Comments regarding Cottage Farms

My husband and I purchased a set of Daylilies from CF on QVC of which we were led to believe that these lilies will grow thick and fill the yard with lots of blooms. These easy to grow lilies were recommended for those who really don't know how to garden. They should have been able to grow anywhere. Living in Central Florida I thought they would grow. We planted them exactly according to directions after they arrived. At first it took weeks but then some greenry appeared , all but one came out of the ground with only two of them bearing single bloom later on. We were sent a replacement without any results as well. As of today April 2010, nothing is happening with these daylilies. It's spring and still no greenry has shown from the bulbs. I am so dissapointed since I could have had something of size to add to our garden with the price $28.00 not including the S&H .
We decided not to purchase from CF again.

My wife ordered 3 tree roses through QVC while recovering from surgery in April. They came in just fine and now are full of beautiful blooms and growing like crazy! Funny thing is we only live 20 miles from Cottage Farms and didn't know that they were coming from there! They had a plant sale last weekend and the same tree roses we bought from QVC at $49.00 a piece were only $4.00 on Saturday! As a matter of fact, their entire inventory was under $10.00! Must have been 300-400 people buying up everything in sight... We bought $79.00 worth of stuff that would have cost several hundreds of dollars. Might be worth a drive next year for some of you...

I purchased a Marie Osmond, St. Joseph's Coat and an Heirloom Roses from QVC and they are BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!! All bloomed 30 + roses that lasted up to 4 wks. I planted them in pots and since they 've bloomed and had a good trimming, within 2 wks they have 4" growth and are about to bloom again! They have the best fragrance! When you see them again, try one, I recommend highly. RLK
P.S. I purchased these roses in mid April of 09!

I've ordered many plants from Cottage Farms--both through QVC and their website. I've ordered several types of roses--all of which are planted all in pots because I don't get enough sun in the yard. Some, but not all, of the 12 minature rose plants died after planting. I requested replacements for 3 on the website and, lo and behold, they sent me 12 replacement roses--not just the 3 I lost. They stay outside in pots over the winter (I live in North-Western Virginia). This is the 3rd year for them and they're already blooming. I've also several other plants, including lilies and hybiscus. The first year the hybiscus they didn't do alot, but last year they were all gorgeous and they all have shoots again this year. The oriental lilies were beautiful the first year out and the day lilies get better each year (I got replacements for some of those as well). They get an A from me for customer service and a B for quality of their plants.

Over the years I have order pre-seeded mats. A Jasmine plant, strawberry plants and herbs. I have NEVER got anything to grow or even live from cottage farms. Check around Cottage farms does not have a good approval rating and there is a reason!

Last spring I ordered the mini rose collection from QVC-cottage Farms.They arrived as scheduled and were healthy. I planted them in containers but they did not survive the winter here in Maryland. I called Cottage Farms and without any hassle they agreed to send me replacements. My experience with Cottage Farms in the past has also been very positive. I will continue to order from this company.

I got my order today. I must say I am very disappointed in the size of the plants considering the price I payed. I got 3 carpet rose's and each was about 3 inches tall. The cost was $39.99. At that price I was expecting a plant at least 6-8 inches tall not 3 inches. The gaillardia was 14.99 for 3 plants that I guess was not bad, they were too 3 inches tall. The Lantana tree is a good size but had some broken branches.The daylily's had some good roots, so they were nice. I was mostly disappointed in the rose's. I feel that they were too small for the price. This is my last time of ordering from them.

I ordered 5 Garden Hibiscus plants from CF through QVC and one was broken upon arrival. I called QVC customer service and explained the problem. A replacement is on the way. It took all of 3 minutes, no questions asked. I will follow-up later w/ how they are growing!!

I have ordered from this company before and have always
had good service and healthy plants arrive to my home. I placed an order for 3 Butterfly bushes in November to arrive this Spring. I just received them a couple of days ago. They
are very strong rooted plants and I can't wait to watch them
grow and attract all the butterflies. I did have to call them one time because the Hibiscus that I ordered didn't perform well,
but they replaced them all. I would recommend this company
to anyone!

so far that is. last year i purchased a blue rose of sharon hibiscus tree from cottage farms through qvc. i did not plant it soon enough and it never came out of dormancy. i completely forgot about the replacement policy until december at which time i contacted cottage farms. i was told that they would replace the tree at no cost to me and would send it at the appropriate planting time. again, i forgot about it until low and behold i came home from work last wednesday and it was here. it came with bare roots that were still damp and there are buds all over the branches. i will keep you posted on how it fairs.

