Comments regarding Wayside Gardens

I've previously placed two orders in 2009 with Wayside and all the plants in both orders are doing nicely, despite problems with local critters. (A rabbit ate most of one Scabiosa, but it has rebounded.)

I'm awaiting the Fall shipment of another order -- a hydrangea and 3 more helleborus.

The only thing that keeps me from ordering more from Wayside is their high s&h, which is usually (for me) about a third of the total product prices. This appears to be because Wayside charges s&h by the # of plants while others (like Spring Hill) charge by the order total. I had one order at Wayside where the products came to $26 and the s&h was $13.50.

I didn't place one recent order because on a $40 order, the s&h was going to be nearly $20

Nevertheless, I don't have any complaints with the plants so far.

I ordered Rose Brilliant Veranda® and it arrived in a timely manner. I received a bareroot rose of excellent size that had new shoots and a very good root system. It was still moist wrapped loosely in plastic. There were no broken branches. So I was very pleased with this order. I would order roses again from 'Wayside Gardens'.

I ordered 4 shrub roses and 2 old English style climbing roses from Wayside Gardens in April or May 2009. They arrived promptly & in great condition. They were of very decent (bare root) size as well as cane size. I was unable to plant them within the recommended time frame so I left them in the plastic bag for about a week (longer than recommended). Then, I planted the shrub roses but could not plant the climbers yet, so they stayed in the bag another week... then in a tub of water an additional week or so... far longer than their recommendation. (I know, neglect to start! We just moved into a new house & lots of prep work was needed.) When I did get to them, they were vigorous and started leafing out immediately...even while in the tub of water! Same with the 4 shrub roses I planted too! It's a great start, even with a not-so-ideal start. I would give them a shot again. This was my 1st order with them.

I don't have much experience with Wayside, but two weeks ago I ordered three Euphorbia "Rudolph" and three Rhorodendron yakushimanum 'Yaku Princess' at very good sale prices. The plants arrived quickly and were large and healthy. I received excellent value on this order.

I ordered some Lo & Behold Blue Chip butterly bushes and they were packaged good and arrived in good shape. All but one appeared to be in very good shape and even that one wasn't bad....just not as good as the other 6. I am surprised by all of the negative comments here about this company because I have never had a problem with them. The only problem that I could see was the shipment was sent so that it sat in a warehouse over the weekend and even on Memorial Day so I was a little surprised that they didn't show any wear from this. I would have preferred that they delayed their shipping so that it wouldn't have had to sat there that long but they did fine so why complain. Wayside was the only company that I could find that was even reasonable for this new plant and I am overall happy with my order.

On 3/18/09 I ordered a Burgundy Iceberg Rose bush from them and on 3/31/09 the status said shipping soon. I don't recall when I got the bare root plant but the packing slip that was in the box says it was shipped on 3/23/09. I planted it and it has taken off and been growing nicely. I will try this company again if I find something else I like in the future. This was definitive a positive experience since the rose bush was a present for my wife. I would recommend this company to my friends and family.

Received 6 healthy grafted roses with very large roots and 3 quite large potted perennials(2 w/blooms). My order was shipped in 2 separate shipments, packaged wonderfully, as good as, or better than some other mail order nurseries. Nothing but praises for Wayside!

I have been ordering from this co for many, many years. Last spring, I tried to get my C Card credited because an item I ordered was not available. It took several calls but finally got the credit. This spring I ordered one item only because I wanted to see how it would go. The plant arrived on schedule and in very good condition. Maybe they have cleaned up their act from what I have read on these posts. I hope so because they have a special collection of plants.

I hadn't ordered from Wayside for a few years (although I have been a long time customer), and I also had read many of the negative reviews in the Garden Watchdog. This month (April, 2009) I ordered (through the website) a dozen plants- six lonicera and six viburnum. The e-mail correspondence I had with the company was very prompt and very satisfactory. My order was delivered in two weeks, and I am happy to report that all of the plants were very healthy and robust. After this recent experience, I plan to order from Wayside again, probably in a few weeks.

