Comments regarding Bluestone Perennials

I purchased Dahlias from Bluestone in the Spring of 2023. They were shipped on time and well packaged. All were grown in containers on my patio and performed great. I am very pleased with the purchase and ordered more plants from them this year.

Posted on May 30, 2023, updated July 14, 2023
I was pleased with the quality of the plants I ordered from Bluestone Perennials, and also liked the biodegradable pots (less plastic waste!). They have great deals on clearance plants in late May and were willing to do a price adjustment for me once the plants I'd purchased went on sale. However, one of three astilbes I had ordered was missing. It took a while to reach customer service (their phone line is often turned off due to order load, which is very frustrating) and no one replied to my email. They finally sent a replacement astilbe which arrived today. When I opened the box, I was disappointed to see that they sent the wrong variety! The one I originally ordered is now out of stock, of course. So now I have an empty space in my garden bed and have to wait until next year to get the correct variety, through no fault of my own. I can understand one mistake, but they've now messed up my order twice.

"On Jun 1, 2023 2:41 PM, Bluestone Perennials responded with:

I am sorry to hear we made an error on your replacement order. I'm also sorry we had to have our phones turned off for one day last week - we were too short on staff. Can you contact me at helpdesk@bluestoneperennials so I can work with you to fill that empty space in your garden (possibly with the original plant)? Jan"

I ordered several perennials from Bluestone and am happy with the order. The shipping was great - the plants were packed well and were not damaged in transit. The plants shipped are small (3-4" pots) and are the same price as plants in quarts or even the 8 inch pots. But for perennials that I can't find locally this is a good option.

I ordered eight plants from their recent spring sale - the plants arrived in fine shape, and I really appreciate the ecofriendly packaging. Plants are in coir pots, rest of the packing material is just cardboard but it did a great job of protecting the plants. It's great to not get a bunch of plastic to dispose of.

This may be long, BUT the quick version is that my first experience with this company is very positive. I went with BSP because of the awesome guarantee they offer. Not that I went in planning to use it, but I know things can happen and I like no hassles when/if something does go wrong.

The longer version is that over the weekend I placed two orders. I had only planned the one and then I was browsing and saw they had a hosta that I've been wanting for years. I have several but as they are next to the house two got taken out a few years ago when there was a problem and people had to crawl under the house to fix it. Even if those aren't the exact hostas they are close enough that only plant experts would notice. So, despite the fact that shipping was a bit ouchy I decided to go for it.

Well, a few days later I get an email saying they've combined the orders and refunded the shipping. So, we're off to a GREAT start.

Then today I arrived home from work to the box on my front porch and quickly opened the box and the plants all look healthy in the case of the hostas very healthy - the roots are already growing though the pots. So much so that at first I thought they'd sent me bareroot hostas, which would've been fine but nope they are in those pots just that they are quickly outgrowing said pots.

Now granted I read the reviews about the problems some had with the pots BSP uses so my plan was to remove the plants from them before planting (I've not always had good luck with plantable pots - summers here are generally murder on plants in them), but in the case of the hostas that will simply not be possible or would very much stress those big beautiful roots. So it really looks like these guys are already taking off and hopefully once planted they will in quick fashion catch up to the others.

Yes, I'm ga-ga over the hostas, but all the plants look good and a couple others do have roots starting to poke through the pots. And honestly I think BSP must have changed pots from the ones some of the negative reviews mention, because these do look like they'll break down fairly quickly, though still in a couple of drier areas I will need to at least cut the tops down before planting.

Now back to shipping. I can see why they charge a little, because the packing was simply awesome. Granted had the shipping company been rough with it there might've been an issue, but the box and the plants are pristine even with bulbs packed with the plants.

Now let us hope the good continues. Admittedly I purchased three sedum plants, which I've tried before with not much luck, but I'm hoping this time will be different. But even if not at least one can't say I didn't try and with the BSP plants one can't say I didn't start with a good plant(s) this time.