Spring of 2008 I order three tree roses, three Rose of Sharon, 6 Hydrangeas and the only ones that seem to still be alive are the Rose of Sharons.
I have emailed Cottage Farms and replacements for the tree roses and Hydrangeas are on their way. Honestly I found that ordering through QVC they leed you to beleive the plant will grow in almost any light etc. When in fact the Hydrangeas are very picky. Please take caution when ordering through them to do your home work and know what requirements the plant needs, because I was miss lead.

So far, I'm happy with Cottage Farms... Eventhough ALL of the 50-piece strawberries died (oh I got ONE strawberry fruit at least!). They did, however refunded my money back which was cool. And the heirloom tomatoes- some lived but the tomatoes were the size of big GRAPES so I was very disappointed and I told them. Again, they promise to replace them next season which is awesome. Now on to the asiatic lilies, one word: A-FREAKIN-MAZING! :) I've NEVER gardened before, ever! When I got the lilies in April08, I had to put them in those blue plastic party cups just because I had nowhere to plant them and plus we were moving in a couple of months. They started sprouting in a week and by the time we're moved in, I transplanted them in our new backyard and voila! They shot up to almost 30" and started flowering in mid-June and every morning was a surprise! Especially when the huge white lilies started unfolding! We took pictures of our "babies" just to show off :) (even my husband got into gardening because of these wonderful plants). But alas, they have started to yellow from the bottom leaves up. I guess they're getting ready for dormancy? I also got the sub-zero roses and those have bloomed and re-bloomed like crazy. My hubby thought I was crazy buying these "sticks" until they started to leaf and bloom :). One plant I'm very wary of are their hydrangeas- they're VERY weak and annoying to grow (brittling leaves and almost no growth). I just ordered their black, yellow, pink, and white tulips for this fall planting season and I can't wait to work on those. Also ordered lily-of-the-valley and that one's a scratcher because we just got a puppy and it's supposed to be poisonous (the lily not the puppy:))? Anyway, just thought I'd put my 2 cents in. Not every plant is going to perform the way they show them on tv, as long as they make good on their refund/replacement and have wonderful customer service- there's nothing that can't be fixed, right? Compromise people and happy gardening! :)

I have ordered from Cottage Farms and have had neutral success.

I have ordered the iris plants, I had some flowers, not many. And yes, they are planted correctly, along with other iris that I have purchased and traded with neighbors.

QVC had a sampler this past spring that I ordered. The mini roses never grew, the gladiolas are ok but not great, the daylilies are very small.....actually I did not think they would grow at all...the roots were very dry.

I did order one of the rose trees as well. This actually has grown for me and flowered, but I expected more.

We had purchased a TREE ROSE 36" NOVELTY BI-COLORED from Cottage Farms several weeks before Mother's Day, which was a gift to me from my husband and daughter. When it arrived, though a *little* later than expected, it looked quite healthy. It has now been a little over two months since we planted it and it is full of buds and some beautiful bright pink and white swirled blooms! Great price we paid also ~ just $17.99,(on sale). Couldn't be happier! =)

Cottage Farms has replaced a rose tree within a timely manner and has reponded immediately to a DOA plant order. One was ordered through QVC and the other direct. I will continue purchasing from them.

