Comments regarding Annie's Annuals and Perennials

I was so happy to discover that Annie's Annual was about 10 minutes from where I live. My first visit was during their Spring Party and it was a very whimsical and creative atmosphere, especially with the hilarious fake cat poo flinging contest and the generous gift certificates given to winners. Annie seems like a very nice, genuine and fun person. However, the most impressive thing was all these beautiful flowers and edibles arranged in harmonious landscape design. As I walked around, talked to and observed their staff, I could really tell that this place was wonderful and a lot of care and patience were put in. I felt very confident in purchasing nice healthy and robust plants from here and would wholeheartedly support this local business. Many of my gardener friends from San Francisco and even my sister in San Jose all heard of and enjoy going to Annie's.

We just received our first order from Annie's. It was on time and packed to perfection. the plants were exquisite and we are getting ready to order more.

Far superior to anyone we have ordered from online.

I made an online purchase a few days ago and although shipping was high.... $56 from CA to VA... I have never received plants that have been so well packed and BIG!
I will definitely be ordering from Annies again.

Deb in VA.

Once again, I'm blown away by the size and health of the shipment of Rozanne geraniums I just received. Their packaging is superb. I think it would take a bomb to damage them. They shipped in four inch pots, but each plant was first wrapped in plastic. The soil was still moist when I received them. The plants are robust and half the plants are blooming already. Did I say I am pleased?

I received the 3rd shipment from Annies, I think. I'm guessing now, its about 30 plants. All are fine and most are thriving. I think some are still adjusting to being re-potted. I love the sweet peas, which I cannot grow from seed to save my life. I'm not sure about the posting about the peculiar packaging. I love the fact that they are packed in wet paper and in a baggie. I had some items on my wish list and religiously checked every day for an unusual item, until I finally ordered 2 of them. Sorry suckers! Except for the nicotiana with huge leaves, where a couple leaves are broken, everything arrived in great shape. I can tell Annie's grows their plants lovingly and take great care in their shipping. Perhaps my local shipping companies take greater care in delivering live plants than others. Love ANNIES!

I've found Annie's plants to be top quality, with friendly help if there's a problem (one order had a mispick). I'm surprised to hear about other people with shipping problems because I'm amazed at their meticulous shipping methods and how carefully the plants are protected with inserts. Over the years I've bought dozens of plants here and I don't think I've ever had one show up that was unhealthy or other than described; most of the plants I have that are showstoppers came from this nursery, which means not only are they great looking plants, but they're healthy and strong enough to survive my learning curve and the shade, dogs, pines, etc. Every gardener I know has top regard for this nursery, and that includes people who garden for a living.

I am a first time Annie's customer, and I could not be any happier! I have been burned (badly) by other less than reputable online companies, and I can tell you, that the folks and plants from Annie's are just tops. EVERY email that I sent was responded to, and every question I had was answered. All in a courteous and expedient manner. I dealt with a wonderful lady named Michelle, and she couldn't have been more helpful. I know some folks have taken issue with the shipping charges, but personally I'd happily pay the shipping charges again. The plants arrived in wonderful fashion, looking as healthy as they would if they'd never been shipped. My only issue is that I don't have more "play money" to spend on more of their plants (hardly Annie's fault), haha. I will definitely be back! Thank you Michelle, and thank you to Annie's!!!!!! I highly, highly recommend Annie's Annuals to anyone who is online shopping for plants.

Posted on May 16, 2013, updated May 17, 2013
I ordered hundreds of dollars worth of stuff from Annie's. Much of it came in good condition. However, about 20-25 percent of plants arrived nearly dead. Most of them did end up dying, although I could revive a few. No other place I've ordered from has such a high failure rate, even giant discount places. Their packaging is awful. Some plants actually arrived on their side, or upside down and smothered in their container. In others, the soil fell out and roots were exposed. Or the soil was totally dry.

I emailed them a few days ago to tell them that there was a problem with the packaging. Also, I had not received some plants that were supposed to be in the order and I asked about them. I received a somewhat curt reply. She said she'd send me the date for shipment of replacement plants the next day. She also asked for more details of the shipping problems. She did not say anything about the plants that never arrived.

I wrote back detailing the problems with shipping. I didn't hear back. Yesterday I received more plants. Again, 20 percent of them were in really bad shape. I took photos of them just out of the box so she'd know what I was talking about. Most of the stems were broken off several of the plants, and others were wilted. I also said that she had not yet answered me about the plants that never arrived. I said I wanted an ETA for garden planning purposes.

