Comments regarding High Country Gardens

Was scared to order plamts online BUT could not find Coronation Gold Yarrow - ANYWHERE, so I gave High Country Gardens a try! Was VERY pleasantly pleased with my order! Price was right too! They were have a sale… including shipping and tax I got 5 of these PACKED REALLY REALLY WELL and protected very well in the box - they could not move so we’re in perfect shape and padded very well $50 that was it! I was surprised at the reasonable pricing - definitely have no fear! I am waiting for them till they get pomegranate yarrow in - and I will be placing another order!

Ordered a variety of plants. The plants were packaged very well in their own boxes and very healthy. Had a problem with two of the plants which was likely due to shipping. HCG fixed the situation immediately with no questions or delay. Very pleased with this company. One of the best online nurseries I have found. I will be ordering from them again because I know that I will be getting excellent plants.

"On Jun 20, 2022 3:03 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience ordering from High Country Gardens this year oakesorchard, we sincerely appreciate it. We are glad to hear most of your plants arrived in great shape, and appreciate you lettings us know about the two that didn't so we could quickly rectify that for you. Thanks again for your continued support and positive feedback. We hope you have a great growing season!

Kind Regards,
Ethan Platt, President"

Ordered Goldsturm Black Eyed Susan’s and they were delivered today. They came well packed and look great!!

"On May 24, 2022 7:41 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Thank you for your taking the time to share feedback on your recent order Steve999, we are thrilled to hear you are enjoying your new plants. We appreciate your positive comments and hope you have a great growing season.

Kind Regards,
Ethan Platt, President"

I have purchased plants from High Country Gardens for as long ago as the 1970's decade. Their plants are and always have been of the highest quality, representation and diversity. It is always a pleasure to acquire an HGH plant. Plants arrive healthy, verdant and well grown, fully acclimated for my Colorado high desert growing conditions. And their customer service is par excellence. The plant cultivation guides accurately describe where and how the plants shoud be grown.

"On May 12, 2022 9:55 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Thank you for your positive feedback and kind message gregardener, we sincerely appreciate it. We strive to always provide high-quality plants carefully packed just for you as well as exceptional service and support so you have an enjoyable and successful gardening experience every time. We are thrilled to hear that has been your experience with us for decades and can't thank you enough for your loyal support. It's an honor to grow in your gardens with you. Thank you for taking the time to share your story with us, and other gardeners too, we sincerely appreciate you.

"

This is the second year that I ordered plants from HIGH COUNTRY and I have NEVER had such pleasant customer service on my phone calls! They spoke to me with a smile in their voice and spoke as if I were a good friend!
PLANT QUALITY---the boxing of the plants is sturdy, they arrive WHEN YOU asked for their arrival, and in perfect condition. I have never received such big, healthy, green plants with such healthy roots on them. Compared to other name-brand nursery plants--High Country makes other's plants look "puny"!
PRICE: Their prices are reasonable and the handling charge is too when you see how perfectly secure and healthy they arrive.
I would recommend them to family (daughter now shops there) and friends (I have done so.) I could not ask for more from them, and my hubby says I am very picky!! Lol!

"On May 12, 2022 9:53 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Dear Vanessasgram,

Thank you so much for your kind words and thoughtful feedback. We love hearing from our gardeners and always appreciate it when you take the time to share your experience with us and others too. We are so pleased you've picked us as a trusted partner in all of your gardening endeavors and thank you for your support and praise.

Have a great growing season, and thanks again for doing your part to make the earth better starting in your own yard!

Kind Regards,
Ethan"

I have purchase a few things the last 2 years and it's clear that I'm not giving these people nearly enough of my business that they deserve. The Veronica ostensis is extremely slow growing and the ones I received were over 3 inches, huge compared to anyone else I've ever purchased this from, and very thick. I couldn't be more pleased. I've purchased Peonies and other things in the past and was equally thrilled. These people do it right and clearly want to be on top of everyone's shopping list, and I'm going to let them next Spring. Thanks for your great plants at a fair price.

