Comments regarding Bluestone Perennials

I have ordered from Bluestone Perennials for two years now and I am so impressed with the quality of the plants, their customer service, willingness to answer stupid questions from a new gardener, and their integrity to honor their unconditional guarantee. Any plant that I have been displeased with, they have replaced. And after ordering upwards of 50 plants from them, there have only been 2 or 3 that I have had an issue with. They have a great track record in my garden and they have won me over as a lifelong customer. (Note: This review was also cross-posted on the Bluestone website.)

I ordered a pre-planned shade garden from Bluestone, never having ordered plants online before. I'd been planning this shade garden and most of the plants I wanted to put in were in the pack, plus a few I hadn't considered but was willing to try, and the price was excellent.

Plants came and were absolutely gorgeous, extremely healthy. They were accompanied with a planting guide that really helped settle my nerves (I am a novice gardener - not totally inexperienced but not an old hand either). The guide was written in very clear, easy-to-understand terms.

I planted them about a week and a half ago and they have settled in beautifully. I would definitely order from Bluestone again.

Posted on April 19, 2017, updated April 17, 2018
I received my order full of beautiful, healthy plants. Have been ordering from Bluestone for many years.

I was delighted to receive my order of 3 mums, a hydrangea and a dianthus. A couple of the plants already bore flower buds. The packaging system was quite ingenious. The tallest mum still suffered some damage during shipping, but it’ll survive. A lot of self-control will be required to keep from immediately ordering more plants with the enclosed coupon.

Posted on April 7, 2013, updated April 14, 2018
Posted on June 21, 2012, updated April 7, 2013
Posted on May 2, 2012, updated June 21, 2012
Posted on April 4, 2009, updated May 2, 2012
Received my first order from BSP and was very happy with
the plants and the way they were packaged. I will be ordering
again soon!

"On Apr 14, 2018 12:35 PM, Bluestone Perennials responded with:

Thank you for the glowing review, Patt52, and your long patronage! Happy gardening!"

I ordered 12 lychnis atrosanguinea Rose campion and they are beautiful and big! Fantastic shape and package extremely well I’m going to order some more perennials as I have no fear about ordering from bluestone perennials! BEAUTIFUL!

My order of Perennials from Bluestone arrived a few days ago and they’ve done it again! Made me a happy and thrilled customer with all the plants arriving in South Carolina ( from Ohio) well packed to prevent plant damage (absolutely love their packing container system!), green, healthy and non-limp branching, easily labeled as to what specific perennial they are.
Yes, their prices are a bit high, BUT you get what you pay for! I begin my perennial purchases for the spring in the preceding fall to take advantage of their on-line plant sales and coupons. They also send an e-mail when the plants are shipped so we can keep a lookout for the plants when they arrive, Thank you Bluestone! I’ve ordered from you the last 4-5 years and you and your friendly, helpful customer service and plants have not disappointed me!

I ordered plants from Bluestone Perennials for the first time, and I couldn’t be more pleased! I was looking for unusual dianthus, and they had many to choose from. I had a question about shipping, so I e-mailed the nursery, and they responded almost immediately. The printed materials on Bluestone’s website contain useful information and are very clearly written. The plants are shipped in biodegradable coconut coir “cocopots” and arrived in perfect condition, just 3 days after I placed my order! I’m extremely happy with Bluestone Perennials and will definitely be ordering from them again. It’s an exceptional nursery.

This company gets it!

Good products, complete website, polite and reasonable customer service folks. Have ordered several times and will order again.

I have ordered a few times from Bluestone in the past and have always been very pleased with their shipments. I just received yet another box of carefully shipped beautifully healthy plants. Great company to deal with!

Bluestone Perennials has excellent customer service!

I ordered several plants during their late spring clearance sale. I personally don't care for their coir pots but I work around that issue because their stock is quite varied and, as I said, their customer service is topnotch (unlike some companies I could name).
A couple of the plants did not make it, as can be expected when it is at the end of the retail season. I called today and the customer service rep took care of it immediately. No hassles, no questions, no skepticism.

Thank you, Bluestone!

I've bought from them for three years running; fairly large orders. Healthy and reliable plants and when there was a mix-up in what I received, even though I realized it a year after the fact (clematis), they were responsive and refunded my money. They have also been responsive with a few random non-order related gardener questions, and their sales are great. All plants high quality. Am not in love with the 'plantable pots' (I wouldn't) but the plants themselves are great and the company is great to work with. Many Bluestone plants are having a happy life for several years running in my yard.

