Comments regarding Brent & Becky's Bulbs

I ordered canna rhizomes and they were shipped on the day, as promised. Everything was marked concisely and the order was complete. I will order from them again.

I received Crocus, Tulip, and Hyacinth bulbs two falls ago and forgot to leave a good review last spring. All the flowers were the correct variety and the descriptions were accurate, only they didn't fully describe the brilliance of the colors. All these are finishing their second spring and the Tulips and Hyacinths are just as gorgeous as their first spring and the Crocus' had doubled their numbers (in the lawn, not in beds). I've already placed an order for this coming fall in anticipation of next spring. Nothing is better after an Ithaca winter than seeing the first splashes of color from a spectacular display of Crocus!

This is a great shopping and gardening experience. I have never gotten dried out, nicked, or moldy bulbs and have always gotten them during the best time to plant them.

I have bought 3 batches of Crocosmia from B&B's and they have never come up. Also, their Gladiolus, sold as hardy here didn't come up the second year even though I dug them up and put them in the garage for the winter. I don't know, maybe it's me???

I'm not sure what to think about this company, and may have to ammend my review later. I placed an order a few months ago, and was a bit disappointed to see they were waiting to send it until the first week in April, as I am zone 7B and every other site I've ordered from sent my items a month earlier. Also, I'd ordered several seed packets and feel I should have received them much sooner!

After I reconciled with the waiting time, I eagerly awaited my order. It finally came Friday. I am disappointed. 5 items are apparently backordered, although no one indicated this to me. It's not even written on the invoice! All that's there is the initials "BO" penciled in--with NO EXPLANATION of any kind.

Additionally, the 5 Perovskias I received were all deeply water-logged. I am concerned they may end up with root rot.

The seed packets have little information as to the nature, care and cultivation of the seeds they contain. They don't even note if the plants are annual, perennial, etc.

I am going to e-mail customer service and hope that is not disappointing, as well. I see this company has obviously satisfied many customers, but maybe they just took on more than they could handle this year? I cannot say I am impressed at all at this point.

"

Normally, when an order is put into our system, we use an "educated guess" as to when the appropriate time to plant will be. Mother Nature has had a fairly sick sense of humor lately and sometimes things warm more quickly than we thought. But that's why we email the acknowledgment to give the customer the opportunity to call to say, PLEASE send them earlier or PLEASE send them later, whichever the case may be! We really do want them to land when YOU want them, so we encourage people to give us a call if we you'd like it changed.
In the seed section of our catalogue and web site, we try to be clear as to how we plant them. Each section of the country is SO different, we could almost write a complete encyclopedia on each item, so we try to give general information for each area. We do call them annuals and biannuals in our catalogue because that's how they perform for us. Since "knexsen" is just down the road in Va. Beach, we assumed that they would perform that way for her, as well.
The Perovskia was grown all last summer in 4" pots and once the frost came, we unpotted them and put them in plastic bags with holes in them and stored them in the freezer - hoping to keep them dormant until planted in their new home. Perhaps the condensation in the freezer creates too much moisture! We do hope they perform beautifully as they have in the past when put through similar conditions. But if not, we want to know!
The "5 items" back ordered were 5 of the same item, Curcuma 'Aussie Plume'. Curcuma are sometimes slow to 'get going'. We held them as they weren't up to par for what we thought they should be. And it's often a call that is made at the spur of the moment. When you receive them, they will be well rooted in 4" pots and ready to be dropped in your garden or container. Bottom heat and a heated greenhouse sometimes isn't enough to encourage fast growth in some VERY tropical plants. I do hope you'll be thrilled with them when they do finally arrive!
If there are concerns, we encourage customers to call, write, email, fax, smoke signals...anything...anytime they feel the need. We are certainly not the largest bulb company but we try to be the best! And if we do drop the ball, we'd love the chance to make it right!

Happy Spring to all!

