Comments regarding Michigan Bulb

I've ordered from MB the past three years and have been generally pleased. The sale prices and coupons make it nearly impossible not at least consider buying from them. I just have to accept the fact that at these prices i am not going to get the biggest,heartiest plants in the world but i know this going in. I have filled several flower beds and most plants are doing very well. They apparently ship from the same vendor as Spring Hill since i have the exact account number with both companies and have received orders from both from Tipp City , Ohio. MB is usually less expensive.

"On May 4, 2010 2:01 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

Thank you for your posting. We appreciate your feedback. We look forward to serving you in the future. Happy Gardening!"

Ordered two bareroot trees. One arrived a little moldy, but that may be due to long time the shipping took (about a week to hot Florida), but after mildewed part cut and tree planted four days ago it is sprouting leaves and appears to be doing good. Another arrived as a seedling, so I called and was shipped a replacement bareroot tree. We'll see how it does when it comes. Got to keep the seedling for free which arrived very healthy, but just too small to plant in place planned for 2-3' bareroot. Customer service was very nice and helpful, just takes a long time between shipment and arrival, and I feel this needs to be addressed (priority mail option added). The packing was very good and the enclosed instructions for planting helpful.

"On Apr 29, 2010 11:59 AM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

We appreciate you taking the time to post your experience. We do offer a lifetime guarantee so if there are any future problems please let us know. We are always here to answer any questions you may have or assist in any way we can. We look forward to serving you in the future. Happy Gardening!"

Honestly I'm having a hard time choosing Positive or Negative on this company so here I am Neutral. I have just as many good things to say about this company as well as bad.

Positive
They are a 24 hour customer service line.
They stand by their satisfaction policy.
They use UPS shipping and give tracking numbers.
They send you an email letting you know when your item was shipped.
75% of most bulbs and bare root plants they send you do grow.
Yes I will still do business with them again.

Negative
Don't buy trees from this company without knowing the following:
1. If you think your going to get a nice thick healthy tall tree. Your in for a rude awaking. Buy your trees where you can see them in person.
2. Most plants they send are bare root. That means they send you a tree that is sleeping. It arrives as a twig/stick with NO dirt. This can be quite alarming if you never ordered before.
3. Their shipping / quality assurance department, You would think they have the visually impaired working for these departments. The quality of the trees are very poor. And often arrives broken, dis-formed, shorter then advertised or dead.
4. They do stand by there satisfaction policy however it takes awhile for the item to be reshipped.
5. I had my order reshipped quite often from this company and it's partner company's 4 to 5 times. The percentage rating I give is 3 out of 10 or a 30% chance of getting a tree that will be satisfactory at best.

Check your time zone if you want a clear, knowledgeable speaking person on the phone. They out source there calls.

All the positives are good enough for me. Buying tree's are a nightmare. There customer service can be a little more knowledgeable but over all there policy and hours make up for it.

"On Apr 28, 2010 1:18 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

We appreciate you taking the time to post. We use our customers feedback to provide better products and service to our customers. Thank you for your feedback."

Posted on April 15, 2010, updated April 27, 2010
Even with the mixed reviews, I was enticed by the low prices and the offer of $25 off my order. I ordered several pants, a few bare roots, and a Kousa dogwood. The plants were little, but I knew that would be the case since the prices were so low, and almost all had a BOGO. The bareroots on the other hand were pretty pathetic. I ordered a praire blue daylily, and the free one was dead. It never has done anything, although I keep hoping. The bareroot sweet william were very small and all but dead. They are surviving as is the candytuft, but may take some time to look like anything. Quite honestly, I could have bought the bareroot plants locally for about the same price with better results. I was shorted on a few of the free plants as well. As an example, I bought a blue dianthus, which was supposed to be a BOGO, but ony received one. The kousa dogwood was dead, is dead. I didn't complain to the company, because all in all, I received some nice plants which are doing well, and I did not shell out much money. I am disappointed in the Kousa though. I might buy plants from them again, but would avoid bareroots of any kind.

"On Apr 16, 2010 11:57 AM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

Thank you for posting we appreciate your feedback. We do pride ourselves on our lifetime guarantee. We do our best to ship quality plants to our customers and in a timely manor. A customer service representative will be contacting your for more information. Happy Gardening!"

I purchased a large quantity of bulbs and plants for the first time and I have to say I wasn't that impressed with the quality. Out of 6 Asters, none look like they will live but we'll see what happens. (why would you ship live plants via ground shipping??)The Begonia / Carnation bulbs were really soft and felt almost mushy. The Lily bulbs fell apart when I removed them from the bag. I planted them anyways to see what happens. You don't get very good care instructions other than the lilttle info that's on the bag and sometimes that's not much at all. Worst part was sending an email to through the site and getting no response. I don't expect every purchase to be perfect but I guess I do expect good customer service and responses to complaints. I don't know if I would do it again.

Tammy

"On Apr 23, 2010 1:27 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

Thank you for posting we appreciate your feedback. We do offer a lifetime guarantee. A customer service representative wiill be contacting you for your account information."

