Comments regarding Annie's Annuals and Perennials

This spring I decided to create and dedicated a memorial garden to a lost love one who past away from a four year battle of bone cancer. As I started my endeavor I decided I wanted the garden to be a pollinator garden with only a majority of perennial plants that would rebloom over years in his memory.

I purchased my plants starting in late March and continued to do so up to the week of May 15, 2023 from Annie’s annuals and perennials located in Richmond California. As the orders came in I started to plant the plants and some of the pants died. Others were shipped with exposed roots as not enough topsoils was placed in the containers for the plants. As I started to contact this company they did not answer the phone initially and when they did I explained the situation and the reason for the garden and ask that they replace the plants that died. To date even knowing the reason for the garden they continue to respond to my requests with silence. I share this with you so you do not ended up in the same place I am in.

I ask you to be a wise consumer and view this as nothing more then another company that will not guarantee its product. In addition I suspect if a response is provide by this company it will be done for the readers benefit and not in response to its product. I ask that you think twice before purchasing anything from this company

"On Jun 11, 2023 11:51 AM, Annie\'s Annuals and Perennials responded with:

I am very sorry for the disappointing experience you had with Annie's. We have had some adverse weather and shippng conditions this Spring. I would welcome the opportunity to either give you a refund or send you replacement plants if they are still availabe. Again, I offer my sincere apology for the condition of the plants and the lack of a satisfactory response to your inquires. Please feel free to reach out to me directly at sarahh@anniesannuals.com

Sincerely,
Sarah (owner of Annie's)"

I ordered a couple of times and all the very tiny plants they sent did not make it. I tried emailing but heard NADA. Most companies now automatically acknowledge the receipt of an email.

Especially memorable were the "roses" that were tiny tiny twigs with a few tiny leaves and barely any roots. Cute, but not much plant there.

My second order happened during a change over from "Annie" to someone else.

I bought 14 plants total in two orders. They all died. Too small. I'm through with this company. Maybe it's a West Coast, East Coast incompatibility, like a Tupac and Biggie thing.

"On Jun 11, 2023 11:57 AM, Annie\'s Annuals and Perennials responded with:

I am very sorry for the performance of the plants you received this Winter. We had severe storms from Nov to April this year and our plants took longer than usual to root and grow. You are absolutely right, we should have responded to you promptly and I appreciate your reaching out to let us know about your experience. We will use it to learn and improve. I would be happy to offer you a full refund for your January purchase. Please feel free to reach out to me direclty at sarahh@anniesannuals.com. Again, I offer my apologies for your unfortunate experience.

Sincerely,
Sarah (owner at Annies)"

In my last order from Annie's I received 4 nepeta that were 2" tall. The roots had not even reached the edge of the pots. They were in fact seedlings. In my previous orders all the plants were well developed in foliage and the root system.

When I emailed their customer service I was assured that while small, the plants were "the perfect size for transplanting". My response was that I was glad that 40F weather would be no problem for such small plants.

I seek no refund or credit. I was just shocked at the discrepancy in products received. I have no confidence in ordering again.

"On Jan 28, 2021 11:53 AM, Annie\'s Annuals and Perennials responded with:

Hello lifeinpain,
We are sorry you were unhappy with the size of the Nepeta tuberosa you received. Our goal is to ship well-rooted and healthy plants, ready to go in the ground and thrive. We have made a note in your file and will happily issue a gift card or refund if the plants do not survive.
Please contact us at (888)266-4370 x 1"

WARNING POISONS SPRAYED. Annie’s plants are not safe for insects in your garden. Of the two staff people I spoke with no one told me that their milkweed would not be safe for caterpillars. The 18 beautiful creatures in my yard that were in their last stages are shriveled and slowly dying after exposure to the plants overnight.

"On Aug 17, 2020 11:32 AM, Annie\'s Annuals and Perennials responded with:

Hi Richmndgarden: I am so sorry to hear that your caterpillars died after immediately being introduced to Milkweed plants bought at our nursery. That's horrible and we don't ever want that to happen. To try and be transparent to customers, every Asclepias sign in our nursery does have the following warning, as does our website:

*Due to CA agricultural regulations, we're required to treat Asclepias plants with BT (a non-toxic, naturally occurring biological larvicide) to help combat the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM). Effects last only 1 week after application. If you are planning to introduce Monarch caterpillars to this plant, we recommend letting it establish for one season before doing so to ensure it is large enough to provide sufficient food.

Just for the record: we do not use systemic pesticides and we have worked to research and implement the least toxic, organic or naturally occurring alternative to manage pests and fungus. We do not use any Neonicotinoids associated with colony collapse disorder in honeybee populations. We report to and are inspected by our county agricultural department weekly and are in accordance with all of their rigorous guidelines.

I am sorry you did not see this information. If you would like a refund for your plants, please give us a call at 1.888.266.4370."

I enjoy the wide selection of unusual plants offered at reasonable prices [if you do not consider shipping costs].I placed an order for 8 plants about 3 years ago. four of them died in the first week. three more by the end of summer.one made it to the next spring, but died shortly thereafter. the problem was the frail root system of the plants. the plants themselves were a good size, but when I took them out of their pots I was quite surprised by the lack of a supportive root system. I vowed not order from this nursery again. the temptation got to me, and I thought maybe things may have improved. I ordered 4 plants. they were all dry on arrival. water helped 3 of them, 1 one of them never came back. it has been 1 week since the order arrived, and another has died. once again the root system on all the plants was very weak. I am not a master gardener, but I do try to follow best practices for soil, light and water for each particular plant. I placed orders with 4 other nurseries this spring, and pot size for these plants was comparable to the plants from Annie's, but the root system on all these other plants was very strong. I am really sorry that Annie's ships plants this way, as they have some unusual plants. I would be willing to pay more for the plants if they had a sturdier root system.

