Comments regarding White Flower Farm

My rating of "negative" is a bit misleading because my experience has been a MIXED BAG. I have been a WFF customer for 30 years. The tree peony from one of my earliest orders still produces huge beautiful blooms every spring. Over the years I have also consistently
appreciated their customer service reps and in-house horticulturist--quick responses to emails, no trouble with refunds, good advice. After a long break from gardening whenI did not order for many years, I decided to expand my garden about 5 years ago. I remembered WFF as a first rate vendor and began ordering plants. The quality of the stock Ive received has been alternately very good and very bad. And WHAT is going on with SHIPPING? Many plants have arrived dessicated--some are DOA. The tubers and bulbs are worst of all. Last fall I was sent Asiatic lilies instead of the Oriental lilies I ordered. The bulbs themselves were not great. And this spring's clumps of dahlia tubers have been spongy, withered, with the tubers hanging by fragile root threads from the stem. Customer service in all these instances have quickly responded with replacements and refunds. But I'll not be buying any more tubers or bulbs from WFF anytime soon.

"On Apr 10, 2024 2:04 PM, White Flower Farm responded with:

We appreciate your longevity as a customer and your honest review. I am happy to hear the tree peony is still producing beautiful blooms each spring.
I am sorry to hear the plants and bulbs arrived in poor condition, this is not the standard we strive for. Our plants and bulbs are guaranteed for a full year, please contact us directly at custserv@whiteflowerfarm.com or 800-503-9624 and we will happily issue a replacement or refund.

Our sincere apologies for the inconvenience.

Sincerely,
Michelle - Customer Service Manager"

I have been an enthusiastic customer ofWhite Flower Farm for many years and in the past few years I have been disappointed more times than satisfied, with this last experience wrecking my faith completely.
I ordered some Peonies bare root and paid handsomely.
I was shocked to receive two pieces of hard wood about 5 inches long, with not one filament on them that could pass for a root!
I called the company and was told they would grow.
Nothing ever appeared, as we would expect.
I could not believe they would even send such things.
Shameful.
What has happened to this once great company?

"On Jun 22, 2023 8:00 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

We appreciate your longevity as a customer and would like the chance to restore your faith in our company. I am so sorry to hear the bareroot peonies did not survive, this is not the standard we strive for. Our plants are guaranteed for a full year, please contact us directly at custserv@whiteflowerfarm.com or 800-503-9624 and we will happily issue a replacement or refund.

Our sincere apologies for the inconvenience.

Sincerely,
Michelle - Customer Service Manager"

I had a similar (unhappy) experience to that of another reviewer here. I contacted WFF about issues with the quality of plants they sent (two roses out of five arrived in horrible condition, showing signs that they had been in their carton for far too long, and UPS screwed up the delivery of a box of perennials). I found that the WWF customer service phone line is never answered, so I contacted the company through email. I got an automated email response saying they would address the issue soon. But they never did. I assume they never will. Terrible customer service equals terrible company, in my opinion. It’s a shame, because WWF was once a reliable, friendly company. It is always a red flag if you cannot talk to a company representative over the phone!

After receiving six plants--two nearly dead and four dead--on June 9, I took photos of all the plants in their packaging and sent an email with the photos to White Flower Farms on June 10 asking for my money back. Plant replacement would have been fine as well but I have received no response of any kind. The email I used is the customer service email as indicated on the WFF website. I have also tried to call, but the voice mail refers customers, again, to the same customer service email. I have now sent five emails to White Flower Farm and have received no reply whatsoever--not even an automatic receipt of email. I am so disappointed in White Flower Farm. Their customer service used to be very good. I'll never order from them again--they sent me dead plants!

I’ve been a loyal White Flower Farm customer back to 2005 when I bought my first house in Bristol, Connecticut. I had a work-related relocation that brought me to Springfield, Illinois, but I continued to use White Flower Farms for superior tomato plants. I purchased for a few years with no issues and wonderful, healthy plants. NOT THIS YEAR.

WFF shipped plants during a record cold snap and when they arrived, I immediately opened the box and found plants tipped around, 4 out of the 12 plants were missing tags (and i bought various varieties) and 5 were dead on arrival with obvious signs of frost damage. I contacted customer service for replacements (I plan ahead and had my order in to WFF back in February) and was told THEY DIDN’T HAVE ANY MORE STOCK. I am appalled that they SOLD EVERY SINGLE TOMATO PLANT and made no provisions for damage in transit.

And to add insult to injury, now all other San Marzano plants are OUT OF STOCK at every other mail order nursery and it is far too late to start from seed.

Since my original outreach, 4 more plants died. So over $85 for 3 plants. Thanks a lot WFF for ruining my garden this year.

To their credit, they offered me a paltry refund for the 5 frost damaged plants (didn’t refund any shipping). They never responded to my follow up email.

Shame on WFF for prioritizing profits during the COVID-19 pandemic over good old fashioned customer service. I will never purchase from them again. Great way to lose a loyal, long-term customer.

Posted on May 8, 2019, updated May 19, 2019

"On May 20, 2019 12:54 PM, White Flower Farm responded with:

Dear Mrs. Griffin,

I sincerely apologize for the error in only refunding you for the product. I have issued a full refund on the tax & shipping/handling to your credit card. You should have received a separate email earlier today regarding this refund. Your order was on "ship status" being prepped for shipment on 5/1. Once an order is in ship status, unfortunately, we are unable to make any modifications to it. Your order status online should now reflect a "completed" transaction.

Sincerely,
Michelle
Customer Service Manager"

I placed an order with this company on May 4, they charged my credit card on May 5 for almost $70.00 and I still have not received a shipping notice, as of today it still says "processing". I have called them twice and they will not give me a shipping date. I have long ago received all of my other shipments from other companies except White Flower Farm, I hope the plants arrive before it gets too hot here in my zone 6b location but I am very worried and hate the stress this causing me!

