Comments regarding High Country Gardens

I ordered two sungold tomato plants from them fairly far into the season (June?). They arrived within the window they promised,and were quite tall and healthy when I took them out of the packaging. The tomatoes have produced abundantly all summer.

Posted on March 30, 2012, updated September 9, 2012
I ordered 8 flats of legacy grass plugs, and one of the pre-planned gardens, as well as some planting supplies. The supplies came quickly. I ordered the grass and plants to come end of April. I was very nervous when I received the grass a month early. I called customer service and was quickly assured that the grass would be re-sent for the date I had chosen. Thank you High Country Gardens for being upstanding and helpful!

I love this company. I have never had a bad experience with shipping or with the health of the plants they have sent. EVERY ONE of the plants I have bought from them has thrived. I live at 7,000 ft. elevation and I have had quite a few mail order plants from other places that have gone into terminal shock. High Country plant are a great fit for my landscaping. My penstemons are so gorgeous right now with the monsoons going on - wish I could post some photos so you could see the High Country plant experience we're having here.

Our early experience was wonderful--product is great and arrives in good condition. However, we live in a small town without mail delivery, and because of this, we cannot convince High Country to ship to us, even though they have shipped to us before. They tried "correcting" the address on several orders without contacting us, sending our plants to the middle of nowhere. Customer service refuses to help because they cannot verify our address through the USPS.

plants i received this year either struggled or died, very little root system on them

"On Jul 6, 2012 1:42 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

High Country Gardens has a 100% guarantee. Please contact customer service and we will gladly process a claim for you!

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
Customer Service Supervisor
High Country Gardens
vperalta@highcountrygardens.com
1-800-925-9387"

Posted on May 17, 2012, updated June 8, 2012
i hate to give negative feedback but here goes. i realize that HCG promotes xeri plants but it is my understanding (as a total Lilium newbie) that this particular plant should not be allowed to dry out completely.
these three Lilium punicums arrived bone dry and half out of their pots. the tiny 3" pots did have a rubber band on them which was supposed to hold the small piece of plastic over the top but since the plastic didn't even fit the pot properly, all the soil was out and loose in the box. these are a fairly tall plant (approx. 12") but the tops had obviously been cut off to fit the box. this means i won't have a chance of a summer flower this year from what i understand about Lilium.
these plants are an experiment for me in florida as i'm not sure they will like my climate. the shipping was reasonable
as were the plants themselves so i'm giving them a try.
had the box been longer but smaller in diameter and packed with just the least amount of cushioning so they weren't banging around loose in the box, i would have been a lot happier with this experience.

"On May 20, 2012 11:02 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

We appreciate your feedback! This has been passed on to our shipping department for training purposes. We would like to send you out replacements. Please contact me directly with your order and or customer number.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
Customer Service Supervisor
High Country Gardens
vperalta@highcountrygardens.com
1-877-811-2700 ext. 3023

I had the WORST experience with mail order ever! It all started with my order on 3/19/12 for the Sizzling Colors' Inferno Strip, Penstemon mexicali and Cold Hardy Mediterranean Garden. Not a huge order but still 360.00 worth of product. The ship date was In April and that's when it all went downhill! First the order showed up missing more than 20 plants and many looking bad. When I tried to call all you get is voice mail so I left a message and filled out the form with no response for a week and many more calls and emails. The lady on the phone said they would send the missing plants but not on my schedule which was kind of ok since I wanted them. Well I finally got the plants and then another order of inferno strip shows up. Not sure what to do I called again and filled out many many forms for 2 weeks with no call back. When I did get a support call I told them I gave the plants away as I had no room and they just sat around. I was told that was ok and they still had a few DOA plant to ship when stock came back in. Another week goes by and I come home to 5 more boxes on my porch! Another inferno stip and a few other plants. Back to calls and emails a week latter I get a person on the phone and she tells me they have charged me for 3 inferno strips along with a few other plants. Now I'm pissed and tell the lady to have a manager call me as she was the after hours call center. So again many calls,emails and weeks later still no response so I start calling the garden center not mail order store And got a cell phone number of a person high up at Highcountry. Even she couldn't get anyone to answer her. Finally 1.5 weeks latter she called back and said no charges are made for the extra flowers. I was also informed I would receive the DOA plants none of which to this day I received! This is an abbreviated version of all that took place but it doesn't seem that way. I will never order with them again or recommend any other people place orders with them.
Joe Barnas