I have ordered from Hi Country Gardens about a dozen times over the years. This year 2 of the salvia pitcheri were quite small and did not survive the first several weeks after planting. High Country Gardens replaced them and now the replacement plants and the surviving original ones are 3 feet tall and ready to bloom! While I cannot plant many of their offerings because of my very wet climate here in the Midwest, those that I have, continue to thrive year after year.

I saw a Munro's globe mallow that I wanted and High Country Gardens had it. I ordered 3 of them along with some other drought tolerant plants. They came in two separate shippings and all were in excellent condition. The packing was excellent and all the soil was damp. My mallow even had a flower on it. They even have a deal where after ordering but before shipping you can add to your order for no extra shipping. The lady who took my order was very helpful and friendly. I will order from this company again.

I placed an order here toward the end of summer for Fall planting. I received regular updates on shipping and the items arrived, well packaged, when promised. they were in the ground the next day after a little vitamin water boost and all are thriving. Something to look forward to for next Spring/Summer season.

Very pleased and helpful stuff on their website for planting and care. I will definitely be ordering again.

TL;DR: Great customer service

I ordered four plants, a book, fertilizer and a hori hori (gardening knife) from HCG. Unfortunately the shipping company botched delivery -- they claimed they had delivered the package at a time when I was home and frequently on and off the front porch, but it was nowhere to be seen. So much for those plants sitting in their dark box.

I called the shippers to file a complaint, then informed HCG of the problem. They quickly set up a replacement order at no cost to me, and gave me the choice of either a refund or store credit for the book and two of the plants, which by then were out of stock. This seems quite generous since the lost package was NOT THEIR FAULT. The replacement order arrived on time, and the plants were carefully packaged and in excellent condition.

I live in the SC Lowcountry where there are few nurseries so I depend upon mail order for my perennials. I have had extremely positive results with High Country Gardens. The plant stock is extremely well packaged, but easy to remove from the packaging. They are healthy and the growing guide is so well written that it should be mandatory reading for all Master Gardener courses. Piet Oudolf, who is probably one of the foremost perennialists in the world, recommends High Country Gardens in one of his books. That really says something. I cannot understand the review that said that there was no shipping date given. I received constant updates and I was waiting on my front porch when the plants arrived!

"On Sep 30, 2020 3:33 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Dear WWhity, thank you for your business and kind words! We appreciate the support. Best Wishes, Ethan"

Posted on May 2, 2020, updated May 2, 2020
Posted on April 19, 2007, updated May 2, 2020
All my plants arrived in very good condition. They were packed well to minimize damage in shipping. This is my first order with them and am very pleased.

Posted on May 24, 2016, updated April 17, 2020
Posted on May 24, 2013, updated May 24, 2016
Posted on May 17, 2013, updated May 24, 2013
Well I have ordered for years from High Country Gardens, I had good success with their plants and customer service, until recently. I had a replacement plant order that was going to be shipped to me in April. I waited for my plants to arrive as promised, they did not show up. I have basically had the same experience as Magnolia92. When the plants didn't arrive I e-mailed and callled them (tried to call them) as they never answer their telephone. I finally got a response from my e-mail saying that due to cold weather in Denver the plants haven't grown like they should and that I would receive my shipment two weeks later. Well it is now almost three weeks later and of course still no plants. As in the first case no one called/e-mailed me to let me know that my plants would not be shipped to me. HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE, if I can't make my promised dates of shipping I let my customers know. I don't rely on my customers to keep calling me and e-mailing me asking me where my order is. I communicate with them. Terrible service nothing but excuses as to why I am not receiving my plants.

"On May 17, 2013 11:38 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

utahxericman,

You're correct in saying that there's no excuse for not providing better communication about order statuses. I can assure you that at American Meadows, we have both the people and systems to do just that. Unfortunately the systems we inherited from High Country have proven challenging. We have tried to send email updates where applicable and make out-bound calls as well. We have not been able to stay on top of everyone.

I apologize for the poor communication and can assure you that we are working around the clock to improve the situation.

