Comments regarding High Country Gardens

I had never heard of this company before until I recieved their catalog in the mail.They had a good rating so I gave them a try. I was very satisfied with my order. The plants were very well packed and arrived healthy. I was happy with the size of the plants and they all had a healthy root system. Their customer service is also outstanding. I would definately order from them again.

Order done easily, processed easily and delivered when HCG said it would be. Only problem is that the non-working hour phone support has no one knowledgeable about plants and their care. So had to call again and e-mail. But once I did do the second, response was quick and thoughtful;

"On Mar 10, 2011 3:18 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

We appreciate your feedback. We have a 24 hour order line that handles orders and catalog requests. Customer service is available M-F 9am-5pm MT. We strive to respond to all customer correspondence as promptly as possible. Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

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

I have been a catalog & store customer for over 10 years, unfortunately my most recent experience was negative. It is not about the quality of their plants, but their lack of customer service. I needed to adjust my plant order, and I never got a call back from the customer line; always received a voice message & never a person; plus never received the follow-up e-mail that even gave me my order number. I finally e-mailed them and hope someone will respond or at least acknowledge the change to my order.

"On Mar 9, 2011 4:56 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

I am sorry to hear you were having trouble contacting us. We have checked our call logs and could not locate any messages from you by phone. We did respond to your email within an hour of the time it was sent. You may want to check your spam folder for order emails which are sent from admin@highcountrygardens.com and plants@highcountrygardens.com. Please contact me if I can be of any assistance now or in the future.

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

I have the Hummingbird Garden at the Horticultural Center in Philadelphia, and I have ordered from High Country Gardens for the last four years. Their plant material has always arrived healthy, vibrant, and packed with care. I have found their customer service to be outstanding. Also, I have never lost a plant from them, and many of the plants have exceeded my expectations for growth in one season.

Love this nursery! I have ordered from them for years and have always been happy with the customer service, and the plants. I live in Northern California and have several xeric beds that look fantastic thanks to HCG.

They seem a bit expensive but plants have always arrived in excellent health, done as good or better than advertised, and they have the best packing system i've seen yet

"On Feb 4, 2011 4:52 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Thank you for complementing our plants and packaging. Here at High Country Gardens we grow the majority of our plants in our specially designed 5" deep premium pots. We focus on developing hardy, healthy plants that we care for till the right shipping time for your area. We appreciate you recognizing the extra care we take in developing and shipping our plants.

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

Last year, I ordered a number of plants, many in premium (5") pots, from High Country Gardens. While the plants appeared small, their root systems were very well developed, and they took off like a house afire. By mid-summer, they were a riot of color and texture, a lovely sight indeed. Many were planted in the front yard, and I got so many compliments from neighbors and passersby. I could not be more pleased and have just ordered some more for spring delivery, to be planted in the "inferno strip" between sidewalk and curb next to my store. Thank you, High country Gardens!

"On Feb 4, 2011 4:51 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

We appreciate you for your feedback. High Country Gardens specially designed the 5" deep containers used in shipping the majority of the plants we grow. These premium pots are the depth of a #1 Gallon and with their well developed root systems are ready for planting in your garden upon arrival. If you are able to we would love to see pictures! You can email them to vperalta@highcountrygardens.com or post on our Facebook pagehttp://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/hcg4fans for all to enjoy!

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

Very prompt service, they were cooperative and helpfully agreed to send part of my order right away and the rest in the spring; there was 1 mistake and they replaced the bulb immediately & let me keep the mis-sent one as well.

Posted on November 19, 2010, updated November 19, 2010
Posted on November 17, 2010, updated November 19, 2010
High Country Gardens sent an invoice with a statement that my items would ship the week of November 11 and arrive within 2-3 business days. Nothing has arrived and it is already November 17. Considering they're located in New Mexico, this shouldn't be a difficult transaction to accomplish. After viewing these other negative comments, I now dread opening the box should it ever arrive!

"On Nov 17, 2010 12:00 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

This customer contacted HCG Customer Service with concern of the order only after posting a negative.

We received this in our system on Friday November 12th. We do not ship during the weekend nor does UPS pick up or deliver. This order shipped early this week with a delivery date of tomorrow November 18th. This order was placed with standard delivery and shipped within two business days of receipt.

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

I ordered three plants from High Country Gardens this fall. They arrived in OK shape. They looked somewhat healthy but they were dry and on the smaller side compared to plants I had ordered from other companies for around the same price. The package they arrived in wasn't the best. Dry dirt was all over the inside of the box and there was hardly any dirt left surrounding the plant. The plants are doing well in the ground, but the reason I chose neutral was because of the way that the plants were packaged. I will consider ordering from this company again because my plants are doing well since being planted, but they should consider a more efficient way of packaging them.

