Comments regarding Sooner Plant Farm (Shop Smarter Shop Sooner)

I first ordered from Sooner in 2009 - four hardy hibiscus for Mother's Day gifts. After getting rave reviews from my mother and grandma (and hearing that all four plants made it through a very rough 2009 Nebraska winter with tons of snow and subzero temps!); I ordered myself four of their hybrid coneflowers. All four - very large - plants arrived in perfect condition and needed very little "perking up" after unpacking. I will be a repeat customer.

Ordered 2 rose of sharon plants, arrived very quickly and in great condition, quite big too. One of them is a little struggling now, but this year we are having an unseen before attack of all kinds of pests in FL, so in no way is this the company's fault. I keep spraying, and it seems to recover nicely. Highly recommend.

I ordered Dark Horse Weigela and Compact Japanese Holly this spring and was impressed with the size and quality of the plants. Shipping is a little pricey, but worth it, considering the quality of the plants.

Sooner Plant Farm has a wide selection of ornamental plants so it was obvious that I had to check it out. I'm glad I did. I didn't order a lot, but what I did order was pure quality. The shipping was a little high, but they ship plants in their containers with the dirt intact. The plants looked as if I had purchased them from a local nursery. They were so big a lush! Free fertilizer was an added bonus to an already good, fast, easy, quality transaction. A returning customer? I hope so. Sooner Plant Farm is a great gem to add to any collection of quality mail-order nurseries.

I have just ordered from this company for the first time and am delighted with the experience. The honeysuckle arrived very quickly, and when I opened the box I was astonished at the plant's good health and generous size. The packing was just right, too: totally adequate to protect the plant, but not stapled to death and so no damage happened when I removed it. The written instructions were good, and I even enjoyed the promotional catalogue included with the order. I plan to order from this company again.

Posted on May 6, 2010, updated May 15, 2010
Posted on May 2, 2010, updated May 6, 2010
Ordered 2 two-gallon (Weigela and Barberry) shrubs. Sooner Plant self-inflates itself as having plants with "established root system." Only once the plants were removed from the pots, almost all the soil fell right off the roots... meaning the roots were not holding the soil together. The roots are as thin as the strands of hair on my head. Very very thin roots. Barberry bush cut back drastically with stems/branches that had turned black down their length. Plants were obviously repotted into a two gallon just prior to mailing so I wasted all that money on the soil's weight.

In comparison, my 2 two-gallon shrubs purchase from Stargazer Perinnials came with the roots trailing out of the pots' holes, trimmed... yet, twice the size of the two above.

"On May 6, 2010 8:05 AM, Sooner Plant Farm (home of Imagine Backyard Trees®) responded with:

I have attempted to contact the customer regarding her purchase. We take our customer satisfaction extremely serious, and will always try to resolve any problems. We want every customer to have a positive experience with us and our plants. I hope we are given the opportunity to change this customers opinion of Sooner Plant Farm, into a positive one.

Brian Chojnacki"

I was fortunate to have been led (through the internet) to Sooner Plant Farm for a special tree I had been looking for. I had visited Dave's Garden web page to see what to expect as this was a new vendor for me....After reading the reviews it was without hesitation to go ahead and purchase from Sooner Plant Farm. I can't say enough good about them. They were very fast replying to email questions about the tracking of the shipment and shipped VERY FAST. Also I had never seen such care in packaging the tree. (not even bare root!) Shipped in a balled container! Tree was staked, attached the the inside of the container so it couldn't move and arrived all green leafed ad NO broken branches, The Lavender Twist Redbud was already contorted in shape...this was NO stick in a box...BEAUTIFUL TREE.....THANK YOU SOON PLANT FARM!

Just rec'd first order from Sooner. My flowering almond arrived in such great condition. The care that was taken to package my plant and the condition in which it arrived was perfect. No damage at all. Plant is beautiful and healthy.
Will definitely do business again with this company.

Posted on May 23, 2009, updated May 14, 2010
I only order from a few mail order places because I'm pretty picky but this place rocks! Love them and HIGHLY recommed them to anyone looking for big, healthy, reasonably priced plants! I ordered 3 hardy hibiscus and 3 rose of sharon and got 20% off because they were 3 of the same variety! I love a bargain! The hibiscus are huge and healthy and the rose of sharon have bloom buds on them! This place has won me over! There are so many mail order nurseries that really take advantage but believe me you can trust Sooner Plant Farm they are awesome!

