Comments regarding Breck's Bulbs

I used the coupon for 25.00 with no strings attached. I had a total of 1.00 charged to my credit card. I got three gladiator allium. I planted them in the fall. They are now up and have a bud on them. I was very pleased with the bulbs I received! Thank you Breck's!

Over the years, Ive ordered a couple of times from Breck's catalogue. So far, I've been very pleased with the bulbs I received.

I have only ordered Spring blooming bulbs from Breck's. I order about 200 each year and they've all turned out just fine. Having ordered online and not had any concerns, I haven't had to communicate with their customer service people, so I can only speak to the quality of the bulbs, which have met my expectations.

I ordered two of the astilbe collections which I had seen advertised in a mailer. For each collection (red and white) there was a free lavendar and peach. I expected to have two of each color. I received four of each color. They were delivered quickly, in great shape and I have just planted them. I have great faith that they will be absolutely beautiful.

I would give this company a neutral rating. I have had orders that have surpassed my expectations, as with their begoia collections. Alas, I have also have had orders that have simply been rotted/moldy upon delivery. I have also experienced bad online ordering. Placing merchandise in my cart, then applying a coupon code, only to be told that those items were out of stock. If they were out of stock, then they should have noted such on their web page before I placed the order. I feel that if you are trying to save money using a code you will be disappointed. I will try the begonia collection again. However, I will find my other blubs at local nurseries so that I can actually see and feel them.

I wrote 3 companies for info on edible flowers. Brecks is the only one who wrote back with a complete list, and other helpful info. the other companies told me to go online and look it up.
Chef

There is nothing worse than bad customer service. Being an avid gardener, I look forward to bulb catalogs arriving in the mail in the early spring, placing my orders, and waiting with anticipation for delivery. So it was with great anticipation that I ordered from Brecks Bulbs this spring. The items that they offered looked fantastic and the prices were reasonable. So in the order went in March. Then I waited.

I waited until at least the end of May to receive my order...longer than most other catalogue places. But I had faith that the order was going to surpass my expectations.

I could not have been more wrong.

Here's the letter that I sent them on June 24:
---------------
Dear Brecks,
It is with great regret that I email you today. Being an avid gardener I was waiting with anticipation for my order to arrive this spring. When it did, I was less than pleased with the quality and size of the plants and bulbs that you sent.

The "Lily Tree Collection" that you so wonderfully advertised in your catalogue, arrived looking like someone had stepped on the bulbs. They were almost flat. The size of the bulbs measured out at only 2" in diameter and I certainly thought that they were going to be larger based on the catalogue pictures and description. However, I planted them as soon as I received them and I hoped for the best. I have to report that as of this afternoon when I didn't see any growth, I dug them up and all 4 had rotted.

The 'Blue Star' Dahlia arrived and it was a single tuber with no growth end. Typically when I buy Dahlias, there are usually 2 or 3 tubers attached to a growing end. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. What I received looked like a tuber had been removed from a clump and placed into a bag with some moss. Again, I planted it and hoped for the best. Sadly, it too didn't make it…although I certainly don't think it had a fighting chance to begin with.

Being an Iris fan, I was also really looking forward to the Irises that I ordered. The Louisiana Iris 'Bold Pretender' arrived looking like a mangled collection of dead leaves. I have certainly seen Irises come that way before, so I wasn't too concerned when I planted it as the tuber felt relatively firm. There wasn't a stitch of green to be seen, and hindsight being 20/20, that should have been a clue that I was going to be disappointed yet again. True to form, there has been no growth to date, no green has appeared, and no new roots have made an appearance. I think it's safe to say that it too has died. The Iris 'Rikugi Sakura', on the other hand, did have a bit of green and has since produced a rather week leaf. But I am not giving up on it and have hopes that it will survive. It's worth mentioning however, that the size of the tuber was close to being the smallest that I have ever seen for an Iris. Had I seen it in a garden shop I certainly wouldn't have bought it and would have chosen something a little more healthy.

