Comments regarding House of Wesley

My mother ordered some plants from House of Wesley. After reading all the negative reviews about them, I figured we'd wait forever, get dead plants, and have a huge hassle dealing with the company.

The company does take quite a long time to do anything, whether it's fill an order or issue a refund. That's the only negative about them.

Contrary to other reviews, I found the company very easy to contact and to work with. Every time I called there, the phone was always answered immediately by a live person. The company always did everything they said they would, when (albeit slowly) they said they would do it.

After ordering the plants and waiting several weeks, maybe about a month, my mother got the order. After pondering for a couple weeks about what to do with them, she decided that planting them would be way beyond her means (she ordered a couple hundred plants), so she wanted to return them.

Again, based on all the negative reviews I read online, I figured we'd be unable to contact the company, and that they'd find some excuse to not refund her money. The timing was right at the end of the 30 day return period.

I called to see if I needed a RMA, expecting (based on reviews I'd read) to have a hard time reaching the company. Their phone was answered immediately by a helpful, pleasant customer service person who said no RMA needed; just send them back for a refund.

I sent the package back Priority Mail around the end of June. After a couple weeks, I called them to check on status of a refund, again expecting the worst, based on other reviews. Again, no busy signal, no auto-answer, no annoying phone maze; a live person answered the phone immediately. You sure can't beat that for customer service!

The customer service person said they'd gotten the return, that it was being processed, and that a refund would be processed and issued after that, in another week or two. Again, based on all the bad reviews, I still was dubious we'd ever get an actual refund.

By the end of July, my mother had her refund check in full.

So my experience with their customer service, as well as their returns policy, was nothing but outstanding: a lot better than many companies I have dealt with. The only reason my review is 4 stars instead of 5 is that they do move pretty slowly. It took about a month to get our order and about a month to get the refund. As long as you set your timing expectations accordingly, you'll be satisfied.

I placed a fairly large order for the first time with House of Wesley. I received everything I ordered and planted them as soon as I could. Although a lot of the items looked dead, I knew they were just dormant, and they are all growing very nicely. I have read many of the negative reviews of this company, but my experience has been very positive and plan to order again.

This was my first time ordering from House of Wesley, which is a member of Direct Gardening Associates. I have had various levels of success with these retailers. I ordered 6 Bonfire Peach trees from them. These are hard to find, and range from 25.00 apiece if you can get them at Lowe's, to 50.00 online at the two nurseries that have them. I got them for less than 10.00 each, and they are large and in excellent condition. I just ordered 2 moreand some other shrubs. Very pleased.

Posted on May 17, 2013, updated May 18, 2013
I ordered from this company about a month ago after going through reviews with a fine toothed comb. I didn't expect to get my order super fast, but since I ordered early, that was fine with me. We bought a property that needs some tlc, trees, shrubs and such, and I was looking for some good, cheap stuff to plant around.

I was jumpy, so I've spent the last two weeks or so calling them to check on my order. My calls were always answered, and the person on the line was always kind and helpful.

My order arrived this week in two installments, packed in green plastic. Everything that was a tree or shrub (except two magnolias) were shipped bare root. They look pathetic, but they were in great condition. I have the shrubs and trees sitting outdoors in a bucket with water, and most everything is already budding out like they should, waking up from their dormant state. I'm going to get them in the ground today.

About 100 bucks for a LOT of trees and shrubs, mostly all good native choices that are hardy and pretty much landscape staples in my opinion- some I ordered were luxuries like some grapes and such. I got a great deal! I also got some irises, a Thailand giant colocasia (for less than ten bucks, that's awesome!) , some ornamental bananas, and other stuff that I've been wanting for a long time but haven't purchased because I was afraid of the prices. Everything looked understandably beat up from being shipped, but everything looked good, smelled good, and was in great shape where it counted- in the roots, in the sizes of things, etc.

I even got some freebie bulbs- spider lilies- oh, and some tomato seeds.