Sincerely,
Ethan Platt
President
American Meadows & High Country Gardens

I ordered some perennials in late summer for fall planting. When they arrived a few were in very bad shape, jostled around during shipping, out of the pots/dirt and at least one was completely dead. I contacted the company and they immediately sent me replacements. I was impressed with how well I was treated - no questions asked. I told them which plants were damaged/dead and replacements were sent and were in excellent condition when received. I was very impressed and have ordered from them again for Spring planting. They have a customer for life because they stand behind their products.

Last summer I visited my local Botanic Garden and came across a really unique plant called Kintzley's Ghost Honeysuckle. Of course, I had to have some and High Country Gardens was the ONLY place I could find them. I ordered two. Shortly before they were to be shipped I received an email from them saying that the plants really weren't up to snuff and that they couldn't sell me anything that they wouldn't plant in their own gardens, so my order had been canceled. Of course I was disappointed, but I also appreciated their consideration. Then a couple of days ago I received a shipping notice for those very plants! Well, they just arrived and they are definitely up to snuff. One is 9 inches tall and one is 14 inches tall and both are moist and leafy. Now, the ball is in my court. Thank you, High Country Gardens, I will be back next spring!

"On Sep 25, 2019 2:37 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Dear ColorMeGreen, thank you for taking the time to share your experience and positive feedback. The Kintzley’s Ghost Lonicera is a favorite of ours too. It can be a tricky crop to root out correctly and we just didn’t feel comfortable with the progress of the plants we’d had in production for shipping last spring. As gardeners ourselves we know the joys (and challenges) that come along with growing these unique plants. We also recognize how disappointing it is to have something not grow as planned, particularly when you’ve been looking forward to receiving it for so long in advance. We start all of our plants at least a year in advance, so you can imagine how saddened we were to make that decision and hold back shipments. We are thrilled we were able to get you the long-awaited Kintzley’s Ghost for this fall and hope you enjoy them! Best, Ethan
"

I placed several orders with them in May/June (Monardas and Agastaches, about 25 plants altogether). They all arrived in a timely manner. They use the best packing method I've seen - their cardboard boxes have an internal cardboard 'clip' which holds the plant pots in place and prevents the soil from shaking loose. Consequently the plants all arrived in excellent condition and established themselves quickly.

They made a mistake in one order (one of the plants was the wrong variety), and when I emailed them they shipped the correct one promptly.

Their little video 'how to' planting guides are good too.

I give them 5 stars out of 5.

Ordered 12 plants. All arrived healthy and in good shape. Packaged well.

Ordered about a dozen plants in late winter; they arrived well packaged, healthy and as advertised. We added another flower bed a couple weeks ago and I decided to place a second order for more 7 perennials. I received the plants in good form only three days later!

Very positive experience and a nice selection of western specific hardy perennials that might be hard to find in your local garden center. Also a fair selection of cacti/yucca/succulents.

Plants are sized accordingly (5 in. pots so they're not going to be huge) but had healthy root systems. Bottom line, the plants got to me safe and sound...the rest of it is up to me...including keeping them alive! A dead plant is NOT the responsibility of the nursery unless it arrives that way.

Posted on March 29, 2019, updated April 6, 2019
Posted on November 9, 2015, updated March 29, 2019
This year I took advantage of the Fall sale with High Country Gardens. I was a little hesitant at first because I live in New Mexico and High Country Gardens was started in Santa Fe and I had ordered from them with good results, but when American Meadows bought them I noticed that their availability and number of varieties decreased. However, this year they had everything I was looking for at nice prices and very reasonable shipping. The plants that arrived were very large, very healthy, well rooted and wonderfully packed. I will definitely order from them again and I recommend them highly.

I am a first time gardener and with advice from a friend, ordered several plants from HCG. A majority of them arrived in great shape. The ones that looked suspicious, HCG walked me through how to make sure they were viable or not.

The more important topic is the speediness and efficiency of their customer service response time. They were very polite and swift with the responses and sent out replacement plants for the questionable ones in a timely fashion.

A very pleasurable experience for this nervous gardener!