On the subject of plants that did survive, I can safely say that the Amethyst Astilbe has made it and is doing fine. Although you will have to forgive me when I say that I am concerned that the colour will not be the amethyst that I saw in the catalogue. But it hasn't flowered yet, so it too gets the benefit of the doubt.

The largest disappointment was with the Phlox that I ordered. I have never, in my considerable years of gardening, seen such small, mangled and unhealthy divisions. Both the 'Tenor' and the 'Blue Boy' were no bigger than a Loonie and arrived in a wet bag of moss and were entirely black. There were no growing parts and no healthy roots to be seen on either one of the two of each types I ordered. I did plant them into small pots and gave trying to grow them a try, but the completely rotted away in a matter of a single week. When I checked this morning there was nothing left in the pots other than soil.

To say that I am disappointed would be an understatement. I honestly had high hopes that the order that I placed with you would have produced plants and bulbs that were of a caliber an order of magnitude better than what I received.

I am saddened that this is the first time I have ever asked for a refund on a plant order. So it is with a heavy heart I kindly ask that my order be refunded. If you must subtract the price of the Astilbe and the one Iris I will understand. My order number was XXXXXXXXRAP. My address information is as follows:

(Blah blah blah)

I sincerely apologize for having to send this note to you and I hope that this matter is investigated on your end as my thoughts are that your quality control took a holiday on the day my order was processed.

Sincerely,

(Signature)

---------------

This was sent via regular post as well as email. I figured that someone would look at it and deal with it accordingly.

Again....couldn't have been more wrong.

It's now August 23rd and I have heard nary a word. Nothing. Zip. Nadda. So I decide to give them a call. They have an 800 number and I had the time. So armed with my invoice in hand I dial the number.

Brecks: Brecks Bulbs
Me: Good morning. Could I speak with someone in customer service?
Brecks: What can I help you with?
Me: The order that I received in May was somewhat unsatisfactory. I sent a letter and an email on June 24th and I haven't heard back from your organization.
Brecks (sounding terse): What's your invoice number?
Me: I take it that's the number in the top right hand corner of the pink slip? (It's just a floating number on the page)
Brecks (sounding annoyed): The number beneath where it says invoice number.
Me (choosing not to loose my patience): XXXXXXXX
Brecks: We haven't received a letter from you.
Me: Well it was sent via both email and regular post on June 24.
Brecks (sounding increasingly annoyed): Well we didn't get it. What was wrong with the order?
Me: Nothing grew from what you sent.
Brecks: What do you mean "nothing grew"?
Me: Nothing grew. The lily tree collection looked like someone stepped on it, the Phlox was dead on arrival, the Irises......
Brecks (cutting me off mid sentence): Why didn't you call us?
Me: I assumed that when it says in all of your material that one can contact you via post, email or phone call...that 2 out of the three would have resulted in something happening.
Brecks (sounding really annoyed): Well you should have called. What do you want us to do.
Me (Tired of being treated like crap over the phone): Just refund the order please.
Brecks: Fine. We'll refund you the order minus the shipping cost.

Then he hung up on me.

So...a word to the wise. Do NOT order from Brecks Bulbs. Their inventory is beneath sub-standard and their customer service is beyond pathetic. My Mother in Ontario had an almost exact experience with them and has also vowed never to deal with them again.

I won't hazard a guess to say what their problem is...but you would have thought that being in the gardening business would have instilled a bit of patience, humility, humor and charm. Most gardeners come by these characteristics after spending a bit of time in their gardens. Clearly Brecks Bulbs didn't go down that garden path...as it were.

Now...if you are into ordering bulbs and the like for your garden and you are looking for a great company to order from...go with Botanus (//www.botanus.com/). Fantastic company. Their catalogs are a treat for the eyes, their stock is EXACTLY how it's described...or better, their prices are really, really good, the orders arrive with plenty of time for the plants to get established and bloom, and my contact with them always leaves me with a smile. They know how do do the whole bulb catalogue/online sales/customer service thing RIGHT.

