Comments regarding High Country Gardens

I've used HCG for a year now. It started off as overpriced but decent. It has steadily declined to overpriced with low quality plants, nonexistent customer service, and slow shipping.

The plants themselves are hit or miss. Some are fine, others are totally dead with dry dirt spilled all over the box. They package the plants in boxes that are HUGE, so the plants are just bouncing around the box. They rubber band plastic bags over the base of the plant stems to keep the dirt in the pot, so oftentimes the stems are damaged or completely broken off. The plants themselves are pretty small. I can get a plant 5 times the size for half the price at a local nursery. Their prices are nothing to brag about, and I'm not even talking about the horrendous shipping.

My plant survival rate is about 50% from them. Often they are not salvagable after arriving bone dry and totally brown in the mail. They claim to offer a replacement, but from what I've experienced with their customer service, I don't want to even bother. Many that I bought and planted last spring did not survive the winter. They arrive so small and sickly that they can't get big enough and healthy enough by the time winter hits.

The last 4 times I've ordered I have not received a confirmation email. The last 3 times I have not received any shipping information whatsoever. I have NO Idea when to expect my stuff. If you email them, don't expect any kind of response. You can call but not on weekends or evenings. The order before last they took over a month to mail my Zeba root dip. No explanation or apologies or even a notification. I had to plant my grass plugs without it because the grass plugs had arrived dried out, and I couldn't sit around for weeks or months waiting around on them. I emailed but got ignored.

I stupidly ordered from them again because nobody local carries the grass I wanted. As of this writing, it has been 11 days since placing my order, and I've heard nothing. No confirmation email, no shipping info, no explanation as to where my $120 order is. I literally have no idea at all when my grass is coming in. It should have arrived days ago.

I won't be ordering from these guys again. I've never ordered from a business and not received a confirmation email and shipping info. The length of shipping time is also insane. Sometimes it's days later but other times it's months or weeks later. There's no rhyme or reason and they'll never communicate anything with you. My advice is to stick with your local nurseries. The prices and quality are LOTS better.

"On Jun 3, 2014 10:04 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

cmartell,

I'm sorry that you've had a frustrating experience with us. In looking at your order history, you've been a valued customer. I'll reach out via a direct email to address your concerns, but I did want to point out that during the spring busy season, are phones are staffed from 9 AM - 9 PM EST and Saturday's from 9-5. We trim those hours back in slower times. We also make every attempt to answer customer emails in 24 hours, but that can be delayed during the peak of the season. Finally, all of our orders generate an automatic order confirmation and shipping confirmation email. Unfortunately, often times those emails get hung up on spam filters, depending upon who your email provider is.

Thank you for your business and I look forward to connecting directly with you.

Sincerely, Ethan Platt, President | High Country Gardens"

Posted on November 29, 2013, updated May 17, 2014
Posted on May 9, 2013, updated November 29, 2013
Posted on May 6, 2012, updated May 9, 2013
Posted on November 6, 2011, updated May 6, 2012
Posted on May 3, 2011, updated November 6, 2011
I ordered 4 Agastache, 1 goldenrod & 1 Penstemon. They were all healthy with very good root systems and packaged with great care.

Posted on May 29, 2013, updated May 10, 2014
Posted on May 28, 2013, updated May 29, 2013
Posted on May 23, 2013, updated May 28, 2013
Posted on May 17, 2013, updated May 23, 2013
Ordered my plants 5/5/13, to be shipped the week of 5/6/13. Did not receive shipping notice or shipment. Contacted customer service by phone on 5/10, after being disconnected, then on hold, and ultimately reaching a representative- who said he would "follow my order" and that I should receive a tracking number no later than 5/16/13. Didn't receive any tracking number. Still no plants. Checked my credit card account and saw that I had already been charged for the order. Called several times 5/16/13, was on perpetual hold, then automatically transferred to voicemail at 5pm. I left voicemail and email with no response. On 5/17/13 I tried calling again, for over an hour was on hold, and decided to try "live chat" to which I Finally got a response. Since the plants had Still not shipped, I requested a refund, as it is now getting too hot to plant here. Was told my refund would be processed within 2-10 days, and if I in fact, I do receive my refund, will update my rating to "neutral. I am Extremely disappointed, having been a customer of High Country Gardens for many years, with nothing but positive feedback and praise for their plant selection for Southwestern gardening. I was so thrilled to still be able to receive their awesome plants by mail order, but it does appear customer service was sacrificed when the company changed hands.

"On May 19, 2013 3:01 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

cd1229,

Sorry for your experience. As you can tell from the other recent reviews, we've really had a hard time getting some of our orders out this spring. But you also touched on another critical thing - the plants. High Country has always been about unique plants you can't get anywhere else. American Meadows has always had a reputation for excellent (and prompt) customer service. I promise you that once we get through the initial hurdles this spring, the High Country that you've always loved will be back! Don't forget that HCG was out of business from November through Feb 1 this year - we've had to do a tremendous amount to get back up and running. We're shipping almost 400 orders per day (and have been for the last 6 weeks). We just have some orders (obviously like yours) that have given us issues due to inventory and system problems.

