Comments regarding High Country Gardens

I was majorly disappointed with High Country Gardens after getting a personal referral on them from a local gardening friend.
I ordered $40 of plant stock and $10 of seed. High Country said they would pic the dates for shipping, this is always a bit of a problem as it requires you to be ready to receive the plants and get them situated the day they come in. But at least their order processing web site gives expected ship dates which seemed pretty cool.

The plants were shipped per their production and fullfillment dates, in the worst heat in the summer, via UPS, no doubt in trailers running 150 degrees inside or more. Three of 4 plants came in green but lost their leaves within 2 days of receipt while being kept inside in filtered light at a warm but not hot window location. The 4th plant came in August and it was still record breaking heat, and met with a slightly protracted fate as it took 5 days for it to expire. I can not for the life of me figure out why they sell plants to ship to Texas in the summer, and it humbles me for being so stupid as to do business with anyone who thinks that shipping plants via motorcarrier across west TX in June and August is a good idea. I guess I was sucked in by them knowing what ship dates were best.

I sent an email to customer service regarding my dissatisfaction with the fried plants, and it was returned by Rocque Ranaldi a Customer Service Representative of High Country Gardens with instructions on how I could drop my email on further receipt of catalogs by clicking on unsubscribe at the bottom of the message.

I have a suspicion that customer service is contracted out into India, based on a conversation I had on the phone, and terse the email response which did not seem to have a clue of the nature of the request and smacks of a poor linguistic connection.
I felt that a xeriscape supplier in NM was worth dealing with for my TX xeriscape settings as they had taken the time to categorize plants that would be good for my area, and I guess I just expected too much.

Even though the plants were listed for summer shipment, I was aghast that they would ship in this weather versus at least give me an option to take them later in the summer after the heat wave. To a large extent I can live with the lack of control on this kind of thing, and take it as a lesson learned. However, I feel that the customer service connection here is substandard, and I do not wish to participate with it. The good news is that while I am entering into the Xeriscape area I continue to be interested and that I am now seeking out a local company to do business with and set that as my standard. I don't care what it costs, its getting viable plants that I want, not to have my time and money wasted, borderline rudeness, not to mention frustration and disappointment. The later is not why I garden, and quite frankly, I am not used to experiencing it.

While I am VERY saddened to have seen the passing of Wayside Gardens and Park Seed. My experience here does nothing for the source company nor the industry, and really should not be tolerated.

I AM happy that they included this link in their customer response and I AM thankful for that as it gives me a wonderful community to exchange seeds and growing knowledge, so that alone may well have been worth the 50 bucks spent and lost on this order with High Country Gardens.

"On Sep 20, 2011 1:26 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

One of the things so many of our customers love is that we do give you the option to select your own ship week. Ship weeks can be changed if needed.

I would appreciate the opportunity to get a new order sent to you when the time is right for you.

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

Ordered a few plants from them during summer of '11. They delivered them towards the end of summer as stated. All plants but one arrived in good condition. One of the plants was wilted and pretty much dead. I contacted the company and within a week I already had a replacement for it. Overall I'm satisfied. It's been a few weeks and the plants seem to be doing well so far. I'd order from them again.

Posted on July 26, 2011, updated August 31, 2011
Seems that High Country gardens has gotten way TOO BIG. They did not ship my plants as advised on my order. I finally managed to contact them by live chat and my plants are shipping a week late.
All phone lines are always busy for hours on end.
I have been a customer since they first opened to mail order back in the early 90's and I am VERY DISAPPOINTED.

"On Aug 5, 2011 10:46 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work with you and address your concerns. As a result of your comment we have made positive changes in our customer service phone. I am glad we were able to immediately ship your plant order. We look forward to serving you in the future.

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

I love this company. Had nothing but positive experience. Plants arrive health. If planted promptly and nurtured the first year they thrive.
Just placed my third order with them. I live in a relatively wet part of the country. Maryland, and look for plants that will do well here and have used plants for areas that are hot and dry.

I have just put my third order with High Country Gardens. In the past I have ordered thir Legacy buffalo grass plugs to be installed in a side yard as well as some perennials. Today I ordered 2 flats of the Bella plugs for my small front yard. In the past I have been most impressed with the packaging, prompt delivery as well as the detailed instructions for successful planting results. I am very pleased with their xeric efforts and especially impressed with the ability of their turf to easily adapt to the climate in northern Illinois.