Posted on June 30, 2016, updated July 4, 2017
I have some beautiful plants from Bluestone in my garden.
Their catalogue is colourful and inspiring with very wide and eclectic offerings, many not found easily elsewhere. I have lost a few plants but that is not a deal breaker. That often happens from more expensive companies, Bluestone does guarantee their plants, and their customer service and ordering system is superb. I have very large Helleborus plants that I purchased years ago as well as 2 now large conifers and mature hydrangeas that I grew from starters in their small pots. Some plants arrive on the smaller side and others larger and robust. Overall plants that are healthy and thrive.I will not hesitate to order from them in the future. Thank you.

They are one of 2 mail order companies I use. Yes, their prices definitely went up over the years and if the other company has the same plant I will use them and pay much less. However, the plants arrive so nice and healthy looking. The only thing I don't understand is why with all the customer complaints they insist on using those coir pots. If a plant doesn't pull through for some reason they will replace it.
Worth checking out if you haven't already.

Bluestone Periennials recently had a great sale on some plants that I had been wanting. I had never ordered from them before, but decided to give them a try because I really wanted those plants. So I finally was able to order on Memorial Day and to my surprise I received an additional 20% discount just for ordering on Memorial Day! Wonderful! Well, today Fed Ex delivered my plants (NOT USPS) and I was overwhelmed at how big and beautiful they all were, and how well they were packaged! These folks have obviously been doing this for a year or two. Those plants weren't going anywhere, even if they had been dropped on their little heads! I am a happy, happy gardener and Bluestone Perennials is now my go-to mail order plant supplier.

Received my first shipment yesterday from BP

- Prices are fantastic. The spring clearance sale helped me fill up about half of my landscaping for a very reasonable price. I like that you can buy smaller plants and everything doesn't come as 3 gallon pots > $50.

- Plants came packaged great - all individually wrapped and cared for, all labeled and still moist when they showed up on our doorstep. Every time I've ordered flowers online I watch the FedEx/UPS guy bringing the flower box to my door upside down or sideways - they don't care at all what's written on the box. But Bluestone packs the flowers well enough that it doesn't matter. Kudos to your shipping department. I wish FexEd/UPS cared as much as you guys do.

- Flowers were planted and although a couple of leaves looked sad, they spruced right back up after about 10-15 mins in the ground. They're all doing beautifully so far.

Very positive experience with this company. I'll be catching you guys for sure again with a large purchase later this summer.

Posted on May 12, 2011, updated May 9, 2017
This is the first time I've ordered from Bluestone but it won't be the last. My plants were well packed and healthy and I appreciated the planting & gardening info & the coupons for future purchases. The plants have been in the ground for 2-3 weeks now & are doing well. The rudbeckia are small but doing nicely, the clematis has at least doubled in size & has new side shoots, the coreopsis is budding. I had thrown out the peanuts BEFORE I read the recycling info but appreciate the effort on their part & glad to read they're going "greener" this fall. Great service.

Just received my order of Yucca filamentosa "Bright Edge," and I couldn't be happier. I've placed several orders with Bluestone Perennials over the years and they have consistently met or exceeded my expectations. A fantastic company to deal with. Highly recommended.

Bluestone Perennials is a reliable, high quality nursery. I ordered a wide variety of plants from them and they sent the plants when I requested, and every single plant was in excellent health and much larger than I expected. It is a pleasure purchasing from them.

Have been ordering from Bluestone for many years and am consistently happy with their plants. Customer service is great; the few problems I have had with orders have been quickly and fairly resolved. I particularly appreciate the ease with which additional plants can be added to an existing order. I also prefer the smaller size of their shrubs, as it makes them easier to add to existing beds. I do remove plants from the coir pots before planting. I like to loosen the roots and make sure they are in contact with my native soil, which seems to work well.

Because I live close to their greenhouse, I drove up there and was extremely impressed. They had hugh selection of very healthy and reasonably priced perennials
I did not see one unhealthy plant in their large, alphabetized greenhouse

I easily found what I was looking for and planted them today. They look healthy and I am very pleased

A big order of perennial flowers came today. All perfectly packed and healthy. I am once again very pleased with the whole process and this a go-to vendor for my gardening needs.

