Comments regarding Van Engelen, Inc.

Ordered bulbs from them for my company. Arrived on time, look great, etc. I had ordered one of their tulip collections consisting of 6 different varieties. They duplicated one and left one variety out. I emailed them and within an hour someone got back to me and said they would ship the missing variety and I could keep the other 50 bulbs. Very nice and responsive!

I ordered the early spring collection, species crocus and tricolor crocus.
Good value for good sized bulbs well packaged.

I ordered the orienpet and asiatic lilly bulbs from the VanEngelen website: the price was great, the service was excellent, the bulbs were perfect. I am very pleased and highly recommend this company to others. Looking forward to next Spring to see these beauties in bloom.

I have been ordering from this company now for about four years and have had great luck with their products.Last year I ordered about 1200 bulbs, and all of them bloomed. I had a fantastic looking yard last spring.bulbs are healthy and are packed well. You would be crazy to buy your bulbs from anywhere else. Prices are very reasonable, If I'm planting a large display, I order from no one but these guys, Plus their customer service people are very friendly and helpful.

Posted on October 27, 2010, updated May 18, 2011
Very pleased with this company! The prices are amazing and that does not come at the expense of the product. All the bulbs I got were top quality, large size, healthy bulbs.

They have a superb selection if you're looking for the fall favorites. There are hundreds of varieties of tulips and daffs for example. My one complaint is that there isn't much in the misc. section, where I love to look for new and exciting bulbs to include in the garden.

I also contacted customer service twice (once with a shipping question and once to add more to my already placed order) and they very prompt to answer and very helpful. The bulbs also arrived within one day of shipment.

Will definitely recommend and buy from again.

Last fall I ordered from several companies. By far these bulbs were the biggest. When they bloomed this week, they were gorgeous. The blooms of the parrot tulips were huge and all the bulbs came up.

Hello!

For several years I have intended to sing the praises of this company. Yet, since they only really deal in Fall planted bulbs, I tend to forget the passed joys of Spring as I work toward the future. I will admit that I am an addict of the Spring Garden. Summer and Fall are nice, but nothing compares to the joy I receive as I watch the earth break with the first efforts of bulbs reaching for the sky. I dance with the knowledge that all the colors imagined in life will born with the flowers to come. I have ordered many, many times from both Van Engelen and John Scheepers. From Van Engelen, I get waves of color at a good price due to their policy of taking large orders at a discount. John Scheepers allows me to order fewer bulbs of a single type. Though the price is higher than the bulk prices from VE, they are still often less than what I can find elsewhere. From both, I have never received less than what I consider high quality bulbs. Everything has bloomed true to color and type. Their shipping costs are fair (for these days), and everything ships quickly and is well packed. There are three companies (none in the "Top 30") with which I do the bulk (number of bulbs....not total cost) of my Fall ordering. If I were forced to stop with only one company, my choice to keep would be VE/JS. I only have two minor complaints. ONE: I wish that I could somehow combine orders from VE and JS instead of having to make two separate orders....but that is not a big deal since websites are pretty much identical and easy to use. TWO: It seems that each year, there are fewer selections of species bulbs....again, only a minor complaint since I use other sources to fill the gap. All in all, I feel that both companies do an excellent job and have an excellent product for the price.

I feel that I must make one comment, more for customers than for the company (but both JS/VE should take note). My personal policy as to using names of other companies in a review is that I don't. In this one case I must make an exception in order to make a point. As I read other comments about items not being true to zone, I wish everyone would take time to read High Country Gardens comments on "wetness" or xeric vs non-xeric plants. It is a well written and informative guide. Living in my climate, I can have a zone 4 bulb simply rot in the ground every year even though I place it in "well drained" sandy soil in a raised bed, etc. Until I started to truly understand bulbs and their cultural requirements, I lost many due to just going by zone and what I thought was needed to keep a bulb dry over winter. Another good place that describes cultural requirements very well, though in a little harder to assimilate fashion is Odyssy Bulbs. Old House Gardens also does a good, though limited, job. Since I have gained a little enlightenment , the survival rate of my bulbs has risen significantly. For fellow gardeners, you need to seek out the information in clear terms. As for VE/JS (and most other bulb companies), please post clear cultural information along with the product. Do it out of respect of your customers.

