Comments regarding Gurney's Seed & Nursery

I bought a farm in 2002 that had been completely abandoned for several years. I've used Gurneys and their affiliate companies to help move the farm in the direction I want. Every bulb, plant, and seed that I've ordered from them has done very well. I planted my Collasal Strawberries last weekend. In four days' time they are showing almost an inch of growth. I haven't regretted one cent I've spent with them, whether for Peach trees or pea seeds or anything in between, such as strawberry food. However, I do always wait to get another coupon before ordering again! Their web site is easy to navigate and the items always come with instructions. I have no complaints. Where else could I peruse and buy such items at 0200??

In December 2003 I placed an order for seeds and Asparagus plants with Gurney’s. In checking the shipping dates I found that they were not correct for my location. I am in USDA Zone 9 not Zone 7 as there web site shows. I informed Gurney’s of the problem and requested a shipping date of mid February at the latest. Here are just a few of the things that have happened so far.

I was told in writing that it would be shipped on 3/9
I was told in writing that it was ready to ship on 3/12
I was told in a letter received on 3/18 that my order was waiting to be shipped as soon as I corrected the error made by Gurney’s charging the order to my credit card which I corrected on 3/18.
I was told during a phone call I made to Gurney's that it was shipped on 3/19.
Now on 3/22 I receive an e mail telling me that it will ship in 2 to 3 days by slow mail.
3/22 second e mail received saying it due to ship any day now.

Will it ever ship and will I have any usable plants?

I must give credit where credit is due. Back in January, I used Gurney's $20 coupon and ordered two Reliance Peach trees, a Montmorency Cherry tree, and some asparagus crowns. All three trees arrived today and are in wonderful condition. They are the 4-5 foot trees as promised with crowns that are full and have lots of fresh green branches. Very healthy looking trees. The root systems are huge! Also, there was very little shipping damage.

Well guess what, the trees were not shipped from Gurneys in Greendale, Indiana, but were drop-shipped from a Gurneys PO box in Louisiana, Missouri. I only live 50 miles from Louisiana, MO and I know that the only nursery in Louisiana, MO is the venerable, 188 year old Stark Bros Nursery! I guess Garden's Alive (Gurney's parent company and former short-time owner of Stark Bros) is making use of an old partnership to fill some Reliance Peach tree orders. Great Job! I'll take shipment of all the Stark Bros nursery stock Gurneys cares to send me.

I ordered a Snowball Bush and a Blue Girl Rose from Gurney's using the free $20 of merchandise coupon and I am very impressed with the size of the plants I received and also the packaging. They also sent a very informative guide on planting and maintenance. I can't wait to get outside now so I can plant my new plants and trim up the old ones. I will be ordering from them for fall planting...

I ordered this year using the free coupon. I ordered two packets of seeds(lettuce and sweet banana pepper) and a strawberry guava and a dwarf pomegranite. The seeds came in within 10 days and the plants came in today which to me seemed like a good time to send them, we are just getting warm here. However the plants are really small the strawberry guava is a 4 inch stick with 5 leaves on it, the dwarf pomegranite is also about 4 inches though it does have a few tiny branches on it and a couple buds. Both do seem to be healthy and green. Still if I had had to actually pay $20 for these 2 tiny plant and two packets of seeds, I would have never done it.

February 2004, I ordered from Gurney's with a coupon for $20.00 of free merchandise. I received my order of seeds within a few weeks. I am very impressed, especially since this was a totally free order and I saw all the terrible reviews! (the only thing I did not like was that there was not a packaging year on the packets).

I heard from gurney today,2-23-04 and they said that they don't have "reliance peach trees".this the most common peach available and they don't have them-come on!
Don't use them.

