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Comments regarding Gilbert H. Wild and Son

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253 positives
27 neutrals
72 negatives

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RatingAuthorContent
Positive jmorth
(14 reviews)
On Apr 14, 2006, jmorth Divernon, IL (Zone 5b) wrote:

I have ordered a couple of times and report satisfaction in regards to shipping, quality, and service. The last time I placed an order I errored and emailed them, they responded quickly and rectified the problem.

Positive donnley
(11 reviews)
On Apr 14, 2006, donnley Charleston, WV wrote:

Once again a wonderful experience with this company. I received my order on the date it was expected, they were packed very well, I received everything I ordered and the bulbs were in great shape and a good size. I love this company.
Thanks!

Neutral lilyq
(3 reviews)
On Apr 10, 2006, lilyq Fairfax, MN wrote:

I have been ordering from them for MANY years--the plants that I recieved from them were always nice and always thrived. The only problem I've had with them was that the daylilys were not always true to name and until last year, I always had friendly service when I called. Last year however the person on the phone was pretty "snippy" but they did give me credit on my account, but as others have said--then this causes you to have to spend again on shipping for something that wasn't your fault. I don't feel it's fair for me to have to pay shipping again either for their mistakes...for the 8 or more years I've ordered from them, I've gotten about 4 plants not true to name and have had to pay shipping for replacements on all of them. It would be nice if they could resolve this problem. Otherwise, as far as my plants go, I've always recieved very nice daylily plants and all of them thrived nicely. Mine were always well marked and well packaged.

Positive elorasmom
(6 reviews)
On Apr 5, 2006, elorasmom Princeton, TX (Zone 8a) wrote:

I just placed my second big order from Gilbert H WIld, like many of the folks here I am also a huge fan of the Oakes company but I cannot afford to use them for all of my orders!!

I bought the big collection from Wilds last year and all of them have come back up this year 2 or 3 times as big as last year. They didn't all bloom last year but when you plant in the summer in Texas you can't expect too much especially when buying the dormant varieties!!! However, all of the daylilies are up in mounds this year! I am purchasing all evergreen or semi-evergreen this year.

Also I am purchasing irises for a second time, the irises I bought last year are also doing well this year. I am buying the rebloom collection this year.

Lilies are also up from last years purchase, asiatic, hybrids and oriental. I am also very happy with those purchases.

For right at $200 I am putting plants in my gardens that would have cost me $1000 elsewhere. I haven't dealt with their controversial customer service yet but I will recommend their company based on the product offered!

Positive sacajawea
(14 reviews)
On Mar 27, 2006, sacajawea Keswick, VA wrote:

For three years I have purchased peonies from this company and have been more than satisfied. Everything arrived packed well with labels attached. The results have also surprised me. I really didn't expect anything the first year but all had at least one bloom. Last year...more blooms. This year should be fantastic. A friend sent me the catalog - he has an entire bed full of Wild peonies and in May it is absolutely spectacular.

Positive dshattie
(2 reviews)
On Mar 21, 2006, dshattie Aiken, SC wrote:

I just received my first order from Gilbert H. Wild & Son. I was delighted to see double and triple fans on the daylillies, suitable for splitting when I plant. The company also honored sale prices that I was unaware of, reducing my estimated bill by several dollars. My order was complete, timely and the quality of the plants surpassed my expectations. The only remaining question will be to see in a few months if the plants produce the blossoms as advertised and I have received what I purchased. If so, I will certainly order from them again.

Positive samting
(1 review)
On Jan 8, 2006, samting Pekin, ND wrote:

I have ordered over a hundred daylilies from Wildes during the past five years. Upon receiving the roots, I unpack immediately and soak over night in a miracle grow solution. Then plant in well draining,enriched soil. They usually bloom the first year . I am very satisfied and their prices are unbeatable!

Positive cls009
(43 reviews)
On Oct 19, 2005, cls009 wrote:

I ordered some Peonies from this company this fall. They were packaged well, and all were decent sized root divisions that looked very healthy. They were shipped very promptly and I was quite pleased with my order. However, I would not order daylilies from them. I received one as a bonus plant, and I would have to agree 100% with the negative comments on the daylily plants, it was the most pathetic plant I've ever received and I promptly dumped it. It might have made it since daylilies are so tough, but it looked bad enough that I didn't even want to try. I think this is a excellent company to purchase peonies from, but I will definately stay far away from their daylilies regardless of how cheap they are.

Positive NeilTR
(8 reviews)
On Oct 7, 2005, NeilTR Nashville, TN (Zone 7a) wrote:

I received my order of eight different peonies last week, about a week after they sent an e-mail saying they were shipping. The crowns were very healthy looking and the smallest (still a good size) had four or five eyes. They were packed in damp sawdust. I'm pleased with the order.

