Comments regarding Digging Dog Nursery

The staff at Digging Dog made heroic efforts (5 phone calls) to get in touch with me about the status of my order and to discuss availability. When we finally connected (the confusion was my fault not theirs) they were extremely helpful and accommodating, confirming my belief that they are one of the BEST nurseries out there.

I recently ordered 7 nepeta "Kit Kats" from Digging Dog, with whom I had never done business. They were exceptionally pleasant on the phone while I was ordering and were concerned that the weather forecast for my area, Richmond VA was for very hot weather. We agreed to hold off a week on delivery. They called back to re-schedule the delivery, and when I remarked that the order was going to an office which would be closed over Memorial Day, they suggested that we hold off until past the holiday, so that there was no risk of the plants being left unattended at the office. They called the following week to confirm delivery plans and to alert me that they were about to ship. The plants arrived quickly and were professionally and securely wrapped and in excellent condition. I am thrilled. The nepeta are in the ground, and I look forward to both enjoying the plants and to doing business with Digging Dog again in the future!

Posted on April 4, 2014, updated May 9, 2014
I was having a problem finding a mail order nursery that had a certain Verbena cultivar I wanted. I finally found it on Digging Dog Nursery’s website; they have a large selection of hard to find plants. I exchanged a couple of email messages with a member of their staff, regarding the shipping date. The person I conversed with was professional, friendly, and very helpful. This was the first time I ordered from this company and so far I’m well pleased; I’ll probably be ordering from them again in the future.

I discovered the Digging Dog Nursery at the SF Flower and Garden Show. At the Show, I purchased rare Agapetes 'Ludgvan Cross' which already had flower buds. I also purchased a few oenotheras. I was so pleased with the quality of these plants, I decided to use their online nursery to order several more plants that are hard to find such as Dierama pulcherrimum ‘Dark Cerise’, Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snowflake’, Salvia ‘Silke’s Dream’, and Viburnum carlesii ‘Diana’. The plants were shipped out quickly in great packaging, and they were as good a quality as the ones that I bought directly from them at the Show. I would definitely order from them again.

I ordered 5 Gaura lindheimeri 'So White' from Digging Dog and when I received the plants was very impressed by their size and vigor. I've ordered from many mail-order nurseries over the past 25 years and based on this experience would say that Digging Dog is one of the best for reasonable prices, wide selection, and healthy plants.

Love Digging Dog Nursery... Very nice plants packed very well. Will definitely order from them again.

My 1st time ordering from this comp and I"M VERY VERY Happy With all my Plants I Ordered & I plan to put in another order in the Near Future .
TY for timely Shipping also .

Dealing with Digging Dog is a real pleasure! My email inquiry was answered quickly and the nursery followed up with a phone call to confirm my desired shipping date. They use ecologically sound shredded paper to protect their plants and all six plants arrived safely and in healthy condition. Their paper catalogue is beautiful and is filled with unusual plants; I look forward to dealing with them in the future.

In the past two years, I've purchased plants from Digging Dog seven times, and each order has turned out almost perfectly. Their website is very attractive, with a good deal of negative space making long pages of text easy to read. Material is divided into perennials, grasses (or grass-like plants), shrubs, and trees and vines, and in each category plants are listed alphabetically. It's fairly easy to navigate, but a bit tedious to scroll through, and most plants don't come with corresponding photographs--a very useful tool when it comes to selecting one cultivar from several dozen others. As Digging Dog has its specialties (heaps of clematis, salvia, kniphofia, et al), this is a rather important omission, along with some imprecise descriptions and vague (sometimes absent) cultural information. On the other hand, the occasional beautiful hand drawing is available, although these are viewed best in their annual catalog--a truly lovely thing, made with high-quality paperstock and printed well. A bit frivolous and decadent in these days, but it's always a treat when it arrives.

Packaging is very low-tech. Liners are laid on their side, staggered and sometimes overlapping, between layers of fluffy shredded paper. It's nothing fancy, but it works. I've never had a damaged plant. They arrive looking perky, hefty, with rootballs intact and slightly moist, although they are sometimes covered or lightly dusted in growing medium. Naturally dormant material is sometimes dormant, which speaks to their growing practices (of which I definitely approve!).