"On Jun 16, 2020 4:10 PM, Annie\'s Annuals and Perennials responded with:

Hi wannabe7: Thanks for the feedback on your recent order. Our goal is to ship well-rooted and healthy plants, ready to go in the ground and thrive. If we fall short of that goal, we'd love the opportunity to make it right. It helps us to know which plants didn't arrive as expected, so we can improve quality control on our end. Under the situation you described above, it is 100% our policy to refund your plants - just give us a call and let us know they did not arrive in good condition. We'll be happy to work something out. 1.888.266.4370, 8 am - 4 pm PST or contact@anniesannuals.com.
"

Ridiculously hard to log in. I know what my previous account login details were, but you said they weren’t right.
I tried the two different passwords sent and 1 worked, 1 didn't. Now I have to figure out how to change to something more memorable.

I love the fact that Annie’s has plants I can’t get elsewhere. Last season I again ordered from them, and did not receive my plants when expected. It was 2 weeks before I finally received them after the due date. They had been sent to an old address. Most were nearly dead or dead. I called and complained. I have received catalogues every year at this address and don’t know why they sent to an old address. However, I was told they would not do anything about replacing the dead plants or giving me a refund. They were not very polite. I have ordered for several years, And as much as I would like to order from them this season, I can tell they don’t want my business anymore.

"On Mar 19, 2020 3:43 PM, Annie\'s Annuals and Perennials responded with:

Hi PJEF: Under the situation you described above, it is absolutely 100% our policy to refund your plants if you call us and let us know they did not arrive in good condition in a timely manner. I'm not sure who you talked to but if you get in touch with us, we'll work something out. 1.888.266.4370, 8 am - 4 pm PST."

Purchased 15 plants in May 2019. Upon receipt, 5 of the plants (all the same kind) were in very poor condition. Contacted the company within 2 days.

Customer service said I needed to contact them in 24 hours? That's ridiculous. I tried nurturing the plants, but only 1 survived. I immediately asked for new plants.

Turns out these poor plants were the last of their batch for this year.. I did get a refund for the 4 plants ... but not for my shipping fee which was 1/3 of the plants shipped! I was told that I could have only gotten the exact same plants ... which I did request! ... but since these weren't available they wouldn't refund my shipping fee.

Its not my fault at all that they were immediately out of the same plants I ordered.

Very poor refund/exchange policy (I see this same comment from others, so I wasn't singled out). So be prepared ... if you get scrungy little plants that can't even survive the shipping .. and they are out of the plants ... doesn't matter how quickly you report this, they will NOT refund their high shipping costs.

The other odd thing is I think that I didn't get the plants I ordered. I am positive the tags were mixed up on two of the plants .. and one of the plants looks NOTHING like what I ordered from the catalog.

I ordered 3 clarkias and 1 alstroemeria 'tricolor' in early spring. I was surprised that the clarkias did not have an establised root system. One of the clarkias fell apart in my hands. Of the three only one survived. The alstoremeria was planted in a sunny location with amended soil. The plant immedialty died back. I thought it had gone dormant and took no action. The alstroemeria has not broke ground, it is not coming back.
I called Annie's Annuals. The feed back was very disappointing. After questioning my planting techniques, I was told I had waited too long to report the problem. They did not replace the plant or offer a refund.
Don't waste your money, this company does not stand by their products.

"On Jul 1, 2019 2:47 PM, Annie's Annuals and Perennials responded with:

Hi Pelle4 - thank you for the feedback! We are sorry the Alstroemeria ‘Tricolor’ you purchased in February did not survive and appreciate the opportunity to work with you to make it right. We do have a 30-day policy for failed plants that is noted in the catalog and online under our FAQ page and we always want to hear from customers right away if their plants fail to thrive in the guaranteed window. We would like to try and make things right so that you are satisfied with the end result. If you could give us a call at 1.888.266.4370, we can work out the details."

BEWARE. They send small greenhouse grown plants and will NOT refund or replace their weak seedlings that don't survive in the real world

"On Jan 18, 2019 2:34 PM, Annie's Annuals and Perennials responded with:

We understand how disappointing a plant loss can be. A refund for the Psoralea fleta was processed on July 5, 2018 two days after we received the news. A replacement was not advised because the daytime temperatures were consistently 90 degrees or above. "

Posted on July 21, 2016, updated July 25, 2018
What a Great Company !!
I bought 2 plants. Their container and wrapping were Excellent. In fact, the best I have had out of all my online plant purchases.
I received one of these plants last year from another company in a smaller container. I had to move it to a slightly larger size and it died.
The containers "Annies" plants came in were oversized. I didn't have to move this replacement plant from last year to a larger container.
Especially in the Heat. The packing and plants were Over the Top in
Quality and Wrapping.
Carol Smith.

"On Feb 7, 2019 10:32 AM, Annie's Annuals and Perennials responded with:

We're sorry to hear you've had poor luck with some of our plants. When we refer to zone hardiness, it is in reference to a plant's ability to withstand the average annual minimum winter temperatures in that zone (ie: the coldest). Zone hardiness doesn't have anything to do with whether a plant is tolerant to heat or humidity - and unfortunately, the plants you have listed above are not advised for hot or humid climates.
We do have categories on our website to help you find plants that will thrive in hot and/or humid climates - and you can see those plant lists here: http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/lists/.
Please give us a call if you have any questions.M -F, 8-4 PST 888-266-4370 option #1 or by email: contact@anniesannuals.com."