We’ve purchased nearly everything in our yard from High Country Gardens, and are huge fans. Starting with the Bird Watcher’s Garden, we’ve found the products to be hardy, fast-growing, and beautiful. We have Dog Tuff grass that looks great and requires almost no care. Right now our Juniper Leaf Thyme is in full purple bloom (about 25 plants in a solid mass) and it is stunning. All the neighbors have commented positively! The one issue we had was with some Veronica Speedwell, and those plants were replaced promptly. I do wish they still produced a catalog, as I prefer to dream over a page rather than a screen, but HCG is great for me.

I had wanted to try hardy Agapanthus for a while. High Country Gardens had both white and purple hardy varieties available so I placed an order. I received large healthy divisions in five inch deep pots. They were packed very well and arrived in great shape.

This spring I tried an order with High Country Gardens, ordering a shrub "Desert Willow". When it came, I was initially disappointed at the small size of the plant (about 5-6" tall), but it was green and healthy. I discovered the 5" pot, is 5" tall, not wide, so I had mis-read their description. I planted it in a large barrel planter with some annuals, and very quickly it gave me buds that produced very beautiful flowers. It seems to have thrived with our very hot 100-degree summer here in Idaho, and about 4 weeks ago came up with another set of buds that again produced beautiful flowers. Its now the end of the summer, the plant has about doubled in size, and I am encouraged enough that I've put in another order with this company for fall planting, a little bigger order this time (and including another of their "desert willows", but in a different color). This company does not offer much "discount", but they offer plants that I've not seen before at other on-line nurseries or in some of my area's top-of-the-line nurseries (not box stores). I am very much looking forward to my fall order arriving.

I have done several orders with HCG and have had good results. They offer an excellent variety of cold hardy hummingbird flowers. I get some from local nurseries and also Digging Dog, but HCG seems to have the best selection. Shipping is very reasonable priced, I guess because the plants (at least the ones I have bought) are fairly small and compact. But they have been healthy and packed well.

My only negative is it can be a bit hazy exactly when the plants are going to show up, and I don't recall being able to track them, they just show up on my porch at some point.

Overall I am positive because they have some really great plants.

"On Aug 28, 2017 12:02 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Isjorgren, thanks for your kind words! We work hard to offer the kind of unique and hard-to-grow plants that you simply can't find at big box stores!

Just to clarify your comment: When you order, we assign you a ship week and communicate that to you both at checkout and in our confirmation emails. We also send emails the week before your order ships as a reminder as well as tracking emails. Depending on your email settings, sometimes those get caught in spam filters.

Thank you for your continued business.

Best, Ethan"

Posted on April 4, 2017, updated June 2, 2017
Posted on April 3, 2017, updated April 4, 2017
Posted on September 8, 2014, updated April 3, 2017
Posted on June 7, 2013, updated September 8, 2014
Posted on June 6, 2013, updated June 7, 2013
Posted on June 5, 2013, updated June 6, 2013
Posted on June 4, 2013, updated June 5, 2013
Posted on June 4, 2013, updated June 4, 2013
Posted on May 15, 2010, updated May 20, 2010
So far, I am very pleased with what I've gotten from High Country Gardens. The Alyssum they sent me is nice and large and green, very healthy!

When I intially placed my phone order for the Turkish Speedwell and Pink Chintz Thyme, I had requested a shipping date of May 24th, based on past experience of cold Springs and frost even after Mothers Day. However, it has really warmed up these last several days, and the weather forecast says it will continue to be nice. Night-time temperatures are in the 40s, or at our elevation, maybe the very high 30s, but it no longer freezes. So High Country Gardens has now offered to change the shipping date so I will receive my plants next week. This will be great, as the sooner they can be in the ground, the better headstart they will have.

Great experience, so far. I have ordered from them in the past and shall continue to do so.

"On Jun 5, 2013 10:13 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

flowermaiden2: I'm so sorry for your frustrating experience. When we took over High Country on Feb 1, we inherited their existing phone, inventory and order management systems. It turns out, there were extreme flaws in these systems and we've been doing all that we can to manage the consequences.

Your order is an example of what we've had to deal with: You entered it on May 10, the plants you ordered are available, yet the order is just "hanging" in our system. Now that you've brought it to our attention, we're manually forcing it out of the system and it will ship within the next 2 days.

