Comments regarding Forestfarm

This nursery is by far the best I have found, especially for woody plants - incredible selection, healthy plants, and reasonable prices. I have consistently been amazed by the quality of the plants received, especially when compared to the undersized and overpriced offerings typical in the mail-order trade. I have begun to turn my 3-acre yard into an ‘arboretum’, which wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t found ForestFarm. In thousands of dollars of orders, I had never had a problem, but when we had a miscommunication about shipping method on a recent order, Ray was extremely helpful at resolving the problem. This is a nursery that really cares about the plants and the customers.

I have ordered a number of times from Forest Farms, mostly shrubs. They have an extremely wide selection of varieties that you can't find other places. I have to ecco what has been said here about their packaging. They are amaizing. I really do not know how they can do so much careful packaging for their shipping costs. I have ordered from a wide variety of web suppliers now, and no-one does it better.

The plants have come in excellent condition and all but one out of the dozen or so shrubs that I have ordered are thriving. The one that isn't is probably due to my planting rather than their selection or packaging.

This is an excellent no-frills resource.

Well, if I ever stumble over a Ming vase or an orc's egg, I think I'll entrust it to ForestFarms to pack. It took a good twenty minutes to extract my five plants from the packaging, but they were in superb condition and without so much as one bent leaf. (By happenstance I received a shipment from Directgardening the same day -- a rose bush that was stuffed in a plastic bag then in a plastic mailing envelope and sent via USPS. All its shoots were broken off and it looked like a sorry dead stick. Guess which company I'll buy from again and which company I'll avoid?)

Four of the five things I ordered from ForestFarms are flourishing and have withstood transplanting well. The fifth -- a veronica -- is sort of sad and stunted, but I'm trusting that it will come back once it's properly established. If not, I'm confident that the company will make it good.

As a side note, ForestFarms twice contacted me when selections I'd made were unavailable, and suggested I might want to order more tubes so I took full advantage of the shipping price. All in all, it's a pleasure to do business with this company .

I have ordered everything from tiny groundcover to shade trees and have had no problem. All have thrived. The few small perennials I have lost were due to my providing the wrong growing conditions. I think complaints about receiving disappointingly "tiny, thin sticks" may be from relatively inexperienced gardeners used to in-season commercial presentation of plants. I propagate perennials and hardwoods for a hobby and ForestFarms's look better than most of mine. Also excellent packaging and customer service. Lots of hard-to-find plants.

I ordered 6 specimen conifers in tube sizes and in one- gallon sizes. The box had been damaged in transit by FedEx but since Forestfarm had packed the contents very carefully, no plants were damaged. All seedlings/plants were in great shape (the soil was still plenty moist) and are doing extremely well. I will definately order from them again!

Two large orders in fall 2001 and fall 2002 were all in great condition and well packaged. Don't expect BIG plants but they are more than reasonable for price and selection they offer. ForestFarm is an invaluable resource for gardeners.

I ordered 4 tubes (perennials) at 35.80 (!) which was, I thought, expensive but I was unable to locate the plant anywhere else. The order went through, I received the tubes, and followed the instructions accordingly. The plants did not thrive and I contacted ForestFarm via email. I was told that their plants also did not thrive and that they would send a check at the "end of their shipping season." I appreciated their honesty about the plants but I felt that they were rather vague and not too businesslike regarding the refund. However, I was patient. A month later I still had not received my refund and I sent them another email. I was told that they had not forgotten and that they would send a refund at the "end of the shipping season." Grrr. Their attitude seems rather careless to me and, naturally, I want my money now not sometime in the nebulous future. I highly do not recommend ForestFarm. I do a lot of plant catalog ordering and this is my first experience with this type of attitude. So far, everyone else has been very businesslike.

I ordered several shrubs and one tree from Forest Farm for the first time and I am very pleased. The packing was great and everything arrived in perfect condition. The service is wonderful and everyone is so helpful, even in the middle of their busy season. They took the time to answer several e-mails and questions by phone. Will buy from them again.

Forest Farm has a nice selection and I can usually find the tree or shrub I'm looking for. I keep going back to Forest Farm. Usually quick to reply to e-mails. Excellent packaging! I usually order from their website, and it would be nice if the plant you order shows if it is out of stock or not. Kind of a disappointment when the plant is not in the box when you receive them. Overall a solid 9 out of 10. Love Forest Farm!

