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Comments regarding Plant Delights Nursery

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306 positives
28 neutrals
50 negatives

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RatingAuthorContent
Positive mableruth
(2 reviews)
On Aug 21, 2010, mableruth Bolingbrook, IL (Zone 5a) wrote:

I just ordered three fern plants from this store and they arrived in just two days. Their packing is very good and there were no signs of dirt leaking out at all. The plants themselves appear healthy. Also they were clearly labeled, which is expecially important for gardeners like myself with very little experiance. I cannot predict the future but I am looking to have these plants a long time.

Positive greyslate
(12 reviews)
On Jul 15, 2010, greyslate Baltimore, MD wrote:

I've mainly been shopping from Plant Delights for many different varieties of ferns that I haven't really been able to find anywhere else. I've received them in all of the various seasons of the year, from the dormant pots of "dirt", to the lush full plants of late spring and summer, to the fading end of the season. All have flourished, and spread! I couldn't be happier with the plants I've received.

Positive Cville_Gardener
(13 reviews)
On Jul 15, 2010, Cville_Gardener Clarksville, TN (Zone 7a) wrote:

I just received my first order from this company. I had gotten an email from the company shortly after placing my order stating that shipping would be delayed due to temperatures around 100 degrees in their area. It has been very warm here also (95+) and I was very pleased to see they were being prudent about shipping conditions. I would much rather wait a bit than have plants shipped when temperatures are too hot or too cold. The plants arrived today in great condition, not at all dry or dessicated. I received three large specimens of unusual varieties of yucca. I was most pleased with their size and condition. This company has a very intriguing catalog with some unusal plant offerings. I can't wait to plant my yuccas but am going to wait until they've had a little time to acclimate to their new home. I will definitely order from this company regularly. They aren't the cheapest nursery, but you will discover the reasons why and if this shipment is any indication -- and I believe it is -- you definitely get what you pay for. If you are looking for the unusual and not-so-common, check them out.

Positive rjhatl
(4 reviews)
On Jul 12, 2010, rjhatl Tucker, GA wrote:

I've made many purchases from Plant Delights, both via mail and in-person at their nursery in North Carolina. They've always packaged plants very well and everything I've received has been healthy.

If you can manage it, you should really visit their nursery during an open house. Their gardens are amazing.

Positive cebearden
(3 reviews)
On May 29, 2010, cebearden Gulfport, MS (Zone 8b) wrote:

I love their catalog! The plants arrived in good condition. They go in the ground today, so stay tuned how they perform! I will say that their packing of plants doesn't come close to the ingenius packing of "Almost Eden." The mailman could stand an AE package of plants on its head and it wouldn't matter due to packing! What PDN says about customers is true about life. You get what you give. PDN was slow to respond to e-mail queries, but eventually they got back to me with an answer to my question. It's hard to remember, but I'm not the only customer to whom they have to respond!

Positive sthinton
(6 reviews)
On Apr 25, 2010, sthinton Astoria, NY (Zone 6b) wrote:

This nursery is the rare example of a business that deserves a rating higher than positive. I strongly recommend Plant Delights as a source for your online and catalog orders. Their prices are reasonable for the quality of the plants and are a much better value than the ones available for cheaper prices from bargain nurseries.

I ordered Cimicifuga racemosa ($13), Begonia grandis ($13) and Abutilon ($12). The Cimicifuga has well-developed roots and top growth of one foot! The Begonia has buds and thick fibrous roots. Best of all is the Abutilon which has a spread of nearly one foot and is hanging with buds. Five days later this gem is already flush with showy flowers.

The plants I ordered arrived promptly and were very well packaged. All were moist and showed no signs of trauma from the shipment. It is evident that care and attention were taken in the care of the plants and in the packing process. Plants were in deep quart nursery pots of thick, quality plastic that I save and reuse for propagating my own cuttings.

The Plant Delights website and printed catalog are both valuable resources for a gardener. I live in New York City (zone 6b/7a) and find that most of the nursery's offerings grow well for me, with the exception of the tropical offerings.

Positive dwc47
(14 reviews)
On Apr 21, 2010, dwc47 Chattanooga, TN (Zone 7b) wrote:

Plants received were very healthy and larger than expected. Shipping was timely and packing was excellent.

Positive mad4roses
(25 reviews)
On Apr 16, 2010, mad4roses Georgetown, TX (Zone 8a) wrote:

Poet's laurel is such a great plant, but nearly impossible to find. Today, I received five very nice, healthy specimens from Plant Delights. Opening that box was better than Christmas!

I also love their catalog. There's good information on many unusual plants and photos of every plant listed. They obviously have a sense of humor as well, which is a good thing and makes for a better read.

I'd definitely recommend them and will be ordering again.

Positive wabum
(7 reviews)
On Apr 2, 2010, wabum Reydon, OK wrote:

Once again, this nursery has supplied me with unusual plants in fantastic condition and wonderfully packed for survival. One member of this website might object to styrofoam packing but I love it, it makes a reliable substitute for gravel in the bottom of pots and makes the pots easier to carry. Have never had a problem with contacting them or recieving any help/advice.

