Comments regarding Bluestone Perennials

I just received a huge order today and I am more than pleased. Nothing looks damaged, packaging was even too good.....:) Can't wait to get them all in the ground!

I love this company. They are reliable and great quality plants w/ great root systems. Great prices whenever there is a sale or deals. I'm a repeat customer and already mulling through the catalog and seeing what I will get next. I especially like their honor system of returning the packaging for recylcing. When I lost a plant they immediately sent a new one. I like that when you order, most plants is in multiplies of 3's.

Received my order today from Bluestone. The shipping was quick and reasonably priced. The plants look very good; they were not even wilty.

This company really strives to please there customers and will do anything to make them happy. I ordered around $50 worth of spring bulbs and 50% of them didn't come up. They reshipped my whole order in it's entirity for no charge!! Now that's excellent customer service!!

I just received my order from Bluestone a couple of days ago. The plants arrived on time, were carefully packaged, and were much larger than I had anticipated. Each plant looks supremely healthy and vigorous. Bluestone included a variety of discount coupons with the order.

The plants I selected were quite a deal -- all 1/2 off, which offset the shipping charges that ordinarily keep me from ordering many plants by catalog. Based on this experience, I will certainly order additional plants from Bluestone as my budget permits, and I will definitely recommend Bluestone to others.

I ordered a Black Beauty Sambucus in February, to be delivered in May, so I'll post about the actual plant when it arrives. However, my shipping address didn't get transmitted in my email order. A very nice customer service lady called me and left a message to let me know. Although I didn't call them back for over a week, they knew exactly why I was calling and the person I spoke to was able to take my details quickly and cheerfully! I hope the plant is as good as their customer service has been so far.

I placed an order with Bluestone last May during their end-of-season sale and was extremely pleased with the perennials that I received. I ordered several Achillea and Aquilegia and the plants that arrived were all very healthy and with excellent root systems. The plants were well packed and did not appear stressed or damaged.

The plants all thrived throughout the summer and I am looking forward to this spring to see how well they survived winter. I really like ordering plants from a company that both offers a wide selection and solid guarantee.

I would recommend this company to anyone that is seeking unique plants that their local nursery doesn't stock and is willing to spend a little more for quality.

Great catalog and website. Nice to see so many positives. Gave me the confidence to order from an online source. Overall a very good experience.

I have ordered many times from Bluestone and I am very satisfied with their services.I especially like their policy that if you return the packing peanuts to them,they will provide free shipping for your next order.Also,the plants they ship are very healthy.

What can I say? Simply the best mail-order source for perennials in every way -- plant selection and health, customer service, price. Have ordered from Bluestone many times and have never been disappointed. Highly recommended.

LIR

After reading the reviews of this company, I decided to request a catalog and place an order to replace several plants that died/arrived too late, etc., from another company. Not only did I receive a catalog in a timely manner, Bluestone included a discount coupon. I thought that was a nice surprise! I ordered two June Hostas, six Blue Fescue and one Dwarf Burning Bush. I requested an early April shipping date.

I received an e-mail confirmation within 48 hours with a guarantee of shipping in early April, as requested.

I am very excited to receive my order and see how things turn out. So far, I'm rating them "Positive" due to their quick turnaround, discount coupon & quick response. (I can't say this about some of the other companies I've ordered from) I will update my info once the items arrive and are planted.

I have always had good experiences ordering from Bluestone Perennials. They offer a lot of unusual varieties at an amazing price. The plants are very small when received but grow well and are a great value. The packing is done with 'peanuts' which seems odd but doesn't hurt the plants any. When I received my first order 3 years ago in the spring, some of the little plants did not look very good, but after a day or two of TLC, they did fine. The plants in fall orders tend to be bigger. I would recommend starting a 'nursery bed' for most of the plants until they increase in size. I have lost plants due to throwing them right into the location planned for them, and having them overshadowed by neighbors or forgotten by me during dry spells. I saw a note on the Victory Garden website stating that they order a lot from Bluestone, and get the order delivered a month or two early, and repot in bigger pots and grow them in the greenhouses for a couple months before planting. (Nice if you have such an option...)

I ordered approximately 30 plants a couple of years ago, and have been happy with them. One three pack of globe thistle did not look so good. I called and told them that one of them looked like it might make it, but the other two were definately dying. They sent two replacement plants in the spring, which were bigger than the originals had been.

Ordered several rose of sharons, hydrangeas, and plumbago from this company, and will state that the plants are rather small, but do have good root systems and grow well. They seem to offer more for the colder zones, but even deep south gardeners should take a look here. The prices are quite low. Will definitely order again.