I received a catalog in early January and I was excited to start picking out some flower and vegetable seed. The coupon was for $20 dollars off of a $40 order. Just ordering seed, it was tough to get my total up to $40. So, my husband added an apple tree and some strawberries that were on sale on their web site. The web site was quick and easy to use. We've had great luck with the fruit trees we've order from Gurney in the past. The seeds arrived within a week and everything was packaged well. According to their information, the fruit trees and strawberries should start shipping to my area toward the end of March. We've ordered from Gurney's for the past 3 years and have had good luck. When I searched for them on Google, I also found a link for the $20 discount in case anybody else is interested..

gurneys.com/?sid=501299&AID=10306012&PID=1419591

I ordered from several companies on 02/09/04 including Gurney's and I received the seed portion of my Gurney's order on Friday 2/13/04. That was only 4 business days, I was impressed. Hope that when they shipped the plants (04/15/04 or later)I will continue to be impressed.

Their prices make it tempting to order off them, especially with their discount coupon that comes with the catalog. I've had so-so luck with them. Their seeds have been average for germination, but like their affliates, you take a chance on their plants. I would like to recommend them, but their affliations make me skeptical.

It had been a long time since I had ordered from Guerney's.
They sent a $20 certificate this spring and I ordered seeds for a school gardening group using the certificate. The seeds came in a few weeks and some will be planted this week. I will order again.

All I ordered were some peat pots and one package of seeds. This was months ago. Still haven't arrived. You'd think I'd learn.

I have been ordering fruit trees from Gurney's for the past several years. Most years 10%-20% of the tree's don't survive, but, Gurneys has never failed to replace the item. The replacement has usually been an upgrade from what I recieved originally. Also, when I have made my order early and they have had specials at a later date on items I ordered, once contacted they have been great about adjusting the price to the sale price. Haven't ordered perenials or bulbs from them, but definetly will continue to use them for my fruit trees.

I purchased nearly 100.00 worth of plants and seeds spring '03, and was very pleased overall with my purchase. They shipped on time and the quality of the plants I received while small all did very well in my garden and I will definately be ordering from them again.

I have delt with Gurney's for years. There is something people need to know, the company running it now is not the company that once ran it a few years ago. The new company has dropped some products. I have ordered both plants and seeds from both the old company and the new company. I ordered 75 strawberry plants last year, and most survived. Those that did not survive were due to my lack of watering. I am cautious about ording live plants from any mail order company, but the seeds are always first quailty.

I took advantage of the coupon this year and ordered some roses and a lilac bush. The roses arrived a little early and survived some unusually terrible weather (I really should have potted them instead of planting them). But that said, they are doing great. The lilac bush (basically the freebie I got with the coupon) did good in the beginning but then died.

Half the plants ordered from Gurney's spring '03 did not grow. And several e-mails sent attempting to resolve the matter have not been acknowledged or responded to. Plants and bulbs that did arrive were small, stunted, and generally in poor condition. Many items were not available, though at the time the order was placed they were supposedly in stock. There is no toll-free number, and their customer service people are the same as Henry Field's. Quality and service has sharply declined, and I cannot recommend them. So if anyone knows of a quality supplier for rhubarb plants, please let me know - as rhubard was one of the items out of stock.

We ordered two Hopa Crabapple trees (bareroot 4-5' tall) from Gurney's. They shipped as promised and we actually received three trees for the cost of two. Only problem was finding a place to plant the extra free tree!

Decided to give them another chance after many years of not ordering with them. Nothing has changed, crummy plants. You would think they could ship liriope that wasn't dead on arrival. My first e mail to them was ignored, second e mail they promised to refund the price paid for the plants as they were out of stock. I received the refund, but not for the shipping. All of the other plant varieties I ordered from them were dried up roots or sticks which promptly died. Never again.

I ordered three dwarf fruit trees on a whim. I was not too optomistic, and when I openend the box one had no leaves, and the other two looked sad. Today (three months later) they are THRIVING and look WONDERFUL! They're still small but I think they'll be happy healthy plants... customer service was VERY HELPFUL. Nice people, good company! :)

At the beginning of May, I placed an order for four different varieties of strawberries. It took about two weeks for the order to arrive, but it was incomplete. One of the varieties was placed on back-order, and I was issued a new order number for it.

I planted the strawberries as soon as they arrived, and most of them grew, but only 9 of the 25 Big Boy plants were viable.