I do wish things had gone better. I ordered a late fall shipment, which of course is not the best time for most companies, but the only good time for me to plant in SoCal. Plants arrived beautifully packed, and all were growing. I was a bit sad to find they were all planted in shallow pots--but figured the nursery knows what it's doing. So far so good. I put them outside in the shade for a couple of days to recover before planting (temp around 70 degrees), and things started to go downhill. Many flopped over, or started to rot. I sorted through them to see what was wrong and whether I dared plant them in the garden, and discovered, first, that they were all in very heavy dirt, no perlite or vermiculite, and without good drainage, some were drowning. I also discovered that about a third of them were completely root-bound, while another third had just been transplanted from plugs and had barely started to send out further roots (if at all). The last third had fine root balls, but some of these were just over-saturated from the lack of drainage in the soil. With some tender care and re-potting, some of these survived. Some are struggling, and about 1/3 died despite my attempts to salvage. None of them are thriving, unlike the plants I received from other nurseries about the same time. They have a great selection of interesting items, but the plants were just not cared for. Perhaps they do not really have stock for late fall/winter shipping, but if so, they should let customers know.

"On Jan 26, 2018 4:54 PM, Annie's Annuals and Perennials responded with:

Hi katanknits - We are sorry to hear about your experience with our plants. We understand your disappointment. We guarantee plants arrive in excellent shape, ready to go in the ground and if ever you have any problems or questions, we are more than happy to sort things out. Please give us a call anytime M-F, 8-4 PST 888-266-4370 option #1 or by email: contact@anniesannuals.com."

Ordered 24 plants, all new to my gardening, but listed as "native plants," of which I already have many in my garden. I lost 3 plants within the first 3 weeks. I believe that was because they ship in 4-inch pots, but the plants are not 4-inch pot worthy! Their root systems are so tiny, they are, at best, 2-3 inch pot worthy plants. Also, the plants were so carelessly potted that the potting soil (YES, potting soil - not garden soil) fell off the tiny roots. This may have contributed to their demise. Shipping fees for their orders is ridiculously high. I called to say I would send photos of the surviving plants (at 26 days since planting), which show the disappointing growth. In the case of one variety, the plants have such a weak base root system that they topple over! All I got from "Andrea" who answered the phone when I called for the email address to send pictures was "Well, we can send replacements for the ones you lost but you will have to pay the shipping." I told her I'm not giving Annie's Annuals any more money - $200.28 for 24 plants was quite enough. I think this exorbitant shipping cost is where they make the real money. By their own description, these native flowers, for the most part, reseed, so they are not losing money making new plants! From my horrible experience, I can only believe that the positive comments on this site were entered by their employees or people who went to the nursery itself to buy their plants. Never again will I order from this company, and I will enter these warning comments on every gardening website I can. It was wonderful validation when I read the other negative comments that echoed my same complaints.

"On Jun 12, 2017 11:11 AM, Annie's Annuals and Perennials responded with:

Hi Sierrasu: Thank you for giving us the chance to fix this issue. we have strict guidelines about how rooted plants must be in order to ship, as well as a 30-day guarantee. As per our email to you, we have credited your card for the plants that failed to thrive upon arrival. "

Annies Annuals plants are grown with tender care, as so reflected in their upper-end cost. That cost I can overlook due to the quality. What I can't overlook are the ridiculously high shipping fees. Was preparing my order today, and though short it was, have decided I will no longer pay that much, when I could purchase at least twice the amount of same plants at a local nursery, and still pay less. Annies offers no relief with discount coupons like a lot of companies do. Also, their website states that you can choose the date you wish to have them shipped, which is incorrect... THEY select to prepare it to ship on the date your place your order. Of course right now is way too early in the season. Should you wait until later to order, the plants you want have been depleted.

"On Feb 14, 2017 10:34 AM, Annie's Annuals and Perennials responded with:

We thank you very much for your feedback. We have tried diligently to be as fair as possible with our shipping structure and custom, carefully designed packaging so that plants arrive in excellent shape. We know this is not the cheapest way possible to get plants to customers, but from our 10 years of experience and many trials and tests, it is the best way to make sure they are alive and thriving when they arrive at their destination. We grow many annuals and wildflowers that will not withstand more than a couple of days in a dark box, and so we ship all plants next day or 2-day (depending on location). In your case, your plants would arrive in Idaho within two business days and shipping would be 13.95 for up to 8 plants and 18.95 for 9-12 plants.

If we were shipping anything other than highly perishable plant
material, we could certainly find a way to ship it cheaper. But since we grow an unusual assortment of plants - many available nowhere else - this is the best way to ensure our plants thrive right out of the box and customers are successful growing them.

So far as stock being depleted - we grow multiple crops throughout the year of all of the plants that appear in our catalog. If it's too cold to order where you live now, please know that new crops continue to be grown and will be available for sale later in the season. A few crops may sell out early and some annuals and wildflowers have a limited growing season, but the vast majority of plants will be available when you are ready to order.

Please do not hesitate to give us a call if you have any questions or
concerns. We can take your order by phone and let you know of any current promotions or discounts that may help with shipping.
1-888-266.4370"

Wish I had a positive experience with Annie's, but I don't-even neutral would be nice.

I placed two orders with Annie's online after reading several positive reviews on Dave's Garden. First order was on 6/24, and then second order on 7/16. First shipment was packaged nicely and arrived as expected. Second shipment looked a bit tossed, and few items dislodged from their little plastic containers. Most plants looked healthy-small, but healthy. This is the good part.

The frustrating part:

Twice I ordered 2 Psoralea fleta @ $12.95 each (just over $50 spent here), and I had attempted to email them about additional care for this particular plant since there were no additional information available (besides what's posted online). No response from Annie's.

In my first order, I got two Psoralea fleta. They were each planted in a large 24" container along side the other plants I ordered from Annie's, and placed inside my lanai where there's shade and a nice breeze from the lake. But they showed signs of heat fatigue after a day (leaves were a little wilted and stalk was droopy), so I babied this particular plant by moving them both indoors. These plants were placed by the window and watered or misted lightly. After one week, one of the Psoralea fleta dried up and died. I was sadden but had not given up trying, so I order two more Psoralea fleta and emailed Annie's for help or tips on growing this plant. No response from Annie's, and I don't have the time to hunt them down via phone for an answer (considering the slight time difference and work obligations).

