Comments regarding Wayside Gardens

I ordered the 6 pack of chick charms hen and chicks from wayside in February. They arrived in march. The problem was that they packed a large 6pk of plants in a giant box with no support. They were beat up, dumped out, and one was missing! Not to mention that the product didn't look ANYTHING like the pictures. They were smaller than a quarter, and about the size of a dime. The second replacement shipment wasn't any better......same packaging and totally beat up when I got it! I'll NEVER buy from this company again!!!!!

"On Apr 5, 2017 9:06 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

I am so sorry to learn the condition of your plants upon delivery. Please email me directly so I may look into this and make sure you are refunded for your order.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com"

Posted on January 19, 2017, updated January 26, 2017
I recently placed an order with the company and was linked up to a discount code - FABWG (10%) which their website stated had been applied. However, after checking out and furnishing them with the proper shipping and billing information my submitted order did not have this discount deducted. I notified the company on several occasions and to date have not received a courtesy email and an adjustment to my order for this applied discount.
Previously, I had submitted an email request regarding a product inquiry and did not receive any response whatsoever from that.
It appears that their customer service leaves a lot to be desired as to responding to customer email inquires and I am hoping that with my posting this comment someone at Wayside Gardens will get on "the ball."

"On Jan 20, 2017 8:50 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

Please accept our apology, we never want to disappoint our customers in any manner, customer service is very important to us. We are experiencing some issues with our Email service and apologize that you have not received a response to your inquires. Please email me your order number and I'll be more than happy to make the appropriate adjustments for the 10% off promo code FABWG.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com"

I ordered 12 David Austin roses last year in mid June for our new home. Only two of them actually survived to the Fall. When I called them to ask what they could do it was basically nothing. I didn't even ask for full replacement, but just for them to match the sale price from June. Nope. Couldn't do a thing for me. 90 days had passed. 90 days? That's their guarantee? If you want David Austin roses, order straight from David Austin. There guarantee is 5 years and I'm sure they'll honor it.
Won't be ordering from here again.

"On Jan 16, 2017 9:55 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

We are sorry to learn that you disagree with our guarantee policy. Our very generous guarantee of the past was replaced at the beginning of the 2016 Spring season with a policy that more accurately reflects a realistic horticultural expectation of our live plant material.There are many factors beyond the initial guarantee period that can cause an otherwise vigorous and healthy plant to fail, most of which are beyond our control. They include severe weather, drought, disease, insect damage, marauding animals, etc. While proper care and protection will go a long way toward ensuring your plants will have a long and healthy life, even this can not unconditionally guarantee that environmental conditions will not impact the survival of your plants. Because of this, we are unable to extend our guarantee beyond the initial growing season, prompting our 90 day Guarantee timeframe. We apologize for any inconvenience.

However, if you will send me your order number, I will look into finding a better resolution for you.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com"

Wayside Gardens catalog claims that most of the plants offered
will grow in Zone 9. However, many of them are not viable in
Zone 9. Their guarantee is for such a short time that when the
plants died it was too late to get a credit. Also the employee
in customer service was rude, not helpful.

"On Jan 4, 2017 10:04 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

The plant zoning's shown are based off of the USDA recommendations, however zone 9 is a difficult zone. Where as zone 9 for Florida and zone 9 for California are completely different by temperatures. Any time you have questions if an item is truly hardy for your area, please do not hesitate to call and speak with us.

We are sorry to learn that you disagree with our guarantee policy. Our very generous guarantee of the past was replaced at the beginning of the 2016 Spring season with a policy that more accurately reflects a realistic horticultural expectation of our live plant material.There are many factors beyond the initial guarantee period that can cause an otherwise vigorous and healthy plant to fail, most of which are beyond our control. They include severe weather, drought, disease, insect damage, marauding animals, etc. While proper care and protection will go a long way toward ensuring your plants will have a long and healthy life, even this can not unconditionally guarantee that environmental conditions will not impact the survival of your plants. Because of this, we are unable to extend our guarantee beyond the initial growing season, prompting our 90 day Guarantee timeframe. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com"

Posted on October 4, 2016, updated October 5, 2016
I bought a Summer Gold Dogwood in May 2016 which we planted with care in partial shade. It was rather small for $55 but appeared to be healthy and well-formed. It did very well over the summer and got sufficient water (it rains a lot in Tennessee!), but in September I found all the leaves dried up. I contacted customer service and Karen issued a stock reply that their warranty expired in August. I replied:

"That is so disappointing. We've been Wayside customers for decades. To spend $55 on a tree and only be offered a 90 day guarantee is unacceptable. Lowes has a one year warranty! If you can't extend us the courtesy of an additional month, I'm sorry to say this was our last Wayside purchase."

I'm finding other companies as well are offering a 90 day guarantee. Where did this policy come from? It's ridiculous. My wide and I are in our mid-60s and have been gardening for over 30 years, but I think my days of ordering online are over.

