Comments regarding Wayside Gardens

My chief complaint relates to a patio-sized dwarf magnolia called Vulcan that I ordered 10 years ago. I planted it and it grew but never bloomed. Eventually, it began growing somewhat over the height it suggested it would top off at. A horticulturalist at our local University told us this was not odd if the plant was trying to get more light in order to bloom because its light was somewhat obstructed.

That was plausible despite all of our other part shade installations doing okay. It crept a bit up the next year but still didn’t flower. For years it stopped growing but still appeared healthy. Then, there was a huge jump in growth that indicated the tree could not be what we’d bought.

We contacted the company. I described or sent a photo of the lone *white* not purple flower of a different shape than Vulcan and asked what they had sold me. They said I was never a customer. I had to find records of them writing to me about their invoices from their email address before they would even listen.

Then the gardener told me it was probably big leaf magnolia. Which was impossible given the leaves were very small. And the flowers weren’t situated in a cluster of them. They said they’re just farmers and had no insurance Dept. for claims. Last year we couldn’t do any excavation in the area around the tree because we had work done on the side of the house—it’s too close. Besides, it hadn’t grown.

This year it finally bloomed. Indeed it is a variety that needed to clear the first floor roof line to get enough light.
I wrote them with photos and asked them to send somebody out to ID it and determine it needs to be moved or can stay.

They told me that my insurer would be seeking damages from me because they had proof of my negligence. In fact, the insurance company knew, from two years ago, about the issue and told me to call if it either grew or bloomed. It bloomed I called. They said: send Wayside a friendly note to send a professional to ID the tree and make recommendation.

So: their error may blow up as I would root prune the tree away from my foundation while waiting on this, but I will not cut the tree I grew. It needs to be moved and the area it’s growing in then needs to be reconstructed.

This is from my first purchase from Wayfair: some of my other things from that order worked and I made a huge investment in their end of season sale. 100% loss. They didn’t cover the loss. Gave me a partial coupon. I lost hundreds. The place is hateful.

Add me to the list of people who have had a negative experience with Wayside Gardens. I tried 3 new Camellia growers this year. Thankfully 2 of them were a positive experience. Wayside Gardens however was not. Two of my three plants were very sickly looking. I followed their instructions and sent pictures of the plants that were substandard. Two emails and even a phone call(no answer) and zero response. What a disappointment. I would not recommend Wayside Gardens to anyone. Terrible experience.

I've purchased plants from Wayside Gardens, and they've sometimes arrived in less that perfect condition. They have, however, been salvageable. This fall I ordered a number of plants, and the ones at the bottom of the box were a mushy mess. The leaves were soaked and came off as green mush on a paper towel when I tried to pat them dry. I emailed the company's customer service link, and I asked for advice. I included pictures, and I wanted to know if they thought that the plants would survive or should be be replaced. I included photos. I never got a response, so I emailed them again about a week later. After another wait, I heard back asking if I had a problem. They wanted pictures again, and I sent them photos of the problem plants, Gaillardia, again. After 4 more days of no response, I emailed them and told them to forget the claim because of the lack of service. My shipping notice was sent to me on September 11, and my final email was sent to them on October 12. That is Wayside's customer service, and you can't blame Covid for that kind of delay.

Do not order from Wayside! I rarely leave negative feedback, but I must warn you that customer service, if you end up needing it, is nonexistent. I ordered 4 plants and they arrived in a single, undamaged box. 3 were in good condition, but the fourth was in horrible shape practically falling apart as I removed it. I emailed Wayside 3 times waiting 8 days each time and seeking a replacement or refund for the single plant. I even made the final email “ATTN Eric” based on one of Wayside’s replies to a TrustPilot complaint. Not once did they respond except for the auto respond email saying “We have received your email and will respond.” Something is seriously wrong with this company, and if you give them your money, you’re rolling the dice. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. 7074169703

"On May 24, 2020 9:27 PM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

First and foremost, I would like to apologize for your negative experience with our company. We are committed to working closely with our customers to resolve any service issues and will continue to focus our efforts on creating a positive experience. During this Pandemic we are working with a reduced staff and are receiving and astronomical amount of calls and emails daily, which is causing our response time to be much longer than desired.

