Comments regarding Gilbert H. Wild and Son

I love this company! I have always received extremely healthy items, whether daylilies, hostas, or, new to me this year, peonies. I've been told over and over that newly planted dalylilies and peonies won't bloom the first year, yet all I have ordered from this company over the years have bloomed in their first year. Always healthy, top notch plants at a very reasonable price. I've ordered from them for 3 years and will continue to be a devoted and grateful customer.

I ordered 6 daylilies and they sent me 2 bonus ones too. They arrived safely and appear to be healthy. All the varieties had two fans. I felt they were good size and a good value for the price. I was very pleased.

Just got a collection of 16 hostas today. They are all large healthy plants with enormous root systems. They also sent a bonus daylily I don't have and 6 extra hostas. I am quite pleased and will continue doing business with Gilbert H Wild and Son.

For the last two years I ordered peonies and "hostaa by the handful". Everything arrived fine with plenty of eyes on the peonies. One peony, however had no eyes. Since it did not develop eyes this year I phone customer service and without quesiton they agreed to replace it with another plant. Since my garden club sells these plants during our garden tour it is important to have a reliable supplier like Gilbert Wild. I say thanks for a good product and good service.
C. Melf

I created a huge horse shoe shaped bed at the end of last summer and purchased a few dozen named varieties of peonies from this company. I received excellent plants with lots of eyes sent at the end of last September. What a show I had this spring. Loads of flowers and fragrance. It really was the highlight of my garden this year. I've always ordered from this company and have never been disappointed. Of course, the free daylily they sent as a gift once again wound up in the compost pile. Next time I'll tell them to keep their free gift, but other than that they are a bargain for the superior plants they send.

Shipping is reasonable and the peony roots were nice sized and a good price. I also bought hostas and the bareroots seem fine, we'll see how they do in the spring. The free daylilly looked pretty sad but it was free!

Have ordered daylilies three times individually and twice more with friends. The order was received promptly and included 2 or more fans with heavy root systems; such great value for the price. Followed planting directions and most of them bloomed this first year in my garden and I expect the later shipments to bloom, satisfactorily, next spring. Since I am not a hybriderizer, we were not checking closely to be certain each plant was as described, but each was more beautiful and rewarding than the last and we have proudly announced where the plant was purchased. We did lose two plants, but they were put into the ground during a heat wave and were difficult to water thoroughly. I have, last week, placed a large order from the fall sale brochure, and expect to have many more beauties to enjoy in the spring. Undoubtedly, I'll be digging another bed in the early spring for an order from the first sale catalog.

Well, as in the past with this company, you certainly get what you pay for, and being that their shipping is VERY reasonable for the plants you order, regardless of the package's total weight ($7), I feel they take good enough care in packing the plants for their delivery. Perhaps they're not packaged with such an intensity to withstand a UPS pkg handler throwing it against a container (yes, used to work there and have seen them throw pkgs out of frustration all the time), but with the several mail order companies I've ever ordered from, there aren't many out there that package them significantly better than GHW. I'd rate Bluestone Perennials as the best packers in the biz, and they're also environment friendly and will give you free shipping if you return their box and packing materials that were used to send your plants in, which basically gives you a nice discount since you have to pay about $4 send it back to them...a creative and nice deal I think.

As far as Gilbert H Wild's plants, I have been pleased with their plants with my 4 orders the last couple years. Most (if not all) are bareroots, and I don't think when a hardy bareroot plant is dormant, that it needs to be elaborately packaged, so therefore yes, you sometimes have dayliles simply placed on top of one another in between some shredded paper, but unless UPS has their pkgs sitting out in the rain, or burning up in their aircraft containers sitting out on the airport tarmac, I feel there is ample time for the plants to make it A-OK on their short journey to my home. I have never encountered any of these claims others have stated (rotted plants, etc) but I can't disprove them...it's possible that something happened, but I know when I've ever had an issue with GHW (had a Peony that decided not to come up in the Spring), their customer service reps have been helpful and taken care of the issue...on the other hand though, I have not had the most courteous customer service correspondances from Mr. Wild himself...he's often short and snippy with his emails, but I assume he's busy and doesn't particularly like emails...who knows -- but the ladies there have always been nice to deal with in my experience. Then again, if someone calls in to complain and is disgruntled and venting at any operator, I imagine it's hard for them to be all smiles when dealing with irate people.

I just received my Fall order of some Hostas (packed in baggies with shredded cedar chips, etc) , Daylilies, and a Peony and all look well....The Peony ( also packed in a baggie with a more slightly damp sawdust/cedar chip-type material to keep the roots from drying out) is a little smaller than in years past, but it is healthy, and the Hostas & others are bareroot so I won't know how they'll look until Spring, which is a bummer. Bluestone sends out most of (maybe all) in containers, and I received a nice Hosta a couple weeks ago that was a couple feet tall and nice and healthy too. I liked being able to look at it while planting, but if I was ordering a larger quantity of plants, I'd have to side on the bareroot plants of GH Wild's efficient way of managing their business. In doing so, they pass down major savings to their customers, and if you compare shipping rates with them to all the others out there....you'll quickly see how great a deal you get with this company. If I had ordered the same amount of plants from GH Wild with another company, I would have paid approx. 30/40% more for the plants, and about 4+ times more in shipping costs. So, even though I'm a little bias with GHW, only because I get more bang for my buck, I do resort to ordering from other comps too when I am looking for something harder to find.