PLACED AN ORDER LATE MARCH CALLED ON APRIL 13TH TO INQUIRE ABOUT SHIPMENT THEY SAID IT WOULD GO OUT THAT DAY. IT DIDN'T. CALLED ON THE 20TH SAME STORY GUESS WHAT IT DIDN'T GO OUT WHAT'S UP WITH THAT? THIS WAS MY FIRST ORDER WILL NEVER ORDER FROM AGAIN. I GOT MY ORDER FROM HOLLAND IN 1 WEEK. YET I CAN'T GET AN ORDER FROM ILLINOIS IN 1 MONTH? RIP OFF

"On Apr 22, 2010 1:17 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

Thank you for taking the time to post. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information to locate your account and find out about your order. "

I was banned from Michigan Bulb Co. And online plant company. Seriously! I spent about $500 there when I was first landscaping. They have their "wonderful" "lifetime" guarentee.

They send the items when it is suppose to be good to plant them in your area. Somethings didn't travel well. A big order they sent arrive October 31st and it snowed 2 days later. I don't know who could of thought that was a good idea. So I had to replace things several times. So last year they sent me a letter saying that I am no longer allowed to buy things from them anymore and they no longer are honoring their lifetime warrenty.

And to top it off. I have two beatiful bushes finally blooming today and it turns out they are honeysuckle bushes. I didn't even know that honeysuckle came in a bush variety! I ordered Double Mock Orange!

So take what you want from this review of this company but I would never recommend them.

"On Apr 22, 2010 12:49 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

We greatly appreciate you taking the time to post your experience. We strive for 100% Customer Satisfaction and we do offer a lifetime guarantee. When a customer's account has 80% or more in returns, we determine that our company's products are not a good match. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information to see what we can do."

Just received my order today. Was only missing one piece and called to have it sent. Customer service was excellent. She said it would be sent right out and already received my email confirmation. Package was fantastic and all of the plants I received looked great. Planted them this evening. Thanks Michigan Bulb!

"On Apr 22, 2010 11:28 AM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

We appreciate you taking the time to post your experience. We strive for 100% Customer Satisfaction and we do offer a lifetime guarantee. We are always here to assist in any way we can. Happy Gardening!"

I have never had any problems at all neither with michigan bulb nor with spring hill. I purchased a foreclosure last year. The flower bed was full of weeds and the back yard was horrible. I have purchased a lot of flowers: 3 campanula, 9 blue bird rose of sharon trees, 6 jacobs ladder, 4 blue mist shrubs, lavender, maiden pinks, dragonflowers, pink cornflowers, pink scabiosa, hot pink asters, a mock orange tree, 3 flowering almonds, 3 ferdy shrub roses, 6 lord somebody mallows, and 6 miniature hollyhocks. My flowering almonds bloomed this year and my scabiosa are already beginning to bloom. Everything is doing well. I planted everything with miracle grow and that's all i did besides add mulch. I have only lost a few flowers. I over watered some lavender that i ordered and one campanula, one jacob's ladder, three geraniums, and my royal poulwania ( something like that) didn't make it through the winter. This was all my fault. My hibiscus died because I didn't know how much white flies loved the plant.

Of course the plants are small when they arrive. If you want more mature flowers you are going to pay more. The only advice i can give is to plant flowers as soon as they arrive. That is what happened to my plants that arrived in the fall. They stared to dry out because i was waiting for a "good day" to go outside.

"On Apr 19, 2010 5:09 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

We greatly appreciate you taking the time to post your experience. We strive for 100% Customer Satisfaction and we do offer a lifetime guarantee. We are always here to answer any questions you may have or assist in any way we can. We look forward to serving you in the future. Happy Gardening!"

The simple fact that Michigan Bulb posts a comment in response to most of the comments posted here should tell you something about this company .... They obviously care about what their customers are saying about them, they care about word-of-mouth advertising!

First time I've ordered from Michigan Bulb & I am impressed!

The plants are in excellent condition & have good root ystems.
The packaging is a solid box, not a big green bag like the cheap mail order catalogs. The box provided so very much more protection so the contents don't get crushed. Plus a cardboard box breathers where as a green plastic bag doesn't, so the chances of mold & rot during transit is minimal.

The ordering process was simple & they were quick to ship my order.
The CC wasn't charged until the order was ready to ship .... again, a great improvement of the green plastic bag companies.
The order was shipped UPS not US Mail & there was no extra charge for UPS delivery.

Based on the apperance & conditions of the plants I doubt that I will ever need the Lifetimme Guarentee ....
But they do have one & it is truely LIFETIME. If ever the plants fails or you become disatisfied with it, they will replace it or refund your money ... ANY TIME with absolutely NO TIME LIMIT!

Things might cost a little more thru Michigan Bulb then what you would pay for them thru 4 Seasons or Burgess or Direct Gardening or those other cheap nurseries in Bloomington IL ......
Michigan Bulb, however, will fill your order with plants that are 1000% better & they obvisouly have respect for their customers!

