Comments regarding Wayside Gardens

I ordered 3 "Becky" shasta daisies. The shipping was very slow, but the plants arrived in good condition. The size of the plants was a little small, but they were healthy, moist, and well packaged (one was a little yellow on the bottom, but not anything serious that couldn't be corrected with proper planting and care). They have their first blooms after about 4 weeks in the ground and are thriving. I would have to agree that the cost of the plants was too high for what I received. Would I use them again? I probably would for plants that are hard to find elsewhere.

order number 5210692

on april 1 i ordered 5 rose bushes and a black gamecock iris a calla lilly and a primula black lace , 3 of the rose bushes came climbing moonlight and 2 carefree marvel .they were the most pathetic rose bushes ive ever seen , the climber only had 1 cane , the shrubs had 3 and 2 canes respectively the one with 3 had a broken one so really it had 2. luckily i got those in time to cancel the other 2 that i ordered , i have yet to recive a refund which i was told would take a month . we will see if i get that. when i called to complain i was issued a replacement for the moonlight , which will be as crappy im sure. then i asked about where the other items were i was ld "they were being inspected " by the blind inspectors that sent me a 15 dollar stick they call dormant. my other stuff just got shipped aside from the black lace which is back orderd . my mom also ordered from them and hers was about 50-50 , there are still items backordered on hers. all the plants that were ok were way over priced , we saw way better stuff at walmart for 1/3 the price ,i will be tossing or using their catolog in my birdcage from now on !

Wayside: You need to update your zone range for Ilex "Sky Pencil." This particular ilex does NOT survive Zone 5 winters. I ordered a Sky Pencil from you about 2 years ago (planted in the spring); I wasn't too thrilled with the size of the plant (too small for the price), but it was a beautiful little specimen. After 2 successive cold winters (with adequate snowfall), the little leaves are now gray and freeze-dried, with the main stem and branches showing no signs of life. In researching this particular ilex on other Web sites, they all indicate a minimum of Zone 6. Please do the same.

P.S. Jay Johnson: You've got to have one of the most thankless jobs in the USA. My condolences.

Last April we ordered two items from Parks Seeds and three from Wayside. One item from Wayside grew and thrived. Although they were planted according to directions within an hour of their arrival, the clematis and climbing rose did not grow. Orders 4640403, 4767997, and 4640342.

I have e-mailed and called to receive replacements, but have been told that the warrantee is expired since I did not call last summer. I guess I was wrong to wait until appropriate shipping time. I have read the warantee in your catalogs and online; I see no mention of this caveat.

I am very disappointed. I have been ordering--especially from Wayside--for many years with no difficulty. I do not believe that I have ever asked for a replacement. I have had items fail, but they have always grown first. You may remove my name from your mailing list.

Jan Taylor
711 W. Glass Ave.
Spokane, WA 99205

BORDERLINE BAIT AND SWITCH. INCOMPLETE ORDER FROM LAST SUMMER WITH REMAINING CREDIT ACKNOWLEDGED BY WAYSIDE BUT NOT HONORED.

I had an incomplete order with Wayside Gardens from last summer with a balance of $45.40. Feb 23 2008 I contacted Wayside Gardens by email and received the follow response indicating I had a balance:
________________________________________
Dear Mark,

Wayside Order XXXXX81

Thank you so much for contacting us here at Wayside! We value our customers’ comments and questions very highly, and we appreciate hearing from you.

In viewing your order the Miscanthus #44065 was shipped 6/18/07. The Pennisetum #43484, Ursula's Fern #0908 and the Phlox #43543 was shipped 5/23/07. The Ceratostigma #43489 was cancelled and the Ceratostigma #43568 was not available. Your were given a merchandise credit of $45.40 credit #8084186 to use on a future order. You also have an in house credit of $19.50. To redeem your credit, please call our Customer Contact department and place your order by phone. Ordering on-line will not redeem in-house credits.

Again, thank you for writing to us. If you have any further questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us (number and address listed below). And thanks for gardening with Wayside!

Barbara
Wayside Gardens Customer Contact Team
1 Garden Lane
Hodges, South Carolina 29695
Telephone: 800-845-1124
Fax: 800-817-1124
//www.waysidecs.com
email: info@waysidecs.com
___________________________________________

The email clearly shows I have a credit due.

I recently tried to place an order with Wayside. They did not seem concerned when I called that I had a credit pending. They took my complete order and then told me I was mistaken, I had no credit due .... said another way, I did not have a refund or credit available with Wayside.....but they would be glad to take a credit card number to complete my order.

The above smacks of bait and switch.

I escalated my complaint to the highest level and was finally told I would have to approach my credit card company for the remaining balance. It's obviously way to late for that.

Wayside Gardens is a company to avoid.