So, I'd say that if you know what to expect when mail ordering plant material and are willing to wait a little while, you'll get a great deal from this company. They're probably busy and short staffed, which explains the slow ship time, but I assume that what they save in operation costs they pass onto their customers, which is why so much of their stock is so cheap.

I recommend this company.

"On May 28, 2013 1:36 PM, House of Wesley responded with:

Thank you for your post! We take pride in the fact that we can offer our customers such great product at wonderful prices! We look forward to having you as a customer for many years! Happy Gardening!"

after reading all the negetive comment on here i was worried about this company but since i got my plants and yes it took alittle longer than expected i ordered 2 trees 8 scrubs and 8ground cover plants it only cost me $20.00 i figured that if a couple plants lived i would be getting my moneys worth. they have been in the ground for about a week and im already seeing growth on all but 1 plant so im very pleased with my experience with this company and to you folks that are bad mouthing this company i think you need to order in early spring so things arent getting to hot during shipment.And you might want to educate yourself on the plants your buying before ordering at the wrong time of year:)

"On May 28, 2013 1:33 PM, House of Wesley responded with:

Thank you for your post! We are happy to hear that you are pleased with your experience. Happy Gardening!"

I know a lot of folks haven't been happy with this place but I had a wonderful experience with them.

I ordered 1 red weeping rose tree and 1 red tree peony.

They arrived when they were supposed to and were in good condition.

The tree peony is growing beautifully. The rose tree started showing growth almost immediately but I really didn't expect blooms the first year.

Here we are in July and the tree is covered in gorgeous red blooms. Dozens of them with more on the way to opening.

Considering the price I paid for these plants they far exceeded my expectations.

I can't comment on the other plants they offer but if you want a rose tree or tree peony I highly recommend them.

After reconstructing the landscape in my back yard I decided that a freedom red rose hedge was the perfect addition. I could not find this rose hedge in stock anywhere but HOW. Being a "virgin" if you will to mail order flowers I did not know how these rose hedges would come in.

I ordered these rose hedges prior to researching House of Wesley. And then I began to get worried when HOW debited the money out of my account but I did not have my roses within the week. Then I started researching the history of HOW.

After reading the negative comments on here I was terrified that I either would not receive my order or when I did receive it the roses would be worthless.

I finally received my roses....before the time HOW told me I would. After reading the directions and learning that these were supposed to take 6-8 weeks to show any sign of life I planted my roses. Here we are 3 WEEKS after planting and not only do I have new growth on my roses but the new growth has exceeded my expectations.

Thanks HOW for the wonderful product....I can't wait to see them in full bloom!

Posted on December 24, 2011, updated December 24, 2011
House of Wesley and sister companies

Hello all, I have been ordering from the company and the affiliates for about 3 years now. Just a few comments, so bear with me most of the issues could be mail delivery. However, regarding the plants, In many cases you just have to read carefully whether you are receiving a plant or a barefoot. The companies provide you with very detailed planting guides for various plants, bare roots and bulbs, in addition to preparation of the product and the soil. In the few instances that I had a plant that did not thrive, all of them not only sent me replacements, but also a beautiful plant or bulbs as a bonus thank you. In a few cases where a live plant or rose barefoot was moldy or dead, it was the darn post office or mail delivery. Don't forget folks, the postal service has returned to "snail mail" no wonder they are bankrupt.
I ordered a lot of things on line and the USPS is by far the worst, broken, damaged or delayed delivery. I always request House of Wesley and the affiliates to use FED-EX or UPS since 2010. The tiny extra cost is well worth it. HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLRM SINCE. I am very happy with my products and services.

Mail order is always a risk. I have ordered from House of Wesley when I lived in IL, FL, and now GA. The plants were always as described. My latest order was 4 Hybred Willows. When they came they were small little sticks and I was skeptical of them growing much the first year. They grew at various rates from next to zero to amazing based on the amount I watered. The one that is watered every day is now a good 12' tall and 6' feet wide in less than 4 months. the one that doesn't get hit by the sprinklers has 2 leaves on it. the ones watered occasionally are about 5' tall. I was so happy with the growth of the one watered everday I am going to drip irrigation and watering the row of trees I am putting in along my fence line everyday so they will get big fast.

