Comments regarding Digging Dog Nursery

I was. completely satisfied with the quality of the plants I received from Digging Dog, as well as the packaging which was protective but not overpackaging. I love their selection and was very appreciative of their help with a backordered item. I look forward to ordering from them again!

An excellent service from an excellent family owned company. The plants were shipped quickly in secure packaging and were just as advertised (all those who complained about the size of the plants should take the time to read the description - it's very clear). All the plants are doing great. Digging Dog is such a good service that they contacted me personally to inform that some of my order are not hardy for my area (I'm greedy & went ahead with them anyway - I'll take my chances). I would recommend Digging Dog to anyone & will be ordering again from them. Cannot thank Digging Dog enough.

I've ordered perennials & shrubs from Digging Dog Nursery. Have been well satisfied with their offerings. I order by phone and the process is always a delight, with either Debbie Kruse, horticulturist and nursery co-owner, or Marie Keller, social media person,ready to answer my questions or make suggestions regarding their plant stock. The plants arrive on time and in excellent condition in their efficiently-sized pots. The little guys happily thrive in their confinement until I, the sometimes faithless gardener, finally plant them in the ground where they continue to grow and prosper.

In early spring of 2016, I ordered many plants but hadn't got all of them planted before summer's end. Two Persicarias Amplexicaulis 'Taurus,' one Veronicastrum Virginicum 'Lavendelturm,' and one Buddleja x Weyeriana 'Honeycomb' got left to their own devices, in their pots, as autumn rains began and then winter bore down on us in Portland, Oregon. Winter was a nasty piece of work; cold temps, early snowfall, ice storms, more snow, and then rain everlasting all through spring 2017.

Dead and deader, I thought, when I checked on the forlorn plants in their little pots during the depths of winter. Immediately, I succumbed to a bad case of gardener's guilt for murder by neglect. I furtively put them out of sight and forgot about them, mostly, until spring.

Thrilled and delighted, I discovered all the plants not only survived, but were growing healthily and hardily, multiple roots poking out of the various pot bottoms. It was like getting brand new plants! The Veronicastrum is branched, tall, and tightly budded. 'Honeycomb' is showing off its handsome foliage and those Persicarias look grandly healthy. These plants are bred to survive! I'm looking forward to the arrival, next week, of my 2017 order.

I ordered a large number of perennials from Digging Dog Nursery this spring, and I am very pleased with the experience. I chose Digging Dog because (1) they had cultivars I couldn't find anywhere else, and (2) they could verify that the plants I ordered were grown neonic-free. They called me before they sent out the order and informed me that a couple of the perennials I had ordered, weren't well rooted yet so rather than send any poorly rooted plants, they worked with me to find substitutes (I could have waited for those ones to grow on also). The plants I received were all strong, well-rooted little plants, and I am very satisfied. I will happily order from Digging Dog again.

I'm happy to report that the 16 plants I ordered from you this spring are all thriving and I'm thrilled with my purchases. The plants were packed with great thought and care, and they arrived in excellent condition. I turned to you because I was unable to find a number of plants at my local nurseries in MA. Thanks to your exceptional selection and conscientious attention, my garden will be even more special this year!

After over 40 years of catalog and online plant ordering, I can easily say that Digging Dog ranks near the top in my experience. I have ordered difficult-to-find plants from them twice. I knew up front that I would be receiving newer starts/rooted cuttings, and was quite surprised at the instant growth I noticed shortly after repotting the plants from them into my larger containers. After one month in my own containers, Additional root growth was so rapid that I was able to replant them in the ground. I like to repot and babysit plants for a short time to insure success, but also have no doubt that the plants I received from DD could have been directly planted into the ground with good results. THANK YOU DD for the insanely cool plants you sold to me!

I visited this nursery in person for the first time this year when I was in Mendocino. They had a great selection of plants and a few that were unusual. I had the chance to speak with the owners and they were very informative even about the rare plants. They have beautiful gardens as well. I was thoroughly impressed and would recommend this nursery to anyone whether you can visit the nursery itself or order through mail order!

I really like the selection of plants they have and was pleased with the quality of plants I received.

I will say that I wish they kept their online inventory updated. I ordered a plant and was contacted that it was out of stock. I made another selection (I spent an additional hour deciding which plant I should order) and was then told that it wasn't available until Fall so I couldn't have it either. Rather than waste more time I asked them to send my order without a replacement for the OOS.

Their shipping costs are high but the plants arrived in good condition and had suffered minimal stress which I really appreciated.

A great source of heirloom perennials that are difficult to find elsewhere. The plants are meticulously packaged and all arrived healthy. Some are smaller than others but that's OK because they are late-season bloomers and it's their normal growth at this time of the year. Others like primulas, two of which are hard-to-find heirlooms, are in full growth, healthy, and I expect their bloom soon. All in all, a wonderful nursery to which I will be returning with more orders in the future.