Several of the plants from the first order fail to thrive, and one by one they died on me. Only three plants are hanging on from that first order.

By the time the second order arrived, the second Psoralea fleta dried up and died. I planted the two new Psoralea fleta in a smaller 14" container and kept them strictly indoors by the window. After a week, another Psoralea fleta hit the sack and just recently the last Psoralea fleta has gone to meet its maker. Of the 5 Ceanothus varieties I order, two are still alive. The Annabelle Hydrangea is still growing, and the 2 Echium are hanging on-sad looking but still greenish. The red buckwheat and one of the lavender never quite made it after arriving (part of second order) as those had came dislodged in the shipment. Everything else listed below (besides what I just mentioned) are pretty much dead. After either a few days or weeks of tediously handling and caring for these plants they just never thrived.

3934 Rosemary - 'Huntington Carpet' 1@$7.95 DEAD
4678 Chrysanthemum "Marguerite Daisy" 1@$6.95 DEAD
4538 Echium webbii 1@$8.95 HANGING ON
4485 Ceanothus 'Julia Phelps' 1@$9.95 DEAD
4640 Dianthus 'Ruby's Tuesday' 1@$7.95 DEAD
2586 Psoralea fleta 2@$12.95; $25.90 BOTH DEAD
906 Salvia apiana "White Sage" 2@$8.95 BOTH DEAD
1609 Thyme - "Orange Scented Thyme" 1@$5.95 DEAD
4445 Pepper 'Purple Beauty' 1@$5.95 HANGING ON
2780 Aster oblongifolius "Aromatic Aster" 1@$7.95 DEAD
377 Echium "Pride of Madeira" 1@$8.95 HANGING ON
3480 Lavandula 'Provence' "Lavender" 1@$7.95 DEAD
3893 Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' 1@$12.95 ALIVE
2586 Psoralea fleta 2@$12.95; $25.90 BOTH DEAD
2646 Ceanothus 'Joyce Coulter' 1@$8.95 HANGING ON
4485 Ceanothus 'Julia Phelps' 1@$9.95 DEAD
2597 Ceanothus 'Ray Hartman' 1@$8.95 HANGING ON
4240 Ceanothus thyrsiflorus 'Yankee Point' 1@$9.95 DEAD
1485 Eriogonum grande "Red Buckwheat" 1@$8.95 DEAD
3480 Lavandula 'Provence'"Lavender" 2@$7.95 DEAD
2994 Scleranthus "Australian Astroturf"2 @$7.95 DEAD

Total of $338 (includes shipping)

Was I aware Annie's had a return policy of some sort? Yes, after I looked at their website to get an email address for them. It basically says, you need to contact them ASAP and send the dead plant back for a refund. But I wasn't looking for that, I just wanted gardening tips for these sad little plants. Besides, sending all these dead plants back from Florida to California would cost me more than they were worth.

Was I disappointed they didn't respond? Extremely, considering they had such great reviews. Of all the other online gardening websites I've ordered from (whom I research extensively prior to ordering) Annie's was the first to never respond.

Why write the review now? Because I'm calmer and I would like other buyers to beware that unless they have a green house to house these plants or are prepared to baby the hell out of these plants they are wasting their time and money. Several months ago when the plants kept dying one after the other, it really did make me sad and question if I had grew a black thumb of sorts. But, when I take into account all the plants that have died this summer almost all of them are from Annie's. This year, I ordered a few plants from Niche Garden, almost 50 rose bushes (49 to be exact) from Chamblee Rose, several peony from Cricket Hill- even grabbed plants from the local Lowe's, tons more from Home Depot, and various other plants from local mom and pop nurseries. But combined dead plants from ALL these other places are 4! FOUR! And they were planted in the yard-not babied in my lanai or inside my home like the plants from Annie's. Lost an annabelle hydrangea from Niche Garden to the Florida summer sun, two rose bushes to wet feet after the hurricanes came by, and one blue star juniper shrub to spider mites. So please don't think this is just a bad case of the black thumbs.

Wanted to like Annie's so very bad. They had such cool plants, the prices are cheap, the website is very user friendly, shipping is great, packaging is pretty good, so what went wrong? Why are their plants failing to thrive? Why aren't they supportive with growing their plants or offer any helpful growing tip to the gardener who purchased plants from them? When I emailed Chamblee they responded in a few days-which was fine, I know we all work. I completely understand that young plants need more pampering and it's not the nursery's fault some plants fail to thrive, but almost ALL the plants have died? Under meticuous care and conditions? And almost all of them are from Annie's? (No, Annie's didn't kill my plants, but one does have to question why their plants? Why is it mainly their plants that have failed to thrive?)

So, to save myself from more heartache, I don't plan on ordering from Annie's anymore. You have been warned.

May the gardening gnome be with you guys! :)

First let me say that I have ordered many plants fro Annie's in the past and most have been healthy and are doing well. I would love to continue ordering plants, but the shipping costs are now so high that I can't justify paying more than $11 for a small 4 inch pot. I live 2 states away and $26.56 shipping for 5 plants is, in my opinion, ridiculous. Sorry Annie, you have a fantastic number of hard to find plants that I want, but I can no longer afford you.

I've ordered from Annie's annuals twice now. The first time I was mostly disappointed with the sizes of plants given the great reviews. I order a lot of mail order plants both professionally and personally so I know what is typical. My second order that I placed most recently was also pretty disappointing. The pots that they send are on the large side for mail order but the plants are pretty small. I got some sea holly that were just little babies not rooted well and just dwarfed in their tiny pots. They would have faired better in 2 inch pots. Everything could have been growing well or better in 2-3 inch pots.