Jay Hutchins
General Manager
Brent and Becky's Bulbs
jay@brentandbeckysbulbs.com
toll free 877-661-2852"

One of my favorite daffodil sources. I only wish they had as wide a selection as they had when they were the Daffodil Mart! I'm really impressed with their website set up. Easy and quick...with all bulbs well represented with photos. The only small complaint would be that at least last year I didn't receive my order until very late in October. I placed it months in advance. Since it was a large order, I really had to scramble to get them planted in time! But they were well packaged and well labelled and I received them in a sturdy plastic container that is useful in the garden as a tote (surprise bonus!!!). I've already placed my fall bulb order for 2008! And I'm sure I'll repeat annually.

I had given up on mail order, didn't trust it at all.
DG list gave me hope, so I gave it one last try.
I am converted. Brent and Beckys Bulbs is my first order 2008.
The package was nicely put together, all dormant plants were in seperate bags with plastic labels, very nice 8" Cannas bulbs for forceing. I will definatly order from them again

I love their bulbs. I have had nothing but wonderful luck with this company!!

I have ordered bulbs from Brent and Becky's for years. Always with great success. They and Plant Delights in Raleigh NC are my 2 favorite mail order companies!!

Lynne Manning

Been thinking about giving Brent & Becky a try for a while and finally ordered during their end of season 50% off bulb sale. I was very pleased with the order experience, even with the end of the season it was easy to tell whether an item was still in stock. They shipped the nicely packed order promptly and the bulb quality was very good, even though it was so late.

Mu bulbs arrived promptly and healthy. Great job!!!!

This was my first order with this company. I waited too long to order bulbs and the usual companies I try had sold out of almost everything I wanted. I was very pleasently surprised to find that Brent & Becky's still had a pretty good selection. My order came in record time and everything looked very healthy and good size. Very well marked and packaged. I particulary like the catalog that came with my order - it gave a lot of ideas about groupings of bulbs that bloom at the same time and under the same conditions. I'll order from them again.

I received beautiful plump, newly dug. oriental lily bulbs this spring. They were fabulous and such a contrast to the "bargain" lilies of the same name that I bought at a big box store.

For the fall, I ordered several varieties of tulips and other bulbs. All were well packaged and in good shape. I did have one mislabeled bulb from the spring order, but the customer service response was great and I got a credit on my fall order.

I ordered daffodils from these folks when they owned the Daffodil Mart and was very pleased then too. I'll order again and again.

I've ordered about 1500 bulbs from Brent & Becky over the past two years and have been thoroughly satisfied with the quality of the bulbs and the ensuing blooms. Theirs is definitely a catalog that I reach for first!

I ordered from Brent and Becky's Bulbs because they were so highly rated on this site. Unfortunately, my experience was not positive.
I ordered tulip bulbs and dutch iris bulbs. The tulip bulbs were the smallest I've ever planted in a decade of planting tulip bulbs. Only about 10% of the tulip bulbs came up and bloomed. It was a dismal display.
When I called Brent and Becky's to report my dissatisfaction, I was quizzed about my prechilling and planting methods. When they could find nothing wrong with my methods, I was told that I would need to call back when Brent was available and speak with him. They seemed to be at a complete loss as to how to handle a customer complaint! I called back the following week to try to speak to Brent. Again, he was not available. Finally, Brent and Becky's refunded the money that I had spent on the tulip bulbs.
I have been planting tulip bulbs in my southern California garden for 10 years. Every year I have great displays except for the year I ordered from Brent and Becky's. I will NEVER order from Brent and Becky's again.

I have placed several orders with them. They are the only one's I am aware of who sell fall blooming bulbs. I have planted and seen all of them come up and do so beautifully. I will order from them again - if I can find more planting space!

I bought Astilbies from this company. After they arrived, I kept them in the garage for over a month. I was worried that they would not all grow. I planted them and they started to grow! So far, all have all taken even the bulbs that had no growth initially. So far, So good. I have had good luck with this company.

