home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!hookup!news.mathworks.com!udel!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uxa.cso.uiuc.edu!leppik
- From: p-leppi@uiuc.edu (Peter Leppik)
- Newsgroups: rec.gardens,rec.gardens.roses,rec.answers,news.answers
- Subject: Plants By Mail FAQ
- Supersedes: <mail-plants-ver0005@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>
- Followup-To: rec.gardens
- Date: 12 Apr 1995 02:18:58 GMT
- Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
- Lines: 1063
- Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU
- Message-ID: <mail-plants-ver0006@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>
- Reply-To: p-leppi@uiuc.edu
- NNTP-Posting-Host: uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
- Summary: This FAQ contains information about buying plants and garden
- supplies through the mail. It includes suggestions, information
- about what to expect, and a lengthy list of mail-order companies.
- Opionions about some companies (derived from experiences with those
- companies) are included.
- Originator: leppik@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
- Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.gardens:69184 rec.gardens.roses:5279 rec.answers:11249 news.answers:41734
-
- Archive-name: plants-by-mail
- Posting-Frequency: bimonthly (sporadic)
-
- The Plants By Mail FAQ
-
- by Peter Leppik
- p-leppi@uiuc.edu
-
- This document is intended to introduce readers to the world of buying plants
- by mail order; and also to serve as a central clearinghouse for information
- about contacting various mail order plant houses. I make no claims about
- being more informed on this topic than your average Joe, but I saw the need,
- and I'm willing to put forth the effort to compile and maintain this.
-
- The version of this FAQ posted to USENET used to include a complete list of
- catalogs, with addresses and comments. This is no longer done, because the
- list was outgrowing the rest of the FAQ. Instead, the catalog list can be
- accessed at http://seidel.ncsa.uiuc.edu/PBM-FAQ/Default.html. If you don't
- have WWW access, you can send E-mail to p-leppi@uiuc.edu, telling me which
- catalogs you want the full listing for, and I'll send you those entries.
-
- History:
-
- * Updated: 4/11/95
- * Minor revisions. Some list entries added, oters expanded. With
- this revision, I've started noting the time when changes to list
- entries were made, to better track potentially obsolete comments.
- * Updated: 2/22/95
- * Updated: 1/22/95
- * Updated: 7/12/94
- * Updated: 4/30/94
- * Originally Created: 3/17/94 (late at night)
-
- Contents:
-
- 1. Introduction
- 2. But First, A Word From Our Lawyers
- 3. How To Tell a Good Company from a Bad One
- (or: Things To Look For Before Taking the Plunge)
- 4. What To Do When Your Order Arrives
- (or: OhMyGawd! There's No DIRT With These Plants!)
- 5. Which Catalog To Order From
- 6. Mail Order Houses, How to Contact Them, and My Opinions Thereof
- 7. But Before We Go....
-
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Introduction
-
- It seems that one of the most common article titles in rec.gardens is, "How
- can I reach XYZZY?" or, "The Plugh company sent me a catalog. Are they any
- good?" I hope to be able to answer some of these questions in a reasonably
- definitive manner (the first is easy, the second harder), and provide the
- neophyte with some introduction to buying plants by mail.
-
- My experience in this area has been short, but intense. After finally moving
- from a small condo into a real house (with a YARD and a GARDEN even!) in
- 1993, one of my first projects was to begin widespread replanting of the
- yard (which is mostly boring grass, or very ugly hybrid poplars). To do
- that, I began ordering large numbers of bulbs and plants from a number of
- mail-order houses. Some were good, some were bad, and I learned a lot about
- what to look for and what to avoid.
-
- I welcome any and all comments. Send them to p-leppi@uiuc.edu. If there is
- some catalog not covered here which you think should be, by all means let me
- know. If you do send me comments, PLEASE please respect my poor, overworked
- mailer. I've had people resend me the entire FAQ just for a few lines of
- comments, and I even had one person send me a bunch of UUencoded binary
- pictures! Needless to say, this doesn't help me much, and it wastes my disk
- space. That said....do send comments, because they do help!
-
- I assume that, if you send me comments, you don't mind if they find their
- way into a future edition. I'll try to verify this, but sometimes I forget.
- Thus, if you DON'T want you name in a future edition of the FAQ, be sure to
- say so.
-
- For the full version of the catalog list, you need to go to the WWW version
- of this FAQ, at http://seidel.ncsa.uiuc.edu/PBM-FAQ.html. If you don't have
- WWW access, send E-mail to me listing which companies you want more
- information about, and I'll send you the full listings.
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Disclaimer
-
- All opinions in this document are the opinions of the author, unless
- otherwise noted. The author is well-known for his arbitrary and capricious
- judgments, and cannot be held liable for anything he says herein. Besides,
- the author is a poor grad student, and suing him is like trying to squeeze
- blood from a rock.
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- How To Tell a Good Company from a Bad One
-
- (or: Things To Look For Before Taking the Plunge)
-
- If you are like me, you probably have a dozen or two catalogs from various
- places, some fancy, others plain, and you're wondering who to order from and
- how to tell the difference between a place that really cares, and a place
- that is just trying to unload some poor, pathetic bits of green stuff on The
- Gullible Majority. In this section, I will outline what I think a good mail
- order company should do, and what you should consider before buying a plant
- sight-unseen. Keep in mind that this is aimed at the relative neophyte, who
- needs a little more service than the extremely experienced gardener....there
- are plenty of companies which provide good plants, but don't offer the level
- of service than many gardeners need.