My order shipped on the date requested, and the plants were all very healthy and meticulously packaged. I have no reservation about recommending them.

"On Aug 5, 2011 10:55 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Our shipping department works hard to get these orders packed and shipped securely. We appreciate your feedback and Thank You for recommending us to others!

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

several past shipments were most satisfactory. i just ordered from them again; that about says it all, eh?

"On Aug 5, 2011 10:49 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Thank you for sharing about the arrival of your past shipments. We are glad to be of continued service to you!

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

Posted on July 14, 2010, updated July 25, 2011
We've been ordering from HCG for several years and were never disappointed until this year. Very sloppy packing caused many plants to arrive without dirt or labels. They were very good about replacing or crediting all of the ones that did not make it (which is why this is not a negative rating), and those were packed properly, but the overall quality of most their plants (including many of the replacements) is not as good as it has been in the past. Very disappointed. Maybe they've gotten too big or made some poor hiring decisions? Hope they get their act together soon. We miss the old HCG.

"On Jul 14, 2010 2:01 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

We are glad you have already contacted customer service and have processed your claim. We appreciate your feedback and are looking into some of the process changes that took place this season. Most of our growing shipping crew has been with the company for multiple years and we take the same care as in the past. We strive to continue to be the leaders in plant quality, shipping and handling and offer the best customer service. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.

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

Posted on August 26, 2010, updated July 21, 2011
I placed my first order with HCG this past Spring, all plants arrived looking healthy. After planting everything still looked good, however, 1 plant did not make it. I e-mailed HCG for a replacement, they said it was just past their summer shipping deadline, they would replace it in the Fall, or add it to my next order. I asked for the plant to be replaced in the Fall. I didn't intend to order from them until next Spring, I wanted to see how everything came through the Winter. However, the Fall catalog came, and well....you know how that goes...
Anyway, the replacement came today, looks great, and I'm anxious to see how all the plants fare this winter. I hope they do well, I had a great experience with HCG, and if all goes well with the plants, I WILL be ordering from them again.

Just got an order of 4 plants, a combination of agave's and yucca's. They came in 3 separate packages, and were all very healthy and large.

Ordered a variety of plants. All were well rooted. All have grown well. In fact, they are doing better than the ones I bought locally. I am already planning to order more in the fall.

I am sorry to say it, but the refund process is so difficult with this company that even though I have used them for several years, I no longer will.

I sent in two orders and they got one entirely wrong. I complained about it but they said they had sent the right plants. They were not in good condition and finally died. However the refund process requires so much information, and you can't put but 2 plants on a page that it is very cumbersome.

If they can make some changes to their process I'd be glad to use them again because they specialize in the type of plants I need. My yard is full of them, but I no longer can recommend the company.

"On Jun 24, 2011 3:45 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

We appreciate your feedback. We are constantly looking for ways to improve and will work to improve the online claim process in the near future. I see you did contact us for your claim and that it was processed today. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or additional feedback.

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

My three orders were shipped complete in a timely fashion with all the plants arriving in good health without substitutions. Plants of interest but out of stock, are noted on their web site.

Posted on March 30, 2006, updated June 19, 2011
I love High Country Gardens; their plants, website and service! I received my first order Spring 2005 and everyone of the 8 plants were very healthy, nice and packed well. All the plants grew well and all but 1 (Penstemon pinifolius) bloomed last summer, and I'm sure I'll be seeing blooms on it this summer. I bought Salvias, Agastaches, a Penstemon, a Stachys and a Lavender. I already have another order coming soon and it won't be my last. Highly recommended!

If this is their idea of customer service, I'll be moving on. I was trying to order a catalog for my niece, who has just moved to a new house in New Mexico and solicited my advice on landscaping. I immediately thought of High Country Gardens. Well, their site would not let me send the order because my email address was wrong. After three tries with three different emails, I gave up and called the catalog department. They don't deal with customers, so the call goes to a voice mail drop box. Then I tried customer service, with the same experience. Finally, I decided to call their store in Santa Fe. After making it through their mail tree, I was dropped into a voice mail box. I have better things to do with my time than play games.

Also there is something wrong with their website. All plants listed on the initial page are listed as $29.94, which is outrageous for what they are selling. When I went to the full description page for Echinacea purpurea Pow Wow 'Wild Berry', it is only $8.99.