Positive Saltydoc
(3 reviews)
On Mar 28, 2010, Saltydoc Silver Spring, MD (Zone 7a) wrote:

I have purchased plants from PDN for years. I have always found the plants received to be of good quality and well-packaged for shipment. Are their prices somewhat higher then others? Definitely. But I find that countered by a vast number of hard to find plants. As I am a 'zone bender', many of my purchases are rated for my zone or warmer. I thankfully have not had a reason to complain to them, so I can't comment on their Customer Service in this regard. However, I have called with questions and was always offered extensive detailed help from knowledgeable folks. Definitely a positive rating from me.

Positive neil472
(1 review)
On Feb 19, 2010, neil472 Atlanta, GA (Zone 8a) wrote:

Because I live in just about the same zone as Plant Delights it's a nice resource for unusual plants. If they say something will work in zone 7b I can be certain it will.

Some have complained about prices. If you don't like the prices, shop somewhere else.

Some have complained about lack of response via email. Did you try the phone? They've always been very responsive when I've called.

Positive richardrude
(1 review)
On Jan 12, 2010, richardrude Basin, WY wrote:

I love their plants and have always received them in great condition, in pots wrapped in lots of butcher paper. I like their brugmansia and albutilon among others.

Negative dave12122
(83 reviews)
On Dec 29, 2009, dave12122 East Haddam, CT wrote:

Posted on February 10, 2003, updated December 29, 2009
I continue to order from Plant Delights because they have many species and cultivars not offered elsewhere. However, the condition of their plants varies from excellent to barely alive, most items are badly pot bound, and the prices are best described as high to very high, especially for new hostas that tend to drop in price after a few years. Moreover, the nursery has a "bump on itself", never failing to sing its praises, even when it is not warranted (does anyone really care how many species the Juniper Level Display Garden has?) The notes on How To Be A Good Customer are unbelieveably patronizing and not funny in the least. As a matter of fact, what passes for humor in this catalog sounds like leftover material from the Johnny Carson show. The zone hardiness ratings are so inaccurate as to be laughable...about the only truely funny thing in the catalog. Raleigh, North Carolina rarely gets below 15 degrees, maybe for a day or two. Just because something survives zero degrees in Raleigh every 10 years does NOT mean it will survive a typical zone 7 winter! I would add 1 or 2 zones to each of the hardiness ratings...the so called hardy Agaves and their relatives MUST be absolutely dry in the winter or they will rot. Many of the other succulent plants offered are not adapted to Eastern winters and cannot take frozen soil and alternate freezing and thawing. None of this is mentioned in the catalog, which would have you believe each of its offerings is on a level with Mother Teresa. So, basically this is a pipe dream catalog, some very good plants, some untested junk, a lot of glowing descriptions and perfect plants. When Plant Delights embraces "real life" I plan or ordering from them more.


On June 6th, 2007, dave12122 changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:

It is with reluctance that I need to change my rating of Plant Delights Nursery to negative. I sent an email in mid May outlining my disappointment with two plants ordered the previous season, in late August. Both the Saruma henryi and Tricyrtis "Imperial Banner" looked like they had seen better days when they arrived, but I figured it was the end of the season and the plants would emerge healthy and vigorous the following Spring. Well, it here it is, June 5th, and there is absolutely NO top growth on either plant. They clearly succumbed over a weird yet generally mild winter (lowest temperature 4 degrees, which would theoretically be zone 7). This shouldn't be an issue of hardiness....unless PDN is being dishonest in its presentation of these two species. When I dug up the plants, I was surprised to see a puny root system on both. Clearly, this size was probably only appropriate for Spring planting, but there is nothing in the catalogue to that effect.

My initial email was completely ignored, so I sent another one a week later. That, too was not replied to, a completely unacceptable level of customer service. In the second email, I outlined an additional problem I was having with Arisaema triphyllum "Black Jack". The original tiny corm sent last Spring never came up, so PD sent a new plant with foliage in the summer. Unfortunately, this second plant has not emerged in 2007, while countless other triphyllums around it have bloomed and prospered beautifully.

I predict that "Blackjack" will emerge as a poor doer in the north due to lack of hardiness much north of Washington DC. PD did not do its homework on this plant, and now I'm out $35.00. It does not mean much that a plant is hardy in a Raleigh zone 7, even if the temperature goes to 5 degrees or lower on rare occasions. February and March in Connecticut were largely below freezing, and "Blackjack" appears to be a plant that cannot take prolonged freezing soil and cold.

If PD "makes good" on these issues, I will be glad to change the rating to positive. However, being ignored for three weeks, even if PD doesn't agree with me, is simply not good business.
On September 4th, 2007, dave12122 added the following:

To respond to Ms. Austin's comments of June 6th:

I definitely used the "office" email rather than the "sales" email. While I could "buy" that an email could get lost once, two emails, sent on different days being lost strains my credulity. Either I am incredibly unlucky or PD is not as organized as it could be.

Yet, this third evaluation DID get to PDN in early June, since Ms. Austin responded to it. As of today, September 3rd, I have received NO response from PDN other than this rebuttal. I do not know how I could have responded earlier than 9 months (not 10....I wrote in May). Sometimes, ratty plants delivered in August DO make it through the winter and I thought it would be fair to see if the two plants did indeed make it. When there appeared to be no sign of life in May, I wrote to PDN immediately. Notifying them earlier would have been like the "boy who cried wolf". I really don't know what I could have done differently. Letting them know in August would have been a little silly since the plants were not dead, just ratty looking. They probably would have said "wait to see if they come through the winter" anyway, which brings us back to square one.

