Comments regarding Bluestone Perennials

I love bluestone. Small but healthy plants. Look for their 50% off sales. I buy like mad when they come along. Its when you get the fairest price. I bought 4 leonard messel magnolias for $2.50 each. And of course I ordered dozens of perfect perennials.

I ordered 4 Chorus Line daylilies from Bluestone Perennials, along with 6 sedum plants in May, and they are all doing great. The daylilies just started blooming this week, so I am very excited. I found out about Bluestone via word-of-mouth, my husbands' friend owns a farm and lent me their catalog, I am glad that I found out about them.

I found Bluestone Perennials through this web site. I placed a relatively large order for about $120. All pants, mostly shrubs were in perfect condition, they were very well packaged and the price was also very good compared to others. I was so satisfied with the company that when they sent me the sale e-mail I ordered more plants. They were also in perfect condition.
Now, 2 months later, they are all growing beautifully. For all shrubs I also received a pant food pill!

I placed a fairly decent-sized order back at the beginning of June with these folks and let me tell you -- I'm VERY impressed with their service and their plants. I ordered from 2 online places:
1) Bluestone Perennials and
2) Gorge Top Gardens
I ordered first from Gorge Top (end of May) and then about a week later, I found some great sales at Bluestone and placed an order with them as well.

I wish I'd ONLY ordered from Bluestone. They shipped much FASTER and their plants were EXCEPTIONAL. Everything I bought from Bluestone is alive and thriving in my shade garden. I'm VERY impressed and will definitely be reordering from them!

Some plants I purchased were:
* various types of hostas
* violas
* columbine
* clematis

And EVERYTHING is healthy and strong. I'm very pleased and highly recommend these folks.

I was very impressed with the size and quality of several hostas I ordered on sale from Bluestone. I also ordered various other plants, including sweet woodruff and creeping phlox. The woodruff was looking pretty rough from its travels, and one of the phox had slugs, although the rest of my order was fine. I wrote to Bluestone and they promtply replied and sent healthy replacements. In addition, they sent a packet of coupons for future purchases. I will definitely order from them again soon! This has been the best mail order company I've dealt with to date.

I ordered several sale plants from them recently. I have never given a negative rating to any company, but I was prepared to give one to this company. However, after I contacted them regarding all of the dead or dying plants they shipped, I have been notified that they will give me a partial refund through my credit card; hence the neutral rating instead of the negative.

The plants were completely dry and haphazardly packed under a ton of peanuts. No care had been taken to wrap the pots so that the plants would remain hydrated during the transit period. Only 3 sempervivum out of all the plants I ordered came in a semi-healthy condition. I have planted them and they have survived -- so far. All of the other plants have died. Needless to say, I will not order from this company again.

After reading about Bluestone perennials on Garden WatchDog, I signed up to be on their e-mail list. This past month I received a e-mail stating 50% off of selected perennials. I placed a considerable order and it came to my house on time, and in supurb condition. I would definately order again from them.

On the evening of 4/29/06, I ordered a 3-pack of Russian Sage, 3 Blue Oat Grasses, and 3 Red Switch Grasses. After two weeks, I emailed Bluestone for the status of my order and they quickly replied that the order was on the way. What they *didn't* say was that the Blue Oat Grass was on backorder and would be sent in the fall. The plants arrived three weeks after the order date in good condition. The plants were packaged with peanuts with little soil loss. The Russian Sage plants were very small and the switch grasses were a good size. Everything has been doing well since planting. I'm pleased with the plants but the 3-week delivery was longer than I expected. If my backordered Blue Oat Grasses look good this fall, I'll certainly consider ordering grasses from Bluestone again.

I was kind of leary to place my order after tiny sticks I got from them few years ago, but could not resist the half price sale. To my surprise, the plants were much better and only 2 that little dried out, most of them still moist despite almost 100deg. when they shipped them. They missed to ship one collection and couple plants were broken, but a phone call to customer service solved the problem. They already mailed out the replacement and missing one. I'll order again from them.

I've ordered a lot of plants from a lot of different places over the years, from the collector-type West Coast nurseries to mass sources, but I shopped Bluestone for the first time a few weeks ago when they were running a clearance sale. I bought quite a few clematis and a few 3-packs of perennials. The clematis were great for the price--nice roots that filled the (very small) pots, nice tops, each plant packed and secured into an individual sleeve. All save one were nice and moist, and none looked battered. The perennials weren't quite as carefully packed, but no major harm done. Again, they looked fresh and moist considering their trip. I wouldn't want to pay much more than I did considering the size of the plants, but overall, I was very pleased.