If you've requested a refund, that will be processed immediately. We have no control over how quickly your bank posts that back to your account, but we are processing any refunds within 48 hours.

Again, I'm sorry.

Ethan Platt
President
American Meadows & High Country Gardens

I just ordered a shipment of plants costing over $200.00. High Country Gardens used to get good reviews on Dave's Garden Website, so I made the mistake ( hopefully not ) of ordering without checking out recent reviews. There are so many negatives I would never have taken a chance if I read them first.
My fingers are crossed. They have a great selection of plants and the ones I chose will look wonderful in my yard if they are healthy when I receive them and if they will live!!

Posted on October 22, 2013, updated April 29, 2014
Posted on June 8, 2013, updated October 22, 2013
Posted on June 7, 2013, updated June 8, 2013
I placed my order and when I checked up on it a week and a half later they told me it would ship that coming Monday. When I didn't receive my order I checked up on it and they said the same thing. This basically repeated itself for a few weeks and by that time it was getting late in the season for me to be planting fresh little plants in an established garden and at this point I didn't trust a word they said. I canceled my order and I would strongly advise against ordering from this company. Their sister company, American Meadows, is great. I don't even see how they could be affiliated with the difference in experiences.

"On Jun 7, 2013 4:07 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Sequoiadendron4, Thanks for your positive feedback on American Meadows! Yes, we've struggled with High Country this spring - they were closed from Nov until we took over in Feb and their systems have really given us a lot of headaches. Their inventory, order management and phone systems have been very hard to manage this spring.

Rest assured that we're still here, working like crazy to get the company back on track as at the end of the day almost everyone I've talked to has been very excited that High Country's plant offerings will live on.

As you know from being an American Meadows customer, this spring does not reflect how we run our business and I can assure you that it won't reflect how High Country is operated.

Best,
Ethan Platt
President

Posted on October 24, 2012, updated April 26, 2014
Posted on April 28, 2007, updated October 24, 2012
I have placed about 10 orders from HCG in the past 24 months, and have had nothing but specacular service and healthy plants. The packaging is without fault and they always arrive when requested. HCG get an "A" from me.

"On Oct 25, 2012 9:24 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

I am sorry to hear of your recent order. Please contact customer Service to process a claim. We do have a 100% guarantee and would like to rectify this for you.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
Customer Service Supervisor
High Country Gardens
vperalta@highcountrygardens.com
1-800-925-9387 ext. 3023

Posted on December 20, 2007, updated April 22, 2014
I ordered three sets of paperwhites which were advertised as $19.99 + SH on their website. The items (#A0050 & A0066) were clearly marked as paperwhites in a hurricane vase. Two of the orders went through as planned but on the third one they charged me $65+. The next day I called customer service. What I had orderd was not listed on the acknowledgment so it took the rep a good five minutes to look it up. He then informed me that the $65 item was actually the item that included the vase and the $20 items were actually just bare bulbs and that it was my mistake. I rechecked the website and found the $20 items definately listed as coming with a vase. I'm not sure if the customer service here just doesn't know what they're talking about or if this is bait and switch. There was not clear pictures of the actual items on the website that I could find. Either way, I don't think I would order from this company again.

"We apologize for any miscommunication. We immediately contacted with corirusson and processed a refund for the 2 additional vases including shipping and handling.

HCG Customer Service Staff

This really is an extraordinarily good company. The selection of products is vast and the information provided about each plant is very complete.

In addition they take great pains to be sure orders are shipped at the right time and in the way you want them shipped.

A while back I placed an order and then a couple of weeks later another. At the time I placed the second order I asked that the two orders be combined. Almost immediately I received an email informing me that would be done.

Today I placed a third order and again, no problem combining all three orders together for shipment on the appropriate date.

This company is extremely well organized and dedicated to doing things right. As we all know, that is something that is all too rare in on-line vendors.

Received my bulb order last week. Four of the 12 of the one variety were unplantable: desiccated, broken. Not only that, they were in a very hard to open plastic bag. I had to hunt down scissors to open it. No plant labels with any of them either. I contacted the company the same day. They were to send out new bulbs that day "or the next." That was a week ago and I find out that they haven't even shipped. Plus when they do ship, it's coming from Vermont--clear on the other side of the country, while I live in Colorado. I do know they company was sold, but New Mexico is a bordering state, so to have things shipping from Vermont is stupid, plus I'm looking at a two week wait now. The order was supposed to come FedX, but they went to the post office, so that was yet another delay

"On Oct 5, 2013 1:23 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Dear muckles13,

I'm sorry to hear that the bulbs did not meet your satisfaction. Just to clarify, High Country Gardens orders ship from our grower in Denver, so you should have had them immediately.