I will be contacting my state attorney general about the above.

"

I have located your order and I am in the process of reviewing your information. I would like you to know that I will be contacting you via e-mail shortly. We will make every effort to resolve this issue.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

Some of you negative folks just don't get it! Wayside sells GOOD products. It is up to YOU to follow the directions.

I have been a Wayside customer for over 15 years; 3 here in Mississippi and previously in Southwest Florida (which can be an interesting growing experience, to say the least). My shipments have always been as advertised, arriving when the time for planting had arrived. My biggest success has been with a yellow rose that climbs my trees. You should see these beautiful roses, trailing through the limbs. A definite attention getter. I have ordered bulbs, trees, bushes and had every success with every one.

Let me clarify - I am not your typical gardner. I put it in the ground as directed, water and feed as directed, then leave the rest to God. Apparently He also approves of Wayside, knowing I really don't have much of a clue about gardening. Don't know Ph from pebbles, but stuff blooms, grows and gives me a lot of joy.

So, it must be Waysides products 'cause it sure isn't me.

Sweet Tea served on my porch every afternoon about 3:00. Ya all come on down.

"

We appreciate you taking the time to let us know how pleased your are with your Wayside Gardens products. Thank you! Your opinion is valued and we, of course, welcome feedback. It's customers like you who act as a reminder of why we do what we do and the importance of supplying only top quality products and offering the best service possible. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Happy Gardening!
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

I've ordered from this company many times over the years but this past year's experience has taught me that there are better options. I FINALLY received the last 2 plants in February 2008 from an order placed in early fall 2007. Problems noted: advertised shipment size (eg. 4") means nothing. I've received 2" pots that were supposed to be 4". Substitutions will be made without any notification. I order specific plants for a specific reason, and to get very expensive replacement plants that I can buy locally for 1/2 the price isn't a good option. This happened with 3 different plants in my last order. Example: A Japanese maple variety (newly introduced) was substituted with a variety I already have and can get locally. POSITIVES: Immediate refund of the price of plants if you complain...but I'm still stuck with varieties I have no use for. The bottom line is that now I toss away the frequent catalogs knowing that I'll only be frustrated. Those special new varieties will show up locally soon anyway.

I have ordered various plants over the last 5 years or so and have never had any problem with anything from this company. All plants were nicely packed and arrived in good condition and in good health.

"

We appreciate you taking the time to let us know how pleased your are with your Wayside Gardens products. Thank you! Your opinion is valued and we, of course, welcome feedback. It's customers like you who act as a reminder of why we do what we do and the importance of supplying only top quality products and offering the best service possible. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Happy Gardening!
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]


"

I have ordered twice from this company -- but will not again. The quality has been terrible. First order 3 echinaceas, 1 was dead on arrival -- not "dormant" as they tried to argue. I then tried again this past summer and ordered 2 daylilies. They were the worst quality daylily fans I had received from any company. These were daylily fans by name only -- they were as small as you could get and still call it a daylily root -- 1 survived the winter and has 1 very tiny grow point. The other died just this week. Both were planted in very good soil. That is the last for me for Wayside or Parks when it comes to live plants. I hope they read these reviews and see what a terrible job their company is doing in terms of quality. Can you imagine the economic loss they are suffering.?

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

I bought a Astrantia Roma for $9.95. The picture on the website was very pretty. I knew i was being sent a bareroot but when it came in the mail and i opened the rather large box it was sent in i was suprised at what i saw. It is about 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch yellow looking straw. I hope that when i plant this something will grow. What a dissapointment. I did contact them and they told me that if it didn't grow to call them and they would replace it. My thought was i was getting alittle more for the money i spent and i'm not thrilled with having to plant twice.

My December 3, 2007 order (order number 4968684) and my other order (order number 5040363) total over $150. I am zone 6, which Wayside's Web site indicates they begin shipping for on March 17.After 11 days, my orders have not arrived, and each time I call for my order status I am given different explanations for the delay.

The first time I called Wayside, around March 20, I was told that each of my orders were ready with the exception of one plant. I was told that as soon as the back order plants came in, these orders would be sent out, and that should happen within a few days.

The second time I called, around March 25, I was told that each of my orders were ready, except for one plant from each order, BUT it was NOT the same plants that were supposedly missing the first time I called. When I questioned this, I was told that the order 4968684 would be sent out Friday (today) and the back ordered plant would be sent out seperately when it came in. Also, I was told my other order 5040363 was going to be shipped out around April 2, due to the back ordered plant.

I checked my order status today(Friday 3/28) and it shows not ready yet, so I called again. This time I was told my order was not sent yet, because they ship to zone 6 toward the last week in March. Their Website says zone 6 begins on March 17. So, now I have no clue as to the REAL reason my order is held up, the estimate of when they will be sent, or why the available plants cannot be sent now.