I'll definately give them another try & will reccommend them to anyone & everyone!!!

"On Apr 14, 2010 3:40 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

We appreciate you taking the time to post and we appreciate your feedback. We pride ourselves on our lifetime guarantee. We do our best to ship quality plants in a timely manor. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Happy Gardening! "

I've ordered from Michigan Bulb several times. Sometimes the plants do not look good when they arrive, or for some unkown reasons plants just don't grow. When that happen, I just have to drop them an email asking for a replacement. No question asked. It's that easy. Their lifetime guarantee really gives me peace of mind. In fact I just got my replacement daylily from one of their affiliated company Spring Hill today. What a nice policy. I will give them two thumbs up for this. Keep up the good work.

"On Apr 8, 2010 9:59 AM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

We appreciate you taking the time to post and we appreciate your feedback. We pride ourselves on our lifetime guarantee. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. "

I ordered 6 rose bushes from this company last year. They came well-packed. They all took root, bloomed the first year, and survived our harsh winter in Pittsburgh. I would buy from them again this year.

"On Apr 8, 2010 9:56 AM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

We appreciate you taking the time to post and we appreciate your feedback. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Happy Gardening!"

Posted on March 26, 2010, updated March 26, 2010
Posted on March 26, 2010, updated March 26, 2010
i was in the middle of making my order online and had the items in my cart. i had started the process to check out when i went to go get my credit card. i wanted to make sure i had everything thing i wanted in my cart and the prices just changed like that. i lost all my sale prices and i was shocked. in a matter of seconds. when i called customer service they said they could not help because they were just a call center and did not actually work at michigan bulb. i find this very unfair that they would not try to fix the problem.

"On Mar 31, 2010 2:51 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

We apologize for the trouble you had on our website with the pricing. A customer service representative will be contacting you and will be happy to honor the sale pricing for your items."

Posted on April 20, 2008, updated March 24, 2010
I received part of my order from MB on April 15th, and the minute I opened the box I knew I was going to give this company a positive rating...

So, why is my rating neutral? Well, you see, after unpacking everything I realized there was one item (four actually, but three were clearly listed as shipping separately) thing listed on the invoice as being in the box that wasn't actually in the box.

*sigh* This is another company that I really wanted to rate positively, I really did. Because the portion of my order that was actually in that box was just WOW! Those plants and that packing deserve a positive. Awesome! So, if I get the missing items, or even credit for the missing items (though obviously I'd rather have the items I ordered) I'd totally be willing to order from MB again.

So, anyway, I got the email on Friday that MB had shipped my order - I was pleased, because I know mail does move on weekends, just not fast. Anyway, Monday morning I was waiting and sure enough the mailman pulled into the driveway, I smiled. He was actually delivering plants, just not the ones I was expecting. Monday's was from Gardeners Choice, and I was very impressed with their packing of the plants, but you can head over and read my review of that company for more on that.

Tuesday (my day off) I was sleeping - well, the dog heard something and started barking, which woke me up, then I heard the horn. Mailman was in the driveway again, this time with the big box from MB. Now remember that I said I was impressed with the packing from GC - well, I was totally blown away by the way MB packed everything, and I mean that in the best possible way. I cannot express how awesomely everything was packed.

Well, okay, some of the plants were packed a little tightly, and six (but especially three) needed to be in a bigger container. Still these plants were packed so well that I believe the mail carrier could have played kick-ball with the package and not damaged the plants. Thankfully there was no kick-ball played with my package to test that theory (because there were some bulbs and dormant plants in there that would have been damaged by such a sport) - the outter box as well as the inner stuff was totally undamaged.

Yes, all the plants are clearly babies, but I was expecting that, and like I said they looked good (some great) upon arrival.

My only real gripe related to packing is that there were two snails on one of the containers. I don't have a problem with snails *knocks on wood* and I don't need a problem with snails in my garden. Well, that and the fact that some of the containers were a bit small for the plants themselves, but I've seen smaller.

Still they were big enough in all cases but three - the Blue Rug Juniper had many (long) roots coming out of the bottom of the container, and I do mean LONG - So, much so that in two of the three I was actually afraid I'd damage the roots getting them out, but they appear to be doing fine in their larger containers, so I don't believe I damaged the roots getting them transplanted.

The others that needed to be in something slightly larger was the blue oat grass (three) plants which also had some roots coming out of the bottom of the container. However, these roots weren't near as long as the Juniper roots, and so were more easily transplanted.

One of them, though, is looking a bit worse for wear now - it isn't dead, but there's a lot of brown dead grass in the pot. Of course, the other two also have some brown dead grass, but on those the green outnumbers the brown - at least for now. *sigh* I may be overly concerned here, because I just recently lost three plants of grass ordered from another company, so seeing brown (even a small amount) isn't helping.

So, yes for six of the plants the containers should have been a bit larger, but as I repotted the rest I realized that all the rest could have stayed in their containers for a bit longer. I didn't test that, but I truly believe I could have left the others alone until I was ready to put them in their final place.

Moving on...

