Comments regarding Heirloom Roses

I have ordered from Heirloom several times. Their roses have slways done very well for me. They have several sales during the year when you can get good deals.

Just ordered 2 Colette Climbers and they came well-packed. They are small, but hoping in the next couple of years they will mature nicely!

When the roses arrived they were in good condition but very small. I cannot believe how fast they have grown and are budding already!
I already ordered more rose from them.

I am beyond pleased with Heirloom Roses! I have ordered from them twice now and each time my roses were shipped with the utmost attention paid to their packaging. My roses have been healthy and beautiful and I honestly can’t think of one negative thing about my experiences with this company. Heirloom does it the way it should be done!

The shipping time was shorter than what they said it would be and my rose arrived with 3 canes thicker than a pencil and looking very healthy and strong. Overall a very good experience with them, will update on how the rose does later.

So far, I have purchased and received four roses from Heirloom. All four arrived healthy. The first two have been in the ground for about a year - a Darlow's Enigma to climb over my garage (eventually) and a Galway Bay. The Darlow has survived an attack by Japanese Beetles and lived to tell the tale, it is growing well enough - at least 6 inches taller than when it arrived and a good foot wider, with healthy foliage. Not a whole lot of blooming last summer, but I blame the beetles.

The poor Galway Bay is hanging on through no fault of mine. I took too long to plant it, I got overly ambitious about cutting back canes that looked sickly and nearly cut it back to the ground. And yet. It has glossy green leaves out already and seems to have survived me thus far. I'm hoping for some real growth this year, and maybe one bud. My operating theory is that Heirloom sends out really healthy, really strong roses, and that's why I haven't managed to kill them yet.

I plunged in this year with another two roses: the Courageous and the Mme Alfred Carrière. This shipment arrived with both plants stripped of their leaves. No matter. The Courageous is leafing out already - it has only been in the ground for a couple of weeks - as is the Mme.

I find their website and reviews really helpful (for the most part - the wishlist function of the website is a little squirrely) and can spend way too much time pursuing and researching on exactly which rose will be right for whatever challenging situation I'm trying to fill in. I do appreciate that they are sticklers about own-root roses, and the variety of roses doesn't seem to have too many competitors.

My only hesitation with Heirloom is the pricing. I have at least five more roses to add to my planting scheme (for the record, I did start with a more or less blank slate) and if I stick with Heirloom, wise budgeting means I'll have to space my purchases out over the course of a year or two. Which would be fine except for my impatience.

I have been gardening for decades. Heirloom Roses is my go-to place for healthy vigorous roses.

I received the roses on time and packed wonderfully.
They were in great condition and are already set out and enjoying their space.

Great experience with this company!!

Just got the first 2 roses I've ordered from them. The plants look good and were very well packed--boxed in a sturdy box with section dividers to keep them fixed, plus covering on the pots; an elephant could've damaged them, but they were safe for 99% of postal travel.

I've also had to call them several times to adjust the order as I've felt my way through adding plants to the garden, and they've always been prompt to answer and very helpful in sorting matters so there was no extra shipping and handling.

Also, I *really* appreciate the fact that Heirloom roses are own root. I won't risk stabbed as I lie down to take suckers out!

"On Aug 21, 2019 8:37 AM, Heirloom Roses responded with:

Thank you so much! We loved to hear from our customers."

I got the itch to purchase roses way later than I should have, so a lot of the good ones were already gone, but Heirloom Roses still had a nice selection for me to choose from. They even had some on sale so I ended up making two impulse purchases, two separate orders of multiple plants. I then came on here the next day to see their reviews, what I found left me nervous, and filled with buyers remorse, especially when my first order shipped on a friday and was set to arrive the following friday. I prepared myself for disappointment, but when the box arrived, I was pleasantly surprised. The plants were packaged excellently, not a leaf out of place, and hardly looked like they spent a week in a dark box. The plants themselves looked healthy and well grown. I can't wait to get my second order now, and I would gladly order again! The only complaint I can come up with, is they send a lot of emails offering current sales, they should take the less is more approach, it would be way more effective, but unsubscribing was a simple click. Thanks for the gorgeous plants!

"On Jun 14, 2019 10:51 AM, Heirloom Roses responded with:

Thank you so much!"