My shrubs and plants from Forestfarm came packaged so well, I think that they could have survived a trip around the world! I'm extrememly pleased with the condition of my purchase and the speed with which they came. Great company!

paid an inordinately large sum (with shipping) for 2 trees for fall planting. Both did not revive this spring. Have yet to ask them for replacements, will let you know what happens.

"After several emails to and from us by " rjgmg", we have been unsuccessful in finding either him or his address within our system. We believe he may be confusing Forestfarm with another nursery. We had requested basic information from this person such as an invoice number, information from the plant label, anything to help assist in satisfying this person. Since he hasn't provided us with any further information, we are left with the conclusion that he in fact did not receive these plants from Forestfarm. "rjgmg" has not responded to our several requests that he modify or correct his posting about Forestfarm, so we are posting this response in our defense."

This company has a wonderful catalog and supply of so many trees and shrubs at great prices. And they had no problem changing my order a couple of times before it was sent. I had ordered a few shrubs and a perennial.
When the plants arrived I had to wait a couple of days to plant them because the temp had dropped and we had some late snow. So I unpacked the plants (great packaging) and left them in the garage to adjust to the weather. Everything was planted and is thriving except my viburnum "mohawk". I had emailed Forestfarm two times (once in April and once in May) to inform them that the viburnum did not survive. I am still waiting to hear from them.

I've placed several orders with Forest Farm and have NEVER been disappointed. I do recommend them.

I'm not really a conspiracy theory buff; but after receiving my Forestfarm order, I find it a little odd that other mailorder nurseries are still in business. Forestfarm ships plants in their tubes for a low price that compare favorably with "premium 3 gallon plants" I have received from other mailorder nurseries. If you can't find it anywhere else you can probably find it at Forestfarm,and if you can find it at Forestfarm, why order it from anywhere else?

SUPERB!!!!!!! This is the best mail-order nursery! They have great catalog, excellent quality plants, extraordinary customer service and THE BEST PACKING in the world! Highly recommended!!

My stewartia psuedocamellia arrived this afternoon and was unpacked (with some difficulty since the pot had been individually boxed and then stapled with heavy brass staples into the tall box that held the tree). It is in full leaf,four feet high and in excellent condition - if local nurseries stocked this variety it would cost several times as much. These people ship fantastic plants - the weeping pear I got from them a few years ago is now a substantial little tree. Shipping costs are high (the stewartia came Fedex) but because the original cost of the plants are so low, it still pays to buy from them. And the quality can't be beat.

I'm surprised after reading all the good reviews, that the plants I received were so small, much smaller than I expected. One was a tree that was only 3 inches tall... Also, I received an email from the company that my order was shipped on 4/7/03 but FedEx did not deliver them until 4/17/03, which I understand is not the companies fault. But one plant was completely dry and wilted over and I hope, if it doesn't survive, I can get it replaced.
They do have a very extensive catalog, but I don't think I will order from them again.

I have always been satisfied with my purchases from this company. Plants are always excellent. Need I say more?

I was really impressed with the size of the tubes. The eucalyptus is 4 feet tall! Really pleased with all of my stuff...hypericum, hydrangia and eucalyptus.

Excellent selection --- many unusual woody plants. The plant descriptions are an education...and generally quite accurate - not a lot of hyperbole. The zone recommendations are quite conservative in my experience. Plants are available in a variety of sizes...the tubes are quite economical. I ordered Heritage Birch, Ribes Odoratum and Prunus Maackie (not easy to find!) in tubes. All have proven true to species. The trees arrived with few minor bumps and breaks, but robust root systems that allowed them to outgrow other Heritage Birches from a local nursery, and cherry trees from Fedco planted simultaneously.

***** (that's 5 stars!!!) I cannot say enough GOOD about this nursery -- the service -- the selection -- the prices -- and the plants. Very vigorous stock even in the tubes. Every plant is thriving with an impressive development of roots after just 7 months and over the winter. I ordered around 10 roses of various types -- -- wow -- even in the so-called tubes I got roses better developed and larger than 1-gallon roses from a reputable local nursery. Even the plants I bought there that were borderline hardy for this climate are growing better than weeds!
Service is great, always call when out of a plant or if there's any question they have about your order. Packaged very well. For the size, development, and health of the plant you get from these folks, the prices are CHEAP. If only I lived closer to them!