This was the reply in its entirety: "I assure you we do ship good, healthy plants. Any plant that has backordered can be shipped as it grows big enough to ship. We can contact
you as that happens. The plants that fail can be replaced. Not to worry."

So, apparently, they do not believe their customers who tell them (and send them photos) that their plants arrived in bad shape. And they do not make a habit of either contacting their customers before shipment if stuff is backordered, nor do they try to guess when a new ship date will be. They will only let me know when it is ready to ship. I would certainly like the option of canceling if it will be a long time!

I wrote back expressing irritation, saying that when I order nursery plants, I want them to be reasonably reliable. I wish I could propagate all plants from seed, but I do not have time or space. I don't want to have holes and dying plants in my garden while I try to see if I can revive them. I gave a list of plants that have failed. I haven't heard back.

Every email I received has been curt, none have apologized. The sense I get from them is that I think I must have screwed up, because they couldn't possibly have. Or something. Their attitude is really mysterious. I suppose they are doing well enough that they are not particularly concerned about losing a customer!

It's frustrating, because I absolutely love annuals, and they have the by far the best selection of unusual annuals that I've been able to find. I would love to be able to shop there regularly. I spent a huge amount there this season, but obviously I will not again.

I called the mail order number and asked to speak to a manager to find out if it was indeed their policy not to inform customers about backorders, nor to give estimated ship dates. The person on the phone asked the name of the person I'd been emailing with. She said that person *was* a manager. So I guess that is their policy.

I just received my plants from annies and they look great. The shipping was a little pricey, however, the way they were packed makes up for it. No damage and hardly even any soil spilt during it's shipping. Thanks!

I've looked at this website for a few years and was a bit hesitant ordering plants for Colorado from a California grower. This year I gave in and I'm so glad I did! My plants arrived impeccably packed and in perfect shape. Since they are perennials I'll see how they winter. And... I just placed my second order with Annie's!

I recently placed my first ever order with Annie's and it arrived as scheduled, but several of the 8 plants I ordered were very damaged, a shipping issue I am sure as they were well-packed to begin their journey, it seemed. On arrival some were pushed through to the underside of the container and had broken leaves - they must have endured quite a ride because the packaging was great.

I wrote and sent photos to Annie's asking what could be done, I really wanted the plants not necessarily a refund. They promptly wrote back offering to replace all the damage plants, even though I suggested only a few. They arrived the second time in fantastic condition, no charge, healthy happy plats - I am a happy happy customer and will definitely order from them again. Kudos to Annie's for their great follow up and customer service.

Excellent on-line vendor. Prices somewhat higher, but the plants come in excellent condition and are well worth the price. This is the first time purchasing from this site. I will be a repeat customer

When Annie's catalogue arrived I nearly tossed it because it is to my taste annoyingly cutesy. Too many fluffy words, not enough basic information. BUT when I took another look, I saw a really interesting collection of plants. And when the plants that I ordered arrived, they were healthy and well packed. Also, the "wish list" feature on the website works very well--so well that it will probably make you order more plants than you originally intended...

My mother ordered 5 plants for me for my birthday. The plants arrived healthy and well packed. Soon after, one of the five plants began to wilt and looked near death. I emailed Annie's to see if they had any ideas of how I could try to save it. To my shock and delight they immediately offered to send me a brand new plant free of charge with free shipping. They also told me that the box could fit 3 more plants if I wanted to purchase a few more and it would still ship free. Of course I have a wish list about a mile long. So I called and put in my order. So happy with this superior customer service. Amazing job!! I will definitely order from them again.

Posted on April 8, 2013, updated April 17, 2013
Until recently, Annie's Annuals had very predictable service, which was excellent in every way. Packing was superior, and I had never received anything less than healthy plants in exceptional condition. My last two orders, which were placed recently, were very disappointing. One order consisted of four plants, but I received only one plant, which was a sweet pea. The packing list showed nothing for the three strawberry plants -- no back-order status or anything else. I thought perhaps they would be shipped separately, but the strawberry plants never arrived, so today I phoned to ask what happened to them. I was told that they weren't available when I placed the order, although there was nothing to indicate at the time of the order that they were not available. I asked the customer service rep I spoke to why they had not notified me of this and she was at a loss as to why I had not received an email letting me know to expect a delay. Another recent order arrived in deplorable shape. There were several plants, all of which were ragged and beat-up because the the packing carton did not contain the usual packing peanuts that I've come to expect. Most of the soil had fallen out of the individual containers and was lying at the bottom of the carton. I phoned to complain and was told that Annie's no longer uses the peanuts because customers have been complaining about them. Well, then, USE something else, for heaven's sake. One of the containers was completely overturned inside the carton, again due to a lack of protection. The customer service rep I was speaking too kept trying to put the blame on the shipper. I kept reminding her that the reason the plants were in such poor condition was not the fault of the shipper, but was the result of a very careless packing job. I've bought from Annie's for many years, but at this point, I'm going to rethink whether I'll use this nursery ever again.