Negative TuddyE
(51 reviews)
On Sep 23, 2005, TuddyE Georgetown, KY (Zone 6a) wrote:

I can honestly say this is the absolute worse customer service dept. I have ever dealt with in my entire life
{58 yrs}. After having read the reviews on Daves, I attempted to cancel my order-it wasn't scheduled to ship for at least 2 weeks. My e-mail wasn't returned until after they decided to ship early and charge my account. Surprise,surprise! Okay, I had to give them a try-after all, the prices were great and there is a 20% restocking fee. When I got my order, I was happy it wasn't as bad as I had perceived it to be. Sure the daylilies were small, but it's what I paid for. The problem was with 2 of the plants--out of a total of 34. I promptly called and asked to have replacements sent. I was told I had to again pay postage.I felt this wasn't fair since I didn't ship plants without roots--they did.Besides, the postage was almost the cost of the plants.At this point I was told that they couldn't be sure the plants wouldn't grow, or were as bad as I claimed. I proceeded to explain that daylilies with nothing but shells of previous roots [hollow tubes] wouldn't grow from my experience. At this point, I was again accused of trying to get free merchandise. Besides, they said, they have to pay to dig and send-so I should at least cover the shipping. At this point I was starting to get upset. They sent the bad plants-it became a matter of principle. I said I may not buy again and she said they didn't care nor want my business. I told them that I was going to post this and was told they were sick of hearing about this site. Most of their customers are very happy apparently and just a few of us at Dave's want to make trouble. I will never place an order or recommend this site on the customer service dept. alone.P.S. I spoke to 2 different people. I now have credit on an account that will never be used[they won't refund my charge].

Negative muffintruong
(1 review)
On Aug 29, 2005, muffintruong Lewiston, ME wrote:

I placed a wholesale order withis company last year. What I recieved were very small plants, but really what did I expect for such good prices. My problem started when Love Those Eyes bloomed last year, it was orange [supposed to be yellow with a garnet eyezone]. After two emails they sent me replacements. No problem, everyone makes mistakes. Last year none of the other plants bloomed, like I said they were small, no problem.
I own a daylily business, and I do my best to keep plants well labeled so that everyone gets what they want without needing to see them bloom. So needless to say I was quite upset when one of my customers came back to me and said that the two previously unbloomed Always Afternoons that she purchased from me were yellow [supposed to be lavender with a darker eyezone]. So then obviously I had to replace the plants with others.
Lo and behold the Love Those Eyes that was sent to me as a replacement was that same darned orange that they sent me last year!
The Chorus Lines were a mix of two different plants.
I have emailed customer service 3 times, without any satisfaction, twice I got no response. Finally I called and a not so friendly "customer service person" informed me that they had credited me 13.00 [where they got this number, I have no clue since the plants that were mislabeld cost far more thann that] for all of the above plants to my Wilds account. I had thought that it was going to be taken off my credit card, wrong! If you want your money back, you need to return the plants, and given the cost of shipping for plants that have recovered and have been in the ground for a year! Lord knows what that would come to.
I was informed by the customer service rep. that they send out 1000's of orders and could not see how it was possible that I had so many problems, especially, getting the same wrong plant twice. I think reading the above letters indicates that I am not alone. I have asked them to remove me from their mailing list. Kathy Truong

Negative lesandjill
(2 reviews)
On Aug 9, 2005, lesandjill Middleton, MA wrote:

Summer has arrived, but I cannot say the same for all of the plants I ordered last fall from Gilbert H. Wild & Sons! Last year, we received a mailing circular from this company advertising a sale on hostas and peonies for fall shipping. At that time, extensive exterior work was being done on our home and we would not have anywhere to plant anything until the project was completed in early or mid-October. Then, we would be in need of extensive landscaping. So, this was a perfect situation - "gardening marriage made in heaven." A subsequent mailing circular offered a sale on daylilies We then contacted the company and asked if we could add this order to our previous purchase and save on the shipping charges. We were advised that this could be done, so we sent a second check to cover the price of the plants.
Thus, we were amazed when the daylilies arrived early and under separate mailing. They were poorly packadge and were piled one on top of the other. Even some of the labels had fallen off. Most were small and dry. The "bonus plant" was found at the very bottom of the box and in even worse condition than the others.
When we contacted the company and brought the premature mailing to their attention, we were informed that they "were not aware of our request." Furthermore, when we reminded them that we had nowhere to plant them until the contractors were finished with their work, we were told to "plant them in pots until we were able to put them in the ground." We checked ALL of the local garden centers for the proper pots. But we found, much to our dismay, that it was too late in the season, so the only pots available were those for indoor plants - without bottom drainage.
The remainder of the order arrived for planting in the newly-available perennial border. But once again, we felt that the packaging left a great deal to be desired. The hostas were mushy and some of the peonies moldy. The results this spring were predictable. None of the daylilies survived and
several of the hostas and four of peonies. To add insult to injury, when the second order arrived we were informed that we still owed for the second shipping charges! We sent this communique to the company and were told that we had not notified them within the prescribed time period and shipped back the plants in question for reembirsement - something that would have been hard to do when the ground freezes over in late November or early December in New England. We came across their advertisement in 'Horticulture' magazine and these were our first online purchases, so we had no way of knowing what to expect.
Then we came across "Dave's Watchdog" and found, much to our dismay, that a number of other customers had similar, unpleasant experiences after ordering from this company. Some of the negative/neutral comments certainly struck a familiar cord. We are sending this transmission despite a not-so-surprising e-mail from "Customer Service" which stated that "we cannot please every customer. Anytime a customer is unahppy they must feel better by bad mouthing us on Garden Watch Dog":
"Customer service does not come across as very friendly" [We concur]
"The plants were all very dry and in some cases moldy. I asked for a refund, but was told to plant them and contact them [the company] in the spring."
"The prices were very good [almost too cheap], but considering the extremely high mortality rate, it was a waste of money."
"Every single one [plant] looked terrible!"
"The rep was defensive and unapologetic. She convinced me to plant them first, and pursue a refund only if they don't do well. Of the 18 I ordered, I received only 17, 9 rotted in the ground almost immediately, 2 more over time, and the rest have survived, but are weak. I cannot help but suspect that these were end of the season carry over and were sitting in a warehouse wasting time."
""All 80 [daylilies] arrived packed on top of each other (no separations of any kind, leaf against leaf) in a single box. All had some degree of mold on the root system, many severe. A few were hopelessly mush. Few survived."
"My order arrived today and was packed poorly. The daylilies were almost smashed and the hosta looked like a chopped string mop. Having shipped hostas myself, I find the one I received unacceptable."
"The woman I spoke to in customer service was a bit snippy, as if I was out-of-line for inquirying" [Sounds like she is the same one who replied to our e-mail!]
"The daylililies I eventually received were dry, compared to those I've gotten from other mail-order sources. A few fans were average-sized, but many were quite small."
"Ordering from this company rests with the discretion of the buyer."
I read with interest a comment by Mr. Jones from Gilbert W. Wild & Sons posted on "Dave's Watchdog," nevertheless, it was surprising to see a representative trying to justify a 78% rating [Did he mean he was satisfied with a 22% negative rating?]. Wouldn't it have been better if he accepted this imput as constructive criticism and indicated that there is always room for self-evaluation. Shouldn't a reputable company attempt to address complaints they have received, not turn a deaf ear and ignore them? If we had not read the accounts on this website, we would have probably blamed ourselves for the failure of the plants and never questioned the company's responsibility. I wonder how many other inexperienced gardeners had losses through no fault of their own that they never reported?
We have moved on and simply decided to take the advice of one of the negative responders who stated, "Ordering from this company rests with the discretion." So we have chalked this up to experience and vowed to be more careful in entering into any future transactions. It took a while before we ventured into a mail-order purchase of plants. We are pleased to report that we had no such problems with our plant purchase from Bluestone Perennials, another listing on your site. Finally, we noticed that there have not been as many negative/neutral comments on George W. Wild & Sons, so maybe they are trying to address some of these problems.

Les & Jill Taylor

Positive simpsokm
(2 reviews)
On Jul 6, 2005, simpsokm Gandeeville, WV wrote:

After reading some of the postings for Wild's, I ordered day lilies for my mother from another company (Oakes) with a better customer rating. The prices at Wilds were so good, though, that I ordered plants for myself from them. My order from Wild arrived with ok size and mostly ok condition (and with a bonus plant). Two of the plants had rotting crowns. I called and a very pleasant customer service rep offered me my choice of money back or replacement plants. I received large and healthy replacement plants within a couple of weeks - with another bonus plant. All in all, a pleasant and positive experience. Yes, the plants from Oakes were larger and fresher, but considering how CHEAP Wild's plants were, I'm more than satisfied with them. I just got another sale catalog and think I'll try a couple of peonies.

Positive RAM511
(1 review)
On Jun 14, 2005, RAM511 West Buxton, ME wrote:

I came across this website after ordering G.H. Wild and wasn't sure what to expect after reading some of the posted comments. My order arrived without any problems and all plants are doing well. I would order from them again.