My first order from Brent & Becky's was from their 50% off summer catalog sale, and I'm very pleased. The prices were excellent, the shipping prompt, and the packing was fastidious, to say the least.

I potted all 40 corms and bareroot divisions up on June 4-6, and virtually everything is already showing substantial growth.

Liatris spicata 'Floristan Alba'
Eryngium alpinum 'Blue Star'
Hosta 'Patriot'
Persicaria polymorpha
Rodgersia podophylla

All were very generous in size and judging from their performance so far, were also very healthy.

I'll surely do business with B&B again.

Ordering was super easy and I received super quick. Everything was nicely packed and well labeled. The instructions they provided made it easy to plant and know what to do in regards to spacing and depth. I would definitely order from them again when I order bulbs (and actually have an order pending with them that will arrive in September and October for fall bulbs). I can't wait to see everything start to grow.

My experience with Brent & Becky's was outstanding! They kept me informed of when I could expect my order, and they were true to their word. My tulips are gorgeous (and still in bloom here in zone 6)! Sometimes I just stare at them in amazement. The colors look so much better than in the catalog, which is usually the opposite with many other mail order catalogs.

I will definitely be placing an order from B &B's to replace some other tulips that didn't do so well from another more expensive mail order company.

Super fast shipping and very healthy Cannas make this Company excellent. I just recieved my order today and I am very happy. I plan to order again from them.

I've ordered from this company three times this year and have only good things to say. I get what I order, it's well packed, and the plants and bulbs have been very healthy. Customer Service is available and friendly and best of all- they ship really fast!

I ordered four kinds of daffodils late last summer. Between ordering and shipment my address changed. I contacted Brent & Becky's and spoke with somebody who was both friendly and able to update my information easily. I received my bulbs on time without problems. They were not only healthy, but there were a couple more than I had ordered in some of the packages. All of them have come up and look beautiful and as expected. I am a very pleased customer.

Last spring I ordered and received begonias, On Top Calypso and On Top Sunset. I started them in the house and moved them outdoors when the weather permitted. They were absolutely beautiful. I stored the tubers over winter in my basement and planted them in pots March10th. They are coming up beautifully, can hardly wait to see them bloom again. This year I ordered some caladiums and also got them started in pots. So far out if ten only one seems to be growing. I am an impatient gardener so I will give them more time.

I ordered a few hundred bulbs from Brent and Becky's last fall. The bulbs were in good condition when they arrived and they look great now blooming in my gardens. I love the variety and quality of bulbs that this company offers.

I read all the positive feedback, and decided to place an order. I ordered some Sauromatum venosum, Uvularia grandiflora,Roscoea auriculata, and Rodgersia podophylla. They were priced fairly, and the plants were very nice. They shipped three of them bare root, and the others were bulbs. They arrived in extremally good shape, and I planted them immediately. They had been packaged nicely, and even had a tagging system that was nice. I am very happy with my order, and will be purchasing again in the future.

I am a first time gardener. After some research, I ordered some Oxalis Regnellii (Wood Sorrel) from Brent & Becky's. When I received them, I was dismayed to see in their planting instructions that clay soil was specifically listed as a bad location for this plant, as none of my research had indicated that. Nonetheless, I decided to give it a go. I planted and the plants have all popped up their little heads, just fine! Plants are exactly what I ordered and are thriving, despite less than perfect conditions. I will definitely go with B&B's again in the future.

I put in a rather large order last year - my special love are lilies. I planned out my space and planted, what I thought, were several Scherezade in my newly prepared bed. Out of the 6 bulbs I ordered 5 came up as Red Hot. I hate Red Hot...it has absolutely no appeal for me whatsoever.

The other lily bulbs I ordered came up nicely and were the ones I ordered. But I was really disappointed with the Scherezade mix up.