I will take a look into this today and reach out directly.

My apologies.

Sincerely,
Ethan Platt
President"

After reading the negative comments during the transition of the ownerships, I was wary about my order. But also had a glimpse of hope when I read the responses from the new business. I am happy to report that all 5 Salvia pachyphylla came in well packaged and in good health.

I never wrote comments on anything I bought online. I want to give High Country Gardens a fresh start. I am pleased with my order, High Country Gardens delivered with quality and met the scheduled as promised. Good job. Thank you.

I ordered from High Country Gardens last week and my plants arrived today 09.09.13. I was so impressed with not only the quality and health of each of my new plants but the way they were packed and shipped was the best I've ever seen! This has been the best online plant order experience I've ever had. I just recently bought a new house and I will be purchasing all of my landscaping material from this company. Keep up the good work High County Gardens!!! and Thank You!!!

"On Sep 10, 2013 7:10 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Thank you for your kind words! Our team has been working very hard towards the fall season and it's great to hear that you were pleased with your order. Best Wishes, Ethan"

I place a large order with this company sometime around March. I wanted time to get my plants in, and I needed to plant early. I was misled as to how soon they could or would ship my plants, and never quite given an exact answer as to when they would ship.

Later, I discover they don't even carry much of what is in their catalog, and so they just gave me credit (won't refund my money when it's entirely their fault they can't fill my order).

The plants, when they finally came, were no where close to the size or quality advertised. I tried all summer to find more of the same so I could at least use my credit, the plants did perk up with organic fertilizer.

They haven't had any hummingbird plants at all, all summer. I don't want to waste more time looking over item after item, page after page to find "item unavailable...".

This company needs to get its act together, update its catalog, and find some plants to sell.

"On Jul 25, 2013 4:12 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Hypatiacat,

Sorry for your negative experience this spring. As you can tell from the other posts we got over the last few months, it was a rough spring as High Country Gardens had closed in Nov and re-opened under our ownership in Feb. We had a host of system and inventory issues that lead to customer frustrations, like yours.

We are going to be putting our fall plant offerings live on the site next week. We needed time to fix the issues we experienced this spring and wanted to make sure that we would not be in a position to disappoint folks like you again.

I can assure you that American Meadows has an excellent reputation - we're frequently a Dave's Garden "Top 5" supplier and we are dedicated to fixing the kinds of issues you experienced.

Again, my apologies.

Ethan Platt
President | American Meadows"

I am a professional fine gardener who has been in business for 18 years with 10 employees. I've designed over 200 gardens and written a best-selling garden design book. I ordered 8 varieties of plants on May 2, 2013. I finally received half of the varieties on June 24, 2013, and most of the plants I did receive were dead. They had been frying in a hot box in transit for days without moisture, and they were crisp. I sent the company photos and suggestions about how better to pack the plants. They dithered (said the plants in the photos looked fine, for example) and justified their packaging system (no moist paper towels, no plastic bags, nothing substantial to even hold the soil in the pots, dry newsprint wadded around the plants in the box), and finally agreed to resend the worst ones. I received the new plants, which were also totally fried and packaged badly like the first ones. In addition, one of the plants had spider mites. I sent photos and they again justified their packaging system (they do not understand customer service, these people) and said they will refund part of what I paid. I will definitely never order from these people again. All that time I wasted taking and sending photos, plus they didn't even tell me they didn't have half the varieties I wanted until six weeks after I placed my order. Maybe the problem has to do with the company changing hands last February?

"On Jul 11, 2013 9:50 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Dear Ever_Blooming,

I'm sorry that you had such a frustrating experience ordering from us this spring. Your original order was delayed due to the issues we had with the inventory and order processing system that we inherited when we took over High Country Gardens in February.

We have done lots and lots of shipping trials over the years and have discovered that when the weather gets warm, shipping in plastic (even with wet towels) literally cooks the plants. We've found that although the plants dry out, if you water them upon receipt, they'll usually bounce right back.

In looking at the notes in your order, I see that per your request, we refunded you for the plants that you were not satisfied with. Again, I'm sorry for the negative experience and wish you the best.

Ethan Platt
President
American Meadows | High Country Gardens "

Just received our first order from High Country and it was complete as ordered and arrived on time. However, the packing definitely left something to be desired.
The plants were a little disappointing as to size and quality appearance. However, the root systems looked very good so therefore I wilI withhold final judgement until we see how they do.
On the same day we received our first order from another company and the packing and quality appearance of the plants was far superior (see Annie's Annuals rating). We will plant them on the same day and see how each do.