"On Oct 29, 2010 1:18 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Thank you for your feedback. This is very helpful information for our shipping department. I have sent this information to our shipping supervisor for quality control on packing. Please contact me so we can further investigate what may have occurred. I am glad to hear the plants are thriving and hope you will continue to let us serve you.

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

I love High Country Gardens. Their website is informative, I love that they show pictures of the plants that give perspective of how they will look planted. I do not live in the high country, I live in New Jersey but I order plants often from HCG and they are always alive and shipped safely. Overall a great website and solid plants.

I haved placed several orders with High Country Gardens Catalog and received high quality/ healthy plants. I have also purchased plants/shrubs/soil products at Santa Fe Greenhouse.

Customer service has been quite helpful in answering any and all questions regarding planting, pruning. etc.

Thank you HCG for quality gardening plants and products.

Hats off to all at HCG ~~~~

BlossumGirl

Excellent Customer Service! When I didn't receive the last part of my order, my e-mail inquiry was answered in less time it took me to write the inquiry. At first I was told the ordered had been delivered, which I assured them it had not. Further correspondence uncovered a problem with the drop shippers and the order would be shipped the following week. This was a problem for me since I am leaving on vacation. They agreed to delay shipment for a week, which will be absolutely perfect. Superior response time to my inquiries. All was resolved by e-mail in less than 45 minutes. I couldn't be happier with the resolution and the customer service.

Ordered 6 plants in the late spring to try out this company. I was surprised when they arrived that the plants were so small. The roots and stems were only about inch long on either end. All but 2 died. Called about a replacement and was told that shipping had stopped for the season and they would send out in September - so much for flowers this summer.Replaced 3 with something different as I hoped to have better luck and originals were no longer available. These were a nice size when they arrived - about 6 inches. If the original shipment had been the same size they might have survived I think. Was surprised that I only received 2 of the 3 replacements and was told they were a slightly different price so they only sent 2 plants. the 4th plant to be replaced would come the following week. Enquired about adding to that shipment to fill in the empty spot in my yard. Did not respond to email when asked about the small credit left on my account. Bottom line - replaced plants seem to be OK as they were bigger - not just 1 inch roots in a 5 inch pot.. Would I order from them again? Not if I can get the plants elsewhere.

"On Oct 1, 2010 8:44 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

I am sorry to hear your first shipment of plants was not the usual quality of High Country Gardens. I am glad the replacements were nice and healthy. We do not ship plants late in the heat of the summer (June-mid August) which may have been one reason we could not ship to you immediately.

Our customer service is dedicated to responding to emails within 4 hours. I apologize if you did not receive a response. I know some of our responses have ended up in the spam or junk files. To prevent this from happening you may want to add us as a friend or known email. I would be glad to assist you if you want to contact me. I hope to be of future service to you!

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

I received my very first order from HCG today. The plants were packaged perfectly. All 17 plants (3 varieties) look healthy and are a good size. I will order from this company again come spring. I would order more now for fall planting, but I'm already beat-up from the hot summer. I'm ready to just take it easy and dream of next spring. Thanks HCG!

great products i love them, i just want to say thank you guys.

vshade - Rochester, MN

Again I am very satisfied with my last plant order from HCG.
The plants arrived healthy and ready to plant. I will continue to order frfom this company.

Fast and excellent shipping. Great customer service even long after the transaction was completed

I moved to Las Vegas a few years ago. I had only lived in the southeast before so I had no idea how to garden in a hot desert. I bought several plants at local nurseries and they all failed miserably. None of them belonged in the desert. I found High Country Gardens and have been a huge fan ever since. Every plant I have ordered from them has been extremely healthy and has grown beautifully. Like I said, I am new to the desert and had no idea what to plant so I have emailed them questions and they always respond quickly and thoroughly. Their employees seem to know more about my local growing area than the people at my local nurseries. Of course they offer many other plants besides desert plants. Compared to the local nurseries their plant prices are a little more expensive but I will gladly pay the price because I know the plant will grow. I just can't say enough how much I love High Country Gardens!

Selection of shrubs is somewhat limited, but they do have things you can't find anywhere else (and not just for the Southwest). Their plants are well rooted and very healthy; they really settle in quickly and grow fast. Packing and shipping are excellent.

Posted on August 24, 2010, updated August 24, 2010
Excellent mail order resource for gardeners who need xeric plants for higher elevations, such as Colorado. Plants arrived the week I specified, in good condition.

