, when combining two orders. I thought it was wonderful service. I'll definitely be ordering my other roses through this service.

I have yet to order anything as I am worried about the heat in hemet california. I want to get Sharifa Asma for myself and my mom in time for Mother's Day. Her Garden has very hard dry dirt with no shade. I know she will need to buy good soil to plant it but will it thrive or die?

Posted on September 4, 2012, updated November 4, 2012
I ordered 5 roses from Heirloom and 3 came today. I read the reviews here first and while I was aware they would be small, I think they looked great. I was amazed at how well packed they were. The 3 pots were in individual bags with twist ties so all the perlite and soil doesn't fall out. They also used split bamboo stakes to sort of keep the pots together in a row which I thought was a nice touch. Can't wait for the other two and hope these babies do well, too bad we're supposed to have more 100 degree days this week.

I have bought two orders from Heirloom Roses, 1) 4 roses, and 2) 3 roses.
I have no experience with "own root" roses. But I read their description, and at the minor cost of them, everything made sense to try them out. They arrived, tiny wee things (6" long and so narrow!), but the description told of this, and spoke of patience. The first year, one did not like where I planted it, and it died. Two just rested. The 4th became steroidal. I was actually shocked with the incredible thrift and growth rate. I got a few roses, but didn't expect this from the meager beginnings the first year.
I ordered 3 more (from their sale stock) and again, the spot where I put another type of rose was not great. It died. The other two rested, but it was getting to be mid-summer... That was last year.
This Spring, I got gutsy, and transplanted, without any notice or special care, the two roses that were not thriving. I have to say - they are GORGEOUS now. Much happier!
Which leads me to observe, with those negative ratings that I saw, most spoke of what I encountered, yet one wonders if THE PLANTING SITE or PATIENCE was not correct. Or if the descriptions were not read thoroughly. Mine are thriving, and greatly surpassing any in the neighborhood. No need to look elsewhere for roses, when Heirloom Roses produces such spectacular results, with such little cost!

Posted on July 7, 2012, updated July 7, 2012
I have been gardening for over ten years, but am by no means an expert. I learn by extensive research and trial and error. The distributors in my area are having difficulty this year acquiring english roses so I thought I'd try out an on-line store for the first time. Makes me very nervous to not see/touch/smell what I am purchasing. I chose heirloom roses hoping for the best. I read every single page of text regarding the roses I chose and planting/care instructions to ensure I had correct expectations. A couple of months ago I received half of my shipment of six total roses. They were shockingly tiny...even with the expectation that they would be tiny ;)... I thought, oh my, what on earth have I gotten myself into. I re-read their site instructions and trusted in the information. I planted my beds EXACTLY how they told me to and placed them strategically for the correct amount of sunlight recommended. I will tell you that all but two have tripled, at least, in size and have bloomed multiple times and they have only been in the ground for less than 3 months. I am soooo delighted and proud. The roses I ordered were Lady of the mist, Othello (BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL BLOOM), Glamis Castle (Beautiful dainty blooms), Pretty Jessica x2 (smaller, slower growers, but only 2 months in ground already starting to grow and branch out and I see 5 blooms in process already), and Lexy. Lexy is really small and not growing as rapidly as the others. The plant is healthy, just seems to be a slower grower for some reason. It may be the spot within the garden not getting the same hours of sun as the others. I am watching this one to see if she needs to be moved. The Lady of the mist bloomed once and the bloom did not look at all like the shape or color in the photo on-line. I wasn't sure I had the right plant. I emailed photos to heirloom roses. I did have to follow-up a few times to pursue, but received wonderful customer service and feel the situation was handled more than fairly. You cannot expect that the owner will respond immediately to your call/email. Think of how many customers they have and they cannot possibly respond to questions regarding extraneous care and instruction as I've seen some people complain on this website. That is your job to google and/or research. They can't be responsible past what they've already told you. They are in the business to sell a specific type of own root rose and they give you every thing you need to get started. Come on folks. :) I am just astounded at how healthy these plants are. They have zero spots, zero dead leaves, zero signs of anything but thriving, and most are triple the size in 2-3 months based on which shipment they arrived within. The leaves are such vibrant green and the blooms and fragrance are amazing already. I cannot wait to see what happens next year when the plants are mature. I will follow the pruning instructions and hope they take over my whole garden. :) I STRONGLY EMPHATICALLY RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY, at least based on my experiences so far this year. Also worth mentioning, I live in Memphis, TN and we are experiencing 104 plus unbearable heat. Every plant, rose, and even my grass is thriving due to the fact that I water twice per day right now and originally dug up the old nasty clay "dirt" and replaced with a mixture of sandy loam, top soil, and a bit of miracle grow potting soil mixed. They LOVE it and are thriving. Just a thought... you can't just plop them in a hole in whatever dirt you have and barely water. They are like children, it takes lots of time and lots and lots of preparation and effort to grow them into vibrant beauties vs. average (no growth/no death...just sit there). I know I sound like a commercial for them, but truly I am so very pleased and will highly recommend.

