Comments regarding Plant Delights Nursery

Posted on May 13, 2013, updated May 22, 2013
I never thought I would be writing about the quality of the plants I received from this supplier. I ordered early on in the season and again late in the season last year. The first order arrived in great shape. The second time the order was sent most of the plants looked like their stock had been picked over and they sent me the leftovers. I had ordered Paris polyphylla and Helicodiceros muscivorus both of which were marked dormant. Also a Paeonia ostii that was just a stick with maybe two buds, they were gracious and replaced the $65.00 stick with a better specimen. The Stachys coccinea 'Hot Spot Coral' were rotted and they also sent me replacements. The Helicodiceros came up early this year. It is a very young plant but I'm old and am going no where so I can wait a few years and enjoy it developing. STILL waiting for the Paris to emerge but I have no real hope there. My friend grows Japanese wood Poppy and she still had foliage on her plants. So this year when I ordered the Glaucidium dormant and again nothing was happening as the Paris root I removed the two roots of the dormant Glaucidium to inspect them. They were rotted. The roots were black and when I broke one it was hollow inside. I sent a message to the company and they never acknowledged my Email. Each bulb was very expensive. DON"T ORDER DORMANT BULBS FROM THIS COMPANY.

"On May 20, 2013 9:02 AM, Plant Delights Nursery responded with:

Dear mgarr,

Thank you for sending your photographs of the Glaucidium that you received from us earlier this year. I do apologize for the delay in the reply to your email during this busy spring season. Unfortunately when plants are dormant, we do not always know which are not viable until the don't emerge here at the nursery. We have lost several of this plant in the nursery this year and as mentioned in my email reply, we will be happy to refund or issue a credit for this plant since we do not have more to send as a replacement. As for the Paris received last July, while it can skip a year of above ground growth after transplanting, I see that we had significant losses of this crop last year/this spring. While yours still has a chance of coming up after a year of rest, we feel it best to give you the benefit of a refund or credit for that as well. Please rest assured that we do guarantee that a dormant plant will emerge at the proper time and will always be happy to reship/refund/credit if dormant plants fail to break dormancy.
We thank you again for your order this spring and ask that you please let us know if you have any further questions or concerns. We're here to help!

Kind regards,
Virginia Meehan
Manager of Customer Service & Shipping
Plant Delights Nursery, Inc.
"

Good communication, company supplies shipping date shortly after order. Plants arrived on time and in wonderful shape. I also appreciate that Plant Delights has so many unusual plants.

My first order from this company...and it was very well done. The packing was evironmentally friendly (it is in the recycle container now). The plants (all primulas) came from the southern east coast to Alaska in fine shape. Wouldn't hesitate to order from these folks again.

Just received my first mail order package from Plant Delights. Nice plants, exactly as I expected from the online catalog, well hydrated, and carefully packed. They were shipped exactly when I requested, and PDN even e-mailed a FedEx tracking number so I could know when exactly to expect delivery. I would not hesitate to order from them again.

Love my plants. Love the service. Think the catalog is a hoot. Yes I would love to order everything. My list of wants is long.

I just picked up my order today and the plants look fabulous! I made my order online on Sept 20th and it was ready to pick up today (Sept 24th). I really like that Plant Delights allows locals to pick up their orders even though they are a mail order company because I was able to save shipping cost. The staff that I dealt with today were all very friendly and helpful.

The following plants were nice big healthy plants: Acanthus mollis 'Tasmanian Angel' Bear's Breech, Rohdea japonica Sacred Lily, Vinca minor 'Illumination' Periwinkle and Aspidistra sichuanensis 'Ginga' Speckled Cast Iron Plant. Both of the Ophiopogon japonicus Mondo Grass cultivars 'Seoulitary Man' and 'Gyoku Ryu' were so big that I was able to divided them when I planted them! The Asarum takaoi 'Roundabout' Japanese Wild Ginger was a little small compared to the other plants, but this is a slow growing plant and it looks very healthy with lots of new shoots.

The Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' Siberian Bugloss was on backorder. I received both a call and an email with apologies from Plant Delights Nursery. The lady I talked to was very pleasant. She asked if I would rather receive a refund or wait and they could have a plant to me by Oct 17th when they were ready. I told them I would wait for the plant to be ready in a few weeks. I'll let you all know how this plant looks when it comes.