The Arisaema "Black Jack" never came up. I found the bulb, and it had rotted, perhaps as long ago as early winter, I cannot tell. This is the only case out of 100's of Arisaema triphyllums I have grown where a bulb has rotted. Other Arisaemas in the same area....ringens, consanguinea, japonica, flavum, draconitum, etc. all thrived and came up at the proper time, so I find it a bit hard to believe that there is a cultivation problem here. Again, it is important to note that I failed with this form TWICE. The initial bulb was extremely small, one-eighth of an inch at most, and never came up after being planted in early Spring. My prediction is...and I may be wrong, just like Ms. Austin...that smaller bulbs of "Black Jack" are not hardy in zone 6b without snow cover and the plant as a whole is not satisfactory north of Philadelphia. Time will tell who is right!

I find it rather odd that Ms. Austin welcomes zone information from PDN customers, but when I give her this information based on 42 years worth of gardening in Zone 6, she is quick to be defensive and accusatory. Of course, it is I that must be the mediocre gardener and PDN is always on target with its zone ratings. A lower New England Zone 6 and a Zone 6 in southern states such as Kentucky, North Carolina, etc. is an entirely different animal. The length of the cold, daily highs, and moisture in the air/alternating rain and snow are completely different. I repeat: just because a certain plant comes through the winter in central North Carolina means next to nothing for gardeners in New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island, Connecticut. I would be happy to give PDN my more thorough zone observations on over 100 of their plants, but as you can see, they are hardly receptive to such material, so why bother?

Little things mean a lot, and Ms. Austin's placement of my word reluctant in parenthesis speaks volumes. Does she mean to imply I enjoy giving negative reviews, that I have nothing better to do when there are over 2,000 species to manage in the greenhouse and 1,000 more in the outside garden? My reviews in Dave's Garden are public, and largely positive. Yes, there are a few strongly negative ones, but I have tried to call things as I see them. And when you call things as you see them with PDN, you are discredited immediately. I really cannot see how that fosters a positive/reciprocal attitude with customers, but I am sure PDN will think of another defensive style response.


Dave12122
On December 29th, 2009, dave12122 added the following:

In early 2009, I felt it was worth the effort to make one more effort to resolve this long standing issue. I decided to write to Tony Avent directly, to avoid the issue of emails not being received. Tony's initial response was encouraging, and he offered to replace both plants on any future order of $50.00 or more. This was important, as it was the first indication of some accountability on PDN's part. Unfortunately, I had long since replaced both plants, and felt a little uncomfortable having to place an additional $50.00 order to receive new plants, a requirement I had never encountered before. So, I wrote back suggesting instead a simple credit for both plants to be used for a future order. I felt this was acknowledging there could indeed be a future order and keeping the door open for additional dealings with PDN.

Well, apparently that was the wrong thing to say. I received a speedy reply from Tony, wholly different in tone, stating "I had a different thought process than all of his other customers, was "spewing venom" and was not contrite enough." He further went on to say "this will be the last communication from us".

Excuse me? What exactly do I need to be contrite about? I planted the 2 specimens immediately, gave them sufficient care, and yet they still died, despite being in a perennial bed where 100 other plants (20 newly planted from other nurseries) came through the winter perfectly. Perhaps Tony is expecting me to be contrite about not reporting the ratty plants within the 5 day window. Well, that indeed was for PDN's benefit. Plants can be ratty but not dead, and to ask for replacements at that point would have been unreasonable. By the way, this 5 day reporting policy is absolutely terrible for gardeners. Like winter damage, the effects of shipping a poorly grown plant in a box for several days does not usually show up immediately. In my experience, such plants usually show distress after 10 days-2 months, and die agonizingly slowly. Of course, this is outside of the PDN replacement period. However, I find it hard to believe that a garderner who plants something in good faith and yet loses it in 10 days, or to make it more ridiculous, 6 days is doing anything wrong.

Stating that my thought processes are unlike any other PDN customer is rather strange. Would not the typical PDN customer expect plants cared for in August and the subsequent Fall to still be alive the following growing season? I should hope they would. Tony stated in his 2nd letter to me that plants sometimes "die for no reason. " I have never found that to be true. Sometimes it is difficult to discern the reason, especially the subtleties of drainage, but there always is a reason, generally related to a problem with under or over watering.

In the infamous "How to be a good customer" essay, Tony is quick to point out that "if you are a mean customer, we would be happy to provide you with a list of companies that deserve
your business." Yet, apparently it is fine for Tony to send an insulting and dismissive email such as the 2nd one he sent me. This makes me doubt his sincerity, as well as his veracity.
On Dec 29, 2009, Plant Delights Nursery responded with:

"


On Jun 6, 2007 5:10 PM, Plant Delights Nursery added:

As Customer Service Manager, I am writing in hopes that dave12122 will read our rebuttal to his "reluctant" change from neutral to a negative posting.

First, I would like to respectfully address the topic of unanswered email. Since I am solely responsible for the disposition of all company email, I would like to clarify how our email is handled. We make every effort to answer all email received within 24 hours from the date of receipt (excluding weekends). There are other methods of communication aside from email that could be utilized to investigate your unanswered mail. However, you have elected to use this public forum to accuse us of a negligent level of customer service. Your post is unfair and undeserved. Perhaps something as simple as the email address was miss-spelled or sent to [e-mail:sales@plantdelights.com] The sales address is used for web confirmations only. The email address that we read and respond to is [e-mail:office@plantdelights.com] We invite you to check your email address on file to make sure you have our correct email address:
office@plantdelights.com If you prefer, you can give us a call at (919) 772-4794.

