Comments regarding Van Engelen, Inc.

I have ordered bulbs from this company for several years. They have the best bulbs at the BEST price. All my neighbors envy my spring flowers. The service and speed of shipping is also the best. I highly reccomend this company.

Great bulbs! Looked good when they came last fall, and are proving themselves right now in the garden. I'd order again w/o reservation.

Huge bulbs, excellent quality. Everything is coming up beautifully. I love the large quantities--I have a big yard, and I'd like to cover more of it with bulbs.

Van Engelen is EXCELLENT! I ordered from them when they were Top 20 (then 30)-- more folks should comment on their great service & products to get them back into that elite group!
They ship fast! I've received my orders each time I've ordered within 5 days -- with both email and snail mail acknowledgements beforehand!
Sturdy packaging with items clearly identified -- and the bulbs -- healthy, ready to plant, plus -- they have probably the best overall prices and even more remarkable prices at their end-of-season sale. If the quantities seem daunting -- 100 or 50 make a real showing compared to 10 or 20 of the same kind from a discount or hardware or grocery store (and the flowers are so much prettier)!
There are SO many varieties to choose -- all with specifics as to zone, habit, etc (online and print catalogs) that help a beginner a lot! I had marginal success with dutch irises but that was more than compensated for by the flourishing and multiplying 3 different alliums and the lilies!
I particularly recommend their 100 naturalizing lilies which were nice the first year and amazing the second year -- I can't wait to see what they'll do this year!

I got the John Scheepers catalog, then the Van Engelen catalog. They are the same folks, so using the photos in the JS catalog, I ordered the larger quantities at lower prices from the VE catalog. I ordered online, then got email and print confirmations. My 1,100 bulbs (narcissus, muscari, scilla) arrived at the right time for my zone 5 planting. Some of the scilla bulbs were not good, and a phone call to a friendly VE person took care of that with a credit. Otherwise, the bulbs were all of good size and condition. I'm anxious for the bulbs to emerge in the spring, adding color to my busy street! I will surely order more from VE in the future.

Another very pleased customer.

I ordered from their end of season sale-mostly lilies, and an order of Fritillaria Raddeana (sp?). All bulbs are healthy and large. Thanks for being in my Top 10 for a reliable bulb supplier. Much better than in Dave's Top 40, (or whatever), 'TOUCH OF NATURE'.

Your bulbs being BIGGER, and your shipping much quicker!
And order communication superlative. You have another faithful customer.

Farhana

Ordered many bulbs from the fall catalog and was happy with the size of the bulbs and the shipping time. Ordered more when they had the end of season sale and was equally pleased.

I work for a not-for-profit conservation district; twice a year we hold plant sales to raise money for our programs. We ordered from Van Engelen for our fall 06 sale. Great quality, low shipping rates, responsive to emails, very good customer service. Highly recommended!

I have ordered from them numerous times, always with great service, packing and prices. I look forward to my bulbs from Van Engelen coming every year.

I helped manage a group purchase with VE and the bulbs, as well as the service, were above par. Prices were very good and communications satisfactory. Will not hesitate to buy from this company and highly recommend others do the same.

In May I placed an order with Van Engelen for a fall bulb order. A few days ago I received a cancellation notice for one item and today I decided to check on the status of the remaining $200 plus order. Within minutes I had a cordial, sussinct reply that the 2 boxes should be arriving today. Well, as promised, the boxes arrived in fabulous fashion as if on cue a few minutes later! Great packaging, in fact, so good I am saving the boxes to store my gladiolus in for next winter. All the bulbs are top notch. I am extremely please. Thanks to Sharon Doty in customer service, who actually knows what it means to really service the customer. She left me her number and extension, if I wished to speak to her. What a pleasure. Patti

Have ordered there for the last 6 or 7 years. Always get rather large bulbs, shipped in very nice containers that make it easy for me to stick them in the fridge (I live in California and need to chill the bulbs before planting).

My only complaint is that many of the items only come in 100 bulb quantities--limits how many different types I can order, as I don't want to be planting 500 bulbs each season. Would be nice if more came in 25 or 50 count.

But they all grow very well. I am always impressed with the quality.

I've ordered over 1000 bulbs in the last two years. They arrived timely, healthy, and in a generous count, with one exception that was replaced immediately without any hassle.

My bulbs arrived promptly and were gorgeous! I quickly ordered more. Service, quality and value are all superior at Van Engelen. I routinely order from some other companies that I think are excellent also, but Van Engelen had the best prices I've seen for the parrot tulips I wanted.

I have been getting their informative catalogs for years waiting for the day that I had space to order in quatities of several hundred. That year is this year - 66 lbs of daffodils and 23 lbs of other assorted spring blooming goodies - over 1300 bulbs altogether! They were well packed, well labeled and plump and healthy looking. I placed my order several months ago, and they sent both an email & snail mail confirmation right away. Later, close to planting time, they sent me an email letting me know my order would ship soon so I knew my credit card would soon be charged. I've several acres to cover, so you know I'll be ordering from them again next year!