I recently bought a couple plants from Annies. I bought a Psoralea pinnata "Kool-Aid Bush" and a Lessertia montana "Mountain Cancer Bush". They both came to me beautifully. They were shipped to me very quickly also. Michelle over there has been great. She answered my emails promptly and was just a pleasure to deal with. They have a wonderful selection of unusual plants and I look froward to ordering some more.

Posted on April 4, 2013, updated April 4, 2013
Posted on April 4, 2013, updated April 4, 2013
Great service. The company called me before shipping to make sure it was ok to ship since the weather in my area has been pretty bad. Can't ask for better personal service than that. The only negative I have is with the shipper who doesn't understand what "this side up" means and appears to have used the box as a kickball (maybe just frustrated as not being able to do that as a child). There was some very small breakage and some dirt over the inside of the box, but the company's good packaging kept the plants safe and they appear very healthy. I would use this company again without reservation.

Just received my order. Awesome! Healthy nice sized plants, very well packaged. I paid the " high" shipping costs. The reason it is higher is because they ship 2-day air, so that your plants get to you as quickly as possible. Annuals don't do as well as perennials, boxed up. It is always helpful to know the full story before adding a negative review just based on shipping costs.

Also, 1 plant was backordered, then ended up not being available from the grower, so they sent me what I wanted as a substitute at their cost for shipping. Also, threw in another plant as a replacement for one that was looking piddly, no questions asked. They let me add a couple more plants, also for just the cost of the plants, so that the box would be filled, still no shipping cost to me. No company would ever do better than that! Extraordinarily satisfied! Worth every penny of my original shipping costs. Top notch company.

I love everything about Annie's. I have only done mail order and might I say a lot of it through them. Plants always arrive in great shape, well packed and healthy. I am planning a trip from Washington State to Annie's. I am looking forward to it. In the meantime, I shall just read the wonderful catalog and look at the slide shows. You do a great job guys.

Lovely plants, well packed, unusual for gardens here in NW Arkansas.

The first time I ordered must have been when the company was new to the national market. I ordered several interesting-looking annuals and tender perennials. They arrived within days. It was then February in my gardens, Zone 6B/7A, not even close to what California apparently is like in February. I planted some out on arrival and tried to keep others alive in their shipping pots until a normal date for outside planting. Neither was very successful.

It had not occurred to me that I had to *tell* them not to ship until the right season for planting here. I decided that had to be an aberration and tried them again a couple of years later. The plants were fine.

I have not yet tried ordering plants when it's the wrong time to plant here, so I don't know whether that situation has been fixed. But the quality is good enough, and the plants unusual enough, that I am willing to try to remember to order after I've gotten all the plants from other companies for spring planting.

Posted on January 28, 2012, updated November 14, 2012
Great plants and service. Some things that they have you won't find anywhere else. Shipping is high but It tends to be from west coast to the east. Sounds like a fun place to work too!

Annie's Annuals is in the SF Bay Area where I live. I have heard good things about them and enjoy their lovely catalog. I finally made it to their Fall party this year. I was SO impressed with the plant quality and selection. Bought a whole bunch of plants at a great price. So far they are all growing beautifully. I look forward to visit there again come Spring.

I cannot say enough good about Annie's Annuals. I've been buying plants online for several years now, and the plants I get in the mail are always big and very healthy and beautiful. They have great pictures of them on their website, so you know exactly what you're getting. There have only been a few plants that didn't make it, and when I called they quickly sent me replacements for free. I love the unique variety they have, also. I highly recommend them! Thanks!

Annie's are so wonderful: the plants and the people. My first web order arrived banged up, and they sent out replacements right off. Their wishlist feature (they'll email you when the items come in) is a bit dangerous to the wallet, but completely enjoyable. Flower Floozies FTW!