The next point I would like to address is the condition of the Saruma henryi and Tricyrtis "Imperial Banner upon arrival. All reported concerns are documented as soon as a customer contacts us. We have no documentation regarding your displeasure with plants received in August 2006. It is the customer’s responsibility to notify us if there are any concerns related to plants at the time of receipt rather than ten months later.

I see that we replaced your Arisaema triphyllum ‘Black Jack’ in 2006. Just last week a customer in New York state telephoned to report that her ‘Black Jack’ had not emerged and she was positive it was dead. Today, she called to report that it emerged this week. Perhaps you haven't waited long enough? As noted in the catalog description “…For us it emerges slightly later (mid-May) than most A. triphyllum.” Since you are north of us, I would not count it out yet. The zone information is accurate; perhaps you might investigate by searching for your tuber. You may consider speaking with one of our horticulturist’s on staff to discuss the cause of your problems, but these problems are not related to the plants ability to withstand your temperatures.

As for our Zone ratings, we respectfully disagree. The fact is that Raleigh, NC has had two consecutive warm winters in a row where our low was 15 degrees F for many nights. Other than these abnormal winters, we regularly drop into the single digits. If a plant has not been through a Zone 7 winter, it does not get a Zone 7 rating. You will notice many new listings that are probably Zone 7 hardy, but we still list them as Zone 8 until we can verify that they can stand colder weather. We would appreciate examples of plants that the customer feels are miss-zoned, so we can explain or investigate. There are many factors that influence hardiness other than minimum cold and we encourage the customer to read our article on this subject before claming that the hardiness zones are incorrect.

I don’t even know how to reply to your “unless PDN is being dishonest” comment, so we will not dignify this remark with a response.

With regard to your earlier comment, having never seen the Johnny Carson Show, but knowing it to be one of the most respected shows in television history, we consider this a compliment.

Regards,

Dianne Austin
Customer Service Manager
Plant Delights Nursery, Inc.
"


Positive Pinguicula
(24 reviews)
On Nov 11, 2009, Pinguicula Sitka, AK (Zone 7a) wrote:

Fantastic plants, wonderful customer service! Plus the catalog always makes me laugh.

Positive phdbot1
(11 reviews)
On Oct 13, 2009, phdbot1 Gainesville, GA wrote:

If you grow the unusual and like Zone 8 sub-tropicals, this nursery is what your looking for! The plants are healthy and ready to plant when you get them. Packing and shipping are excellent and their customer service is great. The selection takes your breath away, and although you can easily browse if you like, you can go straight to the kinds of plants you like to grow. The plant descriptions are at once humorous, but tell you how big something gets and what it needs to grow. Everything's there. You just need to supply a good growing place.

Positive Hillbilly_Gran
(23 reviews)
On Oct 9, 2009, Hillbilly_Gran Jasper, AR (Zone 7a) wrote:

I received my order and was delighted with the fat healthy plants I received. I was initially a little shocked by the high shipping costs, $17.50 for 3 plants for Fed-Ex shipping. Yes, they were good sized, but would have easily fit into a flat rate USPS box for less cost. (No matter what anyone says, I have never had a problem with plants shipped via USPS). I REALLY wanted one of these plants and could not find it elsewhere, the others were purchased just to reach the $35 min. order. I have absolutely no complaints about the quality of the merchandise--but with a high minimum order and high shipping costs I will thoroughly explore other options before ordering again.

Negative kudrick
(4 reviews)
On Sep 10, 2009, kudrick Fallston, MD (Zone 6b) wrote:

In the past 5 years, I have spent over $2,000 with PDN and in the past few years, their plants have one of the highest mortality rates of all ( compared to at least 20 other nurseries that I deal with ). I have this year sent 3 or 4 emails asking for help with plants that I have purchased, and have never received a single reply. They used to package their plants with shredded newspaper but now are using styrofoam peanuts, the environmental impact of which is unquestionably negative.


On Sep 10, 2009, Plant Delights Nursery responded with:

"On Sep 10, 2009 12:04 PM, Plant Delights Nursery responded with:

Dear Kudrick,

I am very sorry to hear that your emails went unanswered. Because of spam filters and a variety of other cyber-snafus, email correspondence is not a reliable form of communication. When your emails remain unswered by us, you can be assured with 100% certainty that we did not receive it. Please give us a call or D-Mail me here on Dave's Garden with your telephone number and I will be happy to discuss any problems you have experienced with our plants. As our catalog states, if we have played any part in the demise of our customers' plants we want to replace them.

Kind regards,

Dianne Austin
office@plantdelights.com
(919) 772-4794 "


Positive lothianjavert
(13 reviews)
On Aug 15, 2009, lothianjavert North East, MD (Zone 6b) wrote:

I placed my first order with Plant Delights about a month ago. The plants that arrived were very well packed and healthy-- gorgeous chunky roots. Both are planted and doing well. Both are "experiments" (zone pushing), so I'll have to wait to see how they do.

I've already picked out entirely too many plants that I still want to order from PDN next spring... and I'm afraid that list will keep growing! They have some very interesting and unusual plants and I'll definitely order again.