The bulbs were well packed and all of them (all 26) seem viable. Some of them are a bit small, but for all I know they aren't plants with large bulbs to begin with, because I've never tried one (20) of them to begin with. However, since they are dry and very well packed I expect (hope) they will do well. Honestly, the bags with the bulbs were padded by a bit of dirt/moss, and that was a nice touch - I've gotten bigger bulbs from other companies that weren't packed near as well, and yet still come up once I planted them - so color me hopeful.

Anyway, there were also three freebie (and dormant) mini day lily plants in the box - I wasn't expecting a free gift, so that was a nice touch, especially since they are day lilies and I like day lilies. However, they are dormant, and I don't always do real good with dormant plants, but I took them out and the roots looked good on all three of them - so I went ahead and planted them - two of them have impressed me with their growth, and the third one while slower is showing signs of growth. But the main point here is that even if these didn't/don't do well (or at all) I can't really complain since they were freebies. Though if they do end up doing well, I might actually take a chance and purchase a few other bareroot dormant) items from MB. So, MB might actually restore my faith in bare root (dormant) flowers with their free gift.

So, as with GC, I am happy with the plants I did receive, but in this case I was missing four plants instead of just one. I was told three of them are shipping separately - on the invoice. Trouble is it is noted on said paperwork that I should get those three by the end of March, and it is currently mid-April already. Still, as I mentioned I above, I'm holding off really complaining about this for now because it was noted that they were shipping separately. Now if I never get them... *coughs* Well, this neutral might turn negative instead of positive.

Anyway, my problem (at the moment) is the one plant that was listed as being in the package which was not. It is a potted rose, and actually the one color I really wanted (pink)... Well, I wanted both a pink and a red (which was why I ordered a pink and a red), but I might have been a tad more patient if I'd gotten the pink instead of the red, but probably not, because...

I emailed MB about the missing plant, and did get a return email which let me know that the company had received my email and that they would get back to me. Well, obviously they haven't. If I had gotten a reply, I would have held off positing this rating and review until I had gotten all my plants, because as with GC I really wanted to by able to give MB a positive rating. The packing and the condition of the plants I did receive were at this time better than the packing from any other company I've dealt with. So, yes, if I do get the plant(s) I've been charged for in a timely manor (and alive) I would not only change my rating but be willing to order from MB again.

In closing I'll share the main reason I decided to order from MB, despite their having a less than perfect rep with consumers.

Many years ago my mom used to order from MB, and to the best of my knowledge she never once had a complaint with them. Well, I now live in the same location she did, which means I've got her gardens, and if I'm not mistaken several of the Easter Flowers (sorry, I know that isn't their official name) still going strong were ordered from MB - probably over twenty years ago, but I know it has been more than ten. Last year I started playing around in the gardens, deciding to do something with bare spaces and move things around to my satisfaction. Well, that started with moving almost all the Easter Flowers (and other plants, but not MB plants) to different locations, and this year all those that I moved came up and did just as wonderful in their new spots as they were doing in their old spots. So, that in addition (of course) to the coupon was why I decided to take a chance with MB.

"On Mar 25, 2010 2:24 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

Thank you for letting our know of your experience with our plants. We do pride ourselves on our lifetime guarantee and our customer service "If you are not happy with any item you order from us, or any item does not grow and flourish to your complete satisfaction notify us anytime for a reship, replacement certificate or refund. Happy Gardening to you."

This month I received a lot of sweet woodruff. It is all doing really well, and I am very pleased. I have been ordering from this company since I moved into my house in 2007. The plants may sometimes be smaller when you receive them, but the competitive prices make it worth it. I am about to place another order with them right now.

"On Mar 23, 2010 1:03 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

We appreciate you taking the time to post and we appreciate your feedback. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Happy Gardening!"

Posted on February 10, 2010, updated March 19, 2010
I am a first time home owner that had nothing whatsoever in the 1.5 acre yard. I never planted a thing in my life, but I had to learn,or have a bare yard. I chose Michigan Bulb,
because my grandmother always purchased from them, and they had prices this poor girl could afford for such a huge undertaking!

As of spring '09 I now have a beautiful Mailbox Garden, 16/ 3-in-1 Rose Of Sharon lining each side of my drive way.with Pink Double Knock-Outs under them.
The R.O,S. were a tiny 6" tall planted, and by fall, 4' tall, and loaded with 3 colored blooms. Then added a Butterfly Garden, Shade Garden, and Trumpet Vines up the 2
utility poles. These were all purchased from M.B, all with 100% success rate. Not bad for a newby huh? Call it beginner's luck if you may,but I am
very pleased with the results thus far.

I have since became a member of DG, and have so much more knowlege than in spring of '09 (Thanks you all!), and couldn't believe the bad things M.B. had done to others
when I found them on the DG Watch Dog List.
I have since planted too many things to mention from other sources, and will throw caution to the wind should I find the need to order from Michigan Bulb in the future.