I ordered about 800 bulbs ( tulips, daffodils, crocus) last fall.
They all arrived on time and were very well packed. People were stopping in the street to comment on the quality of the tulips especially. The company gives tremendous value if you want large quantities. If you want somewhat fewer bulbs you can go to their sister company John Scheepers and pay only a little more for what I assume will be the same excellent quality. I intend to buy more bulbs this year and try some of their lilies too.

I have ordered many bulbs from this company over the years and have had nothing but good results. They are the first company whose catalog I look at when I am looking for bulbs. My last order (in late fall of 2005 for a number of bulbs on-sale at the end of their shipping season) was no different. Ordered many muscari, chionodoxa, and lilies. All arrived in great shape, and all have now bloomed (or in the case of the lilies are just about to bloom). Their only drawback in the past was that their (print) catalog had no color -- but that was OK given how low their prices were -- and now even that drawback no longer exists given their on-line catalog has color pictures for everything. They also appear to have one of the largest bulb selections of any company -- especially of the smaller, more-hard-to-find bulbs. I'll definitely be ordering from them again.

I ordered a ton of lilies from Van Engelen, and was very pleased with my order. Will order from them again next fall.

I ordered from VE this past summer, as I have in other growing zones in previous years. Being new to my area, I was especially concerned about the appropriate time to plant my bulbs -- before the date of the first killer frost. They shipped at the *perfect* time. As always, beautiful, healthy bulbs, wonderfully packed. I appreciate the separate bagging of their collections, since I want the plants but rarely wish to plant them in the suggested design. I appreciate their selection, their attention to detail, and their extraordinarily competent service. Their catalog and website complement each other beautifully. I appreciate their clarity on when the new catalog posting occurs and on the offering of early bird specials. I always feel that I receive more than my money's worth from VE, especially when frequently bulbs that are essentially annuals continue to show beautifully for three more years.

I placed an end of season order of Lily bulbs. They were packaged well and arrived in great shape. I will order from them in the future.

Ordered lilies and Alliums at end of season sale. Received package soon thereafter. Quality and size were excellent. The Allium Schbertii were twice the size of bulbs previously ordered elsewhere.

I used to split my bulb orders between Van Engelen and Brent and Becky's. I ordered everything from VE this year. They ship at the perfect time and all the bulbs (over 400) were perfect. B and B has good bulbs, but they always shipped so late I ended up planting in the freezing rain. Van Engelen has everything you could ever want, and great service, too.

My internet orders with Van Engelen and John Scheepers arrived within a few days and all of the bulbs I received were large and healthy! Their prices are the best I've found on the internet and the year end sale was an added bonus! This company does it right and makes ordering large quantities of bulbs affordable! The only thing I would advise is to order early in the season because much of their product sells out early.

I ordered a lot of bulbs from Van Engelen this year. I consider them to be quite a find! Their prices cannot be beaten as long as you're willing to buy at least 25 bulbs, which really isn't as many as it sounds anyway. The bulbs I ordered arrived promptly and are some of the biggest and healthiest-looking I've come across. They have a large selection with some unusual varieties available. I thought their shipping cost was very reasonable too. I've recommended them to my friends & family!

Placed my first order with Van Englen in July for fall planted bulbs. Arrived on time and were packaged nicely & clearly marked. All bulbs were in good condition with not a single bad one in the entire order. I will purchase from them again in the future.

I placed three bulb orders--mostly wide a variety of daffs, allium, muscari, lilies, spanish bluebells and amaryllis--from VanEngelen during 2004. All the bulbs were in good/excellent condition and true to the quantities and varieties I ordered (according to the labels). This is the third year I have ordered from VanEngelen.

The company offers an excellent range of bulb choice and very good pricing. The bulb quality and sizes seem excellent, especially given the competitive pricing. The only issue for me was the (seemingly) late delivery in the autumn of my summer orders.

My order from the November/December Close Out Sale was an excellent buy and arrived immediately. They were beautiful Amaryllis bulbs, more allium and special daffs.

Since the VanEngelen catalog has no photos, I use the Scheeper's catalog for a bulb's photo ID. I find the drawings, organization and descriptions in the VanEngelen catalog
very attractive and usable, though. The websites are quite attractive and serviceable, too.

I will definitely order again from VanEngelen/Scheepers. If you find yourself looking for bulbs of the unusual or the tried and true, a good variety, and good pricing, VanEngelen is for you. I recommend them!

We have ordered literally thousands of bulbs from this company for many years and have been very pleased with their quality and prices overall. They have been very good about crediting for any bulbs that arrived in unsatisfactory condition. They are also quite reliable for selling bulbs that are "true to type" unlike some other bulb companies.

I ordered lilies and small bulbs from the Van Engelen end-of-season sale. The bulbs were dispatched promptly, with notification and UPS tracking emails to keep me updated. The bulbs I received weren't in tip-top condition, but they had clearly been stored properly and were in the best condition I could expect for the end of the season. Had I ordered at the start of the season, I would probably go on and on about how perfect the bulbs were.