I wasn't going to write anything on the Watchdog but when I read the other reviews about incorrect bulbs I felt I had to let folks know what happened to me. Perhaps this is a quality control issue that needs to be addressed.

I have not given up on Brent and Becky's...and will most definately order from them again. The bulbs are always healthy and produce...I just wish they were the bulbs I had ordered.

"

We seem to have hit a few instances of reports of our bulbs not blooming true to name. Our guarantee states, “If the chosen site, soil conditions, moisture and exposure are suitable, we guarantee your bulb’s flowers will bloom true to name.” If the bulbs come from Holland, a sample is taken and planted there just to be sure they are correct and healthy from our contract-growers. At the end of each and every season, all bulbs, no matter their origin (even from our own fields) are planted here in a pot and are also planted in our ‘Catalogue Garden’ where everyone can see them. If we find any mistakes, which in our long history rarely happens, we contact every customer who ordered that same item, either by phone, email and/or postcard to discuss replacements, a credit or a refund. We also like to let them know the name of the flower that they did receive so they can change their garden label. Last summer we did have one Lily and one Gladiolus that wasn’t correct and contacted all the customers who had ordered it.

We also look to see if trends seem to occur, either with bulbs that come from a specific grower or just hearing from certain customers repeatedly. When a trend is spotted, Brent, Becky and our manager in Holland work directly with the grower to either remedy the problem or search for a new source. If a customer contacts us about a problem, we make a notation in their file and in a spreadsheet that we keep current to help us follow any patterns that may come to light. With specific customers whose flowers are correct but who think they aren’t, we try to help them understand the nuances of Mother Nature and how climate, soil ph, light intensity and humidity or lack of humidity can effect the intensity or lack of intensity of the color in flowers. We also try to remind them that in nature, people, animals and flowers often change as they mature. Often ‘pink’ or white daffodils open with yellow in the cup and mature to the expected color. There are several tulips that open one color and mature to another. However, we as humans, especially Americans who expect instant perfection, often react immediately to the immature flower, not giving it time to develop with its mature coloration.

We think we put more effort than most into quality control – it’s very important to us. We receive hundreds of letters telling us how wonderful our bulbs look and beautifully they are packed. We like hearing this which is why our staff is the last to see your bulbs before you do, instead of a machine. The upside to this is, we know for a fact that the quality we are sending out is as high as humanly possible. The downside is, humans are humans and inevitably will make a mistake. If this happens, we really want to know so we can rectify it. We address any of our mistakes with our crew, who still are the best that any company can find.

Give us a shot…we feel that we won’t let you down. And if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly, toll-free at 877/661-2852 or email me at jay@brentandbeckysbulbs.com and I’ll make sure it’s right.

Quality is a tradition that the Heath family has lived by for 3 generations. We promise to carry it into a 4th!

Jay Hutchins
General Manager
Brent and Becky's Bulbs
TF - 877/661-2852
jay@brentandbeckysbulbs.com"

There seems to be a problem in the supply department at Brent and Becky's. About 70% of my order, although labeled correctly when I planted in the fall, came up this spring totally unlike what I had ordered. When I called, I was informed that this was extremely unusual, and made to feel like it was MY problem. This is a LOT of mislabeled merchandise. They should check out their suppliers!

The following is an email I sent to Brent and Becky's...FIVE times. Since they do not respond to my emails, maybe they will respond here:

Dear Brent and Becky's:

In the fall I ordered two hundred tulips, 100 pink and 100
white. They are all coming up a light greenish-yellow.
This is the third time bulbs I've ordered from B & B have
come up far different than what I've ordered.
I can't tell you how disappointed I am. Hours lovingly
preparing flower beds, hours on my knees planting, looking
forward all winter to seeing lovely pink and white tulips,
and now these unattractive yellow-green ones...
I don't know what to do. I still have a credit from the
lilies and glads that were wrong last year. I feel like I
can't order anything and know that it will be what I
ordered!!