Seems to be a once great company falling apart.

"On Jun 15, 2011 2:43 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

My apologies you were not able to place your order online. We are working on our website. Our call volume has been high today. Messages left with customer service are returned promptly. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to place an order or if you have any questions. Toll free 1-877-811-2700 ext. 3023.

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

Ordered 3 Bigtooth Maple. All arrived in perfect condition.

I like that you are also able to select the week of the shipment when you place an order.

Ordered 3 plants on 5/25. Received them today 6/3. Perfect large healthy plants ready to go in the garden.

Super quick shipping. A wonderful company as far as I'm concerned. Never dissappointed with any plant I have purchased from this company.

I ordered about 30 plants at HCG's end of season sale, my first order with this company. Plants arrived quickly (I did expedited delivery as I am in the opposite corner of the country) in excellent condition. Small, but healthy and robust looking plants, well packed in a manner that is easy to unpack. I couldn't be more pleased. I mail order plants regularly, and will expect to use HCG again.

I have dealt with HCG many times in the past, and have never had a bad shopping experience. A couple weeks ago, I ordered a buddleia alternifolia, and never got a shipping notification. After about a week, I emailed asking for status and Maureen told me my order had somehow slipped through the cracks (that can happen - I ordered via website on a Sat, during a busy busy busy month). She said it would ship immediately with free expedited so I would get it as soon as possible.

When I explained that we are now in 90F days here in GA, she agreed to cancel and refund, instead. The refund hit my account the very next day. I'll be ordering my buddleia in the fall when our temps go back down - not just because HCG is the only reputable place I've ever found it for sale, but because I know this most recent snafu was an anomaly, not the norm. They are hands-down one of the best internet nurseries in the business, in my opinion.

My order was placed in April.. In late May, I inquired the status and learned it was "lost in hyperspace".. and that it would be shipped in June... That date has come and gone with no word and no response to two emails. In the meantime, I continue to get notices that I might buy the very items I paid for at 1/2 of the price.

Beautiful packaging. Plants arrive safely cocooned. Love the plants in the premium containers. The root systems are twice the size of regular containers. Very healthy plants. Love their on-line sales and catalog filled with tips.

Very well packed, healthy good plants.
Good experience

Posted on May 12, 2011, updated May 17, 2011
Although my communications and shipping "experience" shopping with HCG was positive---no problems there---for me, it's all about the plants. What I received was "almost" what I expect from a reputable mail-order source---well rooted young plants with healthy foliage.

With a little TLC, hopefully these plants will recover and go on to become robust, healthy plants. Hence, my "neutral" rating---the plant material could have been better.

"On May 13, 2011 3:59 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

We put great effort into growing plants that transplant well and take off in your garden. We are in zone 5, (it was -20degrees in February) and we grow our plants cold without a lot of heat so they are strong and flourish in your garden. The amount of leaves and stems on spring grown perennials is not a determining factor of plant quality, it’s the crown and roots that make a great perennial. Please note: many western native plants begin waking up much later than common perennials.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

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

Ditto the comments from others regarding plant size and - I hate to say it - health of the plants. The plants I received about 6 weeks ago are still struggling to get established, and I fear I may lose a couple of them. I'll probably be able to check on the refund/replacement guarantee and will update if that happens. That said, they are certainly not the smallest or weakest plants I've ever received from a mail order nursery.

On the positive side, prices at HCG are some of the best. They offer many unusual, hard-to-find things. Especially love their focus on xeric and natives, something other nurseries should offer...considering the state of our planet. Will update status of plants in a couple of weeks.

I was generally satisfied with the processing of my on-line order with High Country Gardens a few weeks back - and they were prompt in the shipment of the order. My one complaint though (and I'd read this complaint from other customers) is the puny size and condition of the plants. It appears as if HCG is trying to maximize profits by minimizing plant size. One week after this shipment, I placed an order with Digging Dog Nursery in N. California for similar plants and pricing, and received plants that were easily twice the size of those from High Country Gardens.