At only 25% off, the bulbs were a tremendous bargain--5 Orienpet lilies for under $7.00. I was hard-pressed to come up with enough selections at the reduced prices to make the minimum order of $50.00, but I prevailed (and duly planted).

I'll probably make Van Engelen one of my main end-of-season fill-in-the-gaps bulb suppliers. If I suddenly develop a desire to plant every inch of my front yard in orange tulips or large-trumpet yellow daffodils, I'll also consider Van Engelen for a peak-season supplier.

I ordered 325 bulbs, including tulips, daffodils, and two types of lilies. Except for two moldly bulbs and one dried out bulb that was nearly dust, the bulbs were all in fantastic shape. The dried out one didn't actually matter since there were 4 extras of that type in the shipment. I ordered the bulbs on a Monday and received them that Friday. The rep on the phone was very nice. I am looking forward to seeing how many actually come up next Spring and Summer, and to seeing how much of a "mix" their mixes really are.

I ordered aprox 1500 bulds in the early summer....they just arrived within the week they said they would be here. I was missing one selection, a phone call and two days later it arrived. I priced many sites and this was the cheapest.....the bulbs were large with none of them soft...... Will have to wait to see how the blooming goes, but I will order again

Have ordered more than 1200 bulbs each in 2002 and 2003. Never found a better price elsewhere for quantity, though Brent and Becky is close. Will order again for in 2004. A triplet planting of Nymph double amaryllis was expensive but spectacular giving 5 weeks of bloom.

I have used this company for many years now and have always been very happy with the bulbs quality, price and size. Highly recommended!

I ordered 950 tulip bulbs from Van Engelen in the fall of 2003. I received some bulbs which did not look very healthy, and it took a few days, and a few phone calls for them to let me know whether these bulbs were acceptable for planting or if I should send them back. The owners daughter was the person who I spoke with, and was told that they should be alright, but that she would note my account so that if the tulips did not grow properly, they would know that I had called to notify them of this condition. All but 100 of the bulbs came up much as they were described in the catalog. On the whole, I was happy with the tulips, but I did receive several types which I did not order, though they were labeled with the names of the bulbs which I did order. My tulips peaked only a week ago, so I have not had a chance to call Van Engelen yet to discuss these two issues, but I do hope for a full refund for the "Beauty Queen" bulbs which did not come up. And, I am concerned that what you order, may not be what you get, as I am selling the tulips, and need to know what I am marketing before it blooms. I also noticed that there were not always 100 per box (of 100). I recommend counting the tulips carefully, so that you get what you paid for.

I ordered quite a few bulbs from this company (parrot tulips & hyathincs). The only problem I had was I ordered a mix of colors, and the colors all seemed to bloom at different times, starting with the darker colors & then ending with white on the hyathics, and for the tulips, starting with the lighter colors & ending with the dark reds, so that at times, there was only 1 or 2 colors blooming. I don't see how that could be the fault of the company though. The other possible problem was the boxes of bulbs might have had over or under 100. I didn't bother to count, but noticed on some areas I'd use the entire box, and on others, I'd have some left over, for approx. the same size area. If I order again I'll probably order color-specific bulbs, although, at this point, I don't have any space to plant others! Overall, if you need a large quantity of bulbs, this is the place to get them.

2 years ago I ordered about 1200 various bulbs and the next spring I had the most fabulous display coming down my driveway. Unfortunately, since we had just built our house I wasn't aware that the voles apparantly outnumber the bulbs because they ate most of them over the first winter. Last year I ordered more bulbs and they are all coming up beautifully this year. Bulbs have been excellent size and great condition. I will continue to order from them.

Recuperating from heart bypass surgery I got carried away and ordered 100's of daffodil bulbs. The bulbs arrived on time and they were hugh!!!!!!!!!! Larger than my husband's fist. We are leaving for Holland next week for 7 weeks and believe me, we will wait until we return home to buy our new bulbs from VanEngelen.

I would definately order again. I placed a large bulb order with VE and the majority of the bulbs were great. Only a few rotten lilies out of about 45 that were ordered. The daffodil bulbs were superb, what a great value! They readily credited by credit card for the rotten bulbs, so customer service is wonderful. The only minor negative is that they delivered my order a week after the expected ship date, so I had to wait in anticipation and put off my planned planting dates. But other than that, they were great.

I ordered for the first time from this company this year, and placed an order for Hyacinths, Lilies and Alliums. The Lily bulbs were enormous...as big as those of B&D, which specializes in them, and much larger than anyone else I've ordered from. This is the only site I could find that offered 18/19cm Hyacinths, and they were perfect and just what was advertised. The only problem I had was one rotten Allium Globemaster bulb. Normally I wouldn't make a big deal over one bulb, but this variety is not cheap. I e-mailed VanEngelen and they wrote back and immediately credited back my card for more than the value of the individual bulb. I was worried about what quality and service would be like from a large, very inexpensive wholesaler like this (but you must order in quantity), but so far it's been flawless.