Negative GreenAtHeart
(1 review)
On Jun 4, 2005, GreenAtHeart Franklin Grove, IL (Zone 5a) wrote:

This Spring I ordered 28 daylilies from their sale flyer. The prices were too good to resist. The plants arrived layered in a cardboard box with wet shredded paper. All of the plants were labeled. As their permanent home is not ready yet, all were put into pots. Three of them (the costliest) were very tiny but all of the rest were really large with multiple fans. I expect that all will do well - even the tiny ones. I will order from them again.


On August 26th, 2005, GreenAtHeart changed the rating from positive to negative and added the following:

Well, I was wrong. The tiniest and most expensive of the plants did NOT survive and some of their healthier cousins failed also. The labels that I was so glad to see - were NOT correct. "Spider Miracle" was not a spider and not Chartreuse. It was a plain cream lily. "Pink Fireworks" was likewise a plain cream lily. Most of the plants did not bloom this year so I'll have to wait until next year to see what they turn out to be. I will not order from them again.
On July 11th, 2006, GreenAtHeart added the following:

The negative rating stays the same! The daylilies that did not bloom last year are blooming now. BIG disappointment. The plants that I ordered were generally two each of a wide range of mostly vivid colors. The colors of the plants now blooming for the first time range from "muddy coffee" to "dingy cream". No white, no pink, no rose ...
Positive alicewho
(50 reviews)
On May 27, 2005, alicewho North Augusta, SC (Zone 8a) wrote:

We placed 2 orders with them this spring, over a hundred daylilies. You won't get the largest fans from them, but for what they charge, you can't beat them. Most places get you in the end with extreme shipping charges or "extra" charges per fan... Wild has the best shipping cost I've found so far. One order was for 52 daylilies and the shipping was only $5.95.

Positive beblue3333
(9 reviews)
On May 18, 2005, beblue3333 Madison, WI wrote:

I just received my order of 8 daylilies yesterday and planted them all. They look large and healthy. I’m very happy with my order. The prices can't be beaten. Will definitely order from them again.

I have a second order that is coming in a couple days.
There are a coupld daylilies and the rest perennials. I’m a bit concerned because of some of the neg. posts regarding perennials.

Cross my fingers.

Neutral kdjoergensen
(19 reviews)
On May 16, 2005, kdjoergensen Waxhaw (Charlotte), NC (Zone 7b) wrote:

I ordered peonies and various perennials from them fall of 2004. My experience was very mixed and difficult to give a positive or negative rating for that reason.

Customer service does not come accross as very friendly. I asked several times about when my order would ship only to be told a new date which came and went every time. Finally my order arrived very late in the fall, later than I would usually plant perennials in my area.

The peonies were very large and healthy, budding nicely and very fresh. I planted them and they have all grown well this spring. Most are already flowering first year. Very happy.

The perennials were all very dry and in some cases moldy. I asked for a refund for the moldy perennial but was told to plant it and contact them in spring. Out of several perennials, two have survived. This is very disappointing to say the least, but I suspected as much due to late shipping date (establishment) and the very poor quality of the perennials.

The prices for the perennials (shasta daisy, black eyed susan, tick seed, etc) were very good (almost too cheap) but considering the extremely high motality rate, it was really a waste of money. Look elsewhere for this stuff.

Do buy your peonies at Gilbert Wild. You will be happy with those.

Negative plainsue
(5 reviews)
On Apr 29, 2005, plainsue Somerset, KY (Zone 6a) wrote:

This is my second season ordering daylilies from Gilbert H. Wild. Last year's daylilies are already growing like mad, and I've just planted 35 new ones. I'll have to wait and see what happens with the 2005 crop before commenting on their health/viability. (In 2004, one was D.O.A.).

The *slight* problem I had with WILD this year is that I had paid by check over 5 weeks earlier and I'd received nothing. I sent an email about my check being cashed 5 weeks earlier yet no daylilies being sent. My email was answered promptly and the daylilies were shipped pronto.

I'll definitely be back to comment on my 2005 daylilies if there is anything negative to report. Right now, I'm giving a "Thumbs Up".


On July 31st, 2005, plainsue changed the rating from positive to negative and added the following:

I'm back to change my rating to a negative. The reason is I had ordered 12 Pardon Me and 12 Happy Returns Daylilies. The Happy Returns have sputtered for months now and they are just looking pretty sad.

The Pardon Me daylilies are *NOT* PM's! I don't know what on earth those 12 flowers are. I have a couple of Pardon Me's from other vendors and Gilbert H. Wild has made a substantial error passing off these 12 red daylilies as PM's.

Buyer Beware! When a vendor makes this big an error on an entire field run (all the PM's had the run numbers on their name tags), that's a major faux pas.