I've primarily purchased grasses from Digging Dog, and I love (love, love, love) the selection. I'm clearly not the only one, because in nearly every order I've placed, there is at least one item unavailable: on back-order or still in production. For a mail-order nursery generating the bulk of retail sales on-line, they're a bit slow when it comes to updating the website.

Service is impeccable, however. Orders are double-confirmed through e-mail prior to shipment, and when items are unavailable, you get a notice quite quickly, and are given several options: select other material, accept a refund commensurate with the cost of the unavailable material, or agree to a secondary shipment (later in the season, at the next season) once the plants are available. This works, but the process could be improved.

Nevertheless, I'm sticking with Digging Dog. The exceptional quality and selection of their material is worth it.

This is the 3rd time I have ordered plants from Digging Dog Nursery, and I am thrilled with my purchases. Twice, a company representative has called me personally to make a comment or ask a question about plants I ordered, and both times this person was so nice & really knew her plants! Everything has arrived in extremely healthy condition and the packing is superb. Yes, shipping is expensive, but I live in California where this nursery is located, so it's not too bad for me. Transportation costs have soared for everyone, so it's not surprising to me to have to pay more for this. I am so happy to have found a nursery I can order from in my own state, and cannot say enough positive things about this company.

Thank you so much for your communications concerning the status of my order. I received the plants within tree days of shipping. The plants were beautiful and packaged very carefully. Thank you again for keeping me informed in regards to what was happening behind the scenes.
I hope to do future business with your nursery.

I've been buying plants for years from Digging Dog nursery. I've been to their plant sales and on the "Garden Strolls" with Deborah the proprietor. It's an amazing place. If you are ever on the Mendocino Coast you should make the nursery part of your visit. It's best to call first because it's a small family run nursery. The quality of their plants and customer service can't be beat! They are the Best!

Digging Dog Nursery is the best! I love the fact that they are a small family owned business, but boy can they make big smiles! I ordered several plants but changed my order 3 times, I am a difficult customer I must admit, and Digging Dog never showed any signs of frustration. They were extremely helpful and had wonderful advice to my many questions. My plants arrived on time and in absolute perfect condition. Their soil was moist and the packaging was easy to deal with. I think it’s just great that they use recyclable shredded paper to pack their plants in, which I will be using in my compost. I put the plants right in the ground and they are thriving! I will most definitely be ordering from Digging Dog again soon!

I am a garden designer whos intention it was to install a small rock garden for a client. One of the plants I wanted in the garden is difficult to find in my area. Happily, I found the plant online at Digging Dog Nursery, but (sadly) was told that since they would not ship only one plant to NJ, I needed to spend a minimum amount. I chose 3 more [difficult to find here as well] plants to meet their requirement. The plants I ordered came to me *shockingly* small- even for the price ($7, average per plant), considering the whopping S & H ($15 plus $5, grand total $47). Though small, only one of the plants was barely acceptable in spite of all that $$.
When I called to express my
disappointment, the reply (from the proprietor) was an invite to mail everything back. An inconvenient solution was to be my only solace in this already extremely disappointing experience. Her attitude was at once defensive and unyielding. I also noticed a bit of hoitiness in her affect, as if she was doing me a favor by allowing me to place an order.
I have ordered plants mail order in the past and have had disappointments as well- but was always satisfied in the end and inspired to tell others of a great experience, wanting to 'spread the good word'.
I cannot find one good word to spread about Digging Dog Nursery.
Summary: expensive, scrawny sickly plants, terrible customer service.

"On Oct 7, 2013 2:21 PM, Digging Dog Nursery responded with:

This customer called on a busy day for us (our mail order ship date) and we gladly spent a significant amount of time on the phone helping her select unusual rock garden plants, advising her on specific soil recommendations and discussing which plants would be hardy for her area. We rushed the order through on that day to make sure she received her plants as quickly as possible. During one of our phone conversations, she expressed appreciation for all the advice and time we spent helping her.