"On Oct 4, 2016 9:54 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

We are sorry to learn that you disagree with our guarantee policy. Our very generous guarantee of the past was replaced at the beginning of the 2016 Spring season with a policy that more accurately reflects a realistic horticultural expectation of our live plant material.There are many factors beyond the initial guarantee period that can cause an otherwise vigorous and healthy plant to fail, most of which are beyond our control. They include severe weather, drought, disease, insect damage, marauding animals, etc. While proper care and protection will go a long way toward ensuring your plants will have a long and healthy life, even this can not unconditionally guarantee that environmental conditions will not impact the survival of your plants. Because of this, we are unable to extend our guarantee beyond the initial growing season, prompting our 90 day Guarantee timeframe. We apologize for any inconvenience.

However, if you will send me your order number, I will look into finding a better resolution for you.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com
"

I have been gardening for 25 years, and have often ordered from Wayside. Their plants are small for the price, but they have offered things I could not find elsewhere. Fortunately, there are now many other sources.

I had never before requested a replacement plant, because I figured if the plant died, it was probably my fault. But I recently requested a replacement for 1 of 8 trees (at $80 each!) that I planted last fall. The others grew, but one never leafed out. The trees were tiny sticks. I planted them in 2 rows with the plan being for them to grow into a small, flowering allee. Wayside said I was beyond the guarantee (industry standard is 1 year so I assumed they would be also, but they are less). The representative was snotty about it. My garden concept was ruined after I spent a lot of money with them. Never again!

"On Sep 19, 2016 9:56 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

I am sorry to hear you are dissatisfied with our Guarantee guidelines. I would like to help with your situation. Would you please provide me with your name, address, order # , and I will gladly work with you toward some sort of resolution in this situation.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com"

I have ordered numerous plants from Wayside Gardens recently for a new house we are building in the Ga mountains. I received them in spring/early summer, transplanted them into potting soil and kept under a sprinkler that watered them 3 times per week. The rhodendrons are doing fine and have grown several inches as have the Colo. Blue Spruce, and lilacs. However, the 4 Olympic fire Kalmia I ordered began to wilt 2 weeks ago and now appear unsalvageable. Wayside refused to replace them. It is beyond the warranty but I consider this bad customer relations and will never order from them again.

"On Aug 8, 2016 9:26 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

I am sorry to hear you are dissatisfied with our Guarantee guidelines. I would like to help with your situation. Would you please provide me with your name, address, order # , and I will gladly work with you toward some sort of resolution in this situation.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com"

I ordered a Hibiscus Midnight Marvel from Wayside Gardens. I got a hibiscus but it does not even close resemble Midnight Marvel. The leaves are green, they are supposed to be purplish. I now notice they are sold out. I can't help but wonder if they were out and so sent me a different hibiscus. I have not yet contacted Wayside, but I will be this week. It is very interesting to see all the negative comments.

"On Jun 7, 2016 9:28 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

I have reviewed your posting on Dave's Garden Watchdog website. We want to resolve the problem but are unable to locate your order with the partial email address provided by the site. Please forward your order number or complete billing address (including zip code), and any other pertinent information to assist you. I want to help.


Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com
"

This is a company that ships dead and diseased plants to you and then plays the game of either they do not understand what you are saying or they want you to send them pictures of the dead plants or they email their Bizzrate survey hoping to use it against you or whatever. THEY NEVER plan on returning your money or fixing the problem, in my opinion---they didn't for me. Do NOT buy from them as you will be scammed like I was (I even sent the dead plants back at my own expense of $37.50 with a return receipt, which they signed so I know they got them and did not hear from them). This is a NO star company. Buyer beware!!

"On May 27, 2016 6:33 PM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

We are so sorry to learn that you received plants in poor condition. I will be more than happy to assist you in getting your refunded. You stated you had signed receipts of the returned orders to us. Can you supply us with the tracking numbers of those receipts please?

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com
"

Posted on June 15, 2006, updated May 23, 2016
I ordered two bare root rose plants from waysidegardens.com earlier this spring - Honey Dijon and Ebb Tide. They arrived carefully packed and in good health - budding. They've been in the ground for two weeks now, and are growing vigorously. I am very satisfied, and happy with my experience with waysidegardens.com.

"On May 23, 2016 11:32 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

I have reviewed your posting on Dave's Garden Watchdog website. We want to resolve the problem but are unable to locate your order with the information provided by the site. Please forward your order number or complete billing address (including zip code), and any other pertinent information and I'll be happy to assist you.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com
"

Posted on April 29, 2016, updated May 13, 2016
I purchased some flowers from Wayside last years and because of the conditions of the flowers, I received credits instead of being refunded the cost. So I was using these credits to buy some Santa Cruz begonias on 4/23/16.

The first reason why I am giving the negative review is that as of 4/29/16, they have not shipped my plants. The second reason is that when I looked at my bill, I noticed that they charged me almost $10 more for the product than what was advertised and also increased the shipping costs. When I called Wayside about the charges, the person I talked to--Jarrod--couldn't understand what I said and kept quoting me the higher price even though the webpage continues to show the sale price. Then he said he can make a one time exception and will lower the price. This was very insulting because he made it sound like I made the mistake and not Wayside.