Brecks Bulbs...you could learn a thing or two (or a thousand) from them. Take my advice: If you are that miserable doing what you do...do something else. Clearly being in the industry you are in isn't doing you any favors.

As an addendum to this story, it appears that Brecks owns Spring Garden, another mail-order catalogue store. I used to love Spring Garden...now the catalogue is in the recycle pile...unopened.

HORRID COMMUNICATION

My daughter gave me a Brecks certificate for 25.00. She stated a door to door person came around selling them. She also gave me a catalog that the person gave to her, for me to order from. When I was ready to order I spoke to a gentleman on the phone. He stated I could also use the 25.00 coupon on the book. He stated my order came just under 50.00. He then asked for the number on the back of the coupon,,there wasnt one. He then stated that no one he knew of ever went door to door with coupons and stated he had concerns over this being A FRAUD. He stated to send the coupon in anyway and they would still honor it, and that he wanted to see what the coupon looked like. He stated to write a letter with his name on it,,the order number,, and to mail it asap. I mailed it that day. He stated that there was just a slight credit of a few dollars on the account due to going over. I recieved my package about 3 months later. About another 2 months later I recieved a bill from their collection office stating I owed 12.73. I called and spoke to a female there, she stated there was nothing noted on my account that she could find of any letter. She then appologised and stated they would just take care of this due to my inconvience. She stated she would transfer this to another department and if I didnt recieve a phone call from them within a week, to just disregard the bill. NO PHONE CALL,,NO ANSWERING MACHINE MESSAGE. I then 3 weeks later was checking my email...yes...i'm not a everyday checker..I try not to get on the computer much..as it takes alot of my time...my correspondence it through the phone...What did I find on my email...yes another notice that I needed to pay the bill. With a itemized statement. I promptly sent back a notice of my dis satisfaction on the entire ordeal. I was also told in this email from Brecks, that my coupon wasnt even the amount I sent in! I should have just used my better judement, and not even ordered anything when the first person stated the coupon was fraudulent. I wound up paying for something that I was told there was no balance on in the beginning.. and got the runaround from 3 different people. NOW AT LEAST I HOPE THE BULBS I PLANTED COME UP!! As I had never before, and will never again, order from this company. I have read in several negitive reports on this site of the run around people get with this company. My garden club has been made aware of the ordeal and will spread the word also.

I ordered five 12 cm size Persian Blue Allium bulbs and received my order on time, but the bulbs were 3.5 cm size; not even close to what was described. After I notified the company, I was told they would send the correct size, but very near the delivery date I was notified that my order had been cancelled, due to unavailability of the bulbs, and that I would be issued a refund, which I did receive. However, I lost the $7.00 shipping that I paid and I will be surprised if these very small bulbs will ever produce viable plants. If my original order had been shipped correctly this could have been avoided. Sadly, I read the negative comments too late to cancel my original order and I could only hope that Breck's would come through, but I learned my lesson too late.

I have recieved plants from several mail-order companies, and Breck's is by far the best. The quality of their plants is top-notch. Last year I ordered 3 bulk sacks of bulbs and out of 250 bulbs, only 3 were bad...in my opinion, that's pretty darn good. Some of them even started peeking out a few weeks after I planted them; I guess they couldnt wait until spring to say hello!

Shipping can be a bit slow, and they often push back the delivery date without telling you, but I dont know of any company that doesn't do that. Usually its only a difference of 2-4 weeks. For me, its a fair trade-off...I'm willing to wait a bit longer because I know when I get my order, it will be top quality.

Their customer service people are pleasant and relatively helpful; they were able to tell me what my 'new ship date' was upon inquiry, and I wasn't on hold for very long. They will also help find you extra 'freebie' deals if you ask when you place your order. While they do have some minor pitfalls in the customer communications relam, overall I am very pleased with my dealings with them. I would certainly reccommend Breck's to a friend (if any of my friends were gardeners :P)

I placed an order with Breck's this past spring using the $25 coupon, no strings attached. I, of course had to pay for shipping. In September I received a letter from them saying my credit card was no longer valid (the date had expired, it had been so long) and to
call them and update the credit card. I did so and received an email showing an unpaid balance of $0, which said my bulbs would be shipped around 9/23/08.

