Comments regarding High Country Roses

As a flower farmer and passionate gardener, I've ordered roses from ~20 different nurseries in the US (I grow close to 300), and High Country Roses is my go-to for own root roses. Their impressive inventory, good prices, and wonderful customer service really set them apart. I've never received an unhealthy or mislabeled rose and look forward to ordering from Matt every year.

I've ordered from High Country Roses a few times and been very pleased with their services and roses. One time, I ordered “Sunsprite” and it produced a red bloom; obliviously not a right rose. I called HCR and the shipped me the correct rose immediately. One tip: due to the intense summer heat in Oklahoma, I always pot my baby roses and wait until fall to put them in the ground. I've never lost a rose.

Great communication with customer service. Every one of the roses arrived healthy, but one was damaged in shipping. Customer service immediately replaced it. So far they are all gaining quickly in size and are all healthy and disease free. Couldn't have been better and I'm looking forward to future blooms.

Every rose I have bought from High Country has been perfect. One thing to note is that certain climbers will not flower the first year. This is to be expected and ideal to build up a strong root base/growth. So don�t lose faith the first year!! I look forward to, make lists, and save $ for the restock date every year.

Packaging is outstanding and while my roses did appear �small�, they put on growth rapidly and do well even in a brutal Michigan winter. I will not buy roses online anywhere else!

I built a pergola and wanted to cover it with fragrant climbing roses. I ordered six different roses that fit the bill. Every step of the way from ordering, to shipping, to plant health and vitality was 5-star all the way and a nice family business that responded nicely and quickly. I also love that their roses are own-root and reasonably priced as rooted starts. I highly recommend them and will buy roses annually as I'll never have enough roses. :-)

I order from High Country roses about every year. The roses are own root bands but they are healthy and do very well for me. They have good prices compared to many. I have been very pleased with all of my purchases from High Country.

I�ve made a few orders from High Country Roses in the past few years. The plants are band-sized own-root roses. They are small but very healthy and ready to grow! They have a really nice selection of species roses, and old garden roses that are hard to find elsewhere. I�m very happy with them!

I have ordered from HCR in the past and they've always sent good plants and made good if there's been errors. They're a wonderful source of own-root old garden roses for a great price. Unfortunately, I have not had a good experience this year at all. I made my order in early January, requesting late April shipping. Late April comes and goes. I email them via their "contact us" on their website to find out when my roses will be shipped. Nothing. I email again. Nothing. I call and leave a message. Nothing. I email Matt at the address I used to resolve an issue a year or so ago. Nothing. So I am now out $120.00, I have no roses, and am completely disappointed in their customer service. I am at a loss to understand how they could ghost a good, repeat customer. If there's been changes in management or a mistake made, I'd feel a whole lot better if they'd be good enough to communicate with me. What's the point of providing customers contact email when they don't respond to inquiries?

All roses I have received from High Country have flourished in my zone 6a garden. They are received as small plants, as are most roses grown on own root. People who have not grown such roses before would be well advised to keep them in a pot or raised bed the first summer to give them a chance to grow well without competition of weeds or competing for sun and root space with mature plants. They also carry Andy Vanable's hardy healthy roses; his George Oliva is particularly recommended as a spray producing wonder, great for arrangements

I ordered 3 roses from High Country Roses and I was very pleased when they arrived. They were a little squished but after a few days they were sitting high and looking healthy. They are very happy and sprouting new leaves. They are the smallest of the 7 that I ordered, but I don't think they'll have any trouble making it through the winter. I'll order again (cause 10 just isn't enough)!

Posted on May 6, 2021, updated May 6, 2021
Posted on May 6, 2021, updated May 6, 2021
I ordered 3 roses in March..they came well packaged but have not put on any growth...all 3 were tiny and for 70 bucks I felt a little trepidation when I first saw them..I emailed them for advice beginning of April and no response at all. I then left a review but it is still awaiting "approval" on the 7th of May 2021. The roses are not doing well and with no response in over a month from the company I feel it was 70 bucks thrown in the trash! Not impressed with their product or their service

Received my order of 4 roses on 5/20/20: Queen Nefertiti, Wise Portia, Baronne Edmond de Rothschild, and Firefighter (hardy for my zone 5a). The pots are bigger than band-size, and the roots are solid. Packing has improved since my last order in 2011. Customer service is excellent, and Matt has been flexible in changes in my order. The planting instruction is excellent.