In closing, I highly recommend Bluestone!

Posted on June 7, 2019, updated May 12, 2023
Posted on September 17, 2017, updated June 7, 2019
Posted on April 29, 2016, updated September 17, 2017
Posted on October 2, 2015, updated April 29, 2016
Posted on May 30, 2015, updated October 2, 2015
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Posted on April 27, 2013, updated April 27, 2014
Posted on June 2, 2012, updated April 27, 2013
Posted on May 7, 2003, updated June 2, 2012
First, I must thank all of the people who took the time to recommend this great company. Because of the detailed feedback, I confidently ordered, and today received my first order from Bluestone. I purchased 33 plants and the quality is excellent. They are smaller that the plants one would purchase at a nursery, but I would say that they are the same size as the far more expensive White Flower Farm plants. I usually grow my own plants from seed, only buying what I cannot grow, so I am accustomed to robust plants, and these are. And some of the varieties I purchased, such as Heuchera Firefly and Heucherella Bridgett's Bloom, are usually quite expensive. And the prices! Taking advantage of some specials and 3 for 1 offfers, I paid $98.75 for 33 plants - including shipping - less than $3.00 a plant! Receiving an e-mail and a UPS tracking number was an unexpected plus. Another bonus - did anyone notice that the plants are hardened off when you receive them? They note that they can be exposed to temperatures as low as 26 degrees. What a great company! They are my first stop from now on.

I was delighted to receive healthy-looking plants in their coconut containers, and am looking forward to them all growing over the years. I also ordered bulbs that it seemed UPS lost, and customer service was lightning fast dealing with the situation. Would definitely order another time from Bluestone Perennials.

I messaged them before I made my purchase, because I was a month past their delivery time for the flowers I wanted. They got back to me quickly with the go-ahead. I ordered. I received the flowers within a week and a half. They were packaged well. They were mostly in good shape. One of the plants had lost most of its leaves, but I knew they would grow back so I wasn't worried, and I can't say that is their fault since the packaging did keep the plants stable. But the roots were in good shape and the plants were all growing good. I gave them a hearty dose of water, and planted them in fertile soil. They are all doing well.
Thanks.

This year was the second year that I have purchased from Bluestone Perennials. The first year I purchased 14 different varieties of plants and the second year I purchased 8 more varieties. This year I was able to shop more at local nurseries which is why I purchased less. I have also purchased spring bulbs from Bluestone. I will admit that when the plants arrived the first year I was a little disappointed and concerned about the size of the plants. However they started to grow by leaps and bounds the second that I planted them. I also did not expect that they would flower so profusely in their first year.

I am very happy to report that all 14 varieties came back this year even though we had more snow than in previous years (Zone 6b). All of them have grown significantly in size in their second year and look very happy. The packaging last year was slightly better than this year. There was no spillage last year but this year the box was kind of beat up with soil all over the place. There was one plant this year that I was disappointed with but when I contacted them via email I received a response and refund in about seven days. I find this to be very reasonable considering that they are so busy this year. Some of the new varieties that I purchased this year are already flowering and appear to be just as happy as those that I purchased last year. I have no doubt that they will return next year.

As far as spring flowers go, the bulbs that I purchased were healthy, large and all bloomed beautifully this spring (daffodils, hyacinths, chionodoxa, scilla). They were also all true to color which was not true of bulbs that I purchased from two other companies. They have a good selection of bulbs including some unique varieties that were new to me. I like that I can easily search for deer resistant bulbs as deer are a huge problem in my area. I have already started planning my fall bulb order with them this year.

Overall I would highly recommend purchasing plants from Bluestone Perennials. If I lived closer I would definitely visit their nursery outlet.

Perfect Salvias, arrived on tim, in great condition, and love the little coco fiber pots too.

I have ordered from Bluestone many times. Last time I did wait longer than normal for my items to arrive, but I’m aware that it’s a USPS issue and not a Bluestone caused issue. I highly recommend them for one of a kind and hard to find plants. I’ve had really good success with my plants and would absolutely order from them again.