The unfortunate thing is that Gilbert H. Wild's policy is that you have 30 days to return these flowers. It took much longer than that for these 12 red *whatever* daylilies to bloom and give me an unpleasant surprise in my new, freshly dug flowerbed.

On May 17th, 2006, plainsue added the following:

NEVER AGAIN!!! I ordered 8 daylilies from Gilbert Wild in April, 2006.

*4* of them were DEAD ON ARRIVAL! The other 4 were so marginal that I've been nursemaiding them with every bit of care I can muster (not to mention the $$$ trying to resuscitate them!).

I've had it with Gilbert H. Wild's Daylilies! This company is not worth the bother for daylilies.
Positive cceamore
(11 reviews)
On Apr 14, 2005, cceamore Hixson, TN (Zone 7a) wrote:

I give them an A+ I got big beautiful fans some where over three fans per daylily and I would recommend this company to anybody.
They even sent a bonus eventhough I did not make the minimum requierement to recieve one. I ordered on 4/2/2005 and recieved order on 4/14/2005. I plan to order more from them in the future.

Positive amf22
(2 reviews)
On Apr 11, 2005, amf22 Caledonia, NY wrote:

I have purchased Peonies from Wild for 20 years (they were my first experience with mail order). In '96 I moved to a new home with about an acre of land and began ordering day lilies & iris. I have never had a problem with any order. After I relocated, I was able to return to my old house and divide some of the Peonies and transplant to the new house. It was late in the season and the beds were not fully prepared, so I planted everything in large pots, buried the pots and in the Spring transplanted everything to the new beds. I didn't lose one.

I continue to divide the day lilies & irises to plant in new beds or to share with other "gardeners" and all plants in my own garden continue to thrive. I recommend Gilbert Wild & Son to anyone interested in Peonies, etc.

Positive sadie_mae
(42 reviews)
On Apr 1, 2005, sadie_mae Central, KY (Zone 6b) wrote:

I am satisfied with the order of Asiatic & Oriental lilies I received today. The size is as stated (12-14cm) and except for 1 bulb which had a couple of rotten scales, the remainder seem to be fine. They bulbs averaged out to be $1.45 each, including shipping. Much to my surprise, they included a double fan of daylily Cold Harbor as a bonus, my order was only $26.10 with shipping. They also shipped my order during the time that I asked for it to be shipped, did not charge my credit card until the date of shipment and emailed me with the UPS tracking number.


On August 10th, 2005, sadiemaewebb added the following:

Update: 3 of the 6 lilies cultivars I ordered bloomed incorrectly. I will leave my rating as positive because they have agreed to send replacements. I will change my rating if these do not bloom true next year.
Positive hollypi
(2 reviews)
On Mar 31, 2005, hollypi Littleton, CO wrote:

I have ordered daylilies and iris many times from this company. Most have been from the sales catalog for $2-3 each. All of my orders have been accurately filled, shipped at the correct time, and the tubers were plump and fresh for the most part, but a few looked a bit dry and some had a little mold. Well, you put them in a bowl of water for a couple of hours and slam them into the ground. I have paid other companies $15 for a single tuber in the past, and it didn't look any better!

I have noticed on some posts that people put tubers in the ground that "died immediately." Well, I don't usually see any signs of life until the following spring. And if they don't put on a big show the first year, they will the second year.

I probably have 50 different daylilies and 2 dozen iris varieties in my yard. My sister has lots of their hostas and daylilies as well. All are extremely vigorous. I recommend Wild and Son all the time!

Positive downscale_babe
(23 reviews)
On Mar 1, 2005, downscale_babe surfside beach, SC (Zone 8b) wrote:

I ordered the handful of hostas from them last year and was very pleased.
I just recieved a flier about the 120th Anniversary sale on day lilies.The prices are fantastic but I did not want to order until I read the feedback posted on Garden Watchdog.Now I will place a large order.

Positive digdirt
(3 reviews)
On Feb 12, 2005, digdirt Blauvelt, NY wrote:

I'm surprised at the negative feedback posted. I've only ordered once from GH Wild and had a good result. Their Hosta by the handfuls was an excellent price and I actually received more plants than were advertised. All 29 of them did great their first season. No complaints here.

Positive Old_Farmer
(7 reviews)
On Jan 28, 2005, Old_Farmer Napier, WV (Zone 5b) wrote:

Over the past 25 years, I have purchased a total of 102 varities of daylilies from Gilbert H.Wild and Son and have been extremely pleased with each order. My first order was a retail order and the rest were wholesale and I started my own small nursery (North Hills Nursery) with these daylilies. I no longer operate the nursery as started but now because of my age I specialize in only one plant category (Sempervivums-aka, hens and chicks). I spotted their nursery here on Dave's and wanted to tell of the outstanding service I had received from them over the years. Daylilies are the supreme perennial because they are so easy to grow. Place an order with them and you will be completly satisfied.

