Comments regarding Santa Rosa Gardens

Wow! I tried Santa Rosa Gardens as it was in the Top 30 list and I was thrilled with the plants I received! Incredibly reasonable pricing for the sale plants, which arrived well boxed and in perfect condition! I am gearing up to establish my first bee hive next spring and wanted to establish more pollinator-friendly plants. Lots of lavender, among other choices. The only thing that I would comment on was the shipping cost, which seemed a bit high, but I am already looking at a second order. Try Santa Rosa—I think that you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Posted on May 9, 2020, updated July 28, 2022
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Posted on March 29, 2013, updated April 25, 2013
Posted on March 29, 2013, updated March 29, 2013
I ordered from Santa Rosa based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback, but my personal experience was very disappointing. I ordered two alchemilla mollis from their half price sale last fall, and received very tiny, rather wornout plants. I had to put tags on them so I could find them, they were so tiny. I have been gardening since 1996, so I know how to install plants.I though that I would wait for spring, but they have shown no development at all, so I have ordered plants from another company.

I should add that evry single plant I ordered from other companies, however small, performed for me.

I have ordered ornamental grass and coreopsis from Santa Rosa Gardens. The preices were so low I wasn't expecting much. I was wrong. The items were shipped promptly and were in excellent shape.

Posted on June 1, 2020, updated May 7, 2021
Posted on May 7, 2010, updated June 1, 2020
Posted on April 24, 2010, updated May 7, 2010
Posted on June 16, 2007, updated April 24, 2010
I ordered 3 Duranta Erecta 'Cuban Gold' from them in February 2007. Since those plants are not winter hardy here I was hoping that they would be delivered when I asked for them and not earlier. They were delivered exactly on time. All 3 were mature nicely grown plants, not plugs stuck in a larger pot. The foliage was enclosed in nets and not so much as a leaf was out of place . I've never had plants arrive in such absolutely impeccable condition. I will order from them again.

Their customer service is the best. I ordered plants in July. In August I called and asked to increase my order. They did so without adding add'l shipping. I emailed them in late August asking if my shipping date could be sooner. They shipped it the next day. The people I speak with and email with are so very nice. They are the very best.

Posted on June 26, 2020, updated July 11, 2020
3rd order, two of which were made this year. Plug-size plants, only I've been pleased with health and all survived.

3 out of 18 plugs of Lavandula, from another vendor, planted last Fall survived. My goal is to plant sturdier replacements earlier in the year.

Ordered replacements (Order #780939) 5/29th ... cc billed. Same day email advised, "We have scheduled your order to ship the week of 6/15/20." Followed-up with sender 6/21st explaining that I'd like to plant before Fall. 6/26... no response to date.

I'd still like the order filled and received before Fall. If this catches your attention vs the ignored email, I'll change the rating, if allowed, following receipt. Thank you.

I ordered 12 heuchera from Santa Rosa Gardens in early May. I received them before the end of the month. While they were very small 1.5" plugs when I received them, they looked really healthy and were still moist when they arrived in Oregon. I planted them immediately into 4" pots and then a few weeks later into the garden. They still look healthy and some of them have gotten so large it's hard to believe they were plugs so recently.

I was late buying plants and a lot of what I wanted was sold out. I happened on the Santa Rosa site,they had what I wanted,prices were right and so was shipping. I expected to receive potted plants that I would have to hurry and get in the ground...a problem for me since I injured my back and have to have my husband do it. I was pleasantly surprised to receive plugs...very healthy and I was very impressed with the packaging...nice heavy cardboard separating each plant that was in a small plastic bag. They were just the right size to put in pots...I had the pleasure of getting my hands dirty,the relief of not having to rush to get them planted and they are nicer than larger plants I have received that were much more expensive. I am going to place another order in a couple of weeks.

Ordered 4 Rudbeckia. The plants were all meticulously packaged. The 4 plants are doing well and have flowered, I just received them within the past few days. The added bonus, a coupon to be used on a future purchase! Will definitely be ordering from Santa Rosa again!

Placed multiple orders with Santa Rosa. Some plants died, some grows poorly, some grows beautifully. But Santa Rosa always willing to refund the ones that did not perform. Santa Rosa, so far, has been the most excellent online nursery source for me. Highly recommended.