Posted on July 20, 2018, updated May 17, 2020
I love this company!!!! Last year I placed my first order for a Harison's Yellow. It is impossible to find and notoriously difficult to root, so I was ecstatic when I unpacked my rose to find a thriving, fully-leafed out rose with a strong root system. Or, it would have been perfect if the deer hadn't dragged it out of the ground while trying to munch it. By the time I saw it in the morning, the roots had dried out and the poor little plant was shriveled. Now I have to wait for it to come back in stock to try again - this time behind a fence. My most recent order was for a Penelope, and I was a bit hesitant to order it now because I wasn't sure how it would ship in the heat (July), but once again, the plants arrived in perfect health. Now that I have discovered High Country Roses, I won't buy roses anywhere else.

Posted on January 20, 2019, updated March 15, 2020
I first ordered from this nursery when my Zepherine Drouhin from heirloom roses died. Heirloom only offers gallon pots now instead of the little starts more suitable for my garden. I live at 5,200 feet and have rocky clay soil. Small starts adapt fast and work their roots around rocks. This rose had great sentimental meaning so I got a replacement from High Country Roses and it is now in its 3rd year in the exact same spot and thriving.
Of course this led to more orders of roses and I bought 5 last year. All but one were great and thrived, so I called for replacement. No hassle, super fast a great replacement came. When the snow melts I will know if it overwintered. I got sucked in and have 5 more coming today.
Every nursery will have occasional plants that don't make it. These guys were extremely helpful with a no fuss, no hassle, replacement.

Posted on May 8, 2019, updated February 7, 2020
This was my first time doing business with high country roses, I ordered four roses. I loved that i was able to pick my ship date and even better they actually shipped on the date i chose. The plants were good size for starters and healthy. However one arrived broken so i sent an email with photos, i got a response within hours from matt apologizing for the broken plant and he sent a replacement the following week. I was very impressed! Great customer service and quality plants i will definitely be doing business with this company again.

Over the past year, I've placed two orders with High Country roses. And I can confirm, as others have noted below, that their roses do range in size from small to tiny.

However, most of the roses arrive alive and healthy. The biggest issues I've had are with the very small (tiny) roses. In my first order, the Morgengruss and Madame Alfred Carriere (MAC) were very small. Both put out little growth, but the Mogengruss is still alive, though still very small. The MAC put out some initial growth, then quickly died. In my second order of mostly ramblers, only the "Lady Banks" was on the small side. It was literally just a two inch twig with a few small leaves. It never put out any growth in the weeks since I've received it, and I noticed today that it was dying back. Upon closer inspection, it had died at the soil line.

Though I've had some issues with the smallest roses, the customer service has been excellent and the replacement policy is very good. I'm supposed to receive a replacement MAC in the spring. However, I've not asked for a replacement for the "Lady Banks", and I likely won't as I never said anything to High Country about its extremely small size when I received it. Though I'm sure he'd be happy to send a replacement.

I debated whether to give a positive or neutral rating, but I decided to give positive as most of the plants do arrive healthy, and the customer service and replacement policy are very good. My only suggestion would be to hold back plants until they reach a minimum size. The Lady Banks should have never been shipped.

A package of 4 roses arrived with mildew and aphids. I reported it to merchant immediately (provided photos) but merchant has never responded. It is a shame they are sending people diseased roses while stated on their website that they guarantee the health of their plants when shipped.

I ordered some roses, then was contacted to be told that one of the varieties was still too small to ship. I changed my order - added more - and received them. The customer service was very nice. My only issue is that 2 of the 4 that I ordered came so small that I would not have gotten them had I known. Makes me wonder about the one they didn't want to send yet! They've been in the ground since June and are doing well. They are all now the size I would have liked them to have been at purchase. I will probably order from them in the future but will make sure of the plant size before I do.

