Comments regarding Bluestone Perennials

I have always been so pleased that I could buy healthy (but small) plants that fit into my budget. I was very content to wait for the small plants to take off and make beautiful large plants. No more! If I had the money to shop at Bluestone I might as well go to my local nursery and not have to wait for plants to be shipped. I'm sorry that Bluestone ignored those of us on small budgets and fixed income.

POSITIVE: I too, have been a very satisfied customer of Bluestone Perennials for many years. Plants are very healthy, and the customer service I have experienced has been very positive. I usually spend $100-200 every year, at least. I enjoyed participating in their recycle program. Was very happy to have heard that they would be going to coco pots this year.

UNFORTUNATELY, with the recent and HUGE price increase, I will no longer be able to afford to make purchases from them. Purchasing the coco pots in Bulk should NOT have perpetuate a skyrocketing price increase. The pots come in many different sizes and configurations. Using a smaller pot may be an option? The plants that are shipped are usually pretty small anyway.
Too Bad.

Been buying from these folks for over 20 years - never a problem with plants and very affordable. Not any more : add my name to the people upset with the huge (make that HUGE) price increase for individual plants. Last fall, I purchased the Shade Garden for $119 - this year it's $295!!

Posted on October 17, 2006, updated August 12, 2011
I would like to give kudos to Bluestone Perennials. I recently ordered one of their pre-planned gardens. Not only was I really impressed with the shipping speed, but I also appreciate that the plants are a perfect size for transplanting. I'm really quite pleased and will continue to purchase from Bluestone. I have no doubt that I will have lots of blooms next spring!

This company needs to go from the Top 5 to the -5 category for the biggest unrealistic price increases ever!!!! Check out the differences between the Spring and Fall catalogues! Price for the Drought Tolerant Garden in Spring was $159.95...and now folks, don't drop off your chairs, but it is a whopping $445.00. I thought it was printed incorrectly...but no...that's what it really is! ....they say it's because they are providing new pots....I say...leave things well enough alone and provide decent prices that the majority of people can afford!! I am very sorry to say...that's the end of it for me with this company...I will look elsewhere and will urge other customers to do the same.

I have previously and recently ordered from Bluestone and have had a very positive experience. However, I recieved by Fall Catalog yesterday and they have DRAMATICALLY increased thier prices, and eliminated the popular "3 for x$" feature. Part of the Bluestone appeal was the wonderful value, now they want you to pay half (or more) of the "3 for" price for one plant.

I have been a customer of Bluestone for many years...over 20 years. I couldn't say enough good things about them.

Something has changed though. Just today I e-mailed them about the following problems.


The Tiki Torch I purchase this year, in lieu of what I wanted because you were out of everything, well, the pathetic plant I received never got alit, in fact it was put out before it ever arrived at my house, in my honest opinion.

The coreopsis "pinwheel" plant (that was really only a plug half eaten by fungus gnats) that I babied all summer is NOT pinwheel, but Creme Brulee.

The Echinacea I got this year is NOT double decker. There isn't a double on any of the blooming stems. I realize they don't all double deck, but come on, at least one would. Definately not Double Decker. So, I purchased it locally.

And I love daylilys, but why in the heck would I have purchased this "Janice Brown" I've been thinking...it's so plain. Well, I come in and look it up on google, and a few years ago, when I purchased this, obviously, "Janice Brown" wasn't sent to me either, but some plain pink daylily...

They always take care of their problems, but lately, their problems seem to be out of control. That's 3 plants received, planted, nurtured, etc., that are NOT what I wanted. I'm 50 now. I don't want to plant and replant. And I don't want plants whose roots are eaten by fungus gnats, and I don't want to have to reorder and replant. And I don't want to have to pick between

I would have given them a negative, if it wasn't for the many years of fine service. I hope they take this as a message. If I'm complaining about them, things aren't good, because they have been my friends for years. Perhaps they got too big, I don't know, but I hope this gets them moving in the right direction. Change is needed Bluestone. It really is. I still love you, but take this as a wake-up call.

Gloria

"On Jul 27, 2011 2:37 PM, Bluestone Perennials responded with:

Gloria - thank you for your heartfelt comments and concerns. It sounds as if everything that could go wrong with your order, did. We will of course make the situation right with you (via separate correspondence). We appreciate the chance to salvage our reputation with you and we thank you for your years of support. Look for our more detailed email shortly."

I ordered several plants late this spring - all arrived in good shape; although they seemed small, every single one of them is doing very well. I will continue to be their customer!!