I have brand new landscape and have had the experience of buying many plants both in nurseries and online over the past year. For online shopping, there are have been a few standouts in quality of plants shipped. Bluestone is one of the best ones so far. I was searching for Amsonia hubrichtii. I ordered 3 from Bluestone and 2 from another online vendor. While Bluestone charged $16.5 per plant versus the $11.50 from the other vendor, the plant I received from Bluestone was far in away superior. Truly it was 3x larger and since planted just a few weeks ago, it's already doubled in size. The other vendors plant is doing fine, but it doesn't seem likely it will catch up this season. I also have to say I very much like the coir fiber 'pots'. I cringe when I think of all the black plastic pots I have building up. I always appreciate the vendors who are trying to find ways to reduce their use.

Posted on January 17, 2012, updated April 22, 2021
I haven't dealt with Bluestone in a number of years....I do remember getting some nice grasses in small pots that all lived and 8-10 years later, are still flourishing!
My main reason for writing concerns the number of complaints aired here recently about Bluestone's prices. I decided to spend a couple of hours on the website to really examine the prices and compare Bluestone's offerings to other well known perennial/shrub nurseries.
What I found is that while Bluestone's prices cannot be considered "cheap", their prices for single plants are pretty much in line with most other comparable nurseries, $6.95-$10.95 for perennials and $8.95- $13.95 for most shrubs. I think this suggests a new buying strategy: instead of getting the old 3 packs, all you would really need is one big plant to fill the same amount of space. I understand that some people like to watch things grow, but you would get a flowering sized plant much faster with the larger pots, so not everything is negative about the price increases. My only cavil is that the size of the SHIPPED plants are not indicated for the shrubs. (although Bluestone does list the size of a mature plant). For example, if I ordered a Daphne, would I get a plant 2 inches high or 12 inches? Some nurseries, such as Siskiyou, actually list the size of the shipped shrubs and conifers, and I find this enormously helpful. As far as where to go if you have truly "had it" with Bluestone, I would suggest Santa Rosa Gardens. They have competitively priced plants and are a pleasure to work with.

"On Apr 22, 2021 12:23 PM, Bluestone Perennials responded with:

Thank you for the glowing review, dave12122, it is much appreciated! "

My plants arrived on time and in excellent condition. Love the use of plantable pots instead of plastic.

My only complaint is the plant tags all came loose during shipping. Fortunately everything I ordered was quite different and easy to sort out, but I could see this causing problems for others.

First time ordering. Special price on Virginia Blue Bells - $2.99 each. Very pleased with the plants. Shipping quick and good. Cant beat the price

I came to Dave's Garden to look up the reputation of a new mail-order nursery that I'm planning to buy from, and to gauge that company's reputation I compared it to Bluestone, from whom we've purchased some large orders a few times in the past 6 or 7 years. I was surprised to see the negative comments, which I'll assume were due to lockdowns, etc. We're about to order another few hundred dollars worth of plants from Bluestone because we've been very happy with the plants they've sent in the past, and their response when we once had a problem plant. Everything that we planted from our first order half a decade ago is still doing well, and to be honest, we're pretty lazy gardeners - we dig the hole, add lawn fabric and mulch, and water the first year and then the plants are on their own.

This is my second order from Bluestone, and both have been exceptional. The first, tulip bulbs last fall, yielded beautiful tulips this spring. And that was far from guaranteed given that it was my first time planting tulips. The second order is more recent, a number of perennials that I will be planting shortly in a new bed. I have more experience with perennials, and I was impressed with the health, size, and packing of all dozen or so plants. In addition, Bluestone's customer service is outstanding--for example, they allow additions and substitutions until delivery, which proved crucial as I was planning my new bed. All in all, a great experience. I will be a repeat customer.