-
- What a Good Mail-Order Company Will Do
-
- 1. Every perennial in the catalog should have a clearly indicated
- hardiness range. That is, for every perennial (anything you expect to
- last more than one year) should have indicated which USDA hardiness
- zones it will survive in. Simple adjectives like "hardy," or "tender,"
- are NOT sufficient. Perhaps I am biased, being a Minnesota native
- currently living in Illinois, but I have seen too many catalogs which
- do not include this crucial information. Without knowing this, it is
- too easy to buy plants that won't survive in your climate. This also
- includes those of you who live in places like Southern California,
- where it never gets cold, since some plants require a period of cold
- temperatures every year in order to survive/bloom/etc.
- 2. Every plant should have its botanical (scientific) name listed. Of
- course, this doesn't count for things like roses or tomatoes, which
- everybody knows what that are. This may sound picky, but think about
- it: if you ever want to get information on this plant from some other
- source, and they use their own name, you might have a devil of a time
- figuring out how to get information. A plant's botanical name is
- unique. I have seen places that will take a standard variety of some
- plant, come up with a flashy (trademarked) name, and sell it as
- something special. Needless to say, this is dishonest.
- 3. Information on the habitat requirements should be easy to find. By
- this, I mean answers to questions like, how much sun does it need, how
- much water, and so forth. Nearly every catalog has this, but if you see
- one that doesn't, stay away.
- 4. A good company will be able to answer questions about their products.
- Really, this is basic. If you call them, and ask about something, they
- should be able to answer your question. If they can only take orders,
- this is a Bad Sign. (By the way, in many places, you can call your
- local County Extension office to get information about plants, too.)
-
- Finally, something that you should probably ignore:
-
- 5. Every mail order catalog that I've seen offers some sort of guarantee.
- This should NOT be a factor in deciding where to buy from. After all,
- what good does it do if they replace a plant that died because you
- can't grow oranges in Alaska? The replacement will just die, too, and
- you'll spend twice as much time on a plant that was Never Meant To Be.
- Some people have even noted an inverse relation between the quality of
- the guarantee and the quality of the plants: the louder the company
- proclaims its "FOOLPROOF 100% MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE," the worse the
- plants are when they arrive.
-
- What To Consider Before Taking the Plunge
-
- Okay, so you've got your heart set on the beautiful Creeping Green Stuff.
- Before plunking your money and time on it (usually more time than money),
- you should stop and ask yourself a few questions:
-
- 1. Will it grow in my area? If they don't make it CLEAR (i.e. by telling
- you the hardiness zone), then avoid that plant, or buy it from somebody
- who will tell you.
- 2. Do I have a place to put it? It is very easy to get spring fever when
- all the catalogs start arriving midwinter, and wind up buying enough
- plants to cover every square inch of your yard two or three times over.
- Make sure you have a specific place for each and every plant you order,
- and make sure you will have the time to plant it when it arrives. Keep
- in mind that you will probably have to plant them soon after they
- arrive, and you might not be able to control the exact day they arrive.
- Thus, ordering 150 bushes for a new hedge from one place, all of which
- will arrive via UPS on the same day and need to be planted immediately,
- is probably not a good idea. Believe me. I've done it.
- 3. Will it really look the way I want it to? Keep in mind that the
- pictures in the catalogs are designed to sell plants, and the plants in
- your garden will generally not look quite as nice. I have seen a lot of
- comments from people in rec.gardens about the rose Blue Girl as a
- particular offender in this respect. Also keep in mind that
- illustrations (and photographs) can be very deceptive.
-
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- What To Do When Your Order Arrives
-
- (or: OhMyGawd! There's No DIRT With These Plants!)
-
- The most important thing to do when your order arrives is DON'T PANIC!
-
- Good. Take a few deep breaths.
-
- The reason your roses/trees/whatever arrived without any dirt is not because
- the company sent you dead plants. Shipping woody plants without dirt
- ("bare-root") is standard. First, it does not harm the plants much, as long
- as the company has taken steps to ensure that the roots don't dry out.
- Usually, this involves dipping the roots in some sort of stuff that helps
- retain moisture. Second, shipping plants bare-root helps keep shipping costs
- down. Shipping with dirt could easily double or triple the weight of the
- plant when shipped, and make it that much more expensive to buy. Finally,
- shipping plants bare-root helps prevent the spread of pests that live in the
- soil (like the Japanese beetle). Needless to say, unless you're buying small
- seedlings, it would be expensive for a company to grow all their stock in
- greenhouses.
-
- There are a few places which ship plants in pots. Shipping a plant with the
- dirt will be less traumatic to the plants, and, as a rule, you can expect
- these plants to be healthier, but, because of shipping expenses, they will
- often also be much smaller than bare-root plants--and more expensive. Given
- the option, I will usually buy the plant shipped in a pot, since the quality
- is often much higher. In addition, there are some plants which have to be
- shipped in pots, simply because they're too fragile otherwise.
-
- Generally, you will get a little booklet with your order explaining how to
- plant your new plants. Usually, the first thing to do (with bare root
- plants) is to stick them in a bucket of water for some time. You should do
- this as soon as they arrive. Then, dig a hole according to the booklet
- instructions, and plant those buggers.