"On Jun 8, 2012 2:53 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

I regret to hear you had difficulty reaching us in regards to your order. We have made changes to improve response time. I would like to look into what plants you are still missing. If you can please contact me directly toll free 1-877-811-2700 ext. 3023 or via email vperalta@highcountrygardens.com.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
Customer Service Supervisor
High Country Gardens"

Overall, good experience.
I order through HCG to obtain choice plants that are not available from local and regional garden centers in my area.
Two Important Notes:
First: plants seem to be shipped direct from the greenhouse so are not "Hardened off" to tolerate strong sunlight or temps. I would STRONGLY recommend that gardeners take CARE before planting out new purchases directly in the ground. My plants really needed some hardening off time before they are garden ready. So I introduced them to the sun slowly and watched for stress.
Second:Catalog and website often do not jive with availability. I had seen Prunus andersonii in the catalog but not online when I went to order. This has been true of several plants, that seem to not appear online.
I have visited the store in Santa Fe and loved the selection and the gardens and have chatted with David Salman personally. He is a fine plantsman.

Posted on May 25, 2012, updated May 30, 2012
Posted on May 2, 2012, updated May 25, 2012
I placed a $350 order with this company based on positive reviews. However, I had a change in my landscaping plans that necessitated my delaying an order I placed by two weeks. I attempted to contact customer service for over a week to request that my order be postponed and was never able to get help. I emailed the company several times with no response, was never able to get anyone to answer the phone, was rerouted to a voicemail box that was perpetually full, and the only "live" person I spoke with was a live chat who said they would postpone the order but did not. I received an email from the company stating that my order was on the way!!! Great now I have a bunch of plants that will likely die because I'm not able to plant them. I will never order from this company again or recommend them to anyone.

"On May 2, 2012 1:37 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

I am sorry to hear of your recent experience and would like to look into your order for you personally. Please send me your order information so assist you. Toll free 1-877-811-2700 ext. 3023 or email vperalta@highcountrygardens.com.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
High Country Gardens
Customer Service Supervisor

I have ordered from this company for years, as they sell plants that do well in my part of the country, and I generally have been very pleased with the plants and the customer service. This year has been an entirely different experience. On February 7, 2012, I ordered over $300 worth of plants from them. I received a portion of the plants shipped on the agreed ship date, April 24, 2012. Half of the shipment was in fine condition, the other plants included were barely breaking dormancy and were tentative at best. On the enclosed packing slip I was then advised another portion of my order had been cancelled and another part of the order had been delayed to ship May 7. May 7 came and went without notification of shipment, and after emailing and calling several times, I finally connected with a live person who told me this portion of my order had been cancelled as well. In the meantime, the plants in the received order that were barely alive had died. Essentially, I received one quarter of my order. In short, this had been my go to source for plants for my area; however, I'm not sure I will order from them again.

"On May 28, 2012 10:11 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

I am sorry to hear of your recent order experience. We have made some changes this season which we are trying to iron out. Please contact me directly to resolve the shipment received.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
Customer Service Supervisor
High Country Gardens
vperalta@highcountrygardens.com
1-877-811-2700 ext. 3023"

The plants received are healthy and look good. There should be no problem with them, but these folks really don't like to email.

When I placed my order in March 2012, I requested 14 May 2012 shipment. I received confirmation in March, but I did not receive my order the week of 14 May. I sent two e-mails requesting status - no responses. I finally called a representative who indicated my shipment would be sent 28 May. I asked why I did not receive notification of the delay or responses to my two e-mails - the excuse was the company had implemented a new computer system (Why implement a new system during this time of year?). Also, many plants I ordered were not available. I requested cancellation of my order, and the representative said it would be done. However, I have not received an e-mail cancellation notice. I have been a customer for years and have placed many orders of $300+. Current customer service and communications are terrible. I want my order cancelled and a refund on my credit card. I also request a confirmation that my order will be cancelled. No more orders until you can win back my trust with timely responses, available plants, and much better customer service.

