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nippstress

Heirloom's spiffy new packing boxes

Hi folks

I noticed that not only has Heirloom dramatically improved the size and vigor of their bands in the last year or two, this year they've got a very user-friendly packing system. I've posted a picture below of a rose in the 2-band box. Each rose gets a cozy nestle in a custom-sized box that holds no more than 2 or 4 bands (two box sizes), with the bases all on one end and lots of room for the canes themselves on the other end. The boxes have a perforated edge that opens the whole cluster and you simply lift out your bands and remove the plastic bag from around the base. Heirloom now ranks among the easiest rose boxes to unpack, along with Chamblees and Burlington - Burling has a very efficient system and is the queen of rose shipping.

My only worry with this new system is how expensive it must be. We've had a lot of rose companies go under in recent years, Vintage being the most recent and saddest, and I'd hate to see Heirloom spending too much of their profits on the packaging at the expense of maintaining and growing the business. There was no additional cost to me for the shipping over previous years, so they're clearly absorbing this cost themselves. I had about 25 roses I received from them this year, and they'd send a big box with lots of little two-pack or four-pack rose boxes within that box, several of which weren't full.

Regardless, for the present it was lovely to do a "zip, lift, unwrap" unpacking of their roses this year. With this and the larger healthier bands and expanded offerings, they're clearly making an effort at improving things from the customer's perspective over previous years with Heirloom.

Cynthia

Comments (10)

  • nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    For another perspective, here's the individual box against the multiple packing of a bigger box from Heirloom.

    Cynthia

  • bunnicula03
    9 years ago

    Yes, I had noticed that, as well as the size of their bands being a good deal bigger. I was very happy with my Heirloom order this year. It's always a pleasure to receive their roses, no unpleasant surprises.

  • mariannese
    9 years ago

    Neat but not as fabulous packing as what Loubert used to send. Their roses nestled in a box of damp and fragrant moss. I didn't remember to take a picture, probably too eager to look at the roses.

  • dregae (IN, zone 6b)
    9 years ago

    I ordered several bands from heirloom and I noticed the difference in quality immediately compared to previous years orders. The bands went right into the ground and have flourished and surpassed the other bands I bought from other sources. I will definatly order from them again

    Grace e

  • sandandsun
    9 years ago

    Thank you all for the good news. There was such caution expressed about Heirloom Roses under its previous management that I have been quite wary. Like Burlington, they have some very-difficult-to-find-elsewhere roses and of course they are own root as I require.

    Nippstress, your endorsement is especially encouraging - by the by, when do we get to see the back 40?

    Do they ship in the fall does anyone know?

    Thank you all again.

  • seil zone 6b MI
    9 years ago

    This is wonderful news! I'm hesitant about buying bands because the ones I've gotten have been SO tiny and a lot of times they don't put on enough growth in my short season to make it through their first winter here. Bigger is better for me!

  • nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I agree with several other posts that my Heirloom bands have taken off and at least equal other bands, and even hold their own against the gallons. They've been nicely rooted with pretty substantial canes. I used to have to add a year to the growth expectations of Heirloom bands vs. any other company, but they're big enough to plant directly in the ground as any other rose, at least for me. Seil - I don't know how they'd grow in pots, but it might be worth a try if they have something you particularly want.

    Sandandsun - I expect they do ship in the fall as I recall sales all last fall (nice 10% and 20% off roses in their collections), but I don't know for sure since that would be the kiss of death in cold zones. You lost me on the question about the back 40 - do you mean photos of my yard? If so, there are some from last year I posted that are still current, and for this year the spring flush is still a good 2-3 weeks away from hitting its stride. Let me know if I'm missing something (not an uncommon occurrence of course!)

    Cynthia

  • sandandsun
    9 years ago

    No Nippstress, you aren't missing it; the back 40 is old farmer's slang for acreage. Suburbanites adopted it once upon a time to refer to areas under cultivation - often in reference to their lawns as in mowers of lawns grumbling about having to mow the back 40.

    I did and do have a hankering to see your roses (back 40) this year. I did find the recent thread with Quadra, and I'll be patiently looking forward to the rest of your 2014 photos.

    Sales you say? - that, I LIKE. Thank you.

  • nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Will do, SandandSun - I'll post some pictures of the "back 40" as soon as they are up to snuff. The roses are just now starting their June bloom, but I'll post some pictures after they get going. If you want to see the back 40 in spring (the tulips were particularly nice this year) I have a thread on Roses that contrasts my spring 2014 and summer 2013 gardens. It has surely cycled off the first pages by now, but it's still around somewhere. Thanks for the encouragement - like we need any encouragement as rose nuts!

    Cynthia

  • Sow_what? Southern California Inland
    9 years ago

    I'm also very happy with my Heirloom bands. When I got the delivery notice, I zipped by to unpack the roses, but forgot to bring a knife to open the box. The new perforated 4-pack package was so convenient to open by hand; and the roses were easy to unpack without damage. The bands arrived nice and bushy -- they looked like small shrubs. Three went into the ground, one was planted in a pot, and all are doing really well. I'm very pleased with this company.