I guess I'm lucky, I ordered 3 Crimsom fans and 1 Kent Beauty from Wayside Gardens and they arrived in good shape...a little on the small side but still healthy. I'll have to agree about the shipping costs though, a little on the high side for me!!! I wish these companys would go with the "Flat Rate" boxes to help with shipping costs!

Wow! So sorry you had such a bad experience, but at least now you know that's one place to avoid like the plague.

I had heard similar things about Wayside and even though they send a nice catalog and I've been tempted, I have never ordered from them.

I hope you will also post your experience at the Garden Watchdog.

Sorry for your misfortune, but thank you for warning others.

Janet

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Watchdog

I've ordered from Wayside a few times and my plants always arrived in very good shape, even though I've always thought they were way overpriced for the size plant you get. Don't know what to say, but since your Caryopteris is a herbaceous perennial, are you sure it was dead? I would have planted it and watched for growth-it's possible it was just dormant.

Sorry to had such a bad experience :(

I've purchased from wayside three or four times and have been relatively happy with the products. I don't think they're a scam, sometimes plants die in transit, especially with all this heat.

They better be replacing it for you!

Long expensive and prone to hyperbole (including false claims of exclusivity), quality likely became irregular after merger with Park Seed. Our family's ordering history would probably go back decades by now, but the time they sent me phlox with live snails obviously visible on the crowns pretty much killed it for me. There is really very little if anything they offer I can't find elsewhere anyway, sooner or later.

Caryopteris is a woody shrub and not an herbaceous perennial.

I would like to update that the plant above never grew. I luckily found the same plant at Lowes in a gallon container for half the price that Wayside charges for the dead twig. I will never order from this company again. Please read the reviews of them before you consider ordering from them.

Wayside is the other place I would never order from again. I got dead plants and the reps for the company weren't very nice on the phone. They said they "never" give refunds. I had to contact my credit card company which was more work for us. Anyway I finally got half of my $ back but not all of it.
I learned not to order from any nursery online anymore. I did it 2x and both times it was a totaly rip off. I find gardenweb , ebay or my local nurseries are my options.
I wish I researched thse companies before I ordered. I was so excited and hopeful and then so disappointed.

I have lived in several different part of the country and made/received garden orders from Wayside in each area where I lived. Everytime it was a very positive experience. I have ordered, especially, many roses from Wayside over the years, and have been very pleased with the quality and condition of the rose plants.

but they sure have a beautiful catalog

I live in SC, and was able to visit Wayside in person. I was hoping to be able to browse their nursery and find some nice plants. They only have one section that is open to the public, and those are "sale" plants. I was very disappointed. If that were my nursery, I would have been embarrassed to have those things for sale - they were all in very poor condition. I didn't see the hydrangea I came for, so I asked at the counter, and they brought a few very nice plants from the greenhouse for me to pick through. Sounds like they are probably pulling plants from the sale section to mail out. After hearing all the horror stories, I would never mail order from Wayside.

I ordered plants online from them. They never sent emails for order status or shipment regardless of how many times I called. At the end they shipped without notifying me and left the package outside while I was out of town. It was gone when I got back. I called and they said they were not liable for it. If I were notified in advance of the shipment, I would arrange UPS for a pickup. They said not their fault and they can't do anything about it. This is the worse company I've seen. They also have bad customer services. The person I talked to name is James Garner. I would not buy from them or any of their affiliates again.

Today is April 9, 2013. I just received my HORRIBLE shipment from Wayside Gardens. I paid 160 dollars for 7 extremely poor quality plants, about 20 dollars a piece plus shipment. I WILL NEVER BUY anything from them ever again. Please, do not buy anything from them as you will be extremely disappointed.

DO NOT ORDER ANYTHING FROM THEM!!! I ordered six plants (Clethra 'Ruby Spice') $24 dlls each and only got four. The plants look like a tree branch instead of a plant. I contact them via email and requested a refund for the plants that i never received i still have not gotten a response. I also submitted a review in their site on the plant and this was never published.

Buyer beware! Avoid disappointment and DO NOT order from this company. I, unfortunately, bought a $25 hydrangea from Wayside Gardens because I could not find the specific type that I wanted in our local plant nurseries. Shipping was $10. The item they sent me is barely 8" tall! This is not $25 worth of shrub. I am now out $35. They are a fraudulent organization. Don't be tempted by their lovely online photos. They send out puny plants of poor quality. Lesson learned, do your due diligence before ordering online. #ShameonWaysideGardens