This is the second time I have bought plants from Plant Delights (the first time was last year during an open house). Both experiences have been a pleasure as the gardens are gorgeous, the plants although a little pricey (at least the ones I'm inclined to buy) are well worth the money, and they often have unusual plants that you can't find elsewhere. I will definitely be ordering again from Plant Delights Nursery!

I finally made an order after years of looking through their catalog. Most of the plants I received were big or average-sized. A couple were smaller, but were well within my expectations for mail-order plants. I thought the prices were competitive for plants that were available from other outlets, and reasonable for plants that were only available through PDN. Packing was good, and nothing in my order was damaged even slightly. I was very pleased with the overall experience.

I ordered 5 Echinacea (cone flower) plants - all arrived in good condition, good sized pots and healthy looking tops.

I have ordered from here in the past and have enjoyed the plants I've received. I enjoy their catalog with great pictures and descriptions. This Spring I decided to purchase some new Hibiscus. I ordered ' Moy Grande' and 'Plum Crazy'. Both came packaged very well and were healthy when they arrived. They have since grown into full plants with beautiful blooms. I'm just amazed with the size of the blooms of 'Moy Grande' - Huge ! 'Plum Crazy' has a beautiful purple/violet/plum color bloom. Even the foliage is purplish.Very nice plants.
Although it can get a little pricey - you do get what you pay for. I would definitely order from them again .

Received my order from PDN Saturday, and WOW! the size of the hosta I received was such a pleasant surprise. It was a variety that I could not find any where else on the internet, and listed as a 24 oz. container. The container was bulging, and I could see that they had removed several leaves before shipping. The other plants I ordered were healthy and well rooted. The packaging was very eco friendly and held everything together. I have ordered from PDN for years, and the quality of this order was superb.

Super helpful staff. Enormous plants. Perfectly packaged. Thanks.

One of my favorite nurseries to order from. The plants are always a nice size and in great shape. I have been ordering from Plant Delights for about 5 years. My hosta garden is made from all the hostas I've ordered over the years from them. I also have great plants for my deck (aren't rated for my zone-so winter inside) that have grown beautifully. I especially look forward to the catalog-and Tony's wicked sense of humor with the catalog cover and plant listings. I guess they're stuck with me as a customer.

It's a delight to deal with responsible high quality nurseries, such as PDN. I've done business with them before and they have always been excellent in every sense. Top quality healthy plants carefully packed, plus a warm, prompt and effective customer service.

My order came and the plants are gorgeous. I've been shopping with them for probably 15 years now without any problems. Thank you, Plant Delights for your good service.
Pat Wallace

I was thrilled with the 6 baptisias I ordered from Plant Delights this year. They were so much larger than I was expecting and the packing was excellent. Also, I couldn’t find these particular plants anywhere else. When PD was having trouble with my e-mail, they telephoned me, then went out of their way to send my order confirmation through the mail even though I told them it wasn’t necessary. Fantastic company!

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the plants I received today, the first time I've received anything from them, and would rate the order as positive overall. The only really odd thing about the shipment would be that the plants were not actually rooted out in the pots - 3 Arisaema were in my order, and two were completely dormant which meant they were just bulbs tucked in a pot with potting soil around them. Having these in pots really doesn't make sense since there was absolutely no root growth. The third was just starting to grow, but again, no real root growth into the pots yet. They were also really soaking wet, not something you would want with dormant bulbs, and one was slimy with a couple soft, rotten spots on the bulb, though I don't think this is anything that will harm it. I simply took it out of the pot so it can dry out before I plant it in the garden. The other two plants also weren't really rooted but were growing great and larger than expected. The packing was excellent, other than being overly wet as I mentioned. I would consider ordering again as they have a nice unusual selection.

Posted on October 6, 2011, updated April 4, 2012
This nursery is a treasure. Yes, the prices are higher than some other companies, but the quality and range of unusual selections is unsurpassed. Many times this is the *only* company from which to buy certain plants and they always send such large (for container size), healthy, well grown happy stock. While I don't always personally agree with their politics, I just try to laugh it off. As long as they continue to maintain the wonderful quality of their plants, I intend to always order from them as my need and budget allow.

Have placed 4 orders with Plant Delights in the past year. All the plants were of the highest quality. The online database is a wealth of information.