Love Bluestone. Always got their magazine and a couple years ago opened up a whole new section where I could plant flowers. We took a ride one day to the nursery. It was 4 hours away, but worth the drive! There were so many plants I didn't know which way to go first! Ordered several hundred dollars of plants. Did lose a few, but never bothered to call and tell them because I know they would have replaced them. They told me their plants are guaranteed. There are some nurseries that will give you 30 days and if you lose the plant, they'll replace it, sometimes. Bluestone stands by their word. They told me if any plant I purchased from them does not come back the next year and is a perennial, they will replace it, just call them! I was quite impressed with this alone! I am quite happy with Bluestone and have continued to order from them and will do so in the future. The selection is great, the catalog is alphabetical so things are easy to find. Wish it was closer to home because if it was, I know I'd be ordering even more than I currently do. It's all the shipping costs that hold me back. They are not out of reason by any means, but I love flowers and could order away which can get quite expensive with shipping costs. Cant speak highly enough about this company! All plants come in great shape ready to plant.

I ordered multiple plants - hollies, viburnums, sedums and daylilies. When it came time to ship, they were out of the variety of holly that I had ordered and contacted me to offer options, which included a refund or substitution with a different variety. I chose substitution, the variety they suggested was actually a couple of dollars more per plant. The plants arrived packaged wonderfully and in good shape. I am very happy with the order and will order more from this company.

We moved to Oregon recently, and I am into the process of rehabilitating the somewhat neglected, depleted garden. I took a chance on Bluestone because I love mums. They feature many varieties I am unable to obtain locally. I also ordered hollyhocks and monarda.
I was absolutely delighted when my order arrived. The plants looked vigorous, and I like the coir "pots" which go straight into the ground. They all produced blooms the first year, and the second year was spectacular. I'm truly impressed.
I had an issue that involved Customer Service. The woman who took my call was exceptionally gracious and helpful. I'm pretty sure she was "local."
I'm planning a new Summer rock garden, and will be ordering from Bluestone again.

Have ordered from this company several times and am always pleased with the products and the service. I've been especially happy with their clematis and mums. Will buy from them again.

My Golden lotus Hellebore arrived secured so well in a box defending it from damage even if it were thrown off the delivery truck. I am grateful for their care in packaging. The roots were all over the little 'pot' and look enthusiastic. There were very clear instructions included in the shipment, describing the stresses and why giving it water immediately is a good idea, etc., even to the detail of allowing the plant to 'rest' a couple days in some shade just to get acclimated. They show some care for their plants - a good sign!

Last year, I ordered plants a couple of times from Bluestone. One plant, a clematis, started to grow, then died. I informed Bluestone, and they refunded my money. This year, I noticed that 4 plants from one of those orders did not come up. I notified Bluestone this week (Monday), and within a day, got an email that they were replacing the order. I received 3 of the plants (4th is scheduled to be shipped in the fall) on Thursday. The plants are always packaged well, and these plants seem pretty healthy. I do agree with some of the comments I've seen about those pots they use, though - I don't think they should be left on the plant when planting. I did cut off the pots on some of the plants I got last year, and those seem to be the ones that came up this year. Those that came up (i.e., from previous orders) look good. Although I've had some problems with plants, Bluestone has been very good about standing behind their claim of guaranteeing their plants.

I have ordered from Bluestone many times over the years and have always been impressed with the packaging and healthy condition of the plants on arrival. They arrive 2 days after being shipped and an e-mail notifies they have been sent.Before Memorial Day this year, I called to ask that an order be sent after the weekend, as I would not have been here when it arrived to tend to it. Although the plants had been packaged for shipping that AM, the rep said she would halt it and that the plants would be unpacked and taken care of until the following Tuesday. When ordering, I have never had to wait for a representative to take my order or answer my questions. All representatives have been helpful, patient , friendly and good natured. Bluestone stands by their guarantee absolutely and cheerfully.This is such a fun place to buy plants with their winter Friday 50% off specials and other random sales to give us incentives to continue filling out our gardens , I love that you can continue adding to your order all winter and early spring and be charged once for shipping, depending on the total order. Customer service is important to continue sales. That coupled with growing vigorous healthy plants is the key to customer's goodwill and satisfaction and to Bluestone's success.

I ordered 3 clematis plants from the sale. They arrived with a good bit of soil spilled from the pots, but otherwise fine. Two of the plants looked wonderful, larger than expected, very healthy. The third one was a bit small and a couple of the leaves were turning dark but plant overall looked healthy. I will pot these up and let them grow a bit more before putting them in the ground.