"On May 13, 2011 4:00 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

We put great effort into growing plants that transplant well and take off in your garden. We are in zone 5, (it was -20degrees in February) and we grow our plants cold without a lot of heat so they are strong and flourish in your garden. The amount of leaves and stems on spring grown perennials is not a determining factor of plant quality, it’s the crown and roots that make a great perennial. Please note: many western native plants begin waking up much later than common perennials.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

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

I placed an order Friday morning. I paid extra for 2 day delivery. Day 1 = Saturday, Day 2 = Monday. I called today and found out that the store didn't receive the order until Saturday (even though the store is the website) and didn't send it out for delivery until today. So my 2 day delivery now becomes a 5 day delivery.

Explain this better so that people don't have an expectation of better service. It is unacceptable that an order isn't immediately forwarded to be filled after being placed online.

"On May 9, 2011 4:04 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Thank you for placing your order. 2nd day means your plants are in transit two days. We received your order Friday, shipped out the very next business day which is Monday. UPS does not pick up or ship on weekends so we keep your plants fresh in our greenhouse rather than sit in a box over the weekend. All handled on schedule as we promised and your order will arrive Wednesday. Shipping information is available on our site under How we ship. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

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

I was reluctant to order a second time as I had ordered some plants a couple years ago and every one died. Since they have such a good selection of Hyssop and also Munro's Mallow which grows great here (semi-native), I gave them one more try. Plants were great and all are now in larger pots in our greenhouse awaiting warmer weather for transplant. Most have doubled in size since we got them!

I would suggest ordering in spring as the first time was in summer and I suspect I got leftovers.

Posted on June 4, 2007, updated April 30, 2011
Love this company! This is about the fifth order I've placed and the plants are always beautifully packaged. The plants all flowered the first season and are very healthy and gorgeous. I live in a colder zone, but bring them in to over winter. Agastache plants are phenomenal, many hummingbirds and butterflies. Thank you High Country Gardens, I am definately a fan!

Love the informative website and kniphofia which arrived in great condition.

I first placed my order with a requested ship date of the week of October 12, because I was going to be out of town the week before. My shrubs arrived at my door on October 8th. The shurb combo I ordered was listed as hardy to zone 4, which is where I live. One of the shrubs didn't make it through that first winter, and when I contacted them about an alternative, they refused to help because it had been more than a year. The shrub that died is only hardy to zone 5, even though they listed the combo as zone 4, and their web site STILL contains this incorrect info. Despite this error on THEIR part, they refuse to help. Must be nice to have enough customers that you can afford to lose one over an $8 plant.

"On Apr 27, 2011 9:37 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

We guarantee that you will receive healthy, vigorous plants that transplant successfully and prosper. Within one year from shipment. If there is any questions or concerns we encourage our customers to contact us immediately.

I would be glad to get you a replacement for the one that didn't make it For your privacy Garden Watchdog does not forward your name or address information. Please contact me and I will personally make sure we select a shrub appropriate for your area.

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

I received my first ever order from HCG two days ago. Impressive! Ordering was a breeze online, tracking was very easy and with 2nd day air shipping, the plants arrived with perfect timing. All the plants were healthy and very nice sizes for the prices. (agastache, kniphofia, liatris, lonicera, and sedum) Will be planting today and tomorrow... hopefully I can keep them living east of the Mississippi.

My 1st order with HCG and I am extremely impressed with the entire ordering process at HCG. I was able to track my order, it arrived on time, all plant were well packed, great size, very healthy. I found the prices to be very, very, good. I live in high desert country (northern NV) and am delighted to find a company that fits my gardening needs. I will definitely be ordering from High Country Gardens again.

This is the first time I ordered plants from HCG. I am thrilled with the product, the packing, the shipping, and the personel.
My plants are beautiful, healthly, perfect for my yard!
Thank you HCG!

Over the weekend, ordered several composting materials to aid my clay "foundation" dirt. All were received in very good order on Thursday and Saturday!
Very pleased with High Country Gardens ordering and shipping process.

I ordered two plants from them this year. One clematis and one linum. They look very healthy. They shipped when I asked them to ship. I would definitely order from this company again.

High Country Gardens and Santa Fe Greens houses has been my wife and my number one place to shop and get the BEST gardening and lawn advice for over fifteen years.

The plants, etc. herein were lost in a divorce**, but as you will see, this expierience is still well worth the mention:

First: I live in a Zone 5 area. Winters are unkind "here", as is my Ex's** heart.