-
- It may take some time for your new plants to leaf out, especially if they're
- dormant when shipped. Again, don't panic. If you planted in the spring,
- don't call the company to complain that the plants are dead until midsummer.
- They'll just tell you to wait, because sometimes the plants take a while to
- adjust to their new surroundings.
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Which Catalog To Order From
-
- If you are buying roses, you should certainly order from a catalog which
- specializes in roses. There are quite a few of these catalogs, and you will
- generally get better selection, quality, and price than you would from
- buying from a catalog which doesn't specialize in roses.
-
- For some reason, this rule of thumb seems to be the other way around when
- buying bulbs. I have had the best experiences buying bulbs from White Flower
- Farms, which is generally an outstanding catalog, but they aren't even
- remotely limited to bulbs. My worst experiences, on the other hand, were
- with places that sell only, or mainly bulbs. Go figure.
-
- Not everybody will agree with my judgments. After much consideration (and
- several long discussions on the order of "Company X isn't really THAT
- bad!"), I've decided that the main consideration has to be consistency. That
- means that I can count on large plants, of a uniformly high quality, every
- time I order. Note, too, that I haven't yet had anyone take issue with my
- list of "Good" companies, just the "Bad" ones. Having said that, here is my
- list of best and worst companies, based primarily on my personal
- experiences:
-
- Really Good Companies:
-
- * White Flower Farms
- * Nor'East Miniature Roses
- * Heirloom Old Garden Roses (but see below)
- * Gardener's Supply Company
- * Shepherd's Garden Seeds
- * Stark Brothers
-
- Companies To Avoid:
-
- * Spring Hill
- * Michigan Bulb Co.
- * Breck's Bulbs
-
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- White Flower Farm
-
- Litchfield, CT 06759-0050
- Orders: (203) 496-9600
-
- White Flower Farm sells just about every kind of ornamental plant that one
- might reasonably want to grow in North America.
-
- OPINION: I will state my bias right up front: White Flower Farm is far and
- away my favorite catalog. They have a reputation for being "upscale," but
- their prices are only slightly above average. Their catalog offers a wealth
- of useful horticultural information, along with interesting commentary about
- each and every plant. All the information you need to know (hardiness,
- planting requirements, light requirements, etc.) is compiled in a single
- useful index, as well as being stated with the description of each plant.
- The catalog is organized alphabetically by genus name, so in addition to
- being fun to read (and look at the pictures), it makes a very useful
- reference. Of course, the catalog is only secondary to the merchandise.
- Fortunately, their produce more than lives up to the high standards set by
- the catalog: it is absolutely first rate. When I was buying daylillies,
- crocuses, and daffodils from White Flower Farm and other catalogs, the bulbs
- or roots from White Flower were often more than twice the size of the ones
- from other vendors, and at a comparable price. Even if you never buy
- anything from White Flower Farm, you should get their catalog as a
- reference, since it is almost as good as buying a book on ornamental plants,
- but a whole lot cheaper.
-
- Sean A. O'Hara (saouc@uccmvsa.bitnet) disagrees with some of my tone:
-
- Not really a flame, but please! I have a few of White Flower Farm's
- catalogues, and I do value them for their reference quality and nice
- photographs. But their plants and garden information is distinctively East
- Coast in character. I would very much enjoy growing a number of plants they
- list, but no longer attempt such folly as they are definitely inappropriate
- for my arid western climate (as would many of the plants I cherish in my
- garden be inappropriate for yours).
-
- Please, let us not forget those 'less fortunate' souls who garden elsewhere!
- North America is a big place, and I do not expect my garden to look like
- your any more that I expect your to look like mine.
-
- This reminds me of the search for a "North American gardening style". I can
- think of nothing more ridiculous to search for - as if it could ever be
- defined for a continent like ours - or that you'd want to try! This has
- always been a way to 'one up' the 'English style'. Well, England is a
- relatively small place, and even then it contains diversity more than we
- imagine.
-
- I must plead guilty here. Perhaps I should have said that they sell "just
- about any ornamental plant one might reasonably want to grow East of the
- Rockies...."
-
- lori@phantom.com reports:
-
- I ordered fuscia (vodoo and swarthy gem) which aren't
- doing so well. Tristar Strawberry plants satisfactory. Begonia tubers
- mediocre. I also liked the catalog ;-)
-
- Spring 1995: Marie Wilson (Marie.Wilson@atlantaga.attgis.com) reports:
-
- As a newbie bulb grower and reader of rec.Gardens, I ordered my bulbs from White
- Flower Farm. All the bulbs I planted (100%) have bloomed and a full rich and
- lovely(hyacinths)(sp?) Angeligue Tulips and about 100 windflowers.
-
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Nor'East Miniature Roses, Inc.
-
- P.O. Box 307
- Rowley, MA 01969
- Phone: (508) 948-7964
- Orders: 1-800-426-6485
-
- On the West Coast:
- Nor'East Miniature Roses, Inc.
- P.O. Box 473
- Ontario, CA 91762
- Phone: (909) 984-2223
- Orders: 1-800-662-9669
-
- A large selection of miniature roses, and some supplies for those who like
- to grow them (like miniature vases)
-
- OPINION: This company is also on my "Good-Guys" list. Their prices are quite
- reasonable, and their stock is high quality. Their catalog has photos of
- many of their offerings. If you are into miniature roses (or would like to
- be), this is the catalog to get.