I knew that my husband, not being the garden aficionado that I have always been, would be shocked by the way the roses would arrive (especially given the amount I spent on them,) so I had him watch the video on the Heirloom roses site regarding how the roses would arrive prior to their arrival. Any concerns he had at the sparse plants that arrived were completely alleviated this morning. We put them in the ground in well-prepared soil after the sun went down last night. He was up early and inspecting his investment first thing. He was amazed. Even prior to the sun coming up, every rose was already sprouting lovely leaves. Having learned to garden at my mother's knee and landscaping four different homes in my life, I know that quality counts. The plants left Oregon Monday afternoon and arrived Thursday afternoon. They were carefully packaged, in one gallon containers, wrapped in plastic to maintain some humidity, 12"-14" tall and having at least four stalks on each one. I ordered Peace, Stainless Steel, Frau Karl Druschki, Cloud 9, Eternal Flame and Majestic. The customer service folks were very helpful in assisting me in selecting my plants and providing direction for planting. At this point I am incredibly impressed with every aspect of my experience with Heirloom Roses. Will update if this changes.

I can't be more happy with roses from Heirloom roses. Also their customer service is top notch. I ordered from them twice and their roses are healthy and true to names. I received my rose in the morning today and wow I am impressed again.

To me Heirloom is the Tiffanys of online rose nurseries. I have never had a bad experience with their roses and their searchable database of roses is invaluable in selecting the right rose for your particular ecosystem.

Posted on March 27, 2018, updated March 29, 2018
Posted on March 27, 2018, updated March 27, 2018
Posted on March 27, 2018, updated March 27, 2018
I ordered three 1 gallon Quatre Saisons roses, based on the information supplied via their website with pictures of the gallon size roses one is to expect.

I received two roses with 2 thin stems and one rose with just one stem.Yes, there was new growth and the very thin stems are healthy but.....paying over $40,- a rose and a huge shipping charge for roses that are at best band-size is not reasonable.

Chrystal, the company's representative, informed me that based on the picture I sent, the single stem looked healthy and some roses are not sent the same size as advertised.
Only use this company if you really cannot find the specific rose elsewhere. Their advertising is misleading.

"On Mar 27, 2018 1:51 PM, Heirloom Roses responded with:

Dear Caroline,

I have reviewed your comments as well as emails and photos of the Quatre Saisons roses that you received.

Quatre Saisons is an old garden rose which has canes that are small and thin while in the infancy stage. The growth habit is much different than say a Hybrid Tea, which will have thicker, stronger canes at first.The price of old garden roses is higher than some of our other varieties, because of their special qualities, history, and effort required to propagate them.

We require our roses to meet a strong set of quality standards prior to becoming shippable. In reviewing your photos, I am able to confirm that your roses met all of these quality standards.

I encourage you to plant your roses as you normally would and give this one time to mature. I am confident that with proper planting and nurturing, it will exceed your expectations.

If you are not satisfied with time, please let us know as your roses are covered under our one year warranty.

Please contact us at 800-820-0465 if we can assist you further.

Sincerely,

Stephanie C.

I first visited Heirloom Roses when my parents moved to Vancouver , Washington and I decided to dig them a large rose garden. Once there , I bought quite a few rose plants . About 15 to 20. They grew surprisingly well from very small plants.
I then escorted my Dad here so he could get more. He likes disease free varieties and Heirloom was known for that. The elderly lady who helped both times could not have been nicer, even giving me useful insider info on little known varieties.
I hesitate to buy their roses since I came down with cancer and live in Granada Hills , CA now. I prefer to get the plants in the tiny containers , not one gallon. Easier for me to deal with small things when planting in my wheelchair.
Recommended company despite their prices.

Just received my two climbing roses from Heirloom Roses. The plants were well-packaged, healthy and ready for planting (already in the ground in fact). While the plants may be slightly pricey, I was satisfied that they met the standards that quality roses must have, and I felt it was a fair exchange. I will update in the future the progress of my roses.

Have ordered several times from Heirloom. I have always been satisfied with their packing, shipping and quality. The prices are a bit intimidating, but I figure I get what I pay for. And until that changes for the worse, I will continue ordering, probably sparingly. I appreciate what I get always.

Posted on March 16, 2016, updated January 17, 2017
I have ordered 3 bands from Heirloom Roses this season, a mini rose named "Hi", a ground cover rose called "Green Snake" and the Grandiflora "Lagerfeld". I was very impressed with the overall size and health of all three, and they were also packed extremely well. I have ordered bands from other places that weren't nearly as nice and big as these. So far all three are looking very perky and exhibiting signs of growth - I will definitely be ordering from Heirloom in the future!