Just about every time I look up plants I find interesting on this website it seems that Annie's Annuals carries them. My favorite part of their site is that you can look through great photos and information and if the plants you want aren't in stock you have the option of starting a wish list and they'll e-mail you when they become available.
As some people have stated, the shipping can be quite expensive. I felt it was worth it to get plants I haven't found elsewhere. My plants arrived quickly and well packed.

Overall excellent experience.
Ordered Erythrina, Euphorbia, Puya. First time online order but have purchased plants directly at the garden show in SF.
Plants were much larger than I would have expected, the Erythrina was over a foot tall and very stocky. Puya was small but well rooted, Euphorbia was about 8 inches tall with three branches and arrived in very good shape, even though it is naturally brittle.
Plants looked well hardened off and ready to pot up or plant out. Was surprised that Annie's "Filled the box" giving me a free Asclepias to fill the 4th spot on the 4 space box.

Posted on April 21, 2012, updated August 3, 2012
Posted on April 21, 2012, updated April 21, 2012
As much as I love to browse and buy from Annie's, I have to say that every single plant of Matilja Poppy that I have purchased has died. I've gotten three plants, THREE separate purchases in the past 6 years and all have died within the first couple of months.

These last three plants which had been on my wish list YET again, had barely any root systems to them, so they were not likely to survive. The thing that really bothered me was that I did not know that these plants had no guarantee at all and the only time I found out was after I had received them along with a note that was included in my order stating that they were not guaranteed due to poor expectations of propagation or something to that effect.

I am very saddened about this as I really want this plant for my garden. I did not try to contact this company because after reading the note they included, it seemed to me that the point is mute.

Antoinette Hague

"On Apr 24, 2012 5:59 PM, Annie's Annuals and Perennials responded with:

Hi Antoinette:

We take customer service seriously and welcome any and all calls regarding our plants and the condition in which they are received. If you ever have a question or a concern, please don't hesitate to call.

As noted on our sign, Romenya coulteri is notoriously difficult to get started in a garden and extremely sensitive to root disturbance. We recommend transplanting our 4" starts very carefully into gallon containers and letting them fill out before attempting to plant them in the garden. Not overwatering is KEY. Unfortunately, due to how sensitive this plant is, we do not guarantee it past it's receipt. It's a grow-at-your-own-risk kind of situation and we try to be emphatic about that on the sign before purchase:

http://www.anniesannuals.com/plt_lst/lists/search/lst.srch.a...

That said, we want you to be happy and successful. Give us a call and let us figure out an agreeable solution for you. 1.888.266.4370

Sincerely,
Elayne Takemoto
Annie's Annuals & Perennials"

Received my first order about a month ago. Shipping is expensive but plants arrived faster than expected and packaged wonderfully. Plants are doing great in my garden! I will definitely be ordering again! Thanks Team Annie's!

I had never mail ordered for plants before but found what I was looking for online a Annie's. The plants were shipped when requested, arrived the next day and I was so impressed with the size and health of the plants and the packaging kept them safe and sound. I would definitely order from Annie's again.

I ordered from Annie's a few times in 2011 and was happy with the plants; they are super healthy and packed extremely well. This spring I received 2 lupines "Thomas Church", 2 columbines "Krystal", 1 lewisia "Sunset Strain", 1 brugsmania "Charles Grimaldi", 1 clarkia "aurora", and 1 CA poppy, "Apricot Chiffon". The CA poppy had lost most of its soil in the shipping and didn't look like it would make it, but I planted it anyway and it has started blooming the last few days. The clarkia and the 2 lupines also have been blooming, and the brugsmania is getting huge; I'm sure it will flower beautifully. I am a bit disappointed that the columbines didn't flower and have now died back for the season, but in my garden sometimes columbines only bloom the second year; we'll see. Overall very happy with this nursery, just wish the shipping wasn't so high!

I have ordered from Annie's several times over the years and am always impressed with their packaging and plants. The only thing better is to visit the nursery in person.

Normally I wouldn't pay to have plants shipped by air. But since I live in the mid-west that's the way they ship long distances.Their plants are interesting which is what caught my attention. The plants received seemed healthy and I'll probably have to work extra hard to kill them. Don't worry about buying from this company.