Rock garden plants tend to grow slowly and are diminutive. Perhaps this is way she felt that the plants were small or unhealthy. For instance, one of the plant’s foliar growth is a mere 1 or 2-inches tall. She had me count the number of leaves and stems on another plant. I told her the plant was not in bloom, that it had just been trimmed for the season and was beginning to go dormant so she would not be disappointed when she unpacked it.

We sent the plants as inexpensively as possible, via USPS Priority flat rate shipping ($14) so they would reach her quickly and at a lower cost than UPS. With the rising prices of gasoline it is costly to send a plant via air across the country. We have never made a profit on our shipping.

Upon hearing of this customer’s overall disappointment, we assured her that each of the plants was healthy and would thrive in the rock garden environment. Perhaps this customer thought I was being unyielding because I stood behind the health of our plants. We grow our plants in open air cold frames using real sterilized garden loam and allow them to go through their natural life cycle, which includes going dormant for the winter. We believe growing our plants in this fashion ensures healthy and long-lived plants, as attested by overwhelmingly positive customer feedback during our 21+ years of growing our plants and running this mail order business.
Since she still seemed upset after we reassured her and answered additional questions, I thought offering a full refund for the plants once they arrived back at the nursery, at our expense would resolve her disappointment. We are truly sorry that it hasn’t. Customer satisfaction is of utmost importance to us, and as a small family-run business we’ve been able to provide personal attention to each and every valued customer. We will still strive to find a way to resolve this situation in an amiable fashion.
"

I ordered 4 phlomis russelina plants that I was unable to find at local nurseries. The plants arrived individually potted, soil moist. They were very healthy plants. Yes, shipping is expensive. Shipping plants is expensive if plants are to be carefully packed, shipped expedited so as to arrive healthy. I am very happy with my purchase and will look to Digging Dog for other plants that I may not be able to find locally.

I was looking for plants for different sections of our yard following a major renovation. Their site was easy to use, it saved my plant lists over many days without my having to "check out" and pay. For most items there are pictures, instructions on care of the plants and suggestions for the garden. This allowed me to make carefully researched decisions at my own speed.

When I ordered from Digging Dog I was able to pay over the phone - which was important to me. Delivery was set according to my needs. And when I had a sudden medical emergency, my plants were held until I was better.

When the plants are delivered there are some great instructions included that are geared to customers with different needs. This is super useful!

I was a bit of a secret shopper on this one. The Digging Dog team was great with me at the SFO Garden Show - even though they had no idea I had recently placed a large order. To them I was just someone who stopped by. Still they were welcoming, easy to work with and very knowledgable.

Over the weeks following my hospital stay, the team continued to be kind, thoughtful and prompt with any changes made to my existing orders. Shipping charges were clearly stated and when the order was split into three - increases to shipping charges were minimal. I was contacted with those charges prior to shipping and making changes to my dates happened easily over email. It was a very good experience.

The plants are all healthy. They arrive small, but they grow :) The roots are deep. I ordered some very hard to find plants and am pleased with the product received, the shipping and handling company used, and customer service. I will try to post again next year to let you know how the garden looks now.

I really liked this experience!

Martha Kreeger, Fremont CA

I ordered six hard-to-locate epimediums and asked that the order be sent at a later date (at the conclusion of some travel). I subsequently amended the order to add a vine. Everything worked according to plan: the two orders were merged, and everything was sent on the specified date. The bonus was finding that all of the plants were very decent sized and healthy. Very, very good packing. I will cheerfully use DD again . . . just as soon as I can find another few square inches to plant something.

Wow! Service...service...service! Digging dog makes it so easy. I could not find the Japanese Forest grass that I was looking for anywhere. Everyone told me I would have to wait until Fall. Sure enough, not only did Digging Dog have it....but knowing that i was anxious to get them planted, they called me back to say that they were able to ship it out on Tuesday, even though I called them on Monday afternoon! I have already had friends order and can't wait to keep spreading the word. It is not often that I can recommend something as confidently as I can recommend Digging Dog.

I ordered 5 Cistus (Rock Rose ) plants which are somewhat difficult to find. They arrived exactly on schedule, well packed and in superb condition. Two started to bloom in less than a week. I'm very pleased! These people know what they are doing!

First comment to those complaining about shipping. If you do not want to pay shipping, go to your local business and buy. I don't think they charge shipping.