All in all...if you're looking for a no nonsense company that specializes in bareroot plants & won't break the bank & gives you nice sized plants with minimal shipping costs, then THIS is a great place to order from. 4 orders, no issues= positive experiences. This year, they had an overstock of unnamed Hostas and included a large bag of them with my order (about a $50 order), which was a nice surprise! Not many companies out there in my experience that are as generous by giving away a bonus plant with each order - usually 1 Daylily, but usually so large you can divide into 2-3 smaller starts. I am surprised to see that GHW isn't in the top 20 of the best companies to order from.

Ordered Peony and Iris collections. All plants were individually labeled, plump and healthy! The Peonies were very large some with over 8 eyes popping out.

I am pleased with the quality of the items shipped and will follow up next spring to let you know how they performed.

I ordered the bulk hostas (100), daylilies (100), and asiatics (a couple of bags of 25), all unnamed assorted varieties.

The plants were delivered more promptly than my orders to three other nurseries placed on the same day.

There were more than 100 lilies and hostas shipped. On average the quality was better than expected for the price with some very large roots, and a couple very small or damaged.

The bareroot hostas began sprouting immediately after planting, and there are at least 8 varieties, including some lovely golden and varigatied varieties in addition to some of the plainer kinds. Their hostas FAR exceeded my expectations and represent a fabulous value.

The daylilies in general were less impressive than the hosta, though most of them have also taken root and are growing. I have paid much more at other companies for day lilies that were much smaller so they still represent a good value for mass plantings. I do not expect that they will bloom this year, but for $1/each I don't expect them to, and I honestly am not giving them much help (they were used for naturalizing and have to compete with tenacious grasses).

Asiatic bulbs were larger than expected and are growing well, again without any coddling. I expect that they will bloom.

They did short me on bag of asiatics in the initial shipment. When I called customer service, they were cordial-- not cuddly and warm, but professional and effective-- and they promptly sent out the missing bulbs.

They will definitely get my business in the future, as they were my best nursery experience this year.

I have dealt with Gilbert Wild on and off since 1971. I've never had a problem with anything I ordered. I have about 60 varieties of Daylilys, most from Wild. The last bunch I ordered was in 2003 and the fans were nice and big and some were dividable upon unpacking. No complaints about Gilbert Wild here!

I ordered 7 peonies from GH Wild last fall and when they arrived, I was VERY happy! The peony tubers were HUGE with 4-5 eyes on each one. One of the plants I ordered, peony 'Early Scout' has over 10 buds and its only a first year plant! This was my first time ordering from them and I was so happy, that I ordered some daylilies. These arrived and were also in great condition. I am very happy with this company and would definitely re-order from them, and recommend them to anyone.

Today I recieved my order from Gilberth Wild. I ordered the 25 Hosta Handful for $35 plus shipping. I'm pleased with the hostas, I was scared after getting a horrible order from Michigan Bulb this week..that all mail order companies would be the same. The Hostas are large, they are shipped bare root, and the roots must be 6 or more inches long. Some had a couple shoots coming out of the crown, but I also had some large ones with 5 or more. Also was sent over 25 (maybe because a few were really small) They are packaged in a large plastic bag with saw dust, and were dry...but I have them soaking in water now. I'm sure they ware going to be healthy plants! They also included a few free bareroot daylilys with my order :-)

I took advantage of the very low prices for special large bags of unmarked hostas and daylilies. I certainly didn't expect the large size and outstanding quality at these bargain prices. Delivered securely and on time, I planted them after a few days - there were so many I needed to block out a lot of time. The daylilies greened up and the hostas sprouted within two days. A week later and the hostas are already unfolding. Results are as good as or better than any I've planted before - and there have been many. (I always water in with Maxicrop Soluble Seaweed Powder 1-0-4, and that might have something to do with how quickly they develop.) These are not cheap or undesirable varieties that I can see. This is a terrific company, and if they keep their prices low they should have many more loyal customers like me.

I've ordered 50 daylily "bulbs" on three occasions from this company and was very pleased. The daylilies arrived promptly, packed in shredded newspaper. The last order, received in hot weather, was dried out somewhat, but I immersed the plants in water and they perked right up. The plants were big enough that they could actually be divided into 3 plants and surprised me by blooming the first season. I have been pleased with the low prices and as I go through other company's catalogs and see prices many times those of GHW, I wonder why anyone would pay such high prices. I will definitely do business with them again.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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.