By 2002 or so, I had received a HGC catalog, and lusted after those beautiful and unique cacti and succulents. However, a lot of their palnts are marginal Zone 5 (might as well just say Zone 6!), or simply must must must be kept Winter-dry, to survive here.

O.K.:
My old house** had a wet basement. In 2002, I had a contractor come thru & waterproof it; one step of which was to trench down to the bottom of the foundation. The trench itself was 18" wide, and about 4 feet deep. The old drains were replaced, the trench backfilled with peastone.

As you likely know: Peastone = "perfect drainage".

Still hot for the cacti, and not wanting to waste the space (about 15 feet along a South-facing wall);
I decided to build a sort of Zone 6/alpine house over the trench.
I consructed a raised bed from landscape timbers, roughly 15 ft. long, 3 feet in width from house wall to bed-front, and 8" deep. I spiked the bed to the asphalt driveway.

I lined it with black gardening fabric, and filled it with a mix of ;
composted manure,
a good garden soil,
sharp sand,
crushed (pea-sized) stone,
smooth pea-stone,
chick grit (aka. "Stoneymo Granite)
a granular material (the name's escaped me) used to areate and loosten clay soils. There was no clay in the soil mix, this stuff was another dry-drainage item, plus it was red-orange and added color to the mix.
For more color, I threw in some crushed (sledge-hammered) red and black lava.

The whole bed was built it in front of 2 basically under-insulated basement windows.
Next came a 'hoop" or "frame" of a good, stiff, springy fence wire, strong enough to support a snow load.
I hooked one edge of the fencing under the house siding, the other edge flexed behind the back edge of the bed.
I used 3 or four pieces of thick, clear plastic sheeting, (the flexible kind, not the one that cracks if bent!) overlapping them by a couple inches, again the plastic went over the fencing, under the siding, and in back of the timbers, then roughly "sealed" each end with pieces of styrofoam;
und dot vas dot!
Oh, boy it was pretty !

I ordered 15 or so Xerics from HGC, mostly the cactus, Rabias, Titanopsis, a small Agave, etc., etc, .

What they show you in their catalog, about how their items are packed, is exactly what you will get!

That package from HCG was a real WOW!!! moment.
The plants were beautiful, healthy, and none were damaged.

HGC's service was as good as anyone's...they are on an "Elite Nursery" list.
Please do order from HGC, you will not be disappointed.

As for the ultimate fate of the raised bed:
I planted HGC's items, making sure to place extra chick grit around their collars, to wick away moisture.
I was surprised to find that the damp basement air leaking thru the windows and into the little greenhouse provided all the water the Xeric plants needed.
Everything overwintered spectacularly, and was beautiful in Spring of 2003 and again in 2004.
Even a Hebe and an Ephedra I got from a local grower.
Note:
(2004** divorce final, ** kept the house), I haven't the heart to go back & see if Ol' Roundup Thumbs** has trashed that lovely bed or not.

HCG offers an excellent selection of rare plants and has a beautiful catalog. All plants arrived quickly and in excellent condition. Packaging was good and all plants were well-rooted and a nice size. The perennial pots were shipped with a tiny bag around each pot, loosely rubber-banded at the top to keep the soil in, and made the long trip to PA in nice shape. I will order from them again. Thanks!

I have bought several hundred dollars-worth of plants from HCG over the years. Some have done spectacularly well, others have been just as spectacular failures. I think the key to success with their plants is to understand that they are for western cultural conditions and some will not do well in soils that are, for instance, heavily augmented with compost. Gardeners here in central Wyoming have to practically re-invent our soils in order to get much of anything to grow, and yet some of the plants from HCG like our soil and will disappoint in kinder conditions. I am making a guess at this point to say that probably half of what I have bought from HCG has thrived and half have failed utterly. I blame three things--I am in a rural area with much harser conditions than in town, I am still a rank amateur after gardening all of my life, and because of that, I chose the wrong varieties for my location. I haven't shopped with HCG for a few years so I could allow some festuca to mature and give me a better idea what else to plant in a natives bed, but I did just place an order for some penstemon pinafolius and rhus aromatica--fairly foolproof plants. I anticipate success. If you order from them, ask questions about cultural requirements and research the varieties you want to try really well before spending the money. Their plants come in great packaging and they get up and running pretty quickly, that is if you've made the right choice. All-in-all they are a great resource for western gardeners.