"On May 24, 2017 12:06 PM, White Flower Farm responded with:

Dear Customer,

I am so sorry that your order hasn't shipped yet. I am unable to locate your account with the information provided in this review. However, I am here to help you. Please call me directly at 860-496-9624, extension 6506.

Sincerely,
Michelle"

Ordered a trillium grandiflora flora pleno and it arrived rotted. Called multiple times and could never get a live rep . When I left an email that I'd leave negative feedback, Valerie contacted me and said they send me a new bulb. Two weeks later, no corm, no contact from them and I can't reach them. If it were a few dollar item I'd forget it, but this costs over $30. At this point a credit would be great.... but I hate to see them loose a customer.

"On May 4, 2017 11:00 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

I am sorry to hear that you are disappointed with the quality of the trillium and service you received. I see that Valerie and Diane both assisted you with getting your replacement trillium shipped out as quickly as possible. In addition, we refunded your credit card $37.95 (product & applicable s&h charges) to compensate you for your frustration.
Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any additional questions or concerns - I'd be happy to assist you.

Once again, I am sorry for the negative experience with our company. I hope if there any unresolved issues, you are willing to give me a chance to rectify them.

Sincerely,
Michelle - Customer Service Manager
860-496-9624, 6506
mtranquillo@whiteflowerfarm.com"

First I must say I'm a new customer to White Flower Farm, although I do a lot of online shopping and this review is about the processing time, not the actual products.

I placed my order with them on 4/17, today is 4/26 and I still have no tracking number and my order has not been processed yet although my card was charged immediately. The website clearly states "orders are shipped at the right time for planting in your area" My zone is 10b so late Feb. I called today and was told orders can take 7-10 business days to process and that many many customers were in front of me. and I should call back on Friday (4/28 after the tenth business day). Seriously?! This will be my last order from WFF. I get that this must be busy season for them in April in Connecticut but there are many other options out there for my gardening needs

"On May 4, 2017 10:36 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

I am sorry to hear that your first experience with White Flower Farm was negative. I apologize that you were not given more specific shipping estimates at the time you placed your order. It is not our intent to make you feel as though your order is not important or a priority. There can be several contributing factors as to why your order hadn't shipped. I would be happy to discuss the matter further with you and offer you compensation for your frustration. Please contact me at your earliest convenience via email, mtranquillo@whiteflowerfarm.com or telephone, 860-496-9624 extension 6506.
Once again, I am sorry for this experience. I hope that I can rectify this situation to your satisfaction.
Sincerely,
Michelle - Manager of Customer Service"

I planted my first garden in about 1981 with about $600 worth of plants from WFF, a fair amount in those days. I was enchanted to visit in order to make my purchases. They had an extensive demonstration garden, which helped me refine some of my choices. Their catalogue was intelligent and exhaustive, and almost all of their listed plants were available to be seen on site. They propagated all of their plants, and potted them up in square pressed cardboard pots, which were easy to compost. And their plants were large, vigorous, and had obviously been well tended while awaiting purchase. I have wonderful memories of several returns, pulling my little green wagon, with my daughter and several plants in tow.

I have not visited WFF for many years, because I found that there was a sharp decline, once the family who originally owned the business had sold out to a corporate entity. I recently was in the vicinity visiting the Bellamy-Ferriday House, and on a whim stopped by. If you have a local garden center which sells Proven Winners and Monroe plants, don't bother to come to WFF. They are selling the same stuff, at elevated prices. They don't propagate any plants, as far as I could tell. Plus, there was only one person operating the cash register, so there was a huge line. Patronize your local garden center. From what I have heard from friends, the mail order service is about what you would expect from how sadly declined the retail outlet has become. Sic transit gloria mundi. It was once a really special place.

"On Jun 21, 2016 6:39 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

Dear Gardening Friend,

2016 is White Flower Farm’s 66th year in business as a privately owned company. The company has been owned by my father since the mid-‘70s, and my family plans to operate the business for the long term. I’m very sorry to hear that your recent visit to our store in Morris was disappointing, but please know that no “corporate entity” controls White Flower Farm. We grow many (but not all) of the plants we sell, and our commitment to product quality and customer experience is as strong as ever. Thank you for your feedback, which helps us a great deal as we strive to make each customer experience a positive one.

Best,
Eliot A Wadsworth
VP, Marketing
eaw@whiteflowerfarm.com
"

I placed an order for several plants this spring.Against my better judgement.I have had bad experiences before…However their offer of larger size Perovskia tempted me.The russian sage arrived,well packed,large plants in big containers.The plants appeared to be dormant.I coddled them.Sun,food water etc…..a month later I had to admit that 2 springs of green on twenty-some plants were all I was going to get.The entire shipment was dead.

"On Jun 8, 2016 9:17 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

I am sorry to hear you had a poor experience with our company. We guarantee your complete satisfaction and success with our plants. Please contact our customer service department at 800-411-6159 or custserv@whiteflowerfarm.com so we can issue replacements or a refund for this order.

Sincerely,
Michelle Tranquillo
Customer Service Manager

"

I have NEVER had a more horrendous customer experience in my many years of mail ordered plants (or anything else). It is STILL unresolved after trying to contact the company SIX times. I honestly wonder if they're about to go out of business; they are so unresponsive that it is clear they don't care?! Here's my blow by blow experience: my advice to you -- stay far far away! They cost in you money and time!

(1) Received a White Flower Farm gift certificate as a gift from my mom for our new house. Yay! I treasure their catalogs, and have dreamed of affording their plants!