I still haven't received the bulbs. I sent Breck's an email and received a reply that my credit card was out of date and that is why the bulbs weren't sent and they were sorry I hadn't received the letter requesting me to call. I replied that I had received the letter and had called and updated my credit card and was told the charge had cleared and even attached a copy of the receipt showing a balance of $0.

I have heard nothing else from this company and would advise anyone consdering ordering from them to reconsider. It's not worth the hassle

I used to really enjoy receiving their catalog and planning what to buy. Now it will just go in the trash.

I called Breck’s Bulbs today to inquire about some orders placed in June and July this year via their website using 25$ “no strings attached” coupon in Canada.
To recall for some of you, it was a coupon included in Brecks’s 2008 Summer Advance Sale catalogue.
It said: “$25.00 Gift Coupon. No strings attached. Use this bulb reservation form inside this Dutch Bulb Guide to order as much as you like, and use this Gift Coupon to deduct $25.00. If your order total is less then $25.00, you’ll get your order absolutely FREE! To validate, please enclose this coupon with your order, or mention it when you place your phone order. To take advantage of this offer online, just enter your account and key numbers from the back cover.
OFFER EXPIERS AUGUST 22, 2008 // ONE CERTIFICATE PER CUSTOMER, PLEASE. Cannot be combined with any other offer.”

That’s all it said, word by word. I placed about 5-6 orders using this coupon, because nowhere it said that I cannot. I only placed ONE for myself as per instructions on it “ONE CERTIFICATE PER CUSTOMER, PLEASE”. I placed it on line and additionally paid about $250.00, then shared my catalogue with friends (being green and all)… I also used the coupon (paying additionally by cc) to order some flowers for my closest family and a couple of friends. I thought it would be a great idea for those with no green thumb to introduce to Breck’s Bulbs so they can try their product hassle free with “no strings attached”. When my stuff came in couple of weeks ago and theirs didn’t, I called Breck’s customer Service to inquire about the missing orders. I was called a scammer and a thief by Erin (from On-line ordering) and told that my orders (even those I paid for with my cc) were simply cancelled. No one bothered to call or email me with any questions or concerns prior cancelling the orders, they simple decided that they will not ship them. Great business they are conducting there, no question.
Over the past two years I have ordered merchandise from Breck’s worth over $900.00. After being called a scammer and a thief I will no longer conduct any business with them and I will inform my coworkers, friends and family about the type of business they conduct to save them the future hassle and embarrassment of being called names, just because they used the coupon Breck’s so unfortunately send them – to use:-)

I only used their coupon because it was offered to me, presented a great deal and I had a good experience with Breck’s and their products in the past, otherwise, I wouldn’t recommend any company or their product to my close ones, having a coupon or not.

Kind regards,

Marta

"

I sent this customer a D-Mail explaining how to contact Brecks of Canada to help her with her complaint. We are two seperate companies and our comapny is located in the US."

I’ve ordered about three times from Breck’s Canada, I will only order from them if I receive a coupon or if something is on sale, otherwise I find that their regular prices are way too much compared to other mail order companies.

Today, I received 10 healthy, good size OT lily bulbs, a little late to be sending here in zone 2b, but I will just pot them up and store them in the cold room for the winter and plant next spring.

Don't waste your money. I have been purchasing perennials and bulbs online for 15 years. Breck's consistently sends bulbs that are rotted and bare root plants that are dried up. Even the plants that look okay fail to come up. I will never order from them again.