I have been ordering from this company for the past several years. Usually both spring and fall deliveries. They are often the only source for hard to find plants and I have always received great service and healthy plants from them. I just received my order today that contained 12 tubes (their smaller container plants). When I opened the top of the tall box, the top of one of the plants (tree) sprung out. Healthy, thriving and their plants always have roots. I've ordered plants from some companies and would swear they simply take a small cutting and stick it into a tiny pot of dirt just before mailing because the plants often have little or no root development. That has never been a problem with plants from Forest Farm. I've ordered several roses from them in tube size and although small, they leap into growth in no time at all. A rugosa that I planted a year and half ago is still tiny because the rabbits won't let it grow, but it's still alive. I depend on this company to supply my ever changing desire for unusual plants, trees and vines.

Very happy with this company. Placed order for several trees and perennials. Was contacted by phone because I choose the entire order to be shipped air. They informed me that it would be cheaper to ship part of the order air and part ground. Very helpful and most important the plants look great.

Plants are well packed and healthy upon arrival. They have all grown well for me. I have ordered many times from Forest Farm and shall continue to do so. If you are looking for quality stock I suggest you give them a try.

I ordered lilies from them. They were shipped right away and VERY caefully packed- a big plus imho! The plants grew beautifully and bloomed the first season. I recommend Forest Farm for service, selection and good price!

Ernesto

I ordered a 5 gallon cornus racemosa, paying extra for the shipping but I simply couldn't find it locally and wanted a larger plant. It came yesterday and was HUGE. Almost 6' tall and beautifully packed. This was my first experience with Forest Farm, and I am ecstatic.

What a pleasant surprise to find this company on an internet out of the blue search! Their printed hardbound catalog has unlimited selections of hard-to-find and very unusual species of shrubs, flowering trees and landscape specimens. I was very pleased with the method of shipment. All ordered plants were 5-6' trees, that are blooming their first year, had good root systems and were delicately packaged and shipped. Their website offers color snapshots of their offerings. I would rate this company higher than any other mail-order nursery supplier that I have run across over the years. I was so please with the product and packagaing that I wrote a positive letter to the president of the company.

I ordered from this company in Fall 2002. Their online catalog is excellent as is the hard copy. They have a very wide variety of cultivars and species and the prices (especially for 'tubes') are very reasonable.
I placed my order by telephone and found the attendant polite and friendly. The shipping costs are steeper than most but you definitely get what you pay for in this case- It was by far the best packing job I have ever seen for live plants (who all arrived in excellent condition).
I will definietly be a repeat customer!!

This is the third year in a row that I've ordered from this company. This year, I and two coworkers pooled our orders to keep shipping costs down, since we all wanted at least one gallon plant. We are all ordering again because of past experiences: the plants have been healthy, unique, and excellent value for the money.

The first year I placed an order one of my items was a 5-gallon Japanese Maple. I was pleasantly shocked by my shipment. I received an ENORMOUS, healthy tree about 7 feet tall. The hardest parts were wrestling the package through my house and then wrestling the tree into its (very large) planter. That experience has kept me coming back for more.

I am here to tell you that the combination of number of plants/cultivars, price, and size (for woody plants and I suspect also for perennials) is not to be found anywhere else on the internet or through mail order. I just received over $800 worth woody plants covering species and varieties that are difficult to find anywhere. Many of the plants I received are as large as or larger than similar plants at local nurseries (they even ship 5 gallon plants - a beatiful Cornus kousa 'Satomi' and Cercis chinensis 'Avondale')!

Additionally, the packing is the best I have ever seen. This is not a complaint by any stretch of the imagination, but I kind of found myself slightly dog cussing the packing as it took a lot of effort to unpack the plants as they were so thoroughly packed.

Bottom line, if you are looking for hard to find woodies at a great price, you can't do better than Forestfarm. Ray and Peg should go into the consulting business for mail order plant companies to show them how it should be done.

I liked them a lot! Wide variety of plants, good prices, nice packaging. Customer service also very helpfull, willing to exchange the damaged plants. Will continue to order from them...