-
- lori@phantom.com reports:
-
- cheap cute lil'roses.
-
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Heirloom Old Garden Roses
-
- 24062 NE Riverside Dr.
- St. Paul, OR 91737
- Orders: (503) 538-1576
-
- This is a catalog of "old" roses: not a hybrid tea to be found. If you're
- looking for english or unusual roses, this is the place to go.
-
- OPINION: If you are a rose grower, and you are still growing hybrid teas,
- this catalog will convert you. Many of the old roses offered here are just
- as good, if not better than, the more common modern roses. The catalog
- offers a lot of information about a zillion different roses, including
- hardiness, and (my favorite) lists of roses well-suited for particular uses
- (i.e. roses for growing over trellises, roses for scent, etc.). Their stock
- is first-rate, and all grown on its own roots, so there are no bud unions to
- worry about. There is no separate phone number for questions, but I found
- the people answering the phone to be knowledgeable and helpful. Two thumbs
- up. Note that they charge $5 for the catalog, but once you're on their
- mailing list (i.e. after you buy something), they'll send it free.
-
- Kristin Bruneau reports a different story:
-
- About a month or so ago on rec.gardens.rose people started to discuss
- their experiences with the company. Over all it was very negative.
- Some of the major complaints were that the plants were too young (9
- months or less), you never knew when they would get around to
- shipping your plant (some waited over a year), and the owners were
- very nasty when you had a problem (and basically said that's too
- bad). The only reason I am passing this along is that the responses
- were consistently bad and many people's stories were extreme (no
- roots on the rose, horribly nasty experiences with the staff).
-
- I too had a bad experience with them. I ordered from them last year
- for the first time. Even though the rose was in stock when I called
- in May, I had still not received it in July. I had to call up and
- raise a fuss before they finally agreed to send it out. Gosh only
- knows when I would have received it if I left it up to them. When it
- arrived it only had two canes, one completely stripped off and
- dangling from the plant. It only had two leaves on it and came with
- the worlds biggest slug that was the size of a nickle and covered in
- yellow fringe (Yuck!). I called them to complain and their response
- was basically "Oh". They only guarantee for the plants to arrive in
- good condition so I called. I did not want it replaced at that time
- because it would be too late in the season to plant another one (if
- they finally got around to sending it to me). I told them that I
- expected them to replace it if it died. They finally agreed. Well,
- at first it dropped the only two leaves that it had and I thought it
- would die. After a while it did come back though. It is doing ok,
- not great. The rose was Rosa Rugosa, basically a weed. Maybe that
- explains why I was so lucky it made it.
-
- Anyway, since Heirloom Old Garden Roses was on the highly recommended
- list I thought I'd pass these experiences along. I know that
- different people have different experiences and that we must weigh
- that in our minds when we order. Just my 2 cents worth.
-
- I don't know if this is due to temporary management problems, or something
- deeper. I'm going to keep this company on my "good guys" list for the time
- being, because of my good experiences, but I would appreciate any comments.
-
- From the Rose FAQ, maintained by klbaldwi@ren.edaco.ingr.com (Karen
- Baldwin):
-
- Catalog: $5 (a beautiful catalog -- well worth it as a reference guide)
- Service: One of two companies licensed as U.S. agents by Austin.
- "courageous enough to invest marketing $$$ in
- what was really sort of arisky project [Austin roses]"
- apparently no satisfaction guarantee;
- reports of many ignored complaints by phone and letter
- Plants: most complete offering of Austin roses of U.S. suppliers.
- own-root old roses and Austins
- Maturity: plants are extremely small and young, "very tiny plants,"
- but most often they will survive if coddled
- (they say their plants are 6-9 mo old., which
- is arguably too young, yet recipients guess
- the roses they got were much younger than that.
- Many references to "twigs without roots")
- This problem may be due in part to availability issue
- (below), and HOGR attempt to make them available sooner.
- Delivery: Does NOT ship to Canada (would not say why).
- Availability of newly released Austins will lag
- behind Canada because of U.S. quarantine period.
- Many reports of broken canes.
- Unasked-for switching of plants from what was ordered,
- when ordered plant is unavailable ... or else up to
- year-long delays in shipment! to avoid, confirm
- during telephone order that plant is *in stock* and
- *ready to ship immediately* and specify *no substitutes*!
- However: will ship at any time of year (except when
- it is too cold for the plants to survive shipment.)
-
- James Roush (ROUSHJK@vet.ksu.edu) reports:
-
- Read with interest your FAQ on rec.gardens.roses today, especially
- the stuff about problems with Heirloom Roses. I started orders with
- Heirloom 2 or 3 years ago, and although I think their catalogue is
- great, after 2 years of ordering from them I'm going to try to avoid
- it in the future. I love old garden roses, but.....
-
- I haven't had the problems you mentioned with grouchy consumer
- relations, but I, like you, had to beg to get my plants (came one
- year two months after they were promised), and I found the quality to
- be less than great. In fact, the second year I was doing some of my
- own cuttings and I found that my cuttings started in late April were
- bigger and better rooted than the plants I received from Heirloom in
- June. So much for 1 year old plants! The first year their excuse
- for being late was a computer crash, but the second year they had
- only the excuse of being too busy. Also, I used to belong to
- Compuserve and the garden group there ran a long string of responses
- 2 years ago with people who had bad experiences with them. Even
- people who supported them (on the basis that they are the only source
- for many roses) had had bad plants and experiences with them.