I'm very sorry for the negative experience you have my personal promise that we won't rest until we get all these issues ironed out.

Best,
Ethan Platt
President | American Meadows

Placed an order late summer 2016. Got a shipping confirmation quickly, and plants arrived a few days later. Healthy plants in 5" deep pots, great roots. This spring, they are already spreading and putting up flower stalks, despite night temps in the 40s... we even had 9" snow in the last 4 days. Great vendor for southwestern native xeriscape plants.

On January 21st, 2017 I ordered a bag of 40 hardy gladiolus bulbs from High Country Gardens. On March 9th, the company shipped them to me. They actually sent me two bags of 25 bulbs, all but one bulb of which was in excellent condition. I look forward to watching them come up this spring!

Posted on January 7, 2017, updated February 24, 2017
I don't order live plants online very often, as we have so many wonderful nurseries in this area and it is not too difficult to find even rarer plants if you have the patience to hunt them down. However, High Country Gardens was running a great sale and they had a few types that really caught my attention, so I gave it a try. I ordered 6 different varieties, a few bags of bulbs, and a couple wildflower seed mixes.

The plants are mostly in extra-deep pots that allow for more room for roots, but a few aren't, so definitely check the product pages. They seem to ship them heavily pruned. They also tend to come rather dead-looking with a "I'm asleep!" tag, but so far they've all grown new leaves after planting. The bulbs gave me mixed results, but I certainly can't hold the company accountable for the late-season heat/drought waves that baked our ground into brick when it was supposed to be autumn. Lastly, I spread the wildflower seed mixes as directed, but then those cursed Santa Anas blew through, evaporating irrigation before it even had the chance to moisten the parched soil. I saw 0 germination. The company was actually kind enough to ship replacements even though it wasn't their fault. I waited until right before a winter rainstorm to spread the seeds again, and they seem to be popping up now... still very small but enough to know the seeds are good! I might sow the last of it in some pots to see how it goes.

Overall, my lessons learned were:
1. Great service. Their willingness to ship replacements even when things aren't their fault puts them head and shoulders above many others. They answer any questions you have quickly, too.
2. Order their plants with confidence, but perhaps only if you can't find them locally. Something in the shipping process requires them to cut them back to almost nothing above ground, so you won't get the immediate gratification you would with a nice big plant from the store.
3. Bulbs are a big question mark. I have had amazing bulbs from other sources, so probably won't need to order them from here again, but wouldn't be afraid to try.

I ordered some allium bulbs, a couple of perennials (Agastache) and a Caryopteris shrub from High Country Gardens this fall. I've ordered from High Country Gardens in the past, having always found their prices to be very good compared to others, and their selection of different or unique items to be excellent.

As with my past orders, everything arrived promptly and when promised, and in very good condition. I would not hesitate to recommend them.

Posted on July 10, 2016, updated July 10, 2016
Posted on November 24, 2013, updated July 10, 2016
Long time fan of the catalog, placed my second order for 2013 in late October.
Plants were Penstemon punifolious, Salvia daghastanica, Phlox nana, Chrysothamnus nauseous.
Plants were very strong, green and well rooted. The penstemon were in small 3 inch liners. The others in 6 inch large liners. All were rooted very well at the bottom and garden ready. They came packed in a special box with pots wrapped in plastic bags to hold in soil and moisture.
Only drawback of the whole experience was that the customer agent on the phone was not very familiar with the stock and was reluctant to look for alternate sizes of the plants I wanted initially and urged me to shop online instead. It was at the end of the season so I had thought calling would ensure a better guarantee of getting what I wanted.
Over all great experience.

