Your opinion please

I have a small retail nursery, and have received many trees and shrubs for resale in very nice condition from various companies.
I received a landscape catalogue from Park Wholesale. Apparently they also have a similar retail one. It had numerous trees and shrubs, and I thought I would give it a try. I realized they would be small plants. I liked the idea of small trees in pots, I could sell for a cheaper price. Some of my customers are hard pressed to afford a large specimen.
I ordered 10 Acer Autumn Blaze, and 10 Heritage River Birch.
Of the 10 Acers 5 were fine, 2 had some broken branches, and 3 had almost all the branches broken off, and the leaves dying. All but one of the River Birch were fine. I asked for credit for the 4.
I have attached a picture.
Here is the response I received from Park:

"From the pictures you sent , the trees look alive and only minus the
leaves. They just need potting up, fertilizing, and given a chance to
recover from being transported in boxes. I could understand wanting
credit back if the main leader was broken low on the trunk , but there is
nothing wrong with these trees."

My question for you experts--- what is your opinion of these damaged trees. Will they be OK? And if so what period of time will it take for them to grow new branches. Before I respond to Park, I want to know if I am wrong, thinking these are poor quality. I have never dealt with anything like this before.

I do realize I was to be getting small plants. I just am concerned over the breakage. Most of what was left on the trees is gone now, dried up leaves.

Sorry for being so wordy, and thanks for your help.

Polly

I too have received many trees and shrubs from many mail order companies in very nice condition. Based on my experiences, receiving plants in poor condition is the exception to the rule for me.

So, you received Parks plants in bondage too, how special. I received mine in that stiff raffia bound up in plastic and rubber banded off also. I really question who decided to pack plants in their pots like that??? It's not as if they are abscessed teeth or something. Yours look pretty banged up. Some of the plants I have received from Parks in the past in that condition lived, some didn't. I have to tell you I am done ordering from Parks after receiving two Hay-Scented Ferns today that were banged up beyond recognition. Which reminds me... I need to take a photo of those ferns I received from them today. Gurney's is another mail order company that can kiss my rear end too right about now. I received a partial order from them today and I'll spare you my thoughts on that order. My first whammies for the year and both of them in the same day. Pathetic.

In looking at your photos and in reading the response you received from them the first thing that comes to mind is that somebody over there is depriving a village of an idiot. Sorry but... the plants you received appear to have lost so many leaves that they may not be able to photosynthesize properly. Based on plants I have received from them in subsequent years, they ship plants that have underdeveloped root systems so I question whether potting your four plants up is even worth your time. I must admit potting them up wouldn't be worth my time.

I guess if it were me, I'd let Parks know that all of the plants in my order were received in acceptable condition save the four for which a credit was being requested. I'd ask them for a physical mailing address and let them know it was my intent to return those 4 plants to them. I'd ship them out USPS delivery confirmation and I'd provide them with a tracking number. I'd let Parks know that I had placed my order with them in good faith and was not willing to accept plants in that condition and that I was respectfully requesting that replacements of the same species be shipped within a reasonable amount of time not to exceed 10 business days. I'd let them know that I looked forward to receiving replacement plants in a condition consistent with those that were received in the original order that were not being returned. That would be that. I don't have the time nor the inclination to pot up plants received in that poor of condition. I'd let them know that right out the gate. I'd close off that correspondence by letting them know that their cooperation in lending closure to this situation is not only anticipated but expected.

I am not an unreasonable person however the condition of the plants I received today was unacceptable. I have already told one nursery not to attempt to redefine acceptable for me earlier today and I can guarantee I will have no qualms telling another nursery the same thing. Their plants may be alive, but for how long? Come now, plants in the condition that you and I received them in doesn't exactly leave people with warm and fuzzy feelings now does it.

Really sorry you received plants that banged up. I hope you share your experience with Parks at the Garden Watchdog so all those who find their way to our site can read your review. I wrote a review for Gurney's today and I plan on writing a review for Parks early next week after I have a chance to photograph their ferns and contact them. I am most displeased with the condition of plants I received today from them.

Once your temper settles down, I think the easiest thing to do would be to send them another photo of the dinged plants with a short letter. Tell them you had been hoping to establish a wholesale relationship with them but now you'll have to look elsewhere, and that you will advise all your customers and Internet forum contacts to do likewise. And send it to the company president, not to some schmuck in the PR office.

By the way, I received a few things from Mussers this spring on a combined order with a friend, and I'll never deal with them again either. Dead plants, long taproots with no branching, etc. I should just stick to growing my own, but those catalogs have quite a siren song during January blizzards . . ..

Guy S.

The customer is King (Queen). Demand a return, if they do not reply Better Business Bureau, Nursery Trades Association, Watchdog. If they are not interested in your satisfaction with the order, they shouldn't be in business. If you paid on Visa you should dispute the transaction if you can. My friend has taken back plants that were just fine because the customer is right. They do look battered up.

I feel for you pollyk. Although I haven't taken a photo of the ferns I received from Parks yet, here's the Sassafras I received from Gurney's today. Yup, that's the root, all 3" of it and dryer than the Sahara Desert. I suppose I should actually go measure it but I'm pretty irked. Not a leaf on the plant I received. So, whadya think the odds are that what I received will ever leaf out? Ha ha ha ha! Jokes on me.

What's the matter with customer service these days? The word is CUSTOMER but you would never know it !! I can't tell you how many times I have had to return something or call about a problem, only to end up feeling llike I was being unreasonable - jeez. Don't let Parks push you around Polly. Return the "trees" and suggest the next time they mail out something so pathetic, they include CPR instructions. :)

Thank you so much everyone for your response! I will follow thru with Parks. Polly

If you want a nice place to order small trees from, I've had great experiences with Forest Farm--they have a great selection and a great rating on Watchdog and I've never received anything from them that wasn't in good condition.

That's probably a better idea -- let's recommend the good places instead. ForestFarm is one, ArborVillage is another, Woodlanders, etc. -- someone else chime in here!

Guy S.

The Forest Farm catalog makes great bathroom reading ;-)

I like this turn. I only buy wholesale, but I want to join in, with good places. I hate to bash any place, I would much rather praise good. My favorites are Spring Meadows (lots of Hydrangeas), Syringa Plus, (Syringa Plus ships lilacs semi bare root, and they always do super well, and the shipping is minimum, they do retail also). And Appalachian Nurseries. Never had a broken branch or leaf. Below is a picture of a shipment I received from them. I also like Forestfarm, and Heronswood.

I just got a catalogue from Stanley and Sons Nursery. They look promising for wholesale conifers. Anyone do business with them?

By the way, I did re-contact Park. In addition to other things, I told them I was going to leave a neutral or negative comment on GardenWatchdog. They refunded me for the plants that were poor, within hours.

Thanks again everyone for your input. We at Daves Garden are lucky to have such knowledgeable people in this forum!

Polly

Check out Heritage Seedlings.

Scott

Looks interesting Scott, thanks. Do you deal with them? Recommend them?

Yes, and highly.

Scott

I have bought tons of stuff from pendulousplants.com. Inexpensive, friendly, and plants arrive with great promise. Not to mention, highly unusual inventory.