I placed a large (57 item order) online the evening of 06/21/13: all plants arrived on Saturday 06/29/13. I'd stumbled upon negative reviews on 06/23/13 on this site and emailed Ms. Victoria using the email provided in others' comments to inquire about my order since most of the recent reviews were very unflattering and received a response from her the next business day. She let me know of 18 varieties of plants I ordered only 1 was not available; I received credit for that set of items (confirmed pending via my credit card statement online) and was given a small credit toward future purchases as a goodwill gesture. Tracking information arrived via email as well as follow up from Ms. Victoria, at my request. Above and beyond this, I placed my order with $350 in gift certificates that had languished for several years and they were honored without any hesitation. Clearly if problems existed with the change in ownership they are smoothing them out - my recent order was virtually flawless: additional thanks to your great customer service representative! I am pleased to recommend HCG each time someone stops by to praise my landscaping and will continue to do so with confidence.

"On Jul 1, 2013 5:17 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

BreeG, Thank you, thank you for your kind words! As you can tell from the other posts, it's been a long spring for us as we've worked to keep High Country afloat. The good news is, we survived and the better news is that we will be back on track for fall with the kind of service and support High Country has been known for. Victoria and her team worked 'round the clock this spring and your words of encouragement are much appreciated.

Best, Ethan"

Posted on May 17, 2013, updated June 8, 2013
I placed my order in March, requesting April 15 delivery. Nothing arrived, no notification received by me by that date. I did receive a response to the email I sent, stating that my order would be delivered later due to unexpected weather conditions. I later received a mass email, stating I would receive my order by May 13. I have still received nothing, and no notification regarding the status of my order. I did receive a $10 credit recently, but there was no explanation. I have now just sent another email about my order. UNACCEPTABLE.

"On May 17, 2013 3:55 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

JulieBW,

So sorry for your negative experience. As I've told others below, we're doing our very best under difficult conditions. We're close to clearing our back-orders and crediting folks for any products that we can't deliver, but we're not quite there.

Again, so sorry for the negative experience.

Sincerely,
Ethan"

Posted on June 7, 2013, updated June 7, 2013
Ordered plants on 2/13/13. Shipping date was for 05.13/13. After many e mails, no answer and no plants.

"On Jun 7, 2013 8:24 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Dear Roses_R_Red,

We left you a message regarding the fact that the item you ordered is not available. I apologize as we've had issues this spring with our inventory system. We are happy to either ship the Ava in the fall, replace it with another item or credit your order.

Our customer service rep left his direct contact info.

I am truly sorry that it has taken this long to sort out your order. We've really struggled with the order processing and inventory systems we inherited when we took over High Country in Feb. We're working around the clock to both clean up our remaining spring issues and prepare our systems for a smoother route forward.

Thank you for your business & understanding.

Sincerely,
Ethan Platt
President
American Meadows | High Country Gardens"

Posted on June 4, 2013, updated June 6, 2013
I placed an order in February for delivery the week of April 15th. It is now June 4th and I have not received my order. I understand that there were weather issues, transitional issues, and stock issues, and I certainly empathize having previously worked in a call center/customer service role myself. I have been in contact with different representatives at least once a week since my order was initially delayed. I have heard almost every time that my order would be delivered by the end of the week. They have already refunded my shipping, which I appreciate, but my order is now 2 months late. My front yard has been dug up and bare for 2 months, and daily highs are now in the 90s. I would like the plants that I ordered, especially since local garden centers have almost no inventory at this point. I tried calling today, but was sent directly to a voicemail that is no longer set up. I noticed the online chat function has been disabled on the website, and this morning I emailed a representative I have been working with and have not yet received a response (when normally he has been very prompt.) I am now concerned at my inability to reach anyone to find the current status of my order. I have tried to be patient and understanding, but this is just growing ridiculous. This is my first experience with HCG, and after this fiasco, I don't plan to ever order from them again, and to discourage anyone else from doing so.

"On Jun 5, 2013 10:31 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

megs419, There's no excuse for why your order has yet to ship. All I can tell you is that we've really struggled with the systems that we inherited when we took over High Country on Feb 1. I can see your order in the system, but I cannot explain why it doesn't print when we pull orders ready to ship.

In any event, we're working on it and I will reach out directly once I have a concrete answer.

My Apologies,
Ethan"

I placed an order May 12th and still have not recv'd my plants. They took my money right away though! I emailed them and got the response of it will ship next week, well I still have not recv'd my plants and my emails go unanswered. Very frustrated with this company! Not happy at all!!!

"On Jun 5, 2013 9:44 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

streeterpl, I'm sorry to see that your order was voided. After a very difficult transition this spring, we're going to be caught up on our order shipping by Tuesday. I hope that as we get High Country back up and running, we have a chance to re-earn your business in the future.