All plants I ordered from other companies have already arrived.

Needless to say, I am very disappointed not only in the shipment of my orders, but also in the differing explanations from the representatives I spoke with.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

I dealt with Park Seed and was disappointed with seed germination and plant quality. Less than a third of the different seeds produced any seedlings and the plants shipped, not well or timely, are seedlings, not plants. Their catalog prices are O.K. but the size of the seedlings shipped are much smaller than anything that you would see at a nursery for the same price. They pack with styrofoam peanuts that damage the tiny seedlings.
To be specific: Last spring I placed, what I consider a large order for seeds ($65.81). Of the entire order only $17.95 worth of seeds actually grew. I had a record of all the seeds and their locations on my garden plan so I know which ones did not germinate. I do admit some were listed in their sale section but I would not have ordered them had I known they were on sale because they were not expected to germinate.
The next order I placed was for three of the same kind of bush. Two were for gifts and the other for myself. All of them arrived in terrible condition and quite small. They told me that they would give a credit on my next order. It was too late for spring by the time I got them, so I ordered plants for the fall. Three of the four arrived late in the fall and the fourth did not arrive until this spring, although it was supposed to be planted in the fall. All of them were tiny, much smaller than I ever see at the local nursery at the same or lower price there. This last one arrived completely out of the pot and all dried out. I do not know if it will survive.
I keep receiving their beautiful new catalogs and I am tempted to order but I remember my past experience and others' customer service issues about these companies on this gardening forum.

Absolutely Negative!

I ordered a set of three special buddleia plants for my inlaws birthday presents. Okay, they were pricey, but these were ones I had not found elsewhere, specific choices of my inlaws. The timing of arrival needed to be particular as they were headed out of town for a couple weeks of traveling and thus unable to plant promptly. I indicated this to the rep who assured me all would be well. A little time went by, trip got close, no plants. I called. This person said they do not do specific shipping times. I repeated what I had been told by the other person and gave her name. It didn't matter. I was assured that they would send them ASAP. More time went by, inlaws were leaving for their trip next day. I called again. Yet another person, yet another excuse, this time a problem with one of the items being in stock. They were sold as a set of three -- how could one not be in stock?? I agreed to wait and see if the plants arrived by the time they returned. Well, it got to be late September and still NO plants, still no idea of when the last plant would be "available," still no offers of any other options, when I called the last time. My inlaws live in Michigan. The time for safe planting was PAST. I canceled the order and vowed never to use any of their companies again.

Buyer Beware BIG TIME!

Sad, really. I used to order from Parks about 16 years ago and had great results from their seeds. I am sorry to know they have gone down so far. They used to be a really good company!

Last March I ordered 5 different plants from Wayside. I recieved only 3. I was never notified that the others wouldn't be coming. In ordering again this spring to use my credit with them, another negative event occurred: a $2.00 charge was suddenly added to my shipping fee at the very end of the internet order. Registering that the credit was being used to pay for the whole order appeared to have initiated the extra charge.

I have been doing business with Wayside for the last 2 years. I bought a couple of tree-form wisterias. The shipped plants were only 2-feet tall, whereas the description in their catalog stated the trees had 4-feet tall trunks. I called Wayside to complain and the lady on the phone was very nice and offered me a very sizable partial refund.

I also ordered a climbing wisteria vine but the vine was baby size 2-inch tall rootings in a 4-in pot. Had I known they were that immature I would not have ordered. It would take them years to bloom.

I also just ordered 2 Bartzella peonies. I was hooked by the "very low" price of $40. There was no mention of the number of eyes the plants had. When they arrived I was shocked to see that they were 1-eye baby plants, but it was not entirely Wayside's fault. I should have paid attention to the "4-inch pot" size in the description. But I think Wayside should have been more explicit in stating these are 1-eye plants that may take years to bloom.

A Clematis I ordered last year was DOA and I called Wayside to report it after almost nine months after the plant arrived. The lady on the phone was very nice ordered a replacement plant for me free of charge.

I would have to say I am very happy with Wayside's customer service. The customer service ladies are top-notch. But I am not too happy with the immature size of many of the plants from Wayside. When you order, you have to really read the fine print. When the catalog description on Wayside states "4-inch pots" it always means you are buying baby-sized plants that will take years to bloom. If you take that into account, the plants are overpriced.

