Comments regarding Bluestone Perennials

An elderly woman I visit with ordered a few plants from them last year on my recommendation. They have not returned this spring but, as with many older folk, she 'did not want to be a bother' and request replacements so I wrote to them and they said they would be happy to replace the plants. What with Comcast and BP and Bank of America it is difficult to remember that there are companies that are honest and value their customers, like Bluestone.

I get a little excited when I receive a catalog from Bluestone. The plants I received were grown with love and packed with care. Their website lists many more plants than in the catalog, and it's very easy to use. They even send you coupons for your next order's shipping if you send their packing materials back. If I have my heart set on a special plant, I order it from Bluestone.

This is my second year ordering from Bluestone and they are definitely one of my favorites. Each order arrived with plants packed very well and I like the free shipping credit I get for returning the packing materials.

Heuchera and Echinacea were purchased last August. Both plants had strong roots upon arrival and proved themselves by surviving a rough winter. They are off to a great start in the garden this year.

This year I purchased more tried and true Echinacea and, because last year's order came with a multitude of coupons (and I can't resist a coupon), tried a couple of other plants that I would not normally buy: Japanese Painted Fern, Sea Holly and Hakenechloa (free with my coupon). The Echinacea is backordered, but everything else looks great and I can't wait to get them in the garden. I also love the fact that the coupons are good until next spring and that I can use as many as I want in an order.

I ordered again from Bluestone, because their plants are of very good quality, their prices are very good and their packing is outstanding!

Their plants are commonly sold as a package of 3. For most other companies I'd consider that 'insurance', since 1 or 2 probably wouldn't survive. However, with Bluestone, all 3 usually make it!

This order arrived quickly and the plants were scarcely wilted. I didn't need to go to great lengths to revive them--I simply planted them into the ground.

Today I received my first ever mail order perennials. (Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Agastache and Malva) I must admit I was truly terrified of how mail order plants would look upon arrival. Bluestone Perennials have made my day. Seven different three packs which all arrived looking healthy, soil still a bit damp and a very nice size for the price. Although I've read some complaints here about the packaging, especially the peanuts, my plants were not destroyed in any way. I just cannot say how pleased I was with the plants. Thanks Bluestone for making my first mail order plants a success. The plants are resting in a shady area for now and I cannot wait to get them in the ground. I would also mention that ordering was a breeze. I used the web site and had no problems placing the order.

I've been buying from them since 2007. Living in Oregon, I've purchased from local nurseries and even some other mailorder houses. Bluestone has always been the best company to work with and of the 100+ plants we've gotten from them, we've only had a couple plants that didn't make it and they were promptly replaced. My order this year came via FedEx ground (Ohio to Oregon) and couldn't tell the difference between ground and next-day.

I consider this place to be 'the standard' for perennials (I've never ordered their woody plants or bulbs, so I cannot speak to those).

You can find places with (a little bit) lower prices, and you can find places with (a little bit) better selection, but not both, and bluestone hits a great balance in the middle.

I have placed several large orders over the past two years, and the plant material is always A+ condition (though I admit, it does not ship far to me), and is nicely mature and developed without being pot-bound and tired out.

I find their jumbo three packs to be an ideal size for early transplants: big enough for deep, developed roots, but not so large that you are shipping a lot of extra soil, or that the plant will not reestablish readily after transplanting.

You can't beat their prices on perennials so it's easy to buy larger quantities. I got their Agastache Black Adder last spring and it was the highlight of my black garden with my black fig. Also rec'd hefty tulips and peonies last fall and look forward to my spring order. They know when to ship safely and communication is good.

Ordered the butterfly garden set last spring and it arrived alive and some of the plants were blooming. I did receive 2 dark knight butterfly bushes instead of the one that came with the set and the peacock I ordered, but they are beautiful so I will just reorder the peacock this year. The plants have done wonderful and I will order from the again this spring.

I ordered from this company for the first time last year and WOW was very impressed with the plants I ordered. I had ordered approximately 15 different daylilies and they were very big, healthy plants and most of them already had blooms. They arrived in good shape and were packed very well. All of them bloomed this past summer and did very well. I will definately order from this Co. again. Cost of the plants were reasonable and they were shipped to me in a timely manner.

