Wayside Gardens

Last year I ordered two perennial dwarf crepe myrtles to be planted in containers. At the end of fall I put them in my garage to winter over, but for some reason they didn't bloom this spring. They were both deader than a hammer. So I contacted their...

I ordered a Daphne online from Wayside Gardens on June 8, expecting it to arrive for my mother's birthday on June 19. On the 18th I learned from Wayside's Ship Status page that it had not yet shipped. I emailed them requesting a resolution and still ...

If you aren't rushed and don't care when the plants arrive you might want to consider them. They have lots of very unique plants you can't find anywhere else, but their shipping is LOUSY! Yes, spring time is busy for planting, but that is no secret ...

I paid extra for 2-day delivery. Eight days after I ordered I rec'd an email saying the orange flowering bulbs I ordered were not in stock, and they would send yellow instead. I emailed immediately to cancel the order, but was told that it was too late ...

Once a premiere company, Wayside Gardens have been bought out by Park Seed and ever since then, have "gone to seed".  Their product has become less than exemplary; their prices have always been high, but it was ok when one could order large, ...

I placed an order for 4 different items in January and 3 of those were sold out from under me. How early do you have to order from this company in order to receive a complete shipment? I will not recommend them to anyone. I agree with the other review that it's unethical for them to charge my credit card in January only to find in May that I won't be getting my order!

I ordered about a dozen different plants from Wayside in 2003 and 2004, because despite their extremely high prices they had a good reputation. As of 2007 I have 2 that are alive and that I'm happy with. A couple died outright, like my Daphne. That was easily replaced under the guarantee, but the second Daphne was also basically DOA. They were perfectly willing to sell unhealthy plants--after all, not every customer is going to call to collect on the guarantee. Other non-stellar plants: the supposedly purple sawgrass that was as green as the average lawn. When called about it, I was assured that it would turn purple 'when it matures.' Needless to say, it has not 'matured' yet, several years later. Then there's the Philadelphus that doesn't flower. Others were dead after 2 years. Well, I didn't save my receipts that long, so I'm stuck. I've ordered plants from several other mailorder nurseries, and for those I didn't even worry about the guarantee, because the plants lived, flowered, and were the right color. With Wayside you'd better be prepared to be constantly using the guarantee.

If you like paying a lot of money for dead plants or plants you never receive, and then spending months talking to rude customer service people to finally get a store credit (which does not include the shipping you paid), this is the company for you.
It also takes forever to get your order even if you pay extra for 2 day shipping, and only count on getting about 2/3's of your order at all. An order of 10 plants comes in 1 or 2 at a time over a several month period.
They only guarantee their plants of 6 weeks too. If you call after that, your out of luck.

I love their catalog and selection of plants, particularly the hard to find or unusual perennials. I ordered five plants from this company and one arrived DOA. I sent an email and they immediately replaced it no questions asked! I would do business with this company again in a heartbeat!!! They shipped very quickly and got the order right. The information packet that comes with the plants that tells you how to plant them is great for a first timer!

I was very excited to place my very first orders with Wayside, but now I am wishing I stuck with Home Depot. They are now claiming there is a time limit on their "Guarantee" which is not posted on the website, nor in the materials packed with the plants, nor in the catalog. I was told, when I emailed right after shipment about the bedraggled dead plants to wait (no mention of a time limit). I waited, and now I am being told I waited too long and am out of luck. I am stuck with expensive dead plants, and no refund/replacement/credit, like I was promised by their glittering "Guarantee". I want my $82.48 back, as I was duped by pretty pictures and an empty promise.

Avoid wayside gardens. They take the payment immediately without informing me that the plant was not in stock, and each month when I called, they'd say next month, next month, until I was fed up and demand a refund, and I am still waiting for the refund even after they agreed to refund it, initially taking shipping and handling charges even though they did not ship anything, it's just outrageous. I am still waiting for my money back......

Ordered 9 ilex 'Sky Pencil' in the fall of 2006 - they were on sale. I planted immediately upon receipt and they seemed to remain viable until spring and then crumped. I was asked to give them a little time to see if they might perhaps be in a dormant state. I did and they did not - they were dead. Wayside subsequently replaced immediately. The replacements have not survived but I have not pursued as I am wondering if my original placement choice was good.