Comments regarding Pickering Nurseries

Posted on November 26, 2004, updated April 22, 2014
I would like to recount the outstanding level of customer service that I just encountered in dealing with Pickering Nurseries. I had wanted to order from them because I have read one authoritative book after another that recommended them. I was having problems connecting with their website and sending them e-mail during the transition between the previous website and the excellent new one that is now running. I also could not find a rose I thought was there (probably my error). I e-mailed Garden Watchdog privately asking for guidance on how to proceed. The next morning I received the first of no less than five e-mails from Steven offering web assistance and from Joel suggesting different roses (and an excellent one I had never heard of, and chose). I was only ordering five roses (for the moment, that is) but the level of attention and care was such that you would have thought I was ordering 50. And, by the way, their web site works wonderfully, and has an unbelievable selection of roses.

I ordered 3 bare-root roses (alba and damask) from Pickering this spring. All arrived looking nice and healthy, and have started growing happily since planted. This is my first experience with bare-root roses, so I can't compare the size, but so far so good! They have a great selection of cold-hardy roses.

Posted on March 9, 2012, updated April 17, 2012
The ordering experience was a pleasure, and I received a couple of very nice alba roses from this company, sent exactly when I wanted them. The root systems were huge, with 5 or 6 nice canes on each plant. An old-fashioned rambler was a little smaller, but fine. Everything was still moist and healthy looking. Definitely worth the price.

I ordered several old garden roses and a couple of English roses from Pickering earlier this year. All of the plants had good sized root systems and took off immediately after planting. All the plants were healthy. The packaging was good and the staff very friendly.

Posted on September 28, 2005, updated November 9, 2010
Although I got mislabeled roses from Pickering, I have to give them a positive. Not only are their roses the biggest, thickest bare root roses I've ever gotten, all of them have thrived (even the mislabeled ones = / )and the newly planted moss bloomed! However, they goofed on my 18 white rugosas. I intended a white rose hedge and was most excited when they started to bloom....in pink? Yep, only 2 of the 18 were white. I emailed them and after a tad long wait, they responded w/apologies and a promise to refund the cost of all 18 rugosas which they did. (I made sure I let them know of the problem before their guarantee ran out - always read the fine print!) I am hopeful that this mislabeling is the only speedbump in our relationship because I intend to order from them again. They've got healthy stock and they carry older varieties AND they grow in Ontario so I'm more confident their roses will grow in my 4B zone. And best of all, they made good on their mistake.

4 years ordering from pickering.. mostly quality stuff, especially compared to some other companies, also grafted on either multiflora or laxa, a postive in our neck of the woods.

Have had some slight mix ups , recieved a great maidens blush vs a alba maxima. Also one or two of the cultivators were a tad small. But otherwise 95% of thier product is very good. That is a very good rate for a rose company.

I see some negative or neutral reviews based upon one rose or two .. thats kind of unfair IMO, pickering really is a top notch rose vendor.

Silverkelt

For the past three years, I have placed large orders with Pickering. The roses from Pickering are by far my healthiest. They establish quickly and seem to overwinter better. Customer service is always quick and friendly and the selection of roses is outstanding.

Posted on May 25, 2009, updated April 29, 2010
I ordered seven disease resistant roses from Pickering. The canes on one were very small but the other six looked great. The roses appear to be doing very well and I am very pleased with the order I received. Their prices are very reasonable, and their shipping and packaging is great.

Wonderful company. My eight roses arrived last week, huge and healthy. For those of us in the north, Pickering has the best selection by far, and much better prices than many of the other nurseries I've ordered from in the past. Not only was the packaging efficient (8 big rose bushes in one little box), but they combined two separate orders I made so as to save shipping costs (I didn't want to complicate the order by asking them to do this, so it was a nice surprise).

All in all, highly recommended. I can't wait to place another order next spring.

My first order from Pickering and it won't be my last. Very happy with my roses. All were very well packed and the roses were full of roots.
I give this order an A+.