I ordered some perennial plants this spring. The plants were small, but very healthy and arrived when expected. The plantable “pots” are pretty neat, and my clay soil needs all the aeration it can get, so that was a plus. Most of the plants “took” very well, though some haven’t been liking the soggy August we’ve had. I also appreciate their customer service. I ordered more plants for fall, and one of them ran out of stock. The company reached out to me to see if I’d like a replacement. Overall, a very positive experience!

In early spring we hired some help to build a new perennial bed in our garden, approximately 7 x 20. We decided to place a major order from Bluestone--3 each of a variety of plants not available, or not the variety, from our usual excellent local nursery (that grows most of their plants). The plants arrived in great condition with the exception of the echinacea. Six weeks after planting the results are exceptional-the salvia, veronica, hollyhocks, gaillardia, rudbeckia, geranium and other echinacea are doing beautifully. We are extremely pleased. I noticed the negative reviews about "contact". They had sent us an email about being overwhelmed--I have a small business and this year I completely understand. A few days ago they contacted us that they has shipped 2 echinacea at no charge. We have are avid, not master gardeners, but have been at it here from almost 25 years and I would put Bluestone in the front rank of online nurseries.

Trusting the reviews on here, I ordered 21 plants from Bluestone this year. They arrived well-packed, in good shape. I especially appreciate that they come in biodegradable pots -- I wish more suppliers would do this.

Yes, Bluestone is expensive. I wouldn't recommend them for the common plants you can easily find in your local nursery. But for more hard-to-find plants, I recommend them highly, and intend to order from them again.

Posted on May 6, 2018, updated April 21, 2020
Posted on June 9, 2012, updated May 6, 2018
Posted on September 3, 2011, updated June 9, 2012
Posted on May 26, 2011, updated September 3, 2011
Today I received my order from Bluestone's Spring Sale (saved a LOT!): thyme "Annie Hall", Phlox "David", crested iris "Powder Blue Giant", campanula "Elizabeth Oliver", oenothera "Sunset Blvd", eupatorium "Wayside", and coreopsis "Sweet Dreams": all look terrific. In late April I received another order in perfect shape; I order from BP usually at least 3 times a year. My garden has been built from the ground up from their catalog- 75%, I'd say. I know I can count on Bluestone for excellent plants and outstanding service. The recycling program helps a lot with shipping costs, and is well worth it!

"On Apr 22, 2020 11:51 AM, Bluestone Perennials responded with:

Thanks for the kind words, lisaaj - enjoy your garden!"

Posted on March 31, 2020, updated April 18, 2020
We ordered an ornamental grass and waited several weeks for it be shipped, which was fine. I understand that weather does put certain necessary limits on shipping time.

What I didn't expect was that the two specimens that I ordered (order came to $50, but we were unable to find this particular grass anywhere else) would arrive with barely four or five green shoots amid dried, dead ones. My husband looked at them and said: "I paid THAT much for a few strands of grass??"

I certainly expected robust, healthy plants, not what arrived, completely dried out with literally, less than a dozen green shoots between both pots. We have mail ordered plants from other nurseries before and were always pleasantly surprised at the quality. Live and learn.

"On Mar 31, 2020 11:21 AM, Bluestone Perennials responded with:

Sorry to hear of your disappoint, Mer52. The grass you received is dormant, and should have had a dormant sticker on it telling you that it is 'just waking up'. We are in NE Ohio and still have a chance of snow here, so some of the warmer season grasses are 'just' startingi to put up their growth. Now that it is in your warmer climate it will start to grow in earnest. Please give it a few weeks and let us know if you are still disappointed, and we can refund. I apologize that info was left off your plants. You are welcome to contact me directly - Jan helpdesk@bluestoneperennials.com"

I purchased from Bluestone 8 times last year and am already looking to purchase more plants this year. I find the "50% off" sales to be irresistible. Otherwise, the regular prices seem to be a bit high. The packaging is top notch and the plants arrive in good condition. Overall the plants have been healthy and good sized and with good root systems. I'm in Vermont and it seems that the plants arrive quickly. Once I contacted customer service about a very small and weak clematis and they did send a replacement.
Several of the plants were sold out in the spring and they sent them in the fall, which was a bit of an inconvenience.