"On Mar 16, 2016 2:13 PM, Heirloom Roses responded with:

Thank you so much! We hope you enjoy your beautiful blooms. Don't hesitate to contact us if we can assist you further."

I just received my one gallon Cloud 10 yesterday. While I have been somewhat unhappy with the health of the band size in the past. This gallon size was in excellent condition. I'm extremely happy with my purchase.

I ordered many roses from this company five years ago, they have varieties that are extremely hard, if not impossible to find.

They ship very carefully and the roses I received have taken over their areas, to where I have been able to split and make many other rose areas on the perimeter of my property. Their indiscriminate bushes have to be seen to be believed as far as vigor and blooming goes, and the rose hips I have gotten are huge and perfect. I highly recommend these roses.

Top quality rose, perfect packing, reasonable price.

I ordered gallon-sized roses from this company a couple of months ago. The company's shipping was prompt and the packaging was very good. The roses are nice-looking own-root roses. The roses are doing just fine so far. I called customer service to ask a question and got an immediate response. I intend to do business with this company again and recommend them without qualification.

"On Mar 16, 2016 2:14 PM, Heirloom Roses responded with:

Thank you! We are glad we have been able to assist you and look forward to hearing about how your roses perform."

Posted on September 10, 2015, updated September 14, 2015
Heritage roses has excellent plants which are packaged good !
However their communication is poor . Spent for the last few days e-mailing and attempting to reach the company by phone . No luck ! this concerns orders 100127285 and 100127297 . The second number is the correct one with delivery in may 2016 . Thank you !

My roses, Great Maidens Blush and Mme Alfred Carrie were received in excellent shape. I had to call to establish which one was which, but only because the tags had slipped below the soil level and I couldn't find them at first. The woman in customer service was very nice and helped me decide which of the two positions I was considering would be best for which rose. I planted both roses last week, following the instructions carefully and then left for the shore. When I returned a week later Great Maiden's Blush had new growth and buds. Mme also seems to be in excellent shape but not yet pushing new growth. I am thrilled to have these new roses in the ground in August and am looking forward to lots of flowers next spring.

Posted on June 5, 2015, updated June 19, 2015
Purchased an older cultivar (appropriate to my A USA Zone) July 2014. Although correctly planted in a good location, the plant died. When I contacted the vendor, I received a very short, terse email stating that the plant was outside warranty. It was 10 months from date of purchase when I reported this. The ONLY reason for refusing to replace the plant- which was on the puny side- was that Heirloom Roses policy of guaranteeing plants for a year was only instituted in Sept 2014. If you purchased after that date, they'll guarantee the plants for a year. If you purchased before that date - even if the plant was purchased 10 months ago (less than a year) they wouldn't help you.

This is ridiculous. Very poor customer support. I have purchased 3 other roses from Heirloom Roses, all of which are thriving. They could have retained lifelong goodwill of a customer by agreeing to replace a plant within a year of purchase. I would not recommend buying from a company with a track record of poor customer service. Roses ate too expensive and there are a LOT of other vendors out there. Stay away!

"On Jun 5, 2015 5:59 AM, Heirloom Roses responded with:

Thank you for your feedback, we are very sorry that we did not meet your expectations.

At Heirloom Roses we are committed to growing plants that exceed your expectations. We guarantee that our roses are healthy, grown on their own roots, virus-free and true to variety. We are so confident in our roses that we warranty them for one year from the date of purchase (For roses purchased after September 2014), as long as they are properly planted and cared for in growing zones recommended on our website and in our catalog. If your plant fails to thrive within a year, please let us know immediately and we will make it right.

If the rose you purchased is no longer available, we will work with you to replace it with a rose that is well suited for your growing conditions.

During certain times of year, we will not ship replacement plants to customers based on recommended planting dates related to frost. In this case, we will hold your plant and ship it on the recommended planting date for your area.

Please understand that we cannot be responsible for abnormal or extreme weather conditions, neglect from the gardener, or roses that are planted in incorrect hardiness zones.

We hope that you will understand that there must be limitations to our warranty and we hope to provide you with beautiful roses again in the future."

Iv'e bought from Heirloom before, it took more time establish due to the smaller size, but most of the plants flourished. Now with the option of having gallon size own roots, and having just purchased one, I'm impressed. It's worth the price to have such a nice size and healthy own root rose. I will be ordering more often, I love the new size options! Thank you Heirloom for on time delivery, good customer service and sending a healthy plant! I must mention, the plant I received is called The Magician. It's spectacular and a show stopper! I planted two of them in my mother's garden years ago, now I finally have one in my garden!