I'm very happy with the plants I received from HCG. They are unique and beautiful. Shipping was fast and well packed. The plants grow like crazy, just after few months my catmint is over 2 feet wide. And it was a tiny one when I got it. For couple plants, that didn't make it, I received replacements from HCG and hopefully now they will have happy ending at my garden. I recommend HCG to each garden lover.

I ordered several reblooming tall bearded irises which arrived healthy and nicely potted. The packing of these plants was very well thought out, as they were stable and arrived in good condition.
Very pleased with this company and their products.
Colleen in Polson, MT

"On Aug 3, 2010 3:34 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Thank you Colleen for taking the time to share your satisfaction with High Country Gardens and our plants.

We are always delighted to hear from 'happy' customers.

Warm regards,

Maureen McCarthy
HCG Customer Service Representative
800.925.9387"

I have ordered several times from High Country Gardens and have been very pleased each time. They send small, but high quality, healthy plants in a timely manner. On one occasion two of the plants I ordered were stressed when they arrived and did not survive after planting. I contacted the company and promptly received a refund with no hassle.

They have good healthy plants, packed nice and safe and they guarantee them for 6mo. and on occasion, even longer. I like them because they have plants that very, very few on line nurseries have.
Perenne

Posted on June 7, 2010, updated July 3, 2010
I requested a copy of HCG's catalog this spring, and afterwards received an email from them with a "ten dollars off a twenty five dollar order" coupon code, so I decided to try them out.

I bought three plants and a shrub. After shipping charges the total for the order was $31.95 (that's after the ten dollar coupon was taken off). So let's call them around $8 each.

Three were in premium pots, one was in a standard pot.

Premium is definitely the wrong name. The plants are small, bedraggled, and don't look healthy or thriving. I will try to nurse them along but I think it's going to be a few years before they get up to size. They are alive, and might survive and be decent sized in a few years, which is the only reason I'm giving a neutral and not a negative rating...though if they don't live I'll most likely change it.

I don't mind buying small things and growing them up, but for $8 each I could get some good sized plants at a local nursery.

I was definitely disappointed when I opened the box and saw the quality of the plants. I highly doubt I'll order from them again.

"On Jun 9, 2010 9:02 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

We grow our native and xeric plants lean, tough and ready to take off. Plants with a strong root system and less top growth will do better in your garden. What you see as an impressive plant in most garden centers and big box stores is actually fed with heavy nitrogen fertilizers to push the green growth on top. Many times resulting in floppy weak plants. With perennials you want energy in the roots to take off fast in your garden. You will be amazed at how fast our plants take off and if not, we have a 100% perennial plant guarantee.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
High Country Gardens
Customer Service Supervisor
1-800-925-9387"

I just got some on sale plants, and they generally look pretty good. The ones that came in the smallest sized pot are small, some of them look like rooted cuttings that haven't been in production too long (ex Artemesia versicolor Seafoam and Scutellaria resinosa), but they are healthy. The items in larger and deeper pots seem to be considerably more developed, the most drastic visual difference being when I compared a diascia in a small pot with a color variant of same that was in the larger pot. None of the plants arrived dry in my case (the soil mix was actually wet) and all seem ready to grow after I get them planted. My order did come quickly, there was minimal soil spillage, and each plant had a soft foam covering on the soil secured by two rubber bands. Now, having ordered from Bluestone and Santa Rosa as well, I can't say that all of the HCG plants are like what you get from Bluestone or Santa Rosa, but they are alive, rooted, and several are a good size for their container. Plus a HCG grows a number of fussier, slower growing species than the other two companies grow, so I don't expect them all to be bursting out of their pots as is often the case with the usually quite vigorous species grown by the other two companies. I was really pleased with the Solidago sp Witchita Mtns, something I've been looking for for a while. The Phlox pilosa ssp sangamonensis, a rare variant, was also a very well developed plant. HCG also sent a 10 dollar coupon with the order for future use, a nice gesture. If I saw something else I wanted in the future, I would certainly order again without worry.

I recently received 18 plants from High Country Gardens and cannot find appropriate adjectives to describe my disappointment. unfortunately, I did not know of this site nor the 25 other negative reviews of High Country posted here before ordering from them. Had I known, I would not have purchased from them.

The plants I ordered were delivered almost two weeks after the order and arrived very dry and marginally packaged. The plants were all much smaller than the company's catalog and website represent. Several of the plants were scraggly, dead or dying. For example, three"Purple Prairie Clover" plants were barely a visible seedling and two were dead. Only 6 of the eighteen plants were healthy, most were dry and very small and poorly packed.