I so wish I lived near this nursery!!! I just received my first order of two goldenrods and three aspidistras. Four of the plants were on sale and ALL of the plants were bigger than expected for the pot size with well developed roots.
I'll reorder with no hesitation.

My first order with Plant Delights was a smashing success. I ordered online and listed my preferred shipping date. I received an email confirmation and my order was shipped on the exact date. The plants came well-packaged and in good shape. The plants are large for the container size and look to be in excellent health. It's a pleasure doing business with a reputable company. Thank you Plant Delights.

I ordered two plants from PDN back in the late spring -- Chrysactinia mexicana and miniature hosta "Pure Heart". Because of the heat, they held shipment until this week. The quality of the plants is superb, and because of the excellent packaging, they arrived in perfect condition. The chrysactinia is still blooming and very fragrant, and the little hosta has strong foliage and a well-developed root system. I promptly placed another order -- for another hosta, and a couple more plants that have been on my shopping list, but which I haven't been able to find. (*White* salvia greggii!)

I've gotten good plants from lots of local nurseries and online nurseries, but the ones I just received from PDN are absolutely the best, and worth every penny.

I have bought plants from Plant Delights Nursery numerous times within the last two years. Their staff is very friendly, polite, and have great customer service skills, they email me with any changes to my order and keep me posted on delivery dates. The plants have always been packed carefully and have arrived safely and alive. I have been very impressed with the quality and selection of the plants. Their prices are fair considering all the work involved, and I feel peace of mind knowing that the plants I'm getting will survive the winters in my area and grow well in my environment. I just recently received an order from them, and have placed another order which is due to arrive shortly. The plants that have come from PDN are thriving in my yard. My yard is the envy of the neighborhood. All of my neighbors are asking me where I get my plants, they haven't seen these cold hardy exotics before, I always tell them to go and check out Plant Deligths Nursery. I give this nursery a high rating. I am very happy that they exist and are doing the work that they are doing, especially in todays economy when a lot of nurseries are going out of business and closing down. I appreciate very much that we have this great resource. Sincerely, from your loyal customer way down south where bananas grow!

The Plant Delights catalog is one of my favorite winter reads. Fabulous humor, and yummy descriptions of plants far beyond my income or climate zone. I end up buying more than I can afford every year, but . . . I guess that's what gardenings all about.

I order A LOT of mail order plants online and via catalogs for our multiple gardens. In recently ordering from no fewer than half a dozen of nurseries from which I receive catalogs and/or emails this season, I can say that I am FULLY delighted (no pun intended) by the quality of Plants Delights Nurseries offerings. Not only do they ship the healthy, robust plants that I would purposely purchase sight-seen in a physical nursery, they pack them with the care of someone who is shipping from their own garden. None of the plants were limping in health, haphazardly dropping dirt or "iffy" looking when I removed them from their packing. I honestly felt that all $300+ that I'd spent for my garden @ Plant Delights website was money well spent, and when I tend to my newly planted fare now, I smile with gratitude. Thank you, Tony Avent, for running a shipshape operation with the quality and care of a true Gardener! I will always be back to shop again.....

I received a very well-packed order of Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus and citrina in excellent condition and in the time frame indicated.
I was glad that the company uses a 'rapid-transit' shipping method to my area, which enabled the plants to arrive without undue stress.
A nice experience with this company and one I hope to repeat.

Tony Avent and his Garden Delight Nursery put the Fun back in Flora. I'm looking forward to attending the July 8th Open House.

I just received an order of several sinningias, punica, amorphophallus, and others. This nursery always sends the largest specimens, in excellent condition, and perfect shipping. I hope I can visit their nursery one day. They are on the top of my mail order list!

I've ordered for the first time last year and this year was my second time. Won't be the last, however! Happy with both orders of plants!

Received my first order from PDN yesterday and was extremely satisfied. Although the pricing may be higher than some mail order businesses, the plants are healthy, quite large, packaged exceptionally well and just downright delightful. (Kniphofia, Aristolochia fimbriata, Manettia cordifolia, Echinacea 'Gum Drop' ) Hoping to plant today and tomorrow...