A first order placed last week for a Pink Double Knockout has arrived in perfect and lush condition. What a beauty!
Even though UPS did their best to trash the box, the packaging was so well done that the plant suffered no damage whatsoever. I am very, very pleased with this company and will definitely order again.
Also, they included a nice packet of starter fertilizer, which was a nice thing to do.
Thanks, Sooner Plant Farm......I will be back.

GREAT experience! I am always apprehensive about ordering plant through mail order -- usually very small and often damaged. Not so with Sooner Plant Farm! I ordered 1 gallon Brandywine viburnum plants...very reasonable shipping price, shipped Wednesday and arrived Friday. The plants were absolutely beautiful!! Great root systems! The leaves are very healthy and green! The plants are at least a foot tall. The packaging was superb!! --- real nursery pots, soil very moist, very stiff cardboard packing. They are planted and so far, look very good! Can't wait to see progress! I would definitely buy from Sooner Plant Farm again!

Have bought several shrubs now from this company (Encore azaleas, dwarf hydrangeas, hibiscus shrub). Quality and packaging are consistently very good, and it's nice that they throw in some fertilizer packets with the larger (5-gallon) shrubs. Communication is good. Also, they were very, very nice to me when I had made a mistake in placing my order and needed to change it (due to my own ignorance about the differences between a hibiscus shrub and hibiscus tree). Will definitely do business again.

Sooner Plant Farm is an exceptional company. I was so impressed with my original order (placed through Amazon.com) that I placed another order via their website shortly after. I emailed them with a question regarding the shipping on their Japanese maples and they responded immediately. The plants arrived on a Friday looking as fresh as the day they were shipped. (I was worried they wouldn't arrive before the weekend since they're shipping across the country, but they ship on Mondays to the east coast to ensure that the plants don't sit in hot boxes over the weekend). The packaging was remarkable....the best I have ever seen and I order a lot of plants! Not one leaf was lost, nor any soil spilled. The rosebushes and maples were a generous size and very healthy. Shipping cost are high, but the quality of the plants and the service makes up for it.
A highly recommended company!

Sooner Farms is a company with a heart. I purchased a Home Run Rose and a Sunny Knockout Rose about 6 weeks ago. Both arrived in great condition. Sunny has been thriving and now has 2 buds.

I bought Home Run to replace one that my 90 year old father bought from another nursery last year (the poor thing arrived in...well, it didn't make it). He wanted me to have one, and I didn't want to lie to him (he keeps asking me how it's doing). So I ordered one from Sooner.

Home Run hasn't adapted well, and is struggling. On Friday, 4/30/10, I sent a note to Sooner asking if they were still shipping Home Run so that I could buy another one (and also to find out what I might have done wrong, so that I wouldn't kill again!).

Even though I have had the plant for 6 weeks, they are replacing the plant at no charge. I didn't ask for that. They're just doing it. Nice people to go with the wonderful plants.

Thank you, Brian!

I recently received an order from Sooner Plant Farms and was delighted with my shrub. They had the best prices and unusual varieties. Also, my shrub arrived in a Smart Pot. It was my first experience with that and I was very impressed at how developed the root system was. My shrub is growing better than other plants I bought earlier this spring. I'm very impressed with this nursery.

All the plants ordered were large and healthy and well packaged. The selection is good and I know their plants will grow well in my area because they are local.

Posted on April 10, 2010, updated April 21, 2010
Posted on May 14, 2009, updated April 10, 2010
I've been buying from Sooner for over a year now. The plants are large, healthy, and well packed- perhaps too well packed as they can be difficult to get out of the boxes!

I recently ordered 2 Japanese maples and they arrived without damage and I was surprise to see just how nice they were. I shouldn't have been surprised, this company delivers what it advertises, and more.

Posted on August 26, 2008, updated April 18, 2010
My first order I place with Sooner was for a Crape Myrtle Orchid Cascade, Crape Myrtle Rosey Carpet, and Scabiosa Butterfly Blue. When they arrived I was very impressed with the packaging and the plants were in great shape. They were all big, healthy, beautiful plants. I planted them right away and they are all doing great. I have ordered again since then and had the same experience and will order again in the future. Unlike other experiences I have had with other companies for instance when the plants arrive and you open up the box and find a tiny 2-3 inch flimsey plastic container with a plant that you ordered, that's if you can find it, looking terrible and wondering what it is. LOL! Also, it is nice to know that I can get those hard to find plants with a touch of a button. I will refer them to all of my garden friends. My hat's off to you Brian and Thanks Again!

