Comments regarding Heirloom Roses

I am extremely pleased with my purchase from this company. I ordered from them partly because of comments I read here, but mainly because their website gives such detailed information not usually found on other mailorder websites. My plants arrived in great condition and one even had a bloom. They are not kidding when they say exceptionally fragrant.

I've ordered 4 roses from Heirloom. For those expecting big roses, all I can say is read their web site. One of the 4 did not do well, and despite being past the 3 months, they replaced it anyway. The replacement and the matching one are only 1 1/2 seasons old and they have reach the top of a six foot arbor.

All my roses are coming from them from now on.

I ordered seven roses from Heirloom in two separate order as follows: Homerun, Dublin Bay, and Clair Matin, and then Happy Child, Apothecary's Rose, Hawkeye Belle, and Mary Magdalene. I ordered them well before the shipping date for my zone, so they all arrived together. I knew the plants would be small by reading the feedback on this page, so I wasn't surprised or disappointed when I opened the box. The plants were vibrantly healthy, though, with good strong roots.

I planted them in the enormous holes that the planting instructions recommended, then was horrified as the weather turned absolutely freezing. I worried about the little ones, but they survived just fine with no particular help from me. The Apothecary's Rose arrived with two tiny buds, and they bloomed within two weeks, filling the area around my door with a delicious fragrance. (I couldn't bring myself to debud as the instructions suggested.)

Out of all the roses, the Dublin Bay seemed to be the only one that was a little unhappy. However, the sun came out these past few weeks, and it is making up for lost time. (My hopes are high for that particular rose, as I bought it to honor my husband, who is from Dublin and who has been watching the rose with an eagle eye.)

This is the first time I've bought roses from anywhere online, so perhaps I had no real expectations from good or bad experiences in the past. However, I know beautiful, healthy plants when I see them.

I do wish Heirloom would have a good sale every now and again, though, as we who love roses only want more of them. The pricey-ness of the roses was a little ouchful, but not that bad, if I also consider the once-charming rose, that I bought from a large hardware-associated garden center, that visibly succumbed to RMV within a few months of my purchasing it. Shame on those people and kudos to Heirloom for policing their stock. As I am a new gardener, I didn't even know that such a thing as RMV existed until my sad experience with this other rose. As I spoke with people in forums about RMV, some recommended Heirloom as a place whose stock could be trusted. So I went back and placed the second order that I wrote about in my first sentence.

The only area for improvement that I can suggest is a little better communication, preferably online. I wasn't sure when I would receive my roses, and I pined away in Zone 5, waiting. I got a letter in mid-April saying that my order would ship in the first two weeks in May, and it did ship and arrive as promised. But some handholding e-mails (even a form e-mail as the shipping date approached) would have helped me pine a lot less and be a lot less worried that I would miss the shipment somehow.

Still, I love my roses and will order from Heirloom again.

I ordered from Heirloom roses just once: they charged my credit card right away, but they sent me the merchandise after 11 days. I paid way too much for shipping charges, (considering it took 11 days for the roses to be delivered) and the roses are so small. One of the 2 plants I ordered came with 5 burned leaves ( 50% of the plant in that case, since it really has 10 leaves on) and that was for sure an unpleasant surprise! I am going to plant the roses today, and I hope they'll grow to be beautiful and diseases resistant plants ..... Incrocio le dita!

Order several roses from Heirloom, I did pick them up in person instead of having them shipped. I knew the roses would be smaller in size based on reading the reviews here, but they are robust and healthy. Fully leaved, a few have buds and one or two are blooming. I'm extremely pleased that I got to go in person, the shop is wonderful, so many varities that are not in the catalog and website. I came home with over 50 roses from them and certainly would have loved to have brought more home. I will absolutely order from them again. I'm already trying to figure out what I can pick up from them in June!

Alison

I just got another shipment of bands from Heirloom roses.
The first shipment came a month ago- I have to say the roses from last month (miniature) are already bigger than the shrub- size roses that arrived yesterday. So they start out small, but really take off fast
They also have a big selection of roses.

I have never ordered roses before, and I was a bit taken aback by the babies that I got. Never-the-less, I planted the little guys and they survived a couple of our unpredictable winter freezes without fuss and now that spring has sprung here in Texas my two climbers are "stretching their legs" and are vigourously growing. Time will tell, but so far I have been impressed with the plants' hardiness.

We make a yearly visit to HR every year. It is a treat to drive through Oregon's Willamette Valley where my mother grew up to this beautiful rose garden in the middle of no where. For anyone that lives within 2 hours of this nursery every year (that I know of) they have a 1/2 price sale, we went this year. Their selection is awesome, get there the first day plants go fast! Over 400 different varieties. Unfortunelty, I did not buy enough and had to mail order some. But it is a special treat to get new roses in the mail. All winter my new additions have held up great. Plant them like they tell you and you won't be disappointed. Add some every year and you will have the best smelling garden in town.

I am so so happy with the roses I got and I am definitely going to order more as soon as I figure out where to put them! Just like everyone else I got these itsy bitsy baby roses. It didnt bother me at all. I also had to wait a few days before I could plant them but I kept them moist and they already started getting buds before I planted them. I have never grown roses before and I wasnt sure what to expect. I thought maybe I would start seeing results the following year after letting them get settled in their new home. In just a few short weeks they were blooming gorgeous roses and the leaves were very full and green and they were still blooming even when it was getting colder and I live in MA! I cant wait to see how they are going to do this coming summer and order more!

I live in the neighborhood, so I've bought several plants directly from them, and am very satisfied. If you're ever in the Willamette Valley in the summer, find the time to visit in person. Heaven for anyone who likes roses.

