Comments regarding Plant Delights Nursery

I have had great experience with this nursery. I've always had prompt service and the plants are usually nice sized. They have the best choice for unusual plants in the south. When I inherited some money this was the 1st place I headed.Just reading thier catalog every winter for many years has kept me in dreams.

About a month ago I ordered a hosta, canna , lenten rose and a fairywings plant. The plants arrived in a timely manner, were packaged well and disease free. The company sent me an order confirmation and a shipping confirmation which I aprreciated. Some places don't bother to do this. All the plants were larger than I had expected and have been growing well. The fairywing plant is blooming beautifully. PD is a little pricey but worth it to me b/c of the quality of the plants I received. I will order again and recommend this nursery to others.

I say yes. Read on if you are bored.

Painful as shipping and all may be, where else does one find plants like these? Usually: Nowhere else but their native land or native petri dish.

Lovely lovely plants. I didn't anticipate pillbugs crawling into the pot of, and eating the roots off of my palm, (My fault, but man, did I enjoy the day it came -better than Christmas)

I ordered the Dicentra scandens. (Yellow vining Bleeding Heart) Oh, yes, the queen of novel plants. Even though I have not finished the garden that it will call home, it has spent the summer months blooming its silly head off in its little pot.

The only thing on which my Fall order relies is if I have enough money saved by then!

I like looking at their catalog...great for a winter day read...I placed my order after reading the watchdog and seeing the neg. comments. I found that my shipment was packaged well and the plants thriving. The plants are doing well and thriving. I will order from them again. I realize that the prices are steep and so is the shipping BUT if you can't find it locally or elsewhere then you pay the price and I am willing to do just that.

I have purchased hundreds of dollars of plants from this company over several years and never been disappointed. Some years I make the trek from McLean, VA to Raleigh and load up my van with rare, exotic wonderful plants.

Shop here for the unusual. Buy the ordinary plants somewhere else. They may be expensive but you get your money's worth. The shipping and packaging is perfect! Never an injury or fatality, unlike my other mail order experiences. This is a great place to become adventurous and try the unusual. My musa basjoo has absolutely thrived in McLean, VA and is the talk of the neighborhood.

I was rather surprised to see negative comments about Plant Delights Nursery. Guess online nurseries can't make everyone happy? I ordered three nerium oleander's from the company earlier this spring. They arrived in excellent condition! They were healthy and packaged well. As a matter of fact, they have grown an inch since I purchased them and my hardy white oleander even bloomed today (5-29-05). I purchased these three plants for a total of $36 which I thought was a very reasonable price. I received their catalog last week and couldn't see how their cartoon on the front cover pertained to anything racial. I plan to order from them again in the future and would recommend them to close friends and relatives. The owner of the nursery (Tony Avent) is a very knowledgable, and respected gardener who has developed a more than reputable company. Negative comments should be directed more towards Ty Ty nursery than wasting them on this legitimate company.

There was a mix-up with my order and I initially received the wrong plants. Customer serivce was easy to reach (first call). Becky was very nice and said they would ship my order out right away, and to also keep the plants that they had sent by mistake. These were nice plants, a bonus!
The plants I received in my order that I received a couple of days later, were well packed and in perfect condition. The size was generous. I found the prices to be extremely reasonable for the quality, size and selections that I received. I will definitely shop at Plant Delights again.

I have ordered from just about every catalogue around, both online and in print, and have found Plant Delights to be the very best there is not just for their huge variety of hard-to-find plants, or the excellent info they provide about plants, but also for their generous, expert assistance with plants I've not even purchased from them! I have a huge six year old brugmansia that would not be alive today had one of their good people not emailed me great advice about how to care for it properly. I love their humorous catalogues, I love their excellent packing, and I have never had an argument or quibble of any kind out of them if anything wasn't quite what I expected. They are good, knowledgable and reasonable plantspeople who cater to the same. Very much worth every penny of their prices.

