Comments regarding High Country Gardens

High Country Gardens is a marvelous source of xeriscape plants. High altitude gardening in Telluride is always a challenge, and their plants have performed beautifully. I've had marvelous success with their Eriogonum and Helianthemum. These are not easy to find plants in my experience. Customer service is outstanding: super friendly and super knowledgable. Thanks High Country!

I am an experienced, avid (ok, addicted ) gardener who has ordered from at least 9 different online plant nurseries (though I still source the majority of my plants locally; I rarely currently propagate) over the past 15 + years. This would include roughly 500 plants now from HCG, 2nd only to Annie’s Annuals & Perennials, where I have ordered maybe 1500 plants over the same time period (but also have the ability to source from nearly year round). So I have experienced HCG through the ups & downs and believe I have “some” background with other nurseries for comparison purposes. I now wholeheartedly feel that HCG is on the way back up—perhaps eclipsing where they were before.

Since I routinely source online websites for new information (and HCG’s catalogs—both written & online—have always been among the best), I just happened upon the initial closure of HCG the day it was posted, now over 2 plus yrs ago. I shared this with several bookwriters & other nurseryfolk I occasionally converse with, and they were as taken aback by this as I was--though there was quite a bit evidence of this unraveling over the previous yr. Up until sometime in early ’11 perhaps, I had noticed that HCG plant & order quality—though I never had any major prior problems—seemed to be gradually improving. Plant size & breadth were increasing, as was shipping quality & responsiveness. But that-along with numerous technical difficulties—seemed to all but disappear over the next yr. Thought I never got the read that HCG was previously an extremely high customer oriented company, they did appear to try to address the problems that I had experienced. Then the shutdown announcement posted on their website. A notable new Mexico businessman & plantsman I have befriended helped to put this in perspective—it seemed that HCG had been hit by the quadruple whammy: 1) a downtown in the national as well as the local New Mexico economy, already a relatively poor state that relies heavily on government contractural income 2) several seasons of increased drought, resulting in some areas of more watering or planting restrictions 3) Increased competition from the local big box suppliers 4) perhaps some overextension on the retail store/trade side, at the same time these other factors were occurring let to HCG’s downfall. I had the sense the Salmon’s—who had an overall ~ 29 yr history here—likely did all they could to resolve this situation on the hope and belief they could at least salvage some of this.

I share this because I believe it is important to know that—though was a period the previous owners (and thereby customers) had experienced numerous difficulties--the entity that took over any remaining assets & runs all this now is a COMPLETELY different established, successful company (though I believe they were wise to retain David as a consultant--his many accomplishments are well known in industry circles).

I learned how different early on when I went to place my first order. I was quickly called on the phone by a service representative of the company who simply wanted to let me know I had ordered some zone 8 plants for my low desert zone 9 clime. I quickly explained that the order was intentional, I either had extensive prior successful experience with the genus or a related plant and/or had set up appropriate microclimes to increase success. He then said he just wanted to be sure, as they offered a full year, full return quarantee. I politely told him that I considerend the loss of any plant I had in the ground more than a couple days to be completely on me. I rec’d the same call by a rep on a 2nd order. Above & beyond, IMO. Interestingly, in addition, as I was writing the company, the President (as it pertains to this division I believe) himself, Ethan Platt, responded directly. We had a couple nice exchanges. What impressed me the most about him—was not only that he took his valuable time to write a customer (and at that time, they likely did not know my lengthy multi-annual order history, as nearly all their customer files had to be restored, including mine subsequent to this) but that he was very CANDID in letting me know they they had implemented many of the necessary changes and were hoping to even exceed where they were before, but that there may still be some growing pains, He politely asked for my understanding & patience, indicating most would likely be solved by the next Spring. Though I typically complete most of my planting by early Fall to increase my chances of success, I decided to place a couple more small orders. And sure enough, with each successive order, I saw an improvement in quality.