Best Wishes,
Ethan Platt
President"

Posted on May 24, 2013, updated June 3, 2013
Placed an order and did not receive confirmation for two days. No tracking or other info was provided by seller.Weeks later my order still has not been received and no updates have been received from seller.
Emails to seller have gone unanswered. Phone calls to customer service are not answered. (My calls are placed in a queue and then roll into a voicemail box after about 15 minutes on hold.) Live chat is always dead.
Truly appalling customer service.
Seller should stop accepting orders it will not fill.
I am initiating a charge-back on my credit card.

"On May 24, 2013 2:21 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Mr. McClain, sorry for your frustration. As you can see below, we're madly trying to stay on top of our orders, having taken over High Country on Feb 1. We're shipping hundreds of orders per day, but got behind partially due to the difficult weather you had in April and early May in Denver as well as issues with the inventory and order processing system we inherited.

Your order was placed on Saturday the 11th and is in the greenhouse for packing. It will deliver to you next week.

Again, or deepest apologies as we navigate this difficult transition.

Thanks for your understanding.
Ethan Platt
President "

Posted on May 28, 2013, updated June 2, 2013
I placed an order in February and was instructed the lawn seed I ordered was unavailable. Customer service suggested that I wait until the seed was available and they would send it along with the plants I had ordered earlier. Many plants from that order have since been been sold out and I still haven't seen any part of the order.

I have left phone messages, sent several emails and have not heard back from anyone. I have bought plants from this company for years and had nothing but stellar customer service. The change of ownership is questioning my willingness to order again except I have a gift certificate I need to redeem. I noticed others are having the same experience. What is going on???

"On May 28, 2013 9:13 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Garden_Blogger,

Our records show only one customer in Adin, CA and their orders have all shipped. I have sent you an email through Dave's Garden seeking more information.

Thank you,
Ethan"

I too am having problems with High Country Gardens. I placed an order (my first) in early May and still have not received it. I have sent 3 emails and left 2 voice mails. The first email was
responded to saying they were hoping to send my order for
receipt the following week, but that is the last correspondence I have had and obviously did not receive anything. I am very disappointed in the customer service, or rather the lack thereof, and am still waiting on a refund or response. I will contact the Garden Association and BBB next.

"On May 30, 2013 6:32 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Please contact me and I will gladly assist you. We have been receiving a high volume of calls and emails and apologize it has been difficult reaching us.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
vperalta@highcountrygardens.com

"

Since 2006 I've purchased from HCG 1-3 times a year. I've always been delighted in all respects. Plant quality, plant variety, service. A few years ago I was in Santa Fe and visited in person and was also impressed.

This spring I placed two orders, one in February and one in April. (Both orders were paid for when placed). Both are correctly visible on my account on their website (May 30th is today). The April order came as expected. The February one did not. I've twice called and been unable to speak to a person. I've emailed with no response. In short they took my money and gave me nothing.

Clearly based on the feedback on this site (super positive till this year, now very negative) and my own experience one must conclude the wheels have come off and this is no longer a reputable company. Taking someone's money and not giving them the product they bought is pretty inexcusable. Too bad - this was really a favorite of mine.

"On May 30, 2013 6:25 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

I do apologize you have not been able to reach us. We have been working to fill orders as quickly as possible but have run into some inventory issues along the way. As you know this is not the norm for HCG and we are working around the clock to get caught up. I would be more than glad to assist you with your order. Please do email me and I will resolve this for you.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
vperalta@highcountrygardens.com"

Tried contacting them about an issue with an order. They refused to answer several e-mails. Customer service never answers the phone. They used to be a good company but I will never buy from them again.

"On May 29, 2013 3:22 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Katoom, I just sent you a d-mail seeking further information.

Thanks, Ethan"

Posted on May 22, 2013, updated May 27, 2013
Posted on May 22, 2013, updated May 22, 2013
I've bought from HCG for several years and always been very happy with plants and service. Didn't get a catalog this year, odd,(didn't know about the changes afoot) but I went online and ordered 6 plants in February (2013), ship date end of April. Called, then e-mailed when plants didn't arrive, delay due to weather problems understandable but they could have sent out a mass e-mail informing customers. Received order mid-May, only 3 plants in box, 2 decent small grass plants, one dried up little stem with 4 leaves supposed to be an Agastache, and a note on the invoice "subbed 3" for 3 other Agastaches I'd ordered that were now unavailable, but they apparently wrote that down and then forgot to pack the plants! So, I paid for 6 plants, have received 2 viable ones (both grasses), paid 15.00 to have the privilege of receiving those 2 little grasses floating around in a box with virtually no packaging inside so the soil was mostly out of the pots. Have sent three courteous e-mails, no response for 4 days now, no refund showing on my credit card, can't get anyone by phone, this is just a shameful way of doing business. Thought if I posted here, maybe I'd get a response from the company this way!