"On Mar 19, 2010 11:28 AM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

Thank you for providing testimony on our plants. We do pride ourselves on our lifetime guarantee and our customer service "If you are not happy with any item you order from us, or any item does not grow and flourish to your complete satisfaction notify us anytime for a reship, replacement certificate or refund, whichever you prefer. Thank you and Happy Gardening!

I placed an order with both MI Bulb and Bluestone Perrenials at the same time. I received the Bluestone order within 2 days. The order from MI Bulb came two weeks later, and it was only a partial order. The plants were in poor condition but I planted them anyway. The only thing that survived were the lilies I ordered. And the thing with them is that I ordered daylilies and didn't think that's what it looked like they sent me, and when the came up, they were asiatic lilies. I should have contacted them for a refund or replacement but decided it might be better just to cut my losses and not use them again. If a gardening company can't even send the right type of flower I didn't want to bother with having to keep sending for refunds or replacements. I don't think I will ever use them again. Their prices are very reasonable but I would prefer to spend a little bit more and get the correct plants and plants that survive.

"On Mar 9, 2010 2:17 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

Thank you for letting us know about the problem you had with your order. A customer service rep will be contacing you to offer a reship, replacement certificate or a refund for the items that did not do well for you. We strive for 100% customer service satisfaction."

I bought a passion flower and a goji berry the passion flower bloomed about a month apon arrival and the goji berry is flourishing with growth I don't know why there's so many negative reviews and I live in California the plants are a bit small but they arrived in good condition also they have a reasonable prices and a great guarantee. I will definately buy from them again.

"On Feb 26, 2010 11:35 AM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

We greatly appreciate you taking the time to post. We strive for 100% Customer Satisfaction. We are always here to answer any questions you may have or assist in any way we can. We look forward to serving you in the future. Happy Gardening!
"

I live in south/central Florida, and planting times are very different here than in the rest of the country, yet MI Bulb only ships plants during their standard shipping times, not taking into consideration the differences required here. I begged them to send the plants earlier, but they refused. They instead sent me a $5 coupon toward a future order (which I have misplaced during the year between orders, and they will not replace it, they told me). My first order consisted of a mixture of potted plants and bareroot roses. Every one of the potted plants died (they were unbelievably tiny and in hindsight I should've put them into pots for a year or so before putting them in the ground). Fortunately the rose is doing well, has even bloomed a bit after a year in the ground. I called MB about replacing the dead plants and they issued a replacement certificate. After reading the reviews posted here, I will stick with bulbs and more bareroot roses and hopefully have better results. It is sad to lose a year of growth and have to wait for replacements, and it is frustrating to not have plants shipped at the right time for my zone. But the replacement guarantee is big, so if the bulbs don't work this time, I will stick to bareroot roses for future replacements. I will post again after I see how my replacement order does.

I do not buy perennial plants from this company because I am an impatient gardener and they make it very plain throughout their catalogs etc, that their plants are small, (immature).
However, I buy tuberous begonias, lilies, and a few other bulbous items from them every year and they grow well and are absolutely great. My picotee begonias last year were just as huge and lovely as some others I've seen listed for sale for 200 times more money at other places. I will continue to buy from them, and happily!

When I read the negative comments about this company, I think there is a misunderstanding. They do guarantee that their plants will grow. And they do replace what doesn't make the grade. And they take our word for it. And they have never set a time limit. That's a good a guarantee as there is from any mail order or on-line company.

And their prices are exceptionally low, for what you would know in advance are going to be seedlings, or small size bulbs. But the quality is so much better than the dried out prepackaged plants at the discount stores.

I have to admit that only about half of what I receive prospers the first year. I order something from them every year, and only twice have I had to ask more than once to get a replacement or credit. So sometimes it takes two years to get the plants started, but after four years I now have an exceptional bulb and perennial garden. Patience is just a virtue when working with small and immature plants. But Michigan Bulb is giving adequate support. Try Plantron sometime if you do not know how difficult it can be.

I placed an order with Michigan Bulb last spring. It was an all around bad experience. They substituted products when what I ordered was no longer available without informing me. They could not tell me when my order would be shipped so that I felt compelled to stay home in case the order came, so it would not bake in the sun. The condition of some products was poor but I put them in the ground and crossed my fingers. They never grew. 3/4 of my order didn't make the first year. Ironically, the lilies that were the substitutions are doing fine. I called them to let them know about my dissatisfaction and their attitude was "tough". Needless to say, I did not want to go through this again and refused any replacement plants. I am smarter now and will take my business elsewhere.

"On Feb 2, 2010 3:41 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

Thank you for letting us know about the problem you had with your order. A customer service rep will be contacing you to offer a reship or replacement certificate for the items that did not do well for you. We strive for 100% customer service satisfaction."

Posted on January 12, 2010, updated January 24, 2010
Posted on January 12, 2010, updated January 12, 2010
Posted on June 2, 2005, updated January 12, 2010
I wish I had found this Garden Watchdog section before I started ordering plants through the mail. I got suckered in by Micigan Bulb`s 20 dollar off 50 dollar order and all the variety and pretty pictures of mature plants.

