Comments regarding The Lily Garden

I ordered as part of a co-op here on Dave's Garden. The bulbs are wonderful - large and healthy. And a bonus bulb was included! Very generous ...

I can't wait to see them grow.

I'll surely order from The Lily Garden again.

I ordered from this company for the first time this spring (after spending years drooling over the beautiful and informative catalogue). Because I have only a limited amount to spend, and mainly because I was so bedazzled by the many awesome choices available, I ultimately settled on 2 collections, the Oriental Hybrid Extravaganza and the Seaon of Bloom (a mix of Clumbia-Platte hybrids & various types). I ordered via e-mail - ordering is rather clumsy, as you can't order directly from their website (you can phone, e-mail, snail-mail or fax orders), and after a few days, just as I was getting ready to phone to confirm that my order had been received, they e-mailed me to let me know they were shipping in a couple of days. Excellent timing, friendly communications.

When my box arrived, I was absolutely astonished at the size of these bulbs! Some are as huge as tennis balls! They were in good condition, some just beginning to sprout and most still dormant. I found only 1 or maybe 2 mushy bulbs in the 48 or so I've planted so far; most are husky and obviously just rarin' to go.

The best treat of all, though: my free bonus bulb is a 'Silk Road' Orienpet, which sells for $12.50 each and they say is their most fragrant lily ever! This was a variety I had been seriously lusting after but had told myself "maybe next year" and decided to pass up because I really couldn't afford it. So now I have one, and if it turns out to be as spectacular as I expect, I will be able to judge for myself whether it's worth ordering more. This bulb was by far the hugest I've ever seen! But just the fact that they sent this premium bulb instead of some scrawny little field seedling or one of their cheapest offerings has totally sold me on this company. Believe me, I would have been happy with any freebie they stuck in the box, but to receive such a prize just thrills me to pieces!

While the prices for some of the new Orienpet bulbs seem high, many of the varieties are unique, and I suspect that for the true lily fanatic they may well be worth it. Probably the prices will come down as these varieties grow in popularity. Individually named bulbs may be a little more expensive than the run-of-the-mill catalog or garden-center bulbs, but if the size & apparent quality of these bulbs I've received is any indicator they will be ultimately a better choice. The catalog is beautiful, well-organized, and has lots of very helpful information. I particularly liked a summary page listing their most fragrant, largest-flowered, longest-blooming, etc. lilies; by carefully working through the list I was able to put together my personal dream garden of lilies. Someday...

It is my understanding that Judith (the owner of the company) is one of the premier developers of stronger, better, ever more beautiful lily strains in the field today (guess that makes her "outstanding in her field"!), and I'm happy to order directly from this company. The mixes like the 2 I ordered are not particularly expensive (slightly less than the comparable mixes from White Flower Farms). I have ordered lilies from many companies, including WFF and Van Borgundien, and I have never received bulbs as large, solid, and healthy as these. My last Lily bulbs from WFF were mushy, old, and never even so much as sprouted, and they were more expensive than the same variety at The Lily Garden - I won't order Lilies from WFF any more.

I am completely happy with my experience so far; if the bulbs fail to grow or produce beautiful flowers I'll post an amendment here, but so far I am impressed. Now all I have to do is hope the deer don't discover them!

Just received my first order and WOW! The Orienpet bulbs are unbelievably sized! The size of a tennis ball. Beautiful website. Catherine is great to deal with and Judith is praised all over the internet as one of the leading hybridizers. The only improvement I could suggest is an online shopping system to facilitate ordering. They encourage you to fax your order, but you can phone or mail it in too.

This could well change to a completely positive rating in short order. I placed an order via e-mail (no website ordering) about a week ago, and when there was no acknowledgement forthcoming, I sent another email to inquire whether the first had been received. Still silence, several days later. My credit card hasn't been charged, so I'm not upset, but I really do want to order from The Lily Garden! Their offerings are unique and gorgeous, if the online catalog is anything to go by. Hoping this "neutral" will shortly change to "positive"...

I've ordered lily bulbs from the Lily Garden several times. The bulbs always come when they are supposed to, on time, and in good condition. They have been very responsive and generous whenever a bulb does not come up.

This is my favorite lily supplier that I have dealt with by far!! The catalog has photos for all cultivars (so you can see what you're getting!), I loved that the person who actually hybridized most of them not only answered the phone herself to take my order, but took the time to tell me a bit about her work, Lastly, as she felt that the bulbs that were available were not top-notch size (I would not have agreed with her on some of them), she threw in extras to make up for it! I am already planning my next order with Judith!

The Lily Garden gets my highest A++++ rating for its plants and its people. As a first time lily grower, I have pestered Catherine and Judith to no end with questions when some of my emerging lilies were frosted in our May 20th blizzard, had buds knocked off by hail, and or were damaged by the ravishes of rabbits. They have always answered every email in detail and with encouragement.Their flowers are just incredible. Even the photos in their wonderful catalog do not do them justice.The Lily Garden gets my highest rating, A++++, for not only a mail order plant catalog but as a provider, bar none, of quality and also unique plants. Some of their bulb prices may seem high as compared to the ordinary lilies available from the general plant catalogs, but the final, exquisite flower is well worth every dollar and every minute spent working with them. Plus, the bulbs for most of the lilies are huge and fresh. There were NO mislabeled lilies in two orders totaling about $400.For weeks now, I have been planning my addition for next year from The Lily Garden. [update 9/2001] Their new catalog is now available. While quite good, the one I received seemed to have the color a little washed out or the photos were overexposed. So I use it with the older catalogs.Their catalog says that they guarantee all their bulbs that are planted promptly in the appropriate location. Somehow on a bad head day, I had determined this to mean that they would replace anything. They are an exceedingly good company for lilies but shouldn't be expected to refund all of our mistakes.

I always look forward to the arrival of the new catalog each year and their breeding work and selection of Lilium is unbelievable. The quality of the bulbs is first rate and if there is any doubt about the condition of your bulb(s), let them know and usually they replace it or offer credit or refund. Very high quality product! Highly Recommended!! You can order for spring or fall planting - I'd advise to order early to ensure best selections.

They have an exciting exotic array of lilies, mostly bred by them. The bulbs I have ordered from them had always been in the best shape of any of the lilies I've mail-ordered. They are shipped quickly, and the prices are also lower than other similar companies.