"On May 26, 2012 12:07 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

I understand your frustration in trying to get resolve. I apologize for any inconvenience. As you know this is not our norm and we are working to make sure the service you are use to with High County Gardens is restored. I would like to make sure your requests have been fulfilled. Please contact me by email or phone.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
Customer Service Supervisor
High Country Gardens
vperalta@highcountrygardens.com
1-877-811-2700 ext. 3023"

I have emailed the company twice and called due to not having received my order. No response to either email. The person I talked too on the phone stated my order would be made "priority" and would be sent next week. I still have not received my order. I have ordered from HCG before and never a problem like this.

"On May 26, 2012 12:04 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

I regret to hear of your recent experience and apologize for any inconvenience. Please contact me so I can look into this personally.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
Customer Service Supervisor
High Country Gardens
vperalta@highcountrygardens.com
1-877-811-2700 ext. 3023"

I'm sorry to give this company a negative review, as I've used them for many years. Their plants are excellent, but their customer service is atrocious this year. I placed an order in January, assuming that would reserve the plants I wanted, especially since they charged my credit card right away. Come April, I only received 9 of the 14 plants I had ordered. Of the missing ones, 3 were listed as unavailable, but the other 2 had no explanation whatsoever. Since then, I have only recently been able to reach someone by phone, as I was always sent to a voicemail system that was full, and that representative said she needed to send my case to another dept. who would contact me (a week later, I've heard nothing). None of my emails (including to Victoria Peralta) has been answered. A credit has been issued to my account, but it is not the correct amount. Do I think this will all be straightened out in the end? Maybe. But I'll never get back the time and energy I've wasted on trying to figure this out and get an answer from them.

"On May 24, 2012 3:46 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

I am sorry to hear you have not had resolve in regards to your order questions. I do try and respond to all my emails and calls when I am in. I apologize if I did not respond to an email you sent. I would be glad to assist you. Seeing you have already emailed me can you please resend the email or it may be best to call me with your information.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
Customer Service Supervisor
High Country Gardens
vperalta@highcountrygardens.com
1-877-811-2700 ext. 3023"

High Country Gardens is a great company to deal with. They are always friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. Whenever I have had a problem with a shipment or an individual plant, they have always taken care of it with a smile. They're great!!

I recently placed an order and requested an immediate ship date in an effort to receive my plants before an upcoming holiday. I received a confirmation of my order indicating my order would ship the date I requested. I expected to receive my order at least by the following Friday, however, the website didn't indicate how my order would be shipping so I placed a call. I was told that my order did not ship and would not ship until the the following Monday. The person wasn't really sure what happened and told me that they were located in another facility, however my order would ship on the following Monday. Today I called to make sure my order shipped and was advised that it was not going to ship AT ALL. I asked them why that no one e-mailed me or phoned me to let me know there was a problem either with my initial ship date or subsequently when they determined that my order was not going to be shipped. When I placed my order I provided my e-mail address and a telephone number in the event they would need to contact me. It is unacceptable customer service to just simply not contact me in any way (either e-mail or by phone) to let me know the status of my order. I was concerned when I saw the other negative reviews, however, I have had good experiences with HCG in the past - so I took a chance. However, after this experience I will certainly consider carefully other reviews because this became my own bad experience. Really a shame because I previously did have good experiences. An e-mail or phone call only takes a moment and certainly makes a difference for customer goodwill.

"On May 22, 2012 4:48 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

I appreciate you giving me the time to speak with you yesterday. We are working on making adjustments to make sure this does not occur again. My apologies for any inconvenience.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
Customer Service Supervisor
High Country Gardens
vperalta@highcountrygardens.com
1-877-811-2700 ext. 3023"

Posted on May 19, 2012, updated May 21, 2012
After several years of wonderful experiences with this company, I have to rate them with one big negative. I have tried contacting them 6 times via e-mail, their internet claim form, etc. with no response. Finally, I called and spoke to a customer service representative who "had no authority" to replace 6 dead plants and promised me she would have someone call me. that did not occur either. The bottom line is that I am out 6 plants with no mechanism to resolve the issue. As good as my previous orders have been in the past, I would not order from them again nor advise other gardeners to do so. My guess is that this letter may result in a response, but this is just plain bad customer service

"On May 20, 2012 10:36 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

I am sorry to hear of your recent experience. As you know this is not the norm for High Country Gardens. I am glad you gave us the opportunity to contact you and to satisfy your request of replacements.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
Customer Service Supervisor
High Country Gardens
vperalta@highcountrygardens.com
1-877-811-2700 ext. 3023"

I was a little surprised at the small size of the plants...a first for me, but they've been transplanted and are doing fine.
Arrived in good condition. A first order for me, so I'll have to see how the plants do.