Just placed my 2006 order today for about 300 plants! Had an absolutely fantastic experience with my 2005 order. By the end of the growing season, the plants had increased 2-4x in size. Great quality! Highly recommend doing business with Bluestone!

I have been ordering from Bluestone for nearly 20 years and have always received exactly what I ordered. About 7 years ago I ordered 6 blue rug junipers for my front border...they were approximately 6 inches around when they arrived....small but very green and healthy! The past two seasons I have had to cut them back to keep them from covering the front sidewalk as each juniper is at least 6-8ft ft in diameter....I have always been extremely pleased with both the products and the service....you can't go wrong ordering from Bluestone!

After ten years of ordering perennials from this company I have always received the varieites I ordered and all have been in good condition. They are the only mail order nursery that I can say this about.
Wally Eberhart

I'm a new gardener; I purchased a house 3-1/2 years ago with a huge empty yard and that is when I started flower gardening. I have ordered hundreds of dollars of flowers from Bluestone Perennials. And I continue to order from them on a regular basis. Almost invariably their prices are the best for perennials. Their service is excellent. And I have found their products consistently reliable. No one can expect all plants ordered to survive. There are just too many variables. Which is why many companies only guarantee the condition of the plants upon arrival.
At Blustone they do not have a time limit on when I can request replacements. So often with perennials, they may appear to die back the year they are planted but then return the next year. By not putting a time limit on replacements I can wait and see if the plant comes back the following year before requesting a replacement. Conversely the plant may thrive the first year and not come back the next. No matter how many orders are involved or how many replacements, or how long it has been since I ordered, Bluestone has ALWAYS replaced any plants that I requested replacements for. In a way they are almost too fair to the customer. There are times I know it was my fault the plant died and I won't ask for a replacement, even though I know I would get one if I did. I highly highly recommend this company. Great prices, excellent service.

I'm a new gardner and ordered tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths from Bluestone. They came quickly and appeared to be in good shape. Part of the order was missing, and they replaced it immediately. Planting directions were good. if stuff comes up next spring, I'll be a customer for life!

I have ordered several times from Bluestone and always have been well pleased. I ordered fall bulbs and received a substitution on the order without any acknowledgment that it was going to happen. I called them and they not only let me keep the substituted bulbs, they sent repalcements that met my color, bloom time and number of bulbs that were missing to complete a color scheme planting as well as 2 other generous packets to say "sorry" for the mix up.
It doesn't get any better than that for customer service and responsiveness.
I'm a Bluestone customer for life!

I've ordered twice from Bluestone, and both experiences were positive. The plants in the first order, earlier this year, were larger than what I got in my fall order, but they were still quite nice. One was of the wrong variety (I ordered dwarf and it was regular), and they will be shipping replacement in the spring. They offered a refund or credit for something else, but I still want the plant, so I opted for the replacement. The things I ordered earlier in the year have all done well. Quick to ship, too.

Very quick shipping (I ordered during the fall shipping season). The bulbs were all discounted by 50% and unlike some other companies that have made the impression that the clearance bulbs are seconds and poor quality, these lilies were all very big and hydrated. The columbine were very small, however, and as I am in WA, I worry that they will not do well as the normal first frost is only a few weeks away... Waiting for the end of season sale made the small plants a better value, but I would rather have paid the same amount for one big plant, rather than 3 small ones! Still, I will order from them again and would recommend.

I have left many comments on this forum and this is the 1st negative. I placed 2 separate orders with this company. When the plants arrived they were incredibly small, I would have passed them right by had I seen them first in person. Also they were supposed to ship in the fall, I received them early Sept. with temps. regularly in the high 90's here. The bulbs they sent are nice, but were also sent way too early. I didn't contact them b/c after reading all the wonderful comments here I thought the plants would live. I didn't save my receipts or shipping labels which was my mistake. I wasn't even going to leave a comment but it was so disheartening today when I tallied up everything that has died and to think of all the hard earned money I wasted on this company. 3 astilbes, 9 asters, 6 eng. daisies, 3 gallardia, 2 of 3 jap. painted ferns, 3 gypsophilia--all dead. I ordered about the same $ amount from Plant Delights, Big Dipper and Park's and all theirs are thriving. What it boils down to is Bluestone's plants were too small and sent at the wrong time. I am not trying to discourage anyone from using Bluestone, all these poeple that are happy with them can't be wrong. I'm probably 1 of 100 people who got bad plants, but it still doesn't feel good to be that one.