However, the problem was that the final price including the shipping was also different from what the initial order stated. When I told him that was not what was stated in the initial order on 4/23/16, he said I would have to pay additional shipping cost. I cancelled the order.

After I use my credit up, I will not order from Wayside again. Besides this incident, I'm disappointed that some of the perennials that I bought last year did not come up.

"On Apr 29, 2016 4:15 PM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

I would like to assist in bringing a solution to your issues. Please email me your name, address, and order number so that I may help you with this situation. I would like to look into your order to see what happened and fix this for you.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com
"

This company claims to sell plants that are 'superior' and 'of the finest selection'. I placed an order with them and they shipped a dead plant with no leaves. The leaves did not fall off in shipping it was sent that way from their company. It was supposed to be a shrub, but was a smalI pot with two dead sticks. I immediately called them and requested a replacement and was told it was in stock and would be sent but it never was. When I called to check on it they said it was backordered. I emailed them a picture of the dead plant. I wish I could post it for you. It was a Proven Winner plant which is known to be a reputable brand. What they sent me was an absolute disgrace. The representative on the phone had a very uncaring attitude and did not try to keep me as a customer or offer any explanation. They said they cancelled the replacement and issued a refund for the plant but not the shipping. I told them that I wanted a replacement and insisted they send me a live healthy plant but they admitted no wrong and refused to work with me. Emails and calls do not get results when you have an issue so I have posted these comments in hopes it gets the right person's attention.

"On May 3, 2016 9:29 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

I would like to assist in bringing a solution to your issues. Please email me your name, address, and order number so that I may help you with this situation.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com
"

I first ordered, wanting to use a Mastercard gift card. I could not enter the info on it an emailed the company. Over 5 days passed and I emailed again. I stated that I had a large order and I guessed that I would have to go elsewhere as they were not answering. They did and told me that it would be accepted, and to try again. The woman who sent me the email told me that if I had any other issues to please send her an email and let her know. She did apologize for not answering my email in a timely manner, stating many customers ordering. I tried again and the card did not work again. It is a brand new card, never used. I sent an email and heard nothing. I noted that 2 of the items I wanted to order where now "out of stock". I decided that I would just use my credit card. I ordered the items and my total was over 400.00. I received an email immediately telling me that I needed to verify my shipping address (it differed from my billing address) I answered immediately. I heard nothing more. Again, I waited for well over a week. I finally decided that I would cancel the order. I phoned to cancel and the woman asked me why. I told her that I would not deal with a company that did not seem to want my business. I explained what happened, or tried to. She kept interrupting me and was very unprofessional. I was very frustrated and told her that there would be no more discussion but to "PLEASE" cancel my order. She kept telling me to calm down. I was frustrated at her but never was rude, as she was. I told her that I was not wanting to discuss my reasons again and that the service was horrible as she was proving. She told me that she would "not be disrespected" and hung up on me. I called back and got a gentleman who had to call someone to help him find my order. He was clearly not a phone representative as he did not know what to do. He was kind but he had another man beside him whom I could hear, telling him where to click and how to scroll on the page. I asked if I could speak to the man he was getting advice from, as that might be more simple. The other man took over my call and informed me that my order was canceled. I told him that I was hung up on by the girl who canceled it, without her telling me that she had done so. I told him about all the issues I had and that her attitude was the icing on the cake. He was very apologetic. The next day I received a voicemail from a company rep telling me that they had not received a reply to their email about my address and that they had to verify the address before they could send out my order!!!! I called back and told the rep that this was beyond ridiculous as my order had been canceled due to their not contacting me for over 10 days. She stated that the person leaving the voicemail had not scrolled down on the page far enough to see that the order was canceled. I will never order from them as if this is what happens with the ordering process, I cannot imagine having to deal with them over any actual problems once the order arrives!

"On May 3, 2016 9:27 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

Please accept our apology. Customer Service is important and we always appreciate the opportunity to address any dissatisfaction with our products and services. I would like to make your experience better. I would like to review your order notes. Please send me your full name, address, and/or order reference number so that I may review your records.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com

"

Posted on January 9, 2016, updated January 20, 2016
Posted on January 9, 2016, updated January 9, 2016

"On Jan 11, 2016 8:43 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

I am sorry to hear you are dissatisfied with our service. I would like to help with your situation. Would you please provide me with your name, address, order # , and I will gladly work with you toward some sort of resolution in this situation.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com
"

Posted on September 11, 2015, updated September 13, 2015
Posted on September 8, 2015, updated September 11, 2015
I called this morning to say that a newly purchased Lady Gardener Rose which had never really emerged from its dormancy was now done-I babied it all summer and even though the other two are beautiful in the same area-Not this one.
I was informed that the growing season was closed -therefore- No replacement.
It seems weird that they are still selling plants and sending out specials if the growing season is closed.
So for the price of one rose bush Wayside Gardens has lost a long time and frequent customer-
There are many other responsible growers who have extensive varieties and responsive customer relationships.