I see all these negative comments and I am truly unsure why all the complaints.
I ordered and received as promised; normal delivery time. Dormant shrubs as described, and 12 unexpected nice strawberry plants. I soaked overnight the dormant Rose of Sharons, and I live in northern Colorado, and they are looking good; of course just small but they look very healthy! We do not have the best soil = clay, but worked it a little, water them everyday and everyday I see new growth.
I have already made another purchase for other ground cover and plants and can't wait until I receive them.
I think what the problem is with other people, is first they are impatient, secondly, I don't think they followed directions for dormant plants. I also did not receive anything near unhealthy or damaged in shipping.
Thank you House of Wesley! Happy to do business with you--prices are good too!!!

A year ago, I ordered 20 hybrid willows from H of W. They arrived in great condition - moist with little buds all over them. I was very impressed and I placed three more orders for an additional 180 trees. All 180 were dry with no buds. I followed the instructions - soak, plant, fertilize, water, water, water.... During the subsequent ten months, none of those 180 ever produced a single bud. I live in FL where we do not have problems growing plants; we have problems trying to keep the jungle from encroaching on us, but even in FL, dead trees will not grow. I followed the instructions EXACTLY for requesting replacements and received all healthy little trees that are thriving. I believe that while H of W could improve their packaging, they aren't a crooked organization as some people believe. They are dealing with plants and a rational person would understand that plants are fragile. I intend to buy an additional 800 trees from them, albeit only a few at a time.

I was very satisfied with this company and the plants when received. If I were giving stars, they would get 4 out of 5 from me. I did receive one broken tree but only the very tops, and the sedum is not quite the size I expected(but then sedum only takes a tiny bit to take over a flower bed anyway). If a person were to actually read all the information, they would see what I saw, and that is that NOTHING gets shipped before April first, and then in the warmer places first. I was very satisfied to see my order delivered promptly on 14 April, 2008. I did place my order in January, but knew I did not want anything delievered that early in the year. The prices were excellent, quality of goods was average, and overall, I will definitely order from them again. We ordered a hardwood maple from this company (or one of it's affiliates) 25 years ago, and when it arrived, my father looked at the pitiful 6 inch tree (counting the roots) and called the company. They sent an immediate replacement. In the end, the pitiful 6 inch tree is now a fabulous specimen, and the nice large replacement (over 2 feet tall) did not survive. That means, you take your chances with anything you do, especially with living things. I am happy to take that risk again and again with this company.

I'm 38 now and recently ordered from this company more out of nostalgia than anything-- I had ordered a Manchurian apricot and 10 strawberry plants for something like
$4.50 and $2.95 respectively back when I was 8 or 9 years old. I remember how well the plants did, particularly the apricot (It was a 2-foot stick when it arrived, but got about 20 feet tall over they years, and was always the first thing to bloom in spring with beautiful pink flowers).

At any rate, I ordered again recently. I went into the transaction expecting small plants, and that's what I received. Of the 12 daylilies I ordered, 2 needed replacement when they arrived, and the replacement was prompt. The other plants (vinca and a 5-in-1 pear tree) have done well. What the pear actually produces remains to be seen, but the tree is certainly growing enthusiastically in this, its second Spring.

For these prices, I think of this as more or less a game-- it's fun to wait for the order to arrive, and I know that probably everything will not be perfect. But they do seem to honor the guarantee if you follow their instructions, and overall (again, for the price paid) I'm happy.