Posted on May 18, 2007, updated July 25, 2011
I had ordered from Bluestone years ago and was sorely disappointed so they have been off my list of catalogs to drool over in February for a long time. Due to the feedback here, I decided to give them another try. I was VERY pleasantly surprised. Plants that have arrived so far are larger and healthier than I expected. Most plants are already doing very well, especially the achilleas and hostas. The alchemilla mollis arrived browned and yellowed but is picking up. The ligularia still looks iffy, but I will give it a bit more time to see if it bounces back. I just wish their print catalog design was less confusing - The organization is poor and the descriptions and photos of items are often not even on the same page. Very time consuming and annoying to use. Stick to the website for now.

One of the first mail order companies I've used for plants. Love, love, love their catalog. Wealth of information, especially for newbie gardeners.

Plants shipped are small, but healthy. They give you a no hassle replacement policy within the time frame allotted for any plants that don't survive.

Definitely recommend them, ideal for those on a budget and who don't mind waiting a few years for a larger plant.

They offer coupons in their catalogs as well, and provide additional coupons with your purchases for future use. Nice way to keep customers returning.

Nice customer service, always a plus in my book.

My first order from this company. Plants were healthy but small. I am excited that they will be shipping in the coco pots, and will order again in the fall.

Bluestone has, for many years, been my go to mail order plant source but I am so sad to see that they are changing their inventory to larger, more highly priced plants. They will be sent in coco fiber pots which is nice but I have always liked that most plants came as a quantity of 3 very small healthy plants very reasonably priced which, once planted, quickly adapted to their new environment. Their service has always been, and I assume will continue to be wonderful but there are a handful of great nurseries carrying a large variety of healthy plants in 4 in pots within 10 miles of my home. Their prices are 1/2 the new prices being charged at Bluestone. I will, however, continue to use Bluestone for shrubs, bulbs and harder to find perennials and hope they never go to 1 gallon pots for their shrubs.

Posted on April 22, 2005, updated June 27, 2011
My spring order has arrived. The plants are lovely and growing well.

Posted on May 4, 2005, updated June 26, 2011
This is the third year I have ordered from this company and as usual, I am very pleased with the prices and quality of the plants received. They sent the plants exactly when I requested them. They have superb customer service. This company is a class act and it shows by all the positive statements it receives. I hope they can maintain these high standards as they continue to gain in popularity!

Posted on May 26, 2011, updated June 26, 2011
This was my first time ordering from Bluestone, and it will be my last. As any reading this can see, I have done, and will continue to order from various online nurseries. The kick in the pants for me, was that this order was going to be a surprise from my significant others Mom. The first order was: 3 Achillea, 3 Adenophora, 3 Agastache, 3 Aster, 3 Chrysanthemum, 3 Digitalis, 3 Echinacea, 3 Alcea, 3 Monarda, 3 Perovskia, 3 Stachys, and 2 Centaurea. The total bill, with s/h, was just shy of $200. I got that order, first, when I opened the box I was greeted by packing peanuts and fungus gnats...I can deal with fungus gnats...as I was unpacking I touched something slimey, I thought it was a dead leaf that happened in transit, NOPE, slug...I found 6 slugs all in all...they pretty much munched down the Monarda to nubs...at the soil line! For this particular order I was happy with about 1/2...the plants looked health, the roots were nice, foliage was green and fresh. The other half of the order, one was mowed down by slugs, the others to puny to even mention...one of the Russian Sage was a mere 2" tall...no side branching!!! I mean, seriously? The Achillea looked like they were thrown in the box last minute, all were crushed, the Adenophora just looked pathetic, I wasn't happy at all with the other Russian Sage, they were maybe in the 2-3" range, the Monarda was the slug buffet, and the Agastache were extremely spindly and sad looking. I called their Customer Service, I believe her name is Dawn...she was extremely apologetic, and put in a replacement order, for the plants I was unhappy with. Well, I got the replacement order today (the first order I received last week...so props to them for promptness!)...The reason for this negative review, is for what they had the nerve to send me as a REPLACEMENT. The Russian Sage and the Achillea...were excellent, no complaints at all...but, here goes again with the 1/2 thing...the other 3 plants in the replacement order...oye...Adenorpha...one was almost rotted, and looks dead, the Mondarda...2 are black, one looks like it should make it, the Agastache...tall, spindly, one has no leaves, one has 1 leaf, and the other has 2 leaves...no slugs in this order...fungus gnats, yes, AND now I see spider mites...I called Customer Service back again, and Dawn apologized, and offered to send a replacement...I politely told her that I really didn't want any more plants from Bluestone, and that this was supposed to have been the replacement. So that would have meant, I would need a replacement to the replacement...seriously? After reading all of the positive comments, and other people speaking highly of them, I for one, will gladly spend my money else where.
Plant material from them= 1/2 arsed
Packaging= The packing peanuts...come on...everything, literature, was all green this and green that...I don't know about anyone else, the closest Post Office is about 10 miles from me, and the closest UPS store is about a 20 minute drive, so to recycle them, I'd have to drive...Not happy with their choice of packaging materials...and with my two orders it didn't really protect anything.
Customer Service= for the one person I spoke with, this is, by far, the only thing excellent about this company.