Negative zone10
(4 reviews)
On Jan 23, 2005, zone10 San Diego, CA (Zone 10b) wrote:

Although my experience with GHW & Son occurred over a year ago, I feel compelled to write comments in the hope that others may be saved from the same experience. Here's my story:

I received a GHW & Son special catalog in the mail, listing daylilies at bargain prices (most varieties under $3.00). I live in So. Cal, so although peak season for planting daylilies had passed, it wasn't a concern. I spent about $60.00 for plants/shipping. I received the plants quickly but to my dismay, every single one looked terrible! They were small and shriveled and all but two (out of about 17) had mold and/or rot. They also sent me one less plant than I ordered.

I called GHW & Son immediately. The rep. was defensive and unapologetic. She tried to convince me that plants often times look shriveled and moldy because of shipping, and that I should simply wash off the mold and plant them. "They should do fine" she said. Although the rep offered me a full refund, she encouraged me to plant them first and pursue a refund only if they don't do well. Against my better judgement (and only because I have two small children and a trip to the post office is difficult) I decided to plant them first.

Of the 18 plants I ordered, I received 17, planted 17, 9 rotted in the ground almost immediately, 2 more rotted over time, and the rest have survived but are weak. I cannot help but suspect that these plants were end of season carry overs and were sitting in a warehouse wasting away...prompting a bargain price catalog to be mailed out to "saps" like myself. Lesson learned!

Positive tazzy
(10 reviews)
On Jan 10, 2005, tazzy Sand Springs, OK (Zone 7a) wrote:

have bought day lilies from them for last years never got any misnamed or have any problems with them A+

Positive DreamOfSpring
(24 reviews)
On Nov 6, 2004, DreamOfSpring Charleston, SC (Zone 9a) wrote:

I ordered about 80 daylilies from a pre-season sales flyer. The prices were incredible, but all 80 daylilies arrived packed on top of each other (no seperators of any kind, leaf against leaf) in a single box. All had some degree of mold on the root system, many severe. A few were hopelessly mushy. I did not contact the company, just didn't have the time to deal with returns. Few survived.

I gave them a 2nd chance and placed another order in late summer. I added a comment to the order indicating my experience with the 1st order and requesting more careful packing of my next order. The 2nd order did arrive in much better condition, but (with 1 noteable exception) was still a poor comparison to similiar items ordered elsewhere.
Most of the asiatic and oriental lilies had significant mold and rot, such that I had to cut away infected parts of bulbs some of which will likely die.

Now for the exception. Imagine my surprise when the peonies arrived! Peonies appear to be the one thing they do VERY well. The peonies were robust and healthy and HUGE. They were easily the most impressive peonies that I have ever received from any of the numerous vendors with which I do business.

In the future I will likely get my lilies elsewhere, but Wild WILL be my 1st stop for peonies!


On April 17th, 2005, scutler changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following:

Ahm, this is hard to say, BUT I think I may have been wrong.

This year I placed another large order for daylilies, peonies, and other plants. Since the plants I received before looked so bad, I was hesitant but could not resist the great pre-season sales prices. Again, the daylilies arrived looking dissapointingly awful, BUT I changed my rating from neutral to positive because...

This time I put the aweful looking daylilies in pots so that I could monitor them better. Virtually overnight the awful looking plants sprang into action and starting growing like crazy!!! I was amazed! So despite the way they look upon arrival, I had to conclude that they actually are very healthy and just waiting for an opportunity to grow! And, consequently, at these prices are a great deal.

In addition, I noticed that the plants are all quite large. Another positive: all of my attempts to start Russian Sage failed until I purchased and planted the large, dead-looking "sticks" I rcvd from this merchant last year. Ironically, while the small plants I bought elsewhere looked much better on arrival, the only ones that survived and thrived were the ugly sticks from this merchant, which quickly leafed out to become large, healthy, lovely plants. AND, are more comparable in size to 1qt or larger potted plants.

And I cannot say enough about the wonderful peonies. These guys must be the kings of the peony world. I have never, ever received such HUGE, multi-eyed,wonderful looking peonies anywhere else at any price. If you are going to buy peonies, you MUST buy them here!

So, my advice is buy-up, ignore the way things (other than peonies) look on arrival, and treat them like the fabulous, healthy plants they really are!!


On April 30th, 2006, scutler added the following:

PEONIES::PLEASE READ!!!