HCG is a nurseryman’s nursery. As one example, I would visit noted plantsman, nurseryman & successful bookwriter Gregg Starr in Tucson and found he was enamored with HCG plants & selection. They were the only plants he would display or provide outside of his own extensive SW native succulent stock. In his own plantings, he would attractively intermingle HCG plants. I highly believe that the more drought tolerant, more native larval & “pollinator extraordinare” style plants that HCG propagates/supplies are the gradual wave of the future. One day there may be more selective enforcement of these types of plants.
Though I hope it is the rare natural beauty these plants provide that ultimately necessitates that switch instead; once you have patience & discover the breadth of offerings and beauty these beneficial plants provide, I believe you will be hooked. I am certainly not suggesting you give HCG a shot for these reasons alone; this is a suggestion that you strongly consider (or reconsider) HCG as it is an entirely new entity that appears to be working very hard, as evidenced by their many repeated efforts with me, to once again become a top notch service company providing an array of beautiful plants that are hard to find in this quantity elsewhere.

This is an unsolicited endorsement that unfortunately has taken me way too long to free up and to write.

"On Dec 31, 2014 9:46 AM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Topgunja - Happy New Year! Thank you so much for taking the time to convey your experiences with us. We really appreciate your business and love to be able to provide people like you with unique plants you won't find anywhere else.

Here's to great gardening success (and maybe a bit more rain?) in 2015!

Best, Ethan"

Ordered daffodils. Bulbs arrived in a timely manner and are the biggest, prettiest bulbs I've ever seen!

Liked my experience with High Country Gardens so much that I have now ordered blue grape hyacinth bulbs from them. Can't wait for Spring to see these yellow daffodils bordered with the grape hyacinths, under my white flowering dogwood trees! Should be gorgeous!

Also, got a very cordial email response from their Customer Service Representative, Leigh. So, my experiences with this company have been very positive and I would certainly do business with them again.

I had a couple of plants I'd purchased which failed to thrive; not only did wonderful Customer Service rep Leigh get in touch with David Salman to ask questions, but she also replaced the items after it was determined that was the right course to take! Leigh was consistently cordial, dealt exceptionally competently with the intricacies of my situation, and was prompt and efficient! I can't say enough about the customer service at High Country Gardens! A few years ago, when the company was sold and Ethan Platt took charge, there were some tough moments as much change and new processes were worked out. HCG is even better than before, and their highly responsive and thorough customer service is the main reason I am a loyal customer! The plants are wonderful, but the people who stand behind them are even more so! Thanks HCG, and especially Leigh, for making me feel I am a valued customer, one whom you all encourage as I stumble my way through xeric gardening!

Hello to our favorite Gardening Place that we spend our money to have a beautiful yard!!!
I've have had many wonderful experiences with your staff, Adrianne and Matthew in particular this season. They are all so well trained and are always wanting to help. Since I've been dealing with your fabulous company, I've had the pleasure working with two of your employees, Adrianne and Matthew.
Both Adrianne and Matthew are very dedicated employees. Their follow-up for the customer, ME, has been proven to go beyond the extra mile with Customer Service.

I had a little problem with the shipment of over 30 plants. What are the odds that one plant didn't make it during the shipping process. I say that was pretty darn good! Adrianne replaced my plant and gave personal attention by calling the shipment area so the replacement would come as I would have expected. Plus I purchased additional plants. The replacement did come perfect and it is thriving along with my other plants! Adrianne is extremely pleasant and patient. I appreciate her resolving a little problem to which PROVED to me that your company is WONDERFUL!

Just recently, Matthew helped me tremendously with my future shipment because I'm not going to be home when the schedule shipment is scheduled for that specific week. I was also able to order additional items during that phone call and then the next day I changed my order and added other items. I don't mean to be a pain with my orders and I promise to do better each time!

Matthew is truly SINCERE when he speaks to me (I'm sure he is with all of your customers), absolutely professional and knows how to pronounce the names of all items - he doesn't even laugh at me when I try and he should - but I'm probably one of your customers who might be a bit different and can definitely make fun of myself. He has a terrific personality, you can hear his Smile within his voice when he is taking care of a customer.

He even remembered me from months ago, very impressive!!! Now that is an extremely important attribute only some people can embrace.

I look forward to continue doing business with this fantastic company which includes your sister company American Meadows! I've had success with all of our planting and love everything we purchase over the years!

Thank you to Matthew and Adrianne for making my telephone experiences a pleasure to spend money!!!

I'm a loyal customer to High Country Gardens!

Just wanted to thank you for your superior plants and customer service. I like the fact that you stand by your products. I had received 4 plants that were part of the BOGO promotion last month. They weren't as perky as your plants usually are. When I called customer service to asked whether I should give them more time in the ground, Ted immediately replaced the order with healthy plants. These plants arrived green and healthy, despite the summer heat. I used to have several online nurseries that I did business with, now I have just one- yours! Thanks again!