Posted on May 5, 2012, updated June 22, 2019
Very nice healthy product... The packaging could be improved a bit by using a method to keep the dirt in the pots.

"On May 8, 2012 6:05 AM, High Country Roses responded with:

Thank you for your positive review. Keeping the soil in pots during shipping is a constant challenge. We have recently increased the amount of packing around the rose and switched to a biodegradable void fill. Hopefully this will help keep everything in place. Enjoy your roses. "

I was a little hesitant to order from High Country Roses because they never responded to a question that I emailed. That said, I'm glad that I did. I bought five rose bushes. They arrived on time, very nicely packaged, with detailed planting instructions. They are doing well two weeks after arrival (one week of hardening, one week planted in containers).

Posted on April 27, 2018, updated April 29, 2019
Posted on August 31, 2017, updated April 27, 2018
Posted on April 29, 2017, updated August 31, 2017
Posted on April 27, 2016, updated April 29, 2017
Posted on September 7, 2014, updated April 27, 2016
Posted on April 26, 2013, updated September 7, 2014
I looked and looked for a source for Stanwell Perpetual. It seemed this iconic rose was disappearing. In desperation I placed my first order - ever - with this company.

The two roses came today. The larger one is almost a foot tall. The roses were fresh and beautiful. I am so impressed. I now have another source for good sized, own root roses.

Bravo High Country Gardens! I'll be back!

Every year I am buying roses from this great company. All roses took off quite fast and are growing to very nice and healthy bushes. All roses true to their names. I highly recommend this company.

Very pleased with this company. Ordered roses from them, but one was out of stock. They offered to send it next season. I completely forgot about the whole thing when rose arrived. As other plants received from them it was in wonderful condition.

We have been growing roses for over two decades and have about 100 of them (as well as many other plants). Therefore we have a wide frame of reference in dealing with various nurseries over the years.

This sort of customer service, honesty and professionalism is rare and deeply appreciated. Highly recommend.

I ordered one rose bush (Carefree Wonder) from High Country. This was my first experience with them. The listing for the rose stated that it was planted in a quart container.

The rose arrived today, in great condition, well packed.

One thing that I have noted - I wrote to High Country roses to ask when my plant would be shipped (they claim that once shipped, I would receive an email). I received a reply that the rose had been shipped the day before and provided me the UPS tracking number. So, I'm not sure how well their automated shipping notification system works, but more importantly, the specimen I received was in great condition.

Bob Lamm

Posted on August 31, 2017, updated April 24, 2018
Posted on August 31, 2017, updated August 31, 2017
Posted on May 30, 2017, updated August 31, 2017
Posted on May 30, 2017, updated May 30, 2017
I too am having a hard time contacting these people. I sent a message well over a month ago about a rose, to which I still have no response. I recently placed an order, and made 2 orders by mistake. No response yet on cancelling the first order, and when I call, no one ever picks up the phone.
Starting to panic that something might be wrong.....

Posted on March 16, 2016, updated April 17, 2018
Posted on March 15, 2015, updated March 16, 2016
Hi ,

I bought my Sweet Chariot Miniature Rose from High Country Roses last Feb , 2015. It arrived in good condition , but because it came at a time when we were having a frost week , the leaves that were coming out started to turn yellow and fall off. Being a Ralph Moore hybrid , I was hopeful about its vigor and health.

It did look discouraging the few days after I got it , but it was due to cold temperatures. Now that the weather is getting warmer , the bare canes started sprouting new leaves again.

High Country Roses was quick with the delivery , and the packaging was well. The plant came with Moist Media , so the roots were not suffering from dry conditions during transport. It arrived early as well.

I am looking forward to having the first blooms. Thank you High Country Roses for the Sweet Chariot Miniature Rose !