I am anything but a peony expert. All of the peonies I bought elsewhere, including those at several times the price, promptly died. The only living peonies I have are those that I purchased from this company! Now for the 1st time EVER, I have 2 BLOOMING PEONIES in my Zone8b garden in Charleston, SC! My 1st peony to bloom was Gay Paree. I RECEIVED IT FROM WILD IN FALL 2005 and IT IS BLOOMING IN SPRING 2006!!! I am told that peonies often take years to reach blooming size. My 2nd blooming peony (also from Wild), was received in Fall of 2004 and is blooming now in Spring 2006. And both were purchased at incredibly low sale prices!

If you are looking for peonies you owe it to yourself to try the ones at Wild. I won't buy peonies anywhere else unless the variety is not available at Wild and then I'll really have to think about it.
Neutral trunnels
(7 reviews)
On Nov 2, 2004, trunnels Plano, TX (Zone 8a) wrote:

I received a beautiful catalog from this company and thought their prices were great. Then I checked the Watchdog and was so disappointed to see that they had a poor rating. I wrote the company just to let them know of my disappointment. Here is the response I received from the owner:
"It is quite surprising to me that 5-6 people from the last 3 years can work so hard to destroy the reputation of a Company who has been growing quality plants for 120 years. We offer a complete money back guarantee, what's to lose? If you get the plant and don't like them just send them back! You money will be refunded. What you are not seeing is the 38000+ customers who were completely satisfied and order year after year. Greg Jones Owner."

Positive tabbscreek
(7 reviews)
On Oct 11, 2004, tabbscreek Irvington, VA wrote:

I ordered three peonies from Wild this fall. They were carefully shipped and arrived in wonderful shape. All three peonies had at least 6 eyes. Their prices and shipping cost were very reasonable. I have ordered peonies from this company for many years and have never been disappointed.

Positive BUFFY690
(2 reviews)
On Oct 3, 2004, BUFFY690 Prosperity, SC (Zone 7b) wrote:

Took advantage of their hobbist sale this year and got very nice plants. They have been in the ground about a month and already look like some of the other plants that are about 3-4 months old. I plan to shop with this company again. The prices were excellent, we ordered lots and lotes of dayliles and paid half price that is great.

Positive michilinecs
(1 review)
On Aug 29, 2004, michilinecs Cosby, TN wrote:

this was the first time i dealt with this company, I ordered 100 hostas for $100.00, I ended up with 127 and they are doing quite well, i will probably do it again next year.

Neutral statman
(4 reviews)
On Jun 23, 2004, statman wrote:

This was my second order from Wilds. Last year I ordered my first daylilies from them. This year I ordered from other places as well, so I now have a basis for comparison.

My credit card was charged a full two weeks before my order was shipped (this was NOT pre-season; order was placed in mid-May). When I saw the charge on my statement I called to find out if the order had been shipped yet (it hadn't - hadn't even been dug yet). The woman I spoke to in customer service was a bit snippy as if I was out-of-line for inquiring.

The daylily fans I eventually received were dry compared to those I've gotten from other mail-order sources. A few fans were average-sized, but many were quite small. However, they were cheap because I was purchasing from the half-price hobbyist sale, and daylilies have a strong will to live, so I think most of the plants will make it.

In short, I would not pay full price for Wild's daylilies. If I needed quite a few older varieties I might be willing to purchase again from their half-price hobbyist sale (which requires a $50 minimum purchase) or from their end-of-season sale, but not from their pre-season sale.

Positive charlesgrey
(6 reviews)
On May 19, 2004, charlesgrey Champaign, IL wrote:

I ordered from this company 3 times. The first order was daylilies, and they were smaller than other companies that I ordered from. The second order was for iris and peonies, and they were very nice, although shipped in late September (ordered in July), which was late for many of the iris to get established in my zone, and many of them didn't make it through the winter. I would order iris from them again, but only on the condition that they ship in August. My last order was for daylilies again. I couldn't pass up the price on a particular variety that is about 3 times as expensive elsewhere. I ordered 9 of them, expecting them to be tiny, but to my surprise they were quadruple the size of the daylilies that I had ordered before! I was very, very pleased, and expect that I will have many blooms from them this summer. Overall, I would recommend them, but I would request early ship dates.

Neutral Janna
(28 reviews)
On May 3, 2004, Janna Mahwah, NJ (Zone 6a) wrote:

I ordered bargain daylilies from them, and the order arrived pretty soon. Plants were not uniform - some huge and healthy and some tiny, dead looking. Some roots were moldy. I put them in a bucket of water and they sit there for few days since I couldn't get to plant immediately. By the time of planting ALL of them looked just great - they recovered nicely in the water. I don't know about labeling, and actually it doesn't matter this much - I made a mixed planting along the rock wall. Just want different colors.
I've seen much worse daylilies sent to me for much more money, so I am very pleased with G.Wild, and actually placed another order for more plants.