Before ordering from Heirloom Roses, we'd never bought any roses by mail, so had no expectations regarding plant size. Yes, they were small but we suspended our disbelief and dug the big holes, amended the soil, etc.--also provided water for the few months in summer that it never rained. The Don Juan climbing roses have grown like crazy and there were some (fragrant) blooms. They have exceeded our expectations; no bugs or blights or crappy-looking leaves. We have an extensively landscaped one acre shade garden plus water gardens, so don't need any more high maintenance plants. These roses have encouraged us to consider using the few sunny spots for more roses, which we'll order from Heirloom.

I ordered a hard-to-find english rose from this company. I realized from the other posts that it was small, and it was so I wasn't really surprised. However, the little rose took off and bloomed. I then noticed the bloom was nothing like the rose I had thought I ordered, so I called up heirloom roses and an associate (she was very helpful and nice) told me I should let it bloom again because the first bloom isn't really representative of the true bloom. If this second bloom didn't match, they would send me another rose bush no charge.

So the second flush came and was indeed the true rose I ordered. So I'm happy.

I was very happy with all of the roses I received from this outfit. I'm just sorry that I found out about them so late in the shipping season.
Yes, the plants are "smaller" than potted plants at the bulk nurseries, but they are very healthy and the selection is phenomenal. Having planted roses both from Heirloom roses and from a major hardware store nursery, I can tell you that the Heirloom roses have done much better in establishing themselves and growing than the "bulk" purchases--which were large to start out but seemed to struggle after transplanting.
I'm looking forward to ordering more roses from Heirloom next spring. With the tremendous variety that the have to offer, I'm sure that I'll find plenty of new additions for my garden.

This has been my first order from Heirloom Roses. I ordered 9 English roses and 4 climbing roses, this past spring. I am happy to report that as of late September, all are thriving and some have bloomed. In particular, the climbing roses have grown substantially this first season. Certainly after a few months of growth, I would rank their current size similar to grafted roses purchased from large mail-order companies or at local nurseries.

I ordered two roses from Heirloom, a Buck rose Prarie
Star and Madamme Issac Pierre . Yes I was surprized about the size of the plant, they should give you some idea of that in their catalog. Having said that both of these roses are the healthiest, fastest growing roses in my garden. Prarie Star has given me many beautiful blooms this year. I would definately order from them again.

I was apprehensive about buying roses from this company, what with everyone saying how small the plants were. But they had a good selection, so I thought I'd risk it and bought a half dozen plants from them last April. The tiny but healthy roses arrived promptly, but there was a problem with the billing. I called them - they were very polite and professional and took care of the problem in the time it took for me to walk across the parking lot. Best of all, it has only been a couple of months and my tiny roses are already blooming their heads off.

Wonderful! I would definitely order from these people again! My two full and fat William Baffin seedlings are bursting with life!! I planted them and the very next day, they began putting out some new growth. Today, I watered them again and I'm AMAZED at how healthy & happy they are.

Who cares if the seedlings seem small compared to other companies when they are so healthy?? In fact, I would rather have them on the small side, then they can take off in MY garden, not in a greenhouse.

Thank You Heirloom Roses, I will be putting in another order very soon!

I knew before I ordered that the roses would be small and overpriced. (And they were, including an outrageous $4/plant shipping charge.) I also suspect that they root cuttings to order, as I can't see how else they could maintain such a huge selection. So I made sure to place my order in plenty of time for them to do that.

My roses arrived at the agreed-upon time, late enough to plant outside in Massachusetts. They were beautifully packed, and despite the trip across the country, only a couple of the tender new leaves were damaged. Each rose came in a square little "tree pot", maybe 2.5 inches across and 6 or 7 inches deep. They were some of the best rooted cuttings I've ever seen - each little pot was full of roots, but they weren't at all pot bound - they obviously grew them exactly as long as ideal to ship me these cuttings.

A couple were flowering. (Despite being tiny things, 6-12 inches tall with stems no thicker than a USB cord.) I hope that doesn't discourage them from vegetative growth, but it did reassure me that the roses were what I had ordered. All looked healthy and had copious new growth.

Anyhow, in general I prefer to order from east of the rockies, both because the shipping is easier on the plants and because I worry about spreading diseases. And in general I look for cheaper, larger plants. But Heirloom Roses isn't aiming at the "value" market, they are aiming at the market that wants a particular, hard-to-find rose, and I am satisfied. Next time I am in that market, I will order from them again.

We have ordered a large percentage of our roses from Heirloom, for so many years that I have lost track. We have been customers through our moves to four different homes. Every rose they ever sold to us has been healthy and, though small upon arrival, has thrived and grown into a beautiful specimen.
In their catalog, they are clear about the size of the roses - sold in seedling pots. Their selection is wonderful and text is informative and educational. The catalog is unusual for catagorizing roses and listing information for disease resistance, bloom time and scent. I've never seen better information on fragrance. Heirloom's staff has always been courteous and helpful on the phone and via email.
Last June, I drove past our first home to see how the gardens were growing. I could see many of our Heirloom roses in full bloom, some almost obscuring entire walls with color. This I know from past experience, if those very same roses had been typical grafted nursery purchases, quite possibly virus infected and most likely no longer producing viable canes, there would not have been such a glorious sight to see. Grafted roses start out bigger than the roses you get from Heirloom, but they don't end up better. Nothing beats an own root rose for longevity. In addition, Heirloom is a leader in selling roses that are certified virus-free. So many roses sold in commerce succumb to rose virus over time. The wait for that little Heirloom rose to establish itself is well worth it!

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.

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 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 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 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!

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.

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.

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

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.