Plants mostly well packed and in good shape. They have good sales. You’ll pretty much get a healthy plant and not a dehydrated cutting or bulb, like some nurseries try to pass off as “plants.” Only had a problem with one type of plant and it turned out to be a plant that just couldnt survive in good circumstances no matter what. Other than that, I’ve had success with all of their plants.

Posted on August 31, 2018, updated September 15, 2018
After reading all the good reviews about santa rosa i decided to give them a try, the prices seemed good and they have a great selection. However, sad to say i was very disappointed.
I recieved my order yesterday nearly a hundred dollars worth of plants, they were very small compared to what i have recieved from other companies. There was also a lot of dirt loose in the box and several of the plants were so root bound that im not sure they will come back, though i gently loosened the roots the best i could. The little joe pye weed i received was all of three leaves i purchased one locally after receiving my order that was ten times the size for the same price and not root bound, though the plants look healthy im not sure i will order from santa rosa again.
Ill have to wait and see if they survive but for now i wish i had spent my money elsewhere.

Just received four gaura Whiskers Deep Rose. These were beautifully packed and quite large and healthy. Pleasantly surprised at size of plants for the price.

The soil was a little dry and dispersed a bit in the box...I know these are plants that can withstand drought so not a biggy.

I'll be back and, another bonus, the company is located in my state.

Posted on July 19, 2014, updated July 17, 2018
What a delight! I was swayed by the flat shipping and sale prices, but didn't have very high expectations. What I received were reasonably sized plants well packaged. I will certainly purchase here again!

Posted on May 30, 2014, updated July 11, 2018
Posted on July 1, 2013, updated May 30, 2014
I have been ordering plants through the mail for over 15 years, and I cannot believe that I did not discover Santa Rosa Gardens until this year. But I now can't imagine ordering from any other company. I am THAT happy!!

I am overwhelmed by the quality and price offered by this company. I have to admit, I went a little crazy and ordered over 40 perennials. I added to my order several times. Jude was always courteous, knowledgeable, and speedy with her replies. My plants came large and lush and packed with love. Taking them out of the boxes was like Christmas coming early.

It is obvious to me that they deserve their ranking here. I can only echo what mostly everyone else has to say about Santa Rosa Gardens. Thank you for everything!

I LOVE Santa Rosa Gardens! They send healthy, well-packed plants - and at great prices and offer wonderful sales. I'm now purchasing my 3rd Bargain Box (and a bargain it is!). Can't wait to see what perennials they send this time. Jude and her staff have consistently been helpful and responsive to my questions and requests. They provide exceptional customer service. For online purchase of plants, this is my go-to place to shop!

Posted on November 2, 2016, updated May 24, 2018
Posted on October 21, 2016, updated November 2, 2016
Posted on October 11, 2012, updated October 21, 2016
Just received 15 sale plants. Wow! Best packaging I have ever seen. Beautiful plants. Received free gaura plant. Will order again.

Posted on June 18, 2017, updated April 5, 2018
2017 was my first year ordering from Santa Rosa Gardens, and it was a very positive experience. I definitely plan on buying from them again. The prices were reasonable, the selection great, and all the plants I ordered (mostly ornamental grasses) arrived in fantastic shape. I am a very happy customer.

Posted on May 26, 2017, updated December 22, 2017
After happening upon the Santa Rosa Gardens website and reading the positive reviews on DG here, decided to put an order in for some plants. Received my order on the 19th and waited a week before commenting here in order to give the plants extra time to recover lest I react prematurely. Well the week has passed and where do I begin? For starers, I'm usually not one to complain about finding soil in a shipping box, plants being a bit out of sorts, yellowing leaves, or minor broken stems as these things do happen at times. It shouldn't, but it does. Such is the nature of shipping live plants - but there is a big difference between damages related to shipping and damages that occur due to poor growing conditions or improper handling. Some plants can take the abuse and bounce back, others not so much. It is up to the recipient to be an educated consumer/gardener and to act accordingly.

The most pressing and obvious issues with my order were brought immediately to SRG attention in an email (I prefer email over phone when dealing with situations as such for legal purposes) and after 3 days of filing my complaint, they graciously gave me a refund for the 2 plants I complained about, no questions asked. Also, although the above ground portions of many of the plants I ordered were in very rough shape, most of their root systems were healthy and extensive, with the exception of the ones I will elaborate upon below...