-
- On the plus side, most of the plants they sent (except a "Hunter"
- rugosa) survived with a little coddling--they're just a little behind.
-
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Gardener's Supply Co.
-
- 128 Intervale Rd.
- Burlington, VT 05401
- Orders/Customer Service: (802) 863-1700
- TDD: (802) 660-3530
- Fax: (802) 660-4600
- E-mail: gardener@cybermalls.com
- WWW: http://www.cybermalls.com/cymont/gardener/index.htm
-
- All kinds of gardening supplies, and a few plants.
-
- OPINION: I have had good experiences with this company. Their products
- appear to be of a uniformly high quality, and a lot of people in rec.gardens
- swear by them. At least one of their employees reads this newsgroup, so you
- may be able to get answers "from the horse's mouth," if you know who to ask.
- If anybody can supply me with his E-mail address, I would appreciate it.
-
- kolling@adobe.com reports:
-
- The Gardener's Supply people are great folks. I ordered a humongeous
- light fixture from them and UPS apparently dropped it in shipping,
- slightly denting inwards one end so I couldn't install the bulbs. GS
- took it back without a peep. I have placed at least five orders for
- various things over the past 2-3 years and been very pleased. Their
- order takers all seem to be gardeners.
-
- Also, they credited my charge account twice for the return, (due to a
- disk crash, as it turned out), and when I called to let them know, they
- said thanks, and a few days later a freebie thank you package of maple syrup
- from one of their employee's subbusinesses showed up.
-
- Spring 1995: Gary Ross (bkoch@together.net), who seems to be connected to
- Gardener's Supply (though he doesn't say how), passed this along:
-
- Thanks for the listing for Gardener's Supply! We are not actually directly
- on-line yet on the WWW - we are using a third party for our cybershop and a
- shared connection here at the office. But, we should be on-line directly
- within a few weeks and will send along our e-mail address and contact names
- at that time. In the meantime, we can also be reached on Compuserve at
- 73324.1302@compuserve.com.
-
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Shepherd's Garden Seeds
-
- 30 Irene St.
- Torrington, CT 06790
- Orders: East (203) 482-3638, West (408) 335-6910
- Customer Service: (203) 482-3638
- Horticultural Help: (408) 335-6910
-
- Shepherd's sells mostly seeds, but also a few plants, and some kitchen and
- garden supplies.
-
- OPINION: The stylish illustrations in this catalog give it a distinctly
- yuppie feel, but this is a good catalog nevertheless. They have a number of
- varieties that are hard to find elsewhere (a whole PAGE of ornamental
- sunflowers!), and a wealth of useful horticultural information. My order
- arrived promptly, in good order, and appears to be high quality (it is still
- a little soon for things to be sprouting around here, though). Prices are a
- little above average, but seeds are cheap no matter how you slice it.
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Stark Brothers
-
- P.O. Box 10
- Louisiana, MO 63353-0010
- Orders: 1-800-325-4180
- Customer Service: 1-800-478-2759
-
- Stark Brothers sells almost exclusively fruit trees, and a few ornamentals.
-
- Eric Reed (ericr@corgi.sps.mot.com) reports:
-
- Stark Brothers have been around
- for a long time. Many of their fruit trees are their own hybrids. I have
- order from them twice, both times the orders were very well packed and the
- trees were healthy and in general good shape. I planted a local nursery apple
- tree and a Stark tree the same weekend. The Stark tree has done much better.
- It has grown faster and produce fruit earlier than the local nursery tree.
- The catalog is well written and gives a lot of information on each tree.
-
- Spring 1995: I ordered an apricot tree and a bunch of lilac bushes from Strk
- Brothers this spring, and they all came at the right time for planting, in
- excellent shape. Given the size and quality of the stock they sent me, and
- the prices they charged, they are an excellent value. I'll know better in a
- year or so how well the plants did (they are just breaking dormancy now),
- but early signs are all good.
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Spring Hill
-
- Mail Order Reservation Center
- 6523 North Galena Rd.
- P.O. Box 1758
- Peoria, IL 61656-1758
- Orders: (309) 689-3800
- Customer Service: (309) 689-3849
-
- Spring Hill sells just about any kind of plant that catches their fancy.
-
- OPINION: Spring Hill is one of these places that is in the business of
- dumping cheap, inappropriate merchandise on unsuspecting customers. The
- quality of their merchandise is mediocre, even though the prices are about
- average. The provide little or no hardiness information, which is especially
- troublesome considering that they sell some plants (like carnations) for
- outdoor planting, even though they will not survive the winter in large
- portions of the U.S. Furthermore, if you ever buy anything from Spring Hill,
- you will be on their mailing list but good. I have received no less than
- four different catalogs from them in the last two months (not even counting
- the large number of "special offers" which seem to arrive about once a week,
- and at least one telemarketing call). Avoid this company like the plague.
-
- Note that Spring Hill appears to be the same company, or closely associated
- with, Breck's Bulbs, another company on my "Avoid" list.