I've ordered several times from Wayside and have always been pleased with the plants I've received. I also like their catalog because it's really informative for a rookie gardener like me! But, every time I have received a shipment I curse the darn styrofoam peanuts, which fly away and are such a bother...plus, they can't be recycled.

I just now called the company and asked if a shipment could be sent without styrofoam. The answer is "no". The man I spoke with was courteous and said they're considering other options. End of conversation. So MAYBE I'll call them in a year and find out, since otherwise I won't be ordering from them again.

"On Jul 30, 2015 8:14 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

I am sorry to hear you are dissatisfied with the packing peanuts used in our shipments. Currently, we do use paper and cardboard inserts whenever possible. Unfortunately due to our wide assortment of plants, bulbs, seeds and gardening supplies, we have been unsuccessful in completely eliminating the use of peanuts in some of our shipments. These shipments sustain a high level of damage during the shipping process when peanuts are not used. In the past, we have tried many different materials, including newspaper, wood shavings, and starch (biodegradable) peanuts. Because the Styrofoam peanuts do not dissolve and do not trap or absorb moisture, we feel they are the best option for certain shipments at this time. However, we do regularly explore other packing material options; therefore, this may be something we are able to change in the future.

Packing peanuts are Styrofoam, which is a byproduct of the oil refining process. They not only make great, light-weight packing material but they have many other uses for the gardener. For instance, use them in the bottom of large containers to provide drainage without adding significant weight, making it easier to move them when necessary.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com

"

“Wayside Gardens” sells highly poisons plants without any warning note about its danger. In addition to it, company ignores customer’s complaints.
I purchased two Minuet Mountain Laurel (Kalmia Latifolia) shrubs from “Wayside Gardens”. Plants were received in a good condition and timely manner. Later, company posted note on website indicating that this plant cannot be shipped to WA State (I live in WA State). This note raised my concern. I contacted “Wayside Gardens”, and customer service recommended me to contact state department of agriculture.
I performed an additional research on purchased shrubs and discovered that they are highly dangerous to humans, pets, and livestock. Delicious aroma of Kalmia flowers and its nectar are very attractive to children, and presents of Kalmia in a garden creates a potential hazard condition for children. I have a small child, and need to destroy these plants now.
Information in catalog should have some note indicating that plant is very toxic, and it should not be sold to me if it is restricted by state.
I submitted two complaints to “Wayside Gardens”, but never received any response from the company. I would never purchase any plants form “Wayside Gardens” again.

"On Jul 7, 2015 3:29 PM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

Wayside Gardens offers beautiful and unique plants to be grown for ornamentation. We supply considerable information about plant items including: physical description, attributes, size, habit, environmental conditions required, and USDA Hardiness Zone Recommendations. Because our focus is mainly on the ornamental aspects of plants, we do not include plant toxicity information. We consider it the responsibility of the customer to make an inquiry about plant toxicity before ordering, if this is a concern. If someone does have a special circumstance, such as children or pets, all they have to do is ask the Horticulturist at the company for assistance and the information will be gladly provided. You can also check with your local county extension agent. We apologize for any confusion concerning the ability to ship the Kalmia to WA. As this is incorrect information online and we are currently working to remove this comment. Kalmia plants are not quarantined to WA. Please accept our apology for any inconvenience cause.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com

"

I recently took advantage of Wayside Garden's sales and ordered from them for the first time. A lot of the plants arrived destroyed or damaged due to packaging. I had ordered several six packs of Delosperma and Coreopsis. They came in a box with a cardboard insert that was folded and wedged in directly on top of the six packs, which had mangled half the Coreopsis and reduced all of the ice plants to nasty slime. The other box contained larger Coreopsis, a Mangave, and two types of Sedum that were badly damaged due to having tight rubber bands directly on the plants. It also contained a single pot of Delosperma that was just stringy goop. I sent photos of the destroyed plants as proof, and did not receive an answer until I had contacted them many, many times over the course of the week. They eventually refunded me some of the cost of the Delosperma only, and asked me to give the other plants until August before asking for 'adjustments'. The price I was refunded for the ice plants is not enough to cover the cost of ordering a replacement of even one of the six packs I lost (not to mention shipping). At this point, I don't know that it is even worth giving them my business to use the paltry credit they offered.

"On Jun 15, 2015 8:01 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

I am sorry to hear about the condition of your plants upon arrival and that you are dissatisfied with our service. I would like to help with your situation. Would you please provide me with your name, address, order # , and I will gladly work with you toward some sort of resolution in this situation.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com
"

Prices were great as I purchased several items on sale. Shipping time was as expected. Some plants arrived in okay condition, but several had black slimy leaves that disintegrated upon being touched. I emailed the company that same day (6/1) and have still not received a response (6/12). I see they routinely have said on this and other forums that they get busy and backed up in responding to email, so I tried to be patient, but I feel I've given more than adequate time for them to respond. I could not recommend them or do business with them in the future. I'm out the money as even though I planted the items, they are showing no signs of new life. I can handle getting a bad plant, but the lack of customer service is shameful (especially when I continue getting promotional emails once a day!). Highly disappointed.