"On May 20, 2012 10:40 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Glad to hear your plants arrived safely and are planted in their new home! Happy Gardening!

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
Customer Service Supervisor
High Country Gardens
vperalta@highcountrygardens.com"

Posted on May 4, 2012, updated May 8, 2012
I believe High Country Gardens is having growing pains. We have ordered from them many times and have always had a wonderful experience each time. We have visited their retail store in Santa Fe and was very impressed. This Spring has been very different and do not know why unless they have grown too big too soon and not able to take care of their customers. I placed an order back in February calling for May 1st shipment. I was surprised they ran my credit card through immediately and when I asked them they said they were a small company and had to do this to "reserve" my plants. We have had a warm Spring so have tried to contact the company to request an earlier shipping date by e-mails, all went unanswered, many, many phone calls to regular number and 1-800 number with both going straight to voice box which was always full and finally going to the chat line. One operator said they had experienced 3X the normal activity in customer service and were behind. I asked when my order was due to ship and she told me it would ship no later than May 1st. On May 2nd I called again on the chat line and asked if my order had been shipped for I had not received a shipping confirmation e-mail. That operator said it was in the shipping department but did not know when it would actually go out for it will remain in the shipping department until the entire order is ready for shipping. She also said they do not send shipping conformation e-mails but I have always received them in the past. I also had a question on the size of container for a yucca I was interested in purchasing. One chat operator would only guess but did not know for sure, when I called back I received a different operator and she said it was a 5" premium pot and a third operator said it was a gallon container. The only reason I kept asking was due to the high price. You cannot get through to actually talk to anyone, your e-mails will go un-answered, no one seems to care or know what is going on and the consistency is non-existant. I have recommended HCG many, many times but may have to take back all the good things I have said about them until they can get their act together. They are such a unique company I really hope they can get through their growing pains.
Here it is Friday May 4th. My last contact with HCG was May 2nd and was told by the chat operator they only ship out on Mondays, yet a previous operator had promised my order was to be shipped no later than Wednesday, May 2nd. I have no idea when my order will be shipped or will arrive so everything is on hold waiting for HCG.

"On May 5, 2012 4:03 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Thank you for your feedback. High Country Gardens spring 2012 season took off quickly and with that we have been receiving a high volume of calls and emails. We have made some recent changes these past few days in hopes of improving wait time. I am sorry to hear your questions were not resolved. Please do contact me directly and I will look into your order for you. Toll free 1-877-811-2700 ext. 3023 or email vperalta@highcountrygardens.com.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
High Country Gardens
Customer Service Supervisor"

Two of my last three orders have been problematic. In my previous order, I ordered two 1 gallon plants that had obviously been transferred from 2 inch pots to gallon pots just prior to shipping. The root structure was just pitiful. In my most recent order, I decided to forgo gallon plants for 5 inch pots, but 2 of the plants had obviously just been transplanted to 5 inch pots from two inch pots. Plus, they left out two of my plants that I ordered and paid for. It was a large order and they did not include a packing list, so I can only assume they were hoping I wouldn't notice. Packing has also become increasingly shoddy over the past couple of months. Customer service has been helpful, but I expect them to get things right the first time. Make sure to take pics of plants if you have a problem. I wasn't offered a refund for one of the gallon plants because I went ahead and planted it without taking a pic. I wasn't asking for a full refund just the price difference between the gallon and 5 inch pots.

"On May 1, 2012 1:59 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

We appreciate your feedback and are looking into the issues you've brought up. We have a 100% guarantee and do not require photos for replacements or refunds. Please contact me directly to process a claim if this was not resolved. Toll free 1-877-811-2700 ext. 3023 or via email vperalta@highcountrygardens.com.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
High Country Gardens
Customer Service Supervisor"

Plants received were poorly shipped/packaged. Several stems were broken but have been trying to salvage them. Plants did not have well developed root systems and were too young to be shipped out. I now have two plants that have completely died. Have emailed customer service for replacement 3 times with no response. Waited a week and tried calling customer service which went to a recording saying please leave a message, but the mail box is full. Sadly, I still have more plants ordered to be shipped this week, wishing it could be cancelled. I think the retail locations are fine, and I know problems occur in shipping, but the lack of prompt customer service means I won't be ordering again.