Overall, I rating of Wayside is between positive to neutral. I am being generous and give a positive rating for the good customer service I received despite the quality of the plants.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CALL AND DEMAND TO SPEAK TO BILL, HE IS MOST HELPFUL, HE ACTUALLY CARES ABOUT THE CUSTOMER, IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, HE MAKES IT RIGHT, YOU MAY HAVE TO CALL REPEATEDLY TO GET HIM, BUT HE IS THE ONLY PERSON THERE WHO HAS A CLUE WHAT IS GOING ON AND ACTUALLY HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I HAD SOME SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH AN ORDER AND LUCKILY GOT HIM ON THE PHONE AND HE FIXED EVERYTHING, THEY OVERNIGHTED ME MORE SEEDS AND A LITTLE BONZAI TREE AS A TOKEN OF APPRECIATION AS WELL AS SOME OUTBACK GIFT CERTIFICATES. (I WILL SAY MY ORDER WAS $400)

I wish I checked this web site but I didn’t know until I got rotten low quality bulbs.

I ordered 6 (x 15) Lily-of-the-valley bulbs. Each bag was supposed to contain 15 bulbs but many of them tangled so I could not separate them. One bag contained a half of rotten bulbs. So I contacted them and they send me another bag of bulbs. However, only 2 out of 15 were healthy, 1 was marginal, and the rest was rotten. As a result, I could only plant 3 out of supposedly 15.

The quality of their bulbs and the shipping method were very questionable. Therefore, I am asking them to get my money back. I paid for 90 bulbs and I got less than 40 healthy bulbs.
Very frustrated and unhappy!

Alas,

Had I only discovered this website before I ordered from Wayside Gardens. I placed an order with Wayside Gardens over a week ago and requested two-day shipping. I did not hear from the company, nor did I receive the promised confirmation e-mail. I called Wayside Gardens. I was told my order had been placed and would be shipped the following Monday. The following Monday (that's today), I checked the status of my order. It had not shipped. I called the company again. This time I was told that my order would ship at some indeterminate time in the future. How this indeterminate time matches up with a two-day shipping order (advertised on the website for an additional seven dollars over the original shipping fee) is beyond me. This information was also distinctly different from what I had been told the previous week. When I requested that the order be canceled, I was told that it would take thirty days for the money which had already been debited from my credit card to be credited back to me. Given the speed of electronic transfers, I fail to understand why Wayside Gardens can immediately withdraw that money from my account, but cannot return it with the same speed. When I requested a confirmation e-mail providing me with the exact date that I might hope to see this credit, I was told this was not possible. I asked to be transferred to the department in charge of carrying out this task. I was told this was not possible. I asked to speak to the representative's supervisor. She, alas, had gone on walkabout. I think I shall contact South Carolina's Better Business Bureau. Based on the comments I've seen here, Wayside Gardens appears to be all too comfortable with this method of doing business. Let me add that I have never before been billed by a company before an order is shipped. And I'm still waiting for the original confirmation e-mail.

I placed an order with Wayside in February of 2007. I received some of the plants over the course of several months but geraniums and a clematis never arrived. Of course I was charged for these plants over a year ago. Going through papers last week I realized I never received them and called Wayside. I was told that the geraniums were to ship this spring but there was a substitution for the clematis. I have told Wayside in the past I don't want substitutions. The rep told me she could cancel the substitution but since it was such a small amount I would be issued a Wayside credit. I'm sure if I bought an item for 12.99 they would have no problem charging my card so what is so difficult crediting my credit card. There is something wrong when a company has your money for over a year, doesn't send the plants, and then refuses to refund money when it can't deliver. I have had problems with Wayside's plants and service for the past 3 years but figured it was just me. If I would have known about this website I could have saved myself lots of money and frustration.

I seldom order from Wayside gardens anymore because they are overpriced, in my opinion, for the small seedlings that arrive. However, at times they have been the only source of a particular item and I find myself giving them another chance.

Of the many times that I have ordered from this company, I have only been completely satisfied once. Last fall, I had two separate orders. Four items were backordered. I know this only because they were marked so on the packing slip with the items that I received. This spring I called to find out when my back-ordered items would ship. Three of the four items were cancelled and a store credit issued with no notification to me.

I will not purchase another item until their customer service and plants improve. It really is too bad…they have some lovely plants advertised.