After working with other large, unnamed, online nurseries, working with Digging Dog is a breath of fresh air. They are not big, but family run, and easy to work with. I can request my own shipping date. Unheard of with the other nurseries. And, I only want to deal with perennials; Digging Dog has the type of perennials I want. Did I mention... they communicate. I am a yakker, and I need someone that will yak back at me. It's called communication.

Simple as that: they are smaller and easy to work with; they have the perennials I want, and they will try to ship them when I request it. And the last biggie, communication. So they definitely get my recommendation, and a strong one at that. Paul

Just got my first order from Digging Dog via the internet. I was very impressed with the healthy plants I received. One was damaged in shipping. I emailed them and they are sending me another, no hassle at all. I liked that I was able to request a shipping date ahead of time so I could receive the plants at the right planting time for my area. I've seen complaints about shipping charges but they seemed pretty comparable to other online nurseries with decent plants. You get what you pay for. Will definitely be a repeat buyer.

I have ordered twice now from Digging Dog Nursery and both times have been good experiences. The Plants offered are Fabulous. They came wrapped and packaged beautifully. The Plants themselves were healhy and strong specimens. I could not be pleased more. I would and have, recommended Digging Dog Nursery to friends and would not hesitate to do business with them again. They were also helpful and friendly in answering an inquiry I had made. Great Plants, Great Business!!!!

I bought plants from Digging Dog via internet and at the S.F. Flower and Garden Show. Many of their Kniphofias, Geraniums and Clematis ended up in my garden. All the plants arrived in great condition and I had no problem getting them established. Digging Dog is one of my favorite nurseries and I will buy from them again.

I have been ordering plants from Digging Dog for almost 20 years, and they are in my top 3 favorite mail-order nurseries. My favorite is my Chinese Fringe tree, planted in 1993-In the Spring, it is a wonder to behold. My garden is filled with Digging Dog plants, and I would recommend them to everyone. Plus, I love their catalog...the plant descriptions and artwork are great.

1st time buyer. The plants came in excellent condition (better than most of the mail order companies I have used in the past). Strong root development = less transplant shock. Will definitely order from them again. Great selection of plants on their website.

Here's the comment I sent to Digging Dog Nursery:

I recently ordered 3 clerodendrum from Digging Dog Nursery and just wanted to let you know that you exceeded my expectations. The plants are beautiful and much larger than I thought they would be, Packaging was great and service was A+
Thanks so much!

For years I have been looking off and on for Sisyrinchium striatum every since I saw it in a Penelope Hobhouse garden book. Finally found it at Digging Dog Nursery along with several other plants I have never seen in my local garden centers. My plants arrived in excellent condition and are doing well in the garden beds. Cathy emailed me about a hellebore that was to be shipped later but I was going to be out of town. She made arrangements to ship the plants after I was back in town. Great plants, Great customer service. Will definitely buy from them again.

I ordered Lemon Wave hydrangeas. Once I got through the materials carefully packed around my plants I was shocked at the large size and health of the plants. Although it took me a few days to get it in the ground it did great starting on day one. I have already buried a branch to start another and I've only had this plant for a couple of months.

Thanks Digging Dog! I will be looking at your site first anytime I'm in the market for something unique!

Ordered several torch lillies and they stock some rare exotics too! They have grown very well here in Oregon and are now, huge and healthy. Their selection is superb. Just ordered an angelica gigas and the shipping was reasonable too.

I didn't notice the outrages shipping charges when I ordered and had to cancel

I ordered 8 plants. They arrived on the scheduled date and they were packed well. (Though I did have to clean out the worm bin to accomodate more shredded paper!)

When planting the plants, I was very happy to see that the plants had large, healthy root systems without being pot bound. Two of the plants were even trying to send out runners already. Often I feel like mail-order places try to send stuff out before it's rooted sufficiently, but not Digging Dog! I will totally order from them again.

I have found several plants here that I have not seen for sale elsewhere, Dierama in particular, and have found the plants to be larger than expected and very healthy. Digging Dog will always be on my list of places to check first when I am looking for a plant. I am honored to recommend them to all plant lovers!