Please accept our apology, we never want to disappoint our customers in any manner, customer service is very important to us. Please email me your order number and reference Dave's Garden and all the issues you have referenced. I'll be more than happy to look into your order and see if I can get a resolution for you.

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

I have contacted Wayside 5 times--via emails and their on line portal--regarding a bad order but have not received a response. Calling doesn't work either.

I'm very surprised by the lack of basic customer service.

I ordered 10 Japanese Anemone. They were diseased when they arrived and have died or are dying. Fortunately the fungus has not spread to other plants in my garden--I've isolated the anemone. I have contacted Wayside Gardens (4 emails), sent photos, received an auto-confirmation that my message was received on their portal, but have not heard anything back for months.

What is going on with Wayside Gardens? I would like to resolve this issue with them but will probably need to seek another way to resolve this issue.

"On Apr 29, 2020 2:09 PM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

First and foremost, I would like to apologize for your negative experience with our company. We are committed to working closely with our customers to resolve any service issues and will continue to focus our efforts on creating a positive experience. During this Pandemic we are working with a reduced staff and are receiving and astronomical amount of calls and emails daily, which is causing our response time to be much longer than desired.

Please accept our apology, we never want to disappoint our customers in any manner, customer service is very important to us. Please email me your order number and reference Dave's Garden and all the issues you have referenced. I'll be more than happy to look into your order and see if I can get a resolution for you.

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

Purchased quite a number of plants from Wayside. Shipping was timely however I do object to the large amount of styrofoam used in their shipping process..not "green" at all.

I ordered a pack of 3 iris. All have died though planted in the same location as an iris from a different mail order supplier which is doing fine. They have refunded me for 2 of the 3 that I have called about. Have not yet called about the third dead one.

Ordered 2 dayliles which arrived dried up and spindly. I planted them anyhow hoping for the best. 1 did come up, weakly, and the other not at all.

Ordered 2 bee balm, both arrived damaged, one worse than the other, they did replace it when I called them.

I also ordered 5 other plants, 3 amsonia, one hardy hibiscus and 1 hosta which have survived. The hibiscus has only put out 1 new set of leaves since planting in early June.

Although they have refunded me for the dead plant, I do not recommend this supplier. There plants are definitely sub-par.

"On Jul 29, 2019 8:30 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

We never want to disappoint our customers with our choice of packing materials. We use Styrofoam packing peanuts when shipping some of our products, because they are efficient, clean, lightweight, and economical. They protect items well and keep them securely in place during transit. The company has tried other alternatives, but they did not perform as well. Our company is always open to new ways to efficiently and safely pack and ship our products and will continue to consider other options in the future.

We understand people seeking an outlet to voice their opinions and we do try our best to resolve all the complaints and concerns brought to our attention from all online garden forms.

We ship thousands of orders each year, and our goal is to offer only the best in both products and service. Unfortunately, because of the volume of orders we receive yearly, there are instances when it is simply impossible to avoid a mistake or prevent an error from occurring. When that happens, we will make every effort to correct the problem. Our way of assuring this is our willingness to make the appropriate adjustment whenever a customer expresses dissatisfaction with any product purchased.

Please email me your order number and reference Dave's Garden and all this issue you have referenced. I'll be more than happy to look into your order and see if I can get a better resolution for you.

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

I ordered from Wayside years ago and no issues. I actually liked using them. New house, new gardens so I ordered from them again. Ordered 2 bare root roses. One arrived in great condition, one looked dead not dormant but I planted anyway. A month later no new growth and black and brown. Called for a replacement and they put me threw the ringer before they would agree to replace. Unfortunately, they were out of stock. Sent me a credit. I placed another order for lavender with the credit. Both plants arrived dead. Completely dried, shriveled and crispy. Again, put me through the ringer and plants now out of stock. Insisted they also credit me for the shipping I paid on the second shipment this time too. I ordered a mason bee house why bother with plants when they arrive dead. I will never order from them again.