Posted on May 15, 2015, updated May 27, 2015
Last October I ordered and received a rose bush from Heirloom.
It was very puny and I was worried about overwintering it.

I carefully planted and winter protected it to no avail.
Now it has not survived. I wrote an e mail to the company and did not get a response. Quite upset about this because it was a special rosebush that I finally located at Heirloom.

"On Jun 5, 2015 6:03 AM, Heirloom Roses responded with:

Thank you! We are pleased that we were able to replace this for you."

I have ordered a couple of roses from Heirloom Roses, and the plants are always healthy. My husband did order me one around Christmas, and it died, Heirloom was quick to issue a gift certificate to replace it when it gets back in stock. I like that you can order 1 rose at any time without inflated shipping cost. This is still more economical than buying local, and you get a much healthier plant. This could a drawback for me at times because I could order 4 roses from somewhere else with shipping for about $80. They also discontinued several varieties that I had on my wish list which made me sad. They have a nice website with beautiful pictures that is easy to navigate which is helpful. Anytime though that I want beautiful healthy roses, I know Ican count on Heirloom Roses.

This is the way all companies should be. I called asking about a rose that was out of stock and spoke to Linda, an order specialist. She was helpful and professional and told me that she would check with the growers about availability. Within a couple of hours she responded via email, and although the rose I was interested in was unavailable, she offered a good substitute. I placed an order based on the recommendation and received a confirmation when the order was shipped. Both roses arrived at the time expected, were packed well and were healthy. This was good old fashioned gold standard customer service and I won't hesitate to return to Heirloom Roses.

Posted on November 30, 2012, updated August 8, 2014
Posted on September 5, 2012, updated November 30, 2012
I ordered two roses back in February of this year (2012). They shipped in May and arrived hale and hearty. In reading the reviews here and on their company website, I knew what to expect so I was not disappointed when smaller plants arrived. You wouldn't know it now to see them, though- they have grown by leaps and bounds! I got 1 Apothecary rose and 1 Rosa Mundi. We initially had a dry, hot spring, so I was a little worried about them. Then the heat broke and we've had good rainfall. Without any watering other than initially soaking them, my Apothecary rose has grown 4 sizable side branches and the Rosa Mundi has grown 2. I dug the hole very deep and put rotted cow manure in the bottom, spread a 3-foot diameter ring about 3" deep of mulch around the base of each plant, and then made a cage from cattle fencing and contractor stakes to make sure no rabbits or deer nibbled them. They really have settled in great and I can't wait to see how much they grow next season. Who knows? Maybe I'll have some early blooms! I'm in zone 7 and they are in full sun in my front yard.

After seeing some of the previous comments for Heirloom, I was hesitant to order. Then I saw that ALL mail order nurseries seem to have at least a few such comments so I took the plunge. In July, ordered 8 roses I've been craving but haven't found locally. Arrived pretty timely & excellently packed. Plants were small, yes, but not twigs. All were healthy & happy. Root systems were tight & definitely ready to come out of their little pots.. Re-potted into 4 gal. pots to grow out, put 4 in my greenhouse (live in Puget Sound area, cool summers) & set out 4 into my rose garden to try outdoor care. Three weeks later, all 8 show new growth & half have buds already. Three cheers for Heirloom!

Ordered Austin rose Hyde Hall (to fill large hole in part sun/part shade spot) on June 12, 2014--arrived June 16. Rose was loosely rooted in damp peat and held together in a plastic bag. It was leafed out; no sign of disease. Dug hole and planted rose upon receipt. June 23, 2014, new leaf growth, didn't droop even though peat fell away when planted. Went through their online catalog made list of future purchases.

My comments don't relate to the roses I received, but to the shipping. The roses were shipped very quickly, and I very much appreciated the fact that they were shipped at the beginning of the week (so they weren't sitting around over a weekend). Most of all, though, I have to comment on the packaging. I have NEVER seen such wonderful packaging for mail-order plants. Plastic surrounded the pots so soil didn't spill out, and a cardboard insert ingeniously kept the pots/plants in place within the shipping container. I am very impressed, and I'll be ordering more.

The miniature roses I received were in tolerable shape, considering they had to fly across the country ... and in just a few days they've perked up and seem to be in great shape.

They can count on me to be a continuing customer!