I really appreciate the wide selection, and the sale prices are lower than my local garden centers, although I shop there as well. The website is probably the best in the business -- easy to navigate with lots of information, and the "plant finder" tool helps me quickly find tall or shade-loving plants. The catalog is also informative. Also, you can move plants to the "save for later" section of the website easily, unlike other company's websites.They also automatically combine your orders, which I think brings down the shipping costs. I think a "full box" is 18 plants, but I'm not sure.

I have always removed the plants from the coco pots as my soil is a heavy clay and I felt that the clay plus the coco would create an impenetrable barrier and the roots would never escape the pot and also that the coco might wick the water out of the soil in the summer when it dries out. I planted everything last year and most everything survived until winter; some plants like the boltonia and the rudbekia grew like gangbusters, but some plants dried out (my fault) and many others never seemed to do much (again, probably my fault.) This year I will report back what has survived the winter, and with more detailed notes of how plants arrive from the company. Also, I may try leaving the plants in the coco pots.

Overall I feel like the company is honest, dependable and responsible and I have never felt cheated or tricked, which has happened with other companies. The plants arrive in very good condition, and any problems after that are probably my fault. We'll see how it goes this year.

Posted on July 3, 2019, updated July 3, 2019
Posted on June 15, 2019, updated July 3, 2019
The 12 Carex flaccosperma plants I ordered from Bluestone arrived in lovely condition. Plus, they were, by far, the most professionally-packed flora I have ever received via delivery. It was almost mind-boggling how well they were packed. It’s been a few weeks since I planted all 12, and nine are doing great. One, however, appears to be giving up the ghost and two others are iffy. I sent an email with this info to Bluestone yesterday and asked for them to please advise. Today, I received a very friendly response stating that a replacement shipment of three plants is already in the works and, indeed, four minutes later I received formal notification that the three replacement plants will be shipped next week AND … at no charge to me! In my world, this sort of stellar customer service is rarely seen or experienced anymore. Bluestone has shot straight to the top of my list for any online flora for which I may be in the market.

An honest company with a good product, Bluestone Perennials makes good on any plants that don't thrive without questioning the customer's veracity.

Posted on April 26, 2013, updated June 22, 2019
Posted on May 12, 2005, updated April 26, 2013
Nice plants that all arrived in good shape... I HATE peanuts but I guess they do what they gotta do to keep the dirt in the pots at least. :)

Bluestone Perrenials has become my go to for plants I cannot find or are out of stock locally. I ordered 5 different shipments this year over 30 plants and every single plant came in fabulous condition and are doing extremely well. I also love that they come in biodegradeable pots and that they ship with recyclable materials.

I have been searching for a better way to buy perennials. Their website is great, but the product is even bette and I've had many poor experiences elsewhere. I'll admit I live in the same state as Bluestone, but I've received multiple orders the next day and by the health of the plants, they must have been packed immediately before shipping. I could say "it's as if I just picked them up at the garden center" but the truth is, the quality of the plants is so consistently great, it's BETTER than any garden center.....it's not crowded and you have not only the information on their website but the power of the internet to research in the comfort of home..

I love this company. I've only been using them for 3 years because that's when I found them online. I usually order 4-5 times each season
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They are awesome for communication, they have replaced 3 plants that didn't make it through the winter and should have.

The prices are good, their plants are outstanding, shipping is 2 days max, customer service is awesome, need I go on.
Highly recommend!

Posted on May 22, 2013, updated June 2, 2019
I have ordered from Bluestone for at least 5 years now. Their customer service has always been top notch. Any time I had a problem with any order they rectified the situation immediately and pleasantly. I am sad they are not in the Top 30. For the most part I have been very happy with their plants. There are a few plants I had repeated trouble growing, but I wrote it off to my conditions. Also, I enjoy taking a road trip and going directly to the nursery to shop.