"On May 22, 2013 1:57 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

growgirl53,

We're working through our emails and voicemails as quickly as possible in the order that they came in. We will reach out ASAP.

Thanks for you patience & understanding.

Ethan"

What a shame. I was going to place an order with this company but after reading the negative responses have changed my mind. I hope High Country gets their act together soon as plants and selection look fabulous.

Posted on February 28, 2013, updated May 25, 2013
I've been buying perennial plants from High Country Garden for years. The plants are always well packed, have deep roots and just gorgeous upon arrival. I have killed quite a few of them (not the vendor's fault - it's my gardening inexperience) but HCG has the best plants and the best selection! I read that they have just been acquired by the American Meadow Company - I have just placed another order for this spring, let's hope they are still the same, great company.

"On May 25, 2013 12:46 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

rugbycrumpet,

I'm sorry that we let you down. As you indicated in your original post, High Country has unique plant offerings that were too good to let die. We have (and continue to) do everything we possibly can to get orders out the door. It's obviously been a challenge, but I can assure you that the frustrations that some customers have experienced over the last several weeks will be a thing of the past as soon as we have the time to properly integrate our two organizations.

I sincerely hope that we have the chance to earn your business again in the future.

Sincerely,
Ethan Platt
President"

I placed my order with High Country Gardens in March. The plants didn't arrive when they were scheduled to. Then I received messages saying the order was held up by some plants. Then I got a couple of small refunds.
The bottom line is I still don't have my plants and I get no replies to my emails asking where they are. No one answers the phone. The chat line doesn't work.
I feel furious. They have my money and I have no plants. This is shabby work. I used to buy a lot from High Country. What on earth has happened to them?
I would like a company rep to either send my plants immediately or refund all my money plus compensation for the energy wasted and disappointment.

"On May 23, 2013 8:05 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

I do apologize for the delay with your order. Per my voice message this evening I have canceled your order per request and refunded you. Please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
vperalta@highcountrygardens.com"

I have been a long time customer of High Country Gardens and in the past received excellent service. This expereince has been the worst I have ever had with any company. I placed an order of numerous plants to be shipped the week of 4/22/2013. When it did not arrive I called the next week and received word that 1 plant was holding the order up but it would ship within the week. I have been trying numerous times since then by calling and sending emails and have yet to get hold of anyone or gotten a response to my emails. I feel that my money has been stolen and I will never see the plants I so wanted. I would not recommend anyone use this company

"On May 22, 2013 1:09 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

I am sorry to hear of your frustration. I would be glad to look into this for you. Please contact me and I will assist you with your order! I apologize for any inconvenience.

Sincerely,
Victoria Peralta
vperalta@highcountrygardens.com"

In past years I have ordered from HCG and always been thrilled by the speed of shipping and quality of plants. Here is how it went down this year:

4/25/13 I ordered 9 Hymenoxys scaposa, for a 4/29 shipment.
Plants do not arrive.

5/6/13 I call customer service, am put on hold for 13 MINUTES before being kicked over to voicemail where I leave a message.
No one returns my call.

5/9/13 Repeat of the above.

5/15/13 Repeat of the above, except that I cannot leave a message because the voice mailbox is full

5/15/13 Tuesday Live chat is helpful and says that my plants are scheduled to ship that very week and are probably on their way

5/16/13 FedEx tracking says plants picked up by FedEx. This is THURSDAY, which means my plants will sit in shipping over the weekend

5/21/13 plants finally arrive. I ordered 9 plants, I receive 8 plants plus one empty pot (!!). Based on the customer service I have experienced so far, I am not optimistic about being refunded.

I am disappointed that the HCG that I once knew and loved over the years has changed so much for the worse. Sorry to say that I don't think I will be returning.

"On May 22, 2013 10:48 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

dogdoc,

So sorry to hear about your frustrating experience. As you can see from our recent comments, you're not alone. We are working around the clock to catch-up and stay on top of the spring demands. With High Country having been out of business from November - January, it's been extremely difficult getting everything back up to speed for the spring season.

I will be sure to have customer service reach out for a resolution on your order.

Thanks for your patience & understanding.

Ethan Platt
President"

Posted on May 10, 2013, updated May 18, 2013
Posted on April 15, 2011, updated May 10, 2013
Receiving my plants from HCG is always an exciting moment. This year I finally got to order their Salvia Pachyphylla as it's not recommended for fall planting in my zone. When I opened the box there was a warning about the Agastache but mine was beautiful and healthy. But my long awaited salvias were dry and wilted - so I watered them. They did not pick up over night so I e-mailed HCG for their advice. In less than an hour I had a reply from Maureen McCarthey, a customer service rep. She offered to mail me new plants next week. I'm really happy with the prompt reply, the offer to send me new plants and the fact that HCG stands behind it's products and it's word. Thank you!

