where to order?

I want to order some bulbs this fall. I got a catalog from Scheepers, but in the garden watch dog, there are several neutrals and negs for bulbs that turned out to not be what was ordered. Most places are not too friendly toward fixing that either. Is there anywhere that actually sends what you order, reliably? I was really surprised at how many positive reviews stated the bulbs bloomed the wrong thing. That totally dumbfounds me, why on earth would anyone give a positive rating and then say they didn't get what they ordered?

frilly, first of all, what specific bulbs are you considering? For now, I'm gonna address my lilium bulb experience, but I would safely say it covers most of the other types of bulbs I have purchased.

As to the "bulb not being what I ordered" issue, I used to get a lot more upset in times past than I do now. If they're pretty, then, I just enjoy and mark them for future transplant. I imagine I would still get pretty miffed if I had spent lots of $$$. The lilies I've gotten are mostly co-op acquisitions or sales, so I don't feel too shortchanged if I get the wrong thing.

What I've gotten from Brent & Becky's, bert, faraway flowers, buggycrazy, ednies, southern bulb co, (who else am I forgetting?) has been accurate, with one exception (see pic below). It really didn't bother me. I bought 5 bulbs and I got more than five blooms, so it's possible that rather than getting a "wrong" bulb, I got an extra "not what I ordered" bulb. I'm ok with that--will just move it in the fall, maybe, or maybe i'll let it be.

I had a tiff w/ van engelen, the wholesale arm of scheepers, but it was a customer service issue, not a bulb health or ID issue. In fact, what I got from VE eventually bloom as what I ordered. I think more people than not are happy w/ scheepers/ve.

The only bulb where "not what I ordered" is still an irritant is amaryllis. I think that is b/c 1 bulb is ONE show so if I get the wrong one, it disrupts the whole plan I had conceived in my head. When I got the wrong bulb, my sources either sent a replacement or credited me, even months after I've purchased, so I was generally content with that.

Voss which lily is that bicolored one? it is cool looking!!

white w/ purple center is Tiny Padhue. don't know what other one is, so for now I'm calling it beautiful intruder.

I'm mostly looking at daffs and maybe some lilies. I don't know just what kinds yet. I guess depends on who carries what and where I order from. Yeah, I have received a few things from places that weren't what I ordered, but generally it really irks me. I don't have alot of room in my gardens so I have to be more particular about what I get. I guess if I had lots of room, a mislabeled plant might not matter as much. I would like some daffs that are yellow and pink, and maybe some kind of solid white. I also would like some of the split cups.

easytogrowbulbs is always a good one too.

frilly, garden space is def. a big reason to avoid "not what I ordered" problems. do you have a daff society in your area? that's were I started when I decided to grow daffs. I don't have that many diff. cultivars but I'm sure you can grow a lot more than I can and would have a lot of fun w/ the selection process. As to lilies, the fine folks in our Lily Forum held my hand all the way through the 10-20 cultivars I grow, lol.

ETGB, def. a good co. thanks marie.

About the closest you're going to get is the Greater St. Louis Daffodil Society: http://www.stldaffodilclub.org/

I looked over some I want to buy at Scheepers' and also at Brent and Becky's. The prices at Brent and Becky's are nearly twice as high as Scheepers
I also checked out van Bourgendien which used to be lower-priced but they in somewhere between the above 2.
Isn't there a place called the Daffodil Mart? I saw one in the plant files but it had no website. I am looking to buy some and plant half at home and half at the museum.

Here's the scoop on Daffodil Mart from the Garden Watchdog: http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/2166/ Bottom line is that they no longer exist.

oh, poo. Anywhere else you recommend?

I don't know anything about daffodil sources. I can't grow very many of them here since it doesn't get cold enough. I mostly grow South African bulbs, with a few South American and California native ones thrown in.

Almost all my mail-order bulbs have been tulips. In fact, I just ordered about 300 more last week from Blooming Bulb. They are having an "Early fall 30% off sale". Last Fall was the first time I've bought their daffs. I ordered 25 to fill in a small area where deer have eaten everything else. The daff bulbs were large as were the flowers they produced. I don't remember the name of this one pictured. To me, the prices were very good and the bulbs were beautiful. They sell in quantities of 5,25, and 100 and naturally the more you buy the price drops like a rock. Another place that I bought from is New Holland Bulb Co. The Watchdog shows a good bit of negative feedback,but the tulips I got were the nicest bulbs I've ever seen. My only issue with them is that they sell the tulips in quantities of 50 and I prefer 25. Their lilies and daffs are in lots of 25.