My husband and I wanted a weeping pussy willow tree for our yard. We found that both Spring Hill Nursery and Cottage Farm Direct (not through QVC). The tree was half the price at Cottage Farm, so we ordered it. My credit card is charged immediately. The website stated that they needed 14 days to process the order.
I waited and waited and waited. Finally, when the 14 days has passed, I email the customer service department. Two days later, I get an email saying that my order is currently being packed and will ship in 2 days.
Two days later, I get another email saying that the items I ordered are no longer in stock. I call the customer service department.
I tell the woman what happened. She expresses disbelief and places me on hold. Then, she comes back on the line and says that this really happened. They'll refund my credit card. I ask her if I can file a complaint. She says she doesn't think so. I hang up.
I decide I need to speak with a supervisor. I call back and am placed on hold for 20 minutes. While I am on hold, the supervisor calls me. I explain again what happened. He pulls up my account and says, "Yep. We oversold the product. We waited too long to fill your order and then ran out. This happens all the time. Sorry."
I tell him that this is really unacceptable. He says, "Well, we'll refund your credit card. So, do you need anything else?"
I tell him I will never order from them again.

I wouldn't be so mad if I could order this plant elsewhere. But, everywhere else is out of stock. I know this because all of their websites say this. They don't let you order something that can't send you.

I preodered two rose of sharon trees from cottage farms on QVC. The plants did fine last year. This spring they have not done anything so I assume they have died. I gave them alot of time since in Nebraska hibiscus are slow to come up. Usually not until June. My other hibiscus are just now starting to come up. I let them know that the plants did not come up. And they informed me that since I recieved them the first of May last year and did contact them unil June they would not replace 70.00 worth of plants. Now it has been cool here this spring and nothing came up as early as usual. And there is no way these plants would have been up the first of May even in a normal year. I will not buy from them again.

I ordered a number of plants from Cottage Farms through QVC. The amazing thing is that I had bad luck with most of the plants ordered. I ordered the 30-pc assorted strawberries with 5-tier planter; Ornamental Fringe Tree; 3 Piece Pastel sub-zero rose collection; Emeral Rose Set; 2 Piece Primrose & Sensation Lilacs; and 8 Piece Chef's Choice Heirloom Tomatoes. I also orders some of their fertilizer paks. I followed all their planting directions to the tee. The tree I planted outside and mulched really good since we were still getting some frost. However, the tree is showing no signs of active growth at all, it looks like a stick was just stuck in the ground. The strawberries I planted in the tier pots and place in a window that gets sun all day and kept them watered and fed and kept turning them pots as directed. Once I thought it was safe I placed them on my patio and if there was a threat of frost, covered them with heavy clear plastice to protect them. However, out of all the strawberry plants received in the shipment, only one is even showing any type of growth and that only as 3 leaves on it currently so I don't think that will even produce. The tomatoes I planted in pots and placed in the same sunny window and kept them watered and fed until the ground was warm enough to plant them. However, out of 8 plants received only 6 are still alive, but are not really growing at all. I have plants that I started from seed that are doing better than these plants and that are already stating to flower and produce. The roses and lilacs I also planted in large pots and kept in a sunny warm place, watered and fed until it was safe to plant in the ground. The Pastel Sub-Zero Rose collection has a few new shoots on it but not really actively growing, so I still have hope for them. The Emerald Rose set, has no active growth at all. The lilacs are still alive, but not really showing any new growth, but again I still have hope for them. I've purchased other on-line plants and never had any problems, so I thought I was safe with Cottage Farms. I have a very green thumb and my neighbors love my yard. I had pulled out a number of bushes that were distroyed by a winter storm we got and I was going to replace them with these plants. I have complained to QVC and haven't yet gotten any response, but I'm hoping they will replace the plants. At this moment in time though, I wouldn't puchase any more plants from Cottage Farms.

I have placed 3 seperate orders with Cottage Farms Direct. I was introduced to this company while watching QVC, but I did not order from them, I order from Cottage Farms own website.

I have ordered 4 Tree Roses, 13 mini roses, 4 dwarf grafted trees, various bulbs, kiwi vines, tomato plants and strawberries.

The reason I give this company a neutral is because all of the strawberry plants have died, including the replacements. Also the first order of 7 mini roses was packed so poorly they all were dead on arrival. I have received replacements for those as well, but they still look horrible.

My first order came rather quickly. As for the othe orders, the shipping was beyond slow. Those orders took approx. 1 month to get to me. Replacement orders take about 6-7 weeks to arrive.

I may or may not order from this company again. I will only purchase items on clearance as well, so I don't feel so cheated by he extremely slow delivery times.