"

Bluestone here: I hope admodeva will contact us that so we can have the chance to make amends. Should they contacted us, we can use their customer record to issue a refund or new plants. Paperwork is not required. Alabama can be a difficult area to garden with perennials due to the humidity, and our help desk can help admodeva select plants that are better suited to the AL climate. Our catalog also indicates plants that are suited to the deep south. Our bulbs are shipped when they come in from Holland, and can be cold treated to delay bloom time in the south. A later shipping date can always be requested, but due to our weather here, we usually have to wrap things up in late October. We would welcome the chance to correct the dissatisfaction that admodeva feels. Bluestone"

I just received my fall bulbs and they look great. I bought the special 1/2 price ones, so I didn't know what to expect, but they appear fresh and top quality. This was my first time ordering from them and in the package was a book of coupons for future orders....I will definitely be using them.
My order arrived very promptly and was complete. Very well packaged too.

I have ordered from Bluestone Perennials for two years now and have been nothing but impressed...a landscaper suggested them to me...was leery re: mail order but their prices are good, plants healthy; great bulbs; and FABULOUS customer service. I will continue to order and have shared their info with MANY of my friends. May their business grow and prosper!

I've been purchasing perennials from Bluestone for over 15 years and have been very happy with their plants. The plants arrive small, but by the end of the growing season have grown tremendously. I recommend Bluestone to anyone interested in mail-order gardening! They stand behind their plants 100 percent. I've gotten quite a few replacements over the last 15+ years and will keep ordering from them. Their plants are FAR better than the stuff you get at the home improvement stores. I've tried some of those "big" plants and am usually sorry I wasted my money. They can be in big pots and have a poor root system. Don't let the size of the plant fool you. Bluestone has a lifetime customer in this gardener!

I've placed 3 orders with Bluestone so far (1 just recently so haven't received the plants yet). Overall I've been very happy with the quality of the plants, but I will not be shopping the 50% off sale in late spring/early summer again--several plants arrived looking sort of ratty and a few ended up dying on me (although at 50% off, I wasn't expecting them to be as nice as the plants I paid full price for earlier and I ended up with at least one survivor out of each 3-pack of plants).

I ordered several perennial plants (helianthus, clematis, tamarix, salvia). All arrived small but in excellent shape. Most of these, including clematis have bloomed their first year.

Company demonstrates commitment to renewable resources by allowing you to ship back packing materials to them. They send a coupon to you for free shipping on future orders for doing so. A win-win for them (you order again); you (shipping coupon worth more than what it cost to mail stuff back); and the environment.

I will order from Bluestone again.

At the risk of sounding like a company represenative I have to give Bluestone a glowing report. I have been buying from them from a few years now. I've also bought from local nurseries and other mail order companies. They do not compare well with the plants from Bluestone. I usually have to baby them along or they just up and die. The Bluestone plants, although small, just take off and flourish. I don't know what Bluestone does to make their plants so much better than anybody elses, but they've definetly got the magic! I'm not going to bother buying from other sources anymore...it's a waste of my time and money.

I found this to be one of the best mail order sites. All the plants I ordered and planted this spring lived and prospered, even considering the hot dry summer! I found their prices reasonable and the plants healthy. Their small size did not deter their vigor. I'm ordering from them again this fall.

Ordered from this nursery and the plants arrived in when they were expected. Unfortunately, my mother went into the hospitial the day before they arrived, and I did not have time to plant anything.

The plants sat in the box for almost 2 weeks before I even got to open it. The plants were yellowed and stretching for the sun, a few were dead. I put the living ones in the sun and watered.

My mother's illness presisted so I still had no time to plant. To bluestone's credit, most of the plants survived and are growing, even with all that neglect!

I am truly impressed with the vitality of the plants I ordered considering the circumstances. The plants were small, but obviously very good. I will use bluestone in the future.

I have purchased from Bluestone for a while, and my experience has always been positive, but this year I was really compelled to post a review. This year, my husband accidentally mowed over one of the golden lights azaleas I purchased from Bluestone. Bluestone's plants are small, as many have commented, and we had let the lawn weeds grow too high, so he didn't see it -- so that's the downside of small plants. However...I didn't get around to taking out what was left of it (essentially a stick) right away, and by the time I did revisit it, I was AMAZED to see that it had sprouted leaves again. So yes, the plants are small, "infant" shrubs, and you have to watch out for them at first --but boy are they healthy and strong!

We have also purchased perennials and bulbs from this company for the last three years, with great results.