(2) I ordered two butterfly garden mixes ($200 total) on April 24 that was showing "ready to ship" online. I had a planting deadline of May 15 for HOA reasons, so I double checked availability. So excited!

(3) Didn't receive a shipping confirmation, so I called the following week. I waited on hold until they wouldn't let me wait anymore, and then I left a message as instructed. No return call. Hmm... worried.

(4) I call back again. No apology for the unreturned call or wait. Was told they would ship early May... no explanation, just a curt "not ready". I explained my deadline, and they said OK, not to worry it will ship early May, we'll put a "rush" on it. Awesome!

(5) Around May 12-ish, I am genuinely worried about the deadline. I call again. Get a nice agent... Donna, maybe?... who empathizes but says the plants aren't ready. I say I need to cancel my order -- and I want the gift certificate refunded because I have lost patience with them promising and not delivering. She says OK, so sorry, you'll get an email in the next day or two with both cancellations. OK -- phew, that's too bad, but that's an outcome I can live with.

(6) NO CANCELLATION(order or gift certificate) WAS EVER MADE! Credit cards charged. WTH? At this point, it feels like a bait and switch. I'm starting to get angry.

(6) I call again -- leave a message again. (And I'm not an idiot - I leave order number, call back number, reason for my call.) No return call. Seriously? Companies do this in 2016?

(7) I send an email with all the above to customer service. No return email.

(8) The *&^! plants -- that I needed and were told would arrive weeks ago -- shipped today apparently! (Or at least, I got a UPS notice from them.) I bought other plants to meet my deadline, so this is beyond total belief.

Like I said -- this company has cost me $200 -- and hours of headache and hassle. It remains unresolved. The worst of it is that this was a gift certificate (that was supposed to be cancelled) so I don't even know if I can use my credit card company to dispute the charges.

You can bet that I am darn well going to try, however... ! Will keep you posted!

"On May 30, 2016 1:17 PM, White Flower Farm responded with:

I do completely understand your frustration with your overall experience. I want to assure you that this is not what we strive for here and take every situation very seriously. I want to make sure that this issue is rectified. I do see that we had responded to your email on the 24th letting you know that you had been refunded in full. We also advised you to keep the shipment free of charge as it was our error in attempting to cancel it after it had been moved to shipping.

Sincerely,
Valerie
Customer Service
800-411-6159"

It's hard not to say I am disappointed... I was attracted to the company website for its large selection and proximity to where I am (Westchester county in New York). In the past 18 months or so, I spent a little over $300 on their website, and have been let down by the quality a few times...

I received bare root peonies that were falling apart, dahlias that 2 out of 3 didn't come up had sick looking tubers when I got them (the website no longer carries the same dahlia so my comment didn't even show up on the website). The Echinaceas I got, while quite healthy and thriving, were way smaller than what you would get for the same price at local nursery (of course I didn't know this in early spring when I pre-ordered my plants).

Some plants are of nice quality (I enjoyed my dutchman's pipe, bergonia etc.), but I am very sad that I lost so many plants due to poor qualities... disappointed...

"On Jun 28, 2015 12:41 PM, White Flower Farm responded with:

I am sorry to learn you have not been pleased with the overall quality of the plants purchased over the course of the last 18 months. All of our plant material is guaranteed for your full satisfaction. In addition, our perennial plant material is guaranteed for one year from the time it was received. Please contact the Customer Service Department regarding compensation:
1-800-411-6159
custserv@whiteflowerfarm.com
Sincerely,
Cathy
Customer Service "

Posted on May 29, 2015, updated May 29, 2015
Spent hundreds of dollars with this company over a few months' time, and was repeatedly disappointed. Their ordering system is a mess, and while customer service is pleasant, they are not very competent. The plants often arrived with stems cut off by cardboard inserts, dry roots snapping off in their paper(!) packaging, and the ones that did arrive somewhat alive either didn't thrive or were the wrong plant.

For example, I ordered tree form wisteria. For $238, I was expecting two trees. What I got were one (sort of) living and one dead vine. Because I used a gift card for a portion of this order, I was given "merchandise credit" for $100. When I attempted to place an order for $98, they charged my card $45. The only reason I was willing to place another order for overpriced, crappy plants was because of that credit. Requests that this credit be honored were ignored.

I posted honest reviews of the items I ordered on their website which have all mysteriously disappeared. So I made a post on Reddit to warn other gardeners away from this company, and was directed here to write this review.

STAY AWAY from White Flower Farms.

"On May 29, 2015 8:38 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

We are sorry to hear of your disappointment with our plants. We guarantee your complete satisfaction and will gladly send you replacements or credit your purchase amount.

A third party software handles the reviews to our products and those posts can take up to 2 weeks to be visible on our Website. If it has been over 2 weeks and the review still hasn't posted, please contact me so I can look into it. We value all positive and negative posts regarding our products.

If we did not resolve your situation to your satisfaction, please contact me directly at michelle@whiteflowerfarm.com and I would be happy to assist you. I sincerely apologize for the condition of the plants upon arrival.
Respectfully,
Michelle
Customer Service Manger "

Posted on May 14, 2015, updated May 14, 2015
I am very, very disappointed in White Flower Farm. I ordered oak leaf hydrangeas in mid April for shipment in early May. When I hadn't received them (and the order was still in "processing" status) on May 7, I called their customer service group. After getting a run-around from the regular representative, I spoke to a manager. She said that they were very backed up because of Mother's Day, but she assured me that my order would go out on Monday, May11. She agreed to send it express and then gave me "her word" that she would take care of it and I would receive the plants no later than Wednesday, May 13. By Thursday, the 14th, the plants *STILL* had not shipped. I called and canceled my order. Fortunately, I was able to find the variety I needed at my local garden center.
I will never order from White Flower Farm again. I suggest that if you don't want this kind of aggravation and run-around, you stay well away from this firm.