On May 15 I ordered 2 buy one get one free roses among other items. They just let me know I`m getting 3 red roses of a different variety than what I ordered and they said the other items should be within another 2 or 3 weeks. It`s fairy roses and not grootendorst roses. I asked why and they said crop failure. Why in the heck was it on their web site? They have since removed these buy one get one free pink and red grootendorst roses.

I asked a company represenative what if I didn`t want these different roses that were on the way and I didn`t order and she said,"Send them back to us." In a "I couldn`t care less." kind of tone.

Whew! What nice service here. It appears they Do Not have their act together. I have NO idea when or if I will get the other items on my order. I`ll be back and let you know.

So far the roses were shipped on the 26th and they aren`t here yet.

I wonder if the folks at Michigan Bulb are all sitting at their desks chewing on pencils wondering if they will get to complete any orders with this web site full of items they can`t get a hold of in a timely fashion and I`m imagining they are having doughnuts and coffee too.


krazykeith sent my bare root roses and clematis in 7 days and they looked nice. They do need protection from the blazing sun for the first few weeks being planted this late but these have hardened up and sending out leaves and shoots within a week of planting. The root system on the clematis is very nice and healthy and the little snub of sprout greens up and takes off fast. The root system is the plant. When you see nice big healthy roots then you got a good plant. IMHO

I got tired of waiting on Michigan bulb and decided to try out krazy keiths hydrangeas and the bi-color caladiums. I`ll come back and give you the scoop on that later. :)

"On Jan 14, 2010 10:29 AM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to take care of any problems you had in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution."

I to was sucked in by mbc, yes the prices were a great deal. The plantes not so much withered little things ,,,,, If you ask me i've had better luck buying bulbs and seeds from local stores. And might i Add much faster. Their shipping was horrable. I ordered my plants in spring of last year, only to have delay after delay. I have come to the conclusion that the reason they don't have plants to send to this years custom, Is because the are replacing orders from the fallowing year. Well I have to say this was my one and only dealing with mbc.

I've ordered twice from them so far with no big issues. My first order was a few years ago, and I ordered some glads, lillies and a rose. Everything was in good shape, no problems. I ordered again from them in september. This time I ordered some irish moss ( lots of irish moss!- its replacing the grass in my yard..) , honeysuckle and maiden pinks. I had to wait for the "right planting time" for my area, so the irish moss and honeysuckle arrived in october, while the maiden pinks will arrive in spring. The first part of my order arrived in great condition, well packaged and healthy plants. The plants were small, but I wasn't expecting large plants at those prices. All of them are doing well. Hopefully the second part of my shipment will turn out just as well. At first I was confused about the split shipment/ planting time issue, and my card wasn't charged right away , so I emailed customer service and they got back to me within 2 days. I'll definately order from them again. Good value for good plants.

"Sucker" is what I call myself for ordering here. My neighbors wanted to know if this was a "good" place to order from. They see my garden and think I know everything! This is another company I would (and will) avoid altogether. Tiny, small, inferior plants. Shriveled little things! Some plants did grow, but after 2 years they are still not the size I feel I paid for. I give my plants every advantage and give them exactly what they need and want -I know what I am doing! By the time I decided to call it quits I had thrown away the original label; which is required for a refund or exchange. No matter lesson learned. NO this is not a good place and their are no deals here. Go to your local garden center and stay away from home stores and places not making a living from their plants!

"On Jan 11, 2010 2:09 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution."

I have ordered from Michigan Bulb numerous times in the past year. Live plants, bareroots, bulbs, etc. Each order is usually fairly large (within the $60-$80 range). I have had, as others noted, numerous shipping delays. And, although a fair portion of my orders have arrived in decent condition, it seems that every order has numerous D.O.A. victims. I recently received 2 'Dancing Dolphin Vines', and one was as dead as Lincoln (the other has produced one bloom, but no vegetative growth). I also ordered 2 Egret Flowers, and both were mush when they arrived and never grew. Out of 10 Hardy Glads, only 4 grew. 6 Corina Lilies produced 3 small starts. 5 Sterling Star Lilies produced 2. 5 Monsella Tulips produced 0!!!

I have also received "substitutions" more often than is acceptable.

And, when I ordered 2 fragrant "Vigna Caracalla", I received non-fragrant Phaseolus Caracalla (the one with the double lilac flowers instead of the clusters of multi-colored flowers). Only one of the vines thrived.

Im still waiting for a few replacement plants to arrive before I switch this to a Negative feedback. If they arrive on-time and in good condition, then I'll keep it Neutral.