My experience with the House of Wesley couldn't be more positive. I ordered 2 silver lace vines, 3 wisteria vines and 12 red sedum. It took several weeks for my order to arrive, but I was expecting that and when it did arrive the wisteria were just sticks, the silver lace vines had many green leaves and the red sedum where a group of sticks. I read all of the negative comments on this site the day after my order arrived and I have to say I was worried. I planted all of the plants in large starter pots and to my surprise, they livened right up. In 2 days I could tell they were going to make it. Now about 2 weeks later (May 8, 2007) they are growing and I planted them in the areas that I originally had in mind. In my opinion, it is key to order the plants about 2 months before you are ready to plant. This will give you plenty of time to receive your order, inspect it and make any returns/replacements necessary. I would never order anything during the winter and expect it to arrive alive. I will order from the House of Wesley again. In looking at the Garden Watchdog website at all the negativity, I sure hope they are working to resolve the issues with customers who are not happy with their product. I'm just very happy that I did not have any problems.

I ordered plants from a mailing I recived and have have had a very good experiance. All plants were packaged very well and arrived in perfect conditions. I read the negative comments on this sight, after I placed my order, but I must say they come from new guys in the gardning community. If you don't understand don't complaine.

WHAT A WONDERFUL ONLINE EXPERIENCE.WE ORDERED 10 HYBRID WILLOWS,AND 1 BURNING BUSH ON 4-19-06....THE COST WAS ONLY $21.20.WE RECEIVED THE TREES,AND BUSH ON 5-24-06.ALL IN GREAT CONDITION .PACKED LIKE TREES SHOULD BE,AND MOIST.THE BUSH WAS WRAPPED SEPERATELY...IN FINE CONDITION.I HAD EMAILED THE COMPANY TWICE ABOUT MY ORDER,AND RECEIVED A RESPONSE ,THE NEXT DAY......THIS COMPANY REMINDS YOU SEVERAL TIMES TO KEEP THE ORIGINAL SHIPPING LABEL,AND IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG FOR UP TO A YEAR.THEY WILL REPLACE IT FOR FREE.HOW GREAT IS THAT????..BOTTOM LINE IS WE RECEIVED GREAT PRODUCT.IN A TIMELY MANNER,IN PERFECT CONDITION....FOR A TERRIFIC PRICE...WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK FOR????? WE WILL PURCHASE FROM HOUSE OF WESLEY AGAIN.....THANK YOU....................................................

Butte, Mt Placed order on April 14, 2006 and received order on May 16, 2006. All items were there and everything was in good shape. Nothing rotted in fact the rose bushes had brand new growth. I did call them after the 3 wks just to find out when to expect delivery as we have a very short growing season here. I got right through and was told I could expect shipment to arrive the following week. Shipment arrived as stated. I feel for those who have had problems with this company and I must say I was worried. But as for me I was very pleased.

after I purchased I found this sight & read it with great fear, I called house of wesley to ask about return policies and such. the lady on the phone was kind. They cashed my check april 14th, today may 11 I recieved every item I ordered, 20 spruce and 8 vines. They were all damp and had roots. along with the order I recieved a step by step booklet on how to make the plants thrive. I can not wait to order more, for these prices you can not expect oprah's personal gardener (you get what you pay for)

I was very impressed and WILL order again

i odered asiatic lillies, bi color butterfly bushes climbing blaze roses they look great large healthy plants for very little money I don't know how they do it but the plants look great and my yard will be the envy of the block.

I ordered 24 three-foot-tall Siberian Elm trees. In about four weeks, I received 24 three-foot-tall Siberian Elm trees.

Yes, they were dormant root stock and yes, I put them directly into a bucket of water in a shady spot on my deck. In about a week, all of the seedlings had sprouted leaves.

I just planted them this week, and they are happily thriving. This is better luck than I have had with National Arbor Day Foundation stock (although NABF is very responsive about replacing dead stuff immediately.)

I agree with a couple of the comments here that remind customers not to expect plants and shrubs that look just like the catalogue pictures. The company states clearly in its literature that it delivers dormant root stock, and that is exactly what they send.

I have had great success with ordering trees and shrubs mail order (as my neighbors will attest). You just have to be patient, plant when the ground is warm enough, and over-water.