"On May 14, 2015 3:20 PM, White Flower Farm responded with:

I am sorry to learn your request for delivery could not be honored and apologize for the inconvenience this caused. I will be contacting you directly via email regarding this concern.
Cathy Hughes
Customer Service Supervisor
CHughes@whiteflowerfarm.com "

I ordered two Sweet Fragrance roses (my absolute favorite rose) earlier this year. When I did not receive any shipping notification, I contacted White Flower Farm and was told the shipment would be late due to the "the plant not quite ready to come out of the greenhouse." Then several weeks later I'm notified that due to customer demand and lack of product, they are shipping me a different rose. I immediately e-mailed back to two different e-mail addresses that I did not want a substitute rose. They needed to hold my order or refund my money. Within minutes I received a shipment notification . . . Basically too late. Neither of my e-mails were ever answered. I have no idea what roses I received. They were both labeled "Kiss Me" but one rose is coral and one is cotton candy pink. I will never order from White Flower Farm again!!

"On Jul 8, 2014 8:39 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

While White Flower Farm does reserve the right to substitute with another plant of similar attributes, we always honor a refund if the customer is not pleased with said replacement, even if the plant has been received. Please contact me directly at the following email address regarding this concern:
CHughes@whiteflowerfarm.com
Thank you,
Cathy Hughes
Customer Service Supervisor "

Posted on May 27, 2014, updated June 5, 2014
Posted on May 26, 2003, updated May 27, 2014
Ordered Phlox Davidii from them. Tiny plants arrived and failed to survive. Obtained much larger, healthier specimens from a local garden center. When I phoned customer service to inform them of my disappointment, and request a refund, I got an argument. Amos Pettingill, where are you when we need you?

Have had better experience with daff and lilly bulbs, but I still prefer ordering them from Brent & Becky's since WFF has become such a Goliath of a company.

"On May 28, 2014 12:23 PM, White Flower Farm responded with:

I am sorry to learn you were not pleased with the delivery time of your shipment or the quality of the bulbs received. We guarantee all of our products for your complete satisfaction. Please contact Customer Service regarding compensation:
custserv@whiteflowerfarm.com
800-411-6159

Thank you,
Cathy Hughes
Customer Service Supervisor

Posted on August 22, 2010, updated May 22, 2014
Last winter I ordered one fringe tree, and two astilboides. The items arrived this Spring, were planted and while the fringe tree is doing well, the astilboides have failed to do anything. After about 4 weeks of waiting, I contacted the company, was told they take a while to break dormancy and I should give them more time. I waited another month, contacted the company again, and this time they replaced the two corms. I planted one of the replacements in a location near the first two, and the other in a completely new location. NOTHING from ANY of them! It's the end of summer and I've seen nothing! This is very disappointing. I have not contacted the company again, it seems pointless. If these are difficult plants to grow it should be stated in their discription. I have been gardening nearly 20 years, so I like to think I know what I'm doing. These were expensive plants.

"On May 24, 2014 9:28 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

I am sorry to learn the you were not pleased with the overall condition of the Kalmia. All of our perennial plant material is guaranteed for one year from the time of arrival.
If the plant fails to grow properly, please contact Customer Service:
custserv@whiteflowerfarm.com
800-411-6159
This guarantee also applies to the Astilboides. If you contacted us via email regarding this plant I apologize you did not receive a response. We have been having on-going issues with our email server that we are trying to resolve.
Sincerely, Cathy Hughes, Customer Service Supervisor"

Should have listened to other reviewers, lesson learned! Dealing with White Flower Farm has been a nightmare from beginning to end. My order was "in process" for much longer than I thought it should have been, my three e-mails and two phone calls were never responded to (its been 22 days!), and when my order did arrive three of the plants look like they won't make it.

I'd try to take advantage of White Flower Farms much touted (by them) guarantee, but how if they can't be reached by phone or e-mail? Smoke signals, certified mail, should I just drive my crappy plants up to Connecticut? What a joke.

"On May 22, 2014 10:51 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

Dear Customer,

I'm sincerely sorry for the lack in response. Our business hours are Monday - Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 12-5pm. We did have some email complications and not all of our emails connected to our CS department. We can certainly replace the 3 plants that arrived in poor condition.

You can reach me directly at 860-496-9624, extension 6506 or call our 800-411-6159 CS line. I look forward to hearing from you so I can resolve this matter to your satisfaction.

Sincerely,
Michelle
Customer Service Manager"

From looking at their web pages, one would assume that customer service is a priority. Apparently that is not the case, at least not with respect to their online ordering and communication. I placed an order for items scheduled to arrive for my zone. I've sent three email messages inquiring about the status of my order and when I might expect it to ship. I've received no response from this business...not even an automated message indicating my message had been received.The online chat function? It sends you right to email. So here's my issue, yes I could call them but if I wanted to interact with someone on the phone, I would have placed my order that way in the first place. Being mindful that there are/could be a handful of reasons why a person would not call (schedule, hearing impairment, ease of shopping, etc). If a business is going to offer online shopping, they need to provide the additional follow up support if in fact they truly value customer service. So my advice, order elsewhere if you are online shopper. Communication is nonexistent , anything but good customer service.

"On May 7, 2014 3:36 PM, White Flower Farm responded with:

I am sorry to learn you have not received a response to the emails you have sent. We work diligently to respond to customer emails in a timely fashion and customers can respond to the following email addresses:
custserv@whiteflowerfarm.com
hort@whiteflowerfarm.com

On line chat is generally staffed during regular business hours as staffing allows. If there is not a company representative available to facilitate live chat, then customers are directed to leave an email regarding their questions and or concerns.