I ordered 3 Petunia exserta and 3 Nicotiana mutabilis. The order was confirmed 5/16 and arrived in Minnesota on 5/23. The plants were packed like they were going on a moon trip. Really I don't think anything short of a bomb could have harmed them- they looked great! It took me awhile to figure out how to remove them from the packaging but I planted them tonight. I am really excited to see these beautiful healthy plants do their stuff!

I ordered 11 plants from Annie's this year. Anthemis sancti johannis,calceolaria kentish hero,calceolaria mexicana,collinsia,delphinium,mimulus puniceus,pentstemon thorn,petunia axillaris,platystemon,schizanthus,stylomecon and zaluzianskaya.I couldn't be happier with the performance of these plants.The calceolaria mexicana,mimulus,petunia,platystemon and zaluzianskaya are blooming heavily and will need larger pots soon.The calceolaria mexicana,petunia and zaluzianskaya are incredible and are well worth growing.Ive never seen a petunia or calceolaria like this.I only wish annie would franchise on the east coast,the shipping is so high and it is a miracle these plants arrive in such good shape.I must add that the stylomecon did not make it,the neck of the plant had started to rot during shipping and came off when I removed it from the box.But all in all I am more than happy with the plants.

Annie's Annuals & Perenials, what a blast! The catalog made me feel like a little kid looking at a Christmas catalog. I wanted something from each page. Not only are the plants outstanding, but the shipping and handling of the plants are outrageous! Not in 30 years of ordering plants through the mail have I ever received plants packaged so wonderfully. Thanks Annie & crew, you are truely amazing!
Art, San Antonio Tx

This was my first order from Annie's. Looking through their beautiful catalog was such a treat, I had to give them a try. I ordered 4 Nepeta and 4 Achillea. They arrived promptly. The condition they arrived in was a revelation! Lush and perfect. Packing was excellent. I am going to place a larger order immediately. I am in California, so these plants were overnighted to me- they were so well packed, however, that I believe they would have done equally well shipping to a greater distance.

I've placed several orders with Annie's Annuals, and each time I have been very happy with the huge size of the plants. They do not send tiny little twigs out like some mail order nurseries do. I've even gotten one or two that have been merrily blooming away under all those packing peanuts! Many people have commented on the high cost of shipping. The cost of shipping 1 plant is the same as the cost of shipping 8, and I have never had a plant arrive with any damage. The plants are healthy, very well watered and EXTREMELY well packaged. I am willing to spend a little more on shipping (but I buy 8 at a time to minimize the per plant cost) since they always send me big, healthy unusual plants in perfect condition.

I decided to order some perennials here because they're a Top Watchdog company. I am SO GLAD that I did.

I bought a foreclosed home and needed many plants to fill the sad, deserted landscape. Annie's website is very easy to use and they have useful, helpful comments about the plants--including ideal locations for plants in both coastal locales and further inland, which I found super-helpful (some plants need a bit of shade in hotter climes, for instance) and they're honest about what will not thrive. Invaluable.

So I made an order and went to the shopping cart and about died when I saw the shipping charges. But after comparing to other companies, it worked out only a little more, so I went ahead and ordered.

My first order of sixteen plants arrived this week. I can now see why the shipping is so high. Unlike several other online companies I have purchased from, Annie's sends their 4" pots in truly solid packaging, including putting the root balls of *each* plant in a wet newsprint, then a small sandwich bag, then back into the 4" pot, so that they would travel without drying. There were a few that they did not wrap that way (the ones that wouldn't handle it) and those were carefully wrapped with a cunning cut sandwich bag that covered the dirt but not the plant and rubber banded in place. All of this is then put in cardboard frames, carefully sheltered with peanuts, and then mailed. My goodness, I'm surprised their shipping charges are so *low*, honestly.

The result was that my plants arrived in great shape and have already recovered (on my sheltered semi-sun porch) and are ready to planted. In previous orders from other companies, I have had to baby shipped plants with seaweed extract, trimming, and other pampering.

I have not found any other company that has such a selection of perennials and annuals. If you want wildlfowers or beneficial attractors, I would especially recommend them. I have found many hard-to-find selections. I was so pleased with my first order, I immediately placed a second one!

I was amazed at the size and condition of the plants when they arrived. They were beautiful! When I've received 4" pots from a lot of mail-order places the plants are a little on the puny side with yellowing leaves that needed trimming. These were 6 inches tall, full, with healthy leaves. There were no yellow or dead leaves I had to remove. They arrived quickly and undamaged.
A place I will continue to purchase from.