"On Jun 17, 2019 9:21 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. Please email me your order number and reference Dave's Garden and all the issues you have referenced. I'll be more than happy to look into your order and see if I can get a better resolution for you.

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

Last spring, I ordered dozens of perennials and shrubs from Wayside. They were all planted and cared for as directed. Unfortunately, this spring quite a few were dead. I took photos and emailed the company immediately to explain and seek replacement or credit. I was told (after numerous emails and waiting over a week) that the warranty was only good for 90 days from purchase date, and they were not willing to address the problem. I believe even Lowes and Walmart offer a one year warranty. I-thought this was pretty outrageous and will go out of my way to let others know that this is a large corporation that does not care about individual customers nor ensuring a good product.

"On May 7, 2019 2:06 PM, 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. Please reference this post when you email me.

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

I have purchased many plants through Wayside gardens over the past 10-15 years. I have spent LOTS of money with them. A couple plants have died by due to my care. Last year I bought a very expensive rose bush from them, "The Poet's Wife." It did ok for a first year rose that arrived bare-root. I got a couple of blooms from it. It never really thrived. I almost asked for a return but I thought I'd give it one more year. I took precautions and covered it in the fall. I recently uncovered and the plant is dead. Not dormant, dead. I contacted them and was told it was no longer under warranty. Heck, Lowes and my local nurseries give me a year on my plants and Wayside won't. I emailed them back my disappointment and let them know my local nurseries will now be receiving all of my business.

"On May 2, 2019 4:27 PM, 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. Please reference this Dave's Garden post in your email.

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

I've gardened for 50 years. I'm a master gardener. I have purchased online for probably 20+ years.Most of my plants have flourished with few returns. This year, unknown to me, several of the online plant sales, that I have used before, decided to required proof of dead plants or damage. The first problem was my petunias arrived with evidence of Bud Worm damage (person I talked to had never heard of Bud Worms) and the strange smell they get with Bud Worm damage. They told me to send them pictures. When they received them the horticulturist said they saw no worm!! Duh, the worms are small and hard to find. However, the photos showed chewed flowers and buds. One of my concerns about planting them was the Bud Worms would get to my Geraniums too. Which of course they have and the Petunias have suffered all season until I finally through them out.
I have had other plant problems too. One problem was they notified me by email they were mailing them, early March, I called them and told them that I had added a note not to send until May and not to send them yet as the ground was still frozen with snow on it, he said "can't change it just store them in a cool place where they won't freeze." The ground still could not be worked until the middle of May! Guess what those plants looked like when I went to plant! Some of them were bulbs so they were okay, but several (six)of the plants were already shriveled up and dead, I planted them anyway but to know avail.
Tell me one good reason I should have to dig up bulbs, or plants, that are dead and take photos of them, just to hear some person say I must have planted them wrong or didn't water them or any thing else they can think of to refuse to replace or refund the plants. I am never going to do business with those companies. I will just buy locally, I can see the condition they are in before buying. No one saves money buying online anymore. A disappointment, as the advantage is they have unusual plants I can't get locally. Definitely not worth the hassle!

"On Aug 30, 2018 1:40 PM, 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. Please email me your order number and reference Dave's Garden and I'll be more than happy to look into your order and see if I can get a better resolution for you. Please list for me the plants you have lost from Wayside Gardens.

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

I placed a large order with Wayside in August last year. Some of the plants were back ordered, although they did not communicate this to me until I reached out to them, wondering where they were. I finally received the final shipment in late October, some of them either dormant or dead. In the spring, I waited in anticipation for them to come up. Several of them did not. Three packages of starflowers, two of which I'd given as gifts never came up, three primulas never came up and were quite costly for the size and state of the plants that arrived, and two hydrangeas never came up. When I contacted Wayside Gardens to let them know, they said that the guarantee period had passed and that they could not refund or replace the plants. Of the plants that did come up this year, only one of them bloomed. I'm hopeful that the rest will next year.