Last fall, I ordered a whole bunch of Oriental lily collections and Elodie lilies for my wedding. I also ordered 3 butterfly amaryllis and parot tulips. Some of the lilies arrived moldy, so they sent replacements that were also moldy (there were only 3 bad bulbs out of about 100). They just sent me 9 replacement for those original bad ones. The bulbs are gigantic. I wonder if it had to do with them being shipped a little later in the fall. This Spring, I had several bulbs lillies that never came up, and they are replacing them. None of the parrot tulips came up, so they credited me for them and I didn't like the butterfly amaryllis (also, only 2 of the 3 came up), so they gave me credit for them. I have not had any experience so far where they have been anything but polite and well, kind of joking around with me on the phone. The other comments that I have read do make me nervous, but so far they have kept their guarantee. It doesn't really bother me to have to wait for replacements because I realize that I am dealing with living things and things happen. The lillies that I have purchased at Wal-Mart, Lowes, Home Depot, etc. have come up, but they have never matured to have the thick stems and number of blooms that they lilies that did come up from Breck's have. Though not every bulb bloomed, the quality of the ones that did is definately superior.

Placed an order in August of 2008,changed my mind after seeing the reviews a week later and canceled the bulbs.order was confirmed canceled by e mail. They did offer me a discount and thought that was very nice of them but said no.I even canceled the credit card I used.For some reason I didn't trust them.So after two confirmed cancellation notices. I recieved bulbs yesterday Just left at my back door (9-10-08). I sent them an e mail. Then got a bill today. wow was I mad I hadn't even opened the box since I didn't order from them.I spoke with Keith on the phone yes it was a long distance call which pissed me off. So to make a long story short I was told to keep the bulbs and that my account would be cleared ( lets hope it is cos Im not paying for something I canceled a month ago). They really should keep better track of there customers especially the loyal ones I read about.Almost forgot I did cancel because the original date of delivery would have been at the end of Oct. Then they said they would rush the order,I still said no. I found cheaper bulbs at the store today 30 for $10. At Bjs and they looked great .Im going to stick with buying my plants and bulbs locally .. Karen P

I've been a loyal Breck's customer for years, but this year was not good. The begonias I ordered (10), only 1 has come up. Some of the bulbs were mushy when they arrived- not impressive as they usually are. And of the 8 lily trees, only 3 came up. I called and was told 6 weeks ago that new ones would be shipped, but I haven't received any replacements yet. Up until this year, I had never had a problem with bulbs from this Company, but now I question whether or not I should order from them again. Their sister Company is no better. I've been waiting 2 months for that order- although the cheques were cashed immediately!

I've always had good exeperiences with Brecks. If they ship me the incorrect plants, I simply call and get the correct plants. I also get to keep the incorrect ones. Double your pleasure! If something doesn't come up, I call and they replace it no questions, no problems! When something doesn't come up, I don't automatically 'blame' the company. Could be a cold snap during planting season caused the plants to have a delay in planting, which they don't like. Could be I didn't fertilize enough, too much, or not at all. It's called gardening people. You can't plant it and forget it. Plants need TLC to grow. Brecks has always been very good about working with me to replace plants that died, or are weak and unhealthy. Friendly customer service as well. Remember, you catch more flys with honey than vinegar, so if your nice, they will be too!

I just (this morning) placed large orders with both Spring Hill and Brecks; then, suspecting they were the same company, located this forum...yikes. I'm a little nervous about my orders after reading through these comments. I ordered oriental lilies, daylilies, bittersweet, and irises...I called back because I've received no e-mail confirmation from Breck's and the operator insisted my first name was different than it is, finally recognizing she had it wrong. Has anyone had good/bad success with these specific bulbs/plants? I'm wondering if I should cancel my orders.

I purchased two orders of starlight lilly bulbs, and they were shipped on the date that was quoted on my order confirmation. After the bulbs arrived I was pleased with there size and condition. I planted them this spring as soon as they arrived. I have ordered bulbs from Brecks several times in the past and and have never been disappointed. Except this time. Most of the bulbs did not grow, and the ones that did bloomed yellow. Not the color I ordered, or expected. I e-mailed customer service with the complaint and requested the order be corrected and replacement bulbs.The next day I recieved a response from Brecks telling me a new order was placed at not cost, and the bulbs would ship next spring as I expected. I was very satisfied that it only required one e-mail to customer service to resolve this issue. I only hope I get the right color this time. As long as I recieve this kind of service I will be a happy customer.