-
- Al Harrington [alh@hprnd.rose.hp.com] says:
-
- I think you are being way to hard on Spring Hill. I realize that
- they do not supply hardiness information, and that some of their
- plants are not in the best shape - their customer service is very
- good. I purchased the carnation collection (15 plants) and 2 of
- them died. I got credited for all 15 as it was a collection.
-
- I ordered a lot of stuff from them (over 100 plants) and just about
- all are doing just fine - what isn't I get credit for.
-
- If nothing else seeing color pictures of *everything* they sell is
- nice. :-)
-
- From the Rose FAQ, maintained by klbaldwi@ren.edaco.ingr.com (Karen
- Baldwin):
-
- Service: superlative customer service w/satisfaction guarantee
- Plants: "Usually grown by the Weaks Farm"
- Maturity: very good plants
- (some argument here: some claim their SH bushes are equivalent
- to or even better/more mature than J&P;
- but two indicated lesser quality stock evidenced by
- taking longer to root, not flourishing as well, lower survival
- rate)
- Delivery: Good packing in re-usable bedding material.
- "If rose unavailable, will be sent following year,"
- (so no "surprise" deliveries of roses not ordered).
-
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Michigan Bulb Co.
-
- 1950 Waldorf NW
- Grad Rapids, MI 49550-0500
-
- Michigan Bulb Company sells bulbs, perennials, and other assorted plants.
-
- OPINION: This catalog is filled with the kind of BREATHLESS PROSE and
- AMAZING BARGAINS designed to stampede the gardener into making impulse
- purchases. Their prices are cheap, but selection is limited, and quality was
- very mediocre. In addition, I was unable to find a phone number anywhere in
- the catalog--this could be a real problem, if you have problems with your
- order. To their credit, they generally include hardiness information. On the
- other hand, they also sell the "Blue Girl" rose, which is an automatic two
- demerits in my book. Go elsewhere.
-
- jsr@geneab.b23a.ingr.com (Jeff Reifsteck) reports:
-
- I've had nothing but bad news from Michigan Bulb. The plants were poor and
- didn't survive. They did replace them without question but my 40 creeping
- myrtle (6" evergreen ground cover) became 40 crape myrtle (a big bush and
- a lot more expensive). I needed ground cover not bushes. Except for the
- replacement of a "Blue Girl" rose all the other replacements were not plantable.
-
- apilote@wtcd.DaytonOH.NCR.COM (Angela Pilote) reports:
-
- Last year I ordered some things from them -- NEVER AGAIN!
- I even told my husband to remind me of the poor quality
- of there plants and bulbs if he even SEES me *looking* at one
- of their catalogs.
- None of the plants survived and only about half (maybe less)
- of the bulbs came up. The bulbs also seemed very small
- and I think I read somewhere that this is a sign that the
- bulbs have not matured enough to bloom.
- The prices seem to be good, but if you factor in the survival
- rate and time invested -- it's not a deal. I'm better off paying
- premium prices at my nursery for good quality plants and bulbs.
-
- Evelyn Walker reports:
-
- I have ordered perinnals from Michigan Bulb company, the first year
- the blooms are not so big, but usually the second year it is bigger,
- If you plant them in a fertilized area the plants do a lot better.
- I have shasta daisies, carnations, guardinalla or whatever. I was
- really pleased with it. I plan on getting a few more for some bare spots
- in my yard
-
- Spring 1995: Lorraine Venner (lorraine@brt.com) reports:
-
- Plants look really bad when you get them/. Both my sister & I
- have had good luck w/ them though. They are really inexpensive
- compared to other mail order places I have seen - so as long as they
- grow well.. looks aren't as important. They were hardy enough to
- make it through the unexpected hail storm we had (First time we
- had *any* hail/snow/ice in the last 8 years (before that I lived elsewhere).
-
- You do get *lots* of mail from them.
-
- Home depot can be cheaper for some plants
-
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Breck's Bulbs
-
- U.S. Reservation Center
- 6523 North Galena Rd.
- Peoria, IL 61632
- Orders: (309) 689-3870
-
- Breck's sells bulbs imported from Holland: tulips, crocuses, daffodils, etc.
-
- OPINION: Overall, I am not terribly impressed with Breck's. Their
- merchandise (contrary to the catalog hype) is not particularly premium, but
- their prices are higher than most places, even some places which have
- superior stock. They do not list hardiness for anything, though most of what
- they sell should do fine most places in the U.S. (they don't sell any of the
- really tender bulbs, like glads). You can do better elsewhere.
-
- Note that Breck's Bulbs appears to be the same company, or closely
- associated with, Spring Hill, another company on my "Avoid" list.
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Mail Order Catalogs
- How to Contact Them
- And Opinions Thereof
-
- If you have had experience with any mail-order company, good or bad, I want
- to hear about it! Your experiences will help other gardeners. Please, send
- any comments you have to me, at the above E-mail address. I'll include them
- in the on-line database, unless you don't want me to. Send comments,
- corrections, and additions to p-leppi@uiuc.edu.
-
- I know of only a few companies with E-mail addresses. If you know of others,
- please let me know. It would be really nice to have a list of places to buy
- plants via E-mail (or get information, for that matter).
-
- In the USENET version of the FAQ, I'll give only names, to save space. You
- can E-mail me for more information on any listed company.