To start, the box my plants arrived in showed no outward damage. Kudos for that. Upon opening said box was a different story. The first thing I noticed was the soil all over the inside. Not an issue for me, but I will mention it since other posters here have also said it happened to them. In my case, almost every plant was missing soil, some more than others, even though each plant was carefully wrapped in special netting. Kind of a shock since SRG prides itself on its special packaging for each plant which is supposed to minimize such. Unwrapped each plant to discover a few of them had been jostled out of their pots leaving some of their roots exposed as well as broken stems and torn leaves. Not good, but the stems and leaves on said plants will grow back in time and I was able to get to the exposed roots before they desiccated. The sedum I received as a free gift from SRG after 2 of the plants in my order were out of stock was completely mangled, with almost all of its soil thrown out of its pot and most of its stems and leaves broken off. And yes, this plant was also wrapped in this special netting which obviously did nothing to protect it. Very disappointing but I have not bothered to file a complaint with SRG about the sedum being it was free and therefore not sure I should but again, it bears mentioning just the same. Like most people, I appreciate the kind gesture of a free gift, but if that gift arrives mangled and unusable, how is that a gift to the recipient?

All of the plants in my order had been grossly overwatered, to the point where one of them, the Japanese Forest Grass, were showing visible signs of root rot right out of the box. The entire bottom portion of the grass is brown and mushy. Not sure it even has a chance of surviving. This I did file a complaint with SRG about as SRG requests on all orders. The Musa Basjoo plant they sent me is completely crooked to one side! Wish I could post pictures. There is no way this crook was something that happened due to its being packaged and shipped during its 3 day transit from SRG to my home. This was an issue going on with this plant since it was a pup being the crook started low on the corm where the new pseudostem emerges, not higher up on the plant as would be evident in a plant that was packaged incorrectly. In this same order was an impressively sized baby Ensete Maurelli which is also crooked, but not as severely as the Basjoo. Not a big deal on the Ensete, but the Basjoo's crook is so bad the plant is now forever compromised and will not be able to properly support itself without splitting at some point should it reach maturity. Obviously the individual(s) responsible for growing these musa did not take care of them properly to ensure they weren't overcrowded & received proper light. Had they done so, these musa would not have grown crooked from the start. The fact that SRG thought it was appropriate to send me these crooked plants to begin with, not to mention sending a plant like the Japanese Forest Grass that had obvious signs of root rot prior to shipping, is disconcerting. This is something that was going on with these plants while under SRG's care as it is physically impossible for such to happen within a shipping span of 3 days unless the plants were in poor condition to begin with. What I found especially disheartening is the fact I did not even receive an apology from anyone from SRG for this incident. Being a first time customer, I am not happy at all and am loathe to recommend SRG to anyone looking for plants. In over 40 years of gardening, I have never received plants in such sloppy condition. I've ordered from numerous places over the years, with bigger orders and larger plants traveling longer distances, and have never experienced anything quite like this. What a huge disappointment. I was so hoping to be a repeat customer of SRG since they do have a nice variety of plants and excellent prices but after this ordeal do not feel comfortable nor confident enough to bother again.

I have had very good experiences ordering from Santa Rosa. I found them because of Watchdog, and I have not been disappointed.

I've received (lots and lots of) very healthy plants, nice sized and very well packed. Customer service is stellar. Amazing. Personal. Thorough. Astonishing, really. Most plants include a very nice marker. The Santa Rosa emails are not annoying, and they often include coupon codes for substantial discounts. The selection is very good, with standard selections and quite a few things that aren't so easy to find.

Now, being really picky....

It is true that their shipments are messy. They use a planting medium that is looser than other vendors who do a better job with packing, and oftentimes the plants I have received have not been shipped damp/moist enough. Shipping is very quick, so I can only assume that the plants just aren't (consistently) adequately watered before shipping. Another vendor who does a better job with packing, adds a small plastic bag -loosely- twisted around the plant stem/s, to contain the pot and its contents. The "messy" aspect of unpacking the order (while irritating, I will agree with the other complainers) is less a concern to me, than the fact that sometimes the plant is completely out of its pot, dry and wilted. A similar small aggravation...the boxes Santa Rosa uses for most of the orders I have received, have hand cut-outs for easy handling and (I am guessing) for some ventilation. Almost always, the hand slots are covered with tape, making the slots useless for carrying, and eliminating (or nearly so) any possible ventilation.

So, Santa Rosa, like everything else, not perfect. However, with some imperfections, still an A+ vendor and highly recommended.

