Comments regarding Gurney's Seed & Nursery

Last spring I ordered and received asparagus crowns and was unable to plant them. When I reported this to Gurney's they offered to send replacements with free shipping in Spring 2008.

I have ordered seeds and plants from Gurney's many times over the years and have always been happy with the products recieved. This past spring I ordered a "Snowball" bush and it is growing and looking wonderful. I can't wait to see it bloom next year. I also have great luck with their seeds. This is my third year growing Blue Morning Glorys, I just Love the way they accent the front door trellis. I normally get 90% germination rate on all the seeds I order from them. I also love their great selection and varieties. This is one of my favorite catalogs to shop from.

Last spring I ordered some bareroot fruit trees from Gurneys. A Superior plum, an Alderman plum, a Flat wonderful peach, a Halls hardy almond, an Olympic pear. Let me tell you I am shocked by the amount of growth these bareroot trees can do. The 30" bareroot Olympic has grown 5 feet taller. The Halls hardy almond has a beautiful shape and will bloom outside the bedroom window. The Flat wonderful peach has gorgeous maroon foliage and a peach fragrance. The Superior plum is vigorous. The Alderman plum arrived dead and was not available for replacement till next spring. I ordered fall bulbs etc.. Guess what , all the stuff not yet shipped has been consolidated on the invoice including the Alderman. I don't have to worry. I just got a coupon for 25$ off $50 order. I got two more Olympic pears for my father to plant along side of a Keifer and a Bartlett in upstate New York. Thirty dollars total, wow. Thanks Gurneys.

Their delivery time was not the fastest, but of the nine plants I ordered, I got nine strong, healthy plants. I am happy with the high success rate.

I ordered 5 jumbo casa blanca lily bulbs. With the coupon, I figured a modest order like that with only one variety couldnt go too wrong. It did. Instead of being sent 5 lily bulbs, they sent me 5 dormant maximillian sunflowers. I called the company and they were very nice, didnt even ask for the sunflowers back and said they'd send out the lily bulbs right away. I was surprised. The bulbs arrived healthy, without mold and not dried up, and they are HUGE. They are the biggest lily bulbs I have seen from an mail order company. I was actually very happy with them. Would I order again from this company? Probably only play it safe.. some bulbs, hardy dormant plants. I dont think I would order roses or anykind of actively growing herbaceous plant from this company.

I ordered many seeds and plants from these guys this year for the first time. Everything came on time and in excellent condition. The seeds didn't sprout really great--but still did okay. Lots of variety of choices in seeds though from the catalog...that is nice. Gurneys did alright by me.

I bought 3 grape vines in 2006 from Gurneys, after 3 months of them not showing up, I emailed them. They quickly replaced them. Then the original 3 showed up out of no where. They looked bad - but we planted them anyhow - and now I have 5 thriving vines. That seems like the fault of post office and not Gurneys. I have also bought seeds & an apple tree from them - the seeds are doing great. The apple tree arrived looking fine, but too soon to tell. Have to admit coming across this website has made me nervous about future orders. But so far, they have been helpful and the products have worked. They have always responded to any email questions I have had so far.

April 01, 2007

I used the $25.00 coupon to purchase the strawberry, fountain setup, with 50 strawberry plants and strawberry food. The items with shipping cost $45.00. The items arrived in early March, which is early for planting in NYC. I kept the plants on my unheated porch in their original packing for two weeks, waiting for the snow to melt. I finally set everything up and the strwberries are growing well, and my kids love the setup and fountain. I am very pleased with my order and the price, shipping was only $9.00, Not high priced for what I ordered. ( I thought it would be more) I am so happy, I recently ordered a grape vine and mini nectarine tree from their sale catalog. I will repost when I receive that order.

I took advantage of the 25 dollar coupon like most folks did. I hadn't accessed this site before I ordered. After seeing the reviews I was a bit dismayed and prepared for the worst.
My spring shipment was scheduled between Feb 15 - June 30th. To my surprise, part of my shipment came in yesterday, February 16. The two bareroot rose bushes were healthy. However, the sassafras tree did not have a root system. It was just a big stick. The reason I am giving them a positive rating was their customer service was exceptional. I called the number on the shipping label and they immediately ordred another tree no questions asked. Shipping was speedy and I received them much sooner than expected. So despite one bad plant, my experience with them was pretty good.

Used the $20 coupon to order seeds. Got the seeds within a week and a half. Got everything for free--can't beat that!! I'm happy!