"On May 10, 2013 4:38 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Dear joimack6953:

I sincerely apologize for your understandable frustrations. Having taken over High Country on February 1st on top of running our existing business has put a significant strain on our people and systems.

I can assure you that we are working around the clock to get all of our orders out. You order was held up by the system due to one plant not being available in the size that you ordered. Unfortunately, we're struggling with the system we inherited to put that level of detailed information in front of our overwhelmed customer service team.

The issue with your order was rectified several days ago and it has been sent to the greenhouse for preparation (it takes several days to properly stage the plants for shipping). You will see it next week.

Again, I'm sorry and thank you for your understanding, business and patience.

Sincerely,
Ethan Platt
President | American Meadows & High Country Gardens"

Posted on May 16, 2013, updated May 17, 2013
Residing in North Carolina, I was excited when I first learned that High Country Gardens had drought resistant plants. In October 2012, I ordered two Agastache Ava plants. I was pleased with the ordering process and received the plants in approximately ten days. When I opened the box, however, I was dismayed to see that one of the plants looked extremely healthy and one looked extremely sick. The written insert included with the plants said that even if a plant looked sickly it should be planted and it would sprout green leaves in a very short time. I did just that but, sadly, the sickly looking plant died so I emailed High Country to request a replacement plant. They were very apologetic and said they would indeed send me a replacement Agastache, but it would not ship until mid-April 2013. On April 17, 2013, I emailed them to see if the plant had shipped and if not, when it would be shipped. They responded by saying that Denver, where their shipping facility is located, had received a major snowstorm and the plant would be shipped on April 22nd. On April 24th, I emailed the company again to inquire as to whether or not the plant had shipped. I received an email from them which was exactly the same message I received on April 17th that shipping would resume on April 22nd (?) I emailed again on April 30th, and was told the plant was in the process of being shipped and I would be receiving a shipment notification “shortly”. On May 11th, having received neither the plant nor a shipping notification, I emailed them again. This time I was notified by High Country that, alas, the plant was out of stock. Needless to say, I am very upset with this situation and I feel that a plant ordered six months earlier should have been one of the first ones shipped out in April. I will not be ordering from High Country Gardens in the future and will certainly inform all my gardener friends to stay away from this deceptive company.

"On May 16, 2013 8:43 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

magnolia92,

I'm very sorry for your frustrations with your replacement order. As you may or may not be aware, High Country Gardens closed in November 2012, but reopened in February of this year under new ownership. It has been an extremely hectic spring as we have worked around the clock to get High Country back up and running. One of the biggest frustrations we've experienced has been inheriting their inventory and order processing system. Although the vast majority of our orders have shipped as promised, we have had some (like yours) that continue to give us trouble.

I can assure you that we have had no intent to deceive. Our customer service reps are doing the absolute best they can with the conflicting information our systems are providing. We will happily honor our guarantee and either credit you for your fall purchase or send you more Ava in the fall (Yeah, I know you've heard that before!). Please understand that it's been a crazy-hectic few months and we're doing all we can to stay on top of things.

Again, I apologize for your negative experience.

Sincerely,
Ethan Platt
President
American Meadows | High Country Gardens"

As a past and very satisfied customer of HCG, I was dismayed when learning that the store and online catalog were a thing of the past. Then great news, they were back, under new ownership (by passionate plant-people) and David was still going to be around to do what he does best, and loves. Plants. Isn't that why we are all here?
As with any transition things have not gone well, plant orders have been lost, inventory isn't there, etc. The possibilities are endless for playing the blame game but I would like to ask all of you this, please just be patient. They have an incredible staff trying to make sense of lost and unreliable things of the past. Many of which were out of their control. Again, please be patient. Things will be sorted out and HCG will once again be there for the plant lover in all of us. I have not been asked to say any of this but feel that HCG deserves the benefit of the doubt when they are struggling so dearly to make good on their word. My greatest dismay was hearing, when the president of the company called me personally to tell me what had happened to my order, "You are only the second person in two days that has been civil to me..." What a shame. What a dreadful shame...

Posted on May 17, 2013, updated May 17, 2013
I have ordered from High Country Gardens in the past and been satisfied with their communication, updating/notifications, and plants. Based on these experiences I was expecting the same good experience with my order this spring (submitted 4/22/2013). Plants were supposed to ship the week of 5/5. At the end of that week I inquired about my order. I was told they would arrive the week of 5/14. They didn't. Then I started getting undocumented emails with reimbursements and credits that were not explained. I had to email to ask what all this reimbursing and crediting was all about. Turns out they discovered (about 3-4 weeks after the order was place) they actually didn't have most of the plants in my order (3 such events -- How does that happen??). I was then told that the plants would ship for delivery on 5/18. Then I was told they would ship the week of 5/20. At this point I called and spoke with their Customer service (who were nice but not too informative about what exactly was going on -- in their defense I don't see how they can since they are no longer at the propagation site). They confirmed that they are no longer growing plants at the santa-fe location and the propagation facility in Denver is having major problems.