I ordered roses from High Country Roses as a present to my friend and I am thrilled how much they are absolutely gorgeous. They are technically sold as bands (1 quart pots) but they are quite sizable and almost comparable to the roses sold in 1 and 2 gallon pots. Very healthy as well. I made a small error when placing the order online and called the nursery. Matt, the owner, was on the phone and helped me right away. He is also the nicest person I've talked to in this business. Amazing roses, wonderful nursery, and a terrific owner. I can't wait to place more orders for myself as well.

Item Qty Subtotal
Topaz Jewel (PP6793) TOJE 1 $16.95
Foxi Pavement
Size:One Quart Pot FOPA 1 $16.95
James Mason
Size:One Quart PotJAMA 1 $16.95
Morden Centennial
Size:One Quart PotMOCE 1 $16.95
Belle Poitevin
Size:One Quart PotBELP 1 $16.95

I ordered these on July 11 for planting this fall.
When I received the order a couple of the roses were a little beat up from shipping. I potted up all 5 in 1 gallon pots with good potting soil and in 2 months they were a foot high and ready to be planted in there permanent location. This will be my main source for roses for all future orders.

Posted on March 27, 2016, updated July 15, 2017
First time customer, I ordered two roses, Blanc Double de Coubert and The Fairy. I had placed the order at another company and realized right afterward that they did not provide own-root roses; fortunately, I could cancel and order from High Country Roses, where all their roses are own-root.

Since we are having an early spring this year, I placed a special request on the order, which was to ship immediately rather than at "recommended planting time for your zone" which a lot of companies do, The roses arrived in about three days! They were packed well and the box sat unopened for a couple days - in a cool garage - until I could work with them.

The specimens are small - packed in 4" square pots, and only about 6-8 inches tall - but healthy, many leaves, both roses even have one or two flower buds! I'm not expecting much bloom the first year with such small bushes, but am encouraged. I wanted to plant them right away but am following instructions to harden them off first.

Happy with this first encounter.

First I ordered from this company three years ago and then I didn't write any reviews and didn't give any rating, though the roses I received were healthy and already blooming. Now those roses are doing wonderfully all covered with blooms. This spring I ordered nine more roses and my experience is positive again. Though their packaging isn't great, the shipping was very fast and all the roses looked healthy when I got them. I like very much the choice and the price of the roses of this company. The plants are small, but it is even an advantage as it is easier to plant them in our rocky soil. And after being planted they begin to grow fast and bloom. THANK YOU!

Well, I'm not exactly sure what to think.
I ordered 3 roses on May 8th. (Abraham Darby, Pinata, and Wise Portia). Since I read on their website that they only shipped on Mondays and Tuesdays (and since Mother's Day was coming) I figured they wouldn't ship until the next week. Well that week came and went with no word from them (other than the confirmation of the order that I got right after I placed the order). Finally last Thurs or Fri (May 18 or 19), I used their online contact form to request information about when my order would ship....I still haven't heard from them.
I can't call as I am hearing impaired...so right now, I don't really know what to do or to think.
I actually used Garden Watchdog to find this company, and chose them due to their ratings here. But now I am getting rather antsy.
I am placing this as a "Neutral" review because of their excellent rating here, and am conceding that there must be some sort of mix-up. Depending on what happens, it may be upgraded or downgraded.

I am gardening in Zone 3 North Dakota.
Spring of 2015 I got 3 roses from High Country Roses. "Blush Damask", "Bourbon Queen", and "G�n�ral Jacqueminot". I also purchased 14 other roses from 4 other reputable companies. For me, High Country was the best out of 5 rose companies across the board. The plants were well rooted and took off faster than any other roses I planted that year.
Spring of 2016 I ordered. "Blush Hip", "High Country Banshee", "Champagne Arches", and "Victorian Memory/Isabella Skinner". Again all in excellent condition, well rooted beautiful plants. By the end of 2016 they had thrived and grown beyond my expectations.
Spring 2017 all the roses from 2015/2016 have survived with minimal to no cane die-back (these roses are zones 4 and 5 - and are thriving in zone 3 with horrific winters)and I am looking forward to purchasing more from them.
Their customer service is gracious and excellent. They treated me like family - I couldn't be more impressed with them. Theirs is the company that I recommend to my family and friends for roses - period.