I ordered three roses from Pickering. I chose them because they have a very helpful website with an extensive collection of old garden roses. I also wanted a company that shipped bare-root roses, as I have had problems before with pests traveling onto my property in the soil of potted roses.
My roses arrived packaged very well, with the root balls still moist. They arrived at the right time for planting dormant roses in my zone. I couldn't believe the branching both on the top of the plant and in the root ball! These plants are at least as large as what I could find in a local nursery, for 1/2 the price. I was very pleased. I will definitely order from them again.

I ordered 5 bareroot roses this spring that I couldn't find locally. The plants were sent exactly when I asked. Communication with Pickering was excellent. When I lost my invoice (due to 'puter trouble) they quickly emailed me my invoice after I asked them for a copy by email. Also, they sent me an email telling me when my roses had shipped. They arrived within a week of this email.

The roses were well packed and arrived in great condition. The roses were of good size--even the 1/2 size blanc double de coubert! It looked only a bit smaller than the other bareroot roses.

They've all been in the ground about six weeks now, are super healthy and are really getting big fast--they are already more than half the size of the prairie joy and morden blush I planted 3 years ago!

They are a bit spendy and shipping isn't cheap--but for quality and selection of cultivars that do well in cold climates, Pickering is the best. If I find room in my yard for more roses, I will certainly be back!

I love pikering roses... every single one I got last year and this year are doing great! the rugosas are little monsters already!
customer service is excelent!
great prices and really nicely packed!

Love the selection! Love pickering!

I received my order from Pickering the other day. I was sure there must be other packages because it just didn't seem large enough to contain my entire order of 12 roses. I have some roses from different places last year that were so tiny that they've hardly moved into the small category this year.

Boy was i surprised when i opened up the package......inside were 12 roses with absolutely huge roots and good sized canes on all of them. My husband can attest to how large the root systems were because he kept having to dig the holes deeper.

Couldn't be more pleased and the shipping to me was much less than a popular place in california was last year for a much smaller order. I'm happy & look forward to future orders from Pickerings.

Lynda

I received a total of 6 bareroot rugosa roses (2 hard-to-find varieties) in good condition; several sturdy canes and well rooted.

One of the varieties was not initially shipped, but the error was corrected promptly with great communication from their staff.

Sure, all of us prefer an error free transaction, but it's wonderful to do business with people who are around in just in case there is a glitch.

I am very impressed by the quality of stock receieved from Pickering Nurseries. My order was received in early April as promised --- mostly Hybrid Perpetuals and Austens, 15 roses in total. The grafts were large and supported four and five canes each with strong healthy roots, and they were just breaking dormancy. Since the bed I had planned for them wasn't ready, I potted them up, and planted them out at the end of May. They have without exception performed beautifully and beyond expectation. The bed is now in full bloom and stunning. I can't say enough how pleased I am with both their service and their product. Well done.

I've had the opportunity to visit their nursery near Port Hope and the staff are very friendly and knowlegeable --- it's obvious they know and love roses and take pride in what they do.

This was my second year placing an order with Pickering. Last year was the first. I'm a bit of a novice, so I was a little apprehensive about growing bare root roses. But what I learned last year was that it's not difficult at all. All the roses from last year were outstanding performers. Most of them bloomed the first year. This year, I placed a larger order. And then I placed another order. And then another. They had no trouble keeping track of, and combining my three orders. Also, I initially placed a late ship-date, and they notified me that I should ship at the same time as last year (since that worked out fine). On top of that... The credit cards that I used to place my order were stolen from my gym's locker-room. Pickering contacted me and was very patient as we sorted that mess out. With my three orders, and the problems with the stolen credit cards, I would honestly say that filling my order was a little challenging. But, the person who helped me on the phone (I think it was Donna?) was so very nice, helpful, and organized. All my roses arrived in great condition with no problems (there was a slight delay because of the colder than usual weather conditions in my area, and I was notified of this in an email). The only thing is that my shipment (this year) did not include instructions on planting. I think it did last year. But I remembered how I planted bare roots last year (plus I had a couple books to consult). If you've never tried growing bare root roses, give it a shot. Hopefully you'll be as impressed as I was. When you receive a box of "twigs" it'll seem a little daunting, but just follow the instructions and it should be ok. I would highly recommend Pickering to other people.