Back to my review: In summary, I will say that my experience with VE/JS has been very good and I would readily recommend them to any of my fellow gardeners.

Since they are two websites and I am too lazy to rewrite this review, I have copied and pasted it to the JS site.

May your path be without stones.

boru

Posted on January 29, 2011, updated February 24, 2011
Posted on December 22, 2010, updated January 29, 2011
In early November, I ordered 3 Rosalie amaryllis from Van Engelens and they arrived in about 8 days. It was quite chilly when they were delivered and they sat on the front porch for several hours. It worried me that they could have been nipped by the cold. I potted one right away and gave the other two to relatives. Our house is quite warm and quite soon my bulb began to show signs of growth. Today two gorgeous blooms are opening up, with two more to follow. And there is another bloom stalk which promises more bloom. I am so happy with this bulb. I'm sure the people who received the others will be delighted also. Thank you, Van Engelens for the nicest amaryllis I have ever grown.

This year I placed large, comparable orders with Colorblends and with Van Engelen (VE). The Colorblends order came about 2 weeks before the VE order. I stored both orders in my garage until I was ready to plant. When I did open my orders, the Colorblend bulbs were large and in excellent condition; however, much of the VE order was in poor condition. I have ordered from VE for over 15 years, and I have found over the last three years that the bulb quality has been getting worse; this year was just terrible. I won't order from VE again. There are much better options available, e.g., Colorblends, Brent and Becky's

I was surprised to see such vehement negativity from another customer from Kingston, NY. My sister is a professional landscape architect/garden designer and recommended Van Engelen several years ago. I purchase in bulk, according to my hardiness zone, and have always had success with everything I have ordered. Bulbs are huge, healthy, shipped during my growing season, and displays are magnificent. When I once called customer service regarding a few sub-standard bulbs (in a bulk order of over 300, late in the season, of last minute left over sale items) I was provided with an immediate remedy - replacement with items of like cost (the item was sold out) or an immediate credit. I always strongly recommend this company. My only wish is that they would carry other plant material in addition to bulbs.

Very nice bulbs! The Southland Grand Mix were huge daffodil bulbs!

Ordered Two varieties of Crocus and several hundred Tulips.

Order arrived at the correct planting time.

Bulb sizes were larger than what they quoted in their catalog.

Very Happy!

Received my order of 100 bulbs and already have them in the ground. Bulbs were huge, healthy and shipped right on time. I will buy from them again!

AVOID THIS COMPANY
READ their Policy carefully BEFORE spending your Hard earned Money with them... also Known as Van Engelen/JOHN SCHEEPERS.
I spent over $265 on various Allium: ie: GLADIATOR & SCHUBERTII Purple Sensation Pinball Wizard Shearocephalon ,Ambassador, Alopilosum.
I live in Zone 5b/6a. I planted all of the Allium according to the specific guidelines, I am NOT an amateur gardener. Of The Allium that Did perform fine were Purple Sensation Pinball Wizard Shearocephalon ,Ambassador,Alopilosum.
The TWO that did NOT perform were the 25 Gladiator & 25 Schubertii.
After several emails with Customer service Rep CHERIE I was only given a $21 dollar HOUSE CREDIT for $85.00 (part of $265), no offer to reship the NON Performing bulbs or replace with ones that will grow in my zone.
Their guarantee is written carefully and therefore since they say these WILL perform in my zone, her letter stated that they would NOT perform in my zone & that is NOT their problem. SO only buy one or two items and see if they survive you area before purchasing what it says WILL survive your zone only to be told.. TOUGH ..NOT OUR PROBLEM. BOO HISS on them I would prefer to have them replaced with something that will survive, not a peanuts credit. I will have to do business with a more reputable company with a better guarantee. This was a Huge disappointment. I am disgusted with their Customer service. I have never dealt with a company that was not willing to realize a problem and correct the situation. Their solution send me a couple of bucks off my next order.
PLEASE AVOID THEM!!! Do Your Homework =read the Fine print" BOY IT'S FINE" John Sheepers/Van Engelen You are not the business I want to do business with You failed to do the right thing. :(