It took me a bit to adjust to the new coir pots/single plant system. I have learned I get better results if I remove the coir pot entirely immediately when I get the plants. Often I do not plant my gems right away and they would dry out too fast in the coir pots for me. And if I planted with the coir pot I found it did not break down fast enough and the plant suffered in the ground. Clearly though it works great for growing the plants as effidenced by the two orders I received from them this year. WOW! Gorgeous healthy plants. I am so very pleased!

I placed 2 large orders of perennials with Bluestone totaling over $400. They shipped together even though I placed them 3 weeks apart, which I was very happy about. The plants shipped and were delivered two days later, They were well packaged and all very healthy. I appreciate the coir pots and everything has been in the ground for a week and looks good. I was worried about mail ordering plants but now will order from Bluestone with confidence.

Geat company. Purchased a large order this winter received them in time for planting. They never disappoint. I have been ordering from them for over 20 yrs.

Posted on May 12, 2018, updated May 12, 2019
Incredibly useful website, easy to use. Ordered for 1st, 2nd and 3rd times on May 6-7 (a weekend). On Monday, May 8, they combined all to save shipping costs and updated me on delivery within a week. Received on Thursday, beautifully packed. Aired out and starting to bloom by Friday. I'm new to this, but it was sure easy...great experience!

First order from them. I was impressed they shipped order 2 days after I submitted it. Not many will do that. Plants packed in specialized box to keep them secure. Also like biodegradable "pot" - plant it also. Keeps root disturbance to a minimum. Plants were a little small for the price but looked healthy.

Posted on May 18, 2018, updated October 15, 2018
Posted on September 1, 2017, updated May 18, 2018
Posted on May 26, 2017, updated September 1, 2017
Posted on October 7, 2016, updated May 26, 2017
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Posted on May 8, 2015, updated May 13, 2016
Posted on May 12, 2010, updated May 8, 2015
If I could give a "positive-plus" rating to this company, I would. The plants I have received from them are well started, nice and green, in pots with well-developed root systems. So much better than those I've gotten from some other mail-order nurseries. The plants in my Bluestone order are also very good sized. There are a few varieties that I would like to see them include in future catalogs that aren't in current ones, but the quality of what I've gotten can't be beaten! Bluestone Perennials is a keeper.

"On Oct 7, 2016 11:43 AM, Bluestone Perennials responded with:

Our apologies, flowermaiden2. Your order inadvertently was not shipped on the correct day. Please don't ever hesitate to call right away when your package arrives in poor condition. I have booked replacements to be shipped to you in the spring since you are in Idaho, but if you want to plant still this Fall, we can have them leave here Monday. Please call us 800-852-5243 or email service@bluestoneperennials.com if you prefer Monday shipping. "

I ordered some Eranthis bulbs and tulip bulbs as well as a potted Hellebore. Bluestone was running a free bulb promotion with an order so I got the free bulbs too. Shipping was lightning fast. Nice healthy bulbs and potted Hellebore. I expected the free bulbs to be a few crocus or something similar but they are huge 'Avalon' daffodils. Very happy with my purchase. I plan on making more purchases from Bluestone as my budget allows.

Posted on July 5, 2017, updated July 17, 2018
Posted on June 17, 2017, updated July 5, 2017
I ordered two clematis plants on sale. Upon receipt only one was shipped; the other is back ordered until Fall. I would have liked to have had the option to purchase one available now. The one I did receive is in a terrible state with only one viable leaf.
About five years ago I placed a number of orders with Bluestone and my puppies killed all the plants trying to eat the coconut liners. I decided to try them again knowing to take the liners off. They have many unique varieties I would like to try but am hesitant after this experience. I've emailed them and am awaiting a response.

Posted on May 6, 2017, updated June 18, 2018
I ordered 8 shrubs and all arrived in excellent condition.

Excellent company. Bought plants several times from them. Good size, good value and healthy plants. Really like the new biodegradable pots. Highly recommended.