I actually used the internet "coupon" a few times to buy many small fruit plants and seeds. I am a bit nervous, given what I read here.

All my seeds came in very reasonable time--a good start.

Plants waiting to be shipped. Hoping for the best.

I did save $$$ with the coupons. We'll see....

I too was lured by the "coupon"

I think if I had found this site first, I may have reconsidered... but I will post back what my experience is.... Hopefully they can't screw up seeds.... though i also got the Quick Start kits... so with the coupon, i basically got all my seeds for free -- just hope those kits come undamaged.

first time customer this year(February 2006). I was lured in by the coupon on the cover of their catalogue. The germination rate was fantastic. However, the shipping was a little slow. when my package finally arrived it was minus the asparagus and rhubarb. I called and was told they were on the way. The asparagus came in a timely manner. When I had not recieved my rhubarb by late march I started calling. !st time I was told they would be in the mail within 2 days. Next call they told me a week. Next call they had been on backorder for a month, so my question is how can they be out in the mail in 2 days and be on backorder at the same time? They finally just sent me a credit. The seeds were great though. If I get a catalogue w/ another coupon this year I will order form again.

I was happy with my German Irises .Nice size somewhat droment but not dead. new eye growth, and got my full order
fast shipping.
on sale. i do belive they just might bloom next spring

I was worried about placing an order after reading the negative reviews about long shipping delays, but there were so many products I liked at such good prices I had to try it,(especially since they are one of the few companies that have the pineapple guava fruit trees I wanted).
So instead of ordering directly, I decided to go through Gurney's ad on Amazon.com, since I'm sure they are held more liable for negative customer feedback with Amazon...and I was suprised to find an email saying my plants had been shipped, only a day-in-a-half after placing my order. Hopefully the rest of my shipment will be ok, but so far I'm a happy camper. =)

I have ordered from this company a couple times over the past few years, and my experience has always been good, the best with the bareroot trees and bushes. Everything I have ordered-plum trees, gooseberries, currants, all leaved out right away and are growing VERY well! The bareroot flowers tend to be small, but usually green up okay. Any problem I have had was resolved quickly. I will definately order from them again!

I would just like to tell everyone that this company has done very well by me. I have had VERY GOOD LUCK WITH GURNEY, and plan to order again next spring. Their plants are nice and their customer service people are very friendly and helpful. A VERY GOOD COMPANY TO DEAL WITH.

I ordered two lilacs shrubs and some blue potato sets from Gurney's. The shipments did take some while to get to me, which I wasn't happy about. The first lilac came as a bare root, but it was already putting out green shoots. I followed all of the instructions and planted it in the ground the next day. For a week it did nothing (to be expected) then it went wild. Lots of new green growth.

The second lilac was in a small plastic pot, wrapped in a plastic bag/sleeve. I was dismayed at the packaging at first. The top of the plant looked to be crammed into the box, with shoots bent and leaves bedraggled. A taller box or packaging it diagonally would have been better.

I haven't planted it yet, but it's out on my patio, and it didn't seem to mind being crammed in transit at all. It immediately started putting out healthy new shoots and leaves.

Instead of potato sets, they substituted whole blue potatoes, but I got the equivalent or better than what I ordered. I planted them, and they haven't come up yet, but potatoes take a while.

So although my experience with them wasn't 100% great, they still sent me healthy stuff, and I'll probably order from them again. That gets them a Positive.

Gurney's is great if you are on a tight budget, keep your expectations modest, and have patience.

Of everything I ordered, only one plant (a blueberry) failed--it arrived as a tiny bunch of leathery stems with roots exposed to the air. I planted it anyway, but it did not grow. Fortunately, the company replaced it quickly and amicably. (The replacement plant came potted and with leaves, though--wonder why the first one didn't!) The second blueberry came during an unseasonal heat wave, so it was wilted upon arrival and lost some leaves; it also suffered transplant shock, which turned its remaining leaves red. Happily, within a couple of weeks it was much greener and looking good!

Everything else worked out very well. The asparagus plants grew wonderfully and should bear nice spears in the years to come. We ordered a couple of cherry trees and also bought one locally. The local tree was fully leafed out and at first appeared superior; the Gurney's trees admittedly looked like a couple of sticks upon arrival. However, within a couple of weeks, the Gurney's trees had leafed out dramatically while the local tree had done nothing. The Gurney's trees now appear to have better health and vigor than their companion, and we're looking forward to our future orchard!