I have ordered from this company once. It was in mid-summer that I placed an order for my client for one plant. I never recieved the plant. I assumed that the nursery was waiting for dormancy, before shipping. I was wrong. I called in the fall to inquire about my order. It had been cancelled. Apparently their ordering system is not as advanced, as their extensive inventory. I was not told why my order was cancelled, and I was asked to call back. When I called them back, I spoke with another person who was very abrupt and demanded to know why I called them!! This person was no help. I told them it was near the end of the planting season, and I was at risk if I paid for this plant. I asked them, because of their foul-ups, if they could guarantee the plant for me... No way was the answer - they wouldn'g even work with me on achieving a reasonable compromise. They were just stubbornly insistent on their position, that I should have called them earlier!??!

The take home answer... buy locally from trusted nursery-people or from companies that believe in their product engough to offer a guarantee.

"(Submitted 2/4/2003)

We're truly sorry that "Isabella" feels this way, but really, this is not the way we do business! We wish we had specifics about this incident so we could contact "Isabella" directly, as there is certainly some misunderstanding. We don't treat our customers this way (please visit our website to see what other customers say about Forestfarm). If "Isabella" ordered in mid-summer, and lived East of the Rockies, shipment would have to have been by Air. Likely we tried to contact her (more than once) to ask her permission to do this. When we don't receive a response within a month or more, we have to assume the person is no longer interested. That is the only time we cancel an order without the customer's consent. When a customer places an order, the plants are reserved and unavailable to any other customers. If the plants aren't really wanted by the person who ordered them, we would like to make them available to others.

It is also likely that the plant she wanted was something that may have been marginally hardy if planted too late in the season. We hate to send a plant to possible death (for its sake and the customer's sake). Our guarantee is not fixed, but is based on "reasonableness": "We CARE A LOT about our customers...we'll do our best to make any problems right." IF "Isabella" would contact us, we will attempt to turn what apparently was an unpleaant experience into the satisfying one it should be. Ray & Peg at Forestfarm

"

I've ordered from Forestfarm several times in the last year. The plants arrive carefully packed, and really healthy. With the exception of one Monarda (that had a hitchhiking earwig) the plants from Forestfarm have thrived after transplanting. I've got some gigantic nurseries in my area, but they don't have the selection of Forestfarm.

I ordered tubes of Japanese Maples from Forestfarm in both 2001 and 2002 and have been thrilled with the quality, condition and size! I will be ordering more this year.

I was really impressed when I first saw their catalogue, but a little sceptical. Can they really have all these plant, and have them in good condition. Well it seems they do! I've never been disappointed in an order. Their webpage even has some photos, but for those not familar with latin names I'd suggest getting a copy of Dirr's guide to woody plants, so you know what you are looking for.

I have ordered more than 60 plants from Forestfarm for the past three years. Huge selection at reasonable price. Many are rare. The packaging is exceptional. I needed a large screw driver to remove the large staples and a very sharp knife for the tape. It was a special occasion when the boxes arrived. The plants were always in great condition. Sometimes bigger than anticipated. Insufficient information on planting zone recommendation and plant growth habits forced me to do more research before placing my orders. I found out two years later that the Yucca I received was not what I ordered. The Picea abies 'Little Gem' looks completely different from the ones I received last year. (A neighbor who works at the city's conservatory concurred, so did a few other neighbors.) I called & sent a cutting. The owner insisted that it is the right plant. The Dwarf Mockorange listed as 4' have grown 7' tall and one of the Aster frikartii 'Moench' had yellow blossoms. What do I do with those plants? I have substantially reduced the number of plants odered from them and only after a long consideration. Too bad, I was very happy with the quality & the packaging.

Fabulous. Great catalogue, great prices, and great plants.

This nursery has a great selection and for the price, the plants are a wonderful size. I really love the way they pack everything so carefully. My plants arrived in great shape, better than any I have ordered by mail. I highly recommend this nursery.

Let me add to the kudos for ForestFarm! I've ordered from them for years and have never had a disappointment. The enormous catalogue is chock full of the rare & hard to find as well as the tried & true. Plants are of high quality and not overfed; they are properly packed and promptly shipped. I've always ordered by phone to insure that what I'm ordering is available and have always found knowledgabe, friendly staff on board. Customer service can't be beat. Prices are excellent and the "tubes" are most times a steal. Tubes also mean paying much less shipping. ForestFarm is always the first place I look for anything because they are overall the best mail order I know.