I also ordered from Santa Rosa Gardens at the same time to get a comparison for future orders as I am doing a $25,000 back yard landscape project by professional landscapers and I am selecting the trees, shrubs and perennials and assisting in their planting.

The difference in the quality and price between High Country Gardens and Santa Rosa Gardens is nothing short of stunning. Santa Rosa was less expensive, i received a higher quantity and quality from them and didn't pay the $25.00 shipping High Country charged. I have taken side by side comparison photos to show the orders I received from both High Country and Santa Rosa about the same time. Santa Rosa carefully wrapped healthy plants 2-3 times the size of High Country's plants and they arrived within 5 days and were very high quality. It is obvious that High Country has a very professional and expensive catalog and website but they sent mainly sprigs that were clearly almost dead. I can send the photos of both companies' orders placed next to each other if anyone is interested.

From the other negative reviews here it's obvious that the pattern and practice of High Country is to send inferior size and condition plants and then apologize after the fact.They have done this too many times for it to be an unusual occurrence. This is an owner/management policy decision. I will never do business with this company again-stunningly poor customer appreciation. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. You never get a second opportunity to make a first impression and High Country deliberately shipped their worst stock just as they did to the other 25 posters here. No second chance for High Country from me. Santa Rosa Gardens is where I will purchase the remainder of my perennials./shrubs for my project.

"On Jun 21, 2010 1:13 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

High Country Gardens strives to provide the best plants, products and service. We understand your concerns and have shared this with our shipping department for training purposes. If you have not already contacted customer service please do so we may process a claim for you.

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

This is the fourth order I've received from High Country Gardens over a period of 12 years.Only one plant has arrived damaged, and that was an Agastache and is known to be fragile. I am very happy with the product and the service.They sell plants that are very difficult to find, and provide great quality for the price.Thank you very much.

On May 25, 2010 I placed an order with HighCountry Gardens in response to an e mail advertising a big sale.I have ordered from this company in the past and have been very satisfied so I did not hesitate to order from them again. I ordered one Lilium pardalinum, one Lilium philadelphicum, one Nierembergia gracilis and one pelargonium Endlicherianum . I opened the box upon arrival and was surprised and disappointed to see the condition of the plants. Both lilies were broken and the pelargonium was leafless , the nierembergia was okay. As of today all of the plants except for the nierembergia seem to have died. lastly all the labels had fallen out of the pots and I have been unable to tell both lilies apart. All in all horrible packaging.I was not going to bother contacting the company until I saw all the similr negative comments at the garden watch dog. I wonder what has gone wrong with what was always a reputable nursery?

"On Jun 21, 2010 9:43 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Thank you for your feedback. These conditions described are not the norm for HCG. I have passed this on to our shipping supervisors. If you have not yet contacted us please do so that we may process a claim for you.

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

The 3 Agapanthus white plants arrived in great condition with good roots. I will order again from High Country Gardens. Thanks for having these beautiful white Lily of the Nile plants. Suzegirl1@hotmail.com

I've ordered from High Country Gardens several times in the past few years and have never been disappointed. Their selection is incredible and their prices seem reasonable. Plants are packaged securely for travel and arrive ready to go into the ground. The plants always seem to do well immediately. . Excellent company!

I am very disapointed in the plant that was shipped and the way it was packaged. I did not pay a reduced end of season price to suggest a less than healthy plant. Stems were broken and a lot of leafs were dryed / burnt. With the cost of the plant and shipping as much as the plant I would not expect to receive a plant in this poor condition. So they should expect poor feedback. I should not have to call to express my disapointment. When they put that plant in the box they knew. It did not happen during shipping!

"On Jun 11, 2010 10:25 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

We appreciate the feedback on your recent order. I have shared this with our shipping department for training purposes. Since Garden Watchdog does have a privacy policy and does protect the users information I would like you to contact us so we may send a replacement. In the meantime, please go ahead and plant the plant into your garden. With a good root system, broken and brown leaves won't even phase a perennial that will be 3x larger by the end of summer.

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

Ordered 3 different Agastache and 2 butterfly weed this year, first time. Everything was delivered when I had requested, packaged well, and in good shape. Butterfly weeds were healthy but small, and one ended up dying (but customer service was great about replacing it). All Agastache were 6-7" tall with good branching growth and healthy roots. 'Rosita' took off very quickly and is currently the fullest of the three, and already blooming. Both 'Ava' and 'Orange Flare' are doing well, and catching up in the recent week. Even with all the rain we've had over the last month, I've been pleasantly surprised by how the plants have dealt with the wet soil and their overall health.
Would definately order from them again. Only con is the shipping costs, but it's not outrageous. Of course the only way to avoid it is to buy in person, but then we wouldn't be mail-ordering would we? I highly recommend HCG.