My bulbs for tulips and Asiatic Lilies came for an Autumn planting. Winter was wet and warm (for Connecticut) and some of the rains made me wonder if my bulbs would even remain in the ground where I put them! They did and everything is blooming wonderfully.

Later I ordered some other plants including irises and ornamental grasses. The grasses are growing slowly but nothing has happened with the irises (except two of them so far died). I have not yet contacted the company but will do so if the whole season passes without them flourishing.

I expect good service from Breack's and so far have not been disappointed.

Ordered bulbs on 30 Apr 2008 and 30 days later they still have not shipped, and show an estimated receipt date in July. I will never order from Brecks again! I emailed them and received no response.

"

Contacted Customer on 6/16/08 for possible resolution; as of today have received no response. "

I have been ordering from mail order for many years. This year has by far been the worst year ever. We had cold weather until just recently and it has been hard on the plants, especially when they are seedlings to start with.

All the plants I bought from Brecks this year were tiny seedlings and they are not going to make it. They usually are excellent with replacing plants but I am unhappy with the size of the plants. Some were dried out and some were moldy.

They were shipped too early and did not like to wait in their little small containers even though I tried to save them.

It was not just Brecks but also Springhill and Michigan Bulb.

By the time I pay for the shipping and it will be at least two years before the plants that are left to catch up, it will be a long wait. Granted they were advertised as potted plants, which they were, but tiny does not work for me.

I learned a vauable lesson, you get what you pay for. Never again.

I placed an order with Breck's mid April. Since then, I have had the shipping date change 4 times and it may again yet! And I never receive any notification that the ship date changed. I only know from checking my order status. I also have no idea what is the cause of the delay. I'm currently scheduled to get my bulbs in July!. I doubt that I will have a chance to plant these and even have them flower this season. My email inquiries are responded to but most have standard explanations (i.e. coming from Holland) but nothing substantive. I'm contemplating canceling my order. I'm very disappointed.

"

Customer was sent a Gift Certificate, and I am also shipping her Allium and Cannas at no charge."

I have been very happy with the bulbs I've gotten from Breck's and have been a customer since 1993.

I've ordered all kinds of daffodils and they have been large and healthy. The customer service is wonderful, too. When I've had bulbs fail to come up I've never had any problem getting them replaced and when I had a mix come up as all the same thing I called about it and was given a mix without any problems.

Once I had a substitute daffodil sent and when I called to ask about it I was told to keep the substitute and had what I originally ordered sent to me the following year because it had run out of stock.

Had received emails, coupons, and catalogs from Brecks for several years after a Christmas gift of tulip bulbs I received a while back. Although I have had good success with the tulips I was wary of ordering from them because of all the negative reviews. I needed some daylilies, and seeing that none of my neighbors had any to divide, decided to place an order with a $25 coupon.

Plants arrived, bare root in peat moss. First impression, was disappointment but I also remember its called gardening, not growing or flowering. So I planted them and to my pleasant surprise they are doing very well. Growing vigorously and with a few blooms already.

Again, we're talking daylilies here so my 3 year old could probably grow them, but Id have to say that its safe to order daylilies from Brecks.

Just FYI, Breck's is currently offering $25 for free (no strings attached) if you rec'd the coupon in the mail. I used mine because what have I got to lose, BUT I ordered 2 "tree lily" bulbs 4 weeks ago and my ship date isn't until late May. A little late for lily bulbs, but maybe I can enjoy them next year. So far as I have seen, Breck's is the only place that has the tree lily bulbs.

Brecks is always hit or miss. That's why I only get what's free.

"

Orders are shipped in the order they are received, whether it is a "freebie" order (this Customer paid about $3.00) or a $200+ order. Bulbs can only be shipped after they are harvested (we don't keep bulbs around from year to year - each shipment is freshly harvested and either transported by freighter or flown over from Holland). The Customer's order was delivered on May 29."