Thank you!
--robbie--

Excellent condition after shipping. I ordered 3 roses from Pickering last fall, to be shipped for planting about April 15. In early April I received email that they were delaying shipment due to the prolonged cold spell here in the Lower 48, for which I was grateful! On April 16 I received another email that the 3 darlings were on their way, and the box was waiting for me when I got home from work on April 20. I put the roses in the ground on April 21.
The 3 plants were what I had experienced from Pickering when I had had garden space in the 1980s -- many robust canes, moist, extensive, and sturdy root systems, and even breaking leaf nodes. They had been clearly labeled, double wrapped in heavy black plastic, and packed tightly into the box, and that was all they needed. The multitudes of canes glow green with health and I have no doubt they will thrive.

I placed my order with Pickering in mid Nov '06 for spring delivery. I ordered 3 roses at that time and rec'd confirmation within 4 days. Come February, I wanted to add an additional rose to it, and I rec'd confirmation of the addition the following day.

On April 2, '07 I rec'd notice that my rose order had been processed and shipped. Three days later the roses were at my front door. Upon opening the package I found all bareroots marked as to what I ordered. They were very big, healthy, moist and dormant. Even the rooted cutting I ordered was as big as any other grafted rose I have ever ordered from any nursery.

I give Pickering Nursery of Canada 5/5 stars. I will recommend them at every opportunity and they will definitely go on my top 5 list of mail order nurseries along with David Austin Roses, Palatine Nursery, Cornhill Nursery, and S&W Greenhouses.

Thank You Pickering

Recd 3 Austin bareroots in great shape with huge roots and healthy canes. I am very pleased and will order from again. I look forward to watching these grow into beauties!

I have been a customer of Pickering Nurseries for over a decade now and have not once had a bad experience with them. They sell superb roses for an excellent price, and service has always been accurate and plants were shipped when they said they would be. Plants arrive sealed in plastic bags and are always reasonably damp upon arrival. I have never had a plant from Pickering fail to grow. Occasionally they have grade 1.5 plants of some varieties in years when the weather does not go well, and when that happens they always inform me ahead of time if the plants are smaller than usual and offer me a discount or a substitution. (It is very rare that I get a smaller than normal plant)

I have never lost a plant, regardless of the size upon arrival. For bud grafted plants, I don't think there is anyone who grows better plants for a good price than Pickering does. I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone. They set a standard for excellence, in my book.

Paul Barden

I am so very pleased with my experience with Pickering!! I bought roses from many mail-order nurseries this year, and they were by far the best of the bunch!! The selection is amazing, and the roses were GREAT!! Massive root systems, 4-5+ big, healthy canes per rose, and all 12 have tons of buds and many even have basal breaks showing....these roses are ready to take off once planted! Very good customer service, prompt emails, and phone calls and courteous staff. Just about the best all around mail-order plant transaction I have ever had!! A+

After a decade of ordering from this vendor: Quite simply, Pickering is by far the best source for grafted roses. Their selection is notoriously virus-free, amazingly comprehensive, and available at prices that are dirt-cheap by U.S. standards. You just can't go wrong here.

LIR

I just got my first order from them, 17 bareroot assorted roses. They are HUGE! I had to dig the holes twice as big as usual. Lots of nice, thick canes. I'm very, very pleased.

I've odered quite a few roses from Pickering over the last few years and I really like their quality and price. I've never gotten a mis-labeled rose from them and they've always thrived in my garden. I highly recommend this vendor, you won't be sorry.

I have just come inside from planting the four antique garden roses that I ordered from Pickering (wish now that I'd ordered more from them as I split my orders up among several vendors)....I just know these four roses will be the stars of my garden!! They arrived in perfect condition....great packaging, healthy green canes, and what incredible roots! This was my first experience with this nursery and I know I will be doing business with them for many years to come! The prices are reasonable, the selection of old garden roses is good, and the shipping was quick--just two days. Thank you, Pickering!

