Comments regarding Plant Delights Nursery

I have been ordering plants online for years, but this is the first time I felt compelled to send a thank you note to the company. Not only that, they responded immediately and thanked me for thanking them! That's a first for me.

They did a remarkable job pulling and packing my shipment. Not only did it arrive in just two days, but everything was perfect. The Spiranthes cernua was in full bloom, and not a single petal was wrinkled. That is quite a feat for such a long and relatively fragile wand. The White Ball Buddleia was similarly in perfect condition with all blooms intact. I look forward to doing business with this company again.

I am so glad I found this daves garden so I can rate some of these companies I have been buying from for so many years; like Plant Delights. I have been buying hostas and rare things from PDN as long as I have been a master gardener and Tony and the team have always taken GREAT care of my plants. I even buy a shirt every now and then so I can show my support for PDN's great sense of humor. Thanks for being an awesome nursery!

Posted on May 10, 2010, updated September 29, 2010
Posted on May 7, 2010, updated May 10, 2010
My review is "neutral" only because I haven't ordered from them on-line. Rather, I had the good fortune to be able to visit them last Friday during their few open houses of the year. What a joy! The "demonstration gardens" are unbelievably beautiful and full of gardening inspiration. I did buy plants, however (what's the point of going if one does not?), and these were healthy and had good root growth. From the quality of the stock and the personal care I saw that day, I would definitely order from PD on-line next year. I can only hope I find a shade place for the Hellebores they exhibit and sell. Unbelievable....

I have had great success with plants from PDN. They are more expensive than a lot of nurseries, but as I tell all my friends, the plants are huge. I have had only one failure with a PDN plant, but it was a plant I was trying to grow (perhaps) a little too far north. However, as Tony Avent notes, zones are not written in stone. I like to push the boundaries if I like the plant. With proper placement and winter care I've had great luck with PDN plants. So--one didn't make it. I don't want my money back but I do wonder what I could do differently next year. If at first you don't succeed...

I recently ordered two "Australia" canna lilies that I have not seen in local nurseries. Although the temperatures here have been in high 100's, the plants arrived in great condition and are growing and producing new leaves. Green Thumbs Up to PDN.

I have always been very happy with my selections. Living up up north I have to treat my plants with a little more care than others, so a heavily rooted plant is always welcomed and usually what I receive. Thanks PD for being an awesome place to collect!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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!!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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 :)

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

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.