Plants took longer to be shipped out than I anticipated. They arrived on a Monday, so they spent the weekend at UPS in our hot zone 9. Some plants were wilted, but root system seems okay. Others were about two inches tall. For the price, I could have bought somewhere else and gotten bigger plants. As long as they survive and thrive, I won't be disappointed. Not thrilled either.

Bluestone's Shade Garden arrived in early May in great condition, but with plants smaller than I expected. Our Stowe, Vermont garden was very soggy from the wettest spring weather in recent memory, but the 54 transplants thrived and they continue to do nicely. While Bluestone Perennials plants are not the cheapest you can find, they got to my destination in excellent condition and did well when planted. So, what more could you ask for...?

Ordered twice from them this year, and was so happy with quality and quantity of plants. Also like their styrofoam peanut recycling program. Will be my one and only mail order source from now on!

I ordered from Bluestone twice this year and was very pleased. I ordered some hostas, ornamental grass, daisies & silver mound. The plants arrived healthy, and the hostas were exceptionally large. Everything is growing really well. The discount coupons they included with my order were a plus.

I will definitely order from them again.

This was the first order I have placed with Bluestone Perennials, it arrived timely and in perfect condition.
I don't normally purchase plants through the mail because my past experience has not been good.

I spent several weeks pondering to buy or not to buy,
I placed an order on Memorial weekend, and I got an addition surprise when just about everything was 1/2 off!

I placed my order thinking since this was first come - first served I would be lucky to get the plants I wanted. To my surprise I got everything!

The plants arrived and I was taken back by what was in the box, first the 'peanuts' I thought to myself, these plants must have gotten pretty beat up in the shipping....I started to remove the packing and the leafs from the plants started to show. The plants were in excellent condition, a small amount of soil was missing off 2, they were moist, upright and in good health with a good root system.

The order arrived on Wednesday 6/7 and since I am no longer able to plant (due to MS) I called my yard guys and they came by this AM and put the plants in. The root system were well developed, there wasn't any musty smell to them, they all appeared very healthy.

Of course we in the NE are building Arks, since we've had
over 17+" of rain since May 1st....they got planted into wet soil. I'll be watching them as they progress.

As of now, I am 100% satisfied, frankly, the plants was very good first year stock and a price that was less than I expected.

Great plants, great price, great order processing! What more can a gardner ask for?

I ordered 8 items during the Spring plant sale and received very healthy plants. They weren't the largest plants I'd ever gotten mail-order, but the root systems on all were very developed and the prices couldn't be beat. Everything is in the garden and has taken off nicely. I would happily order from the company again!

I placed an order back in April if I recall correctly, and was dissatisfied because the box was FILLED with those styrofoam things. I was surprised because I ordered from big dipper last year (a different mail order company completely on the top 30 list) and their plants were SO well packaged. I was irritated because I have 2 babies who were loving to try and eat all the styrofoam pouring out of the box, so I was frantically trying to get my plants out of their suffocating box and frantically trying to keep my kids from eating and breaking the styrofoam all over the floor, and then only to discover very small and wilted plants, some darn near dead. I sent several emails and was not responded to for awhile which irritated me even more. After sending an annoyed email I eventually got an email asking which plants were damaged and then several days later got an email with a shipping notice. The second package was stuffed full with newspaper and it was difficult to get all the paper off the plants. Each time it took me at least 30 minutes to unpack the box because the styrofoam and the paper was all on the plant and I didn't want to rip them. These were in better shape but still somewhat wilted and small. I am a little confused why this is a company listed in the top 30 because I can get larger and cheaper plants at my local nusery (which I have been now that it is warm). The reason why I am giving this company neutral instead of negative is only because they did reship using a different (although not so sure better) medium to stuff the box. Although I do think an apology, bigger plants and quicker responses would have been nice.

I ordered some plants during their spring 1/2 off sale, and I was preparing for the plants to be in less than optimal shape. When I received my order, however, I was very, very pleased. The plants were very healthy and nice-looking. All the plants were a good size, and some were large, mature plants. The packing was very good also, and I only lost maybe a stem or two from some very delicate columbine. The digitalis I ordered looked quite sad and had dried up in transit, but after a good soaking and a night in the greenhouse, they bounced right back, obviously healthy and vigorous plants.