I purchased my first 3 roses from this company in 2003. They arrived at the right planting time and were nice sizes and good healthy roots and sturdy canes which were already pre-cut. They bloomed wonderfully. The website is very helpful in researching the roses. I can highly recommend this company.

I have ordered roses from several well known U.S. vendors and keep going back to Pickering.
I think they are the best source of virus free roses and reasonably priced as well.

This spring was the first time that I acquired three roses from Pickerings. Therefore, my experience with them is somewhat limited, as everything went well and I have no cause for contacting their customer service.

But I have nothing but positive things to say about the quality of the roses I got from them. They are on healthy rootstocks, with healthy roots. Canes are somewhat smaller than the ones I am used to out on the West Coast, but that is likely to be expected since they grow their roses in colder climates. All three roses were in great condition. But the most important point is that, in growth, all three Pickerings' roses out striped all but one of the bareroots that I have purchased locally.

The other things I like about Pickerings,:
1. The one nursery in Canada with an extensive offering of roses, including old garden and species roses
2. Rootstocks are Multifloras
3. The excellent prices

ordered 6 bareroots - oregonian - hawkeye belle - medallion - soleil d'or - prospero - limelight - all are still alive. Wasn't too impressed with original size or quality since they are so highly touted... but as long as the plants live, I'm happy.

DECOBUG

I just found my source for roses! They arrived this week and I am amazed at the quality of these roses: They were packaged well, very few broken roots, husky canes, swollen leaf buds. Moist, and ready to go! I honestly can say I will definitely keep doing business with Pickering Nurseries (as soon as I can dig a new rose bed, that is)! The only pity is that they can't sell some of the Austins to US customers. I believe it has to do with who holds the patent or something re: selling certain roses to customers in the US.

I first ordered from Pickering in fall of 2002 for delivery in late april of 2003. Everything was delevired on time and arrived in great shape. I had ordered 12 roses for a hedge; I had miscalculated my needs and had to purchase two additional plants of the same variety in a local nursery (at a higher price). At the end of the summer, I could easily tell which plants came from where - the 12 from Pickering were noticeably larger, healthier than the other 2. What makes it even more interesting is that the 2 extra plants had been container-grown while Pickering's plants were bare roots. So last fall, I have ordered more roses from them and have added more plants to my order just a few days ago, all for april delivery. My experience with them has been completely satisfactory and I would recommend them to anyone as the first place to look for roses in North America. Their prices are very competitive, their selection is quite large and they are constantly adding new varieties to it.

I just received my roses from Pickering. This was my first order with them. All 12 are healthy, very nice, long roots and good canes, non were diseased as opposed to my experience with US purchases this year. Out of 12 1 cannot be called grade 1 because it has only two canes. But other than that I am very pleased with them an definitely order from them in the future.

I ordered roses from Pickering for the first time in Spring 2003, after comparing prices and selection from a number of retailers. I was very impressed with the service, price and quality of the roses I received. They are all growing vigorously this summer,and have remained healthy. I will definitely be purchasing roses from them again. I found the website to be a very good reference as well.

I have had nothing but good service from this company. The bushes are big and healthy.After all they have to be good if Martha Steward buys from them.

I ordered from Pickering for the first time in spring of 2002. Healthy canes; nice, long roots, and the plants performed as well in their first year as any I have planted. I also changed my order twice and met with flawless customer service each time. Quality product; superb price; great service.

I have to add my 2 cents to the chorus of happy customers. I have ordered over 25 rose bushes over 3 different occasions, over a 10 year period.

I've received nothing but big, healthy outstanding bushes from them. Choice galore. Comprehensive collection of old fragrant roses. You MAY find a rose they don't have. Good luck to you.

The colors in their catalogs are rather bleached (I suspect they err in photographing their blooms on sunny, rather than overcast days).

I have ordered from Pickering for over 30 years and it is still the number one nursery for roses, especially the old antique ones. The roses are disease free and grow well.

THE very best place to buy your roses. Great selection. Great prices. Roses are shipped for fall planting. I haven't lost one yet in 3 years.