Rec'd. my latest shipment today and as always so pleased. It's so good to be able to order 3 new-to-me plants just from catalog description/photo and be sure that they will not disappoint. I feel I can always trust PDN to find unusual plants and then test-grow them to be sure they do well in SE. One of my favorite nurseries and my very favorite catalog. josh z8a

Plant Delights seems to specialize in warmer zone plants (zone 7 and up) so I have not been able to order a lot from them (I'm a zone 5)

The plants I have ordered, however, are fantastic! I was especially impressed by the spineless prickly pear they sent. It was over a foot tall and had pads on it measuring up to eight inches. Not a scar to be found on it as is typical of so many cactus type plants. The other plants were equally large, even after having been trimmed back for shipping.

The plants were hand wrapped with shredded paper like hoagies (or submarine sandwiches depending on your part of the country). I think they would have withstood being thrown across the room. In the whole shipment there was only a single damaged leaf.

This company is definately worth spending your money on. My only wish would be that they had more low zone plants (besides hostas, of which they have more varieties than I could count.)

4/13/05 - Last year's order arrived today... BIG, BOUNTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL. Bought them during the discount period in fall and got this this year at proper time. Could not ask for more. Thanks Plant Delights.

Love to drool over the catalog and enjoy the humor. A friend and I placed a small order together for a few rare plants last spring and were very pleased with the size and quality. UPS left a note when they tried to deliver and no one was home, indicating they would attempt the next day(Friday). On the note we checked the box telling them to just leave it on the porch, but they did'nt attempt delivery again until Monday. Since the weather was quite warm a couple of the plants did fail due to spending 4 more days in the hot box. Customer service was kind and accomidating and replaced them immediatly. My Patrinia scabiosifolia is loaded with basal buds and looks like it will put on a great show this year. A big Thanks! to Tony Avent and the great staff.

thanks for continuing to offer cool plants !

After years of gardening, Plant Delights is now one of the few nurseries I will even consider buying from. The plant pricing is actually low, when you consider all the time, research, effort, love, etc. that is put into the selection of each plant. I had the opportunity to visit the nursery personally in October of 2004, and cannot stress enough the deep commitment to quality, uniqueness, hardiness, education, etc. that Tony and his entire staff exhibited to each and every visitor. The plants I have purchased over the years have not only been top quality, but exciting, interesting, and unusual ones that have given my family, neighbors and me many hours of enjoyment. BUY early and often--you'll be rewarded!

I have placed numerous orders with Plant Delights most of them over $300.00. While some people think they are pricey, I believe you get what you pay for. The staff has always been courteous and helpful. Their catalogue is wonderful and humorous and well worth the ten stamps or a box of chocolates. I am a hosta collector and their plants are definitely worth the money and I won't be old and gray when they mature! I've only lost one plant from them and it was due to my own neglect and poor placement which I believe happens to a lot of gardeners reguardless of how experienced they are. When paying shipping charges people forget about the time it takes to pull the order, take it out of the container wrap each plant, box and mail! plus no state sales tax which for me would be 16 dollars on a 300.00 purchase. Mail order from reputable companies is the only way to get the new and exotic plant material that I have in my garden and Plant Delights does a wonderful job of filling that need.

I discovered PD 4 years ago when I bought my first house. I absolutely love them and the plants I receive are healthy and ready to go. Before I discovered them, I vowed I would never order another plant through the mail and receive a bare root stick that had no hope of survival. Yes, some of their prices are high and those are usually for the more rare species they offer. I don't mind paying $9-12 for a specimen that I can't find at my local nurseries and that already has a head start in growth. When placing an order, I try to think in terms of which plants I can purchase in town and which plants I cannot. I would rather not pay that much for shipping, so I probably don't order as often as I would like, but then I think all the shipping charges out there are outrageous. I will continue to order from them. I just sent off my birthday order. PD could probably make a commercial in my garden! Remember, PD is not Lowe's or your local nursery.