The spring sale is an incredible value, but I would also order at full price. Bluestone does a great job.

I placed 10 orders this season from Bluestone Perennials and have dealt with them a lot in the past. I love their huge selection and prices. Many of my orders were those they had on half price special (I have a hard time resisting a good plant sale). The size of their plants is small; however, they can't be beat for the price and plants do grow. I can obtain some plants at a local nursery that are larger; however, the price is probably double or triple so for the money Bluestone is fantastic. Sometimes the quality of their plants is mixed but I feel that I've gotten good value for my money. They have a huge selection and good web site.

I ordered a large amount of plants this spring and everything came to me in good condition except for some Japanese Ferns. I let them know and they promptly sent me a replacement. I also go a letter stating that if I sent back the box and peanuts that the plants came in, I could get free postage for the next order. They told me it ran between $3.75 and $6 for shipping. When I took it to the post office it was like $12 for shipping so of course I did not send it back. The post office said it was because of a surcharge. I let Bluestone know and they sent me some vouchers that I could use to pay for postage on my next 2 shipments. I thought that was super good customer service.

It is sick how fast their shipping is. I have ordered 3 times from them, and the shipping has been light speed. My first order, I purchased several hostas. The arrived small, but 2 months later, they all look great!!!

Highly recommend!

I love this company! I first heard about Bluestone 3 years ago when I discovered Dave's Garden. I have ordered +$200 of plants every year for three seasons and everything is doing so well. It is true that I was disappointed when I saw my first shipment - the plants are really small. In particular I ordered a Buddelia and a Zebra Grass that just looked like twigs. The first year I got over 1 foot of growth, 3-4 feet the 2nd year and this year they are already reaching their full height and spread. I have even been able to divide my Zebra Grass already. This year I ordered a bunch of plants for my newly created rock garden. So far, so good - the plants are just starting to take hold but many have blooms on them already. I highly recommend this company. Any "failure to thrive" complaints have been addressed with prompt replacements.

I am extremely impressed with this company, especially with the informational materials that accompanied my order, the fact that the price was amazing, and that they had a plant that is very hard to find. I look forward to ordering again and highly recommend them for great service. Madison, Virginia :-)

I have ordered twice in the past from Bluestone. Once was their 50% off sale in the end of summer. The Carex 'Evergold' was nicely packed and I planted it immediately. This year it has grown and flowered early. I purchased 2 types of columbines from them this year and even though they were single divisions, I managed to plant them as well. All 6 plants are surviving and setting down roots. I expect to see flowers on them next year since they were just planted. I definitely would order from Bluestone again.

First, I put in my order 13/May, and finally on 22/May I send a email asked them where are the plants. And the email me back said the send out that day. I got my order 24/May. Which was 11 days after I put in orders. then it came with three of plants dead. The some plants are unbelievably tiny. I almost can't believe what I saw since I did order from them last year and was perfectly happy with what I got. And customer service. I do not really have luck with them too. I send out at least 3 emails complaints about the order and so far (Jun 1st ) got absolutely no reply. Very disappointed. Never buy from them again

I ordered $400 of plants this year from Bluestone because of positive ratings.

Customer service is great--friendly, responsive people. However, plant quality is mixed. Even within the same type of plant, some plants were large and doing well and some small and still struggling after 6 weeks. Compared to the same plants in the same size containers at Lowes, Bluestone's are much smaller.

Most plants were pruned back to fit in shipping box. Some were pruned back so much that there were nothing but stems. Bluestone promptly refunded these plants with no question.

The company notified me by email and phone that some of my plants were not available due to crop failure. The company offered to send the plants in the fall or give me a refund.

Like other reviewers, my shrubs look like a twig stuck in dirt.

All in all, I do like the selection of plants at Bluestone. However, if I can find the same plants from another source, I'll try the new source before ordering from Bluestone again.