The Truth You Need To Know About Gurney's Plants, Bushes, Trees:

First: There is no such thing as a free lunch. If every other nursery wants to charge $45 for a tree and Gurney's only wants $7, then maybe you're going to get what you pay for.

Second, Gurney's is very inexpensive and sells very young plants and trees. If money is your primary concern and you like to watch a tiny sapling or plant grow to maturity, it's the place for you.

Third AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, the pictures you see online and in the catalog represent what the plants you order will look like in two to three years. I don't know why the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) permits what I think of as misleading advertising, but somehow Gurney's and several other big nurseries get away with picturing lush, mature plants and delivering tiny, immature plants that won't look like the catalog pictures for years - assuming they survive.

Lastly, with this in mind, you can still snag good deals. I love exotic plants, and Gurney's is currently the only place offering coffee plants, which I consider way cool. Although the plants I received are somewhat smaller than what is pictured, I ordered (and paid) for only TWO plants. I RECEIVED FOURTEEN PLANTS! Each tiny nursery pot contained multiple plants, so now I have lots of coffee plants to give to friends! If you shop informed, and keep the above "Gurney's Rules" in mind, you shouldn't be dissappointed. Good Luck!

After seeing the postings on this website I was a little wary when my husband told me he ordered from this company, but I couldn't be happier with our purchase. He ordered a strawberry pyramid with 50 strawberry plants and 10 poplars. All are doing well and came with sufficient planting instructions. I would definitely order from them again.

I ordered 4 packets of seeds, a citrus dwf tree combo, a dwf pomegranate and a gooseberry/red currant combo.

I recieved the seed packets a few days ago, all were labeled and I had a paper telling me how to grow giant 500lb pumkins in one.

The seeds seem pricey $2-3 for 10 seeds on some, but they are supposidly for jumbo veggies.

My package also clearly labeled what would be shipped latter.

So far all my seeds have sprouted and are taking off.

I ordered two specials on "Whooper Strawberry Plants" this spring. When I received them I found everything in perfect order and the plants were of good size and shape.
I will order from Gurneys again.

I received my crape myrtle order and checked for signs that it is alive because it was very very dry although the accompanying literature said it is dormant. I checked for green in the bark all the way down to the crown and it is all brown. I reported it right away and at that same time, they send me a new order to be shipped as replacement, so no additional cost. I never had any problems with them on all my orders including grapes and others. They replaced all that I reported to them that needed replacement. Maybe there are circumstances that one would get a negative interaction with them but they are sure to satisfy their customers so I would continue to buy what I need from them.

I was a bit wary after reading the negatives here, but I had a coupon, so I thought I'd give Gurney's a try. I'm glad I did. No problems whatsoever.

I ordered a patio blueberry, 2 of their Trillium Trio (6 plants in all) and two hybrid tea roses this spring.

The blueberry and the trillium arrived first. The blueberry was potted and very happy, moist, and with buds. I promptly planted it into a bigger container, and it is doing well, blooming, and leafing out.

The Trillium arrived bareroot and dormant, but looked fine. I planted all 6 promptly, and have been watering daily. So far, two are leafing out.

The two roses arrived a bit later, both bare root (as they said they would) and looked good... though I was unable to plant them as soon as I would have liked after I received them (which is entirely due to me, and not Gurney's) . I planted both, and have been watering daily, and both seem to be doing ok, even though I didn't get them in the ground right away.

Everything I received was well packed, and arrived in fine shape.

I purchased 3 Flowering Almond shrubs and 2 Bee Balms. I received them in a timely manner. One of the Bee Balms was sickly when I received it but I tried to baby it to see if it would live, but with no success so I emailed the company and within 5 hours they replied that they were reshipping me a replacement Bee Balm.

Then they sent me another email the next day asking me to take a survey to get my feedback on their customer service which I filled out. Then at the end of the survey they sent me a $5 coupon.

This is my first time using this company. They might have had problems in the past but they are definitely focusing on giving great customer service. I will definitely use them again.

I ordered seeds and a few plants from Gurney's this spring. The seeds and plants arrived quickly and were packaged decently. The roots of the missouri primrose are large and look very established. The double geranium is a little on the small side but the roots look healthy. I planted both immediately. I am still waiting on my two flowering almonds which should arrive this week. So far I am pretty pleased and have not had any problems.

I recently ordered 11 items from Gurney's this year. They sent my seeds right away, and held the plants until it was warmer weather. I was very pleased with my order. The seeds I started are growing great, the bareroots were in good condition too. I had a $25 coupon that made it even better. I'll add to this comment later in the year to let you know how the plants grew, but so far so good.

