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firefightergardener

Online nursery review guide w/ photos continued

Continuing my series of reviews and experiences from online nurseries, I have decided to create a new post since the previous post had grown very large and loaded with pictures. If you're interested and didn't catch it, you can find it linked at the bottom of this post.

Thus far I have reviewed these four nurseries:

Bloom River Gardens

Greer Gardens

Forest Farm

Porterhowse Farms

I decided to offer these opinionated 'experiences' with various online nurseries since some people here had expressed questions regarding the quality and reliability of these nurseries.

This 'rule-set' I've used for the reviews has been copy/paste'd from the first post.

For each nursery I review, I'll try and write where they are located, include a link and detail how 'large' they are. Some are just gigantic while others are Mom and Pop shows out of their backyard.

After that, I will rate each nursery in four catagories. One star(*) being poor or below average, two stars(**) describing an average rating, three stars(***) accounting for a positive attribute and four stars(****) describing a near flawless rating. I'll also reserve five star ratings for companies who are head and shoulders above the others in any particular area.

The catagories I'm using are:

Inventory: How large a variety of conifers the particular nursery offers. Basically how many different cultivars(and different sizes) the nursery offers. Extra credit here also for nurseries offering the very rare and choice plants that are scarsely seen.

Stock quality and size: Some nurseries offer gorgeous plants in perfect healthy, others are clearly neglected some, often just from growing in crowded situations and lacking the right amount of sunlight. Also nurseries offer very different sizes to their stock. I've purchased from different nursuries and received 'gallon sized pots' that were anywhere from a one year graft to a spilling over, root bound 6-7 year graft.

Customer service/General experience: Many nurseries are ran like businesses, some are run like families. You'll notice if you buy from multiple sources that some are REALLY trying to make you happy in order to have a lifelong customer while others just tend you treat you with indifference. Also, some companies will gladly replace a conifer if there is a problem while others can be hard to get a hold of and/or won't replace anything if you lose plants.

Value: This rating, which most people will probably consider most important given the economic times, will be my best attempt at rating nursuries on 'bang for your buck'. This means that I won't neccesarily give the cheapest sites top rating, but rather the overall value, whether they offer nice plants at great prices or new plants at unbeatable prices. Some retailers do offer very young plants at very high prices and will likely score poorly in this catagory.

I am not going to rate the nursuries overall, as I feel almost every nursery excels in some area and offers something to the online buyer.

I'll leave that to you based on your priorities and fiscal situation.

One last critical note. At the beginning of each nursery I'll also describe how much experience I have with them. Some sources I have only placed one or two orders with while others I have bought hundreds of plants from. This is important for 'sample size' as it's possible experiences I've had with nurseries where I only ordered once from will be only a sneak peak at what these nurseries have to offer. Please keep that in mind if you read on.

***************************

EBAY MERCHANT: BONZAI BOB

***************************

Some may know this merchant as Cedric Murray. This merchant appears to be a relatively small nursery offering Japanese maples and rare, choice conifers. It appears his nursery is located in Stanwood, Washington st. I've made many purchases from Cedric, so my experience level here is very high.

Inventory: ***

It appears that most of the stock Cedris sells is from Stanley and Sons nursery. Most of the stock is 3-4 years old, so it appears he grows most plants a few years before offering them for sale. Some of the plants offered are very hard to find and either aren't grafted by S&S or are not currently/recently available. His stock is largely a collection of very choice conifers.

Stock quality/size: ***

While Cedris doesn't offer the largest cultivars I've seen, they are often a bit more mature then other nurseries and the quality is always tip top. Conifers always arrive in fantastic shape and seemed to take off as soon as I planted them.

Customer service/General Experience: ****

Cedric clearly wants happy/return customers. He goes out of his way to pack your precious conifers carefully and effeciently into shipping boxes and better yet - offers a full refund for any overpaid shipping - a refreshing bonus not often found on Ebay. Shipping for me was always quite fast and very affordable. He even recommended alternate conifers after I purchased conifers that were known to not 'color' as well in my neck of the woods.

Value: **

For the most part, the prices represent about a 100% markup from S&S nurseries, a fairly typical wholesale/retail ratio. Most plants offered have are more mature then S&S stock, usually 3-4 years old.