Iordered from Bluestone in 2005 and was very pleased with the quality of the plants. This year I placed a fairly sizeable order again and was absolutely shocked at the poor quality of the plants. The difference from last year to this was extreme. Almost half of the plants incurred significant damage during shipping; a couple were extremely leggy and overgrown. My husband looked at the order and said "You paid good money for that?" I called customer service and the woman I talked to was extremely helpful and responsive. Bluestone shipped replacements for the damaged plants right away, and the second shipment was fine. The plants are small but have healthy root systems, and actually the smaller plants are easier to establish here in the midwest. Plant descriptions are very detailed and helpful and their selection is wonderful. I will order from them again

I would like to say that I am very pleased with my perennials and shrubs from this company. The packaging was excellent and everything seems to be doing very well. I will order from this company in the near future.

Based on it being Watchdog 30, I tried an order.

The plants arrived safe and sound. Suprisingly large for the price. Most of the plants were in 3 pack cells, but the foliage was well grown and healthy - good root systems.

Packing was great. No plants were disturbed. One minor note.. the box was labeled Live Plants. Many times, mail order boxes are discretely labeled. My UPS delivery dude put this one in the garage, which was unusual.

I ordered another batch based on their clearance sale this week. I can only assume those plants will be even bigger and healthier.

Along with Paradise Gardens, this is my new favorite retailer.

Last year was the first year I have ordered by mail. This company gave me the very best service. Plants were packaged well and labeled clearly. All of the plants I received are doing very well. This is the company I'm going to stick with.

This is a really terrific nursery for getting a lot of bang for your buck. I have ordered from them quite a few times over the past two years and their customer service is sterling! I had one delivery problem last year and they resolved it and got back to me within two hours at one of their busiest times of year. I had another order this year that contained the wrong kind of hostas and they not only refunded the price difference but also sent the ones originally ordered at no charge. Their small pot plants really are often quite small but I have generally had very good luck with everything they have shipped. My most recent order, which arrived last week, did contain some punier than usual plants but I am also aware that it is very close to the end of planting season for many of us and things are starting to get pretty picked over.

Received my order on Thursday and am not too pleased. The tiarella, bergenia and kalmia are all excellent but the asperula looks almost dead. Also, I had ordered 3 maszus reptans and a hosta. These were not shipped, but backordered until late August. I don't feel that companies should charge your credit card for backordered items unless they contact you to see if this is acceptable. I really do not want these items in August and am planning to contact them. At this point I don't think I will order from them again.

WOW, I am impressed. I ordered 6 lilac bushes and 6 hardy geraniums. All were well packaged and in great shape. I would definitely order from them again. Wish they would carry some of the more unusual campanulas, such as latifolia or trachelium, maybe next year?

Late last fall (November) I placed an order for about 215 dollars for scabiosa, campanula, dianthus,delphiniums, and angels breath. I received the first part of my order within a week, the second part the following week, and the delphinums this spring due to the fact that they were out of them that late in the seasom. They did notify me of the late arrival of the delphinums at this time of delivery of the first box. All plants came extremely well packed. After planting and wintering over as directed many of the plants didn't make it through the winter. Two days after contacting the company they emailed me stating they would ship replacement plants. About a week later the plants arrived in great shape and well packed. I love this company, their plants and customer service. I have recommended them to several gardeners where I work. I look forward to ordering from them in the very near future. The delphniums have already arrived and are in the ground. Great company!

I have ordered from Bluestone for two years. I am new to flower gardening and was disappointed at first with my order. The plants were very small. But, good things come in small packages. At my second order I knew to expect small plants when they came. This year, all of the those little plants I ordered are big, bright, and beautiful. They also have a "peanuts" recycling program. When I send back the packing "peanuts" they send me a coupon. I am satisfied with Bluestone and will place future orders with them.

Hey! I just received my plants and they are AWESOME! Not too small or too big...JUST RIGHT (ok, that sounded like the Goldilocks and the 3 bears story).....but it's true! *giggle*
Thanks so much Bluestone! :0)

I have ordered several times from this company and have found them to be very reasonable and excellent quality. Young healthy stock! Great Savings. Carefully packaged. All of my plants have done very well and received at the proper planting time for my area. No complaints here. :)

Fantastic plants,excellent choices,exciting catalaogue.I ordered most of my plants from here and White Flower Farm switching from Wayside.The plants I received caame in good shape and aredoing well.I rate them second only to Klehms Song Sparrow.

I have ordered many times from this company and I have always been satisfied with their plants. I have not had a plant die yet and they all have grown into large, healthy plants. I would defintely reccomend this company. My plants have always been packaged well and were healthy when arrived.