If opening a box of perrenials you just spent hard earned money on, and expecting a box full of goodness, is your thing, SHOP ELSE WHERE.

"On May 26, 2011 2:52 PM, Bluestone Perennials responded with:

We're just as disappointed as you are. Please contact us directly for a full refund. We hope you'll give us a chance to salvage our reputation with you sometime in the future, and certainly understand your frustration. Gardening is supposed to be fun.

After this spring we will have all the plastic out of our boxes except for the plant tags. We've been looking for an good alternative to packing in peanuts for decades and are very pleased with our new system of growing in coconut fiber pots which ship in cardboard carriers. (no peanuts!)The pot plants directly in the ground with no transplant shock, and quickly breaks down.

Again, we apologize profusely for the condition of your two packages and hope you will be in touch."

Posted on September 22, 2007, updated June 25, 2011
My first order from Bluestone Perennials arrived exactly when I requested it. The plants were in excellent condition and larger than expected. They have been in the ground for about a month and are thriving. I don't mind the styrofoam peanuts - they're easier to deal with than a mashed plant.

Posted on May 12, 2010, updated June 20, 2011
I have ordered plants for several years from this company and am never disappointed with both quality and service. Their selection is outstanding and they have a very knowledgeable staff to answer any gardening questions. I highly recommend this company for both great service and great variety of plants offered.

Posted on June 10, 2011, updated June 10, 2011
I have purchased several times in the past usually during sales and have always received healthy plants in a timely fashion and they carry a lot of new varieties that my local nurseries don't or are more expensive.

My only complaint has been that they keep mailing me catalogs after I've requested no catalogs more than once. I buy online and don't want paper catalogs, they go straight to the recycle bin .

This time my box took over a week to arrive and the hydrangea I ordered 'Little Lamb' was totally defoliated and dead. I don't call a 3" grower pot a "large pot" either but I should have read the fine print on that one. The hardy geraniums were covered with dead blooms and foliage but I am sure they will be just fine. The hosta was fine. The packing peanuts were so full of dirt and dried leaves that I had to throw them away rather than re-use them.

I sent an email right away with photos but it wasn't answered so I sent another one without photos thinking the attachment might have been the problem. Then I called and was told they would get back to me that they were checking on stock of the hydrangeas to know if they could replace. I later got an email that day that I would get a credit. It wasn't clear if my card would be credited or I would receive store credit.

I am disappointed. Even at the tiny size the hydrangea is one I haven't found locally. I've never had a shipment of mail order plants take so long to arrive nor had them arrive looking so bad. I believe I've read that they changed shipping companies and maybe this is the problem.

It's been several years since I ordered from Bluestone. I decided to place an order because of their ongoing sale. I was a little concerned when I received a ship notice that said the plants had been shipped on Friday - and it was predicted to be a really hot weekend. I pictured the plants sitting in hot trucks all weekend.

But not to worry! They arrived vie FedEx on Saturday. In beautiful shape. A few plants were back-ordered till August - I don't think I can complain about that, since they were sale purchases.

Yes, they were packed in styrofoam peanuts - lots of them. The plants were in great condition because of that. I always recycle peanuts anyway, so I'm not too concerned, and I know that Bluestone is working on the problem of finding better packing materials for the environment.

I was impressed by the speed of delivery, and by the quality of the plants, for sale plants. Thanks, Bluestone!

I've shopped with BP for several years, and never had a problem until now. I'm posting a negative revew here because my emails to BP are not being answered in a timely fashion, and they owe me money.

On Saturday May 14, I ordered several plants from them, and used the free shipping coupon that I had from sending back previous packing material. My credit card was not charged until May 18, and the plants were shipped the same day, arriving on Sat May 21.