As I said, last year, they sent me hundreds of incorrectly labeled lilies and glads. Now, this year, hundreds of incorrectly labeled tulips. Instead of pink and white, I'm stuck with two hundred snot-colored things. I'm so disappointed, and so angry!

As a man, I know nothing about planting bulbs except dig a hold and put a bulb in the ground, cover and water. I usually have bought all my plants from the big box store until I recently sat down and calculated what I was spending on these plants and flowers...so I decided to try the bulb route and see what happens. I accidentally ordered from the spring/fall catalogue and noticed my mistake the next day while reviewing the order confirmation email. I quickly emailed becky and within 24 hours she told me what to do and how to order from the summer cataogue and canceled my "bad" order.
Also, I had so many questions last year about some particular bulbs and Brent answered every single question thoroughly and quickly. My bulbs should be arriving within a week, I hope, so I will have to see what happens from there.

Recently ordered over 200 summer bulbs from Brent & Becky's. Smooth easy transaction and *every* bulb I received was pretty much perfect. It doesn't get any better than this. Enthusiastically recommend.

Have ordered the past 2 years from Brent & Becky's - I have been completely happy with their service (they always ship at the right time to plant for our area) and the bulbs are fantastic! Much superior to the Michigan Bulb and Springhill bulbs - no comparison.

For two years running, I've ordered some 700+ crocus bulbs from Brent and Becky. Their bulbs always arrive healthy, on time, and bloom profusely (at least the first batch did). Before my first order Brent took the time to explain a method for planting the bulbs that didn't require a lot of digging in my hard, clayey Delaware soil -- and it worked! Incredible selection. My highest recommendation!!!

WOW - totally surprised to see negative feedback on this company. I was looking for Thalia narcissus late into the fall and I could only find them at B&Bs. I was satisfied with the price and blown away by the size/quality. So... I ordered more and same experience. Their communication is great and best of all, they are an independent business (harder and harder to find as Walmart takes over the planet). I will be ordering again without hesitation.

I ordered bulbs for the first time this past Fall. The fall crocus bulbs were huge and bloomed profusely. The tulip bulbs were also quite large and healthy. When I requested an earlier shipping date so I could chill the bulbs, customer service was excellent.

I used to order from their Daffodil Mart before it was sold to White Flower Farm, and was happy when they decided to reopen under their own name, since they have a wide selection and a very informative catalog.
Nine tenths of the daffodil and crocus bulbs I have ordered from them over the years have done very well, and I have started to become more ambitious and try other bulbs as well. Some dahlias I planted this spring were not as exciting as their catalog picture, but I'll wait another year to make a judgement on them.
Highly recommended, but get your order in early to make sure your bulbs arrive before frost sets in.

Over the past few years, I have ordered several times from Brent and Becky. I also occasionally order from several other companies, and buy wholesale, and really do my homework reading forums and grower literature. This company has a terrific selection listed in an easy-to-navigate website and in a very informative catalogue. Their prices are very fair, as are the shipping charges. The bulbs arrive correctly labeled and carefully packed. I have never had any problems with orders, as they arrived exactly when they say they will, and I get some advance notice of shipping through email from the shipping company. The bulbs themselves are HUGE, clean and healthy. When I compare the triple-nose daffodils I get from them with the ones available at nurseries locally, I am getting a far better deal from Brent and Becky. I will order from them again and again, and recommend them as top notch.

I ordered 3 kinds of bulbs from them on-line and the next day I received an email noting that one kind has been sold out. I wanted to add something else to morning) they had already processed the order so the only thing I could do was to create a new order (thus paying extra shipping cost). I received the rest of the order a few days later so I was grateful that they processed and shipped very quickly but I wished they have an on-line system to indicate when something is sold out so that I could've ordered something else instead in that same order. I will keep my rating neutral for now and re-rate after the spring--the bulbs looked like they were in great condition so hopefully they'll all bloom!