:))

Van Engelen is as good as it gets. They have been providing bulbs for me since I started gardening in 1992. All of these bulbs have naturalized amazingly,so much so that I can give some to friends in the neighborhood.
I also order over 100 amaryllis gift boxes every year as Thanksgiving and Christmas gifts to all the people who have helped us: doctors, dentists, friends, pharmacists, veterinaries, family and neighbors. They have been consistently wonderful every year and many recipients keep them going from year to year. Today I helped a friend plant one in a fancy pot and I was amazed at the size of the bulb; we could barely tuck it in. Van Engelen is excellent not only for the quality of the bulbs, but for the thoughtful and astute selection of the items they offer.

This is a great company for bulbs. I've ordered from them several times. The communications and service have been quite good. Their prices are very attractive. Plants are shipped at the appropriate times for planting. The bulbs are large and healthy. The selection is always good. Add this company to your list of bulb sources!

I ordered from their Fall end of season clearance sale. I primarily ordered daffodils, a few lilies, and other bulbs.
The bulbs were in very good shape. Since they came so late in the season and it was about to freeze, I paid a landscaper to help me get them all in quickly. He was amazed by how large the bulbs were. Everything bloomed and looked great.

The only negative was that the iris I ordered were not the color described – they were supposed to be rose and they were lavender.

I have ordered from this company every fall for at least the last 7 years. The quality and size of the bulbs is excellent. The tulips and other bulbs that I have ordered bloom faithfully each spring. Service is always polite and helpful.

The only thing more fun than seeing this company's bulbs come up in your garden in the spring is to browse their terrific catalog listings. Makes me wish for a much larger garden...and, oh yeah, some hired help to dig the holes for me!! Van Engelen is a great source for all kinds of neat flower bulbs; I'm looking forward to placing another order with them this fall.

I ordered about 1,500 bulbs this year and 1,000 the year before. Everything has bloomed nicely, and naturalizes as well as it should.

I placed a large order last year, crocuses, daffodils, amaryllis and lilies. I planted about 500 bulbs from them last fall and was very pleased with my flowers this spring. Bulbs were good sized and healthy, my amaryllis did wonderfully forced over the winter. I've already ordered a few hundred more bulbs for this fall.

Great experience, ordered a lot of bulbs during their sale in Nov. 2008 and waited to see how the bulbs will bloom in the spring before posting a review. The bulbs were very good quality, well packaged and now starting to bloom...so I am really happy. I am especially thrilled with the snowdrops - I have ordered from several companies in the past and never had a single snowdrop come out. Van Engelen's snowdrops are all blooming! Would most definitely order from them again in the fall.

I have ordered from this company several times.
I really like that they don't charge my credit card until they are actually processing my order.
The bulbs I receive are always large, healthy and well packaged. Their customer service is courteous and has always answered my questions very promptly.
I highly recommend this company and wouldn't buy my bulbs anywhere else!


Tiffany

This is the first time I have ordered from Van Engelen, and it won't be the last! They provide great customer service from the initial order to the package on the doorstep. I was kept informed not only when my order was received, but also when it was to ship. Prices are very reasonable; bulbs are fat and healthy and were packaged securely. I can hardly wait until Thanksgiving to plant my bulbs! Thanks, Van Engelen, for "doing it right"!

Bravo: always great stuff--- has been excellent for many years!!!!!!!!!!

We placed a small order with this company. This had been our first experience with them. The order was acknowledged immediately, the products were delivered on correct planting time; the packaging was excellent; and the quality and size of the bulbs were spectacular!

This year the Trumpet and Orientpet Lily bugs bit us. Because we are kind of new in mail orders, we placed orders with many different companies; some orders were small, some orders were large. Until now, we have received shipments from three companies (including the order from Van Engelen). So far, we are very satisfied with the services from two of these companies (Van Engelen being one of them) . We are not happy with one of the companies (the bulbs were small and kind of unhealthy-looking); but we have decided not to report about it until we see the results next Spring. We are expected to receive orders from five other companies, and we plan to report our experiences with them on the scoop.