I've been ordering from Bluestone so long that I just found in a drawer one of their order forms that said "ANNOUNCING a New Way to Buy Perennials". I keep coming back, almost every year, (I guess I'm a perennial customer, lol) because they not only have a wonderful selection, their customer service is unparalleled -- they schedule a shipment for the proper time for your area, but are willing to adjust that schedule at your request. Last year, my order had already been in for weeks, but when I fell in love with another plant, they were happy to add it. On the rare occasion that I've lost a plant, or one arrived in poor condition, they've replaced it cheerfully. They even respond to requests for them to carry a new plant. And there are always nice coupons to use on the next order.

They pack well, too -- using peanuts that dissolve, or will take back the packing material!

We have purchased from Bluestone in the past and again this year. Every single plant has always lived and thrived. Yes, the plants are small when they get here -- the catalogue says so very clearly.

This is a great way to create a new bed at a minimum expense, as long as you have patience to wait for the plants to grow to size. This year, many of mine are blooming already. I figure at Bluestone's prices, I can afford to wait a year if necessary. If someone wants mature plants, they should go to a local retailer and pay the higher prices there.

I ordered perennials and shrubs for the first time. I am very happy with the shipping and quality of the plants. They were exactly as advertised and all are doing very well despite our drought situation this year. Will definitely order from them again. Good job!

I placed my order in late May, taking advantage of their 50% off all plants through Memorial Day sale. I ordered around 130 plants in total. They arrived June 3rd (Sadly at 6:30 pm, after I blocked off the whole day so that I could plant them since I knew their arrival date-no fault of Bluestone, but a bummer no less).

All but one plant arrived looking healthy. One was DOA, and around 5 others died soon after planting. I am sure that I will have no trouble getting replacement plants, I've just been waiting to request them to make sure that all of the others will be alive and kicking throughout the season. The plants were well packaged, and I have no complaints about the condition of the plants or quality of packing materials.

I was a bit dismayed that several verieties of plants had different sun/shade requirements on their planting "tags" than had been indicated on Bluestone's website. I was planting in a pretty sunny area with some partial shade and LOBELIA Vedrariensis, for instance was stated on their website as being good for "Mostly Sunny -> Full Shade", but it's planting tag said, "Loves deep shade". I'm sure it will be fine where it is, but I was taken a bit aback by this inconsistency. As it was, this was only the case for a fraction of the plants I ordered, but I'm noting all of my thoughts.

In the weeks since planting, the plants have grown (many have grown quite a lot) and several have begun to flower. I am VERY pleased with my overall experience, and look forward to ordering frm Bluestone again (I hope that they run another 50% off sale for fall planting). I wish that they carried all of the varieties I ever wished to order, because their prices, product, and CS seem to be top notch amongst the mailorder options.

Been buying from Bluestone for over 5 years and have never had a problem. I just rec'd my second order of the season two days ago and all the plants are fresh and healthy. Yes, the plants are small, but they have always been upfront that they sell "liner" plants. However, they are comparable in size to the plants I ordered from Wayside this spring - and paid 3 times as much! I re-use the peanuts as filler in my outdoor container plantings; weighs much less than gravel.

I have ordered twice from Bluestone and was happy with both transactions. The first was just bulbs and everything came up this spring, looking great.

In January I ordered quite a few perennials, getting a great deal through my early order and some coupons. My plants arrived in mid-April, but I wanted to see how everything did before I posted a comment.

The plants were small, of course, but everything was healthy and still moist (it helps I live in the same state). The plumbago was the smallest and the one I had a few concerns about as they just looked like little sticks. Well, two months later and everything is thriving, the goldenrod, achillea and Russian sage in particular. The sad-looking plumbago is now fully leafed out and looks great. A @#$%& squirell ate one of the Russian sages down to the ground, but it has grown back since it had such a healthy root system.

I definitely will order from Bluestone again.

A great source for affordable, harder to find items. My plants arrived a little dry (it was quite hot and UPS had not been kind to the box) and a tiny bit battered but obviously healthy. They were small but not tiny. The shrubs were small but had lots of leaves. I think they do a good job accurately describing their merchandise. For the most part everthing seems to be growing and doing well. The root systems for the plants were very well developed.
The customer service is exceptional. The one plant that died is being replaced without question and I am sure that if any other issues arise I will have no problem. In fact because a couple of items were back ordered and not being delivered until later they let me "add on" to my order and I got some great deals from the specials page that are being sent without having to pay additional shipping.
Fair prices, good selection, great plants and great service. I wouldn't order a plant that I could get at my local big box for a bargain price but I certianly will be ordering from Bluestone again.