I bought 10 roses from heirloom roses for the first time. I was nervous about the order but was elated on opening the box when it arrived. They were packed beautifully, were of very vigorous growth signs,very nice size all were more than 10 inches from soil level atleast or more and are now in my garden already flowering this very year and showing very nice growth.I will always buy from this company in the future as i have ordered roses from another online website but they lacked the vigor that this company roses had.Thanks a bunch for what you do!

My initial review is a 5 out of 5! I ordered a David Austin 'Charlotte' rose for my grandmother as a Mother's Day gift. The order was placed after business hours via the website on 05/08/12. I didn't think the rose would make it to her on time, but to my surprise it arrived today, the day before Mother's Day. The order was processed, shipped & arrived all in 4 days! My Grammy called me to thank me, she said the plant itself is potted in a small black pot consistent with the pics on Heirloom Rose's site. The plant looks vigorous & was not wilted even though it has been in the high 80's the last couple of days.

I will update my post as we see how it fares here just north of Sacramento, CA.

I will not hesitate to do business again with Heirloom Roses!

Posted on April 25, 2012, updated May 3, 2012
Posted on September 6, 2011, updated April 25, 2012
In May, I ordered three roses from them (Jayne Austin, Wife of Bath, and Lady of the Mist) for my new house.

The roses arrived in good shape. The leaves were deep dark green, the roots moist, and the instructions very informative. They were wee little sticks, which worried me a bit, I admit. (About 6 ")

Because of construction, I had to delay a bit, and followed their directions for that. When I was ready to plant, I carefully selected a site for each and planted them.

Three months later, the roses are doing great. One is nearly three feet tall. All have bloomed. I'm sorry to say that I did lose one to a construction accident, but until then it was going well (arrgh). Our summer was excessively hot (many days above 103) and my new home's soil is mostly clay, but so far, the roses are fine.

The plants arrive healthy and well but small. They have not grown much or produced blooms in over 2 years. Other roses from other companies have done extremely well in our area. Summary about heirloom own root cuttings is they are small and stay small.

Have ordered twice from them and plants arrived in excellent condition with good root structure and no diseased foliage.

prompt shipping and healthy plants- smaller than what you expect when they initially arrive but they catch up quickly

Placed a very small order of three miniature roses. They came rather promptly and in excellent condition. The prices were decent, and on the third day of the roses being planted, they're already exhibiting signs of new growth.

I've been very pleased with my order and hope to be doing business again with them in the future.

I have ordered from them several times each time has been worse than the last. The plants have been ok - small and expensive - they have grown ok.
Their customer order process and customer service needs some work! My last order was lost, after they charged my credit card. The person on the phone was less than helpful - couldn't even find my order, they didn't know how?! They refused to make up for their screw up by sending product to arrive by my dead line - after the date the plants should have arrived in the first place, I even selected plants in stock to avoid delays. There are good companies and I think I'll try and find one.