Posted on November 6, 2010, updated November 6, 2010
Posted on September 11, 2010, updated November 6, 2010
Posted on April 10, 2010, updated September 11, 2010
Reasonable prices for what you get, especially on those items not readily available in my area. Shipping rates comparable or better than other large mail order nurseries. Have always had well-packed healthy plants on arrival. Only one of several dozen over the years did not survive transplant and was immediately and cheerfully replaced without question. Highly recommended for service during and after the sale.

I bought some sale bulbs while fully aware that my planting season was about over. The bulbs were shipped out immediately, well-packed, and delivered within a few days. I'm impressed.

Posted on July 8, 2008, updated November 1, 2010
I purchased more than one order on sale, as my gardens have been neglected due to 4 operations in these last 4 years. So the orders were quite large and mostly sale plants. When I received a few that were looking "not so good", I received a prompt replacement with no hassles whatsoever, after all, these were the ones on the last clearance sale. So, I would reccomend this company.
The service was excellent, and they even told me where I could recycle the other packing "peanuts", and from other companies as well. I hauled them off to my local UPS store and they were happy to get them. They did not pay me for them, but at least I recycled them.
So all of the plants are growing well now, even some that I have cut back (Thyme), as they were the ones that were replaced, and now all of them are looking nice now.
Yes, most of the plants are small, but if you need a lot of plants to fill in an area, their prices can't be beat! I have ordered from others as well, so I will list those ratings according to the names of the companies.

Thank you Bluestone Perennials!

Evelyn

"On Nov 2, 2010 11:07 AM, Bluestone Perennials responded with:

You are welcome, Evelyn! And thank you for your loyalty."

Always very nice plants with quick reliable shipping and friendly customer service. Bluestone is go-to mail order company!

Everything I have ordered from Bluestone Perennials came packaged safely and alive. All of the plants are thriving. One plant that died I emailed them about and they sent a replacement no questions asked.

I order from Bluestones almost every year and have done so for 7 or 8 years now. I have always had a positive experience with them and their plants. Only one time did they accidently send the wrong plant [tag was marked wrong] and they immediately answered my e-mail and sent the correct plant and told me to keep the mistaken plant too. It was an August Moon hosta which I still have in my garden thriving! A happy mistake! Anyway, consider me a satisfied customer. I am already studying the Bluestone catalogue and figuring out what I want to order next year!

I ordered from them for the first time last month. They were prompt. The lily bulbs I received were large and in good condition. I hope they perform well next summer.

I was very impressed with my ordering experience with Bluestone Perennials. They were referred to me by members of a Yahoo gardening group I belong to and were highly recommended. My plants arrived in a timely manner and were well packed and secure. I'd ordered mostly from the Specials page and was impressed with the prices overall.

The plants were very healthy and I'm looking forward to them coming up in the spring! I will definetly order from them again and have my eye on several items in the new catalog that just arrived as well. Thank you for such a positive mail order experience!

Ordered some plants, based on the positive ratings here. When the plants arrived, they looked pretty bad. Drieds, yellowed leaves. I soaked them. Several came back to look okay.

I sent an email to the company. No response.

"On Sep 27, 2010 11:24 AM, Bluestone Perennials responded with:

I see you got your order on this past Friday and emailed us that evening. We are working on the emails that came in over the weekend and will be sending you replacements at no charge. I am sorry the plants arrived in less that satisfactory condition. In the fall, we do not staff the office on the weekends - my apologies for the delay in responding."

I ordered two Mrs. Nelly Thompson clematis from Bluestone because they were the only Website I could find that still had stock available. I held my breath because I had never purchased from them before but the plants arrived in fine shape and on schedule last week. I knew they would be small (Bluestone were truthful in their advertising) but the roots were very well developed. I know I likely won't see blooms until 2012 (yikes!), but I wanted to get the clematis in the ground this Fall to give it a good headstart. I would order from Bluestone again.

Posted on September 10, 2010, updated September 26, 2010
This past Spring, I ordered several perennials. one of which was a group of three silene plants, Having had prior positive experience with this company I was very surprised at the size of the plants9very small, almost seedling size. I emailed the company to advise them that I was not happy with the size of the plants and I received and I received no reply. I planted the plants and I was pretty sure the roots were not mature enough . Of course, given the brutally hot summer, all of the three silenes died. I recontacted the company by email about three weeks ago and again I have not received a response. I am quite disappointed as previous experiences have been positive.