I didn't read any reviews of this company until after I had already placed my order, so I decided to wait to see what would happen before commenting. I found their site through Google while searching for English bluebells. I couldn't the English bluebells anywhere else, so I decided to order them through Breck's, I thought they seemed reputable at the time. Along with my "English" bluebells, I ordered two different varieties of crocus. My crocus all came up fine, they were what I ordered, and I didn't receive any moldy bulbs. But the English bluebells which were the reason for my entire order, were unfortunately Spanish bluebells.

I'm not usually very picky about these things, and I hate leaving negative reviews, but I'm very very disappointed. I gave away some of my bulbs as a gift, to someone who grew up with in Britain with English bluebells and loves them, so I'm not the only person that's disappointed. Furthermore, only one bulb out of the 15 has flowered despite all being given the same care. I certainly won't be ordering from Breck's again.

Last spring I was excited to get the offer for Astible, and promptly ordered several. They arrived, but failed entirely. I have contacted Breck's for a credit or refund. They have not replied. I see now this is not uncommon. Last fall I ordered a lot of bulbs - over 100. Only about 1/3 have come up, and the plants are frail and not performing well at all. In contrast, I purchased five tulip bulbs locally from O'Tooles, planted at the time in the same conditions, and they are doing very well - large, healthy, strong, and blooming. I will not order from this company again. I had better luck with tulips I brought home from Amsterdam, forgot about for a year, and then planted at the wrong time of year! Those are thriving still!

"

I emailed the Customeron May 17 for a possible resolution (whether it be reship, credit or refund); have not received a reply as of today."

For those of you that cannot use the $25 coupon for free merchandise, you need to read the coupon. It says right on it that you must order $50 worth of products to receive the $25 discount. You don't just get $25 worth of products for free. It will not accept your key number until the order is $50 or more. That seems like a pretty good deal to me. It's not often that you can get a 50% discount.

I've purchased bulbs several times over the years from Breck's. For 8 years I've lived on a different farm that may or may not affect the growing of bulbs but, regardless, I have had poor luck with the bulbs I purchased from Breck's. I received some replacements or refunds but last year I emailed regarding some day lillies and I received two different email answers. One said I would be receiving replacements the other said "It appears that our company's products are not a good match for you....We're somewhat puzzled by this, because we do strive for 100% customer satisfaction, and in most cases, achieve it." This has angered me no end because it seems I'm being accused of trying to scam them. In the meantime I thought perhaps the email that said I would get replacements was the correct email but I never received anything. I now have received a catalog so I called to see why they would send me a catalog but not honor their gaurantee and was told, "No you aren't receiving any replacements." Gee, thanks a lot! Looks like if they really wanted to satisfy THIS customer they would've honored that guarantee or given me a refund of all plants that didn't live. And these plants didn't die the next year or something like that; it was the same season I planted them.

Breck's is part of the "trilogy" as I like to call it (the other two being Michigan Bulb and Spring Hill Nursery). I stopped ordering from the latter two after I figured out that the quality of the plants wasn't so great.

However, I have to say that I've had great results from Breck's. I ordered two dahlia collections from them, and they all came up except for two! They looked great too. I placed a small order with them this year, so I'm crossing my fingers!

NOTHING I ever planted from Brecks came up. Beware.

"

Because we do guarantee our bulbs/plants, all we ask is that the Customer contact us if something does not grow. I did contact this Customer and asked for a list of plants; she did respond that her order contained bluebells. I issued a refund for the entire order. "

Last year we bought our first home and wanted to spruce up the yard. My girlfriend received a coupon from Breck's in the mail, and we decided to order a collection of 50 bulbs, 1/2 mixed tulips and 1/2 hyacinth. They were planted last fall, and all bulbs developed into large, healthy flowers. I'd buy from them again.

As part of a larger bulb order that I am satisfied with, the "Persian Blue" blue alliums arrived and were planted. The alliums that are blooming now are not Persian Blue, but the shorter, smaller, magenta, more common (and less expensive) "Drumstick" allium. I am a bit upset - with the color not corresponding with the rest of my gardening, and with getting a less expensive plant after paying for a more expensive one. Fortunately because of their short height, they are not easily seen where they are planted, as I was counting on the higher allium.