Received my order today. Siberian iris were in perfect condition and well packed. I have ordered from Wayside in the past and have not had any trouble but I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Ordered and recieved my plants in a very timely manner.
The Plants were in good health and in pots as stated they would be. Have placed another order with them so shall see if it arrives in timely manner as the first one did, and is in as good as shape as the first.

Lots of people seem to beat uip on this company and other of the "giant" mail order nurseries. and adore the boutique nurseries. I have just the opposite experience in over 5 years of online ordering. Wayside has been responsive to my occasional crop failures with their products, by providing either refunds or replacements if contacted within the season of receipt. Yes there have been the occasional days in shipment and items on backorder, but never to the extent of really inconveniencing my planting plans

On the other hand I am in the midst of wrangling with several of the smaller firms some of whom make the highly positive list and one even in the 'TOP 30". They shall remain nameless for the present until I deternine if they will resolve the issues. One who shipped me
DOA plants and then could not replace the same plants nor refund
essentially forced me to substitute and when some of these substitutes failed would not replace or refund. Wayside has never
done this. Another boutique that shipped Allium bulbs which never came up insist I dig up the bulbs and report--on what I don't know. One e-mail to Wayside would have resulted in either a credit or a refund. Another boutique, whose $50 Daphne died slowly all season even though a second of the same planted nearby in the same bed flourished, has yet to even respond. Wayside is replacing in the spring a hydrangea that had the same problem. My conclusion: stick with the big boys. They can afford to correct their
mistakes.

"

I am happy to hear that you enjoyed our products so much.

We would love to forward your compliments; if you would send us your order information, we can let the appropriate department know that their efforts were recognized and appreciated. Please email me your zip code, last name, and order number.

Thanks again,
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Department
e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com"

My family has been ordering from Wayside Gardens for decades. They are a mail order operation so yes the plants will sometimes appear puny and wilted upon arrival. But they have an incredible selection and have always backed up their guarantee without question. They are a pleasure to do business with.

"

I am happy to hear that you enjoyed our products so much.

We would love to forward your compliments; if you would send us your order information, we can let the appropriate department know that their efforts were recognized and appreciated. Please email me your zip code, last name, and order number.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Department
e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com"

The comments I'm reading shock me.

I have been a customer of Wayside Gardens for over twenty years and if I ever had a problem with an item or a question regarding the care of ordered items, the company was always helpful.
They aren't the least expensive and there is a reason. Tomorrow when I look outside, I'll see hundreds of plants that I ordered from them over the years that have thrived.


Cynthia
Pittsburgh, PA.

"

Dear Cynthia,

We appreciate you taking the time to let us know how pleased your 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 and offering the best service possible. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"

I just received 3 shaina jap. maples. They were on sale, buy one get 2 free. They were packaged very well. So well that it was hard to get them out of the box! The leaves are beautiful and the trees weren't all that small. I can't believe I got 3 of these for only 40 bucks! I have also ordered some of the clearance roses but haven't received them yet so I'll add more feedback later.

"

Dear kylie79,

We appreciate you taking the time to let us know how pleased your 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 and offering the best service possible. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"

I cannot complain, the items I purchased were on sale and I used a coupon. The orders were shipped quickly and the stock is alive and well. Packaging was adequate and the plants were not dehydrated. While not top notch they are all viable specimens.

"

Dear MorsisX,

We appreciate you taking the time to let us know how pleased your 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 and offering the best service possible. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"

I decided to give Wayside another chance this year, as I have ordered in the past with good results. Last year, I had some disappointing experiences, but these were partly my fault, and some of it couldn't be helped, as circumstances were beyond the control of both me and the company. This year, they sent me healthy groundcovers that appear to be doing well. Only one of the twelve creeping thymes I ordered looks like it might not make it, but the others are already up and going. All of the other groundcover is doing well, no die-off, and is perky. So, I am pleased with them again, and will continue to order. I'm surprised that they have gotten so many negative reviews. Generally, I've done all right with them.

"

Dear flowermaiden,

I am happy to hear that you enjoyed our products so much.

We would love to forward your compliments; if you would send us your order information, we can let the appropriate department know that their efforts were recognized and appreciated. Please email me your zip code, last name, and order number.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Department
e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com"

Oh my. Placed order on May 26. Even with allowances for the holiday my order remains dormant at "in stock and reserved". I'm not sure what that phrase means but am beginning to think it means "maybe never".