Positive awgaupp
(1 review)
On Aug 4, 2009, awgaupp Pittsburgh, PA wrote:

I went to the open house last month. i bought 3 pitcher plants, lady bug, doodle bug, and another i got special that i cannot reveal. but their little bugs are NOT little. Its a huge clump. i will likely be going back next year.

Positive SusanLouise
(7 reviews)
On Jul 30, 2009, SusanLouise Lincoln, NE (Zone 5b) wrote:

We received large healthy plants, packed well and sent in a timely fashion...Thank you Plant Delights! :)

Positive 24redlion24
(1 review)
On Jun 22, 2009, 24redlion24 Red Lion, PA wrote:

HI, FROM 24REDLION24, I ORDERED FROM PLANTS DELIGHTS NURSERY. FOR MY FIRST YEAR. THEY HAVE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLANTS YOU CAN BUY. THEY ARE BIG AND HEALTHY AND THEY GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO MAKE SURE YOUR HAPPY. I WOULD RECOMMEND THEM TO EVERYONE. THANKS PLANTS DELIGHT FOR YOUR GOOD SERVICE . RED LION PA

Positive VA_Wild_Rose
(7 reviews)
On Jun 20, 2009, VA_Wild_Rose Fredericksburg, VA (Zone 7a) wrote:

I was a first-time customer to Plant Delights, but I have looked through their on-line catalog numerous times. I was in search of new and unusual elephant ears this year, and PD had one that I could not find ANYWHERE else. I must say they may have the best customer service people of any other company I have dealt with on-line. I was emailed in person not once, not twice, but three times by one of their people... confirming plants were in stock, and making sure the shipping address was correct and shipping time was suitable. I placed my order on a Thursday night, and received a personal email Friday morning! Plants were shipped on Monday and received on Tuesday of the following week! Other communication included automated package tracking and two order confirmations. Carefully packed, plants were in perfect condition with not one leaf broken! I received big, healthy EEs and I am thrilled! I am more than pleased with my first experience and look forward to being a repeat customer in the future. Highly recommended!!!

Positive topofmurrayhill
(3 reviews)
On May 28, 2009, topofmurrayhill Flushing, NY (Zone 6b) wrote:

I purchased from PDN for the first time this year and placed two orders, each for several types of hardy perennials. I received good healthy specimens that were packed with great care. Customer service went out of their way to be helpful when I dropped a last-minute request on them.

This company is run by intelligent, knowledgeable and personable people. Their website copy is exceptionally enjoyable to read because it's smart and "real" and sometimes humorous - not just marketing hype to sell the product. Their eclectic selection of plants includes what you're looking for as well as things you didn't know you wanted.

If you want to deal with professionals, this is the supplier for you. I look forward to remaining a customer.

Positive arleene
(2 reviews)
On May 24, 2009, arleene Woodstock, GA (Zone 7b) wrote:

I rec'd my order from PD just this past week, and was very pleased with the health and vitality of the plants. Each individual specimen was packed with a lot of protective material, and the soil of each item was still moist upon my receipt. I was particularly pleased that the special instructions I had indicated with my order were followed to the letter! I travel frequently, and am always concerned with plants arriving in my absence. When I placed my order with PD, I was pleased to see that this company ASKED if special delivery instuctions needed to be followed. I've NEVER seen this on other sites I've ordered from. I requested a delivery date 2 weeks out, and further requested that delivery needed to be on a Mon, Tues, or Wed. My plants arrived on Wednesday, in perfect shape. I'm delighted with the care this company took to make sure their product arrived in such good shape. I will definately order from them again.

Negative KarenPhanco
(2 reviews)
On May 19, 2009, KarenPhanco Canton, GA wrote:

I also have ordered from PDN for a couple of years. Most of the time I have been happy with their plants. This year I was not as happy. Last year I had ordered 5 Cardoon plants and several miniature pitcher plants. None of the 5 cardoon came up this spring and one of the pitcher plants died. I was informed by PDN that my cardoons were not replaceable as I lived in Zone 7a rather than a 7b. I have always felt that zones were to be used as a general guide in planting. Many sites only list me as a 7. To add to that, my area did not have any temperatures as low as the 5-0 temperatures listed for Zone 7b, so my plants should have survived given this criteria. I was also informed that my pitcher plant would no doubt grow upon warmer temperatures. Excuse me, I've been a gardener long enough to recognize a DEAD plant. Even though their prices are relatively high, I have been willing to pay them if I felt their plants were healthy and out of the ordinary. Not anymore.


On May 19, 2009, Plant Delights Nursery responded with:

"On May 27, 2009 11:06 AM, Plant Delights Nursery responded with:

To Karen and Garden Watchdog readers:

We understand how our policy can be puzzling given the extended guarantees that are prevalent in the green industry today. A customer can forget to water, plant in poor soil, neglect to provide winter protection to mention a few, and large garden centers/big box stores will replace or refund with no questions asked. Plants are our only source of income which is why we cannot compete with these long-term guarantees.

Previous to our grower's email reply to you, she reviewed our Cynara cardunculus historical crop data to see whether we had any evidence of plant loss that would coincide with your loss and nothing in our crop history indicated a pathogen that would contribute to your loss. I see that we did replace your Clematis addisonii under our extended dormancy guarantee.