"On May 2, 2016 3:10 PM, Annie's Annuals and Perennials responded with:

Hi Thescann - We are sorry you are disappointed with the size of the plants you received. We strive to send out healthy, well-rooted plants and carefully monitor growth for each crop, waiting until they are big enough to ship. In the event that a crop was made available too early, or that your plants arrived too small, we would very much like the opportunity to hear your feedback and work something out with you. Please give us a call at 1.888.266.4370 or send an email to contact@anniesannuals.com.
 "

Posted on December 9, 2015, updated December 17, 2015
Posted on November 29, 2015, updated December 9, 2015
My first batch of plants from Annie's are all growing and doing what they do. I was very impressed with the care taken in packing the plants. There are complaints and negative reivews, of course, but you need to take the time to read the FAQs at Annie's site. Its very clear that they ship ONLY 4" containers, so some plants will be very small, but I've gotten larger plants from local sources that don't have nearly the quality that Annie's do. They do not hold plants for planting time in your zone, but you have a choice - you can have them shipped or wait and order later. I don't consider it the seller's responsibility to know when I should plant something - that's my job (for good or ill).

I do agree that the constant cheeriness and the perfect wonderfulness of every plant description gets a tad sticky, but I never rely on just one source. I check everything in Sunset Western Garden Guide before I order it. And then there's Dave's Garden as a resource for more info, too.

I am awaiting my next order from Annie's with great anticipation. Its good, sometimes, to live in a 12-month growing season zone. Syb

"On Dec 23, 2015 3:30 PM, Annie's Annuals and Perennials responded with:

Hi sybilshappylife,

We apologize your shipment was damaged in transit and understand your disappointment. We don’t think we handled your concerns with the careful attention you deserved and we would love a chance to talk to you over the phone. We’ve left you a phone message, please feel free to give us a call back at your convenience.

Please know that our goal is to devise the best packaging possible to protect plants from the vagaries of weather, transport and potential mishandling by carriers and we are always looking for ways to improve it. We have been experimenting with our “new” method of shipping plants for at least the last 6 months to the East Coast and have found that fewer plants arrive damaged with this system when mishandled. We have found that plants actually fall out of the pot less when we do not disturb the rootball by taking them out of their pots to wrap them in paper. While this method requires an additional cardboard insert and is therefore more costly, we think it will eventually be the most effective way to get plants to our customers in the best and most damage-free condition.

However, whenever plants are damaged in transit, please be assured that we will always take full responsibility for it and either issue a prompt credit or refund, as we did in your case.

We thank you so much for your feedback,
Annie's
"

Shipping charges are outrageous; opted not to complete order.

Posted on February 27, 2015, updated March 11, 2015
UNBELIEVABLE! I live in Dallas, TX and I receive their catalog in January and I got their weekly emails. I placed an ordered last week ($173.90, $71.00 of this was SHIPPING COST!!). It's snowing here, as can be seen on the National Weather service or anyone in the nursery business that actually checks the weather before blindly shipping live Zone 9-10 plants, and it has been bad weather for more than a week. This is the time of year we get this weather, every year! Yet, they blindly shipped my entire order without a second thought. What responsible company does this? I am at their total mercy and I paid $71.00 for this type of service? Even beginner gardeners know that Zone 9-10 plants will die when shipped in weather below 40 degrees. Cindy, the supervisor, even admitted that the average weather is 37 degrees in my area at this time of year, which still would not be sufficient to ship the plants I ordered, and prives that they ship blindly without consideration for a customer's order or taking proper precautions that it might arrive safely. Once they have your money, it's your responsibility! This is just not right. Apparently, that's too much to ask for them to put 2+2 together or take any responsibility.
Normally, you receive a catalog, you place the order and you rely on the EXPERTISE of the company to ship the order at the proper time for planting in your area. They are the experts! These people don't understand this concept that the rest of the world has been ordering under for the past 100 years. When I called to get help, they immediately began putting the blame on ME. It shocked me!! Their idea of "working with me" is to give me a gift card for half the cost, not even a refund! One of the Baby Blue Eyes was battered and broken off at the base. It's likely this was done during packing before they closed the box, as there should be box damage if it was done during transit, but the box is fine.
Beware when ordering from these people. Any warranty expires upon receipt of payment! You can get their plants cheaper elsewhere and from much friendlier and more responsible people who actually care how a customer's order is received and will take time to communicate with you. They said there is a box to check when ordering on the date to ship, but this should be their responsibility, not a beginner gardeners! I guess I just expected more professionalism from a company who is supposed to be the experts and know better. They seem to live in their own world in their part of Zone 9 California without consideration or respect for anyone else who gardens in other parts of the country! This is just not right. I'm done with any more ordering from them with their over-inflated, one-type shipping and will be reporting my experience with them on every garden site I am a member, as well as any that I'm not!

"On Mar 3, 2015 3:28 PM, Annie's Annuals and Perennials responded with:

Dear reeve1:

We would like to apologize for the disappointment you felt with your last order with us. We try very hard to explain on our website and in our catalog that we grow and ship plants anywhere in the continental US, year-round. We are not set up to ship in windows or by zone - so the ship date you choose really is the date we will send out your order. Due to the seasonality of many of the plants we grow and limited on-site space, we cannot hold orders. So, while we make every effort to try and catch orders due to go out to areas suffering extreme cold or heat, the sheer volume of orders this time of year sometimes means that one or two shipments may inadvertently slip through the cracks.

For that, we apologize and would like the opportunity to make things right. Please give us a call at 1.888.266.4370 so we can address your concerns.

