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johnnieb_dc

McClure & Zimmerman

JohnnieB
15 years ago

Has anybody ordered from this company recently? I've ordered from them only once, about 6 years ago, and was so disappointed with the poor quality of what they sent that I have never ordered from them again. I'm still on their mailing list and get their catalogs, and I'm being tempted by the most recent one. Have they cleaned up their act, or was this perhaps a one-time fluke?

BTW I've ordered from Brent & Becky's Bulbs numerous times and love them. I would only consider McClure & Zimmerman for something special that I can't find anywhere else.

Comments (9)

  • georgia-rose
    15 years ago

    Like you, I gave up on them several years ago, due to poor quality, non-performing bulbs.
    After checking Dave's GardenWatchDog, it appears nothing has improved, as they have as many negative & neutral comments, as positive ones, during the past 12 months.
    I would not be inclined to order from them again.

    I also gave up on B&B Bulbs, as they seem to be a bit pricey and had problems obtaining shipments at agreed upon dates for some fund raising events. They confirmed the dates in writing and then totally ignored them, rescheduling the shipments 2 months later.

    I use Van Engelen/John Scheeper for major orders and for minor bulbs that aren't available from them, Touch of Nature and High Country Gardens. Have always been satisfied with their quality and outstanding service.

    Here is a link that might be useful: GardenWatchDog - McClure & Zimmerman

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    15 years ago

    Interesting :-) I do very little mail order, simply because I can get pretty much anything I want locally. And I tend to be very picky....I want to see what I get before I pay for it! However, there were a few odd bulbs that I couldn't locate easily that I did order from M&Z. I think maybe I've ordered from them three times over the last 10 years and everything has been just fine. I had no complaints and would order from them again if they had something I wanted I couldn't find nearby.

  • Donna
    15 years ago

    I order from MZ at least once a year and have done so for a good ten years. I have always been pleased with what I have received and never had a problem, but once. Last year, I ordered Galtonia and one bulb in a pack of 3 was bad. They sent me an entire new pack. Couldn't ask for more than that.

    Last year, I ordered a few plants from them for the first time. They were quite small containers, but everything took right off.

  • diggindirt49
    15 years ago

    I ordered from MZ about 4 years ago. I wasn't pleased with the products and they were pricey. I do order most of my bulbs from the internet, and for the last three years I have been ordering my fall planted bulbs from Colorblends. They have a very good selection, excellent quality and wonderful customer service.

  • bubba62
    15 years ago

    I'm sort of done with M and Z as well, after a couple of years of trifling, tiny plants which cling to life, but only just. It is tempting to order from them, since they are one of the only sources for certain things (Pleione orchids, for instance, which were shipped far too late to be very successful, and one pitiful fan of Iris foetidissima, along with the supposedly concolor orange Gloriosa lily which turned out to be indistinguishable from the standard variety I've grown for years), but I'm going to be strong and pitch the catalog into the recycling bin this year. Maybe for more standard bulb fare they'd be okay, but I'm within thirty miles of Brent and Becky's, so they get that part of my business.

  • Maryl (Okla. Zone 7a)
    15 years ago

    M&Z is owned by Jung seeds if that means anything to you..... I've only ordered once from B&B's and had a similar complaint to others I've read about on Daves. They quoted me a total price on my merchandise which I paid and then months later charged my credit card again(without notifying me) when they decided that the shipping charges should be more. I didn't care for the unauthorized use of my credit card, told them so and was basically told by customer service "tough nuggies". What was really irritating is that they sent the wrong color on the bulbs I ordered and when I asked what could be done (too late to replant by then) they said they would refund the price of the bulbs, but NOT the shipping.

  • celvet
    11 years ago

    McClure and Zimmerman specialize in bulbs. In general their bulbs are better than their plants and they offer many hard to get bulbs. I have had really good luck with their bulbs in the past and I like that they don't harvest (at least they claim they don't) from the wild. I have lived in many different zones and have ordered bulbs for all the zones in which I lived from them (MS, AZ, WY at a high altitude, Eastern WA). I plan on ordering from them again this year. The best bulbs that they offer are the species tulips, but I have gotten and planted lilies (in both MS and AZ) crocuses, colchicums, daffodils and irises. The only order that I ever had a problem with was one where I ordered the double bloodroot and they were shipped early for my zone (WY at a high altitude) and by the time I could plant were gone. As that was in part my fault, I felt that it was extremely nice of them to offer to replace the roots.

  • HU-560162603
    11 months ago

    I have been a customer of McClure & Zimmerman for probably three decades. always top quality, never a mix-up. trust them completely as for ”pricey”? you get what you pay for.

  • HU-122087859
    4 months ago

    Had a very unfortunate experience with this company recently. Past experiences were always very positive. When I called them to inquire about the excessive charge after receiving only half the order due to one of the items being out of stock, they stated that it was due to flat rate shipping. I work for the US Postal Service and did my own price calculation for USPS Ground Advantage, the service they used. Based on the origin/destination and the weight (5 oz.) of the small package, the postage was only $5.65 but they charged $15.95. Needless to say, I will be shopping elsewhere from now on..

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