I live in the mid-Atlantic region on the East Coast, and was initially very hesitant to order from a company in New Mexico. This is the 2nd year I've ordered from them, as I have been very pleasantly surprised by the selections, plant durability, and customer service! The information in their catalog is also quite helpful and accurate. Additionally, I recommend their liquid plant starter and seaweed additive to get your plants off to a good start.

While a few of the plants had a very slow or rough start, almost all came through and are flourishing beautifully in their second year (the 1st year is always so limited for most plants). High Country's customer service is super, as for the very few plants that didn't make it (or maybe I had something to do with it?!?!) shortly after planting, they replaced quickly and without hassle. I will definitely order from them again!

I have enjoyed pretty much everything I have purchased from High Country Gardens. I am re-doing my front lawn with a grass that needs less water and doesn't grow very long (Bella Blue Grass). I received the plugs at the end of April, but don't even have it all planted yet (and I just ordered another flat as I don't have quite enough). May is the rainiest month of the year here and there have been more days that I couldn't work in the yard than that I could (we even had several days of snow, including last Monday, May 24). By the time I got a lot of these plugs planted, they looked totally dead. However, even the ones that were just planted a few days ago are starting to send up green shoots. My only disappointment is the grass seed I ordered along with wildflower seeds to put a meadow in the back yard around my peach tree. I ordered this by phone as I had some questions and the woman I spoke with encouraged me to heve the seed shipped right away and get the it planted as soon as possible. However, I could not kill the weeds/grass that were already there or get the area tilled until we had enough dry weather to keep the tiller from clogging. You can't till in the snow. So the grass did not get planted until earlier this month and nothing seems to be coming up. I followed the directions that came with the seed, but it is not easy to find a nice day that is not also windy, which is one of the reasons (other than snow and rain) that it took me so long to get the seed planted. I didn't want it to just blow away. If I don't see any sign of the grass growning in the next week or so, I may request a replacement of that seed and maybe replant in the fall. I have also purchased a lot of cacti for two cactus gardens I have--one in my back yard and a new one I am starting in my front yard. Hardy cacti are difficult to find locally. Even a shop near me called Cactus & Tropicals has very few that are hardy to this area, mainly hens & chicks and prickly pear. So I am happy to have been able to order these from High Country Gardens. I bought some last year and recently purchased quite a few more. The plants are small and cacti seem to take a long time to grow, but I'm sure they will eventually. I plan to visit High Country Gardens when I am in Santa Fe at the end of July. I am a satisfied customer.

Thanks so much,

Sharon Hughes
Salt Lake City, Utah

Posted on May 21, 2010, updated May 28, 2010
Posted on May 21, 2010, updated May 21, 2010
Posted on May 21, 2010, updated May 21, 2010
Ordered Ornamental Grasses Sampler in addition to 3 Little Zebra. Opened the box before UPS transit the driveway.

The Miscanthus Gracillimus came with three (3) stalks in the pot. Three... one of which is DEAD. Dead! So now I have 2 stalks. Just despicable. Why would anyone packing a box throw in the Dead Grass Plug?

This is not the first time I have ordered from High Country Gardens. I got their Blue Grey Garden and the grass does best so I decided to stick with the grass. Takes 3 years for the plugs to start looking good... how many will it take for 2 stalks of grass to fill in.

To my wits end with disappointment.

"On May 21, 2010 2:52 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Thank you for the report on the plant shipment. We strive to grow and ship the best plants in the business. Please allow us send a replacement, which of course, is free. Call or e-mail directly so I can personally handle the replacement order.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
vperalta@highcountrygardens.com
toll free 1-877-811-2700 ext 3023

I was sent six Serbian Yarrow plants with root systems that were basically nonexistant. I transplanted them immediately and two died within 12 hours; four were dead after 36 hours.

To High Country's credit, they have credited me for the four dead plants (but I think the other two will probably die, too).

This experience was surprising because I have previously ordered plants from High Country and been very happy with the quality of the plants.

I have ordered from HCG several years. I have their poppy mallow, plumbago, prairie smoke, and butterfly milkweed. All except the milkweed are doing very well. The plants arrive in great condition and take right off. They winter over great with no help from me. I just ordered more plumbago and wish I could buy everything in the catalog.
Oh, the milkweed? My husband and a line trimmer, need I say more...