Digging Dog had a vine I was unable to find elsewhere (Vitis cognitae), so I decided to pay the high shipping cost and order two. When they arrived, one looked healthy (but small) and the other was broken and I was not sure it would live. I followed instructions by taking a picture of the plant, sending it to Digging Dog, and waiting the 2 week period they suggested. When it did not thrive, I requested a replacement. It arrive 2 weeks later (with apologies), much larger than my original plant and is thriving still. I applaud the customer service on this one.

On several occasions I have ordered relatively uncommon or hard to find plants from Digging Dog. In every instance I was satisfied with the plants. On at least two items (Kirengeshoma Palmata and Impatiens Omeiana), I was excited and surprised by the large size of the plants that I received. Among my various orders, only one plant ever arrived smaller than I expected.

The cost of shipping and handling is high, but the base price of the plants is very reasonable. The combined final cost of receiving an order represents fair value for unusual plants. The plants that I have received were invariably well packed and arrived in good order. At times there may be a delay in getting an order fulfilled, but the staff has always been upfront and communicative in that event.

This is not a big box store. You can not always get immediate delivery, and shipping is expensive. That does not bother me as I am grateful to have a source for relatively rare plants which give me great pleasure in the garden. You may get an answering machine if you telephone. I suggest that you communicate by e mail, understand in advance that shipping is costly, and be patient. I think that serious gardeners will be pleased with a purchase.

Ok, I'm posting a positive review but I'm also going to address the concerns people raised in their recent negative reviews.
Have ordered from them on and off for 15 years and almost always been satisfied. For one thing, they fill an important niche: there just aren't many mail order nurseries, anymore, where Joe Schmoes in the rest of the country can get access to things that are standard nursery items in California, like Correas. They make nice pot plants.
However I visited there in the spring and happened to arrive at the same time as a UPS truck. I assumed he was picking up outgoing orders. He did; but he also dropped off several HUGE boxes from a well known PNW wholesaler. I think in cases where people give them a negative for various availability issues, they aren't trying to deceive you deliberately, but what is happening is that they think they can offer a plant at a certain time of the year but perhaps when the wholesale order comes in either that part of the order wasn't fulfilled or the plants were not the right size for supplying in the way they described in their catalog. I'm pointing this out to say: don't expect every nursery to be able to supply exactly what their catalog is listing, but especially ones that might not be producing the majority of their plants on-site. (which is definitely true of the majority of mail order nurseries these days)
BTW I wish their shipping was cheaper but they are in a really remote part of Northern California and I can imagine UPS is less willing to give them a discount than companies that are closer to shipping hubs.

It has been a while since I ordered from Digging Dog due to my personal budget. My experience was very positive. They had some hard-to-find plants that I really wanted. Their shipping and handling pricing is in line with everyone else, especially since I am on the opposite side of the country. My plants arrived promptly, were packaged well, and were in great shape. I consider Digging Dog a good source for unusual plants. My order was relatively small but I was treated very professionally.

Love their plants - excellent quality plants.

I have been a returning customer of Digging Dog Nursery for many years. I cannot say enough good about them. Their selection is very broad and diverse. There are always discoveries to be found. I only wish I lived in a warmer zone so I could get more things from them. I have seen the other comments about plant size and shipping costs. I have ordered from many mail order companies over the years and the size of DD plants compared to other companies, well there's is no comparison. I'm not sure what other customer complaints are but I have never received a tiny cutting from this company. The plants are lush and healthy, some are far bigger than I expect. Also, while you may get something impressive from another company, the long term health of what I have received from DD has convinced me that there is a higher quality from DD. I do not like receiving a bag of peat moss with a dried root or even a non-existent root like I have gotten from other companies. The plants I have gotten from Digging Dog have thrived and to this day are still going strong.

Shipping costs have become an issue for many customers. I cannot explain how some companies get reduced rates from UPS and some don't. If I ship something to someone, I am charged much more than a business pays for the same size box. I live on the other side of the country from DD and I know when I place an order that it will be costly bit I also know from my past experience that what I receive will thrive and not need replacing. Surprisingly my orders always arrive within 3-4 days and are solidly and safely packed. There are never those annoying styro chips.

We have all had good and bad experiences with mail order. I am sharing my experiences and how pleased I have been with this company. I have had lack luster exchanges with other companies. I suspect those who have posted negative comments are the types who will never be satisfied.

I have twice ordered from Digging Dog Nursery and both times have had a very positive experience. The plants are well packaged in recyclable materials and always are in good shape and well grown. This year I received a personal phone call in advance of my requested delivery date, requesting that due to the extremely cold winter my Cuphea have more time in their greenhouse before shipping. Having worked in a nursery and on landscaping crews, in addition to being an avid gardener, I very much appreciated the personal attention and care that put the quality of the plants first.