Santa Rosa Gardens, you have a new loyal customer! I've ordered many plants from a good number of companies over the years. Your shipment may have been the best of all. The Purple Love Grass and pink muhly grass I ordered from your was meticulously, neatly packed with safety for the plant being the first consideration. The plants were green and in good condition. The shipment included clear, helpful directions for easing the plants' transition to their new home. You took pains to secure each one of my grasses in its own little net bag and snug cardboard space. All he way from Florida to Michigan, arriving in great condition!

Your website is clear and informative as well. I have to say, you've blown me out of the water with your attractive, easy-to-use website, your excellent plants and your very careful and mindful shipping. You can bet your liatris aspera I will be ordering more excellent plants from your company! THANK YOU for your top-notch plants and practices! Hooray for Santa Rosa Gardens! --Laura B.

An excellent online nursery ... large selection of perennials, succulents, houseplants and more. Fair pricing and healthy plants. Expedite and helpful responses from customer service... I am a very happy customer!

I purchased a Banana tree from Santa Rosa gardens ( Ensete Maurelii ) plant arrived well packaged and in very health shape. Great service. I will buy from them again.🌱

My order arrived yesterday. Santa Rosa Gardens did a wonderful job wrapping and packing all of the plants. I've never seen anything arrive so perfectly! I've ordered from numerous places and try to stick to Connecticut as closer. The plants are hanging out on the deck and I'm going to start planting now.

Note, they have the new white Peacock White phlox that Fine Gardening raved about? David phlox may be a "proven winner" but bombs in my beds 3 times and gave up on it.

I had additional questions about location for 2 of the plants in my order and received a prompt response over Memorial Day weekend?!! Santa Rosa rocks!

5*****++

Santa Rosa Gardens was great to work with. I originally got overexcited and ordered two bargain boxes, one perennial and one shade, and two other plants but quickly remembered that I need to prep our shade garden area before ordering shade plants. I emailed them and woke up the next day to a response and confirmation of cancelling the order for the shade garden box and a timeline of when to expect my plants. As promised, they arrived on time and we immediately opened the box. Everything was as snug as could be, healthy, with established root systems potted in rich moist soil. The only complaint about packaging is that we ordered an Elephant Ears plant that was taller than the box used that was forced in there so one of the two leaves were broken and had to be pruned away. Other than that, it was quick and easy to work with them and they had a lot of varieties that we were looking for. Oh yeah! We're in Washington State and the plants were STILL moist even though they came all the way from Florida!

I have ordered from this company several times in the past, and I've always been happy with how the company carefully packages each and every plant you order from them. If you have a plant that ends up not surviving the growing season, just contact customer service and they will easily send a replacement without a hassle. I unfortunately had to do that once, but it wasn't because the plant was bad, it was more I think because I had planted in an area that the flowers weren't suitable for. Santa Rosa's prices and sales are honestly some of the best I have seen online. They sometimes offer deals, and plant selections, that are far better than what can be found at your local Lowe's or Walmart stores. I highly recommend people try this company!!!

Posted on April 15, 2017, updated April 19, 2017
Posted on April 10, 2017, updated April 15, 2017
I recently moved to NC and am a novice on gardening so this comment may not have the best wordings and viewpoints. Now that I get the disclaimer out of the way, here's my review on Santa Rosa Gardens:

Their service on the ease of ordering and communication were good. The price and selections were good. What made me go ahead and ordered a bunch of plants from them was actually the vast positive reviews from various comments. However I am giving them "Neutral" because so,e of my plants arrived looking sad. I received a shipping notification on Tuesday and received the order on Friday (FL to NC, I thought it would be quicker than that on Fedex.) Almost all the plants were loose even though the were wrapped/sleeved individually - lots of soil were detached so the plants were loose in the pot. I planted them all on the same day and hoping they will pick up. 

Well, today is Day 3 (Monday) and more than 10 plants were looking happier than Friday including 4 Heucheras. Sadly there are still a few plants that weren't returning to their healthy state. Interestingly the weeping ones are those one of the pair I ordered - I purchased 2 Ascot Rainbow, 2 Baptisia (blue false indigo), 2 violet creeping Phlox, 2 Lamium Beacon Silver, and 1 of each mentioned pairs appear to remain wilting since Friday. I do find it strange as I planted each pair at the same area next to each other (same amount of water/sun/air... etc.).