"On Apr 24, 2012 12:34 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

I am sorry to hear of your recent experience. We take great pride in our plants and customer service and want to fix this for you, as well as use your feedback to improve our service. Please contact me at your earliest convenience by email vperalta@highcountrygardens.com or direct at 1-877-811-2700 ext. 3023.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
High Country Gardens
Customer Service Supervisor"

I ordered 5 Agastache 'Ava' , 5 Agastache cana 'Rosita' and 1 Buddleia alternifolia in early March. I was able to select my week of shipping, which is wonderful! I received an email that my plants were shipping the 2nd week of April, just as I had selected. They came right on time and were packaged secure and safe! HCG has a wonderful packing method! Every plant looks wonderful and healthy!! I've ordered from them 2 years ago and had the same great experience. They have the best selection of Agastache!

This is a marvelous company. Customer service is efficient and helpful (Sam is the greatest), plants are great quality, selection is wonderful and the packing is more environmentally friendly than most nurseries with very little extraneous material involved.

I just received a large order to start populating my new garden with bountiful perennials. I am very pleased.

I always look forward to learning about the new HCG plant introductions each year. At such reasonable prices, it is hard to resist temptation!

I will definitely be a repeat customer in the future.

By the way, I am surprised at some of the negative reviews below. The customer service of this nursery is one of the best and easiest to deal with...

Posted on April 30, 2006, updated March 23, 2012
My plants arrived exactly when they were supposed to. They were safely packed, and arrived healthy. They were very small but all with healthy root systems. I planted them 4 days ago, and so far so good, despite having been alternately rained on and sun-scorched immediately after being transplanted. Only the healthiest and most tenacious of plants can survive springtime in Austin.

"On Mar 23, 2012 9:14 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

I regret to hear you were not able to get resolve. HCG credits do not expire. For your privacy I am not able to obtain your contact information through your post. Please contact me and I will be glad to assist you.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
Customer Service Supervisor
High Country Gardens
vperalta@highcountrygardens.com
1-877-811-2700 ext. 3023
"

I've ordered from HCG for at least 5 years now and have always been very satisfied. In all those orders, I've only had one plant not make it; took a picture, sent it to HCG, and promptly received a replacement, healthy and still going strong in my garden. I'm a fan!

Well this is my first order with HCG, I was a little disapointed with the size of a plant I ordered. I sent a picture and they offered me my money back or a bigger shrub in April, so I took the new shrub. I do like the selection of plants on this website and plan to do more business. I appreciate the prompt way they handled the problem and the customer service is terrific.

Posted on February 20, 2012, updated March 17, 2012
Posted on May 28, 2010, updated February 20, 2012
Posted on March 13, 2009, updated May 28, 2010
I ordered a Hesperaloe parviflora 'Yellow' and it was shipped exactly when I requested it to be shipped. The plant is very healthy and in a larger pot than expected. It also already has offshoots at the base. It looks as good as a plant I bought locally last year (the red variety of the same plant) and the price is very competitive, including the shipping costs!

I would very highly recommend this company. I'm impressed. Thanks for the good service!

I have visited their nursery/greenhouses in Santa Fe and ordered plants from them. Their demonstration garden is gorgeous.

Last summer (2011), I ordered Silver Buffalo Berry bushes and only lost one due to neglect. The plants came with soil and were very healthy. Shipping was fast. Luckily their climate is similar to our climate in Flagstaff, in fact we get more moisture, so growing here is a little easier.

I highly recommend this company to all my neighbors and people I work with. They are a great company to get hard-to-find natives.

I just found HCG this year and placed my first order for 3 Amaryllis bulbs that were discounted. I was told the bulbs would be small because they were discounted but I have been trying for 2 years to get this particular variety so I agreed and expected 3 small bulbs. They arrived within the week and were the biggest bulbs I have ever received. I was thrilled and I'm anxiously waiting for them to bloom.
I will order from them again when I find something I am looking for.
A very satisfied customer in Abilene Texas.