Like many other reviewers, I think the prices at Plant Delights are a little steep for my budget. However, that hasn't stopped me from ordering once a season or so. The selection of plants is interesting and kept fresh and the quality of the plants sent has been very good. The only problems I've had were once with a gift certificate (which was cleared up after a few calls and e-mails and only mildly frustrating) and problems caused by myself due to wishful Zone thinking. Spend a little more to get a plant that is healthy , large, and hardy, it's worth it.

Ok, so some of their prices are a bit high. It's the kind of place you go to find something unusual. I don't mind paying more for an unusual item as long as it arrives in good shape. All of the plants that I ordered from them arrived when I wanted them and looked healthy. Their catalog is very interesting and their website is easy to use. I went back and ordered a few more items.

After enjoying this company's catalogue for several years, I finally took the plunge and ordered three Apple Blossom Bergenia plants during their recent shipping sale. (Guess I'm not much of a risk-taker!)
The plants were packed beautifully and looked good enough to eat. I got them in the ground right away and they have sprouted new leaves already. Can't wait till spring to see the blooms!

I have ordered many things from Plants Delight. All have come in perfect. I have hoped to find a eucalyptus tree that would survive our 7b location. I found one in their catalog. So far it has grown twice its size since I got it last in May. Plants Delight is a great place to find unusual plants. I will order from them again.

Ordered Pee Dee Gold Ingot liriope. Very hard to come by. They know this and charged an outrageous price for these plants. They arrived healthy, 3 plants per pot. (sort of made up for the price) But the 20 dollar shipping charge was way OVERcharged... Total order $95.00...

Enjoy looking at their catalog, and often think of ordering from them again, but won't pay those high prices + shipping charge...

DECOBUG

I found Plant Delights Nursery by chance, on line. Noticing the expense, I restrained myself and ordered only 4 plants; these arrived in good health and when I requested them to be delivered. And, so far, they are thriving.

I just got my 3 plants in the mail. A red banana, canna,
and a hardy oleander.I am very pleased with the condition
and the large size of the plants. Lots of very hard to find plants at their site. I am very happy with this
company and recommend them highly. Thank You.

I bought two plants at PDN during their May open house, one was unique and well worth every dollar paid, the other was more mundane, and I should have bought it elsewhere. It was my choice, though. Both plants were excellent quality, and seeing the botanical garden there helps me appreciate the fact that they actually do have trial runs of their plants in a real garden setting.

Overall, a good source for plants. The majority of my purchases through them (and I've bought from them about 10 times) have produced really large specimens with excellent root systems. This has applied to their yuccas and crinums.

Occasionally, I have received a plant that is 'dormant' and never sprouts...so maybe 20% disappointment, but the rest have been great.

I do not understand how anyone could have anything negative to say about PDN. It is first class in all aspects of the trade. Prices at PDN are not cheap but the quality is excellent and always reliable. Good marketing, good catalog, good service, and a highly professional staff. Mail order nurseries can be imperfect but the guys at PDN have come pretty close to getting it right as anyone around. For a real treat visit them in NC at one of their open houses and you'll see the difference for yourself.

I have been pleased with everything I have purchased here. The quality of the plants, packaging, customer service are excellent. Great catalogue as well even if they are a little arrogant. Very, very pricy in my opinion which limits what I will buy to only a few items. For the mundane selections there are much cheaper alternatives.

I just received my order from Plants Delight Nursery and I am most pleased with the quality and size of the very unusual plants I ordered (even a few carnivorous plants!) Yes, they are a bit on the pricey side but I am a firm believer in "you get what you pay for". I have ordered from this company in the past and I was pleased with the size of the plants and packaging both times. Quite honestly, I am surprised to see so many negatives for this company since I do a lot of mail order and I rank them up at the top.

I rec'd 3 agaves today, very well rooted and in their pots from Plant Delights, and I could not be happier with them. They are good size for the price and rarity (I have already bought 8 of them elsewhere with different names that appear to be all the same)
I have received a lot of mail order plants that were well packed but these exceed superb! A combination of peanuts, shredded paper and newspaper in a strong box.
When I had not heard from P.D. for 2 wks since my conf. email, I inquired and received a quick answer and shipping date. My plants were here in 2 days. (standard UPS) Plant Delights is now at the top of my favorite list.