I agree with others review High Country Roses. I've only just found them, but have ordered 4 miniroses. I'm really impressed with the plant stock and shipping packaging. Great!

Ordered several roses for a historic house garden I am planting. Plants came in excellent condition, not even a yellow leaf. A few in bud already, couldn't be happier with them.

Posted on February 27, 2016, updated March 3, 2017
I have just received my order from High Country Roses and was very satisfied with the roses. Over the past few winter months, I have contacted Matt via phone and email and his responses back were very accommodating. Would order again from High Country Roses; very nice selection of roses.

Matt, the owner at High Country, has been a delight to work with. My brother and I purchased 18 roses as a 50th anniversary gift for our parents, who reside in an extreme climate - 8,500 ft. altitude in Zone 3. It's my job to help plant and make sure they thrive, and as I live at sea level, had a million questions for Matt, which he patiently and cheerily answered. We discussed ideal rose selections (of which there were many), decomposed granite 'soil' in the crystalline subalpine zone, proper amendments, short season rose growing, and growth updates on our reserved own root roses. Example: "The Morden Blush just had the most amazing bloom." My parents enjoyed reports of every conversation. We initially planned to pick up in person, then elected to ship, changed the order multiple times, combined shipping, and more, and enjoyed the 18% off Super Bowl week Peyton Manning/Denver Broncos deal. Matt even offered to deliver the roses IN PERSON over Memorial Day Weekend since he would be visiting his uncle and mother-in-law who live within a half hour of my parents' somewhat remote address. Certainly, we were in unusually close proximity, but WHO DOES THAT? High Country does, and I won't buy roses from anyone else. Period. Thank you Matt, and High Country for making my experience an absolute joy : ) you feel like family.

Posted on April 29, 2016, updated May 21, 2016
I am new to growing roses and this was my first time ordering from High Country Roses, the first time ordering live plants from any company, actually. Most of the roses I ordered are an early 30th birthday present from my husband and grandmother, and what lovely gifts they are. I am very pleased with my experience with High Country Roses.

The roses I ordered are as follows: Cardinal de Richlieu, The Fairy, Buff Beauty, Marchesa Boccella, Ballerina, Zephirine Drouhin, Mountain Mignonette, Distant Drums, Madame Pierrre Oger, Bill Reid, Awakening, Honorine de Brabant, Reine des Violettes, and Gruss an Aachen. The shipment arrived when expected and in good shape. The roses were well packed and all seemed to survive their trip just fine. Some of the plants have buds on them, and the Gruss an Aachen even has a single bloom (which smells wonderful).

HCR has friendly customer service as well. I originally ordered only the Gruss an Aachen back in February and my husband and I decided to order the other roses a week or two before Gruss was to ship. I contacted HCR via email to see if we were to add to the order would they combine the orders to reduce shipping costs and Matt very graciously agreed to do so. Being excited and impatient I ended up calling HCR a couple days ago to confirm that the order was shipped and the gentleman I spoke to (I'm assuming it was Matt) was very friendly and helpful. He confirmed that yes, my roses were on their way.

Based on what I've seen so far I would have no hesitations ordering from this company again. Thank you, High Country Roses, for aiding the start of what may turn into a lifelong passion. God bless.

I recently ordered six roses from High Country Roses (Abraham Darby, Emily Carr, Ferdinand Pichard, Graham Thomas, Molineux, and Sentimental), and I was very happy with my order. I added the Sentimental rose later than the others and was able to combine it with my earlier order to save on shipping. I received an email when my order had shipped with tracking. All of the roses came in excellent condition. Molinex already has one rose in bloom, and I look forward to watching the others grow throughout the year. I would highly recommend this company.

A few years ago, I searched everywhere trying to find an Austrian Copper rose. High Country Roses had one so I ordered from them. Like all mail order plants, it was very small. But this rose grew very quickly, even in our very poor soil and has absolutely flourished. I look forward every spring to see it spilling over my fence. Last summer it had what looks like a "baby" so we will be transplanting it this year. I highly recommend this company