I was surprised to see that HCG gets somewhat mixed reviews on here, and then I realized that though I have ordered from them several times a year since 2007 I had yet to contribute a review. I am a fan of this nursery. I've never visited them, but I like the ethos of their catalogue. Westchester County NY would hardly be considered a xeric place, but I garden on a hilly site facing south and east (and never water once a plant is established so everything in my garden needs to survive on rainwater). Their selection of water thrifty plants is very useful for my site. I've been happy with the success rate of most things I ordered from HCG. Have plants died? Yes -- but unless the plant dies shortly after arrival (or arrives in bad shape) I find it hard to blame the nursery. Plants are living things and by their very nature this means they all die eventually. Part of my flexibility on this point is that I've experimented with plants from HCG that are offered with the caveat that the plants are better for the arid West, and when those don't make it I especially feel it unfair to complain. Amazingly an impressive number of these Western plants have survived (Chamaebatiera millifolium, Hesperaloe parviflora) or even thrived (Tagetes lemmonii, Philadelphus lewisii) for me. In general I find HCG's service is very good -- I always select my ship date, and have never had a problem with plants not arriving as expected. The packaging is usually great, so I haven't had problems with plants arriving in bad shape. In fact, this year I ordered another round of Agastache rupestris and was pleased that HCG changed their policy and didn't cut the plants back before shipping. I had a 100% success rate getting those established whereas in the past I always lost some. I always look forward to seeing what's new at HCG. I find their catalogues inspiring, and I like that they are unafraid to offer unusual varieties. I think many complaints on this board are from people whose expectations are a bit unrealistic. If price is really a big issue for you or if you get ruffled if a mailorder plant arrives looking jostled, then maybe you are the kind of customer better served by shopping at a local garden center or the big box stores. I've had plenty of bad mailorder plant experiences with other companies -- plants arriving dead, plants arriving bare root without that having been clear in the sales pitch, wrong plants, shipments gone awol without any tracking -- but I can heartily say that HCG is not among the bad mailorder companies.

I have been buying from High Country Garden ever since they started. IN FACT MY ORIGINAL CUSTOMER WAS IN THE LOW TWO DIGITS. I have only praise for their plant selection and plant quality; also their soil amendments are very good. This is the ideal place to find plants and fertilizers for the front range of Colorado. Here in Colorado Springs these garden essentials are hard to find LOCAL NURSERIES ARE FEW AND MOST STOCK PLANTS NOT ARE SUITABLE FOR THIS PLANT HARDINESS ZONE AND SOIL TYPES FOIND AROUND COLORADO SPRINGS; MAKING HIGH COUNTRY GARDENS A VERY VALUABLE ASSET.

On several occasions I have ordered plants from High Country Gardens.. The ones that I ordered in spite of their recommendations to the contrary (suited for only western gardens) did eventually die (as I expected, I like to push the envelope) but the others did well, and are doing well. I will continue to order from them. Their plants are vigorous and well-packaged. They have always arrived in top condition.

I love these people , This is my third year ordering from them and I have never had a problem . They offer gallon sized plants on a lot of their yuccas and agaves , Love that ! Everything I have ordered from them is now huge in my garden and thriving , Even the little 5 in premium pot items . Just placed my order for two brakelight hesperaloes and one agave all gallon sized and the fact they let you choose your delivery date is simply unheard of in mail order nurseries I recommend them to anyone .

agaves were my interest with this company. i placed my first order last week and received it today. that's good. i ordered 10 agave parryi that were on sale for $3.50. that's real good. i called to place an order by phone with a credit card and it took a bit of time as the sale prices were not what they had on their end. the plants arrived and i could here movement when i tilted the box. not good. upon opening the overly complicated packing the plants were in excellent condition with only 2 damaged leaves. very good for shipping agave. i think the packaging was overkill. for a small rootbound agave (which is OK) i see no reason to use rubberbands to keep a piece of foam to cover the top of the soil. more should have been done to keep the plants from moving in the box. i've received many agave from other on-line nurseries that use newspaper. the plants were very well grown and for $3.50 a great value. i will order from this nursery again, and other than the packaging techniques, i give it a positive rating.

The plants are usually seedlings, so they will take years to grow like the pictures. I was disappointed last year when I got my first yucca rostrata. This year, it's growing and I now like getting small plants and watching them grow. I wish they could all be premium or one gallon size. I've ordered about five times, and I usually moderately pleased.