I ordered 5 Knockout Roses, 3 of them in a new variety that I could not find at the garden centers in my area. The rose bushes arrived yesterday and I was amazed at how perfectly they were packaged and protected. The bushes are lush and healthy. Not only did Sooner offer better prices than I found on other web sites, but they were also very informative and communicative throughout the ordering, shipping and delivery process. I will definitely order from Sooner Plant Farm again in the future.

I bought an Encore Autumn Angel azalea from SoonerPlantFarm.com and it arrived healthy, exactly when they predicted, blooming and crying to be put in the ground. Their prices are the best on the internet. Their plants are healthier than those I can get from my local nursery and the trip from Oklahoma to Illinois because of the excellent way they packed the plant had absolutely no ill affect on it's health. I highly recomend them. The owner is very responsive to his clients and will answer an email with in hours.

Posted on April 3, 2009, updated April 11, 2010
Ordered apple trees...Gala and Red Delicious. They are very healthy and as large as promised. Leaves and buds....excellent condition. Very well packaged and fast shipping. Even though the UPS placed one of my trees in my garage upside down it was in perfect shape due to the good packaging job. A little challenging getting them out of the boxes due to the large heavy duty staples. They gave me fertilizer at no charge which was nice, it was more than enough for all the trees. fertilizer was in one box taped to the side....I should have looked before planting the other 2 trees since its supposed to go in the bottom of the hole.

My 2 Endless Summer Hydrangea plants are in lovely condition and were a great value even with the somewhat expensive shipping. They look as if I just bought them at a local high end nursery....never could tell they were shipped.

They have a nice selection of plants that I can't always find locally. They are good at updated shipping status and they arrive fast in great condition. First class company.

Another very successful and hugely satisfying transaction with Sooner Plant Farm. My husband and I couldn't be happier! Last Saturday I went to Sooner Plant Farm's website and ordered 2 Golden Raintree and 2 Red Sunset Maple trees. I asked if there was any way possible to have them mailed out 36 hours later on Monday. I know it was asking a lot but Brian emailed me back and said he had everything ready to go for shipping UPS 2nd Day Air on Monday. I was ecstatic. All 4 trees arrived as promised on Wednesday, and they were larger, much larger, and more beautiful than we ever imagined!

You can tell Sooner Plant Farm takes pride in what they do and care very much about developing relationships with returning customers because they take great care in shipping only the most beautiful trees and he packages them so carefully too. When they arrive there is no mess anywhere and you always get an information/instruction booklet with fertilizer too and each tree is marked. You'd be surprised how many nurseries don't mark their trees.

So thank you so much, Brian for everything. We are truly tickled with our beautiful trees and for finding such at trustworthy nursery.

I'm a new home owner and, subsequently, a new gardener . Over the past 2 years I've ordered from approximately 10 companies and the only one I can say I felt like I got what I paid for was Sooner Plant Farms.

The shipping initially does make it seem expensive BUT when you see the large, healthy plants you receive and are rewarded with substantial growth and/or bloom it becomes a concession I'm willing to make.

The other reviews are spot-on with their packing comments...I've never seen anything like it - sturdy, neat, and thought through...the plants arrive undamaged and moist and ready to go in the ground to continue expansion.

And finally - I believe it was the very first order I placed - I received a phone call from a very nice lady informing me that some of the clethra anifolia 'ruby spice' I ordered was unavailable and offered me a choice of cancelling or changing plant size. It was SO nice actually speaking with someone and being given choices in real-time. They even called when the order was ready to make sure I wanted it shipped out then (it was mid-summer and I was impatient). The plants arrived in less than a week and are still doing just fine - and SMELL great.

I don't often write reviews but I love this company and wanted to add my voice to the crowd here in singing its praises.

Looking for viburnum "Pink Dawn" after reading several descriptions of it from English gardens, I found it at Sooners Plant Farm.

After ordering, they kept me informed on shipping dates and expectations (safe shipping from Oklahoma to Washington St.), and it all went according to plan.

This is the singularly best plant I have ever received through the mail. The packaging was secure, and the plant did not appear disturbed in the least, no broken limbs, no loose dirt in the box! It has been in the ground for a week and is leafing out nicely. I can hardly wait for the prospect of winter fragrant blooms!