No complaints on House of Wesley from
Dave in Maryland

I placed an $80 order with House of Wesley on April 1, 2004, then I discovered this site and was very concerned. Although I don't doubt the negative reviews, in all fairness my experience has been good. I ordered via internet and checked my order status on April 6th, I recieved a prompt reply and then recieved my order on April 13th.
Every item I recieved was exactly what I ordered and expected. This is a "bargain" priced company, and the items are in fact "bare root" dormant, which is what I expected. My mother has ordered from them in the past with good results. If you are expecting to see plants which look like the ones at the garden center, then I would suggest you not order from House of Wesley or any of its other names/versions. Because the plants are dormant, small, and bare root, and they may be mishandled in shipping (a distinct possibility) it is easy to understand some of the horror stories on this site.

As an experienced gardener I was excited and pleased when I recieved my plants yesterday. They are what I expected, and I will take care with handling and planting. They all look viable to me, and at a fair bargain.

My recommendation is to examine your expectations and if you want garden center, more mature plants, then only order from the more "high end" mail order companys. Be honest do you really expect to get what is in the brochure picture delivered throught the mail, come on! Maybe Santa can deliver it down the chimney.

I have to say, I was worried because I found this site after I had ordered. I ordered 40 Rose of Sharon to form 2 hedges down the sides of my backyard. They arrived quite quickly, within 2 weeks or so, wrapped in bunches of 5, each in a small bag with moisture, and all of them in a huge green bag. OUr mailman left them on our porch. I soaked them in water overnight, planted them (they were very dirty, but not moldy, and were very dormant). Within 1 week, we had buds on about 1/2 of them. Within 2 weeks, we had buds on all of them (even the one we broke while planting), and now, 6 weeks later, they are filling out, and have grown about 6 inches. I don't know if I will order from them again based on everyone's reviews, but on this one order, I did have a great experience. Maybe because I am in Illinois, like they are...I don't know. And they are very cheap. 40-2 foot bushes were $35...you can't beat that.

We ordered 25 strawberry plants from House of Wesley this spring. Plants arrived in good condition and at a good time for planting. All have lived and are doing well as of July.

My order came in and all my trees came in healthy and very good shape.I have planted all the trees and all are doing very well.
I bought 3 Blue Spruces,3Red maple,and many others {$40.00 worth}.
I would buy from this company again.
And the customer service people are very nice to talk to.

I received the House of Wesley catalog in a package ordered from another mail-order house. I leafed through it and saw several items of interest.
I live in Northern Arizona where the weather can be quite eratic, and successful gardening can be hit or miss. The catalog was quite specific about sending plants at proper planting time, and type of plants to be sent. The prices are fantastic, at the cost of maturity.
My plants have arrived as promised, at correct planting time and in the condition described in the catalog. I feel that I got what I paid for. These plants are one-third the size I can buy at the local nursery, but at about one-twentieth the cost.
My father always told me that if a deal seemed "too good to be true, it probably is." I may have proved him wrong.
Doug Lynch
Flagstaff,AZ

I had placed my order with House of Wesley about a week, before one of my friends told me about this site. I was wonderfully delighted when I received my order 3 weeks after I placed my order (which is what they tell you to expect). All of my hedge and trees (160 plants all together) looked wonderful, we followed the planting directions and had them in the ground as soon as possible. Two weeks later, I am already having to trim the hedges back. All of them have great leaves and growing fast.

I purchased some lavender, sedum, maple trees, and privet hedges from them. Their shipping rate is fantastic, as are their prices, so I wasn't expecting much. When I opened the bag, the items were exactly as described, but nothing more. The hedges were twigs that were one to two feet tall, but there was green on almost every one. I think that if I give them enough time, they will do very well. One of the maple trees had no roots, but I got five trees instead of the three I ordered. The lavender looks bad, but they may make it. I don't have any experience with sedum, so I don't know if they are good or not. They also sent free plants, of which, the butterfly bush most likely will not make it, but the bulbs probably will do well. I'm certain I will order again from them.