"On Sep 10, 2010 3:20 PM, Bluestone Perennials responded with:

We are so sorry your plants slipped through shipping before they were ready. We try very hard to avoid doing that. We would like to correct your situation immediately. Please be assured that we never ignore an email we have received. Unfortunately, we do not have any record of receiving either email from you, and I hope you will call us so that we can resolve this situation with a reshipment or a refund, whichever you prefer. Again, our apologies. 1-800-852-5243"

I've ordered from Bluestone Perrenials a number of times over the years; recently, I placed an order for some fall bulbs. The order arrived, and I discovered that I received a different allium variety than I'd ordered. I called Bluestone the next day, spoke to a very pleasant person who told me new bulbs would ship at no cost to me, and that I could keep the bulbs I received in error.

This is perfect customer service. I can't wait to receive the Spring 2011 catalog.

I have been a customer of Bluestone for a few years now, and they had been a favorite, but now I am withholding my judgment because of the poor packaging. I'm having good success with other companies that pack the plants carefully with wet newspaper and plastic. Bluestone ships the plants in a box with styrofoam peanuts. Besides the fact that those peanuts are terribly annoying, this packaging doesn't preserve the plants during shipping well at all-- especially for the tiny 3-packs. If I can get the same plants from another company that packages them better, I will probably choose them over Bluestone in the future.

Have almost always received healthy, vigorous and well rooted plants. Will never complain about the size-that's why they're priced the way they are. My primary problem with this vendor is the packing. If they read through all of their negative feedback postings they may see a common theme. I don't think I've ever received a shipment that didn't have some broken branches or leaves from being jostled about and chafed by those pain in the box peanuts! Once I received a Leonard Messel magnolia that was completely defoliated by the time I got it. To Pat's credit it was promptly replaced (no pictures required, no questions asked) but it seems like a heck of a way to do business. If they they want some better ideas on how to pack mail order plants they only need to place an order with High Country Gardens (now that man knows how to pack a shipment), Brushwood Nurseries (for shipping vines) or Logee's who ships similar size perennials. Musser Forests even does a better job with just plain old newspaper!

We have ordered from Bluestone for two years, and not just a little bit of plants we have ordered ALOT of plants. We have ordered atleast 4 Perennial border packs (roughly 350 plants altogether) and probably about 100 mis other plants including shrubs. I am very pleased of all the plants we ordered only about 5 have died, they were from a two year ago order...we contacted Bluestone and even though it was from two years ago they gave us a credit to order more shrubs next Spring. I beleive the Perennial Border packs are a good money saving way to get plants as we now buy them for our clients. Where else for under $100 dollars can you get 65 or so Perennial Plants?

I ordered 8 agastache, 2 different hybrids. All survived and are adding lots of color to my garden.

Posted on July 16, 2010, updated July 16, 2010
Posted on June 17, 2008, updated July 16, 2010
I purchased plants from Bluestone for the 1st time during their 1/2 off sale. I bought daylilies, columbines, and a gaillardia fanfare. I have never purchased plants online before and decided to go with them because of all of the positive reviews I've read here. My plants arrived in great shape and were packaged very well. I waited 3 days to plant them to get them acclimated. So far my daylilies and gaillardia are holding their own. I'm not too sure about the columbines yet. If my plants survive and flourish I will definitely buy from them again. I have another "wish list" of plants in mind.

I ordered the perennial border and butterfly garden packages, which arrived in May, nicely packed and labeled. There were a few substitutions, but the plants were all healthy and good-sized for mail order, and every single one is now thriving in my garden. I will definitely order again next year.

My first experience with Bluestone was a pleasant one. Their lilies are the ONLY thing thriving in my beds right now, during a record-breaking heatwave and drought. I think their plants are secretly part cactus. :p

When I need plants for less-than-ideal locations and poor soil quality, I will seek out Bluestone in the future.

I ordered in May, and now my plants are huge and everything is in bloom! The only exception are the aquilegia's, but they are still growing. I knew to expect small plants, because in the past I have ordered from Spring Hill (which I will NEVER waste my money with that company again). However, these plants were very healthy, and have really taken off. The perennial sunflower which is supposed to be 4-6 feet tall is already over a foot. This is wonderful for a mail order company, after only a month or so. The daylilly actually bloomed before the ones from Oakes Daylillies. I will order again, this time I will wait until the end of May for the half price sale. (I missed it by a few weeks..) I will also be ordering fall bulbs, hopefully they will be great also!