I've been a fan of Tony Avent & Plant Delights Nursery for over 20 years. Before opening his nursery he wrote a weekly column for the Raleigh News & Observer - and I was so upset when his column ended - not knowing what was yet to come (that's were the humor in his catalog probably comes from - but can't someone try to be a little bit different?) If you are ever in NC at a time they are having an Open House, this is a must! The gardens are interesting any time of the year. Busloads of people come from all over. He travels all over the world searching for new and exicting plants. I've never had to use the mail order catalog, but would highly recommend checking them out. Every plant I have bought there has thrived. I recently moved to a small town outside of Raleigh, so am having to start over with my garden. His next open house is coming up and I can't wait!

I have been a customer of this nursery for several years, and have always been extremely happy with the plants I received and their service. I just received 3 more healthy and unique plants that I can't wait to plant in my garden. Even though I thoroughly enjoy their website, I always look forward to receiving their catalog in the mail twice a year. I hope they can continue to do what they've been doing for many years to come.

Posted on June 25, 2007, updated April 15, 2011
Summer is here and the rush to get my garden planted has let up. I find myself planning for next Spring. I find now a good time to write comments on the vendors I used this time around. For the first time, I ordered from Plant Delights. I found the quality of their products to be superior and their selection to be one of the best. Above all, the information I have gleaned from the website has been very helpful. I have only found two other vendors (maybe three) to have reached such a high level of customer service. Plant Delights has been all that I had hoped it would be. As I came to write this, I was surprised to find all the negative comments that seem based on a perception of the politics at PDN. I guess I really never noticed anything all that offensive or even political for that matter. I like to think that most gardeners can look past political orientation when it comes to buying plants. As with any business, if you don't like the person that runs it, don't go there. To slam a business just because you do not like what it says really is not fair and is terribly misleading to other potential customers. If PDN's main fault is in the writing of its catalogue, go elsewhere, but let other gardeners not be misled by the political opinions of some. This is not a political forum. That said, I will again express my satisfaction with all the business and service aspects I have experienced with PDN. Thank you and enjoy the day.

I order quite a bit from this company because of the variety of plants they offer. There is a lot of information about these plants on their website which makes selection easier. I know they are expensive, and shipping seems high, but the size of the plants is larger than offered by others. That is important where I live (Texas) because plants must get established before the summer inferno sets in. I have always found customer service to be responsive.

These are some of the best hostas on the planet! I have never dealt with such a wonderful nursery!~

Plant Delights Nursery's customer service is the best in the business. I got a quick, friendly response every time I sent a question.

This review is almost skirting a 'neutral' rating, but stays in the positive zone as everything has survived, and I now have plants in my garden I could not have acquired otherwise.

You have to keep in mind the target audience of this company. They are selling obscure or newly introduced plants that are not widely available or suitable for all locations. It's like beta-testing software. You have to do your own research on what you are getting, and expect a few kinks along the way in order to try something you otherwise wouldn't be able to get at all. Likewise, they are very expensive, and you are paying more for rarity than for exceptional specimens.

I placed an order in the spring of 2010 and it arrived promptly and adequately packed. The condition of the plants varied. They were all of adequate size and rooting, if not impressively large. Some appeared mildly dry and rootbound, but not enough to be concerned. A hardy hibiscus was rather tall and spindly with the tip broken off where it didn't quite fit in the box. It promptly lost all its leaves within a day of being unpacked. However, the plant itself was healthy and bounced back quickly from the trauma without any particular coddling. I would describe the condition of the plants overall as not perfect, but completely acceptable.

I suppose I will summarize as such: If you can find a plant somewhere else, you should probably get it there. It will almost certainly be cheaper, and may well be a nicer specimen to boot. However, for things that can't be found elsewhere, I will not hesitate in being a repeat customer to plant delights as often as I can afford it.

Ordered 3 Colocasias and 1 Musa Siam Ruby. Promptly received nice healthy looking plants of good size. My Siam Ruby has several pups! Two of the Colocasias were slightly damaged (broken leaves from squashing in the box), but they'll recover and overall I'm very happy. Got a free slug too!

Ordered two crinums, which were shipped promptly. I was very happy with the quality of the bulbs received. I probably could have saved some money if I had waited for a sale (which they do have from time to time), but wanted them immediately. Their shipping is a little bit higher than others when you only order one or two plants. However, if you order five plants versus just one or two the shipping is actually quite reasonable. I will order from PD again.

I recently ordered two aspidistras - an Okama and a Seko Kan. They arrived in great condition and are very healthy plants. I'm most pleased and will order from this company again.