It's hard not to recommend 'Bonzai Bob'. Top notch service, reliability, choice plants and super safe/fast shipping make this a pleasant experience.

Picea glauca 'Arensons' Blue' $25

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Picea orientalis 'Tom Thumb Gold' $40

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Tsuga canadensis 'Vermuelen Wintergold' $25

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************************

COENOSIUM GARDENS

************************

Coenosiums is ran and operated by Bob and Diane Fincham. Longtime conifer enthusiasts and collectors, Bob and Diane moved from the East Coast 20+ years ago to Oregon and then finally Washington state where they currently reside. With five acres covered in mature and choice conifers, they graft, grow and offer about two hundred different conifers, most of them dwarves or miniatures.

I've made several visits to Coenosiums and have purchased some 150 cultivars, so I have a pretty good idea what Coenosiums can offer.

Inventory: ****

Coenosiums specializes in dwarf and miniature conifers. They offer a handful of large uprights/weepers, but their dwarf and miniature conifer choices are virtually unmatched in my experience. Many of the miniatures Coenosiums offers are nearly impossible to find anywhere else online.

Stock quality/size: ****

Coenosiums stock varies in age. As someone who has strolled down their fairly large nursery, I see cultivars that are 2-3 years old and others that are quite large and probably closer to 5-7 years old. You can get a pretty good idea from the images below. Especially since these are dwarf and miniature conifers, this is a great advantage as you get instant impact upon planting. Some of the stock is so old that it requires some root 'teasing/pruning'. Out of all the conifers I've purchased from Coenosiums, I haven't lost a single plant yet - a testament to Coenosiums quality stock.

Customer service/General Experience: ****

Bob and Diane are great folks and offer both great plants and experienced information. I've never purchased plants from them online, so I can't testify to that process, but with some thirty years of selling and shipping conifers across the country, I'm sure they handle things fine. They are very receptive to visitors. If you're passing by Mt. Rainier or make road trips to Washington, you'd be missing out if you didn't give them a call and schedule a visit. With five full acres crammed full of amazing, mature conifers, it's an amazing experience and a memory-card busting camera event.

Value: ***

Coenosiums prices range from $25 to $50 a plant. Most are 5" pots or one gallon plants but the majority of the plants Coenosiums offers is older then many nurseries offer. While $40-50 might seem a lot of money for a plant that may never get larger then a beachball, the conifers listed at these prices are extremely choice, rare, coveted gems that will probably be growing long after you're alive.

I'm surely a little biased from my numerous great visits to Coenosiums and my fledgling friendship with Bob and Diane, but I feel that anyone interested in miniature and dwarf conifers need to at least try them out and form their own opinion. I'm guessing it will lead to many other orders.

Pinus strobus 'Sarah Rachel' $30

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Pinus mugo 'Jakobsen' $35

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Abies procera 'Blaue Hexe' $40

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Abies koreana 'Silberkugel' $45

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Picea abies 'Hasin' $35

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Picea orientalis 'Mt. Vernon' $35

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Next week: Wayside Gardens and Ebay merchant, 'Plantspluspines'

Here is a link that might be useful: Previous online nursery reviews

Comments (16)

  • sluice
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Great resource, thanks for putting this together!

  • chief4car
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I just purchased from Bonzai Bob a few weeks ago. Very easy to deal with. Have not received my purchases yet, as it is still winter where I am at. He will hold your puchases and ship when requested - Great.

    Jim

  • Embothrium
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    They call themselves "forestfarm". I don't know how he spells it but dwarf potted trees are usually called "bonsai".

  • firefightergardener
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Opps, forgot to include contact points for each nursery:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Coenosium Gardens Link

  • firefightergardener
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    And yep, he spells it 'bonzaibob'. :)

    Here is a link that might be useful: Bonzai Bob's Ebay nursery Link

  • marchela
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Purchased many conifers and japanese maples from Cedric (bonzaibob). Excellent quality plants, very fast shipping and excellent communication. Recommend..

  • jaro_in_montreal
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yes, I got some very nice plants from Coenosium too.

    As for the others, I can only vouch for those that take the extra trouble to do x-border shipping to Canada.