Please contact me directly with your order number and I will be happy to forward you information regarding the status of your order.

Sincerely,
Cathy Hughes
Customer Service Supervisor
CHughes@whiteflowerfarm.com
"

I sent a message (with a picture) 2 weeks ago about Order#03966072. I ordered 3 amaryllis tres chic bulbs - I bloomed, 1 had 1 bud and grew to 5" tall, 1 never sprouted. All 3 were in the same white bowl.
I got no response from customer service, guess the guarantee applies selectively?

"On Feb 20, 2014 11:34 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

I apologize that you did not receive a response to your email. I have checked your order history and it appears we didn't receive your original email. I do show that a customer service representative corresponded with you on Monday 2//17/14 and refunded your order in full as we do not have Tres Chic bulbs to replace. Generally, the only condition that prevents amaryllis from forcing successfully, is cold damage during transit. Our guarantee applies to all of our products. Please feel free to contact me directly at michelle@whiteflowerfarm.com if you have any further questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Michelle T.
Customer Service Manager"

I'm very disappointed with my experience ordering from White Flower Farm online. I ordered two items: one pot with bulbs and a houseplant. I received the pot with the bulbs, but I still haven't received the houseplant.
At every step, their customer service was poor. When I placed the order, I specifically requested in the comments section: "If you don't ship the plants right away, please let me know when you will ship them. Thank you." White Flower Farm's staff ignored that request and did not get back to me and tell me that they wouldn't be sending all of the items right away.
Next, I emailed their customer service to ask when the items would ship. I received a reply only six days later. The reply said that the plant I ordered would ship the next day and arrive a day after that, but according to the USPS tracking information my order still hasn't shipped yet.
I'm going away for the holidays (that's why I asked, twice, when the plants would arrive), so if the plants get here while I'm away, they won't survive.
I don't mind paying extra for good plants and service, but given how poor their customer service is, I won't be ordering from here again.

"On Dec 23, 2013 8:41 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

I am sorry to hear about your disappointing experience with White Flower Farm. All of our shipping of tender plants is weather permitting as stated throughout our catalog & website. I am sorry this was not communicated to you when you placed your web order. During the past couple weeks weather here in New England has not permitted us to ship tender plants because they would arrive frozen. Should the plants arrive while you are away, you will be fully compensated with a replacement plant or a full refund.

We have upgraded our customer communication technology and unfortunately during the process emails were affected. There is a significant delay in us receiving emails from customers and therefore a delay in us responding to customers. It is currently being addressed and rectified.

Please feel free to contact me directly at michelle@whiteflowerfarm.com or 860-496-9624, extension 6506. Once again, I apologize for your poor experience with us.

Sincerely,
Michelle
Customer Service Manager"

I bought the tabletop tree Nutcracker Whimsy. It cost $89 plus $28 shipping from Connecticut.(way overpriced).

When it arrived, it was dry, misshapen (apparently pruned to be flat on two sides), and the decorations consisted of a long red paper tie, a wire with some gold stars attached, a few red balls and some small figures of nutcrackers (the best part).

I was so disappointed, it looked nothing like the picture in the catalogue and i was unable to make it look much better.

When I tried to complain, I was put on hold for 10 minutes twice (I timed it) without anyone picking up. I have always held WFF in high regard and so this treatment was a shock.

"On Dec 17, 2013 12:09 PM, White Flower Farm responded with:

Dear Customer,

We are very sorry to hear you received a tree that is not up to our standards. The misshaped tree should not have passed our quality control check points. I have put a tree aside to ship to you as a replacement free of charge with expedited shipping. However, I need your information to mail it to you. Please contact me directly at 860-496-9624, extension 6506 at your earliest convenience.

I am sorry that you were put on hold for 10 minutes, that is not our standard practice, I completely understand your frustration.

Once again, please contact me directly at your earliest convenience so I can amend this situation for you.

Sincerely,
Michelle
Customer Service Manager
860-496-9624, 6506 "

With as many negative ratings as this company has received, I wish I had made the decision to purchase from a more reputable nursery. I purchased three Phlox Paniculata 'David', and what I received was laughable. For the size and development of these plants, they were very overpriced. All three were undersized, contained in dried-out soil, and quite poorly packed. One was acceptable, one raggedy and struggling to survive, and the third was separated from its roots, dead as could be. The dead plant appeared to have become dislodged from the soil and pot during shipping. I have placed orders in the past from White Flower Farm, although it had been several years between those orders and this recent one. I had never been very impressed with the quality of what I received, but this, by far was my worst experience with White Flower Farm. I had always found their prices to be far above what one would expect for the size and quality of the plants. Never again will I place another order with this sub-standard nursery.

I ordered over $200 worth of White Flower Farm tomatoes (they are about $7 each).

They arrived very stressed with white mold all on them- in some cases sporilating all over the place.

White Flower Farm informed me that the mold was nothing to worry about and I should go ahead and plant them.

As I suspected would happen- all of the places that were previously covered in mold have turned into necrotic sunken lesions- and of course the plants are a week or so away from total death.

$200+ dollars (almost $300) worth of absolute garbage.

I will never order from them again.

My niece ordered a lavender plant to be sent to me as a gift. When it arrived, the box was damaged, the pot inside was broken into several pieces and the plant damaged. The apartment office it was delivered to took a photo of it which I sent to the company along with an email. I received a terse reply saying a replacement would be sent. It has been a week and I haven't heard anything. I will wait a little longer and then call them and ask them to refund my niece's money.