I ordered 10 minis from Heirloom and all arrived in good condition. One died a couple of weeks later. I emailed the company and within the hour they had sent a response that they were sorry for my loss and will be mailing a replacement to me on Monday. Based on past reviews of this company I had mixed feelings but overall I must say that with this one order I am happy with the company and will remain happy so long as they keep their word and all the roses are true to name.

I ordered from them for the first time last year. Had previously always planted grafted roses. As others mention, was very surprised at the small size of the plants received; ordered maybe 20? roses and a couple had black spot and a couple were pretty wilted. I called them and they were very helpful on the phone. Planted all of them and most grew fairly well last year. Roughly in a zone 6 area. This year one did not make it-climber Don Juan-might be because of where it is since it wasn't doing well last year, but the rest are doing very well. The ground cover roses-Carpet of Color and Peachy Creeper are growing like crazy-easily 3-4 feet wide each plant with many many flowers. All the roses are mulched but I admit to not doing anything else "special" to them over the winter. I'd recommend them and plan on ordering more.

This is the second time I've ordered from Heirloom roses. Last time I placed a small order. This year I ordered about a dozen roses from them. So far, with one exception, everything is as expected. Plants are small but roots seem healthy. I know from past experience that next year will either reinforce or negate my rating as the second year is a more accurate measure of how smaller own-root rose plants do. So far I've only lost one rose ordered from Heirloom last year (The impressionist). It was planted next to Night Owl which is thriving but Impressionist, for some unknown reason, was quite dead this spring. Both were protected for the winter as is my usual practice (z5), but we never did get to see Impressionist bloom.

I have been a long-time customer for over 15 years. I have 70 roses in my garden, all of which I bought from Heirloom. They are gorgeous, healthy plants.

This past winter was one of the harshest on record. My friends and neighbors lost most of their grafted roses. But I didn't lose a single rose. Some of them died back to the ground, but they all came back from the roots. And since they are on their own roots, not grafted, I don't have to worry about root-stock suckers.

The staff at Heirloom is helpful and friendly. I have always been 100% pleased with the service and the quality of the plants. Thank you!

I will be doing business with this company again in the future. I have ordered from them twice and both times have been extremely pleased with the plants I received. To those who are put off by receiving small plants: the small roses I received from Heirloom this spring are now (midsummer) four feet tall. Surprisingly, they've all even bloomed. It's safe to say that I'm satisfied with my experience with this company! :)

I ordered my roses May 23rd and received an email stating they had been shipped June 2nd. It's June 17th and no roses! I spent quite a bit and am pretty frustrated at this point, I'd heard so many great things about heirloomroses.com that I was excited to be getting such a great deal - roses are very expensive in my area. I really want my roses and just want a reply to my emails! I wish their customer service phone line was more flexible too and I could call on Saturday's. This feedback is neutral because I am still waiting for them to come through and hopeful everything will work out...

I love to visit Heirloom Roses after running the dogs at nearby Champoeg State Park. In early May the display gardens weren't yet blooming, but I browsed the greenhouse and came away with 5 miniature roses and two hybrid teas. I don't expect the greenhouse staff to know every detail about the hundreds of roses available and appreciate the ample supply of reference books and catalogs on a nearby shelf. These make it easy to read up on the varieties that interest me the most. One of the great things about gardening is the opportunity for educating oneself and I always come away from my trips to Heirloom Roses feeling more knowledgeable about rose care and varieties. Can't wait to go back in late June when the display gardens should be in full bloom!
All five of my miniatures are now in full bloom and look super sweet in boxes on my deck railing. Excellent little plants! They have varieties that none of the local nurseries carry and I have never been disappointed with what I've brought home.

My order was placed way back in February. The webpage clearly stated they would begin shipping in March. I then received an email they would not be shipping my items until 7 days after April 21st.