My experience with High Country Gardens has been similar to others noted here in that I had been a customer for a number of years with mostly good experiences, but in spring 2013 I encountered a number of problems with poor customer service, order problems, poor packaging, and plants that didn't survive long after arriving. It became clear that the change in ownership was a part of the challenge the company was obviously facing.

In late summer 2013 the new company president, Ethan Platt, sent out a general letter to customers about some of the changes and I responded with a detailed description of the problems I had encountered and my frustration. I was very surprised to get a personal phone call from Mr. Platt, who in fact made a point to follow up when I was originally unavailable and has continued to follow up with me.

Mr. Platt was forthcoming about the problems they had encountered, what they had done to change things, and what still needed to be addressed. Figuring everyone deserves a second chance, I did place some orders when spring 2014 came around and I remain impressed with the changes at HCG. Plants were much better packaged and arrived in good health and properly mature for going into the ground. While there were still some glitches, the customer service I received to get things resolved was excellent. I especially liked that the customer service reps were proactive about checking to make sure the issues really had been resolved.

The plants I ordered this spring are all doing well and I will continue to be a customer of HCG and recommend it to other gardeners I know.

Love the unique selection of plants. Have ordered a few times, with some successes. I attribute the failures to my love of trying plants on the edge for my zone, just to see if I could pull something off that no one else around can. Doesn't always work out, but not because the plants arrived in poor shape, because they have always been well packaged and thriving at arrival. By far my two big successes are the monarda fistulosa 'Wichita Mtn form' and the 'Marcus' salvia. It took two years for them to get going with less care than they deserved those first years, but now, they have come Iinto their own and everyone is dying to get them for our local pollinators.

Communications have always been right there, packing top notch, and plant quality superb. No hesitation to go for it again.

Now, if I could just get one place that the wild Four O' Clock will grow....

I've ordered plants from HCG for a number of years. They often carry unique plants that I can't find via local sources, I like their emphasis on native and water-thrifty plants, and the combination of ship time and arrival condition was never an issue when I lived on the Colorado Front Range. That latter situation changed when I moved to Minnesota, however, and since moving here 5 years ago, ship times were significantly longer, and plant mortality approached 50% for some orders. I like to use native, water-thrifty plants, but was ready to abandon HCG as a source because of that mortality rate. I decided to try one more time – a final test, so to speak – since the nearest source for Callirhoe Involucrata that I've been able to find in Minnesota is a 6-hour round-trip drive.

My previous order for Callirhoe Involucrata ("Poppy Mallows" in the HCG catalog, but commonly called "Winecups" here in Minnesota) a couple years ago was a disaster. The plants arrived with very little root structure, and two of them had only two wilted, yellowish-green leaves apiece. Those two plants died within 48 hours, and others died within a week.

But that was then. I can't say that it's all due to the change in ownership, but my latest order for Callirhoe Involucrata arrived in excellent condition. At my door a day earlier than I expected, The plants were all obviously alive and healthy when I opened the box, and all had well-developed root structures and numerous green leaves when I put them in the ground. A week later, they have survived the transplant, and are growing. I have high hopes that they will flourish.

My faith in HCG has largely been renewed by the excellent condition of the latest plant order when it arrived.

"On Jun 11, 2014 2:02 PM, High Country Gardens responded with:

Dear thephotoguy:

Thanks so much for your positive comments. We enjoyed hearing from you earlier - our team really appreciates when folks call to relay those experiences. Glad to have you back!

Best, Ethan"

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

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

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.

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 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 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"

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...

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

Posted on July 11, 2008, updated October 7, 2012
I am a gardener transplanted from the wet western side of the Cascade mountains to the northern Idaho mountains. In planning my landscape here I realized I needed to go with plants that like the hotter, dryer and just generally harsher conditions. After reading HCG catalog and seeing their good reviews, I decided to place a good sized order. A few of the plants looked weak on arrival but I planted them anyway. Of the 50 plus plants, only 2 died after 2 months of trying to coax them along. The rest have not only survived but are really starting to take off. I got a refund for the 2 that died, quickly and no quibbling. I look forward to ordering more plants in the future.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I will definitely be a repeat customer in the future.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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