"On Oct 30, 2012 10:18 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

Dear Customer,

We are very sorry to hear your original gift arrived damaged and of your disappointment. Upon checking your order, the replacement gift plant shipped on 10/24/12, the day after you reported the problem. I tracked the UPS package, and according to their website it is scheduled to be delivered by the end of today. Below you can see the actual UPS tracking number & delivery information.

Track #: 1Z0345330378738538
Scheduled Delivery Updated To:
Tuesday, 10/30/2012, By End of Day

Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,
Customer Service
Custserv@whiteflowerfarm.com
"

We are very disappointed with our order and service from WFF. We received a gift certificate, and this was our first order. We ordered the 'casa blanca' lilies and the 'border of red' daylily mix (and a few other plants). When we received the bulbs, we dug a new bed and planted all of them along our walkway. When the flowers started opening, there were no casa blanca lilies at all. We had some solid orange and some combination orange and white lilies. The red daylilies appear to be okay.

I submitted a comment to WFF using the link they provide on their website. I explained was disappointed because we did not receive what we ordered. I attached pictures of the blooming flowers showing they were not casa blanca lilies. I also provided my name and customer ID.

It has been well over a month and we still have not received a response from the company. I am disappointed that I did not receive what I ordered and that they did not follow-up on my customer comment submitted through their own website.

"On Sep 7, 2012 10:44 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

We are sorry to learn you were not shipped the correct variety of lilies. We have reviewed the history of our customer service emails and power reviews received over the last two months and have not found a record of an email concerning this issue. As we very much wish to rectify this situation, please contact us at your earliest convenience at custserv@whiteflowerfarm.com or by calling 800-503-9624. The Call Center is staffed Monday-Saturday, 9:00-5:00 EST.
White Flower Farm
Customer Service "

I ordered bulbs on July 1 and within a day I received email the bulbs were being mailed. I inadvertently ordered spring bulbs. After 4 emails and one conversation I was told that I could plant bulbs now, in the spring or in the fall. I repeatedly was told that I had ordered the bulbs and no, no one realized that it was an error. I am returning the bulbs and cancelling my fall order. Wff rep could care less about my business.

Carol fizer

"On Jul 9, 2012 9:08 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

Dear Ms. Fizer,

We apologize for the confusion. I looked up your order and the Strawberries & Cream Lily Mix is available for spring & fall shipment. If you would like to have them shipped in the fall, we can certainly do that for you. You can contact us at 800-411-6159 or custserv@whiteflowerfarm.com

Sincerely,
Customer Service"

I'm a new gardener, and this was my first purchase from White Flower Farm. It will also be my last. I bought four plants in "3-inch pots"--one of them a very showy Eryngium planum Jade Frost. They arrived, on a day when the temperature here was 102, in a plain UPS box (no notations of "live plants" or anything on the box) in terrible condition. The Jade Frost had three dead leaves on it (the soil was completely dry and hard) and the plant itself was one inch high, with two tiny leaves on it. The other plants all had long, tangled roots extending out of the bottoms of the pots--roots that will have to be cut, causing stress to the plant. Those plants are about two inches high. There is not a flower or flower bud to be seen on any of the plants.

For this, I paid $83.

My understanding is that plant pots are measured across the top--as the diameter. These pots were NOT 3-inch pots.

I thought I'd be buying something special, based on the company's reputation. The joke, sadly, is on me. What I bought was something that my local nurseries would never think of selling.

"On Jun 29, 2012 9:26 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

Dear Gardening Friend,

We are sorry to hear about your experience. The plants are guaranteed to arrive in good condition, regardless of the temperatures. We will gladly issue a replacement or refund if you are not happy with the quality of our plants.

As this is the time the ‘Jade Frost’ Eryngium would be in bloom, it may have been pruned back because the bloom stem would not have survived transit. It will not dramatically stress the plants if roots needed to be pruned back, however it would have been better if the pot had be cut so the roots could have been removed intact.

We do not guarantee blooms on any of our perennials when they are shipped or even the first year they are planted. We cannot ship the same size plants that can be purchased at local nurseries because plants of that size cannot be shipped to arrive in good condition.

I am not sure why the box wasn’t marked live plants - all of our boxes marked that way.. We will look into that promptly.

The notation of 3” pot refers to the amount of soil the pot holds and this is standard for the industry. The diameter of the pot may vary slightly from 3”.

Please feel free to contact us at custserv@whiteflowerfarm.com or 800-411-6159 so that we can issue you a replacement or refund. We want you to be successful with our plants and we stand behind our guarantee.

Sincerely,
Customer Service"

I recently subscribed to Country Gardens magazine and was offered a $ 25 merchandise credit with White Flower Farm. I tried to order merchandise from them over the Internet but was denied the credit. I asked two friends to try and they were not successful either.
Now that I look on Dave's Garden, there are a lot of negatives re White Flower Farm. Has anyone else encountered this?

"On Feb 27, 2012 8:18 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

Dear Gardening Friend,

We apologize for the inconvenience you experienced when you tried to redeem your credit. When placing a web order, the credit is not applied to the balance until the order is completely processed. If you would like to contact us to obtain your customer number & actual credit number, please do so at your earliest convenience at 800-503-9624 or email us at custserv@whiteflowerfarm.com. However, it is not necessary to have these numbers to place your order. I assure you if you have a credit, it will be applied.

Sincerely,
Customer Service
"

Posted on April 23, 2011, updated February 12, 2012
I wanted to plant some Helleborus for my wife. In order to get all the varieties I wanted, I ended up buying from 3 different online vendors. Most sold them for $20 each, including WFF. One had an internet special for $10 each.

WFF plants arrived 2nd out of the three. They were little tiny potted plants about two inches high and two inches in diameter. The leaves were brown on the edges. When I took them out of the pots the soil was TEEMING with pill bugs - literally dozens.