I have ordered many perennials from this company and they always ship vigorous, healthy plants that root well and take off. I only order perennials from other places when I can't find them on Bluestone's site or they are out of stock. They have never disappointed me.

Posted on May 7, 2003, updated May 28, 2016
I received my order today and everything was very well packed.By far the best specimens for the money that I have ever seen by mailorder.The only problem I have is that they backordered part of my order and told me that they will ship it out in the fall.As far as I'm concerned this is unacceptable for an order placed on 2/25,I think they could have let me know earlier so I could have picked something else.

I wish there was a choice for Extra supremely positive. My experiences with Bluestone Perrenials have exceeded my expectations several times over every single time. My first order I was apprehensive about what quality plants I would get. So glad there was no need to worry. All the plants were healthy and thrived after planting. I have since placed four other orders and have always been delighted with their products and service. I did have one plant arrive in somewhat poor shape but it was immediately replaced when I called. The woman I spoke to couldn't have been nicer or more helpful. I wasn't even sure if I even needed a replacement since I hadn't even planted the plant but she assured me she would send a replacement immediately. This is a fabulous company with high quality and affordable perrenials. I'll be ordering from them regularly.

I like that Bluestone offers various specials throughout the season and that they will combine orders that have not shipped yet to help save the customer on shipping costs. I ordered a Clematis Sapphire Indigo plant and three Tricyrtis formosana Gilt Edge plants - all of which arrived in excellent condition. They were unable to fulfill my order for Dicentra Burning Heart, which understandably, sometimes happens with live goods, but provided excellent customer service in notifying me and offering to switch that item out with a similar plant or provide a refund. I am very satisfied with the plants I received from this company and would highly recommend them to other gardeners.

Posted on May 8, 2009, updated April 27, 2016
Have ordered many times from this wonderful nursery. Whether you are a novice or master gardener, looking for staples or the very unusual, you will find it here. Everything is healthy and ready to grow, grow, grow! A very positive and worthwhile experience.

I purchased several perennials this year for urban container gardening from Bluestone Perennials, including a hosta, some hydrangeas, a heuchera, and some Lysimachia Aurea. I placed the order in March; they shipped in April when the danger of frost was mostly past, and they emailed me when the order had shipped. The package arrived promptly; the plants were excellently packed and in great condition. Other than the heuchera (which is looking much less healthy than when it arrived), they are all thriving. Will order again.

"On Apr 19, 2016 3:39 PM, Bluestone Perennials responded with:

Thanks camicalm! Let us know if the Heuchera continues to decline - your plants are guaranteed."

I've ordered from a lot of catalogs and I must admit that Bluestone tops them all. The plants were in wonderful condition; they were exactly what I ordered; they came with good instructions; and the pots they arrived in are really ideal. I just had to share this information with others who, like me, have had many less than satisfactory experiences with mail-order plants!

Posted on January 13, 2016, updated February 21, 2016
Posted on May 25, 2003, updated January 13, 2016
I'm adding to the positive comments already listed. Great service, good quality(but small plants) and reasonable prices. And they take care in shipping so plants arrive in good shape. Good company to deal with.

"On Jan 18, 2016 12:14 PM, Bluestone Perennials responded with:

Hello, Illinigardener! I am sorry to hear you were disappointed in your latest shipment. Last spring's extended periods of rain and lack of sun presented some unexpected challenges for all mid-west gardeners, but especially for us on a commercial scale. From your description, the Daphne never should have been shipped, and we apologize that it was. It does not sound from your post that you allowed us to reship (at no charge to you, of course) so I will contact you via Dmail to offer to replace from our new crop or refund. I would like to clarify that all of our material is now in a 3 1/2" square x 4" deep pot, where 5 years ago, we were in a 2 1/2" square x 3" deep. The results are a plant 2-3 times the size of our older material. I hope you will give us the chance to prove that to you this spring!"

My review is actually Very Positive, I've been purchasing from Bluestone Perennials for many years. On a couple of occasions I've lost plants via they hadn't come up the following year.

This company totally stands behind their product, I just asked for a discount to replace a couple of plants ordered two years prior. They ordered me replacements for both...happily. I could feel the smiling face through the phone.

Yes I consider the plants on the small side and would rather that than a large root bound specimen I'd have to pay more for shipping. I really appreciate ordering from a company that grows things I like and my garden benefits from much diversity I couldn't find anywhere else.

Look for their coupons and deals and incentives, they usually have something going on.

Thanks Bluestone Perennials for being an awesome Company!