Although I was disappointed at the packing and the few wilting plants, the rest of the plants do seem to adapt without issues so far. Anyway, I am keeping my fingers crossed and will allow another 4 days hoping they will all be happy in my garden eventually. I will update the review after that.

"On Apr 10, 2017 5:37 PM, Santa Rosa Gardens responded with:

Thank you for your feedback and comments. Our apologies for the poor shipping that occurred with your order. Please know that the condition of your plants arrival is not the normal for Santa Rosa Gardens. Please give sales a call and we can note the problem and help you with any plant issues that arise. We guarantee all of our plants and stand behind their performance, so we hope that we can win your trust back!"

Received my hellebores; very happy with the purchase. Big healthy plants at great prices, safely packaged, shipped as scheduled.
Will order again!

Beautiful plants for a great price. Arrived as promised, super healthy with excellent root systems. If there was one negative it would have to be the packing method. While the plants were all sleeved to prevent physical damage there was nothing to hold the soil in the pots. When I opened the box there was loose soil all over the place. All 5 plants were falling out of their pots to some degree with roots exposed.That being said I think they will be fine as they were sturdy plants to begin with. I would definitely order again.

Posted on June 22, 2011, updated June 24, 2016
Just a note to let you know that my Echinacea Harvest Moon perennials arrived today 06/22/11. I am VERY PLEASED with the healthy looking plants and with the short time that it took for them to arrive after they were shipped. I am also pleasantly surprised at the size of the plants. You will be high on my list next year when I want more plants.

Order several times a year from here and never disappointed. If I have a question for Jude, she always finds time to respond. This year I needed plants for a new garden bed but I waited a bit too long and a lot of plants I needed were sold out, as that's how popular they are. Order early. Plants are nice and healthy. If you wait for their sales you won't believe what you are getting for the price, but like I said you may not get the specific plant you wanted/needed.
If you never tried Santa Rosa Gardens then just order a couple of plants and I bet you will be back again and again. If for some reason you aren't happy with the plants, they stand behind what they sell. As a matter of fact, I am getting ready for my Fall order.

Posted on August 16, 2009, updated June 19, 2016
I love this company. Santa Rosa Gardens is great all-around: superb customer service, high quality plants, great shipping rates, guaranteed live-on-arrival, a wide assortment of varieties (especially grasses), and friendly and quick customer service. I have done business with them for several years and I look forward to ordering from them in the future. Actually, I can't wait!

I've been ordering from this nursery since 2012 and have been very happy. The packaging has always been top-rate and the plants, good quality. Sometimes the plants are on the small side but the website is clear that almost all plants come in a 4-inch pot so I know that now.

1st experience ordering from this vendor.

Ordered 5 "Blue Bayou" cortaderia that are difficult to locate here in central Virginia. All good.

The plugs are healthy, large... very well grown. Grasses arrived in a timely manner and were securely... beautifully packaged.

Very happy with them. Shall be ordering from this vendor again in the near future.

I have placed several orders with Santa Rosa Gardens. The selection is excellent. If it turned out that something was not available, I was told right away and given the option of replacing it with something else or obtaining a refund. In each instance, the order was promptly delivered. Most importantly, everything I planted has come up looking great. I really like this company and highly recommend it.

Ordered some coneflowers as well as Pink Muhly grass. Plants came quickly, were securely packaged, identified, and in good shape.

Being listed on Dave's Garden Watchdog Top 30 says it all, and they deserve it. I'll be back often.

I ordered 2 Tiarella plants this year and several plants last year. All the plants were in excellent health and of the expected size. My only complaint is that their otherwise good packaging makes no provision for keeping the soil in the pot. As a result the plant could slip out of the pot and/or the roots dry out.

I ordered seven perennials from Santa Rosa Gardens. They are beautiful plants! The foliage is dense and the root system is well formed without being pot bound. I was impressed with how well they were prepared for shipping. I have received plants from other vendors where all the soil had fallen out of the pots and the plants were damaged. These were in excellent condition. There was netting around each individual plant as well as paper. Also there was enough material added to the box to prevent the plants from being tossed around during shipping. Santa Rosa Gardens is now at the top of my list for mail order plants.

Posted on October 17, 2014, updated October 16, 2015
Best packaging I have ever seen and I have internet purchased plants from over 50 vendors.

And their Fall Sale prices are GREAT! Great value, great selection, great delivery and packaging.

Highly recommended and WILL return again.