The plants from the other companies were about 6-12 inches high and 8-12 inches in diameter and very healthy. No pill bugs.

I just planted them so it is too soon to tell how they will work out in the long term, or if I have just infested everything with their pill bug, but by comparison, I have to give a negative rating.

"On Apr 26, 2011 8:57 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

We regret that there were pillbugs in the soil of the Hellebores that you received from White Flower Farm. While we do try to avoid the use of pesticides as much as possible, these pests should have been noticed and eliminated before the plants were packed for shipment.

The plants themselves are sent in 3” pots, as noted in our catalogue. While small, they are in prime condition to start growing at once. Should you be unsatisfied with their progress at the end of the summer, please let us know so that we may make restitution. You can contact us directly at custserv@whiteflowerfarm.com or 800-411-6159.

Sincerely,
Customer Service

"

Placed order Dec 19 for Amaryllis to be delivered to my Mom as a Christmas gift. White Flower [WF] guaranteed by Christmas delivery. Christmas came and went, no flowers were delivered. I wasn't too upset by that, called WF after the New Year [Jan 3rd], they told me to wait a few more days. Called WF back when the flowers still did not arrive at Mom's. They said they'd ship a whole new order and that the flowers would be there in a week. Well, 10 days later-still no flowers at Mom's. It's been a month. Nothing. So called WF today and just canceled. Result: Missed Christmas present [anywhere in Christmas day vicinity] Wasted time- 4-6 calls to WF. Nearly daily converations with Mom highlighting christmas present mess up. And even now-have to watch Visa to ensure refund comes through. WF Customer Service was never rude, but what a MESS. They could have had a life time customer in me...

"On Jan 17, 2012 11:28 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

Dear Customer,

We apologize for the disappointment and any inconvenience that you have encountered with your holiday order. We would like to make amends as well as verify that the refund has been processed. Please contact us at custserv@whiteflowerfarm.com or call us directly at 800-503-9624 at your earliest convenience. We thank you in advance for allowing us the opportunity to correct this matter for you.

Sincerely,
White Flower Farm
Customer Service

"

I ordered a couple of Dictamnus plants from this company this past summer. They were about $15 each and were advertised as bare root. In the past, when I have ordered from other companies, I have received a plant that has a crown anywhere from golf-ball size to soft-ball size. White Flower Farm, however, sent me a root-cutting, not a bare root plant. I was shocked at the size! It was a single root about half the diameter of a pencil and about 3 inches long with no visible crown. I planted them as instructed and they leaved out, but I'm very doubtful that they will make it through the winter.

They really set me up for failure with these. How did they expect a plant this size to put on enough growth to make it through a Zone 5 winter?

This was a huge waste of money, time, and effort. I would recommend looking elsewhere. It is too bad that I did not check here first and notice that almost half of the reviews are negative.

To add insult to injury, I just received their catalog and they are charging designer/patent prices for seed-grown stock (almost $9 for a Zinnia!). Most any high-end local nursery will beat their prices with plants in gallon pots instead of White Flower Farm's over-priced 3" rip-offs.

"On Dec 28, 2011 11:57 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

We are sorry to learn you were unhappy with the size and quality of our bare root Dictamus plants. The size of the root systems of our bare root stock does vary according to Genus. However, all of our perennials, whether shipped potted or bare root, are guaranteed for a full year. Accordingly, your plants are guaranteed to come out of dormancy in the spring. The terms of the guarantee are for replacements sent at no charge or a merchandise credit or refund to your credit card for the value of the plant material. Please contact us at 800-411-6159 or custserv@whiteflowerfarm.com so that we can resolve this for you.

Sincerely,
White Flower Farm
Customer Service

"

Rude customer service!!

Ordered bulbs for fall planting over a month ago. Ground starts freezing up in a couple weeks so I contacted them and was told they were so busy they couldn't ship before 10/10.

I explained that we started getting snow soon and then I was told their horticultural "specialists" said October is the right time to plant here but they would be happy to cancel my order if I like. Sheesh!!

Only reason I ordered was I was given a gift card for my birthday. Irritating how happy they are to waste the time I took placing the order and my sister-in-laws money.

"On Sep 30, 2011 2:04 PM, White Flower Farm responded with:

Dear Gardening Friend,

We apologize for any inconvenience. The collection of bulbs and perennials you selected, is not harvested until late September and therefore isn't ready to ship until early to mid October, weather permitting as stated in our catalog and on our web site.

We guarantee our plants will perform and thrive or when notified we will issue a replacement or full refund. Please feel free to contact our customer service department at custserv@whiteflowerfarm.com if we can be of further assistance."

I have, or should I say had, been a customer of White Flower farm for years. Their products were usually acceptable; however, never stellar. Usually I would lose about 50% of whatever I bought. Being an incredibly busy Psychologist in a very demanding career, I admit it was convenience that had me returning; however, each year I would buy less and less. This year I ordered around $300.00 of plants from them. I noticed immediately that shipping was very slow, and communication was zero. To make a long story short, after numerous unanswered emails I finally called. What I got was a completely unprofessional "Customer Service Representative" named "Debbie Cashman" (it was important to her that I knew her name. She even spelled it! Go figure). At any rate, she blatantly refused to let me speak with a supervisor, engaged in harassing and aggressive verbal attacks, and ultimately stated, repeatedly in fact, that she would not transfer me to a supervisor nor would she give them my name and number to call back. She told me "go ahead and call the owner. I don't care." Well, that pretty much says it all. It's doubtful that I will ever get the remaining 5 items from the order I placed in February. That's ok. I won't be back, and hopefully you won't either.