Just got off the phone with them. They are sending me a full refund from my spring order even though I wasn't completely unhappy with the order. Some plants didn't grow. Some grew but didn't bloom. Some bloomed but wasn't what I ordered. The boogie-woogie dahlia was beautiful. I was quite happy with another dahlia though that wasn't the one I ordered! I assume some of the plants that didn't bloom this year will bloom next year. To get a full refund is more than I expected.
I'll order from them again.

i have finally become a home owner and started my gardens. i was directed to MI Bulb by my dad, who was always loved them. he uses them exclusively for his mail orders. So, my ordering adventures began when i first ordered back in june. i took care to order before the last ship date for my zone, but when i ordered, the shipping estimates were out to august/september/october for most plants. i called them, and was told most items were out of stock, would be shipped at the date shown. the gentleman taking my call was a bit snippy, but not rude, and i chose to continue with the order. i got some of my plants right away, and all of them looked healthy. i have since placed three or four more orders. now i had a couple of problems. the echinops ritro plants came bareroot and never did come up. the butterfly bush arrived looking dead, and one of my cotton candy grass plants just never thrived and died. there was some other plants, some bare roots and others that were potted, that didn't live. i had been meaning to call them for a while, but i work the hours that they have customer service reps available. after reading the comments on here last night, i quickly hopped over to their website and left a email detailing the plants that had died. i went to bed wondering how long they would take to get back to me. i woke up this morning and checked my email before work and they had ALREADY set up the deliver those plants to me!!! this is within 6 hours of the time i had sent the email. i couldn't believe it! i don't know why others had problems with them, as my experience has been positive. they certainly have my business for years to come. :-)

Posted on October 12, 2009, updated October 19, 2009
This will explain everything.

Order Date: 08/16/09
Order Number: ************
Order Total: $30.85

Charged:
-$17.97
-$12.88
=30.85 right? I can count why can't Michigan Bulb?

Attempted to charge 7.99 extra which was declined (debit card with exact amount for internet orders). I use a debit card for this purpose because some online vendors attempt to charge extras not approved.

Sent me a letter stating they were going to withhold my last item because they were no longer authorized on my card. I sent a letter back and told them basically I was going to report it on the Internet Crime Complaint Center and BBB.

Attempting to make unauthorized charges
Withholding paid for items.
Extortion letter

I have forwarded a screenshot of their order screen for items and the 30.85 charge, a screenshot of my debit card with their charges and their attempted unauthorized charge, and their extortion letter claiming to withhold my paid for item unless I authorize extra charges.

"On Oct 14, 2009 12:46 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution."

Posted on October 10, 2009, updated October 14, 2009
As I understand MI Bulb Co. is an affliate of Spring Hill Nurseries, and Brecks. I have ordered from all 3 companies. Spring Hill always ships great plants, bulbs, etc. Their packaging is good too. If I ever had problems I always recieved excellent customer service. Brecks I ordered from for the first time with 3-4 seperate orders. All were recieved in good condition.

MI Bulb Co. I will never order from again. I ordered 3-4 different types of tulips which were fine. I ordered a double order of Jetfire Daffodil which the bulbs were fine.

Also, I ordered the Oriental Lily Bag. They were the tiniest lily bulbs I have ever seen. I have never, ever recieved such small bulbs from any of their affiliates or the box stores. I dont even know if they will flower in the first year due to such a small size. The largest bulb was maybe the size of a half dollar. The rest are even smaller.

The worst was the mums I ordered. I ordered 12 cushion mums. First of all, the box was packed poorly. The mums were on the bottom in solid paper bags (I have never had live plants shipped to me in solid brown bags that were stapled shut). The mums didnt have any sort of bubble packaging in between them and the 9-10 bags of heavy bulbs. The mums were smushed flat. I never expect my live plants ordered from these companies to be huge. However, these were pathetic. The mums were one stem that is 4-5" long. That is all just one stem with a few leaves, and and open flower bud or two. I would rather they not be flowering, and growing. I have never seen such small plants shipped!!!

Due, to their size I dont even know if they will survive the winter. It is late in the season, and they may not make it. I will mulch them and hope for the best.

Lesson learned, never order from MI Bulb Co. Especially not live plants. I will see if the bulbs will do well come spring time. I will stick with their better sister companies, Spring Hill and Brecks.


Danielle

"On Oct 14, 2009 12:43 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution."

I placed an order in August and received a letter on Oct 2nd, 2009 stating there was an error processing my credit card but "rather than delay the order, it was shipped." Later in the day I received an email and recorded phone call requesting payment. I called customer service about their persistance and found out the order had not shipped. I can only believe this was a false statement to make me pay first. Needless to say, even thought they now have my payment, I will be returning the parcel because a company who has to resot to lies and is not truthful with their customers cannot really be trusted with my business.

"On Oct 14, 2009 12:07 PM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution."

My rating is positive, but I have one gripe: MB's shipping is awful.

First, they use UPS. I have had nothing but problems with UPS and I really hate them. Yes, I hate them. I've had so many things delivered to the wrong address, never to be seen again, which leads to many hassles with companies you buy from and trying to get things replaced. UPS will do NOTHING to help, simply repeating, "The package was delivered on such-and-such a date and time," when you tell them you did not receive your package.

When I got my shipment email, all it said was that my plants had been shipped. I had to log on to my account to find out *how* they'd been shipped. It said by UPS. OK...whatever. I would like to see MB put your method of shipment AND any tracking numbers in the emails they send out, but that really isn't a big deal. It would just be nice.