-
- For each company, I will list their name, mailing address, phone number, a
- general description of what they sell, and my opinions. Opinions are
- strictly mine, unless otherwise noted. I will not indicate an opinion unless
- I have actually ordered something from a company, unless the opinion is
- someone else's. [Comments] means that comments exist for this company,
- [+] means that this company is recommended, based on my personal
- experience, [-] means that this company is NOT recommended, based on my
- personal experience, and [Order] means I have personally ordered from this
- company.
-
- For a more extensive list of catalogs, see Cyndi Johnson's catalog list.
- Over 700 catalogs, but beware....not all browsers can load the whole list
- (250K)....
-
- * Abby Rose Gardens
- o Roses
- * Aitken's Salmon Creek Garden
- o Irises
- o Orchids
- * Antique Rose Emporium [Comments]
- o Old Garden Roses
- * Arena's Rose Company [Comments]
- o Roses
- * The Aril Patch
- o Aril Irises
- * B & D Lilies [Comments]
- o Lilies
- * The Banana Tree, Inc. [Comments]
- o Rare Seeds
- * Bear Creek Nursery
- * John and Janet Benz [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- * Bluestone Perennials [Comments]
- o Perennials
- o Shrubs
- * Breck's Bulbs [Comments] [-] [Order]
- o Bulbs
- * Bridges Roses
- o Mini Roses
- * Burpee
- o Seeds
- o Plants
- o Supplies
- * Busse Gardens [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- * Caprice Farm Nursery
- o Peonies
- o Daylilies
- o Irises
- * Carlton Rose Nurseries
- o Roses
- * Cascade Forestry Nursery
- * Chamblee's Rose Nursery
- o Mini Roses
- o Old Garden Roses
- * Charlotte's Gardens [Comments]
- o Heirloom Seeds
- * Clean Shaven Iris
- o Siberian Irises
- * Cook's Garden [Comments]
- o Seeds
- * Cooley's
- o Tall Bearded Irises
- * Cordon Bleu Farms [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- * Corn Hill Nurseries [Comments]
- o Roses
- * Corner Oaks Garden [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- * Country Bloomers Nursery [Comments]
- o Roses
- * The Crownsville Nursery [Comments]
- * C.W.S. Roses
- o Mini Roses
- * David Austin Roses Limited
- o Roses
- * Daylily Discounters [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- * Daylily World [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- * Georges Delbard
- o Roses
- * Draycott Gardens
- o Siberian Irises
- * Dutch Gardens, Inc. [Comments]
- o Bulbs
- * Edmund's Roses [Comments]
- o Roses
- * Ensata Gardens
- o Japanese Irises
- * Filaree Farm [Comments]
- * The Flowery Branch [Comments]
- * Flowers 'n Friends Miniature Roses
- o Mini Roses
- * Floyd Cove Nursery [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- * Forestfarm
- * Four Seasons Nursery
- o Nursery Stock
- o Supplies
- * Fungi Perfecti
- o Fungus
- * Gardens Alive
- o Organic Gardening Supplies
- * Gardener's Eden
- o Supplies
- * Gardener's Supply Co. [Comments] [+] [Order]
- o Supplies
- * Gilbert H Wild and Son, Inc. [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- o Peonies
- * Giles Ramblin' Roses
- o Roses
- * Girard Nurseries [Comments]
- o Azaleas
- * Gurney's [Comments] [Order]
- o Seeds
- o Plants
- o Supplies
- * Hall's Flower Garden [Comments]
- o Irises
- * Hardy Roses for the North [Comments]
- o Own-Root Roses
- * Heirloom Old Garden Roses [Comments] [+] [Order]
- o Old Roses
- * Henry Field's [Comments]
- o Seeds
- o Plants
- o Bulbs
- * Heritage Rosarium [Comments]
- o Roses
- * Heritage Rose Gardens [Comments]
- o Roses
- * Hidden Garden Nursery
- o Mini Roses
- * Holland Bulb Farms
- o Bulbs
- * Hortico [Comments]
- o Roses
- * J.L. Hudson, Seedsman [Comments]
- o Seeds
- * Hydrofarm [Comments]
- o Hydroponics
- * Clause Jardin
- o Roses
- * Jackson & Perkins [Comments]
- o Roses
- o Plants
- * Johnny's Selected Seeds
- * J. W. Jung Seed & Nursery [Comments]
- o Seeds
- o Nursery Stock
- o Supplies
- * Justice Miniature Roses
- o Mini Roses
- * Klehm Nursery
- o Peonies
- * Kordes [Comments]
- o Roses
- * Ladybug Beautiful [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- * Langenbach
- o Tools
- * Lee Valley Tools Ltd.
- o Supplies
- * Lenington Gardens [Comments]
- o Plants
- * Lilypons Water Gardens
- o Pond Supplies
- * Logee's Greenhouses [Comments]
- o Plants
- * Louisiana Nursery
- o Louisiana Irises
- * Lowe's Own-Root Roses [Comments]
- o Roses
- * Martha S. Davies Antique Roses [Comments]
- o Roses
- * McDaniel's Miniature Roses
- o Mini Roses
- * Mendocino Heirloom Roses [Comments]
- o Bulbs
- * Michigan Bulb Co. [Comments] [-] [Order]
- o Bulbs
- o Perennials
- * Michigan Miniature Roses
- o Mini Roses
- * Milaeger's Gardens [Comments]
- o Perennials
- o Daylilies
- o Grasses
- * J.E. Miller Nurseries, Inc [Comments]
- o Fruit Trees
- * Miller's Manor Gardens
- o Irises
- o Daylilies
- o Hosta
- * Bryant Millikan [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- * Mini Rose Garden
- o Mini Roses
- * Monarch Daylily Garden [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- * National Arbor Day Foundation [Comments] [Order]
- o Trees
- * Netherland Bulb Co. [Comments]
- o Bulbs
- * New Holland Bulb Co.