I've been consistently impressed by the quality and value offered by Van Engelen. Their collections are often unbeatable deals, their selection is extensive, and they ship at appropriate times for planting. Customer service is a pleasure to deal with - this is a company that clearly takes pride in its product and reputation. I look forward to receiving my Van Engelen order every year.

THE place to buy your bulbs.

I have bought from them for several years.

NEVER a single problem or disappointment

The best value and selection for ornamental Allium I have found. They only sell "wholesale". All this means is a fifty dollar minimum purchase. Perhaps the best $50+ I spend in the garden each year.

I have never dealt with their customer service beyond the initial order. Every thing I have ordered was correct and the quality/size was excellent.

I have ordered bulbs from Van Engelen since 2005. I've always been pleased with the quality and size of the tulips. The red tulips were simply exceptional this year. Definitely will order from them again.

I ordered a collection of double amaryllis bulbs form them this year and the bulbs were huge. The flowers were unbelievably beautiful and 3 of the bulbs put out 3 stalks. The flowers lasted from before Christmas to the end of Feburary with the successive stalks coming up. I plan to order more for gifts next fall.

The camassia I ordered from them are up as well and looking great around my water garden.

I have been ordering tulips from Van Engelen for the past 3 years and i have never been dissapointed. I have never seen a more beautiful bulb anywhere. They are firm, white and huge. I won't buy bulbs from the garden stores anymore because in comparison they look old and dry. You can't beat the price and quality.

I have ordered several hundreds of dollars worth of bulbs for several years. I get large healthy bulbs delivered quickly. I have even planted thier bulbs as late as January ( in zone 5) and they came up in spring. Very few problems with them and they were resolved promptly. Biggest problem I had was when I ordered 300 fragrant breeze daffodils and I discovered that they were not fragrant breeze when they flowered. I called the company and they sent replacements free that fall with no problem.

I have been ordering from Van Engelen for the past 7- 8 years. Mostly tulips, but also hyacinths, daffodils, and a few others. I have never had bulbs that failed to bloom. The bulbs always arrive in excellent condition. Shipments always arrive by mid-October, giving plenty of time for the six weeks of refrigeration necessary in my Southern California climate. (Even when I have waited until early October to place my order.) I have no complaints at all about their service. And, as far as I can tell, no other mail order companies offer tulips at the prices Van Engelen does.

I just got my fall bulbs in the ground this week as the first snow of the year was falling (it has been an unseasonably warm fall in MA this year).

I must say, these are the most impressive bulbs I have ever planted. Every daffodil bulb was doubled -- the smaller of the pair being the average size of bulbs I see at local markets. The bulbs were firm and smooth and beautiful.

The crocus bulbs were also robust and all the bulbs were priced inexpensively and packaged very well with clear instructions on how to store until planting time.

Can't wait until spring!

The website was very easy to use, and intuitive. Everything happened in a very straight-forward manner. I received my bulbs at a good time to plant, and they looked great. There were a couple of tulips which appeared dead (crumbly), but that was true of the ones I saved from last year's crop as well, and a smaller number than I was prepared to accept due to how large my order was. The bulbs were all of good size, mostly larger than the ones I purchased last year (impulse buy at a hardware store). I had a very good experience with this company and will recommend them to others as well as return when I find more room in which to plant things.

Good communication, good prices, fast delivery, and excellent quality. Couldn't ask for more!

I ran a co-op for their new line of Peonies. They were very co-operative in giving the group discounts for quantities that were higher than those posted in the catalog. The roots were shipped a week later than they originally said they wold be but I believe them when they said their supplier was late in shipping to them. The roots were beautifully packed in groups of 3 inside a plastic perforated bag, then 2 bags packed inside a liner box and then the liner boxes packed inside larger cartons. It was a little bit of overkill, and some of the roots did have a little white coating from the high humidity in the bags I think, but they were all healthy and putting out hair roots. The roots varied in size from 1 ounce to 8 ounces in some cases but all had at leat 3 eyes.