I feel guilty that it has taken me so long to post a comment on this company. But i have to say i love everything that i have ordered from them. They send it quickly and when you order something from them you know that your going to get it soon. I have ordered from companies that say they have plants they send some and then the others take so long to come you forget that you ordered them. Every plant is big and healthy. I just ordered 4 different blackberry bushes a buddleia and my favorite addiction coneflowers. The coneflower collection they offer is awesome i can't wait to get my hands on a gumdrop. I have ordered from several other companies but if you want the best order from Sooner they are absolutely the best!!!!

For many of the types of plants they sell, Heuchera, Abelia, for example, a great selection. I have ordered a couple of Acer, and various shrubs and perennials and never been disappointed. I will be ordering again.

Posted on March 13, 2008, updated December 07, 2009
I just received my first order from them, two Double Knockout Roses. I have been ordering from a lot of different companies for over 30 years and have never gotten such wonderful plants as these are. The leaves are so healthy, the packing is the best I have ever seen and I pack plants for a living! They even include fertilizer to be used when planting and their planting instructions are the very best. I will definately add them to the top of my list for any other woody plants I ever order.

One of the best internet nurseries. My orders have been promptly filled, expertly packed and arrived when promised. When there was a problem with availabilty, the staff was proactive in calling me to resolve the issue. A damaged plant was replaced immediately and without question. The plants have always been as described on their website and are strong healthy plants which are doing well in my garden. Good people.

Posted on October 16, 2009, updated October 16, 2009
I have tried number of online nursery to buy plants. many of them are just about "what I expect" so I never felt like bother to even leave own feedback. but I just bought from 1place (sooner plant farm) and that experience is awesome! I would like people to know about this place. That is the reason why I am registering to this site.

My first purchase from Sooner Plant Farm was a very positive experience... The Sooner folks sure know how to carefully package their plants for the largest box had been drop-kicked and crushed by the delivery guys, and I anticipated the worst. Despite excessive container damage, the plants suffered very little! And, I was delighted with the size and condition - TOP QUALITY plants at reasonable prices! Many thanks, Sooner!!

A friend in the midwest just sent me a photo of the pineapple pear I bought her last spring from this nursery. She already has a pear, so they can cross-pollinate. It is bearing some beautiful looking pears on a nicely branched tree and although they're not ripe yet, she says they smell like pineapples. It made a great gift.

I placed my first order with Sooner for chitalpa pink dawn which they shipped immediately afterwards and my plants arrived looking absolutely great and the packing was the best I have yet to encounter after years of online ordering plants. Will plant immediately and report next spring on further progress.

As good an online buying experience as I have had. Placed order online Wednesday; picked up five, seven gallon Nellie R Stevens Holly shrubs in person Friday and the plants were in absolutely marvelous condition. The owner provided precise planting information; he then meticulously loaded and secured the plants in the bed of our pickup for the 175 miles journey home. This great experience has proven to me that customer service is not just something from the past, but, at least with respect to this company, an attribute certainly practiced by Sooner Plant Farm presently. Thank you, Brian, for the exceptional plants and your distinct attention to detail.

Their selection (both varieties and sizes) is outstanding; their communication with me was sure and swift. The plants arrived extraordinarily well-packaged and in A+ condition. I can recommend Sooner Plant Farm without any reservation whatsoever; and I certainly will be buying from them in the future.

Placed my first order with Sooner last month. Received my plants in good condition. Will order again!

We recently ordered a "Siren Red" Crape Myrtle shrub which we had been searching for quite some time. It arrived just as beautiful as if we had purchased at a nursery and took home. As the first bloom came out it was very disappointing to discover it was purple instead of red that we were anticipating. I contacted Sooner Nursery and in a matter on one return email all problems were resolved. They will be shipping a replacement at the first of the week and we are just so happy. It makes me feel so good that there are still honest and reputable businesses around that strive to make customer satisfaction their number one priority. I will definitely buy from this company in the future and will tell all my friends and relatives about them.

I could not be happier with the quality of their plants (I ordered a Hibiscus "Lord Baltimore"), and their customer service department!

i thought i'd never get a crape myrtle for zone 5 - read that the variety "hopi" would survive here. next was to search for a company that would send me "hopi" and not just any old pink crape myrtle. i checked daves garden, of course, and found sooner plant farm. my "hopi" arrived today!! it was well packed, well rooted, and very bushy. i am so very, very pleased.

Found this company as I was researching why my Viburnum "Blue
Muffin" wouldn't set berries.
Not only did I find out that I needed 2 Viburnum...I was even told which ones to choose from for pollination.
On top of that..I received great, well priced plants and excellent,
reasonably priced shipping.
Score!