Thanks Bluestone!

I was not impressed with my plants I received from Bluestone. I ordered 11 Lavender plants and only 3 have survived. A few were okay looking when received but for the most part they were scrawny, dried up and dead or dying. The Campanula were also anemic and are trying to hold on but we'll see.
I contacted Bluestone and they have promised to replace them but I have as yet to get anything from them. I hope the replacements are in better standing than the original.
To member Shriver in Boston - check out Santa Rosa Gardens. Outstanding plants, shipping practices, and service.

"On Jun 25, 2010 1:14 PM, Bluestone Perennials responded with:

I am sorry that your Lavender plants arrived in such poor condition. I understand our office manager has been in email contact with you over the past weeks and we are holding your replacement plants for Fall shipping (due to the heat) as we mutually agreed. You should expect them in September. I have every faith that you will find them to be the vigorous healthy plants you expected originally. Again, our apologies for the condition of your plants upon arrival. We will make every effort to regain your trust."

I've ordered from Bluestone many many times, and I have always been pleased! I especially like that I can send back my packing peanuts for cheap, and they issue a "free shipping" voucher for your next order! I must have three of those vouchers hanging around for next time. So for the $2 it costs to send back the box with just peanuts, I get almost $8+ on free shipping on my next order - can't beat that!! I almost always buy the plants on "Special". And they always arrive in decent shape and do very well after planting. Only once or twice I've had to contact them about something that didn't survive, and they are always right on top of sending out a replacement. After spending hundreds of dollars at local nurseries, Home Depot, and Lowe's, I love that it's a Lifetime Guarantee at Bluestone. Can't get my money back at the other places! I am very very pleased with this company, and will continue to shop with them!

Would recommend this company. My order was as expected and plants did well. Prefer their smaller plants to bareroot stock from some other companies. My astibilles especially look even prettier the 2nd year.

Posted on April 24, 2010, updated June 14, 2010
I ordered plants both last spring and in the fall. The plants appear small when they arrive but given a year (or winter) I am pleased with all of them. Everything I planted last spring is the size of what I'd get at my local nursery or bigger, best of all I get varieties that I can't find find locally.

The plants I planted last fall survived the Iowa winter and all all doing great. I'm anxious to see how these newer plants bloom this fall.

I am awaiting my plants I ordered this winter, but have no doubt they will flourish as well. Bluestone Perinials is my FAVORITE mail order company.

Bluestone has for many years sent me excellent plants promptly. I will be buying from them as long as I garden. Wonderful company.

This was my first purchase with Bluestone Perennials. I bought some plants during their recent spring sale. I am IMPRESSED with the plants I rec'd! They literally looked better than the plants I would have gotten from my local nursery. They are large and healthy. The packing was done with much care. A couple of leaves were broken, but nothing major that would make me hesitate to order from them again. I give this company an A+++!

I ordered from the end-of-season special offers, so I knew that the plants would probably have deadheaded stems, a few browning leaves and so on; I also expected them to be quite small. But I thought the prices were very good and there were some interesting plants I fancied so I ordered. I received an acknowledgment, an order number and the information that they would email me when the plants were shipped. Just over a week later I got an email stating they were being shipped, but with a different order number, which was confusing. They arrived when scheduled - several of the stems were broken, quite possibly by me when I was trying to find them and get them out of those damn packing peanuts (which my puppy loved cos they got everywhere). However the plants seemed OK for the money and as I'd expected.
Then I realised that the set of dianthus I ordered was missing. They didn't send a packing note, so I emailed to find out why and got an email back saying they were out of stock and I hadn't been billed. I checked, and that was correct, but I would have expected them to notify me that they were not able to fulfil my order. I'd even got the place for them all ready...

Not the world's worst experience, but far from the best. I'd expected better.

I was certainly very pleased with my order from Bluestone and have ordered more plants from them. Healthy and very well packed for shipping the plants arrived healthly, not broken, and their soil still damp. They are all planted in my garden and are doing fantastic. I will shop them again.

Posted on June 9, 2006, updated June 7, 2010
Yesterday I received two very well packed boxes of especially nice perennials that I had ordered during Bluestone's sale. The plants were much larger and healthier than many ordered for mid May shipment from their competitors. I was greatly impressed and will certainly order again from Bluestone. Plus they included all sorts of discount coupons for future orders. Thanks, Patti