In the meantime, we will be making changes to our shopping cart emphasizing our shipping policies to try and prevent frustration like yours from happening in the future. "

I was so excited to see the wonderful and different plants in Annie's inventory , even though most of the ones I wanted were not in stock but that was OK. And even though they are expensive that was OK too, and even though the plants are tiny tiny tiny , that would be also be OK if they grew. I did order from them twice and both times one plant was half eaten by something (I called right away but they advised me to wait it out) and more than half of my orders did not make it in my yard within a few weeks. I DID call Annie's twice for help, of course it was my fault, too much water, too little water, not enough sun, too much sun, whatever..... It has been a while now and only one plant survived sofar, that plant cost me over $100. I live in Southern California and am still looking for a GREAT nursery .

"On Mar 3, 2015 3:25 PM, Annie's Annuals and Perennials responded with:

Hi Maureennn:

We are also disappointed to hear your plants did not make it - or failed to thrive after arrival. We guarantee plants arrive in excellent shape and ready to go in the ground. If you were unhappy for any reason, please drop us a line and give us a chance to fix the problem. We are always happy to help! 888.266.4370"

Because I live in a "colder" climate (zone 7) I cannot take advantage of the plants that sell out quickly. Here's why:

The problem is that they won't hold my order until the correct planting time for my zone. So, if I make an order for plants that are in stock at the time of ordering, by the time they fill my order, they have run out of the plants.

Previous years, I ordered early but had them shipped at the correct time for my zone. I didn't the get the popular plants in my order because they were gone.

This year, I ordered them early and had them shipped early (way too early for planting out) in order to make sure they were in stock. (I got all the plants I ordered! A first! So far, so good.) They even helpfully called me the expected date of arrival to say that I was going to get receipt of the plants that day, and suggested that I get them in the ground that same day. When I said they weren't going to be planted for a month, the caller sounded absolutely flabbergasted. She warned me about how bad it was for the plants to be held before planting and told me I should have them sent later.

I explained to her that if I request the correct delivery date for planting in my zone, the plants are out of stock by then. I asked if I could place a "hold" on plants in my order if I paid in full up front, but she said they won't do that. They simply fill the orders at shipping time regardless of when they are ordered, and when they run out, they run out.

Anyway, I kept my plants in the house for a month and some were fine, but many were struggling by then. The struggling ones took a big hit and didn't bounce back in time to bloom much or even look nice.

So, keeping them inside isn't the solution, and It's too frustrating to order really interesting, unusual plants and have them unavailable by my correct shipping time.

I have decided to give Annie's a pass in the future. If you are below zone 9 I think you will have similar problems.

First of all, I've had more plants die that I've purchased from their website than any other - and I've purchased from a hundred different nurseries featured in Dave's Garden. I am in a harsh climate and the plants are too small and shallowly rooted to long survive the shock of transplant.

And let's not even go into how many of their plants are OUT if stock, let's concentrate in the "in stock" ones. I received a notice that a plant I'd been waiting YEARS for was in stock. I go to the website - it shows as in stock - and order it. A week later, when the plants SHOULD have been shipped and if already dug the holes and prepped for planting, I receive an email that they don't have it, that I'll be notified when they do, with no indication as to when that might be.

Why did I get an email that a plant was available that wasn't? Why did it take a WEEK to let me know? Why isn't the website kept up to date.

It is no surprise to me they've received more negative than positive reviews this month. I hope Garden Watchdog revisits their positive stance toward Annie's Annuals.

Don't order from them if you have other options.

I've placed an order for 4 plants almost a week ago.I received the box today (I'm in California).My complaint is about the lack of confirmation email after I've placed the order and inability to check the status of my order online.There is no link to account history or order status.One plant was not shipped and on the attached bill it just says"Item backordered,plant too small to ship". I wish I knew that before, so I could have ordered it from someone else. I don't know when and how will they send the plant ,there is no information .
Email link on their page is not working so I've sent them the email through Dave's garden. Also left the message on their phone, but no response yet. They have nice plants and I always try to buy plants and seeds from small nurseries that pride themselves in healthy production,but sometimes those nurseries fails because of bad business management practice.

"On Jun 6, 2014 3:28 PM, Annie's Annuals and Perennials responded with:

Hi Sanya: Thank you for your feedback. We do send a confirmation email out for every order placed, although sometimes we find they are blocked by certain ISPs or accidentally delivered to spam, depending on differing security settings. For that, we apologize!

We've given you a call today, as well as an email to discuss your backordered item and when it will ship.

We've checked out the email link and it seems to be working fine, now. We're very sorry you had a difficult time getting in touch with us, but please do give us a call and we will be very happy to sort everything out! 1.888.266.4370."

Posted on May 21, 2014, updated May 25, 2014
First, I want to say that I love the plant selection available at Annies and have been drooling over the selection she has for over a year. I order most of my plants by mail. My problem is that my plants were not packaged well. I ordered 4 plants and most of the dirt was out of the pot for 3 of them so they were suffering pretty bad by the time I got the package. The 4th plant was completely decimated, broken off at the base of the stem and I had to dig through the dirt to find it. I tried to plant them all anyway hoping that maybe the root system will push something new up but I do not think that will happen. I am really bummed-- there were other plants that I really wanted but after paying such a significant shipping fee, I expect the plants to at least be healthy.

"On May 27, 2014 4:04 PM, Annie's Annuals and Perennials responded with:

Hi HouseofFlowers: Thank you for your feedback! We are very sad to hear your plants did not arrive in good shape and that some did not make it once planted. Please, please give us a call. We do not hesitate to replace plants that arrive damaged in the shipping process, as our shipping guarantee states. Even though we strive to pack and ship with the utmost care, sometimes the journey across the country can be very rough as boxes are transferred from truck to plane to truck again. I am sure we can help! 1.888.266.4370"

My parents love the place and took me there with them (I am an adult and it's obvious).