We are new to Garden Gate and davesgarden.com and delighted we found you. We feel we must inform other mail order customers of our bad experiences over the past 2 yrs doing business with Wayside Gardens. We have numerous experiences of waiting months for our orders. Many times the plants have arrived in smaller pots than advertised with no reduction in cost. Many plants are new growth and have been repotted loosely in larger pots to match the advertised pot size. The past 12mo have proven to be worse then the previous 12mo. We stayed with this nursery because they were advertised as a supplier on the Proven Winners website. Plants have arrived in sprout sizes at a high price. Some have been replaced but with similar seedlings, not plants. One order in particular was for 8 Veronica plants in 3in pots. Two arrived as sprouts and the company was notified for replacements. Two replacements arrived in about 2 wk and one was black and dead. When we called to report this, we were told, "we only replace a plant once". After arguing with the customer service rep, informing her we have spent thousands of dollars there and only now are reporting poor plants or problems, she agreed to replace the plant. This company will NOT refund your money. Your only options are replacement plants -and recently a Wayside supervisor, informed me the replacement for the "seedlings" would probably be the same size, so we could receive a store credit. We took the credit but have no intention of ordering any further plants from Wayside. Fortunately, thru Garden Gate Magazine, we have recently ordered and received from some of the top 5 mail order nurseries listed by Dave Whitinger. All of these nurseries shipped within two wks. Their plants were beautiful and mature as advertised, not sprouts like from Wayside Gardens. Wayside Gardens also offers 2 day Fed Ex for an additional shipping charge. Nine times out of ten, these orders have gone out Thurs eve, and since there is no Saturday delivery, plants have to sit in a warehouse over the weekend until delivery. When we called Wayside about this, they said we could request a day to ship, but although we requested Tues, orders continue to be shipped out Thurs evening. The add'l shipping charge has been a waste of money. Packing consists of messy foam peanuts from Wayside as compared to professionally structured shipping cartons from the other nurseries. We work hard in our hobby gardens, when not at work, and want to reep the gardening rewards from plants and bushes purchased. We look forward to successful gardening from our new website nurseries instead of fearing what might be shipped from Wayside. To other dissatisfied mail order Wayside customers........please try some of Dave's top mail order nursery picks. Good luck to all with your gardening. tkmkam

This company sells garbage and refuses to replace it or issue a refund. Beware of them. Apparently, Mr. Johnstone feels that it makes up for their horrible service to post some BOILERPLATE offer to help if he can ascertain your information. Seems like a token effort to me. Here you go, Mr. Johnstone, I am posting it for you to save you the trouble.

On Feb 14, 2008 9:15 AM, Wayside Gardens added:
I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]

I just received 3 Ivory Prince Helebores from Wayside Gardens. I ordered them in november, but they were worth waiting for. They are huge plants, and full of blooms. Since I have been using Watchdog I have been wary of this company. But I will order from them again and I hope I get the same service.

Last year I ordered several plants from this company - roses and ornamental grasses primarily but also a few perennials. It was an extremely difficult spring - a very warm March followed by a chillingly wintry April and floods in May and June. My plants arrived at a most inopportune time when the weather was unseasonably cold and I chose to delay planting them for almost a week. In spite of that and the incredibly terrible growing conditions, all but one of the plants not only lived but prospered. I see that all have made it through this winter, too, so far. I thought the plants exceeded in every way my expectations and I am pleased with my experience with this company.

Last December I was sitting at my computer and my husband asked what I was doing. I told him I was sending Wayside a list of the plants that I had purchased that arrived either dead or in poor condition and did not make it. I went on to say that I was a bit of a glutton for punishment because I keep ordering from them even though they often send poor quality plants, are over priced, ship orders a few plants at a time over a several month or even season period, and don't ship some plants at all with no explanation. He asked why I continue to order from them. I showed him their lovely catalog and said it makes them so enticing, but what really keeps me coming back is the fact that I could sit down at the end of the year and send them a list of the plants that did not perform and they would send me credit for future orders.
Well the next day my last reason for ordering from them was wiped out. They sent me the generic response that it was past the guarantee period, their horticulturist, six weeks, blah blah.
I responded that I was unaware of the policy change and gave explanations for some of the plants I had claimed. (2 bareroot trees that arrived bone dry and never even broke bud, and bareroot plants that where black mush, among them). I expressed how upset I was, being a customer who had twice been sent gift certificates for being in the top 1% of purchase volume, that I was sent a stock response and given no further consideration. I also said it was clear to me now why they had such a poor rating on this website. (Did I overreact? A little.)
Their next reply said they give the same consideration to all their customers, regardless of how much business they have done with the company. (lucky us!!!) It also said that part of my problem is that many of the plants I order are only zone 5 hardy and that I am in zone 4. Well, that was news to me! All these years myself and every other company I order from thought I was in zone 5. Most of my plants are apparently very confused too, I have thousands of zone 5 plants that are very happy in my garden, many of them from Wayside. My response said as much, and I forwarded all the emails to Jay Johnson. His response was more of the same.
Now don't get me wrong, they have the right to have any guarantee they want, but neither online nor in the catalog does it say anything about 6 weeks. It also might have been helpful for them to warn their loyal customers about the policy change, giving us a heads up. There are many companies that have similar guarantees but the difference is that they send better quality in a timely manner. I have no problem with contacting a company quickly if something is wrong when I receive an order on time and in full. I don't have the time or patience to contact a company dozens of times a year because they send your plants out over months and months and their quality is not consistent.
So to wrap up this long tale, my last email requested an accounting of all the plants I never received, and if , when and in what form I was credited for them, including shipping. I never received a written response, just a company credit 3 weeks later in the mail for $142. I really just wanted a written accounting so I could request a refund. I've never heard of a company that gives store credit for something they never sent, much less one that keeps your money for months, with no explanation.
At this point I don't even care anymore, I just placed an order to use up the credit and that will be the end of my relationship with them. It really saddens me that the Remax real estate group that bought Wayside and Parks a few years ago bought out Jackson & Perkins last spring and moved it to their site in NC. I have done a lot of business with them as well. I should have known something was up when J&P started calling me last summer soliciting orders. They had never done that before. In fact, the new J&P catalog has exactly the same plants as Wayside, it just has more roses and gardening supplies in it.