"On Jun 12, 2015 8:49 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

I am so sorry to learn the condition of the plants upon arrival. I would like to assist in bringing a solution to your issues. Please email me with your name, address, and order number so that I may help you with this situation. Wayside Gardens values our customers and would like to make your experience better. I would like to review your account and make the appropriate adjustments for you as stated in our Guarantee.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com
"

Posted on June 4, 2013, updated May 21, 2015
I ordered three delphiniums and one other plant from Wayside Gardens this year. They did send an e-mail confirmation when the order was shipped, but it took eight full days before it finally arrived. In the e-mail, it said UPS when they really meant USPS, a mistake. I was waiting for the familiar brown United Parcel Service truck to bring it by. Instead, I got a notice in our mailbox to pick it up at the Post Office. Either way, it finally arrived.

But, when I opened the box, the central (main) stems of all three delphiniums were cracked or broken, and the lower leaves were yellow. There was no support provided to stabilize these taller plants and prevent breakage. The other plant, which is short and squatty, is fine.

I called customer service and they referred me to one of their horticulturists. He was very polite and he did put in a note for them to credit me for the price of the delphiniums on another order of my choice, and there is no expiration date on the credit, so I can use it in the Fall. I was given a reference number for that purpose.

They couldn't replace the delphiniums because they were sold out.

That's fine, as long as they honor the credit when I get ready to use it.

The horticulturist also advised me to clip off the broken stems and yellow leaves, and to go ahead and plant the delphiniums anyway, as he thought there was a good chance they would recover.

I did, and one of them is starting to put on some new growth, but I'm still waiting on the other two to do anything.

It's a shame, because these had been nice green, healthy plants -- the upper leaves on the broken stems still looked nice. Now they've been set back so far that it might take our entire short growing season for them to progress to where they previously had been. I had my heart set on seeing lovely blue flowers this year on tall, stately stalks.

In the future, I suggest these folks pack their plants more securely and when they confirm the shipping, to get the carrier right.

This is much, much better than the last experience I had with Wayside Gardens, so I'm giving them a positive rating, because they were polite and helpful this time, and didn't ignore my problem.

Don't buy from Wayside Gardens. Placed order & didn't hear from them for almost a week. Emailed & got an email saying my order is being shipped. They didn't not plan on shipping time so my trees & flowers are sitting at UPS warehouse waiting for delivery next week. I hope they're not dead.

They also marked down the items I ordered the very next day. I contacted them asking for price adjustment. Didn't hear from them until almost a week. They then said "so sorry, since we shipped your trees/flowers already, we can't adjust the price." I contacted them way before they shipped & they just didn't answer their damn emails until after. They cannot be trusted!!! Bad service, poor communications & the worst place to buy.

Save yourself headaches & money, shop elsewhere. I'd never shop with them again.

"On May 18, 2015 8:12 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

I am so sorry to learn you failed to receive a timely response from our email team. Unfortunately our email department can tend to get behind during the peak season, due to the volume of email they receive daily. I apologize for this inconvenience caused. However, if you would email me with your order number or complete billing address (including zip code), I will be more than happy to assist you. Please include the promotion sale you are referring to please.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com

Read more: http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/7/#ixzz3aUltiq3t
"

Posted on May 7, 2015, updated May 11, 2015
Posted on April 24, 2015, updated May 7, 2015
Plants as expected. Shipping and packaging was fine. Great for standard plants.

"On Apr 24, 2015 8:39 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

We appreciate you taking the time to post on Dave’s Garden about how pleased you are with your order/product. Thank you! Your opinion is valued and we, of course, welcome feedback. It's customers like you who act as a reminder of why we do what we do and the importance of supplying only top quality products as well as to offer the best service possible. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com

Posted on April 20, 2015, updated April 22, 2015
This has more to do with customer service at the moment as I haven't gotten my plants (though from reading these comments I'm not sure that I will). I have reached out to them several times regarding shipping and tracking information...to see if I could confirm that they are actually preparing to send them. My card has not been charged yet for my plants and I'm just wanting to make sure that I can properly allocate my funds in my checkbook. Every time I call the service line, I end up with an answering machine on which I have to leave a message that never gets returned. I've sent an email almost 48 hours ago and have not received any response besides an automated one. Hoping I can redeem my view of this company, but from what it seems, they focus on appearances and not customer service.

"On Apr 21, 2015 11:01 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

I would like to assist in bringing a solution to your issues. Please email me your name, address, and order number so that I may help you with this situation.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com
"

Placed an online order on Feb. 9, 2015 for some plants that would not ship until the Spring sometime. Never received any kind of email confirmation of my order (which is strange in this day and age). So mainly for my own records, I emailed them and cc'd myself saying "this is to confirm that today I placed an order with you for four plants at a total cost of X." No acknowledgement from WG of my email to them.

Two months later I thought 'gee, shouldn't I have heard something by now?' So I emailed them asking the status. No reply.