We want to be fair, and in every case we want to replace or refund any plant loss that is our fault. We guarantee our quality, but we do not guarantee that everyone will be successful gardeners. We have killed our fair share due to improper drainage, too much sun, not enough sun, neighborhood dogs, insects, vermin, improper plants for our zone and a myriad of other reasons including quirks of mother nature that no one has control over.

The 5-day policy from a business standpoint also makes good sense if we hope to survive as a company. If a healthy plant is received by a customer and planted, most plants will survive a long list of abuses for a short period of time. Beyond 5 days, the plant is culturally out of our control and scope of responsibility. It is now subject to the care provided by another gardener.

Karen, I apologize for the lengthy rebuttal, but it is important to us that our horticultural friends around the circle understand our logic when questions arise about our limited guarantee policy. I do hope you find this information helpful. Here is a link to our guarantee policy on our website. Our guarantee policy is also attached to the Order Form in the center of each printed catalog.

http://www.plantdelights.com/Catalog/Current/order.html

If there is any service or promise we have not lived up to, please let us know so we can address that as well.

Sincerely,

Dianne Austin
Manager, Customer Service & Shipping
Plant Delights Nursery, Inc.

"


Positive kbedit
(16 reviews)
On May 18, 2009, kbedit Arvada, CO wrote:

Once again, a stellar experience. Beautiful specimens, terrific protective packaging, and on-time delivery. These are great people with great product selection and customer service.

Positive Nobody
(8 reviews)
On May 4, 2009, Nobody Frankfort, KY wrote:

I was somewhat concerned about ordering from this company because of negative reviews. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the product and customer service. I talked to Virginia when I placed order. She was very professional and pleasant. She also called me when they shipped out my order.

Positive balberth
(18 reviews)
On May 3, 2009, balberth (Zone 9a) wrote:

I have ordered from PDN at least once a year for something like the past ten years, and I know I can count on them to ship well grown plants safely. My last order arrived surprisingly quickly ( I often order in the winter outside of the shipping season, and therefore have to wait quite a while - this one was really quick ) - it included some very uncommon plants that were larger and more robust than I would have expected for something so difficult to find.

The only drawback is that PDN is often one of the more expensive sources for a given plant ... I might not use them for something that's common. But so much of their stuff is either exclusive or hard to find that I know I'll be ordering from them again soon.

Positive grammieagain
(1 review)
On Apr 30, 2009, grammieagain Clayton, NC wrote:

I post this positive review in defense of some of your negative customers! We all know people like that! I too, received a dead looking plant from this company. It's called DORMANT Better to ship that way. Now in late spring it is already 5 foot tall and one of my granddaughter's favorite plants. Named freckles "Polygonum cuspidatum 'Freckles' (Freckles Mexican Bamboo) slide #60264
Sauls Rd

Beautiful plant and Plantdelight's customer service rep called me on the phone to make sure after it broke dormancy that the plant was doing well and I was satisfied. Thanks Toni and Cindi. I have since spent several hundred $$ at this site and have been pleased with every purchase over the years. By the way, there is another open house tomorrow and I'll be there buying again, along with many other plant experts in the area. PDN has nothing but the best in horticulture available. As far as your murderous dead plant killer that left his hibiscus in the baking sun. Tell him to go to Walmart if he wants to purchase a plant in full bloom ready to die. Cause all of his plants will die anyway with his negative energy around them

Positive Cody_mi
(4 reviews)
On Apr 29, 2009, Cody_mi Hart, MI wrote:

i was very happy with the plants i recieved from plant delights. they're on the expensive end, but all plants were large and very healthy. all are growing well and most have doubled in size in a year.

Positive BCGe
(6 reviews)
On Apr 22, 2009, BCGe Frederick, MD wrote:

Large selection of hard to find material. Received nice healthy plants.

Positive blackdogga
(6 reviews)
On Apr 12, 2009, blackdogga Carrollton, GA wrote:

I am delighted. My plants arrived promptly on schedule, well packed, and have already put out new growth.

Positive theherbgardener
(5 reviews)
On Mar 12, 2009, theherbgardener Stone Mountain, GA wrote:

I've always been pleased with my purchases from Plant Delights, the plants are always healthy and of good size. I've been buying from them for the past 7 years, I was looking forward to receiving this year's order but unfortunately I lost my job. I was able to cancel my order without problem. I value good customer service so they've got a customer for life with me, I will order from them again.


On April 28th, 2009, theherbgardener added the following:

Plant Delights has been a favorite online nursery of mine to order from for years, every plant, including the ones I ordered this year, have arrived on time and in excellent health. Plant Delights is a bit expensive, and to order online requires a minimum amount (I think $35), but with such a huge selection of plants to choose from it's difficult to not spend $35.
Positive Laaz
(6 reviews)
On Jan 18, 2009, Laaz North Charleston, SC wrote:

PDN offers high quality plants. I have ordered 10 of their Agave and every one was of the highest quality. Very well packaged and delivered within a day of shipment. Great buying experience A+++

My only complaint is that Tony needs to start releasing more of his agave collection :)

Positive bismark
(4 reviews)
On Jan 16, 2009, bismark La Salle, IL wrote:

Having ordered from Plant Delights many times in the past. I'd to say that this is an excellent place to buy your plants from. When it comes to packaging , condition plants arrive in and customer service. Plant Delights and klems Song Sparrow are as good as it gets. When a company cares enough to respond to negative email posted here they likely will care about you and your order as well. Good job Plant Delights hope your place weathers the bad economy. Good nusreies are hard to find. Pat

Negative cowpea123
(10 reviews)
On Jan 15, 2009, cowpea123 Coushatta, LA wrote:

My friend ordered me a few plants as gift and when he gave them to me they were tiny!I asked him how much he paid for them and I was shocked.They were plugs stuck in 4" pots.I did some research and talked to some people and found out that PD buys agaves,hostas and other plants as tissue cultured plugs for 1.75-3.95 and sales them for 19.95 and up!From the plants I got it seems they don't keep them very long.They were alive and well but tiny.They cost 19.95 each plus shipping.I had to grow them all summer in pots before I could plant them out.I ordered the same plants from another nursery and got nice quart size plants for the same price.If you like tiny plants that are bought cheap and sold at a huge markup buy from PD.


On January 16th, 2009, cowpea123 added the following:

I do not have a problem with buying liners and plugs at wholesale prices and selling them at higher prices but at least grow them to a good size.I was wrong about the price of the plants they were 18.00 not 19.95 and they were alive and very healthy but so very tiny and you still see the shape of plug.
On Jan 15, 2009, Plant Delights Nursery responded with:

"


On Jan 16, 2009 8:57 AM, Plant Delights Nursery added:

Dear cowpea 123,

First I would like to express how sorry we are to learn of your disappointment with any plant received from us - especially a plant that was meant as a gift. However, we are a little confused regarding the price you state was paid for your plant. All of the plants we sell are priced even dollars, i.e. $12.00. One of two things could be the case here. Either your purchase was from another company or your friend gave you inaccurate information. Assuming for the moment that you did receive the plant from us, we would appreciate it if you would email us directly and let us know which plant we are discussing so we can look into this on our end. All mail order nurseries world-wide receive liner stock from wholesale companies as well as from tissue-culture facilities. It is not how the plant is propagated that matters, but how well the plant is rooted in and is it of the appropriate size to transplant into its permanant garden home. We guarantee that all of our plants will meet this standard, and if we have failed to live up to this promise, we ask that our customers notify us so we can correct our mistake.
Looking forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Dianne Austin
Customer Service Manager
Plant Delights Nursery, Inc."


Positive amorecuore
(5 reviews)
On Oct 29, 2008, amorecuore Ft Lauderdale, FL (Zone 10a) wrote:

I have ordered from Plant Delights approximately 10 times in the past two years and have always received very good customer service and quick response to any inquiries. The plants received have always been healthy/top quality plants that have adapted to their new growing environment very easily and they never seem to go through any shipment stress. I highly recommend Plant Delights Nursery.

Positive secretgrwr
(5 reviews)
On Sep 5, 2008, secretgrwr Canby, OR wrote:

Just received another order from my FAVORITE nursery! Somehow the plants make it in great shape all the way to the west coast. I have placed many orders with Plant Delights over the last decade and have always been delighted! I am a 'plant junkie' to the max and order plants from all over the country (and further)...I really appreciate the fantastic selection (I drool all over the catalogues), the humor, enthusiasm, the personal touches by Tony, the owner and then of course, those wonderful plants that perform so well in my garden after a little rest out of their boxes. I would not hesitate to recommend Plant Delights, I think they're the greatest!

Negative celticflower
(1 review)
On Sep 3, 2008, celticflower Chickasha, OK wrote:

My advice is to order from any of the other quality companies. I order all my plants on line and I was tempted to order from PD due to selection of unusual plants.

I received dead plants, they didn't respond to my email since they didn't answer the phone before I went to work.
They have not answered the first email.

What I received was small dead plants in 4" deep pots for $15.00 each. these were not as described.

Customer service would not replace the plants because they blamed their agent for the condition of the plants. I am still waiting on a refund. We are in our second month.

They were slow to ship, no reply to email on delivery and no customer service. Just avoid and order from several companies that specialize in the unusual.

In the past I have ordered the unusual from Native Plants, Tx Natives, Callaways, High Country Gardens, Sun Shine Nursery etc..... Just avoid PD and save your self the money and misery. I wish I had read the reivews here before ordering because the neutrals and negatives would of saved me.


On September 8th, 2008, celticflower added the following:

First it took PD over two weeks to ship. I said that was fine but I need them to arrive before 12 noon or delay them because I had a trip scheduled.

I found them when I returned on Monday on our front step in full sun, THERE is a shade side of the porch or even next to the door would of keep them out of the sun. They were delivered on Friday after 12. The plants were cooked, roots and all. They had been in the sun for 3 days with 107 degree temp. PD had told the agent to leave them and not require signature. I never gave a release to the delivery company.

I called the company immediately and was told it was not there responsibility to replace the plants since they were delivered. You can check the weatherunderground and see that the whole south was under a heat wave. Secondly they knew that I was leaving at 12 noon. I wasn't going to waste my time on plants that were cooked and dead. I felt and still do feel that PD should of file a claim with Fed ex since they left plants in the sun and their box clear has warnings about heat and cold.

They were not going to replace them or refund them. I told them I am sending them back. Since they were dead and I was paying for the shipping I washed all the dirt off and cut the plants back to reduce the weight.) As far as time, I can not control shipping times and it didn't matter if I shipped them express or third class, they were dead.