I was very satisfied with my order. Some of the plants were much larger than expected, and all appeared healthy. The prices aren't low, but I think I got my money's worth for hard to find plants.

Ordered 3 varieties of salvias that i hadn't seen elsewhere (not even at High Country Gardens). The plants arrived last week and they are HUGE! I totally was not expecting these perennials/subshrubs to be this big. My wife was also very impressed. They all had nice woody bases and very good leaf growth. If their other plants are as good as the salvias i will definitely deal with them again.

I have ordered from these folks several times. Their prices are a little high, and the plants are a bit small, but their selection is great, and I always get a plant in good shape.
For rare plants I'm willing to pay a bit more to get what I think will be the real thing and of quality that is good enough to survive.

Steve

I have ordered from quite a few online and mail order catalog companies, and give Plant Delights my best rating of all of them. Last year I ordered from them several times, mostly hostas, and was shocked at the wonderful size and good quality of all the plants. The expert packaging was worth the cost.

One thing to bear in mind when ordering from them, though, is that the larger plants will come bare root. You need to be sure you are ready to plant them when they arrive. If you have your beds prepared in advance, this should not be a problem.

Two things I particularly appreciate about Plants Delights are 1) the excellent suggestions as to the best growing conditions for each plant (as opposed to "hostas should be planted in the shade," the Plant Delights catalog gives individualized prescriptions for the amount and type of light for each plant) and 2) the photographs actually look like the plants look in my garden. Other catalogs have really disappointed me when the hosta that looked so blue in the photo was really green, or the daylily that photographed such a lovely lavendar was actually a rather sickly shade of pink. With Plant Delights, what you see is what you get.

i have ordered twice from plant delights and found their mail-order plants to be of the highest quality. i am surprised to hear negative comments here- although i suppose people with negative experiences would be more likely to voice their experience than satisfied customers... i just wanted to say that plant delights is one of my absolute favorite nurseries- they have such rare and interesting plants that no one else in the industry has.

i wonder, most of all, who would find the cover of their last catalog "racist"...? i really don't know, but it seems these days that people are urgently trying to prove that they aren't racist themselves. some do this by being oversensetive to race issues, by declaring racism at the slightest intended (or unintended) depiction of difference in skin color or nationality... and i just don't understand it. people can find racism anywhere when they are attuned in that specific direction, and many are quite adamant and vicarious about it.

We have ordered from Plant Delights for the past 3 years and have received huge, mature plants that have all done well. Being in the same zone as their nursery probably helps the viability of the plants in our gardens, but their careful packaging can't be overemphasized. All plants were perfectly packed in wet newspapers and then wrapped in paper--cushioned from each other and the sides of the box. Their prices are sometimes double what other mail order nurseries charge for the same varieties of plants, but that can be justified by the size and health of the plants shipped. We have been nothing but thrilled with Plant Delights! Thanks Tony & Gang...

I have not ordered mailorder plants because I live in Raleigh. I have visited this nursery twice and bought plants. Every plant I saw (and those I bought) were strong and healthy and excellent value for the money. Now that I'm moving out of state, I plan to purchase more plants for my new garden from them. They have the most wonderful and weird plants and the staff were friendly and helpful and I'm delighted to give them my business.

I would definitely advise anyone having a problem with plants to notify the company and ask for a replacement, especially for plants as expensive as the Hellebores an earlier person reported on. It would surprise me if Plant Delights did not attempt to satisfy the customer. Surely you would prefer your order replaced or credit on a future order. Contact Customer Service for Plant Delights if you have problems.

Several orders placed in the last six months. All beautiful plants delivered quickly.

We ordered several hard to find hardy palms from Plant Delights Nursery at the same time we were ordering from other companies. The plants that arrived from Plant delights were by far the nicest we received. I will order from them again and highly recommend this company.