I asked them in email to either overnight the plants to me at their expense so that they arrive by 5/18 as they had promised or cancel my order. I got a refund confirmation email with no apology and no additional info. I guess they chose to cancel the order . . .

This may be acquisition-related growing pains as american meadows representatives have claimed in defense, but boy are they botching this -- if they want to keep customers they need to do a better job than how they handled me.

Needless to say I won't be ordering from them again and have to give them a bad review. I hope other fans of xeric plants avoid my experience and go elsewhere for plants.

"On May 17, 2013 1:15 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

dserrano77,

So sorry for your negative experience and specifically, our inability to get you timely and accurate info about your order. As I've indicated in other recent responses, we inherited a very cumbersome inventory and order processing system and are working around the clock to rectify the issues.

I sincerely apologize for the negative experience and assure you that we will once again get High Country back to exceeding customers' expectations.

Best Wishes,
Ethan "

Posted on October 4, 2011, updated May 2, 2013
This is my first time to order (10/2011) and I am very pleased. My order arrived quickly and accurately and gave me an alternate to the "big box" stores that have cleared their garden area to make room for their Holiday items. If I had to say something negatively I would comment that they offered a 15% discount less than a week after placing my order. I feel they probably knew about this at the time of my order. However, they are in the business to make money. I will order from them again.

"On May 6, 2013 10:29 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

glb360 -

Thanks for your business and honest feedback. As you may be aware, American Meadows acquired High Country Gardens earlier this year and faced a monumental task in getting everything ready for spring in an extremely short amount of time.

Without getting into all of the details, some of our spring orders were held up by a variety of reasons both in our control (unfamiliarity with HCG's order processing and inventory systems) and out of our control (the insane "spring" weather Denver's been experiencing). The bottom line is that we've failed to live up to our strict standards with some customers and for that, I'm truly sorry.

High Country Gardens has always been about unique, high-quality plants you can't find anywhere else. I can assure you that's still our mission, as is the desire to be one of the easiest companies to work with in our business. Please forgive us a few bumps as we transition from our fulfillment in New Mexico to Denver.

Best,
Ethan Platt
President | American Meadows / High Country Gardens "

HCG is back!!!! I live in Santa Fe (HCG's former home) and I just ordered from them now that American Meadows has taken over.The person on live chat provided quick,knowledgeable answers about the transition, ordering on the new website was really easy, and the email acknowledging my order was in my inbox faster than I could click over there from the HCG site. The plants won't arrive until May, but I'm guessing they'll be fresh and healthy, just like my HCG orders in previous years. Now I can get those special "rock garden" plants I thought I'd never find again!

Posted on April 13, 2007, updated February 3, 2013
Just want to add this now while I'm thinking of it. My father, who lives across town from High Country Gardens, told me never to order from them, as all their plants are for dry climates, and I live in soggy Massachusetts. Well, he's not around to complain, and they were almost the only ones to have the hardy diascias I was looking for. The other vendor credits them with having first developed the diascia 'pink adobe'. Why would I order them from anyone else? I'll follow up with another rating when I actually have some experience wiith them.

Posted on October 27, 2010, updated January 19, 2013
After years of looking at the plants at High Country Gardens, I finally placed an order for some native grasses no one else seems to sell. They just have so many hard to find plants. They are upfront about planting/climate conditions, stating what might not be suitable for different areas in the country and I think if you keep in mind that your climate may have drawbacks to planting low water plants you will not go wrong with this company.

My plants arrived in excellent condition and the packaging was impressive, with nice heavy boxes with inner protective lining and the plants were extremely fresh and well rooted.

I placed a second order for Los Lunas Sacaton, an exclusive strain of grass they carry, and the plants just arrived today. Again, excellent, well rooted, good sized plants that are in very deep pots. I can't wait to see how big these monsters really get.

I would definitely order from them again.

Despite the number of comments, mostly positive, for High Country Gardens, and it's apparent demise; I feel compelled to add my own 2c
Visited the Santa Fe store at least twice in the last 6-7 years and ordered on line at least a dozen times; the last being October 2012 for spring bulbs; all plant materiel was in good shape
However beyond the actual goods they sold; the information on and development of unique plants was most valuable; and I believe important to a world and nation that is becoming ever more environmentally conscious. I purchased varieties of Jerusalem sage; Bethlehem sage; and Kashmerian sage; which they produced from it's discovery by Paneyoti K of Denver Botanic Gardens; I also tried the Digitalis obscura which they fully described as being native to Spain; but suitable for dry arid conditions;
So while the end of Santa Fe Gardens is the loss of an important resource, I hope we will hear again from David Salman and his associates about the important contributions they have made to 21st century horticulture..........................
Galewood Design Associates