That should have been my first warning sign things would not go smoothly.

Getting a bit impatient I emailed the company around the middle of April requesting an updated status on my order. I received a two sentence response from "Laurel":

"The below acknowledgment indicates that the order is set to process on the 21st of this month. You should then receive the roses within 7 business days after the order processes."

I let it alone and continued to wait for my order. When it finally arrived on April 27th I was over the moon. One by one I removed each plant carefully. I then discovered two plants were missing. On the order slip it stated they were back ordered and they were not sure when they would be in stock.

There was no refund issued, no communication on "Laurel"s part that my order would be incomplete.

Now nearly another month has gone by and I still have not received the rose plants or refund.

I have emailed the company once again requesting some sort of resolution.

This review will remain negative until they resolve this in a timely fashion.

So far so good! We received 4 different varieties as a gift, arrived in timely manner. Very small but very fresh and healthy looking plants. They have been in the yard for about 6 weeks now, growing slowly but still nice and healthy. I will probably order some more from this company for another part of the yard.

Roses are small, as I expected because they are not the commercial stuff sold at drug stores, but healthy and packaged well. Arrived when they were supposed to. The rest is up to my love.

Ordered 3 Own Root Roses from them and got them very fast, within a week or so. The plants were a little too small than what I expected, but they looked healthy. I potted them first and then transferred them to our rose bed. They appear to be doing fine till now and hope they prosper in our garden for years to come.

My order arrived at the date I had specified and the plants were the size I expected from many years of past dealings with them. They have always been small plants and if people haven't ordered from them before or are used to grafted roses they may be surprised. I have never had one fail, so I can't comment on customer service after the sale.

There are times when you open a box and say boy did I get screwed, never in my 60 years have I felt it more today. Tiny rooted cuttings for 16.95 each. Upon calling to express my concern I was told we have thousands of satisfied customers,. I am not one of them!

I just bought several antique roses by mail order from Heirloom Roses and am very pleased!

I ordered online only 6 days ago and I already received the roses via USPS this morning; they went from Oregon to Florida in record time, I think. Wow!

Anyway, I would definitely use this company again for antique roses by mail order based on my experience so far. The roses I just received were very well packed and completely undamaged in transit. They are VERY healthy looking! I will plant them tomorrow.

Thank you Heirloom Roses, for the great service and product.

When I entered the nursery today, I was totally ignored by the saleswoman. I spent about 20 minutes selecting some roses and brought them to the cash register. The saleswoman was still helping the people whom she had been with when I first entered the nursery. I failed to get the attention of the saleswoman, who did not acknowledge my presence in any way. After several minutes of standing in line to pay while she incessantly chatted away with the people in front of me, I couldn't stand being treated so rudely any longer, so I sat down what would have been my purchases and vacated the premises. I will never go back. Horrible, horrible service that even a teenaged cashier would have known better than to do.

"On Apr 15, 2011 9:17 AM, Heirloom Roses responded with:

We feel sickened that any one of our customers would have received such treatment and wish to make this matter correct if you will allow us to. Would you be so kind as to provide your contact phone number by email to info@heirloomroses.com and reference this posting? Thank you. Heirloom Roses Management "

My Heirloom roses are beginning their third year in my garden, and all of them are doing great. I ordered a climber, and Alba, and a Rugosa. They arrived VERY small, as others have mentioned, but I think this was a good thing-they didn't suffer much shock, and by the second summer, they were pretty and had a few blooms. Then I received six miniatures as a gift-they bloomed the first year and are beautiful, dense bushes that bloomed all summer, even through the drought. I am very happy with my roses, and expect even better things from them this year.