We have ordered seeds from Gurneys for several years and have always been pleased. Our tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and onions that we started this year have had almost 100% germination. We are growing lettuce under lights inside and have been picking it for a month now. My favorite tomatoes are "cold set" for an early crop and "Imp.Gurney girl" for our main crop. Shipping was good and packed well. Last year we picked over 400 lbs of delicious watermelon. I bought asparagrass 2 years ago and now the plants are large and very productive. I will continue to order seed from them.

I received a coupon for $20 off any order. I ordered the red and gold raspberry combo. The plants were basically free, all I had to do was pay shipping. They were shipped on March 10th. I did not receive them until March 18th. I don't know why it took so long for the plants to get here but that was not their fault. I was actually suprised by the quality of the plants. They were nice well rooted plants and seemed to be healthy. I have planted them and will give an update a little later after they have had a chance to grow.

I am very please with the service I've received from Gurney's.
Last year I purchased 6 raspberry plants on sale, as well as some blueberry and blackberries. For some reason only 3 of the raspberries thrived- but I wasn't expecting miracles since they were clearence.

I contacted their customer service about a refund for the black/blue berrier and replacement for the 3 raspberries. Not only did they respond quickly, but were very helpful in answering all my many many questions conscerning the use of my return check.

My replacement raspberries just arrives yesterday, and not only did they replace all 6 (even though I only asked for 3) but they are much bigger than the original shipment.

My seed order also arrived earlier than expected, and was packaged very well.

Definately will order again!

Positive, with the caviat that their seeds performed poorly.
I had trouble getting their seeds to sprout (even the Brandywine tomatoes, I don't normally have trouble with tomato seeds), but they willing refunded me. A couple of the bare root plants made it and one didn't. They were pleasant when I called.
They sent me a coupon for free merchandise the next season and I tried the dwarf blueberry combo for fun to try in pots, but I killed them (I think it was my fault). I had no idea how much of the amonium sulfate to mix into potting soil. (I couldn't find an acidic potting soil mix)

I would really like to order a tree they are offering, and probablly will if I can't find it locally.

I have ordered from Gurney's two years running and while I'm pleased with the plants after a month or two the condition they arrive in leaves much to be desired. If I walked out to my garden and saw plants looking like that I'd pull them and toss in the garbage!

I also received what was labeled as a Fernleaf Bleeding Heart last year and frankly I still don't know if there was anything in there besides damp saw dust and some dirt. I contacted them and they did take care of the matter right away by giving me a refund/coupon, I would have preferred another plant but no matter. I do find it annoying that since I'm in a cold zone I have to wait for the next planting season and expected to hang on to the blasted thing.

I've just come to expect a sick looking plant but know that it will snap out of it and be wonderful the next year. Waiting for my new catalog. :)

I ordered two flowering almond bushes from here. Both arrived on time (I ordered them late in the season), but were still moist, and packed well. Tiny little things…maybe 12 inches if that. I planted them and covered them with a Styrofoam cone because I was doubtful they would survive the winter.

We’ve had some warm weather here of late so I looked under the cones. They made it and have little buds on them, so I think they will do well. So the word is so far, so good. I’m pleased after being a bit dubious.

I am always incredulous when I see negative comments about Gurneys or Henry Fields. I have been dealing with Gurneys for over 20 years, and they have never failed to send me wonderful plants, or make something right! They sent me a "premium" cherry tree last spring, and it is already taller than a nearby Maple planted 4 years ago! I wouldn't doubt that I get cherries this spring! I love Gurneys and Henry Fields...I split an order for 40+ Robin Hood Roses 2 years ago
between them. There was absolutely no difference between the 2 orders, and both have thrived equally well...just beautiful!
Just my 2-cents! rmp

I have done business with Gurney's for several years now, taking advantage of their special offers. There have been a few problems with the plants, but they have always made it right ASAP, so I will continue to do business with them.

I have dealt with Gurney's for seeds & plants for well over 25 yrs and have never had a problem with anything. I plan to continue dealing with them in the future.

I recently ordered 6 types of spring blooming bulbs. All arrived on time and appeared to be in good condition. Hope they come up in the Spring!

Several years ago I used this company to order bare root shrubs, and everything that arrived was healthy. Those shrubs (blue girl hollies) are now 6 feet high.

Based on my experiences, I would order from Gurney's again.

Received my bulbs and in excellent time, two weeks! I'm very pleased with both. Bulbs are a little small but in good condition. Thank you! Judy