"On May 16, 2011 8:44 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

Dear Customer,

We apologize for the bad experience you received when you called our customer service department. This is not our standard service and I would like to this right. I will gladly assist you with your order, providing any information you need and I assure you that you will receive the remaining 5 items on your order.

I cannot currently access your account with the information I have at hand, therefore I cannot contact you directly. At your earliest convenience, please contact me at 800-503-9624, extension 6506. I am in the office until 3:00 pm est. I look forward to speaking to you.

Sincerely,
Michelle
Customer Service Manager
"

I ordered three vegetable plants to put in containers on my deck. When they arrived; two were dead and the third had a virus and was not planted. $35.00 for nothing. No more White Flower for me.

"On May 16, 2011 7:59 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

We are sorry that the plants you received did not survive shipment. Please contact our customer service department at custserv@whiteflowerfarm.com or call us at 800-411-6159 to receive a replacement order or full refund.

Sincerely,
Customer Service"

I've been a WFF customer since the early 90s, and have much success in many locations with their perennials, bulbs, and vegetable plants. Their naturalizing bulbs have been a great success for me. I had been such a fan that I even traveled to CT to see their grounds and fields.

They are no longer the same company, perhaps because of stiff internet competition. Plants are *very* expensive for what you get, and shipping costs are outrageous. That said, their customer service is good (although not what it used to be).

I have two complaints: the first is with their rigid "will be shipped at proper planting time" policy, and the second is that their growing conditions don't measure up to Georgia's pest compliance law.

That means that 1) customers in colder zones are likely to find limited-quantity plants sold out; and 2) the company thinks they know better than I what microclimates are in my gardens. Their zoning map is imprecise. There should be an option for experienced gardeners to get immediate delivery of plants, even if it means waiving the warranty.

I was disappointed this year to learn that WFF can't ship tomato (and many other vegetable) plants into GA because their growing conditions don't meet the state requirements to control invasive pests. Growing tomato starts under organic pest-controlled conditions isn't that difficult -- other companies have managed to do it.

I'd still consider WFF for new and unique specimen plants, but I'm looking for a new "regular" nursery, which is how I ended up at Dave's Garden. White Flower Farm seems to be on a downslide.

"On May 16, 2011 8:17 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

Dear Customer,

Thank you for your continued patronage. We do state that we will ship at the proper planting time for customers based on their planting zone. However, if a customer requests a specific time frame, we can delay or ship the order earlier than expected as long as the plant is available, viable, and our weather permits. We make every effort to ensure the plants arrive in transplantable condition.

We do follow organic insect & disease protocols when growing vegetables and herb plants at White Flower Farm. Every state has agricultural regulations that restrict the shipment of certain plants. We are sorry, but we cannot ship vegetables to Georgia. Pesticides are not used on any of our edible crops at White Flower Farm.

Sincerely,
Customer Service
"

Until fairly recently I had good experiences with WWF. Then a couple of years ago their prices soared. I still bought from them if I couldn't get something elsewhere. This year I ordered a Purple Pillow Geranium because everywhere else was out. It cost a whopping $21.95. When it arrived it was *tiny*--the smallest shipped plant I have ever received--and so badly packed that the loose, dry dirt (and plant) had fallen out in the box. They said they would replace it. I said I wanted a refund unless they could guarantee a bigger, better plant. They did not respond to that message. Just sent me a second plant as small and badly packed as the first. I'm disappointed that I can no longer use this nursery.

"On May 2, 2011 1:47 PM, White Flower Farm responded with:

We apologize that you received two plants that did not measure up to your standards. Although the plants received might be smaller than you expected, we guarantee they will respond by growing rapidly into a full sized plant once in the ground.
Please contact our customer service department at 800-411-6159 or custserv@whiteflowerfarm if you are still disappointed with their performance and we will issue you a full refund.

Sincerely,
Customer Service "

Please understand that I have been ordering from mail order gardening companies for over 20 years when you read this comment, and also know that I have never felt the need to negatively comment on a gardening company before.

I feel that White Flower Farm is surviving based on its past reputation, which was very good. My current experience with them has left me feeling ripped off and unable to do anything about it. I ordered last August from them the new and popular Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea that I saw advertised in Better Homes and Gardens. I immediately knew that I would have to "wait until spring" for my plant. I planned my entire flower bed around this very showy plant (I just moved into a new house and am completely starting over with my flowers) This week (April 21) I received a postcard stating that they had run out of the plant due to its popularity and that I would now not be receiving one until the next crop was due, in June. WHAT???? I've been waiting since August! I called the company for an explanation and was told there wasn't one. "Not sure why you're not getting one in the spring but we sent them all out already". Hmm. I somehow feel that they sent MY plant to someone else. I could cancel the order, yes, but then what - my entire flowerbed was planned around this. I explained to the customer service rep that I was looking for a reason as to why this would happen. She said she had no idea. I couldn't feel more ripped off than I do about this. I am hoping to find a substitute plant elsewhere so that I can cancel this order. But in the meanwhile, I wanted to warn others off, even if you have been happy in the past (so was I) they are not the same company today.

"On Apr 26, 2011 10:40 AM, White Flower Farm responded with:

We are very sorry for your disappointment. There are always variables with live crops. Some we can plan in advance for and some we can't. We understand your frustration and we are doing everything we can to ensure that we send top quality plants to our customers, at an appropriate time for planting. The shippable quantity of Vanilla Strawberry was smaller than we anticipated for April delivery. Therefore, were selected orders for April shipment taking into consideration the original order date & climate zone. We assure you that your plant is reserved and will ship in June as the postcard stated.

Please contact us at custserv@whiteflowerfarm.com or 800-411-6159 if we can be of further assistance. Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience.

Sincerely,
Customer Service "