When I checked today on the backorder, the order number was no longer in their system, and I have not been credited for the missing plants. I have requested an explanation and a full refund. They previously issued me a replacement credit for the dead Big Boy plants, but I am not going to be doing any more business with Gurney's in the future, so what good is this?

Although their website looks nice and is easy to use, their plants and customer service have proven to be very disappointing. As such, I cannot recommend Gurney's to anyone.

I have had no problems with this company, ordered several times this spring and everything arrived promptly and in good condition. I just ordered an apple tree 3 weeks ago and it arrived in great condition and is growing great. Was even sent a $5 off postcard when some flower seed I ordered was sold out for this year. I would defiantly order from them again.

I've ordered lots of plants over the years from them...most recently roses, vetch, strawberry, blackberry, beneficail insects and perennials. Any plants that died have been replaced or refunded. This year the roses did great and are leafy and budding. The shipping was too early for my area though, there was still snow on the ground so I had to pot up some of the trees I ordered until they could be planted.

I recently ordered a Dwarf Meyer Lemon, and a Bird of Paradise plant from Gurney's.

I expected wee tiny plants (for that price they couldn't possibly be very large) and that's exactly what I got.
Both seem to be doing well, so overall- no complaints.

Ordered asiatic lily bulbs, sand cherry shrubs, and Persian lilacs. All growing very well and arrived quickly. No complaints with this purchase.

I haven't ordered from Gurney since 1995, but when I did, I was not dissatisfied with what I got. I ordered several "stick trees" from one of the buy-one-get-one offer, and that's what I got. By "stick trees" I mean small bare-root trees or shrubs, approximately the diameter of a pencil and about 18" long. All grew, all were the correct species (I can't say as to variety), and all were very inexpensive.

That said, there are better places to purchase nursery stock, including state forestry services.

Don't expect something that embodies the glossy photo for a dollar or two, because you won't get that from Gurney or anyone else.

I recently received six heirloom tomato plants from Gurney Seed and Nursery that were DOA. I was shocked at both the condition they were in and the manner in which they had been packed for shipping. These plants were not potted; they were shipped bare root. What I received were six plants that were nothing more than dried-out twigs with crunchy, brown leaves attached. All had been carelessly bundled together in some plastic material. It was such a pathetic sight, I had to laugh. I immediately phoned the company and spoke to someone who suggested that these tomato plants were shipped dormant. Dormant tomato plants? Now that's an interesting explanation, probably one the staff use frequently to justify the sad condition of what they sell. When I told this employee that these plants were dead and I wanted to have my money refunded, she continued to argue with me over whether they were, in fact, dead. I told her that I have been gardening for many years and am certainly able to recognize a dead plant when I see one and to not insult me further. At this point, the Gurney employee agree to refund my money, although she seemed very reluctant to do so. One more complaint I shared with her was the fact that they don't have an 800 number for customer service. I asked why and the answer I got was, "I don't know." I did receive a refund for the tomato plants, but I intend to never order another thing from this company.

I ordered from several companys and I'd have've to say I'd order from them again. Thay took the time to reply to my e-mail to correct my zone and mail my trees at the right time. Then when they were dammage in shipping they resent another tree no questions asked. The trees were in great condition. I have order from several other companys. Gurney's was right on top with there other companys as well. I'd buy from them again and would recomend them to anyone else who wants to feel good about not getting riped off. Like other companys have done. Thanks Gurney..

I also used the $20 coupon to order some trees. They were shipped separately but order was complete. Last year I ordered Dawn Redwood but these were not available and I received a letter and a coupon for future use and was never charged. My advice is to order the smaller bareroot trees, since there is little difference between 3-4' and 4-5' trees, and it saves money. They will grow the difference in one good growing season, but all trees I've ever ordered from them have taken. Also best to pot up trees in a garden or some place for 1-2 years rather than set them out right away. But in 4-5 years you'll have a tree that will cost $100+ if purchased from a nursery.