    Greer Gardens and Forest Farm are two that you have already reviewed.
    Another one is Bethlehem Nursery.
    I'm not aware of any others (except for Iseli, but they don't do retail).

  • toucanjoe
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Where is this bonzai bob?I looked all over e-bay and found noting.If anyone knows please post a link.

  • firefightergardener
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've posted a link above sir. :) It's labeled Bonzaibob's Ebay Nursery link.

  • toucanjoe
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks sparky,When you get old you don,t see a lot of thing right before your eyes By the way my son-inlaw is a firefighter for Sun Oil Company in New Jersey. Joe

  • firefightergardener
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    **************************
    WAYSIDE GARDENS
    **************************

    Located in South Carolina, this retail giant has been in business for a long time, originally founded in 1920. They offer a broad range of plants, bulbs and trees. Their conifer selection is weak compared to the majority of retailers I've reviewed so far, but they do have a few choice plants.

    www.waysidegardens.com

    Inventory: **
    Strictly speaking conifers, Wayside offers about 30 different choices, depending on the season. Their stock size is almost always the same size, and usually a trade gallon(3/4) or gallon size. The only reason I didn't give them one star here is because their selection includes Picea glauca 'Rainbows' End' and Taxodium distichum 'Peve Minaret', both plants I was unable to locate easily online.

    Stock size/quality: ***
    Wayside gardens offers quality plants. Their plants are usually uniform, healthy, not rootbound and thus far I've had no losses amongst the 30-40 plants I've ordered from them. The size is average or above average for gallon sized pots. Particularly a few select cultivars are quite large for gallon sized pots. If you're interested I can list a few that surprised me(pleasantly).

    Customer service/General experience: ***
    Since the majority of my purchases were from 'Perfect Plants', their Ebay partner(more about that below), my orders were sometimes delayed a little bit. Generally the packing and shipping was extremely high quality with ample protection for the plants and seldom more then a few days travel time once they did actually ship. Once I had an order backlogged so they added a few freebies to the order. They make a solid effort at keeping the customer happy.

    Value: Website direct: ** Perfectplants: ****
    This is tricky. The above rating represnts an interesting difference and potential value for those really shopping on a budget. While exploring Wayside originally I crosschecked Ebay to see comparable prices and found a seller that was offering virtually the same plants for considerably less. I ordered from both, and over time I found that these two companies were actually the same - or at least operating almost identically(perhaps two different locations). The website store offers most plants at fairly typical retail prices, though sometimes a bit more. Perfectplants was through Ebay and because of this, plant prices depending on how many people were interested. I found that some plants actually sold for MORE then their online website was offering them - haha go figure - but I also noticed that a lot of plants, particularly conifers went largely uncontested. I purchased the majority of the plants from them at 0.99 + 3.00 shipping, or four bucks a piece. Considering shipping, etc. this can't be a good fiscal practice. Their Ebay 'alter-ego' was online for a good 18 months. I have not seen them listed plants on Ebay recently. Perhaps with the recession, it became fiscally irresponsible to offer plants at next to nothing since the economy has forced so many to tighten their belts.

    In summary here, there is nothing wrong with ordering plants from Wayside Gardens online, just give Ebay a look first. Maybe you'll find a nice bargain or three.

    Picea mariana 'Ericoides' (need a spelling check on cultivar name)
    {{gwi:652717}}

    Picea glauca 'Rainbows' End' $29.95 online
    {{gwi:652719}}

    Cupressocyparis leylandii $19.95 online
    {{gwi:652721}}

    *************************
    PLANTSPLUSPINES
    *************************

    I don't know a lot about this merchant, I just know he offers a small variety of conifer species. Located in New York.

    http://myworld.ebay.com/plantspluspines/

    Inventory: **
    Plantsplus pines offers a decent selection of conifer 'species' plants. They don't offer many 'named' cultivars, but they do offer a few dozen different conifers ranging from Cedrus atlantica to Picea omorika.

    Plant quality/size: **
    Plantspluspines offers seedlings(and sometimes even seed) ranging from new one year plants to older, five or six year plants. Sometimes plants are shipped bareroot(when dormant of course). Plant quality is solid if not exceptional. I've had very strong success growing the dozen plants I've ordered from them.