- o Bulbs
- o Perennials
- * Nor'East Miniature Roses, Inc. [Comments] [+] [Order]
- o Mini Roses
- * Northern Grown Perennials [Comments]
- o Perennials
- * Northwoods Retail Nursery
- o Nursery Stock
- * Oakes Daylilies [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- * Ohio Gardens
- o Mini Tall Bearded Irises
- * Olallie Daylily Gardens [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- * Oregon Miniature Roses
- o Mini Roses
- * Paradise Water Gardens
- o Pond Supplies
- * Park Seed Co. [Comments]
- o Seeds
- o Supplies
- * Pepinieres Louis Lens s.a. [Comments]
- o Roses
- * Perpetual Perennials [Comments]
- * Perry's Water Gardens
- o Pond Supplies
- * Peter Beales Roses
- o Roses
- * Pickering Nurseries, Inc. [Comments]
- o Roses
- * Pinetree Garden Seeds
- o Books
- o Seeds
- o Supplies
- * Quality Dutch Bulbs
- o Bulbs
- * Raintree Nursery [Comments]
- o Perennials
- * Rialto Gardens [Comments]
- o Reblooming Irises
- * Richters [Comments]
- o Herbs
- * Rock Bottom Farms [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- * Rosengaertnerei Kalbus [Comments]
- o Roses
- * Roses Of Yesterday And Today [Comments]
- o Roses
- * Roses Unlimited
- o Roses
- * The Rosseraie At Bayfields [Comments]
- o Roses
- * Royall River Roses [Comments]
- o Roses
- * Santa Barbara Water Gardens
- o Pond Supplies
- * John Scheepers, Inc [Comments]
- o Bulbs
- * Schreiner's
- o Tall Bearded Irises
- * R. Seawright [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- * Seeds of Change [Comments]
- o Seeds
- * Seed Savers Exchange [Comments]
- o Seed Exchange
- * Sequoia Nursery/Moore Miniature Roses [Comments]
- o Mini Roses
- * Shady Oaks Nursery [Comments]
- * Shepherd's Garden Seeds [Comments] [+] [Order]
- o Seeds
- * Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery
- * Slocum Water Gardens
- o Pond Supplies
- * Smith & Hawken
- o Supplies
- * Soules Gardens [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- * Spring Hill [Comments] [-] [Order]
- o Plants
- * Stark Brothers [Comments] [+] [Order]
- o Fruit Trees
- * Stephens Lane Gardens [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- * Sunshine Farm & Garden [Comments]
- o 10,000 Hardy Plants
- * Taylor's Roses [Comments]
- o Mini Roses
- * Territorial Seed Co.
- o Seeds
- o Supplies
- * Tetra Pond
- o Pond Supplies
- * Texas Mini Roses
- o Mini Roses
- * Tiny Petals Miniature Rose Nursery [Comments]
- o Mini Roses
- * Trans-Pacific Nursery Collectors
- * Trophy Roses, LTD
- o Roses
- * Van Bourgondien Bros [Comments]
- o Bulbs
- * Van Dyek's Flower Farm
- o Bulbs
- * Van Engelen [Comments]
- o Wholesale Bulbs
- * Van Ness Water Gardens
- o Pond Supplies
- * The Vermont Wildflower Farm [Comments]
- o Wildflowers
- * Vintage Gardens [Comments]
- o Roses
- * Waterford Gardens
- o Pond Supplies
- * Wayside Gardens [Comments]
- * Weiss Brothers Nursery [Comments]
- * Whatley Gardens [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- * White Flower Farm [Comments] [+] [Order]
- o Ornamental Perennials
- o Bulbs
- o Supplies
- * Wildseed Farms, Inc.
- o Wildflower Seeds
- * Wimberlyway Gardens [Comments]
- o Daylilies
- * Woodlanders, Inc.
- o Native Plants
- * Woodside - a private garden [Comments]
- o Daylilies
-
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- But Before We Go....
-
- I hope this FAQ has been useful. I also hope it has been accurate. If you
- find any mistakes, or have any comments, please send me E-mail at the
- address listed at the top of the file. Any suggestions for improving future
- editions will be happily accepted, and possibly even acted upon.
-
- Please send all suggestions, comments, corrections, and so forth to
- p-leppi@uiuc.edu
-
- For the full listing of catalogs, with comments, see the WWW version of this
- FAQ at http://seidel.ncsa.uiuc.edu/PBM-FAQ/Default.html. If you don't have
- WWW access, send E-mail to me listing which companies you want more
- information on, and I'll send you the full listings.
-
- --
- Peter Leppik-- p-leppi@uiuc.edu
- Lost in the Information Supercollider
-
- http://seidel.ncsa.uiuc.edu/
-