I start tracking my package a couple days later. I notice that there is no estimated delivery date on the UPS page, like there usually is. I wonder about this. The email I got from MB said "estimated" delivery would be 06/08. On 06/10, I actually get an email from UPS saying at 11:09, my plants were delivered; however, the UPS tracking page says that my plants have left their facility in transit to final destination at 11:09. Hmmm...

I wait all day and no UPS truck shows up. I'm starting to freak out now, having had so much trouble with UPS in the past. I email MB and get no response. This is pretty messed up, imho. To this day, I have gotten nothing from them, and I have sent another email since then.

The next day, 06/11, our mailman puts a box on our porch. When I look at the address, it actually has the address of our PO as the delivery address! At the bottom, there is a note to deliver it to my house! WHAT? Why is that? What a waste of time! I live in a semi-rural area, but not that rural, and while UPS comes up the street every single day, the mail service does not come up our road as it's not a county-owned road. I have a mailbox down on the corner which is very small, with two larger boxes for when someone in the area gets a package. Normally, the PO leaves a little note in your mailbox and you have to go in to town to pick up the package. Lucky for my plants, the mailman actually delivered my package.

OK, I know this is not a review of MB...yet, although it kinda is...but of UPS, whom I hate. So, that is my complaint. I wish they'd use FedEx or just the USPS.

Now, as for the plants I received: They were excellent, except for the three William Guinness columbine, but I think they may bounce back.

I ordered a Blue Girl rose and it is HUGE, with a really nice root system and large canes already sprouting new growth.

I ordered candleflower and voodoo lily and sea holly, and they are all smallish, but the bulbs in the lot were very plump and healthy, the rooted plants had very nice, healthy roots, and they all have nice, healthy growth on them.

Some of the plants will be in hothouse during winter, as it snows here, but I expect the other plants (foxgloves, meadow rue, evening primrose, tradescantia) will be fine outside with a nice mulch.

I would like to see quicker response on emails, and I would like to see them using a different shipper. Also, packing peanuts are a great big NO-NO to me, and I can't believe there isn't something more earth-friendly they can use. What's wrong with shredded newspaper or straw or hay? at least you can compost those ingredients and recycle them. Packing peanuts are AWFUL.

I have placed several orders from Michigan Bulb and was amazed at how professional and orderly they process and ship the orders. Some times I don't understand why they can't ship an order other then when its the proper time to ship in my area. Thy must know what their doing as they always look healthy when they arrive. I know I will order from them again. KEEP up the good work

I ordered some Rembrandt tulips from the company in august and mentioned that I would like to have it shipped soon regardless of the time zone but I never got my tulip bulbs. The date was postponed every week and finally when I called them they were rude and canceled my order. This is the worst bulb company ever!!! I am never buying anything from them.

I ordered tulips, hyacinths, and iris (more that $100) from Michigan Bulb for Fall 09. Original estimated shipping date was september 16. This shipping date got pushed back first to the end of september, then to the middle of october. My original order had a note asking them to please disregard zone timing and ship my order immediately, which they totally ignored. After they missed the first estimated shipping date I sent an email to their customer service which was fobbed off with a form response of "we'll ship your order when it's appropriate". At the end of september I set an ultimatum - get my order here within 2 weeks (a generous amount of time given how patient I had already been) or I'll cancel it. Their reply was one sentence saying they had canceled my order as requested. What?! I didn't request it canceled, I requested it freaking shipped to me already. They didn't even ship part and cancel what they couldn't get.

This company is totally unprofessional, I'll never order from them again and would discourage anyone else from doing so.

I received an order this week from both Michigan Bulb and Gurney's. It's interesting to note that these are actually the same company.
The bulbs look fine, and I'm convinced that there the safest thing to buy mail order.
The plants are wimpy. A beebalm had only one leaf on it, another looked moldy. They were all rootbound. A raspberry looked OK, nothing to brag about.
So I have my doubts about these plants taking before winter and coming back in the Spring.
In the future, if I buy from them at all, it will be just bulbs.

Some of the plants that I purchased from Michigan Bulb did not grow. When I told them about this I was immediately issued replacment vouchers. Any company that will give a lifetime guarantee on their merchandise will keep me as a customer.

I placed a fairly large order late spring and received the complete order within a couple of weeks. This was my first experience with ordering plants online and I was not too sure what to expect. I have been very impressed with the quality of the plants I ordered. Every plant is growing! A few of the dry root plants died off (lupines, coneflowers) but I think that may have just been bad luck because they started off okay. I have since called MB and they have scheduled these plants to be reshipped in the fall.

I have already placed my fall order and I am hoping the experience is just as positive.

"On Aug 10, 2009 11:24 AM, Michigan Bulb responded with:

Dear Valued Customer:

Thank you for your kind words; we greatly appreciate you taking the time to post this. We strive for 100% Customer Satisfaction. We are always here to answer any questions you may have or assist in any way we can. We look forward to serving you in the future. Happy Gardening!

"