My purpose in placing the order on a Saturday was so the order would process on Monday and hopefully ship the same day, arriving by Wed, before our streak of cool weather turned hot again. Their delay in shipping meant my plants traveled via USPS trucks in 90F weather to my house. Of the 7 plants I ordered, 4 arrived half-dead and another has died since arrival, despite my precautions.

I had to email them twice to get a response on my refund request. I was told by Pat at BP that she would refund the agastache and the liatris. That was May 24. It's now June 2 and no refund has appeared, and my reminder email of May 27 is still unanswered. If Pat said on May 24 she would refund the $$, why was the refund not processed the same day? That makes no sense to me.

This is not normal behavior for Bluestone Perennials, and I am deeply disappointed that they are not living up to their usual high standards. Maybe seeing this review will wake them up.

"On Jun 2, 2011 9:34 AM, Bluestone Perennials responded with:

Our apologies for the delay in the processing of your credit. We submitted the credit on the day you requested it, but thanks to your input, we have discovered a handful of credits that were "stuck" with our new credit card processing company. These are now "un-stuck" and you should see the money for your credit in the next 2-3 days (normal processing time on their end - and it is worth noting that that is a standard time frame with any processor). You may be able to see it being processed if you view your credit card account online as early as today. Again, our apologies.

Regarding your first shipment - our shipping time online acknowledges that your plants will reach you within 2 weeks of receipt of your order. However, if you (or anyone) would like to request a specific shipping day, there is a place to enter that in our checkout sequence, and we will honor it. "

Received my plants quickly. All plants are healthy with good root systems. Would definitely order from them again.

I am very pleased with what I received. The plants were a great size for the right price. I will be ordering from them again.

Received 3 beautiful healthy large plants. Quick shipping with shipping notice sent by email. Very impressed! Would buy again from them without any hesitation at all.

I've ordered from them many, many times and have never been disappointed. I do think their 3 plants really equal one plant, but the price is reasonable enough that I just plant all 3 together as one plant. Great customer service. They always replace the plants if there is an issue, unlike another garden source who will argue with you that the plant will survive and even after it dies, will not replace it. Their specials are unbeatable. Great selection and price.

I ordered many plants from Bluestone last year. The plants were of great quality, and most survived the flooding we got in our area last May. The growers at Bluestone replaced the plants that did not survive, even though I, or mother nature, were responsible for their demise.
I highly recommend them to everyone I know.

This was my first time ordering from Bluestone, and for that matter any mail order nursery.

I just started gardening so buying items from the local nurseries or big box stores was convenient however variety is almost always very poor and it is difficult to sometimes tell exactly what your buying and how it will look when fully grown (at least for a newbie like myself). I LOVED how easy it was to not only find plants that met my garden environment but also how they provide you with all the needed information on the plant including best care practices. This is ideal for someone like myself to be able to print out and keep for future reference.

Their specials were great and I feel I was able to get a wide variety for a very fair price. After my order was already placed, but before shipment, I noticed that new plants were added to the specials so I called the 800 number and the rep was very helpful in adding some new plants on special to my order that was about to ship that day!

Plants arrived in overall great condition except for one poor guy who just didn't seem to handle the moisture in the box too well. After a few days of letting them sit in the shade with some water I wasn't sure if they were going to recover so a short email to customer support and they are sending me out replacements this week.

This was my first and definitely not last time shopping with Bluestone. Their quality of plants and amazing no hassle customer support are alone enough to keep me from even checking out other places.

Thank you Bluestone! More companies should follow your business model.

Received plants and shrubs today, I couldn 't be happier. They were packed well and were still very healthy five days after the shipping date. Please note that I wasn't home at the time of the attempted first delivery on a Saturday and had to wait until Monday to pick the plants up from the post office. I was worried about what their condition would be sitting there over the weekend, but they were fine. They do use packing peanuts, which work much better then the air bags that I normally receive with my plant orders. If their use concerns you, they do have a recycling program for the peanuts. The box was clearly marked as containing live plants so that care would be given to them by the USPS. One of the shrubs that they sent was smaller then I had ordered, and they credited my account for $4.00 at the time of shipment. They also included fertilizer tablets for each of my shrubs at no extra cost. I am always nervous when ordering plants online, because of previous negative experiences. My experience with Bluestone Perennials was nothing but positive and I certainly will be ordering from them again.