I have placed two orders to Wayside Gardens--one this past spring and one in August for fall shipping. I was both pleased and frustrated by the spring shipment. It arrived much later than it should have for my zone 7 garden. The plants were small and had little time to get established before the heat and drought took over. Also, the receipt said they had shipped my mandevilla vine, but they had not. I had to call the company to get it shipped. I paid for express, 2 day shipping, but both orders were shipped by the company on Thursday (and Fed-Ex does not deliver on Saturday) so my plants sat in the box for a week anyway. The mandevilla vine grew well despite arriving late, so I decided to give the company another try. I ordered 3 clematis and 2 apple trees in August for fall shipping. The clematis arrived in October, but my apple trees were not in the order. I had to call the company to see when they would arrive. They told me late October. When they hadn't arrived by Halloween, I again called the company and they said they were coming in November. At the end of November I again called the company and was told they could not ship them this late and would have to send them in the spring. I had bought the trees in the fall so they could get established (it gets hot here fast!). I had to cancel my order. It took 4 more phone calls to get my money credited for the order. Very dissappointing as they have a beautiful catalog!

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I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

I placed catalog orders of over $300 with each of 2 companies last year. One experience was delightful, the other - from Wayside Gardens- was not.

I requested that the order be sent in late March or early April, but was told that if they shipped earlier than their normal date to my Zone 5b location it would invalidate their guarantee. Not wanting to do that, I requested shipment anytime after 4/17/07 (due to being away during the school's spring break the week before).

Unfortunately, the first shipment didn't arrive until 5/14 (shipped 5/8 according to customer service), with a second box arriving on 5/15 (also shipped 5/8). A third box (shipped later) was received on 6/04.

When I opened the boxes I was greeted by a sad sight. Many of the bareroot items had grown significantly while wrapped and in the dark. A couple were moldy and quite dead.

I called about the dead items and was sent replacements (shipped 6/1, received 6/6). Unfortunately, the replacements were equally dead, so I gave up and canceled the remaining items that were still back-ordered.

This would have been a much better experience, I believe, if the company had agreed to ship the items earlier, before the weather got really warm. It would probably have been a good experience even if they just shipped them to arrive soon after the initial date they agreed to. But mid-May (and certainly early June) is too late for shipping bareroot plants to areas like Massachusetts, particularly when the boxes will spend 6 days or more in transit.

I am encouraged to see that Wayside's catalog this year lists more plants as shipping in pots than before. I may give them one more try this spring, but the bulk of my order will certainly go to other companies.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]

I am concerned that I have not yet resolved the issue at hand and would like an opportunity to do so; however, I have not yet received a reply from you concerning this matter. Please contact us at your earliest convenience. Customer satisfaction is very important to us.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

Worst customer service I have experienced from any online nursery. I ordered an olive tree as a gift for my mother-in-law. I used a coupon where I received a free knockout rose bush if I spent $25 or more. The olive tree was fine (a little small) but the rose bush was in bad shape. My mother-in-law called to see about a replacement for the rose bush. They basically told her that it was "free" and she shouldn't worry about it. I called and received the same response. My total bill was $41, so there was nothing "free" about the rose bush. Apparently, their online guarantee means nothing. I repeatedly asked to speak with the manager but was never allowed. Finally, they agreed to send another plant. If they do not want to honor their coupons, then they should not offer them. Bad experience, will not use them again.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]

I am concerned that I have not yet resolved the issue at hand and would like an opportunity to do so; however, I have not yet received a reply from you concerning this matter. Please contact us at your earliest convenience. Customer satisfaction is very important to us.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

I have the luxuary of living an hour away from Wayside and several times have visited and purchased directly at their facility. This does give one an edge over purchasing on the internet/mail order. My experience thus far has been very positive. All the perennials I have purchased have grown beautifully and their bulbs (specifically Emperor tulips) they gave to me FOC due to a large purchase I had made have done awesome! They are the largest blooming tulips I have ever grown.