Two days later, box suddenly appears with all my plants. Box says Live Plants Open Immediately.

Now...what if I were out of town...on vacation? Did they ever consider to check with me first to let me know when the items would be shipped...if someone would be home during that time period to open the box??!

The box had no indication of which side was 'Up'. The four plants were put into one long box...about 3.5' long. Each plant was separated with packing peanuts etc. Overall the plants looked in good condition though there were a few broken stems, which often happens when buying plants via mail. I guess I'll see how they do once I plant them.

I'd have to say however that I was not impressed with their total lack of communication.

"On Apr 10, 2015 1:29 PM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

I am sorry I was unable to contact you directly, I am unable to locate your account with the information given on this site. I would like to assist in bringing a solution to your issues. Please email me with your name, address, and order number so that I may help you with this situation.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com
"

In April 2014 bought 20 expensive daylilies. Did not do well and did not come back this year at all. Talked with customer service and they said only 2 months till end of June of 2014 Guarantee. Wayside-Parks used to be a quality company but that has changed drastically, now inferior product, high shipping. Would definitely not recommend now.

"On Apr 3, 2015 12:16 PM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

I am sorry I was unable to contact you directly because I do not have any information. We do carry a seasonal warranty that expires on June 30th of the same season purchased. If you find that a plant received for spring planting is not performing as expected, we do ask that you notify us within the spring growing season so that the proper adjustment can be made during the guarantee period. Our Horticulturists are always happy to offer suggestions and assistance. If you let us know of a problem you are experiencing with your plants, your order is noted so that your guarantee can be extended a little longer for the plants in question. We sorry to hear you are dissatisfied with our service. Would you please provide us with your name, address, order # and we will gladly work with you toward some sort of resolution in this situation.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com

"

I got a catalog from wayside gardens, check Dave's garden watch dog and will never buy from them after seeing these comments I threw away all their catalogs, sorry wayside you're way to big for your own good.

"On Mar 3, 2015 11:02 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

We would like to assist in bringing a solution to your issues. Please email us with your name, address, and order number so that we may help you with this situation.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com

Posted on October 13, 2014, updated November 27, 2014
My recent purchase was extremely disappointing. They didn't look anything like the pictures, and were rather small. The rhododendron had a tiny root ball, put on a two quart pot with filler. One has already died, in less than a week, and I am rather experienced at caring for plants. For the money I spent I would have been much better off driving to my Big box.

I've complained about the quality, including forwarding photographs, but haven't heard a word.

"On Mar 3, 2015 11:01 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

We sorry to hear you are dissatisfied with our products. We would like to assist in bringing a solution to your issues. Please email us with your name, address, and order number so that we may help you with this situation.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com

Posted on October 2, 2014, updated October 20, 2014
I used a $50 gift certificate to order 3 lavenders and 1 verbena. I took them out of the box as soon as they were delivered. All 4 plants arrived with no wrapping in a box of packing peanuts. One was dead and the other 3 were fading fast. I took pictures immediately and contacted the company. They sent an auto email saying they would contact me in 2 days. I sent pictures again the next day and finally got an email saying they were sorry the plants didn't thrive in my garden, (they never made it to my garden). They offered a $38 merchandise credit. I said that was unacceptable. I wanted a refund or a replacement for the plants I ordered. Have not heard from them since.

"On oct 3, 2014 7:37 , Wayside Gardens responded with:

We would like to assist in bringing a solution to your issues. Please email us with your name, address, and order number so that we may help you with this situation. I would like to review your account so that I may bring a better resolution to your issue.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com

Trying to get a refund is a disaster. Trying to find a real person to help you with a problem is a joke. They absolutely refuse to send my plants at the right time for my area. Why in the world would you send a rose to northern ohio in mid-to late October? Big surprise--the rose didn't make it thru the winter!! I contacted WG and guess what? They want to send the replacement rose in October. So here we go again.

Save your money. Find another place to shop. Now you watch, I'll get the standard letter stating how much WG wants to help me. Right.

Debra Jackson
Vermilion, Ohio

"On Mar 3, 2015 11:05 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

We would like to assist in bringing a solution to your issues. Please email us with your name, address, and order number so that we may help you with this situation. We at Jackson and Perkins would like to make your experience better. I would like to review your account so that I may bring a better resolution to your issue.

Angela D
Jackson and Perkins Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com

Ordered one Mountain Laurel from Wayside Gardens. It came in about 1-2 weeks, and was very healthy looking. It's in the ground now and I guess the rest is up to me. I manage to kill everything. :( No problems with WG based on my limited experience.

This is the first and last year I will order from WG.
I ordered a Robin Hood blue beardtongue and a ghost lady fern. The fern was a sad, half-dead specimen that has failed to thrive, being scarcely larger than when I got it. Somebody in Packaging had cut the beardtongue's central stalk so it would fit in the box; what remained was a truncated half inch surrounded by a sparse ground-hugging base. It has not visibly grown this year at all.
Both plants are a dissapointment.