I recently received an order from Digging Dog Nursery.
First off I placed the order with them because they had such a fine selection of the perennials I was interested in.

When the plants arrived they were very well packed and in perfect condition (not a sign of having been shipped over hundreds of miles).

I would not hesitate to order from them again and recommend them without reservation.

RE: Digging Dog Nursery - My plants arrived quickly and in great condition. Having ordered plant material online many times, I am so impressed with the quality of Digging Dog's plants and the care in which they were packaged.

I was most pleasantly surprised with the size of the pots and root balls - very substantial! And, everything swaddled in paper shred really kept the plants "tucked in" during their journey. The Brunneras are planted, mulched, and watered; they are already settling in nicely. I am looking forward to see them reappear with vigor next spring - and have my fingers crossed that the deer won't find them as delightful as I do!

Thanks so much for the excellent customer service, prompt & knowledgeable response to questions, and top notch plants! Digging Dog is the whole package!!!

I placed an order with Digging Dog Nursery for several geraniums, a lime light hydrangea and one campanula. All arrived from CA. to MA. in very good condition accompanied by detailed instructions for planting. They have a large variety of plants at reasonable prices that are packaged in very deep pots. All had large, healthy root systems and very lush, healthy foliage considering their cross country journey. I would definitely purchase from this company again. The quality of their plants and service are outstanding.

The plants I ordered from this company 2 years ago are doing fantastic in my garden. They took off right away and I'm grateful to get some more unusual offerings I can't find locally.

I have bought from the Digging Dog catalog for over 10 years. Great plants that survive my thumb. Good service with friendly people.

Posted on May 17, 2011, updated May 30, 2011
I was very happy to find golden-leafed current in their catalogue and based of most member's experiences I placed an order for a couple of vines and three currants. Upon arrival I noticed that the currants were tiny 4 inch bushes in 2 1/4- 3 1/4 liners instead of larger bushes in 4x6 pots as advertised on their website. Had I been informed my choice was not available in the regular size I would not have ordered with them, as indeed the shipping price is quite steep. Also, planting them at this size means that it will take 15 or more years to have 2 feet tall bushes which was not the intention. I notified them of my disappointment on their website but have not heard back.
This order was a waste of my money.

"On May 20, 2011 3:20 PM, Digging Dog Nursery responded with:

Dear Caroline,
We are so sorry to hear you are unhappy with your order from us. Some of our
shrubs are so popular and extremely hard to find, like the Ribes
Brocklebankii, that we have begun shipping them in smaller pots to meet the
demand.

We understand why you would be unhappy receiving liners instead of shrubs in
the 4x6 pots that you were expecting to receive. Because the 3 Ribes
'Brocklebankii' were liners, we should have discounted the price and we were
remiss in not doing so. We will be happy to refund you the entire cost of
these three plants due to our oversight in pricing.

We also want you to keep in mind that these 3 plants, though liner size, are
well-rooted and well-branched. Our supplier, Briggs, assured us they should
easily reach 3 feet in size within 3 years.

You also mentioned that our shipping prices are quite
steep. Since we do lesser volume than corporations, we don't get the
discounts on shipping prices that they do. While we charged you $27.38 for
shipping these plants via UPS 3-Day airmail, UPS billed us $34.47.

To say that your order was a waste of money felt somewhat unfair to us. To
be honest, the three well-established vines --the 2-year old Fallopia Lemon
Lace and the Vitis coignetiae--were of superb quality.

Considering that you received your order on Friday, May 13, and sent us an
email on Saturday, May 14, expressing your disappointment, we didn't have
much time to respond to your complaint. Since we are a small business, there
is nobody checking our email on the weekend. We certainly would have
appreciated a chance to make things right with you before you posted your
comment.

We sincerely appreciate your business and strive to satisfy each of our
customers. We hope our plants will flourish in your garden.

We will be sending you a refund check in the amount of $24.00 for the Ribes
Brocklebankii.
"

I am very impressed with Digging Dog. Compared to most other nurseries I have purchased from, their plants are large, healthy, inexpensive, and well packed for shipping. They have a very interesting selection of plants and are my top choice nursery for anything they have in stock.