Cindi won't not even talk to me and I was not unpolite. I was firm that I was not going to waste money on dead plants.
The plants I shipped are the plants that I sent, I sent the complete dead plant less the soil. It is so easy to send out little plants and when you have a complaint go find bigger plants to show how robust your plants are. My plants looked nothing like the plants in the photo. Not in height, color or stem size. I received mere plugs/ liners. For $15 each they should of being large healthy plants.

If there was one ounce of life in the stems or roots I would of planted them, but they were mushy. The photos also show
much nicer looking plants than what I received. Also there is no moisture in the photos on the right so the stems are a lot smaller since they are DEAD.

I only posted here because I want to warn other buyers to not waste their money with PD. I am not the only unsatisfied customer with PD, READ THEIR RATINGS esp the neutrals and negatives. They have a history of not responding, not sent out good plants and sending out small liners.

I just wish I have read the reviews before I had ordered.
42 of their 231 customers had neg/neutral comments that is almost 20% are unsatisfied.

My advice is order from the top 30 on watchdog.
PDelights. As a customer they should stand behind their product and when their agent (fed ex) leaves plants on a door step in the sun because they didn't listen to the customer that told them they had to be their by 12. If their were so unaware of the 12 departure why did they send it second day and why did they choose morning service by noon. IT is on the label.
On September 8th, 2008, celticflower added the following:

I was polite and not angry. I informed them of the condition and they said it was my fault they were delivered 30 minutes after we left and they were not going to replace or refund.

I said that sending out plants without regard to instructions. I had to contact them about a shipping address since the order had my PO because they changed shipping and I told them it had to be there by noon on Friday and they shipped it that way. I find that Fed Ex didn't fulfill they agency delivery since they didn't arrive by 12 as stated on the label. They also left the box out in the sun. I believe that it is Plant delights fault since they released the package and would not file a claim with Fed Ex.

The customer service person said they would not replace or refund. Only when I said that it is their choice but that I would let my friends know how I was treated and that their customer service was lacking. I was not abusive or firm. Cindi never talked to me and then said I would get a refund when I returned the plants. I asked if they were going to send a rma and they said no, it was my responsibility to return them.
I told them If that was the case I would reduce the weight and send back usps.

They have the plants back and and my money.
I am still out the $60+ dollars for three small dead plants.

I tried to work with them, but they were more concern with
keeping my money and not replacing nor refunding so now they blame me. I guess when they rip you off, you are suppose to smile and say thank you .


I would like to emphasize that I was polite. I found PD not willing to do anything to resolve the solution.. I regret that Plants delight chose not to refund or replace, what a great
way to build customer service especially when they have the
return.

As always, I am grateful that DGW offers customers the ability to warn others about companies like Plant Delights where almost 20% of their customers have reported disatisfaction either by placing neturals or negatives.

Plant Delights has had plenty of time to refund or replace.
I have been more than corporative, either send me live plants like you show in your photos or refund my money.
Is that so much to ask?
On Sep 3, 2008, Plant Delights Nursery responded with:

"


On Sep 8, 2008 11:46 AM, Plant Delights Nursery added:

To celticflowers and DGW forum readers:

As customer service manager, it is my responsibility to respond to customer concerns or complaints when brought to our attention by email, phone or via these forums. I will take this opportunity to share a few more details regarding celticflowers dissatisfaction with our policies and service.

Regrettably, our customer did not notify us of his out of town plans. Our website offers all customers the option to choose a “preferred ship week”. We do not accommodate preferred “ship days” unless the customer advises us of special shipping instructions in advance. Further, the paperwork inside of the box states the date of shipping as “EST. DATE” – meaning estimated day of shipping. At no time prior to shipping were we alerted to out of town plans. Unfortunately, we experienced a heat delay the week of 7/21 and no orders shipped until Wednesday (7/23). Once shipping resumed, we selected transit services for every order that ensures a delivery date no later than Friday. In celticflowers case, we shipped 2-day air service at our expense in order to facilitate a Friday delivery.

Celticflower contacted us after his return home and reported yellowing Hibiscus and loss of leaves. For those of you that are familiar with hardy hibiscus, everyone will agree that these are very tough plants and will re-flush easily after stress damage. celticflower was instructed to plant them but refused; stating it was a “joke” and he would not “waste his time”; took an abusive tone with our representative and threatened the reputation of the nursery. Because he was so adamant about not planting them, I agreed to allow him to return the plants to us in tact for refund with the intention to rehabilitate them on our end. He returned them 21 days later, out of their pots (which was unnecessary since he would not plant them), no ID tags, bare-rooted with no moist media to protect the roots. Unacceptable.

Due to the condition of the returned plant material celticflower was advised in writing that we would not refund for plants in the condition they were returned in. Further, we question whether the material returned were the same Hibiscus we sent. (See attached photos).

I would like to emphasize that a polite demeanor and spirit of cooperation goes a long way. We are always willing to do more than our share to meet our customer’s demands – we only ask for a little cooperation. We regret that celticflower chose a different way of handling his disappointment.

As always, we are grateful that DGW offers companies such as ours the right to defend our reputation by bringing the “rest of the story” to these public forums.

Sincerely,

Dianne Austin
Manager, Customer Service/Shipping
Plant Delights Nursery, Inc.

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