    Customer service/General experience: ***
    They ship quickly, always came through with good orders and packing and I haven't had a problem in this area.

    Value: ***
    Depending on your needs, they can offer some pretty good bargains, especially when it comes to ordering larger quantities of bare-root trees. In general, this is a pretty good 'baseline' conifer resource. If you want a few dozen inexpensive, young tree seedlings, this is a good choice.

    Picea abies 'Aurea' $10
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    Picea abies 'Pendula' or 'Reflexa' $10
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    Cedrus atlantica 'Pendula' (or so labeled) about $15(though bidding)
    {{gwi:652726}}

    Next week: Stanley and Sons, and an update to my Bloom River Gardens review.

    Will

  • firefightergardener
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Continuing on my reviews, I need to make an additional series on Bloom River Gardens. A month ago they sent out a list of 'rare and discontinued' plants that they have not been offering on their website. This list was about 50-60 plants deep and offered some very intriguing options for me including some conifers I had no seen available around on other websites. I placed an order and a few days later, they arrived. Here is just a quick update w/ pictures on these 'special order' conifers.

    One note here is that these conifers aren't listed on their website, and were offered to previous customers first. That said, I think if an interested conifer collector/enthusiast called or emailed them they would probably be available. I won't post the list here, but you can probably get that as well by emailing them.

    If I was to 'revise' my review based on this order, it would be as such:

    Inventory: ****
    Some of these plants are rare enough that I have not even been able to find information about them, much less other sources.

    Plant size/quality: ****
    These plants were all in fantastic shape and although they were 3 & 5 gallon sized, their roots were in outstanding shape. For size, I think the pictures speak for themselves. They're the largest plants I've ever acquired online.

    Customer service/General experience: ****
    Bloom River Gardens has always taken care of their customers and they saved me every penny they could on shipping and even offered me a holiday discount that had recently expired.

    Value: ***
    Before I had given an average rating, but these plants at this price definetly increase this rating to well above average.

    I've decided not to include prices on these plants because they are not publicly listed online. That said, the prices were very reasonable - even 'cheap' considering the plant quality and size.

    Here are a bunch of pictures of the specimens, enjoy!

    Cedrus deodara 'Emerald Falls'. Reminds me of Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca Pendula' only with grass-green needles. Apparently staked for height. I believe this was sold as a 3-Gallon plant(!).
    {{gwi:652727}}

    {{gwi:652729}}

    Abies procera 'Pendula' Upright with weeping branches. Looks to stay relatively narrow with age. This appeared to be about a 8 year old plant.
    {{gwi:652730}}

    Cedrus deodara 'Girards' Weeping' No idea where it came from, but labled as a narrow upright cedar with nice green needles.
    {{gwi:652731}}

    Cedrus libani 'Glauca Pendula' 3-Gal.
    {{gwi:652732}}

    Abies concolor 'Compacta' 1-Gal.
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    Abies procera 'La Graciosa' 1-Gal.
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    Will

  • firefightergardener
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This week I'll review my experiences with Stanley and Sons nursery.

    *****************************
    STANLEY AND SONS
    *****************************

    Stanley and Sons Inc. is a Wholesale nursery located in NW Oregon. They have specialized in rare and unusual conifers and Japanese maples since the mid-1970s with some ten acres of nursery grounds and grafting/offering more then 2000 different conifers. While they are 'wholesale', they do occasionally offer their wares to avid collectors, provided you meet certain requirements. Since Stanley and Sons is a wholesale seller, often the prices of the plants are unbeatable. To acquire such plants, retailers or collectors usually must have a retail nursery or membership into the ACS - American Conifer Society. Also, orders must contain a minimum number of plants(depending on the size of the plants).

    www.stanleyandsons.com

    Inventory: *****
    S&S has the largest overall offering of conifers that I'm aware of online. Offering some 2,000+ conifers, including new ones every year from Holland/New Zealand, they offer both common plants you might find at Lowes, to very rare plants seldom seen in any but the most exclusive online nurseries. They also offer large stock supplies of many of their conifers, with some conifer inventories listed in the thousands. For the retailer, S&S offers a gigantic selection of very well priced conifers covering both large and small. I have friends who run a landscaping business and they have recently pledged future funds in return for unique conifers to provide their customers landscapes. I have also found S&S to be an extremely reliable source to find rare and unusual conifers - particularly 'large upright' conifers that I've had a very hard time finding online.