Posted on March 1, 2011, updated March 4, 2011
Posted on February 18, 2010, updated March 1, 2011
Posted on February 7, 2010, updated February 17, 2010
Posted on November 14, 2009, updated February 7, 2010
Posted on June 06, 2008, updated November 14, 2009
I got my 6 Austin Roses yesterday, packed very well.
Nice and moist roots, not wet. Deep pots with fine roots.
The plants are small, but bigger than I expected for own root seedlings.
I will order again, I am very satisfied with the overal quality.
Thank you,
Christie

I ordered 13 different rose types from Heirloom, and the plants themselves are doing pretty well . The plants are not why I give this company a negative rating. I do so because I have written them 4 emails with questions about the roses before and after ordering them, and the owner (?) defintely took her time to respond to my inquiries, and all of her replies are in a very curt and unfriendly manner. The last email I wrote her was very obviously not read thoroughly. My question to her was if I could take cuttings of my plants to Panama (where I live) with me and plant the mother plants at my parents' house, and how to go about it. Her reply was simply, "We do not sell cuttings of our roses". Absolutely not my question. I responded to her to please reread my email thoroughly and answer my question accordingly. That was 4 days ago and I have heard nothing from her yet. I understand that sometimes people have things going on that prevent them from replying immediately, but this has been my consistent experience with this company for the last 5 months. I myself run my massage business on the web, and I would have NO clients if I ran my business in the same way she does. Being a forgiving person and wanting to give every chance possible, I continued trying to work with them since the roses ARE fairly healthy, but I have finally given up and have found a different rose vendor (Edmund's) to obtain the rest of my rose plants from. It is not my way to write negative reviews on anyone; however, I am hoping she will see this and realize the errors of the way she handles her clients inquiries.

Posted on April 19, 2009, updated September 7, 2010
I have ordered a few times from Heirloom Roses. Yes, some types of there roses are small plants when you receive them. But, being own -root roses they grow very fast! My plants were about 12 inches and I planted them late in June here in zone 6. The following year they quickly grew to over 3 1/2 ft high and almost 3 ft wide by july.
I like this company!

My recent experience with this company was unfortunately very BAD. I ordered over twenty roses last fall and most of them were were not of the quality that I had received years previously. Barely rooted so they did not make it through the winter. (Two survived) I called them and wanted replacements or a refund...something...but all I got was an indifferent "the guarantee time is over". I asked to talk to someone about how and why this happened but no one would respond.

After growing over 200 roses over 20 years, I do know something about roses and not an amateur. I STRONGLY suggest you buy roses from those companies that believe in treating their customers better and more professionaly. They lost a customer who plans on 500 roses in her garden.

Kathy dePass
Artful Nuance

"On Aug 16, 2010 12:38 PM, Heirloom Roses responded with:

The order in question for 20 roses was placed the first part of August 2009, taking advantage of the "Summer Sale" posted online. The roses in question where on special for $7.95. The special stated:

"Because of the dramatic savings, the guarantee offered is for 30 days. If planted in zones 6 and below caution needs to be taken to ensure that they make it through the winter. Heirloom can not guarantee over the winter months."
"

Ordered two roses. A Double Delight and Let Freedom Ring. Rcvd two very small but healthy bands the week after ordering. Planted immediately. Currently doing very well! A pleasant experience.

But, I do agree with other reviewers that these first year roses are very small to be shipped.

Posted on May 13, 2010, updated July 23, 2010
Posted on July 17, 2009, updated May 13, 2010
This was my first purchase from Heirloom roses, and I am quite happy with the rose. I bought Westerland, and had to plant in mid July! It already has a nice new sprout of leaves growing! It also has had absolutely NO transplant shock and the leaves are a nice green! I am impressed! Especially considering this was a replacement for a bareroot John Cabot rose that died almost as soon as I planted him!

This year has been very disheartening for me in the rose purchases I've gotten, and to see this little Westerland moving right along gives me hope that all is not lost.

Wow - my two climbing roses were healthier than any I have bought locally. The plants are at least 12- 14 inches tall and extremely a gorgeous deep green color. There is new growth on the tips - I am very pleased with them.