Sure wish I knew about this site before I purchased from them. Numerous items I planted just rotted in the ground and one of the trees that was supposed to be 12 to 18 inches was only 6 inches tall and stone cold dead. They sent me a refund certificate for the tree, so when I sent it in, I of course ordered more items. The rest of the items are doing fine. Hopefully the rest of my order will be okay, but I won't use this company anymore.

I recently ordered from them because they were the only source I found for what I wanted: Elderberries and Mock Orange (also got thornless Blackberries).

*After* placing the order, I saw the negative ratings here, so was anticipating the worst...

I received my order one week earlier than expected, but there were problems: missing Blackberries and smaller Mock Orange than ordered. I sent email to them that night, and to my surprise they replied the next morning that they would send the items out immediately (and they did!).

PS: I ordered from them many years ago, so knew not to expect huge plants, but the Elderberries look *great*. Everything looks very healthy too.

I ordered a male and female kiwi from Gurney's a few years ago. I have been a professional gardener, and have never had trouble growing anytyhing, even resucing dying plants for friends. I paid a great deal of money for two little plants of about 2 inches each, that arrived late in the Spring. They remained stunted until both died. The photos in the catalog look great, and the text makes them sound like good old folk who enjoy their work. The down-home farmer touch is nice, but their products don't support their image. Never again.

They stink.Plain and simple.Bad plants, bad customer service, bad company.

Did I read correctly? Gurney's is owned by a company called Gardens ALIVE? Quick -- someone alert the Federal Trade Commission about this false representation.

Alive is the last word that comes to mind with most folks who have ever ordered from Gurney's!! Everything that doesn't arrive dead soon is.

The one bright spot: a rosa glauca received from Gurney. Large vigorous plant thriving. But think about it. You'd have to try to kill a species rose and Gurney's doesn't try at anything!

Like many others who have posted here, I too have made the mistake of ordering from them several times because their catalogs always arrive to entice me with low prices - unbeatable deals!
Right! If the majority of the plants you order arrive dead or dying, it's not much of a deal. I seldom bother to contact companies about bad product, especially if it was "dirt cheap" and I'm sure there are many others who do the same - just accept the loss and find another supplier.
I won't purchase anything from them anymore. There are too many good companies out there who actually care for their stock and take pains to send live plants. I'd rather pay a little more and save a year or two of replanting.

Regretfully I had ordered a few things from Gurney's in the past, mainly fruit trees. Half the trees and shrubs delivered had been dead and dried out for many months even before shipping, it should have been so obvious to the packer. They just love to pay those reshipment charges. Worst of all is you don't get the variety you order and pay for. Now that a few years have gone by and their sickly blueberries and peach have long died out, some of the apples that survived are beginning to bear and guess what? NONE of them are correct. I ordered varieties like Yellow Transparent, Granny Smith, Grimes Golden and Yellow Delicious and what Gurney's shipped are MacIntosh and Jonathan types. Seeded grapes were shipped as seedless, what idiots! Now I'll just buy at the local nursuries, where I found better pricing and varieties, and the bareroots are freshly dug and healthy, and varieties are true to name.

I ordered Pampass Grass, Astibles and Asters. The grass was small but in good condition. The Astibles had very large root systems and are already coming up. The Asters were small but are doing fine. I had a certificate of replacement from a previous order, they do refund you for anything that does not survive. What do you have to lose?
I'm satisfied.

A so-so place, like Jung, possible out of its time and place.

no complants or specific comments but it needs to get with the times and it's not. Almost archaic in catalog presentation.

On a 1-10 scale I rate it 5+

Today I received 6 out of 6 bush cherries that I ordered. They were all in very good shape and larger than the 18"-24" I bought. The customer service has been great this year. I have emailed customer service several times this year asking on the status of my order because of the poor service last year. Each time I have received a helpful and informative reply quickly. These bush cherries arrived at the time I was told in the emails. The service this year is so much better than last!

But I may have spoken too soon. The rest of my order is scheduled to be sent out at the beginning of April. I hope the second 3/4 is as good as the first part.

Gurney's get a "positive" from me.