"On Sep 22, 2014 8:48 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

We have reviewed your posting on Dave's Garden Watchdog website. We want to resolve the problem but are unable to locate your order with the partial email address provided by the site. Please forward your order number or complete billing address (including zip code), and any other pertinent information to assist you. We want to help.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com

I've been ordering from Wayside Gardens for ten years and I have only had good experiences. The plants have arrived healthy and well packed. In a few rare instances, the plants did not survive, and replacements were sent without a hassle.

Their prices are higher than some other mailorder plant suppliers, but I feel the price is worth it for the quality I've received. Believe me, I have been burned by other mail order companies.

"On Sep 29, 2014 10:07 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

We appreciate you taking the time to let us know how pleased you have been with your orders and services received. Thank you! Your opinion is valued and we, of course, always welcome feedback. It's customers like you who act as a reminder of why we do what we do and the importance of supplying only top quality products as well as to offer the best service possible. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com"

Wish I could make that negative in big bold letters with flashing red lights all around. Do NOT order from this company or from Park Seed. Understand I am sadly not one to leave reviews and should have checked the reviews before doing business with either Wayside or Park Seed. If you are reading this - take heed from what others have written. I wish I had. My story is I paid a small fortune for 2 clematis that I could have bought from Brushwood for half the price. But these were supposedly 2 quart plants. The pots were 2 quart but the plants themselves were minuscule, wilted, and beaten up from shipping. I compared them to some clematis I got in from Brushwood that were 1 quart plants yet 3 times the size of the Wayside clematis, vigorous, and healthy. Called them up and had to send pics to their "horticulturist" for review. I did eventually get a response back saying that the plants in question were beautiful and healthy and had no issues. No kidding these plants were tiny, wilted and in lousy shape. I can not believe that she had the gall to say that they were in great shape. Sadly I had a similar experience with Park Seed. I Ordered some lantanas from Park Seed. They came in - get this - a big loose envelope mailer with absolutely no packing material to protect the plants. I've been mail ordering plants a long while and have never received plants like this - bulbs perhaps but plants? Needless to say all but one croaked. Stupid me, I thought this was a fluke and instead of calling them up and pitching a fit - I came back for more. This time I ordered 8 plants. I really wanted this specific lantana and couldn't find it anywhere else. As is the norm - it took about 3 weeks for them to ship the plants out and when the box arrived - I popped it open to see that once again the plants had not been secured or protected in any way. They'd just been beating around in the box. Nothing was left but little stems. Now understand that this year alone I've ordered probably thousands of dollars in plants. Recently bought an old fixer upper and the yard is a gut job. So, starting from scratch with plantings. I've gotten scores of plants that were healthy and had been carefully packed. Of all of them - I had one plant that had been broken (type of plant with a very fragile stem) I called up the company and they apologized profusely and sent out a replacement plant that day. Stupid me I thought I'd get the same customer service from Park Seed. Not even. Could not have cared less. Told me that I had to take pics of the plants and email them with an explanation to their "horticulturists" at Plant Doctor (aka expect no reply) dot com. Days pass and I call again. Told that it might take days for these supposed horticulturists to review my pics. Call again and instead of asking for customer service I went straight to the horticulturist. This guy was actually helpful, marked my account for a refund and then directs me back to customer service. Again, could their customer service be any worse? This woman tries to give me a store credit (no way will I ever shop with them again) AND she tries to - get this - NOT refund me for the shipping and handling! Yep, she tells me, okay, you'll be getting a store credit for x amount. I ask why the difference of the amount vice what I paid? She says I won't be refunding for S&H. I flip a nut at this point. Explain that there is NO way I will pay for S&H for plants that were dead on arrival BECAUSE of their improper packing! We go back and forth and finally she snippily states that I'll be given refund for the full amount but that will take 5-10 days. We shall see. In the meantime I will never ever spend a single dime with either of these companies, nor with any of the companies affiliated with them such as Jackson and Perkins. Shoddy service all around. Ridiculously undersized plants, horrible packing and shipping and the customer service is the worst I've ever seen. Their guarantee is a joke. The only bright light is that these weren't massive orders where I lost hundreds of dollars. The bottom line is - I can not say enough bad things about either one of these companies. There are some fantastic mail order companies out there that with healthy plants and superb customer service. Park Seed and Wayside are not. I can't fathom what their business model must be. I would assume that mail order garden companies rely heavily on return customers. I alone have made multiple orders to with a number of different companies this year alone. How can Park Seed and Wayside expect to conduct business in this manner and still stay in business?

"On Aug 26, 2014 3:10 PM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

We have reviewed your posting on Dave's Garden Watchdog website. We want to resolve the problem but are unable to locate your order with the partial email address provided by the site. Please forward your order number or complete billing address (including zip code), and any other pertinent information to assist you. We want to help.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com"

Order #WEB004076000
I've never had a problem with this company until now. Their pricing and packaging of the Japanese maple I ordered was spot on until some moron in the shipping department decided to throw their heavy catalog into the shipping box. Again, not a problem if he/she had thought to secure it, but that did not happen so the catalog bounced around the box between SC and my house in VA. As a result, the tree arrived with four broken branches, which makes for a very misshapen maple. I see on their web site that this particular maple is now sold out. I am still waiting for a response to my E-mail on a solution.