    Stock quality/size: ****
    S&S offers many sized plants, but the overwhelming majority of plants listed for sale are 4" pot and 1 gallon sized plants. S&S does offer 3-gallon and 10-gallon(or larger) plants, but these are much less common and are also sometimes too large to ship via UPS. The size of the plants varies from small one-year grafts to large, overflowing plants that are 3-5 years old or more. I've ordered a half dozen plants in three gallon sizes and I was impressed every time. Generally speaking, the 4" pots are 'starter' plants, often very recent cuttings. Where the size might be lacking is more then made up for in quality - Stanley and Sons offers some of the healthiest looking plants I've experienced from any nursery online.

    General experience/Customer service: ***
    Stanley and Sons has an impressive packaging/shipping routine. Every conifer is well labled with size/habit details and every box is extremely well packaged. Shipping for me here in the Northwest is both inexpensive and very quick, usually overnight. Of course I live within 3 hours of S&S nurseries, so East coast travel times may be longer.

    Stanley and Sons is a WHOLESALE nursery, so they operate much differently then other nurseries you may have experienced. From what I have seen and read here on these forums, it can be difficult to contact them directly and they may even scold customers from calling/asking specific details. Really, any collector/conifer enthusiast should be happy enough if they are offered these conifers in the first place. Complaints/pestering, etc. are not likely to be well received, especially given the huge discount you're already looking at on very fine plants. Orders are usually placed online with a pre-given CC# and confirmation of the order is usually given in 24 to 48 hours. Sometimes stock may not be present even if it shows on their availability list - again, another aspect of the wholesale industry. I've never had a bad experience with Stanley and Sons and would recommend them for anyone with retail needs or looking to add to their collection. Just keep in mind that they are wholesale, so being able to even shop from them is a huge perk.

    Value: ****
    Unquestionably, S&S offers some of the least expensive plants I have come across. I've purchased several dozen plants between $7.50 and $15 that have thrilled my landscaping friends. Though they aren't 'instant gratification plants', the rarity of some of these plants gives them top value. While other nurseries offer older stock, S&S has the best prices.

    This of course is an uncomfortable point - Stanley and Sons is WHOLESALE, and their are ethical questions whether or not 'retail consumers' should even have access. It's not one I'll argue either way as I am just a small fish and new to all of this - just keep it in mind if you're considering placing and order - and certainly don't be upset if you're denied access.

    Personally I have found many nurseries to have redeeming qualities when it comes to their own offerings, and I have and will continue to place orders with other nurseries, but for the conifer enthusiast on a budget, S&S really is sort of your holy grail of nurseries. If you have more time then money, it is probably one of your best options.

    In the end, whether you're a retail nursery owner or a very avid conifer collector, Stanley and Sons offers an extremely reliable, inexpensive way to further increase your wares. It's impossible not to recommend them.

    A typical 'cart' of 15 4" pots.
    {{gwi:652735}}


    Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Confucious' 1GAL - $7.50
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    Cryptomeria japonica 'Black Dragon' 1GAL - $7.50
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    Cryptomeria japonica 'Elegans Compacta' 1GAL - $7.50 (Huge plant for 1 gallon sized)
    {{gwi:652738}}


    Picea abies 'Chrudim WB' 4" POT - $10
    {{gwi:652739}}


    Picea abies 'Hildburghausen' 3GAL - $25
    {{gwi:652740}}

    Pinus nigra 'Gaelle Bregeon' 3GAL - $25
    {{gwi:652742}}

    Psuedotsuga menziessi 'Valdstejn' 1GAL - $15
    {{gwi:652744}}

    Next week: Cloud Mountain Farms and Girards Nursery.

    Will

  • tunilla
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Will. That Gaelle Bregeon looks wonderful!Memories from Switserland!T.

  • firefightergardener
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Another bump, though I couldn't find it on the server search, google still brought this up.

    -Will

  • firefightergardener
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Does this show as bumped?