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slinkygirl78

sooo many nurseries/websites to choose from!!

slinkygirl78
19 years ago

Hey everyone!

Last week I started doing some shopping online. I was so confused after a couple of hours! So many places, such drastic price differences, etc. I found two places that seemed very reasonable:

www.gurneys.com and

www.directgardening.com

so i ordered a couple things from each, to see which i liked better.

also, i get gifts for people from jackson and perkins, therefore get their catalogs a lot as well. But i've never ordered anything from them as far as actual plants to put outside. Their prices seem somewhat high as well, or maybe my budget is just too strict? hehe. i was not sure if j&p

s quality is that much different than other places- noticeably so, or if most places are generally the same.

Anyway I was wondering what kinds of luck you guys have had with different places, your favorite places, which are overrated, etc. i know everyone will have different opinions about different places but i like to hear them all :)

thanks!!!

Comments (12)

  • slubberdegulion
    19 years ago

    I like Garden Watchdog (gardenwatchdog.com) because it's a great way to quickly go from one web site to another (and of course all the opinions) and I also like Cyndi's Catalog of Garden Catalogs: http://users.adelphia.net/~johnsonjames/. (I think.)
    Jackson and Perkins...oh, my! Too rich for me! But I do look at their catalogue, my mother loves their roses (I prefer Antique Rose Emporium).
    I like to order things from different companies too, because how else will you really see for yourself? I do try to hunt down the best deals. The time I spend hunting helps to cool my new-found love of plant X.
    Probably my all-around favorite company is Niche, followed by Bluestone (they have detractors because of the small plants) and Old House Gardens. There are so many good ones!
    I won't bash ones I hate or distrust, but... I've learned recently to make sure a company will help you out. If a vendor won't back their plants or come to your aid if some shipping problem happens, don't order (if you know in advance) and keep any records if you have. Grrr... and remember that there are some really great plants-people out there.
    I'm curious about Thompson & Morgan, I used to just love them, but after seeing people's opinions on the web started to wonder if maybe the (sometimes) poor germination wasn't all just my lack of skill. And, with much looking, I've found any number of cheaper sources.

  • slubberdegulion
    19 years ago

    Did I just put that in? Garden Watchdog...it's at Dave's Garden if you're not familiar with it...I have it listed under my favorites as GW.com, which is wrong. Oops, sorry...

  • slinkygirl78
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    I found that website after posting this... thanks!
    I saw that 2 companies I ordered from didn't get very high ratings... gulp! I'll see how things go though, and will keep the watchdog site in mind for future ordering!

    Thanks again!

  • slubberdegulion
    19 years ago

    'I saw that 2 companies I ordered from didn't get very high ratings... gulp!'
    But that's the thing I like about sites like this and Garden Watchdog, you get to read all sorts of opinions. I've sat here at the desk and had massive hissy-fits over the "misguided" opinions of others. Sometimes, I've actually rethought my own opinions (well...sometimes).
    What I hate most is when I really have had success with a particular company and then read terrible things about them, it's almost like hearing a favorite team trashed.
    Anyway, good luck with the poorly-rated companies! Maybe they'll pleasantly surprise you.

  • mysteryrose
    19 years ago

    Ouch. Gurney's once sent me three dead sticks in a bag. I second Garden Watchdog suggestion!

  • greenelbows1
    19 years ago

    Just got back from a meeting with a bunch of gardening buddies, and one member had just gotten a bunch of dead plants from Gurney's. She sent them an email with pictures of the dead things and they said they would send replacements. (Replacements of more dead things?) Gurney's used to be a good place. When I lived in Nebraska I used to go up there. People have suggested that since they were bought out by a bigger firm they went downhill, and now I think they've been bought out again, and maybe they'll improve again. One can hope.

  • slinkygirl78
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    greenelbows- my grandmother swears by gurneys, too. she just bought me some stuff from there that recently arrived.... so i guess it will be a couple weeks before i can give a verdict!! i'll post when i figure out how things will go, though a few things i placed in my personal order looked pretty sad when they arrived :(

  • Virginia_Yard_Girl
    18 years ago

    I very recently had good experiences with Park's and Henry Field's. Park's I felt comfortable with as they are in S. Carolina and I'm in Alabama; gift certificate got me 3 hydrangeas (all doing great) and one honeysuckle (alive ... but slow ... but that may be totally natural). Field's was another gift certificate and I was a bit nervous as "they ain't from around here", but my ferns & hostas arrived in good shape & the hostas are already green and upstanding citizens. Field's did short me 2 hostas in my order but made it right in no time so it was no problem at all in my book. I'll order again from both!

  • secret7
    18 years ago

    I bought a bunch of stuff from directgardening.com and so far have had terrible results. They shipped a rose bush, some fescue plugs and several seeds and bulbs in early February, and none of the living plants seem to have survived the wait for spring weather (stored per their suggestions). I'm still waiting for signs of life from the bulbs, which I suspect may be ancient relics. In another week or so I will test their "guarantee" by requesting replacements. I will post a follow-up.

  • slinkygirl78
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    secret7, i just sent back my stuff too!! the only things that survived out of about 10 things was 1 hellebore and 1 clematis. i will see what happens with the guarantee too i guess. all my stuff came super early as well and i stored it per their suggestion as well. bad thing is, i had to send it back asap to get the guarantee replacements, but i am going out of town for 2 weeks- no doubt they'll show up then, and i'll have to get someone to put them in for me while i'm gone!!!

  • ljrmiller
    18 years ago

    I always check with gardenwatchdog.com before choosing to order from an unfamiliar company. I read several of the reviews before making my decision, reading at least one negative review if there is one. Sometimes a negative review is just from some grumpy person who expects an unconditional lifetime guarantee and plants for next to nothing. Most often a negative review is from someone with a legitimate complaint.

    It's also good to consider your experience level and interests--some of the suppliers I consider GREAT aren't really for "beginners", and others I'm kind of lukewarm on are SUPERB for gardeners just starting out. Some are great for everyone.

    For perennials for starting gardeners, I'd recommend Bluestone Perennials if you don't have a good nursery within driving distance. If you want really *different* perennials and have a fair amount of gardening experience, I'd recommend Heronswood Nursery, Yucca Do, and Plant Delights Nursery. I'd recommend Klehm's Songsparrow to absolutely any level of gardener, and I'd recommend Forestfarm to anyone West of the Rockies (or anyone East of the Rockies willing to pay what it actually costs to ship plants that far). For xeriscape gardeners, I recommend Yucca Do and High Country Gardens.

    One caveat--except for Bluestone, NONE of these suppliers are inexpensive. Thing is, you get what you pay for.

  • secret7
    18 years ago

    I am happy to report that the rose bush and one of the three blue fescues I received from directgardening did survive. It took them several months to show signs of life but they are now healthy and thriving. Some of the seeds and bulbs were also viable. The others may show signs of resurrection later.