An evergreen is severely stressed, if alive at all, if it is brown. That is not dormancy, that is Bravo Sierra. I would make them aware of the conditions when the plants arrived. Take pictures and send them. Advise them you are an experienced gardener and you are disappointed in the plants' condition. Tell them you are giving the plants a chance but will be contacting them if they don't make for a refund or replacement. Also, don;t fall for this "mail it back" BS. Tell them you sent pix and if they want the plants back they can send postage.

I did send them an Email verses the poor condition of the plants the first day that I received them. I also read their return policy; which includes a 1 year warranty. And, I saved the shipping boxes because that is a requirement of being able to return the plants. I will take pictures. I never mail anything back for return without requiring a refund on the postage. I just hope they live, because they are beautiful trees, my favorite when it comes to pines. The Double Fuchsia is a pretty house plant also. I will nurse them and hope that they live. The prices were so good I could not resist. BUTT, I will NOT be ordering anything from them again.

The whole "forced into dormancy" thang bothers me anyway..It just seems abusive to the plant, unnatural.

Truly I do not consider myself an experienced gardener. I know a lot more then I did 5 years ago and I do know how to save a plant when nothing is alive except the roots. It takes a lot to kill a pine tree..

Thanks for your help....I will let you know if the plants survive..

Just to let you know the Blue Spruces NEVER came back and the same with the Fuchsia. I demanded a full refund including postage and got it.

The Astilbe did live.

You should consider yourself lucky to have gotten that much out of Burgess. I had a terrible experience with them ONCE...you know the old adage...fool me once....they are not going to get a 2nd chance. They send dried up sticks with no hope for survival! I am an experienced gardener too BTW. Their prices are that low for a reason I guess. Also beware..they send other catalogs under other names...Kelly nurseries comes to mind and a few others. Just check the company address..they will be the same.

BECAREFUL..Burgess operates under several different Nursery names. If you get any catalogs in the mail that have pictures close to or exactly like Burgess Beware. Look the Nursery up on the internet and you can trace it back to being a subsidiary of Burgess.

Well, it was just as you suspected. the plants were dead. Anytime evergreens get to the brown stage, they are literally toast. There are few mail order companies I trust. I'm glad you got a refund.

I was pretty through about it. Sent them a complaint email with pictures when I received the plants. They really didn't have a choice. I wonder if they would have jumped so fast to give me a refund if I hadn't documented.I have had good luck with Michigan Bulb so far.
I just don't get it. Burgess is a Nursery they are suppose to care about plants. Apparently they don't. It's kind of like a "Plant Mill" ie "puppy mill".

If you think Burgess is bad, don't try TyTy in Georgia.

Burgess Seed, Wayside, Direct Gardending and a few others are ALL operated by the Same Company. There catalogs look good but their plants are either garbage or dead! Never a tracking number, no ship date info. They gather up all the dead roots/bulbs from ?? Re Sell it to gardeners looking for a deal. They charge you Immediately and your dead Stuff shows up IF it wants! Way Too many complaints! I am almost Certain that ANY Positive feedback is being placed by either severally amateur gardeners that don't realize they've been Ripped off or by one of their MANY phones clerks. The Only way I got my money back was by Reporting them to the Illinois Attorney General. Please do your research before purchasing from these catalog scammers! Try Jackson & Perkins, White flower Farms, Spring Hill Nursery or even HSN/QVC. Pay a tad more and Save yourself the Cash & the Money.
HAPPY GARDENING!!

Better yet, buy locally. Even somewhere like Lowe's is better than those rip-off artists, and we have some absolutely wonderful places in the state, such as Petals From The Past.

Unless you are at a high elevation, Colorado Blue Spruce don't do all that well in the South...too hot and humid. Find a reputable local nursery and they can show you similar conifers that will do well in your area.