"On Jul 23, 2018 7:54 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. Please email me your order number and reference Dave's Garden and I'll be more than happy to look into your order and get a resolution for you. Please list for me the plants you have lost.

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

Posted on May 26, 2003, updated May 23, 2018
I ordered a number of roses from Wayside and many of them grew well. One (Gold Badge) arrived dead (black shriveled canes) and I phoned customer service to let them know. I spoke to a kindly but incompetent woman who just kept repeating "dat plant be dowmant". Apparently, they had trained their staff to counsel early season callers about dormant stock. However, 'dis rose be dead', and I had a hard time connecting with someone who was capable of understanding what I was saying, and crediting my account.

"On May 23, 2018 4:11 PM, 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 and we are always willing to help. Please email me your order number and mention Dave's Garden and I'll be more than happy to look into your order. We apologize for the long hold time as we are approaching the end of our Spring shipping season we have experienced an large influx of calls creating long hold times. We are so sorry for any inconvenience caused.

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

Ordered a Magnolia, Foxglove and lavender. Spent over $160.

Delivery arrived and the ups guy apologized saying he had not idea which side was supposed to be 'up'.

Magnolia was trashed inside box. Lavender was dried out, near dead and died within a day after arrival. Foxglove recovered... so I spent $159.50 for 6 foxglove and a stick that shows no sign of bloom.

At the same time I had a delivery from another nursery and the magnolia I got from them was in bloom!

Contacted wayside twice over 2 weeks.... no response except for the automated response saying they would get back to me...... sent a 3rd email but still waiting.

I WILL NEVER ORDER ANYTHING FROM WAYSIDE GARDEN AGAIN!

"On Apr 27, 2018 1:38 PM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you . Please accept our apology, we never want to disappoint our customers or give them bad service. This is unacceptable and we will be looking into this matter. I will be more than happy to get this issued resolved for you today. My information is listed at the bottom please email me directly .


Thanks,
Ahsya M.
Customer Care Specialist
JPPA, Inc.
ahsya.myers@parkseed.com"

Posted on July 5, 2016, updated December 6, 2017
Foam nuggets are being used for packing, I have to be very careful to remove them without damaging the plants inside. The foam nuggets are flying everywhere when I do this, so annoying.

I contacted the customer service this morning that my Caramel Coral Bell is dead that I received on 5/27/2016 in bad shape. I gave it a try to see whether it will grow back as Wayside claims that they ship quality plants. Also, some plants from the previous order received in bad shape but are re-growing well now.

The customer representative refused to send me a replacement by saying that I grow plants not for my zone (i.e. zone 10) which is not under the grantee. I said that the other coral bell is growing well right next to the Caramel Coral Bell. That's not her concern. She told me that I should have called them when I received the shipment if the plant was not in good shape. She was kind of rough.

The price of plants in WS are expensive. The quality doesn't justify for that markup. No more business with WS.

"On Jul 6, 2016 8:06 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

Our Guarantee statement:

Plant Products:
We guarantee all Wayside Gardens plant products to be high quality, true to type, shipped properly, and to perform as advertised. If your plant has received our recommended care and doesn't perform to your satisfaction, notify us and we will replace it free of charge or provide the cost of the product as credit toward a future purchase.

If any product was damaged in shipping or dead on arrival, please notify us within 48 hours from receipt and save all contents and packaging.

To ensure that each living product has adequate opportunity to perform, we've established the following guidelines for reporting other problems:

Spring-Blooming Bulbs Sold in FALL:
- Contact us by May 30th the following year of receipt.

Roses, Perennials, Trees, Shrubs, and Bulbs Sold in
SPRING:
- 90 days from the date of receipt.

Please understand that we cannot accept responsibility for the results of extreme weather, neglect, unforeseeable acts of nature, or ignoring our hardiness zone recommendation.