Another larger order placed the identical day from a different web company has been delivered, acclimated and planted. Even with allowances for regional differences I'm troubled by my experience so far. Thanks for all the comments though...because of your comments I only tried a small order with Wayside and spent the bulk of my budget on the other site.

Have ordered from Wayside numerous times over the years. After reading all the unfavorable commentaries, was hesitant to order again. However, I ordered some hostas recently and the website, response, shipping and customer service were just as good as previously experienced. The plants look very good and anticipate no trouble, other than the deer, with these hostas growing well.

I discovered this website AFTER I placed an order with Wayside Gardens. It raised all sorts of trepidation in me after reading all of the negative comments and saddened me, as well. I have ordered from Wayside since 1972 and in the past few years have gotten away from doing much in the garden.

I ordered 3 epimedium pubigerem and 3 dwarf Japanese Black Pines on May 19. I received the epimediums yesterday, May 30; I received the pines today, May 31. All were well-packed. (I would vote for getting rid of styrofoam peanuts in favor of the corn-starch ones that dissolve, but I understand that they are intended to protect fragile plants from harm during shipment.)

Of course, I am located in South Carolina, so Fed-Ex Ground is essentially overnight service to me from Hodges... and I am wondering if some of the complaints aren't due to the very hot/inhospitable conditions in transit?

The epimediums are, in fact, relatively small plants, but I have to say that on two prior orders, plants arrived that seemed to be small and are now some of the most beautiful specimens in my garden. I ordered 45 Siberian Carpet Cypress (Translation: very big bucks!) for a former residence and although they were smaller than I expected, the following year they simply took off! I suspect that timing is everything -- when you place the order, what the weather conditions are in Hodges and where you are, how long in transit, etc.

Only 3 things that Wayside should investigate: 1) If a plant can't be shipped for whatever reason (wrong season, inadequate supply), then Wayside should not be charging someone's card until shipping is imminent. 2) The customer should be given a choice of whether or not to wait for the plants, not simply placed "on hold." 3) Correct your website -- there are ways for the geeks to indicate that a particular plant is out of stock or will not ship until a set date. Hire one!

Otherwise, my advice to someone would be to measure the negative reports.

I ordered before I found this site. I found the site before I received my plants, so I was not expecting much. Today, I received a partial order and was surprised! My CotonEaster is in great condition and is larger than I expected. I hope the rest of my order is even half as nice as this plant.

I placed an order on April 29, only to come home from work and find that my well pump had burned out. I emailed them first thing the next morning to cancel my order, and I received a reply within hours confirming that my purchase had indeed been canceled. My credit card was never charged, and I was happy. I am disheartened to see all these negative comments, as I had been quite impressed with the website. I suppose I will look elsewhere for my jasmine and clematis.

I ordered from these guys before I read any reviews or I might not have...overall though I'm pretty happy. I got a few Knock-outs, some Irises and a few other things. All showed up pretty health last season. Everything except one Knock out made it. The rainbow one actually looked dead when I got it last fall. I called and they said to plant it and wait to see. I was dead as I expected. I was not too happy about loosing 6 months of growth, but when I called them, they promptly sent a new one that was 3 times the size and blooming. Even though it was the 40s in my zone 5b garden it is still blooming 4 weeks after planting and getting more buds. So no complaints here.

This is one company I was wary of after reading the reviews, but have wound up doing a bit of business with them since then...have had better luck getting plants to my door ALIVE than with many others.
Actually, everything I've ordered from them is still alive.


VITIS GRAPE GLENORA (perky)

MUHLENBERGIA CAPILLARIS PINK MUHLY GRASS (from invoice, do believe that should actually be MURPHY - small but happy)

CHRYSANTHEMUM CLARA CURTIS (small, growing quickly)

FESTUCA ELIJAH'S BLUE (thriving)

THALICTRUM SP. BLACK STOCKINGS (small, healthy)

HELLEBORUS BRANDYWINE TM (taking time...)