Cottage Farms is a classy, customer oriented company as far as my own experiences. Some things come bare root and with time, patience and a little love, most turn out to be beautiful. I've gardened for years and have always been happy with theirs and Roberta's products, via QVC. Both companies are good about replacements and seem happy to help when contacted. I've ordered many, many plants... Sumatra lilies, Honeysuckles, Trumpet vines, Lionotis, Delphiniums, Foxgloves and more. 99% of the time both companies send healthy plants and if not, they're replaced. Keep up the good work Cottage Farms and Roberta's!!

I purchased hundreds of orders with Cottage Farms via QVC. Because I requested many replacement orders with them, QVC will NOT let me order anything else through Cottage Farms. I thought I knew QVC, but they do not put the customer first. I love Cottage Farms, and have landscaped my yard for the last three years with their products. I would recommend them very highly, as they have plants that my local nursery does not have. I now will only shop with Cottage Farms Direct, as I have never had any problems with them directly. QVC lost a very good customer, and will lose more if they continue these ridiculous policies. QVC does not put the customer first, it is the bottom line.

I have purchase many items from Cottage Farms over the years, both from the company directly and from QVC and my experiences have been positive. I have had a few issues with the items, but they have always replaced them with no problems. When calling them, I have always been able to speak with someone and never have I gotten a busy phone.

When Cottage Farms tells you that an item will be marked or bagged with a tag, that is how it comes. Their packaging is great.

I was amazed over all the negative comments! I ordered several items from Cottage Farms via QVC: Calla LIly Collection w/fertilizer, 50pc Cream/Crop Strawberry Collectiion, 8 pc. Chef's Heiloom Tomato Garden, and a 36" Pink Fountaini Tree Rose. I also ordered 3 types of the Bud 'N Flower Bloom Fertilizers - Rose, Fruit and Vegetables, and Flower Booster. I did not know what to expect so I waited - my orders were received at appropriate times for my region. I was told that the tree rose will come bare-root (had no clue). I planted it in a container in my backyard, feed it the rose food and within a couple of weeks, I noticed greenery. Now, after 6 weeks, I have beautiful mini pink roses blooming and they smell good. I am a container gardner ... I planted a bunch of strawberries in a 15" planter --- beautiful plants are growing with lots of flowers and fruit. The tomatos are a different story. Some thrived after potting, some different however, they were quickly replaced when I called QVC. Matter of fact, the replacements were as dry as the initial order (I live in the Gulf Coast). I replaced the dead ones, fed them and currently, after 2 weeks, beautiful plants that are 5 times the size with flowers. I also wanted to test using the Calla Lilly collection --- I planted 3 bulbs in a 6' pot. The came with their own fertilizer and I initially used it but changed to the Cottage FArms Bud 'N Booster. I now have beautiful stalk and leaves growing!
To all the negative people ... I am sorry for your experiences however, I too spent a lot of money at QVC, some have been returned or replaced. I liked the quick service I received and I like Cottage Farms so much that I just placed an order directy from them today! QVC no longer has the fertilizer I like for my fruit/vegies so I am getting it directly from the source. So far, Cottage Farms, I like your products and your plants.

I ordered several products from cottage farms recently. The plants arrived in excellent condition. They were all labeled and packed neatly. I ordered cannas, mini roses, hibiscus, and oriental poppies. The plants seem to be doing well. I am not an expert gardener, but it appears that even I can't mess these up.

My daughter bought me a tree hydrangea as a birthday gift in March. It was delivered on April 25, which was the perfect planting time for our area. It was in great condition and larger than I expected. The buds are swollen and ready to open. We planted it today, and my only complaint is that there were no planting instructions, but I have a friend with a "green thumb" who helped me. At the same time my daughter bought herself four bush hydrangeas and they are beautiful. Two even arrived with blooms almost ready to open. A few years ago she bought a cherry tree that looked almost like a dead stick when it arrived, but you should see it now! The only problem with it is the birds that eat the cherries before she gets them!

Last year I ordered 3 items from Cottage Farms through QVC. The first was clematis, and when it arrived, the pots were not secure in the box, and so the plants were all broken and mangled. I sent them back to QVC and received a refund.