I was looking for a grass that didnt need much water as I live in Northern California and we are in a severe drought. I talked to a person at High Country Garden and because we have 3 dogs he recommended Dog Tuff Grass. I ordered the grass in May but they wouldn't be able to ship till middle of June. While I was getting my ground ready, which was very easy, I called them up many times. Each person who I talked to was very knowledgeable and service friendly. I got 5 trays of Dog Tuff Grass and the process to put in ground was very easy. The grass has been in a little over a week and its spreading a lot faster than I thought it would. Looks GREAT and so happy! I would recommend this company to my friends. FIVE *****+

These guys have amazing products. All of their perennials are neonicotinoid-free and our bee hives certainly appreciate that. That is a HUGE reason to shop here. HUGE. Further, their customer support is amazing, as they are always willing to work with you from any advice to any possible issues with an order. This is our new go-to place for perennials.

I'm so happy I ordered from High Country Gardens.

I was having the hardest time finding the herb Anise Hyssop (Agastache Blue Fortune) anywhere...and especially at a reasonable price! Not only was I able to purchase it from HCG, but they also expedited it when they didn't have to. I just received it yesterday...and the herb is dark green and filled with life! I planted it the moment I got it. Can't wait to see all the Humming birds, bees and butterflies, buzzing around my garden...and that delicious licorice taste of the leaves as well!

A+ rating from me!

Without a doubt, High Country Gardens is my favorite place to order plants. I have been ordering plants from HCG every year for over 20 years. First of all, their online ordering is so easy. No problems ever ordering what I needed. Second, their customer service representatives are wonderful. I've only had to call them a few times, but when I did it was always a pleasant experience. If there was an issue with a plant, they sent me a new one right away. This year several of the plants I ordered went on sale a few days later. I called their customer service representative and was so pleased that they gave me an adjustment to my credit card.
I called last week to add a few plants to my pending order. As always I had a very pleasant experience, and now have 10 new plants coming next week.

I just want to let everyone know that I received the most beautiful plant from your company. I ordered a penstemon and when I opened the box I found a very health, nicely potted, lush plant. In addition, the planting and care instructions that were included were very helpful. Last year I ordered some perennials from a different company. When I received them they were less than an inch tall and in the smallest "pots" I had ever seen. Needless to say, they did not survive. I was hesitant to order plants again but after having the excellent customer service, the email shipping notification, and the arrival of this beautiful plant I will not hesitate to order from your company again!

I have ordered from High Country Gardens several times now and had great experiences every time. Pluses: The plants thrive in my Tucson 9b garden and have healthy root systems. They ship quickly. They have THE BEST customer service. At one point I thought a Penstemon I had ordered from them died in transit. I called after about a week of trying to revive it and not only did they replace my plant, they gave me a whole different plant per my request. Then, sitting in my compost bin, the Penstemon began to grow leaves again. They have a great plant selection, also. The only minus is the plants do arrive small, but like I said, they're tough and healthy. If you ever have a problem, seriously, just call them and they will fix it.

"On Apr 5, 2016 1:23 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Thanks, idreamofcactus (as do we!) for the kind words! Our team always appreciate the props, especially during this crazy time of year.

Happy Spring!"

For the past few years I've often bought plants and bulbs and seeds from highcountrygardens.com.

Even though the web site shopping and placing an order was interrupted by two or three popups asking for email at the start and asking about a Google service when near the end of placing the order, I still like the web site. It has good pictures and descriptions of the plants. There is accurate information such as the plant's height, width, water needs, amount of sunlight, climate zone, flower time, flower color, etc. You can search by plant type such as fall-planting bulbs or xeriscaping. Also there is reviews for each plant that are helpful information about people's experiences with the plants.

The packages we received are in perfect condition almost every time. Even one time when the package was apparently dropped, the plants did ok. The plants are packed in a way to avoid damage in shipment. Each plant has a label tag so they won't get mixed up. With proper care the plants almost always do well. I've never had any complaints.

Ordered big. Over $200 in plants. Some came that were so tiny, I doubted the survival. Two months later, all good. The soil and potting treatment the plants come with are all fine. For me, the smaller size made for much easier planting on a slope that is difficult to work. Now I'm thinking it's more up to me, God, and the environment than for the nursery. You might be able to find similar cultivars for less, but HCG does make it easier.

I was happy with the plants I got from them, neat varieties I didn't see elsewhere and an excellent selection of xeric plants. They arrived in good shape and stood up well to transplanting. I would order from them again.