I'll check out Blooming Bulb. I gave up on tulips because most don't perennialize except maybe the Darwins

Keep your eye on classifieds as Bleek, eflowergarden is having one of his bulb sales starting very soon which will includes Narcissus at very good prices. I grow many (300 plus cultivars) and buy them from a variety of sources. I will be placing orders with eflowergarden, Scheepers, Van Engelen, David Burdick, and couple of others soon. I did my Brent and Becky already as they had an early discount program. But I am waiting for the eflowergarden bulb list to be posted and also to see what the current bulb coop is offering at what price over in the coop forum. You almost can't go wrong with Narcissus if you plant them correctly.

Same with lilies. I have zillions of those too. I also find that shipping charges play an important feature in figuring out who gets my money. Good luck. Patti

From my journal (#) equals the # of a cultivars ordered since 2005 from a particular vendor.

Narcissus
* BLOOMING BULB (15) all from Coops
* BLUESTONES (11) small selection but good
* BRENT & BECKY (75) choice bulbs always.
o ON ORDER FALL 2010 (11)
* BUGGY CRAZY (36) Very sadly Closed
* BULBMEISTER (5) No longer selling Narcissus
* DAVID BURDICK (8) specialty breeder of note
* EFLOWERGARDEN (61) excellent always
* JOHN SCHEEPERS (24) excellent always
* MCCLURE AND ZIM (9) very happy with this vendor
* MISC. (3)
* OLD HOUSE GARDENS (14) choice selection
* ROOZEN (3)
* TOUCH OF NATURE (6) sister company to eflowergarden
* TULIPWORLD (6)
* VAN BOURGONDIEN (6) avoid if possible, but bulbs have been OK not plants
* VAN ENGELEN (33) excellent always if ordering in quantity
* WHITE FLOWER FARM (6)

Lilium
* AMERICAN MEADOWS (11) Not great
* B & D LILIES (26) choice is great
* BLOOMING BULB (28) All from coops
* BLUESTONES (3)
* BRECK'S (2) Not great
* BRENT AND BECKY BULBS (7) excellent as always with bulbs
* BUGGY CRAZY (104) The best, but closed
* BULBMEISTER (7) No longer selling Tulipa
* DUTCH GARDEN ()
* EASY TO GROW BULBS (7)
* EFLOWER (54) excellent and very cheap
* FARAWAY LILY (23) choice is great
* GREEN MT TRANS (11) terrible
* HALLSON (3)
* HYANNIS COUNTRY GARDEN (6)
* MISC (8)
* NASAMI FARM (1)
* OLD HOUSE (1)
* PARKS (2)
* SENECA HILL (2)
* SUNSHINE FLOWER BULBS (11) Coop
* TOUCH OF NATURE (2) Sister company of eflowergarden
* VAN BOURGONDEIN (12) avoid if possible, but bulbs have been OK
* VAN ENGELEN INC (22) nice selection, especially this year and always good
* WOODEN SHOE BULB FARM (39) Coop


This message was edited Jul 1, 2010 7:25 AM

It doesn't look like Bulbmeister is closed. Here's the website, with many bulbs listed: http://www.bulbmeister.com/index.html

faeden, correct, he is just not selling any bulbs other than the ones I listed below. No Narcissus, or Tulipa, Crocus, Muscarii, Scilla, etc. I got many very unusual things from him when he was selling a wider range of northern hardy bulbs. He has some really nice Lycoris listed. I fixed my post to reflect your correction. Thanks, Patti

Here is his current list of plants by genus.

Alstroemeria
Amarcrinum
Amarygia
Amaryllis
Anredera
Clivia
Crinum
Cyrtanthus
Eucomis
Hippeastrelia
Hippeastrum
Hymenocallis
Lycoris
Nerine
Urginea
Zephyranthes
Habranthus

Good, I'm glad to hear it. I thought maybe there was something I wasn't seeing. Now I know what you meant. Thanks!!

I've ordered Daffodils from John Scheepers two years in a row, and everything bloomed true to name. I placed another order with them for this fall too. I also ordered from Brent and Becky's the last two years with no problems. I tend to place smaller orders with them because a lot of times their prices are higher, but you need to check because every once in a while they have a lower price. : )

You need to check these out .... nice size healthy bulbs 12 for $5.00 and part of the proceeds goes to a good cause

http://www.euroblooms.com/komen.html

I am buying a few from Bluestone. They don't have a wide selection but I don't have huge gardens. Their price is reasonable and they are good bulbs.

I find that even the best companies make mistakes. I've gotten incorrect bulbs from just about every top rated company in Garden Watchdog. Usually the mistake is that a bulb I didn't order will be a portion of the order that is correct. One a rated company tossed in some onogathalem nutans when I ordered camasiia quamash. It took me a couple of years to figure it out but I actually like them. I've had substitutions on double tulip Mayfair. When I let the company know they replaced them - with the same error - but a great tulip. I've ordered double white Mount Tacoma and gotten a couple with red stripes instead. This involves three different top companies. It's always a possibility, although I find it is happening more in recent years.

I would still (and do still) order from all three. And they are all recommended on Bbrook's excellent and comprehensive list.

Donna