Hard Good Guarantee. Your complete satisfaction is guaranteed with every product. If your non-plant product fails to function as advertised, please follow the guidelines below and we will furnish a replacement or merchandise credit:

Defective Tools and Gardening Accessories: within 60 days, please contact Wayside Gardens Returns Department toll free at 1-800-845-1124 (or for local calls use 1-864-330-2004) for RMA.

Non-Defective Tools and Gardening Accessories: will incur a 20% restocking fee plus freight.

**All returns must include order number, customer's name and address. Photos may be required on a situational basis.**

Sale items will only be issued a merchandise credit for purchase price. By placing an order you are accepting these terms and conditions. Photos may be required on a situational basis.

Substitutions. If the item of your choice is unavailable or does not meet our high standard of quality, we may need to substitute an item of equal or greater value.

I have placed a few orders with this company and it looks like with each order the quality of product and customer service diminishes. This most recent order was unacceptable. I ordered over 10 different plants. Almost a week later I looked for my tracking number online and noticed my order status was "closed". I called to look into it and was told that it wasn't and my order would leave the dock that day. The next day I checked again and found no tracking number still. I called and was told for a second time that my order would go out that day. When it finally arrived (as a birthday gift to my mother) she explained how they arrived and sent me photos. I was furious. They literally threw all the plants into a box with packing peanuts! They rolled around all during transit. Half were basically dead and the ones that weren't were extremely damaged in transit. I wrote the company regarding my experience and to date have not received a response. Apparently my business is not wanted or valued.

"On Nov 27, 2017 2:39 PM, 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. Please email me your order number and reference Dave's Garden and I'll be more than happy to look into your order and get a resolution for you.

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

I placed the order in summer.
I got a confirmation.
I got no other communication.
I went to their site to check the status.
It was to have been shipped in September.
That kept being stated.
Nothing came.
I finally sent a note.
I got a reply that one of the plants was backordered so they were not shipping yet. Weeks after the ideal planting time.
ONLY BECAUSE I CONTACTED THEM did they even tell me that.
I told them to send those plants NOW.
They were shipped on 17 October. Today is 21st. I looked at the UPS shipping information and found that the delivery was made today to the POST OFFICE at the sender's request. It is a Saturday. The plants now will be stuck at the post office drying out.
Long ago, Wayside Gardens used to do a good job. That was then. This is now. Do not order from them unless you want frustration.

"On Oct 23, 2017 3:20 PM, 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. Please email me your order number and I'll be more than happy to look into this and review why this occurred.

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

I placed an order online in August 2016. I generally stay away from online plant suppliers, as I've received tiny plants from other suppliers in the past that never survived. I took a chance with Wayside, since they had several shade plants I liked, and they touted their guarantee quite heavily. They indicated my order would ship in early to mid September, but by October 6th, I still had not received it. By then, we had already experienced several nights of hard frost and it had even snowed. I emailed the company, expecting that they would apologize for having lost my order in the system and issue a refund. The same day I emailed, miraculously the plants suddenly shipped. When I received the 8 plants, they were much smaller than I envisioned, based upon the description, and several of them already looked dead. I emailed Wayside again asking if they would even survive being planted in already cold conditions, but never got a reply. I finally called their customer service line and was reassured that the plants could still be planted in October, and that they were guaranteed. I was assured that if the plants did not grow in the next growing season, I would be covered by their guarantee. Since several of the plants were late summer bloomers, I waited to see if they would appear. Two of the other items in the order had not survived the winter already, so in June I emailed the company asking for a refund or a reshipment. I was told the guarantee was only good until May 30, 2017. On May 30, 2017, I had very little growing in my garden to indicate if anything was going to come back. It was still quite cold in our area! I have since emailed them 3 times asking for a refund or replacement and have been stonewalled each time. Their last correspondence asked me to send them the email I had sent last October indicating my skepticism that these plants would grow. They said they had no record of any correspondence. Luckily for me, I had saved the email and forwarded it to them. I am truly upset that they would ship these plants knowing they wouldn't survive, and then refuse to honor their guarantee.