I would recommend HCG, but realize the plants are small.

Posted on October 12, 2011, updated October 20, 2011
I am very happy with this company!

Because the plants HCG ships are very tiny, I really suggest anybody (especially if you live in Texas) to buy plants from High Country Garden in the Fall because they will be able to create a good root system during fall and winter before the summer heat begins. Plus the plants are so tiny that you better buy them early if you want them to become something during the next growing season!

I ordered the following plants in three orders:

Escobaria (Coryphantha) vivipara (Cacti Pot)
Escobaria minima (Cacti Pot)
Helianthemum nummularium 'Burgundy Dazzler' (Standard Pot)
Hymenoxys scaposa (Standard Pot)
Nananthus aff. broomii
Nananthus transvaalensis (Standard Pot)
Osteospermum 'Avalanche' PPAF (Premium Pot)
Phemeranthus (Talinum) calycinum 'Judith's Favorite' (Standard pot)
Ruschia pulvinaris (Standard Pot)
Rabia albipuncta (Standard Pot)
Stomatium mustilinum (Standard Pot)
Zinnia grandiflora 'Yellow Cushion' (Standard Pot)
Yucca Nana (Standard Pot)
Callirhoe involucrata (Standard Pot)
Dalea purpureum (Standard Pot)
Lavandula stoechas 'Madrid Blue' PP# 12,573 (Premium Pot)
Penstemon pinifolius 'Compactum' (Premium Pot)
Armeria maritima 'Compacta' (Premium Pot)
Aloinopsis spathulata (Standard Pot)
Aloinopsis 'Karoo Red Mix' (Cacti Pot)
Hymenoxys acaulis (Standard Pot)
Nierembergia gracilis (Standard Pot)
Achillea serbica (Premium Pot)
Cold Hardy Cacti Sampler (Cactus Pots)
Dianthus gratianopolitanus ‘Firewitch’ (Premium Pot)


Here are the problems I found with the following plants:

1) Helianthemum nummularium 'Burgundy Dazzler' (Standard Pot)
It was out of stock and I received a refund very promptly without even asking anything about it.

2) Hymenoxys scaposa (Standard Pot)
This one died when I planted it in the ground. I believe it was too small (in fact it was a tiny little seedling). I already made a replacement request through their online form 2 days ago. I did not receive a confirmation email about the submission of the replacement request, but I hope they will send me a replacement soon.

3) Lavandula stoechas 'Madrid Blue' PP# 12,573 (Premium Pot)
I hoped this one was going to survive, instead it died just like all the other lavanders I bought at other stores such as Home Depot and Lowes. I really discourage people from buying lavender plants in North Texas because it seems like they do not like the humidity in the air here. Once a lavender feels stressed even a little bit, there is no return, it is doomed to die and there is nothing that can be done. So, I consider this as simply an experiment and I did not ask for a replacement plant. The best lavender plants to buy in Texas are those they sell in your local stores in 2-gallon pots or bigger. They are better prepared for standing our climate.

All the other plants are doing fabulously, and I can't wait for next Spring to see them bloom!

I ordered some Kniphofia Caulescens last spring. They arrived as promised in Oct. They were in wonderful shape and larger than I expected them to be. This was a good shopping experience. I will buy from them again.

I've purchased plants from High Country Gardens several times and always been happy with the results. The resources and information available on their website are extensive and the time or two that I've needed additional help, it has been easy to reach a knowledgeable person. I'm a very happy customer, in Maryland.

I purchased two Agastche from High Country Gardens. I have purchased from them many times over the years and have Always been satisfied with the plants that arrived. They have always been good sized plants and in good condition.
This time I ran into a problem. One of the plants that arrived was already shriveled up and drooping badly. The other plant was fine. I went ahead and watered both plants and kept them in the garage for a day. The second day I put them out in a shady area and kept them watered. The plant that was shrivled still looked bad, the other one was great. The next day I planted both of them. What I found was that the shrivled plant didn't have any soil in the bottom half of the pot. This is why it was doing so bad. It didn't have any root system to speak of due to the air space in the pot. I contacted HCG and they have sent me a new plant to replace the other one. That's the way a vendor should answer a problem and that's why I still think HCG is the number one vendor for plants. Overall good product and standing behind what they sell makes them A+ in my book.