The people who worked there focused on my parents, so I had no help with in finding or choosing their vegetables and decided to give up on trying to figure out their fruit selection. Both selections were pretty bad, but the worst was their spotlight selection of passion fruits.

They listed three varieties and mentioned only one had fruit that could safely be eaten, but didn't mention the name. I had to deduce that the variety that mentioned fruit on the tag (barely) was the right one. I asked for help from the person who had just finished talking to my dad about flowers and he had no idea. I asked if there was someone else who would and he said he doubted it.

I pointed out the price, even on sale, was a bit high, but my dad said it was because these were quality plants. Yet just after putting the plants in a sunny spot (it was early August) and watering them my fig dropped its leaves, my basil and onions bolted. My oregano is still sorry-looking (It's the end of March), my remaining onion hasn't grown even a tiny bulb, and my passion flower hasn't grown even a leaf nub.

The only thing that did well was my chives, thyme, sage, and a pepper plant. No peppers, though it was said to be the right size and age to grow them and there's peppers all over my neighbor's pepper of the same species.

At least the herbs taste good.

I ordered 8 plants from Annies. The packaging was very good.

However, I was very disappointed in the size and quality. 3 plants died within 2 days.

"On Jul 30, 2013 5:49 PM, Annie's Annuals and Perennials responded with:

Hi Birdied:

We are also disappointed to hear your plants did not make it! We guarantee plants arrive in excellent shape and ready to go in the ground. If you were unhappy for any reason, please drop us a line and give us a chance to fix the problem. We are always happy to help! 888.266.4370

"

HOLY SMOKES!!! Did you see the shipping charges???
"New & Improved" Bahhhh...what a joke!! To the east coast, Florida specifically for me.

1-4 plants $25.95??? Really??? Hello a medium size priority box only cost $12.35 to ship and the PO gives you the box and tracking is included,
(that's retail for us it's LESS for companies shipping)...
HOW exactly do you explain and justify another $13.60 extra in costs?
For 1-4 plants this is what you pay extra for each plant just for shipping alone:
Order just 1 plant your charged $25.95 plus the plant cost.
There plants average about $7.00 each, is that one plant worth $32.95...it's a 4 inch pot!!!
Order 4 plants that $6.49 for each plant extra, just in shipping! Remember this doesn't include the cost of the plant just the shipping charges!
Add just one more plant and your shipping goes up ANOTHER WHOOPING $4.00?!?! REALLY???
No, no, no, no, NOOO That is highway robbery.
Funny if you live in California, the priority shipping charge is the same threw USPS but Annies only charges them $1.60 extra.
Can you imagine $46.00 shipping charge on 9-12 plants?
That's between $5.10 and $3.83 EXTRA over and above the cost of each plant...there is a huge difference in $16.85 to 45.95 JUSTIFY $29.00 extra? For shipping? Come on!!!

Large priority box provided by PO retail price is only (wait for it) $16.85 Still far less than your 1-4 small order plant rate of $25.95!!

Gasp...I won't do it, I'm sure there is some EXCUSE for the horrific charges but to tell you the truth it cost the same labor to box them and ship them to the next county, as it does to box them going across the country...the labor is the same, the packaging is the same and shipping rates are LESS for commercial shipping accounts...Are you willing to pay that extreme amount for a plant you can get someplace else? Most likely larger than a 4 inch pot with reasonable (YES, reasonable shipping rates) I'm looking else where!!

"On Apr 23, 2013 7:57 PM, Annie's Annuals and Perennials responded with:

Dear floridaheat:

The actual cost of shipping 4 plants via 2nd day air to a Miami, Dade
address is $22 and rates outside of metropolitan areas are higher. We charge $25.95. That $3.95 allows us to pay for the box, the inserts and the labor to get the plants to you. On large orders, often the cost of shipping exceeds the actual cost charged to the customer.

We have extensively test shipped via ground delivery and other methods
and have determined that 2nd day air East of the Rockies is absolutely the best way to transport our plants so they arrive in excellent and disappointment free condition. Is it cheap? No, Do they arrive in great
shape, ready to go in the ground and thrive? Yes. And if they do arrive
damaged for whatever reason, we'll replace them.

We appreciate your feedback.

Annie's
"

Posted on April 19, 2012, updated April 25, 2012
Posted on April 18, 2012, updated April 19, 2012
Posted on April 17, 2012, updated April 18, 2012
On April 4 I ordered 2 Lathyrus odoratus and 2 Agrostemma gigatho. I got a confirmation email immediately saying that I would get my plants on April 12.

April 12 came and went. I sent a polite email on the afternoon of the 13th asking where my plants were, and I got NO RESPONSE. I sent another email on the 15th and that email got NO RESPONSE. I sent a final ANGRY email on the 17th with the subject line "Seriously, what the hell?" and I gave Annie's 6 hours to respond before calling them.

When I called them they just gave me a pile of weak excuses. Apparently what happened is that the Lathyrus sold out by the time I placed my order. I understand that they're running a busy operation there and these things happen, but they NEVER sent me any indication of what was going on. I would have been understanding, but by giving me 13 days to prepare my plant beds, BUILD TRELLISES, and wait for my plants, I am now really angry.

When I said that I had sent three emails, the manager said that she gets hundreds of emails every day, and she just can't POSSIBLY read and respond to all of them!

The manager said that a LOT of people had ordered the Lathyrus when it was sold out, and so I got the impression from her that a bunch of people were left in my same situation.

So they have the staff to put on a giant party last weekend, but they don't have the staff to actually ship plants, respond to emails, or notify people that plants that they've been expecting in the mail for two weeks are sold out?!?!?!

She finally offered to send me the Agrostemma, which is the ABSOLUTE LEAST she could have possibly done. She wasn't even apologetic about the whole situation. The whole tone I got from her is that I was the one at fault.