PEROVSKIA FILIGRAN (slow but steady)

I too have mixed feelings about Wayside Gardens and agree that communication and organization seem to be their biggest problems. I've ordered many plants from them over the years and in most cases the plants are strong and healthy and flourish. I have some absolutely gorgeous climbing roses that I ordered from them 2 years ago. I don't like it when they substitute plants -- especially the few times they substituted a less expensive plant for the more expensive "new" version boldly featured in their catalog without making a credit adjustment. Their web site is great but you can't check on past orders -- the page always errors out. They could do a match better job just letting the customer know what's is going on with their order. I also don't like that they now charge your credit card when you place your order instead of closer to shipping time. I didn't order anything from them this spring -- the first time in about 15 years.

I ordered PG hydrangea tree form, sorbaria sem 4" pot, 2 knockout rose 1-gallon pots, siberian iris bareroots, 3" pot echinacea,3" pot helleborus, and 1-gallon pot halo hydrangea. Everything came very well packed. Plants were larger than expected and looked healthy. My PG hydrangea took off right away--am excited how it will turn out in a few years. Prices for items are very reasonable, especially if you look for their specials and there are usually 10% off coupons you can use. Shipping is not cheap, but it seems like they spend a lot on packing. People should give them a chance.

I made my order with Wayside Gardens before finding this website and reading these reviews. After reading all of the negative reviews, I was ready to go to battle. I ordered 4 coreopsis, 4 ceratostigma plumbaginoides, and 4 sisyrinchium (blue-eyed grass). All plants arrived together when promised and all plants look great! I don't know if I'm just lucky, or just got plants that are in season and healthy. The coreopsis are a variety that I have not been able to find locally so I'm very happy with my purchase. After reading all of these negative reviews, I will probably take a "wait and see" attitude before ordering from Wayside Garden again to see whether the reviews improve for this company. Yet, I can say that this first experience for me was good.

I just received 12 plants of the plumbago groundcover. and they were gorgeous. This is not an easy plant to find, and these plants were what I would expect had I bought them locally. They were fresh and arrived safely packaged.

I recently ordered a rose bush from Wayside and it arrived in a timely fashion and in wonderful condition. It's healthy and growing. I'm happy with the service.

Placed an order of (1) Jackmanii- Clematis (2) Daylilies- Stella De oro and received (2) Niobe- Clematis for free. The order was placed 04/28/08 late evening. The items were shipped on 05/06/08 and received 05/08/08- AM hours.

I was thrilled firstly about the offer of 2 FREE Niobe clematis. I am impressed with company's service, shipment arrived as stated on order form.The plant quality and meticulous packaging, clean, carefully packed, the box was not dented, ripped or damaged in anyway.

After reading a lot of the bad experiences from some of you. I thought I was going to receive a pile of dirt in a box especially when I began thinking of the FREE plants. Again I am very impressed with Wayside Gardens.

Instructions on how to plant and care for the plants were included with pkg, which I found very helpful being a novice at gardening. Looking forward to placing my next order. Hopefully I will be lucky enough to catch them on another fab offer. Thank you Wayside Gardens.

Plants shipped on time, arrived on time and were in excellent condition. Customer service was very helpful and accomodating when I called and inquired about my order as my computer had timed out and I wasn't sure if my order had gone through. They were careful not to ship the order until it was safe in our zone to do so. I can't wait to get them in the ground!

I ordered several gaillardia, echinacea, helleborus, and a spirea bush, and everything arrived intact back in March. The plants were all quite small when they arrived but are now blooming and gorgeous. I will order from Wayside again despite the price.

I have ordered 3 plants last fall and, except for "Knockout rose", two other did not survive the winter, which was very upsetting. "Citronella" arrived very thin and anemic and didn't make it. About 10 days ago I emailed to Wayside gardens telling them this and without a word and no additional questions asked - I received a replacement yesterday. Small but healthy looking plant. Thanks, I was prepared for a lengthy back-and-fourth communication and you pleasantly surprised me. I definetely will order again from your company.