I ordered an everblooming climbing Cecile Brunner from them last spring. It arrived healthy and undamaged. Packaging was done really well. I planted it right away and watched it grow. By the end of the summer, I noticed it had only grown about 12-18 inches high and looked more bush-like, but I thought maybe it needed more time to settle in. Well, this winter was a very harsh one in our climate and we had crazy spring temps too that went from below freezing to the mid 70's all in one day. This happened most of early spring. I kept watching the plant and it appeared that all the previous years growth had died and it was resprouting from the roots but more in a bush form again. In the meantime, I ordered another of the exact same kind for this spring to plant in a different place along my fence line. (trying to cover a 40ft section of chainlink) It arrived healthy and undamaged as well. I contacted Heirloom about the plant from last year looking like a bush form and the dieback and that I really needed the climber for the fence. I also sent them pics. They not only replaced the original one with another, but they also sent me another one for the one I ordered this spring just in case it isn't the climbing one. They told me to keep the ones they originally sent and sent me 2 more of the everblooming climbing Cecile Brunner which both arrived healthy and doing wonderfully in the ground. These new ones do look slightly different than the ones they originally sent me as these look like they do have canes at the base instead of a trunk and then a vase-like bush. I can't speak enough about how polite and prompt they were with addressing my situation and apologizing for any mix-ups. I can easily see how it could've happened. It would be VERY difficult to tell them apart if not almost impossible if they weren't labelled right away or improperly labelled. I will definitely be doing business with them again just because of their great customer service and how beautiful and healthy the plants are.

I ordered two "Midnight Blue" shrub roses.

They have arrived and they look as big and as good as roses I got from some other rose nurseries that were listed in the top 5 of Garden Watchdog.

At this point I am not at all disappointed with the rose plants I received.

They are going to be planted today, and I will update how they do once planted and through out this summer (and how well they do in our central Illinois winter).

Posted on May 9, 2014, updated May 30, 2014
I have for several years looked at the Heirloom Roses website and seriously considered ordering a few of their roses because they have so many difficult to find and lovely varieties. But then I would check out the reviews on here and they all essentially said the same thing: plants not much more than a stick, not old enough to travel or survive. I didn't have the time needed to baby the roses until they were old enough to survive in my garden.

Then this year I once again gazed longingly at the website and noticed that it had changed - and apparently the ownership had changed as well. Came here and the reviews had gotten much much better. So I took the leap and ordered 5 bands. I am so glad that I did. A few days ago I received 5 meticulously packed and very very healthy plants. They are very good size for bands, and really leafy and vigorous. I will definitely order from them again...but probably not until I get a bigger yard. :)

As for the review from the person complaining that her roses didn't have a fragrance - not all roses have a fragrance. Actually, a high percentage of them do not. That isn't something that is the fault of the seller. If you smell the roses in the bouquets you find in grocery stores, for instance, they generally don't have a smell. And the range of types of fragrance and intensity of fragrance is quite large. You have to get particular varieties in order to get the fragrance you are looking for.

Heirloom roses provides beautiful roses and terrific customer service!
I ordered from heirloom 3 times in 2013 ...ordering 3-9 roses at a time.
My first order was a surprise because the bands were small and I had never ordered own root . I planted them and was pleasantly surprised at how quickly they flourished. All of my roses from heirloom are doing incredibly well and I especially love my Artic Sunrise...beautiful perfect blooms that last forever! There was some confusion with one of my orders and Shonna in customer service took care of my problem quickly and professionally.
I highly recommend heirloom roses!

Sockcranker, WA

After reading the recent comments on this page, I was sort of expecting my new rose (a birthday present for a family member) to come in a 1-gallon pot, but no matter. I've been a customer of Heirloom Roses for years, and have come to appreciate the 3-inch pots that their roses have always come in. My new "Heart O Gold" rose was in transit for over 5 days, but arrived healthy and perky a few days ago. It hasn't gone in the ground yet, but endured 1/2 inch of unexpected snow night before last, sitting on my deck, and came through with flying colors. I expect that once it is planted, it will do as well as the other 7 Heirloom Roses I have, and be wonderful. Unless Ben does something terrible in the new management of the company (which I doubt will happen), I shall remain a loyal customer.

I just made my first purchase from Heirloom Roses last week. I received my order today and am very happy with the condition of the David Austin rose I ordered. It was perfectly packaged and a healthy looking. From the low prices I was expecting a tiny plant in a baggie. Instead I got a 10", potted, leafed out plant. I will definitely order again from this company in the future.