"On Jul 18, 2017 10:44 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"

Awful experience and terrible customer service.

I made a $150 order on April 17th. The order was returned to their depot as no one was home to sign for it (which I wasn't informed was policy when I made the order). I requested the order be sent again on May 3rd. I never received a confirmation. I have sent numerous emails with zero response. It is now June 12th. Will I ever get my plants? Who knows. Wayside owes me $150.

"On Jun 13, 2017 8:26 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

Please accept our apology, reviewing your order I found that it is noted it was returned. But no adjustment was made due to a return reason was not given. We do not require a signature upon delivery, so I am not sure why UPS returned the package, I am so sorry. Unfortunately it is too late to reship the order so I am making the adjustment to have you refunded for the order. I am so very sorry this happened and hope you will continue to be one of our loyal customers.

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

I had three problems with my orders from Wayside Gardens and Park seeds this year. after more than 20 years with both companies, I will never order from either again. Wayside gardens sent me a bare root bleeding heart. It never grew. Another six I had from Brecks grew fine. I contacted them through the website weeks ago – no response. So I called them yesterday and they were very rude. I didn't realize they changed their policy. I now get a merchandise credit – is if I would want to order from them again :-( I also got 2 six packs of creeping thyme. Six of them had lost so much soil and shipping that they died immediately. Wayside's related company, park seeds – sent me a package of 20 broccolini seeds. The package only had three seeds. I also contacted them through their website. No response ever . wayside used to be the most reliable source for me. Their customer service has totally gone down the tubes. I am moving onto bluestone perennials and white flower farm now. Much much better experience with both of those companies this year!

"On Jun 5, 2017 8:57 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

Please accept our apology, I will be more than happy to assist you, please email me directly with your order number and reference this and let me look into this for you please. During our peak season we do have longer than normal email response times simply because of the shear volume of calls and emails we receive daily. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

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

I purchased a beautiful marleys weeping pink snow fountain tree from them, so two months later when they had them on sale on purchased two more, they came dead, I emailed the photos, they aren't sending two more alive trees they are refunding half my the amount I paid for them in a gift card to use at there store, why would I want that, if they don't even stand behind there products. a very unhappy customer. I will never shop there again.

"On Jun 2, 2017 1:48 PM, 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. Please email me your order number and I'll be more than happy to look into your order and review why you received only half your cost back..

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

I paid $40 plus shipping for a yellow lilac bush. Guess what? it is white not yellow. I all ready have a white one. Way too much money, way not happy. It took for ever for the tiny thing to bloom. The picture in their catalog showed a gorgeous yellow blooming lilac. Have not and will not buy anything else from wayside. I don't recommend buying anything from them at all.

"On May 30, 2017 9:40 AM, Wayside Gardens responded with:

I have reviewed your posting on Dave's Garden Watchdog website. I want to resolve the problem but I am 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 and I will be more than happy to assist you.


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

Do NOT do business with these people unless you want to be billed promptly, receive no plants at all, and then have your repeated inquiries ignored. The only thing Wayside Gardens is good at is getting the cash out of your credit cards.

All the other people who gave them one star know what they're talking about. Beware!

"On May 15, 2017 11:34 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 product delays this season. Please email me your order number and I'll be more than happy to look into your order and make sure any refunds needed have been issued.

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

Posted on April 21, 2017, updated May 4, 2017
After waiting a month and a half for my order and after contacting WG four times in that period with no resolution, I canceled my order. They had charged me immediately upon placing the order. No word about back-orders; no refund for unavailable plants. Very poor customer communication... though they did send one or two ads per day...

"On Apr 24, 2017 10:11 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 product delays this season. Please email me your order number and I'll be more than happy to look into your order and make sure any refunds needed have been issued.

Angela D
Wayside Gardens Sale Associate
adavenport@parkseed.com

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"

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"

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
"

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

"

“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
"

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

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

"

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