"

We appreciate you taking the time to let us know how pleased your are with your items purchased in the Garden Center. Thank you! Your opinion is valued and we, of course, welcome feedback. It's customers like you who act as a reminder of why we do what we do and the importance of supplying only top quality products and offering the best service possible. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Happy Gardening!
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

I placed a large order with Wayside Gardens on November 21st. On Nov, 26th, I contacted WG both by telephone and e-mail cancelling the order and requesting that the order not be shipped until I could resolve an issue with my neighbor. I was told my order was already in the Warehouse and shipment could not be stopped. However, both contacts instructed me to refuse delivery when the order arrived, send it back, and once notified by the Warehouse of its return, a credit adjustment would be made. I followed this procedure and refused delivery.
When no credit adjustment had been made by Dec. 22nd, I called WG and sent e-mails to my previous contact, Sam, in the WG Customer Contact Team (info@waysidecs.com) and to Jay Johnson (JJohnson@parkseed.com) whom I learned about in these Watchdog comments! Within days, both gentlemen responded to my e-mail, saying they had tracked my order, found it had been returned, and had authorized a credit adjustment which should appear on my statement by next month. So far, so good! (I'll revise this comment if there is any other problem.)
I also wish to add that my one previous experience with WG was entirely positive. I ordered 3 hostas late in the season, so I expected bareroot plants. The hostas arrived promptly (each still with several leaves), and I was very impressed with how carefully they had been packed and shipped. Detailed planting instructions also accompanied them. Of course, I will not know until next Spring how the hostas have survived the winter in a colder climate, but they did arrive healthy and in good shape.

"

We appreciate you taking the time to let us know how pleased your are with your past orders and our customer service. Thank you! Your opinion is valued and we, of course, welcome feedback. It's customers like you who act as a reminder of why we do what we do and the importance of supplying only top quality products and offering the best service possible. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Happy Gardening!
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]

I have located your order and I am in the process of reviewing your information. I would like you to know that I will be contacting you via e-mail shortly. We will make every effort to resolve this issue.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

For many years I ordered from both Park's and Wayside gardens. I stopped ordering from them about 8 years ago because of the poor quality of the plants they would send. So many times customer service would say to scratch the stem to see if it showed green. Often it did show green but died anyway. I can honestly say that I have not even ONE plant from them that survived. ( I have MANY from other companies- I am not a novice gardener). I am writing after all these years because it upsets me that they continue to ( I believe) purchase space on lists of resources in many garden publications. I have, indeed, even gone to their garden center in Greenwood, SC and the plants are somewhat better there. But, in my opinion, their mail order plants are just not worth the time to order. There are many mail order nurseries with better reputations and ratings, that's who I order from now...with happier results and no more wasted seasons due to poor quality plants.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

We ordered several times from Wayside over the past year. Orders are very slow to arrive and when they do arrive they are partially back ordered. They will promptly take your money but they take months getting you your plants, and the plants that they do send are of very poor quality. We have decided never to do business with them again.

"

I have located your order and I am in the process of reviewing your information. I would like you to know that I will be contacting you via e-mail shortly. We will make every effort to resolve this issue.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

DO NOT BUY FROM WAYSIDE GARDENS!!
I wish I could go lower than just negative with Wayside. I have ordered many things from them over many years (not knowing that other plant companies existed) - each time getting quality that ranged from beautiful to dead, to completely non-existent. I have received containers with no plant in them...just dirt - When I called to complain, they said I had to wait for it to grow - Sorry, but I ordered a plant, not an unsprouted seed - and NO, they never did sprout. Others were so small, I was floored that they would call that a plant. Many of the other items I purchased arrived in such bad condition that I had to nurse it to health before I even considered planting. On those that died, I ordered a replacement...they arrived in the same horrid condition. Dry root = dead root, they do not know how to maintian them.
I do not think they have any trained gardeners working at their facility, just a bunch of un-trained, underpaid migrant workers.
DO NOT BUY FROM WAYSIDE GARDENS!!!

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

I've been ordering from Wayside Gardens for 25+ years and have always been very happy with the plants they've sent. Oh, there have been a few occasions where something arrived in a dead or dying state but Wayside has always immediately rectified the situation with an immediate refund or replacement. There is always the chance of something in an order not meeting expectations but that can happen with any mail order business. I have found the quality of their efforts and merchandise to have been very consistent from the time I first started ordering right to the present. They don't offer the run-of-the-mill stock that other catalogs offer and if a plant arrives that I feel is small in size it's because it's an unusual or hard-to-find specimen that would cost much, much more if it were in a more mature stage. I have always been more than happy with Parks Seeds too.