I ordered 3 "Becky" shasta daisies. The shipping was very slow, but the plants arrived in good condition. The size of the plants was a little small, but they were healthy, moist, and well packaged (one was a little yellow on the bottom, but not anything serious that couldn't be corrected with proper planting and care). They have their first blooms after about 4 weeks in the ground and are thriving. I would have to agree that the cost of the plants was too high for what I received. Would I use them again? I probably would for plants that are hard to find elsewhere.

Some of you negative folks just don't get it! Wayside sells GOOD products. It is up to YOU to follow the directions.

I have been a Wayside customer for over 15 years; 3 here in Mississippi and previously in Southwest Florida (which can be an interesting growing experience, to say the least). My shipments have always been as advertised, arriving when the time for planting had arrived. My biggest success has been with a yellow rose that climbs my trees. You should see these beautiful roses, trailing through the limbs. A definite attention getter. I have ordered bulbs, trees, bushes and had every success with every one.

Let me clarify - I am not your typical gardner. I put it in the ground as directed, water and feed as directed, then leave the rest to God. Apparently He also approves of Wayside, knowing I really don't have much of a clue about gardening. Don't know Ph from pebbles, but stuff blooms, grows and gives me a lot of joy.

So, it must be Waysides products 'cause it sure isn't me.

Sweet Tea served on my porch every afternoon about 3:00. Ya all come on down.

"

We appreciate you taking the time to let us know how pleased your are with your Wayside Gardens products. 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 and offering the best service possible. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Happy Gardening!
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

I have ordered various plants over the last 5 years or so and have never had any problem with anything from this company. All plants were nicely packed and arrived in good condition and in good health.

"

We appreciate you taking the time to let us know how pleased your are with your Wayside Gardens products. 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 and offering the best service possible. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Happy Gardening!
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]


"

I have been doing business with Wayside for the last 2 years. I bought a couple of tree-form wisterias. The shipped plants were only 2-feet tall, whereas the description in their catalog stated the trees had 4-feet tall trunks. I called Wayside to complain and the lady on the phone was very nice and offered me a very sizable partial refund.

I also ordered a climbing wisteria vine but the vine was baby size 2-inch tall rootings in a 4-in pot. Had I known they were that immature I would not have ordered. It would take them years to bloom.

I also just ordered 2 Bartzella peonies. I was hooked by the "very low" price of $40. There was no mention of the number of eyes the plants had. When they arrived I was shocked to see that they were 1-eye baby plants, but it was not entirely Wayside's fault. I should have paid attention to the "4-inch pot" size in the description. But I think Wayside should have been more explicit in stating these are 1-eye plants that may take years to bloom.

A Clematis I ordered last year was DOA and I called Wayside to report it after almost nine months after the plant arrived. The lady on the phone was very nice ordered a replacement plant for me free of charge.

I would have to say I am very happy with Wayside's customer service. The customer service ladies are top-notch. But I am not too happy with the immature size of many of the plants from Wayside. When you order, you have to really read the fine print. When the catalog description on Wayside states "4-inch pots" it always means you are buying baby-sized plants that will take years to bloom. If you take that into account, the plants are overpriced.

Overall, I rating of Wayside is between positive to neutral. I am being generous and give a positive rating for the good customer service I received despite the quality of the plants.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CALL AND DEMAND TO SPEAK TO BILL, HE IS MOST HELPFUL, HE ACTUALLY CARES ABOUT THE CUSTOMER, IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, HE MAKES IT RIGHT, YOU MAY HAVE TO CALL REPEATEDLY TO GET HIM, BUT HE IS THE ONLY PERSON THERE WHO HAS A CLUE WHAT IS GOING ON AND ACTUALLY HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I HAD SOME SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH AN ORDER AND LUCKILY GOT HIM ON THE PHONE AND HE FIXED EVERYTHING, THEY OVERNIGHTED ME MORE SEEDS AND A LITTLE BONZAI TREE AS A TOKEN OF APPRECIATION AS WELL AS SOME OUTBACK GIFT CERTIFICATES. (I WILL SAY MY ORDER WAS $400)

I just received 3 Ivory Prince Helebores from Wayside Gardens. I ordered them in november, but they were worth waiting for. They are huge plants, and full of blooms. Since I have been using Watchdog I have been wary of this company. But I will order from them again and I hope I get the same service.