It's going to be 90 degrees here on Friday and I'm going to be out of town all weekend. THIS IS WHY I WANTED MY PLANTS LAST WEEK. I would expect a professional nursery to understand that in the springtime people need their plants right around the time they order them, and not weeks and weeks later. Annie's, unfortunately, does not seem to be a professional organization. A professional organization would have a mechanism in place for telling me that the plants I ordered were sold out within a day or two of my ordering them, instead of leaving me hanging for weeks on end. I know that the nursery industry is full of flaky hippies, but seriously, how does a business get that big with no responsible people at the helm?

I've spent hundreds of dollars there in the past, but I'm never spending another dime on a company that gives such terrible customer care.

"On Apr 23, 2012 11:24 PM, Annie's Annuals and Perennials responded with:

Dear Xema Sab:

I understand your frustration and disappointment and agree that none of these errors should have happened in the first place. It is unacceptable that we did not promptly reply to your emails and fix the problem at the outset. I take personal responsibility for our lapse in customer service; excuses and inability to ship the plants you ordered when you wanted them. As for sending the wrong plants a second time – I deeply apologize. The correct plants are on their way to you today.

The $10.62 authorization of your credit card was an error on our part, and the money was never deducted from your account. Still, I acknowledge that the charge was both confusing and upsetting.

I have met with my mailorder team and made sure we addressed each and every one of the concerns mentioned in your post. Every order placed with us is important to me, whether it’s one plant or 100 and I hope you’ll give us another chance to do it right in the future.

Sincerely,
Annie Hayes
Annie’s Annuals and Perennials
"

unfortunately i have had problems with annies plants dying within a couple of days. they were nice enough to send a gift certificate of $20. out of 2 orders total 15 plants, i have 3 that survived. i am not an inexperienced gardener and have plants from numerous companies that have done great. sorry but no more annies for me.

California to Michigan... $28 dollars for shipping of one impatien that I wanted for my collection. Are you kidding me! I have sent almost 60 lbs of scuba equipment to California and it was a little over 30 bucks. In the words of Mr. Jackson, Annie are you OK? Are you OK Annie? I wont support that kind of business and neither should you. Maybe if there mail order drops off they will get the hint and stop slamming people with rediculous shipping charges.

I ordered 8 items from Annies. They arrived very wet. So far 6 of the 8 have died. I do not like the fact that you must make a minimum order or that the shipping/handling was more than the plants.

I called and notified them that the directions on the website came up "page not found" Happens all the time.
Then on a Friday I downloaded the plants I wanted from their "available list" and drove two hours the following Saturday (next day) to Annies. Lots of plants, apparently all they sell are 4" pots though. (Read on)
A lot of the plants are seedlings. Sorry but I don't feel that you should be having seedlings on the floor for purchase.
After going through, out of my list of 4 "must have" plants, I could only find one (Remember I downloaded it the day before). I went up to a sales person and asked for help. The woman looked at me and said, "Let me explain to you, how to use this book" I felt attitude coming from her, but it may have been frustration. Of course her book showed the plants I was interested in "out of stock". Hate to drive 2 hours for "out of stock".
I had picked up a gallon pot, from a table, it was among other gallon pots and 4" pots. I couldn't find a price. I was told (this time my friend noticed attitude) that they don't sell the larger pots, if they did the price would be written on it. Like I'd know that? I found a few 4" pots unlabelled so how was I supposed to know?
To top it all off, I didn't notice this, but they take out the labels when you leave. So you best know what you bought, since they are not labelled now. I bought two bulbs...the foliage looks the same. I have no idea which one is which now.
I don't plan on going back or ordering on line from them.
This was at Annie's Annuals in Richmond, not another nursery carrying the plants.

"I am responding to the latest negative review of Annie's Annuals:
I am surprised and perplexed by this person's review . I communicated with this woman by e-mail and clearly explained:

#1 We are a primarily a "grower nursery" located in an urban area without the luxury of many acres of space ,and so of course we have seedlings as well as 2 acres of full sized 4" plants in excellent health.

# 2 We were moving our website to a new server that day and our directions to the nursery were down on that one day . Our phone # is listed on the website and she called and easily got complete directions .

# 3 I update the online availability list every week . It is impossible to update the availability each moment a customer comes in a buys all of a particular plant . It is always a good idea to call ahead and have a nursery hold a "must have" plant for you.

#4 We NEVER take plant ID tags out of plants . Since the largest percentage of our business is wholesale we tag only half of our plants for retail customers . Sometimes customers neglect to pick the plants which are tagged for them .We are always glad to go retrieve tags for them or handwrite them for customers if a customer asks . I am sure this customer selected untagged plants and neglected to notice, and then made the assumption we took out the tags.

#5 We have no gallon pots of plants in our nursery . We only carry 4" plants. We do have sample pots ( 3 gallons & up) for folks to see full grown plant in bloom or to demonstrate pretty plant combinations . My employee explained to this customer that this was a sample pot only.

We strive hard to provide friendly knowlegable service to our customers and receive many e-mails from gardeners who love Annie's Annuals and the service we provide . Lastly , I'm perplexed, because I communicated directly with this customer and she seemed quite satisfied with the explanations I offered to clear up the confusion .

Annie Hayes"

I emailed Annie's Annuals saying that I was very interested in purchasing C. carinatum 'Court Jesters' seeds. That was over two months ago. They never responded.

"Annie's Annuals does not sell seeds and nowhere on the website does it state that. I'm sorry, but I get hundreds of e-mails a week , especially from February through June and its almost impossible to get to the e-mail requests for items we don't even offer. I will create a form letter to respond to requests for things we don't sell, and hopefully it will prevent the disappointment of non-response from us."