I have contacted the company and am waiting for a response. Seems like a substitution was made without any notice - but the shipping receipt states "Persian Blue." Stay tuned for the company's response. I will change this rating to NEUTRAL if the company corrects this somehow.

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I have been in communication with the Customer; it appears he did receive the incorrect bulb. He will be receiving a reship (at no charge) in October."

I have ordered from Breck's for many years now and have always been a very satisfied customer. I previously ordered only from Dutch Gardens, but I switched to Breck's as I found the quality of their items similar to Dutch Gardens but generally at a lower price.

I particularly like Breck's selection and quality of daffodils.

I'm a first-time Breck's customer as of last fall. I ordered daffodils, tulips, day lilies, peonies and astilbes. I also ordered Breck's bulb food. My order, which was quite large, arrived in plenty of time for planting in October, although the various items arrived at different times. This was o.k. with me. I could see by following the tracking info on-line whether or not they had been packed and/or shipped and they arrived during the ranges of times stated. I even received e-mails from Breck's when they were on their way.
My daffodils and tulips are up and gorgeous! The day lilies have erupted and are growing toward their appointed heights, I believe. The peonies are coming along and I think the astilbes are out also (I'm a novice, so am not sure sometimes whether what I'm seeing is a beginning flower or a weed, so I tend to let things go until I'm sure). But, things are definitely coming up where I put them and the ones that have bloomed are stunning. I plan on using Breck's again this fall for more daffodils and tulips.
Azalea5
Kettering OH

I ordered plants. Plants did not arrive as scheduled. UPS tracking "had no information on shipment". Emailed Brecks 5 times and got no response. Spent over 1/2 hour on hold using long distance number, no answer. Their 800 number doesn't work. Their webmail customer form does not work. Finally got person to answer by calling the "place order" number. Person explained, "shipment must still be on a boat somewhere". Informed them to cancel order, which they refused to do.
Brecks and other alias (Audubon Workshop, Breck's Bulbs, Fields, Henry, Gurney's Seed & Nursery Co. , Henry Field's Seed & Nursery Company , Michigan Bulb Co., Rocky Meadow Orchard & Nursery , Springhill Nursery ) are all run from the same Gardens Alive boiler room operation.
There are currently 219 complaints in the last 36 months registered against this company, which the BBB labels as an unsatisfactory company.
Deal with them at your own risk!

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Customer's order could not be cancelled as it had already been shipped and it was in transit from Holland. Since we do honor our 100% satisfaction guarantee, the Customer was refunded for his entire purchase price, including shipping and handling of $7.93. The customer used a Free $25 coupon and was told to keep the bulbs with our compliments. Although we are a member of the Garden Solutions Club along with the above mentioned companies, Brecks is not an alias and each company is it's own entity."

I have ordered from Breck's for the past two years and I plan to order again from them this fall.
I have ordered the 'Spring Rain' collection (tulips and grape hyacinths), Grecian Windflowers, Poppy Anemones, Mountain Lilies (Ixiolirion), and a 'Super Sak' of tulips.
All the bulbs have come up beautifully and I am very pleased by their size and intense color. I did have trouble with the windflowers the first spring. I don't know why, but they did not come up. I simply emailed Breck's and they replaced the bulbs which are doing fine this year.
The bulbs that are coming up for the second year are just as lovely, and in fact more so (bigger and more flowers) than last year. I have discovered that one flower bed is not doing as well as another one, but that is MY fault, not Breck's.
All the bulbs were large and healthy. I did not receive any moldy or otherwise unhealthy bulbs and I do not expect to do so.
I found that the catalog and website both are very clear in the time of arrival and place of origin (Holland) of their bulbs. I did not have any problem with the time that the bulbs arrived. In fact, I held them in the refrigerator for a week or two before I was able to plant them both years, and they did not suffer any ill consequences. All shipments have always come with a planting guide that clearly explains the best location and planting depth of every species. Also, with multiple shipments, I have only been charged one shipping fee.
I will certainly continue to order from Breck's this fall and in the future.