The 2nd item was Chocolate Cosmos. The plants looked dead when they arrived, and when I contacted Cottage Farms, they told me that the plants were dormant and would come to life. Well, they never did, and I was promised a replacement order in 2008, because the Spring shipping season had ended. I had pretty much forgotten about the replacement order, until I received a shipping notification via e-mail a few weeks ago. The flowers arrived, and once again the pots weren't secure , but the plants seemed ok. I was immediately disappointed to not see Chocolate Cosmos. Their customer service did say that they would substitute if the same plant wasn't available. They didn't include any information on the replacement plants that were sent, but I've figured out that it's Pink Mist Scabiosa. I'm glad they kept their word and replaced my order, but I'm still disappointed that it's not what I ordered in the first place.

By the way, the 3rd item I ordered was a Crocosmia collection, and most of them turned out ok.

I've been ordering from Cottage Farms for a few years now. I really like their company. I've lost a few plants along the way, but they are always quite friendly about sending replacements. My Harry Lauder's Walking Stick - not a cheap plant - didn't do much last year. (As in, no leaves at all until fall, well after I had already requested a new one.) No problem! They are sending me a new one this year. I just received my wisteria and bamboo today and both are much larger than I expected. Really, quite a nice company. I think they had some growing pains the first couple of years they were on QVC, but it all seems to be resolved and I would order from them again in a second. :-)

Last year I bought a "Blue" Rose of Sharron and a Japanese Red Maple tree from Cottage Farms and QVC. They are growing and blooming like they should be.

I always say, take time to...
play in the dirt.

(That way I am not too disappointed when the flowers don't grow.) LOLLLLL

No really, I love fiddling outside with flowers, love the sunshine but suffer with a severe gardening knowledge deficit. This means that it is truly miraculous when anything grows...and even more remarkable when it blooms and/or returns the next year!

Last year I placed an order for the first time with QVC for 3 Cottage Farms rose bushes, 3 hibiscus, 3 hydrangeas and tons of daylillies. (Must have been pretty hormonal that day.) My hope and ambition can only be attributed to the certainty of the CF rep and the QVC host, that the process was absolutely fool proof, completely guaranteed, and yes Virginia, even I could become a successful gardener.

Despite my usual failure rate, there were only a few plants that did not grow last year. QVC promptly refunded the cost of those plants. This year...I have growing plants! There are little green leaves on the hibiscus bushes. I have gorgeous blooming daylillies! (Who knew?) The rose bushes are absolutely covered with buds, and the quality of the rose bushes compared to the quality of the other bushes I have had that came from the local garden shop is phenomenal. Rich green leaves, thick long stems...(I wonder what would happen if I had remembered to fertilize?)

Will I order again from Cottage Farms? YOU BET! They even make ME look good!

That is right, I didn't mention the hydrangeas. They were tiny, and unfortunately their demise was at the hands of an absent minded hubby and his lawn mower. Apparently there are some gardening problems that even a superb company like Cottage Farms can't resolve.

I too have had a negative experience with Cottage Farms
and am glad to be given an opportunity to let people know
to be careful about them. I ordered 3 hydrangeas through
QVC. They arrived on time but they had been placed into
a large box with no bracing or protection at all. They were
badly beat up from having been thrown around the box
during shipping. Also, they were quite sickly and full of bugs.
I tried to nurse them along for a couple of weeks but it
was a lost cause. I won't buy anything else from them.

I recently ordered the Strawberry kit (5 level carousel) thru QVC and am totally satisfied. I've raised strawberries in pots for years and wanted to try some new stock. This was my first online live plant order ever (I'm fully retired now) and I was a bit nervous about plant quality. I carefully laid out the dormant plants and the count was exactly 30,which is two to each plant area on the carousel. While a couple were a bit small, they are all alive and thriving on my screened-in sun-porch. We have had some cooler weather but the growth rate seems to be unaffected. All plants have robust new leaves now (18 days after receipt). Will I reorder from this supplier???? Yes.