We ordered a number of bulbs and 3 My Monet Weigelas this past spring. Of the bulbs, only 3 came up(and yes, they were planted according to the directions-which were not very good). The My Monet were so long in coming and so pitiful in their tiny pots I wasn't sure if they would survive and they didn't inspite of careful tending and watering. I'll never order by mail again. I want to see what I am buying first

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]


"

My biggest gripe with Wayside is that I bought a Paris polyphylia the first year they offered it...for $19.95. I planted the very poor specimen they sent (and very late in the spring at that!), and never saw it again. The next spring it didn't reappear, so I asked for a replacement. They said to wait for it to appear...it never did! And when I asked again that fall for a replacement, they said it was too late following my order! (And besides...that year they'd reduced the price to $12.95) (Now for 2008 they offer it again at $19.95...no way!!!!) 20-bucks right down a rat hole!!! And I still don't have that interesting plant! Wayside-Parks is a gonner for me!!! My mother loved Wayside 40-50 years ago, and I've saved one of her then-gorgeous catalogs for all these years. They have become quite another company, since then! No more orders from me to Wayside-Parks or any company they may become affiliated with in the future!!!

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

Wayside has a lovely catalog filled with all sorts of varieties to drool over. Unfortunately nearly everything that I’ve been drawn to in their catalog I either found for substantially less elsewhere for the same size or larger plant or it is an exclusive in which case the prices are bumped far too high for me to consider paying especially when the quality of what I would receive is uncertain.

Despite that there are some exceptions in their pricing and sometimes they have sales that bring their plants down to a reasonable price. While the quality of most of the plants I’ve received from them was nothing to rave about, many of them were not bad either.

I have some lovely painted ferns that I purchased from them a couple of years ago that took a while to get going but are quite lovely and are still doing very well. The columnar apple they sent last year arrived in great condition and continues to thrive. The Ebb Tide rose, though not vigorous and initially blooming with a completely different flower type, sorted itself out later on.

On the more questionable side, of the three clematises I ordered one was no longer available, the second arrived dead and the third, while alive, wasn’t all that much bigger than my finger and has spent two years doing very little of anything at all unlike the clematises that I’ve purchased locally. The tiger canna (a plant that I’ve had a lot of success with from other sources) that came with the order promptly rotted without breaking dormancy.

Their customer service was very helpful and did promptly refund the cost of the dead clematis without hesitation so overall my experiences with this nursery hasn’t been negative. It’s just that there are a lot of other nurseries out there that offer consistently fabulous quality of plants at very reasonable prices and that just hasn’t been my personal experience with Wayside.

I first ordered from them this year, The beautiful "Heirloom" rose I ordered never stopped blooming all summer and well into fall.I also ordered a beautiful "Alexandria" clematis which was wonderful.These plants are the healthiest of all so far, I plan on ordering more this year.

"

I am happy to hear that you enjoyed your 'Heirloom' rose and 'Alexandria' Clematis so much! I hope that they continue to do well in your garden.

We would love to forward your compliments; if you would send us your order information, we can let the appropriate department know that their efforts were recognized and appreciated. Please email me your zip code, last name, and order number.

Happy Gardening!
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Department
e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com
"

I have been ordering from Wayside Gardens for the past few years, and have up to this date been satisfied. Living here in the high desert we have very difficult growing conditions which include drought, heavy clay soil, low organic matter, low pH, cold dry winters, wind, water restrictions and rodents. So I was very happy to order from Wayside knowing that if a plant didn't survive they would guarantee replacement. When I ordered plants last spring, of 2007, I was not concerned about losing any plants since I ordered some tough drought tolerant plant species. The plants arrived in May, during some very cold conditions. I carefully unpacked and made sure they were moist and protected from cold dry winds. A few of the plants did have some smelly roots, which I did not water thinking that they only needed to dry out some. Those never grew. I acclimated the plants for a week placing them outdoors in a protected site before planting. I planted as per instructions adding generous amounts of organic matter into the existing native soils, making sure the planting hole drained properly. Each plant was planted and watered and drip lines were added accordingly to each planting hole. Mulch was added to prevent plants from losing too much water. Some plants had wire cages placed to protect from rabbits. A few plants never sprouted but I continued to water thinking maybe the roots would resprout. We had an extremely hot summer. But I use an ET irrigation controller which has worked extremely well and have never lost any of my 4 year old trees or shrubs. Nine of the Wayside plants died or never sprouted from my initial May planting. The most I have ever had die from a spring planting. I emailed Wayside on August 6, explaining the loss of these plants. An automatic email response explained that I would soon hear from a Wayside customer service representative. There was No response. I emailed them a second time on August 28, again no response. As of today, Dec. 3, still no response. I usually do not post complaints, but would like others to know that Wayside did not honor their guarantee nor took time to contact me. I would be very hesitant in recommending Wayside to fellow gardeners.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"