On June 10th, 2004, Janna changed the rating from positive to neutral and added the following:

I just want to add that all the daylilies from the next shippment were great, and started to grow immediately. One root from the previous order died, and when I asked for a replacement, customer service was rigid and unflexible - they refused a refund or replacement, and issued a store credit, so I'll have to pay shipping costs for a replacement. I thought it was not very nice. After all it is not my fault that one of the plants was sent in poor condition and didn't make it. Shipping will cost me more that a plant itself. Well, may be they will read this and consider to improve their customer service.
Negative stewartiajon
(3 reviews)
On Apr 23, 2004, stewartiajon Bridgeport, CT wrote:

Called and purchased about 22 daylilies from this company about three weeks ago. Years ago I purchased from them had great success. I asked , at the time of the order, if they would make sure that I get what I order and the order taker said no problem. I went on line and saw this thread and some of the negative comments that I read about Gilbert and Wild. So , I emailed them and asked them if what I read ( the negative stuff) would happen to me. I was assured that it wouldn't. Well......... I got got my order two days ago. The plants were dried up and barely alive. VERY VERY few double and thriple fans as was promised in their brocure. Four of the plants were mush. A great deal of them had mold on the roots from their storage over winter ( they must dig these in September). That's over eight months in storage. One plant was wrong and they failed to ship another. NOW I am really doubtful about my second question to them , whether they will come true to color!!! These were for a friend , a neighbor, who works for a very large garden magazine. He and his wife picked out the colors. When I called the order department , the lady there mentioned that I 'might get replacements in a week' . I said that I was dissapointed and she said that I would have to pay another shipping charge for the replacements. Imagine having to pay twice to have the order right. I refused that offer. She then asked me to send the bad plants back ( shipping at my cost) . She didn't get it. Anyway , I finally talked to Gary there and he offered to refund my money. I said that I wasn't trying to beat them out of anything, only wanted what I paid for.I asked him to work with me, if I keep the plants and get replacements and they actually turn out to be what the labels say they were supposed to be , etc. I am debaiting asking for my money back and will call them today. And yes, I will probably pay for the shipping to get the plants back to them. This forum has great
value. I wish I had read it before my order was enroute.

Positive MS_Magnolia
(1 review)
On Apr 12, 2004, MS_Magnolia Tylertown, MS (Zone 8a) wrote:

In the spring of 1991, I placed my first daylily order with Gilbert H. Wild & Son, Inc. Since then, I ordered many times from this company and have been well pleased with their healthy plants, service, and prices.

However, this spring, upon receiving the twelve cultivars that I ordered from their "2004 Daylily Surplus Sale" flyer, I was dismayed to find that this shipment of plants was not the same caliber as I had always received. These plants appeared old; as though they had been dug for a long time and segments of the root system on several of them were mushy although the crowns of all appeared satisfactory. Particularly puny were Siloam Irving Hepner and Siloam Virginia Henson, both of which I planted in a protected area instead of my daylily bed. Notwithstanding their enervated condition, all the plants appear to be thriving and it is my hope that all are correctly labeled since I'm reading where some customers are justifiably displeased to find their plants mislabeled.

Thus far, there is no apparent reason why I should refrain from ordering from Gilbert H. Wild & Son, Inc. Perhaps this order was less than desirable due to unforeseen circumstances, or perhaps part of the problem could have been with the freight service.

Ordering from this company rests with the discretion of the buyer; nevertheless, Gilbert H. Wild & Sons, Inc., should be attentive to the complaints it is receiving from a disproportionate number of dissatisfied customers.

Neutral Gootzie
(5 reviews)
On Apr 6, 2004, Gootzie Dover, TN wrote:

My order arrived today and I felt it was a poorly packed order. The order was daylilies and one hosta. The daylilies were almost smashed and the hosta looked like a chopped string mop. Considering having shipped hosta myself, I find the one I received unacceptable. They are all soaking in water, and I have hopes they will survive and grow once in the ground. I have not contacted the company as the order was small and it isn't worth extra shipping costs to ask for a replacement for any of items.


On April 9th, 2004, Gootzie added the following:

Update: On the plus side of their order, they were prompt, courteous, and added a bonus plant. I still feel the hosta was done improperly, but the daylilies had large roots. Despite the packing and how bad the plants looked upon arrival, the plants are surviving. I would change this rating to a positive if I felt I would order from this company again. As it is, there isn't enough enthusiasm to do so.

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