On Sunday, March 16th I ordered a butterfly magnolia and 6 hydrangeas. On Wednesday, March 19th they arrived. I was a bit concerned as I was going out of town Thursday and Friday. I took the hydrangeas out of the box and placed them outside under cover until I could get back and plant them. They were a nice size and healthy. On Easter Sunday (March 23rd) I unboxed the butterfly magnolia;It had several closed buds on it - healthy! Twelve days later (April 4th) it has already bloomed and is absolutely beautiful! The following Sunday, March 30th I planted the hydrangeas. So far, they are doing well. I look forward to purchasing again from Cottage Farms!

I recently purchased the 8 piece Fireball hedge rose collection from Cottage Farms through QVC. After ordering, I discovered this website and was concerned about the negative comments. My order was shipped on a Friday and was delivered the following Tuesday. I got exactly what I ordered, it was packed well and each of the 8 plants were in excellent condition and no distress. I've since planted them and so far so good. They have all taken on new growth already and look healthy. Only time will tell. This was my first experience ordering plants through the mail, and I will definitely be ordering from Cottage Farms again.

03-24-2008
I am just voiceing my thoughts. I have numerous ordering pending on QVC for plants, bulbs and trees from CF. After reading many of the reviews, I was tempted to cancel my orders, but I did not.I am going to give CF a chance to provide me with healthy plants as promised.Being in Quality Control myself, I find that many people want something for nothing.I plan on my plants arriving healthy and ready for planting. I will provide them with the water,food and care they need to thrive.You cannot expect to have plants live without the proper care. I will write again when my orders arrive and will update as the growing season proceeds...stay tuned.

I have ordered from them a few times. The plants have mostly grown very well. The main point for me is that, when I had any difficulty at all, their customer service has been helpful and generous. So, I am more than satisfied with this company

Ordered BlueBird Tree Hibiscus in 2006 through QVC. It arrived on time and in good condition. The following season(2007) it grew hundreds of buds but only one bloomed. And it wasn't a Blue Bird - it was pink (but pretty.) I called CF and they have promised to send a BlueBird in the spring. They suggested I use a bloom fertilizer on the tree I have so that hopefully it will flower next season. Only time will tell! But they were very polite.

I ordered from them and received two dead trees and six dead grasses on arrival, they replaced them twice with more dead trees and more dead grasses, never offered to replace with other items that wouldn't pass away during the shipment that takes 6 days. I would never buy from them again and warn all whom do order, unless you like sticks, twigs and dry dead weeds on arrival. very poor service.

I love Cottage Farms. I have never been one to trust mail order when it comes to live plants. So i surprised myself when I bought their 12 piece mini rose collection and the 4 hardy hibiscus last yr(2006) thru QVC.
Each and every plant that I bought arrived in great health. All the roses and two of the hibiscus bloomed.

This yr a friend and I went in together and placed a large order from QVC. Together we bought 3 Rose Trees, Chocolate Vine, Nelly Moser Clematis, and Ice Plants. This was in addition to the 10 piece mini rose collection and the Chicago Peace Rose Tree I had already ordered.
We did lose a few of the plants this yr, I lost 2 mini roses and my friend lost her clematis and rose tree. But I contacted Cottage Farms and I have already gotten the replacements for everything but the rose tree.

My rose trees are doing wonderful, I currently have blooms on all of them and all 22 of the mini roses are either blooming or budding.Including the two that just arrived.. My hibiscus from last yr are putting on lots of buds, so I expect lots of flowers on them. Even the pink ice is beginning to bloom. The Chocolate Vine is growing slowly but surely.

I will continue to do business with Cottage Farms.

I have been ordering from them for 6 years thru their website and QVC. This was the first year that I had a tree rose die and they replaced it immediately. I had bought it from QVC and they sent a new one. Last year they sent me a wrong color of the hibiscus tree I ordered and they sent me the right one this spring. The one that was sent as the wrong color I did not have to return and it growing beautifully. I have tried Roberta's and have not had any success, probably because I live in the dry hot summer of central Ca. I have ordered hibiscus,day lillies, roses,scabiosa,magnolia trees,lilacs,hydragena tree,hibiscus trees,etc. and I have had wonderful experience with them. I think we have to order plants that are suitable for our zone to be successful.