I love Bluestone Perennials! They are the only mail-order company I have purchased from for my garden, and I am so satisfied, I think I will keep it that way. Their prices are great, and their catalog and website are attractive, stream-lined, and easy to maneuver. Over the past year and a half, I have ordered foxglove, bluebell, bleeding heart, lobelia, lamium, ajuga, hosta, cranesbill geranium, heuchera, and spirea from them, and all of the plants are doing great. I am a beginner gardener trying to build up my perennial base, and they are a great place to start! Thank you, Bluestone.

I ordered 3 HEUCHERA Ginger Ale on May 17th and received them on May 20th. They are much bigger than I expected, very healthy looking and packed in a way that not one stem was broken.

As an added bonus - I saved the packing "peanuts" to use as filler for some potted plants.

Ordered five purple emperor butterfly bushes on a Friday and they arrived Tuesday. Great plants and service, will definitely be ordering from them again in the future.

Posted on October 27, 2010, updated May 18, 2011
I was looking for a particular Simple Pleasures tulip mix and that's what led me to Bluestone. I ended up adding a couple of other things to the order (some Muscari and an Echinacea). Everything came very fast, and was in decent condition (couple of the bulbs were mildewy but no biggie). I'll have to wait and see how their product performs, but what made me choose "neutral" is that when I looked at the total of my fall order (used three companies this season) I did feel the product was overpriced for what I got. I'll have to see how the bulbs and the perennial perform. Will update if necessary.

"On Nov 2, 2010 11:16 AM, Bluestone Perennials responded with:

Please don't hesitate to let us know if you have any problems, and I will pass along your feedback."

Just a small order this year - three 'Peaches and Dreams' hollyhock plants. They arrived at the perfect time, looking great. No issues whatsoever.

Ordered 5 Exbury type Azaleas for $9.95 or 8.95 each. They arrived a day early in excellant shape, well branched to about a foot high and fully leafed - not a bit of damage. All this for under $10 each!! Plus they had info about their search for green packing materials and an offer to take back the box they were shipped in with the packing material and credit the entire shipping cost of the next order.

Ordered from them earlier this Spring and very happy with the plants I received. They have a good selection and I'm sure I will be ordering from them again.

Bluestone has a great selection of perennials. My plants arrived in perfect condition, and are growing as expected.

Just received my Bluestone Perennial Border collection of plants via FedEx on Friday, 5/6. Very good follow-up from the company - I received an email notice on Thursday 5/5 that my shipment was on its way via FedEx, and I received them in great condition the very next day! Packed in a large box, filled with recycled peanuts and air bags. They provided a large, information-filled customer packet thoroughly explaining what to do next, along with helpful suggestions. They even give detailed instructions on how to return the box and packing materials to them for re-use, and for a complete credit on my next shipping bill. My wife told me that the garden will make a great Mother's Day present, so despite the fact that it's Mother's Day today, I'll be renting a tiller and getting the garden planted.

We built our home about four years ago, and it was a great feeling to actually break ground on our first large garden (63' x 8' w/ curved front edge). I don't know about you, but it was a little intimidating trying to figure out where to lay the garden out, considering we have a very large lawn, small trees, and no fence to give us the typical visual boundaries I was accustomed to working with at our old home. I'm excited about getting everything planted.

While the plants are small right now, they all came very healthy and I'm sure will "grow into themselves" quite well over the next year or two. I'm patient and it will be fun watching everything mature into a fine perennial border.

I'll keep you posted.

Happy Mother's Day to any moms out there!

Received my first order Saturday, and couldn't be more pleased. The plants were packed upright in a box, and all were moist and vigorous. It has been almost a week and they don't appear to have suffered any transplant or transport shock, either. Also, I was thrilled with the fact that I could mail them my packing materials, which I did today, and receive a voucher for free shipping on my next order. And I will be ordering again. I like their wide variety of plants, and I didn't mind paying a little more for shipping, considering the excellent condition in which the plants arrived.

I just recieved Munstead Lavender and they were all dead:( I thouht this place would be a perfect place to order plants from because they are close....not to mention all the great reviews. I was wrong!!!

"On Apr 26, 2011 9:01 AM, Bluestone Perennials responded with:

Please be in contact with us so that we can make this right. Your plants are guaranteed and we will reship immediately. I apologize for the condition of the plants."

I wanted to be sure to leave some positive feedback about my order with Bluestone Perennials. I have recently moved and needed to place a large order to help fill in my empty flower beds. I ordered back in January and carefully made choices based on the company description. My order arrived yesterday and I am so happy with it! The plants arrived packaged beautifully (even though the FEDEX rep left the box standing on its side) and look so very healthy. Can't wait till it stops raining so that I can plant! Thanks for the great service.