I love the feature on their website which allows you to select plants based upon your selected criteria. I placed an order and received an email shortly after expressing concern for the ordered plants survival in cold NY. As there was a phone number to call with questions, I did, on the Sunday after thanksgiving! Not only was my phone call answered, additional questions asked but a follow up phone call by Deborah further assisted to ensure I had selected appropriate plants for my area. With the personal attention to detail and customer service, I will certainly share my experience with others and am sure I will enjoy my plants and return to purchase more!
Thank you Digging Dog!!

I love this nursery outside of Mendicino. I have bought several clematis from them and some other plants. Their plants are healthy and they grow well. The staff is friendly and helpful. Plus they have a crazy dog who loves to chase sticks.

I have been buying plants from Digging Dog Nursery for more than 10 years and have referred neighbors who have also had positive experiences as the staff is helpful and the plants healthy. As I live in Los Angeles and have sandy soil my growing conditions are different than those in Mendocino but the staff has been very helpful with advice regarding plants that are likely to do well for me. Their catalogue is very helpful and I particularly like the art work.

We have purchased many plants from Digging Dog over the past 18 years, and have always been very pleased with the quality and vigor of the plants. The owners and staff are great to deal with, they've always been polite and friendly. We've recommended this company to many friends and relatives who love to garden.

We have been a customer of Digging Dog Nursery for over 15 years. In all of that time we have never received anything but healthy plants and outstanding customer service. When I have had a question about a particular plant- whether or not it was viable for the more arid Sierra foothills where I live, Deborah and her staff have always taken their time to steer me in the right direction.We have recently moved and are putting in both front and back yards. We plan on using Digging Dog for as many of our plants as we can.

I have found Digging Dog to have the most amazing selection of not-the-usual plants...most used in their own garden designs...and Deborah to be a most helpful, informative person to deal with. It is hands-down my favorite nursery. If you ever have a chance to visit Digging Dog in person and meet Deborah, you are in for a memorable treat.

I have been doing business with Digging Dog since 2000. I have gotten many plants and have always found both the owner and the staff helpful and easy to work with. Their plants are always in excellent condition.

I have been ordering from Digging Dog consistently over the past few years and always with great customer service. As for the plants, I often see specific cultivars mentioned in Gardens Illustrated, the British gardening magazine, and then am able to find them from Digging Dog! You are reputable, knowledgeable, and plantspeople, understanding dormancy and the finer points of shipping such precious live cargo. As a Garden Designer, this is quite important to me! Please keep up the good work, making so many wonderful selections available out here in California ( eg. Phlox paniculata 'David's Lavender' to name just one! from my most recent order). Happy Gardening, Mary

I've purchased plants from Digging Dog through mail order and directly from their booth at the SF Flower Show for many years. I'm a nut for kniphofias and they have the best and widest offerings. Check out 'Bees Sunset' as the prettiest, most glowing-est kniphofia ever. And they're quick to respond to my questions on how a plant will do in my hot, dry inland California garden. I always order with confidence that my plants will arrive quickly, well packaged, and with the most robust root systems from any mail order nursery.

I ordered phlomis plants from Digging dog. I live in MS and was not sure if they would sustain our humidity. I e-mailed requesting info. for my area. They personally contacted me and provided suggestions on how I could give my plants the best conditions for success if I decided to go ahead and order. I really liked that they didn't preface anything that they couldn't be responsible. They just discussed which types of phlomis might work best in my area. I decided to order all varieties. I received the plants in excellent condition. All appear to have no stress so far. The S&H charges were actually less than the estimate since they were able to pack them very well in a flat rate. It was a pleasure conducting business with Digging Dog. I will definitely use them every chance I get.

Digging Dog had the plants that I have been looking for. I ordered the plants and they were delivered within two days and arrived in excellent condition. I will definitely order more from them as I am landscaping a front yard that used to be lawn which is now dead from the long drought here in California.

Just got my big order of geraniums from Digging Dog today. I was worried about how they'd arrive because the weather has been so hot. I was just thrilled today to see these so-well-packed and robust plants on my doorstep.

I give this mail order nursery a thumbs up and 5 stars. I'll be ordering from them again.

This was only the 2nd time I'd ever ordered plants over the internet. I live in New England, so had ordered from an east coast nursery the first time. The plants arrived grey, dry and wilted. I watered them and planted them right away, but none survived. The plants were lavenders and a heather. I happened to find Digging Dog searching for another source of lavender and heather. When the plants arrived all the way from California, the soil was still slightly damp and the plants were a very nice green and very healthy looking. They were all planted within a couple of days and are doing very well. I won't hesitate to order from them again when I'm looking for something special. Thank you so much.

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.