"On Aug 26, 2014 3:07 PM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

We have reviewed your posting on Dave's Garden Watchdog website. We want to resolve the problem but are unable to locate your order with the partial email address provided by the site. Please forward your order number or complete billing address (including zip code), and any other pertinent information to assist you. We want to help.


Angela D
Park Seed Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com"

I ordered 4 plants from Wayside in May.Each plant was about $25.Each plant arrived in good condition.The 2 Clematis plants were very small(1 shoot about 8 inches tall).The other 2 plants were about the size of a 1 gallon plant.I ordered from Wayside even though the ratings were poor because I wanted a rare plant that they carried.I would not order from them again due to the small size of the 2 clematis plants.After reading others comments I am just glad my plants all arrived in good condition here in California.

"On Aug 26, 2014 3:06 PM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

We have reviewed your posting on Dave's Garden Watchdog website. We want to resolve the problem but are unable to locate your order with the partial email address provided by the site. Please forward your order number or complete billing address (including zip code), and any other pertinent information to assist you. We want to help.


Angela D
Park Seed Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com"

Early last fall I ordered some perennials from Wayside. Beginning on October 7 I began calling to esquire about the status of my order. In each instance I was given assurances that the order was about to be shipped, but it was not. I ended up calling the company seven times about this issue. The plants did not arrive until mid Nonmember. I doubted their viability when planted that late and I was right. This May I confirmed that all had died. I wrote the company a letter expressing displeasure about all of this this, explaining that I had been a customer of Park Seed for over forty years. My letter was ignored. i don't know if there has been a change of ownership in this company or what. I used to get good service from Park Seed. I do know this: I will absolutely never do business with Wayside or any affiliate of Park Seed again.

"On Aug 26, 2014 3:05 PM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

We have reviewed your posting on Dave's Garden Watchdog website. We want to resolve the problem but are unable to locate your order with the partial email address provided by the site. Please forward your order number or complete billing address (including zip code), and any other pertinent information to assist you. We want to help.


Angela D
Park Seed Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com"

I have 2 issues to address..one is the condition of my plants....I ordered 5 hydrangea's and a butterfly bush...they were all quart size plants...they were shipped all together in a slender long box..the were in they were overlapped in the bottom of the box and packed with lot's of peanuts...so many that the plants had fractured stems...so they plants I paid a lot of money for were not much more than bareroot.....the other issue I have is that a mere 6 days after I ordered the items I purchased went on sale..by a significant amount...so I email customer service and asked for an in-store credit for the difference...most retailers will honor discounts on merchandise up to 7 days after purchase,...they responded first by saying my order was shipped and they couldn't give me a refund....and I responded by again describing the situation and that I was not asking for a refund but for an instore credit...emailed me back saying the won't or don't do that...I work for an online retailer and started in customer service...and I can tell you this is not how you handle this situation...I will NEVER buy from them again...I'm going to copy the last email response:

Unfortunately, we do not give credit for items that go on sale. The sale prices are for new orders only and we do not credit previous orders.

Again, thank you for writing to us. If you have any further questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us (number and address listed below). And thanks for gardening with Wayside!

"On Aug 26, 2014 3:03 PM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

We have reviewed your posting on Dave's Garden Watchdog website. We want to resolve the problem but are unable to locate your order with the partial email address provided by the site. Please forward your order number or complete billing address (including zip code), and any other pertinent information to assist you. We want to help.


Angela D
Park Seed Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com"

Placed order in Jan 2014. Received plants in May 2014. The Blue Bird Clematis was bent and a flimsy slip of vine that will no doubt die. One of the poppy roots was spoiled and gooey, The other two were alive but poor quality. I reported my dissatisfaction about the Blue Bird Clematis and they emailed back days later and said they needed photos. I am beyond livid. I sent photo of the plant and have not heard back. It's pretty clear to me that they don't care about customer satisfaction. I will buy my plants elsewhere from here on out. When you pay $24.95 for a vine you expect a plant of quality.

"On Aug 26, 2014 3:02 PM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

We have reviewed your posting on Dave's Garden Watchdog website. We want to resolve the problem but are unable to locate your order with the partial email address provided by the site. Please forward your order number or complete billing address (including zip code), and any other pertinent information to assist you. We want to help.


Angela D
Park Seed Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com"

I ordered an Illumination Flame Digiplexis this winter, and it arrived dead in early March. I emailed about Wayside Gardens three or four weeks ago asking for advice or inquiring about regeneration and received no reply. Sometimes plants die during shipment, but there is no excuse for no customer service.

"On Aug 26, 2014 2:58 PM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

We have reviewed your posting on Dave's Garden Watchdog website. We want to resolve the problem but are unable to locate your order with the partial email address provided by the site. Please forward your order number or complete billing address (including zip code), and any other pertinent information to assist you. We want to help.


Angela D
Park Seed Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com"