I have been very happy with the perennials I have purchased from them but have never bought any shrubs. They are popular on the Perennials forum, especially when they have sales.

For the price I paid for two Itea 'Little Henry' shrubs and the size I received, I could have gotten two for the same price that were three times as big at Lowe's (had I known they had them before ordering). I'll buy perennials from them, but never again their shrubs. Unless it's something you can't find anywhere and/or you don't mind waiting a long time for them to grow, then go ahead. Just remembered, I also bought two Clethera 'Hummingbird', one promptly died and they had no more to replace it with, the other is still alive but hasn't grown much. Probably in a bad spot, so that would be my fault. I can't remember if I got credit for it or not, it was three years ago. Anyway, that's my experience and opinion.

Karen

Thank you for your quick response, buyorsell. Are the perennials pretty small, too?

It seems odd to me that they sell and ship perennials in slightly bigger containers than the shrubs they sell. Well the prices for the plants are reasonable, as are the shipping charges.

I have read reviews of the nursery on dave's garden and they are overwhelmingly positive, and from your comments, they are well liked by GardenWeb members as well, so I think I will give them a try.

Holly

I took a while to write my post and didn't see your post until I submitted mine. Your experience with them gives me pause. Very small plus prone to dying shrubs does not sound like a good recommendation!

I might need to "bite the bullet" and spend more money elsewhere!

Holly

Their shrubs from what I have seen are the previous years rooted cuttings they acquire from Spring Meadow Nursery and resell. They will be on the small size and probably need a year growing in a slightly larger container to develop more of a root system before planting out.
Marshall

Big box stores like Slow's often price plants more cheaply than is normal at independent retailers. Their size and quality is often less as well. But, sure, for this particular item, at a particular time you might have seen ones there that were larger than whatever Bluestone sends. As long as you got the local stock before it was abused (here grocery stores, big boxes etc. are already letting stock on display cook and collapse this season) it would make no sense to order in smaller specimens for larger prices.

I have had very good experiences with everything I have ordered over many years from Bluestone. They replace anything that doesn't live, and pretty much everything lives.

I have an order on the way from them and those in the past have done fine. Forest farm is also good, I have Korean spice Vib coming from them, they're out of the small size, so you'll have to pay $19.00 instead of $12.00. I also ordered seven son flower from them. They have big selection.

Well, no decision as yet! Thanks for giving me your varied opinions of Bluestone.

I haven't looked at the big box stores for this particular cultivar; the local nurseries are just starting to get more of their spring stock in and I haven't found it there as yet either, but I remain hopeful.

poaky1 - there is nothing on their site indicating that you can order a larger specimen, they are still only showing the $11.95 version. Does the choice come up when you add it to your shopping cart? I'd be happy to spend $19 on a bigger, older plant. The possible lack of root development of their smaller shrubs mentioned by mrgpag concerns me.

Holly

The perennials I received were three and four inch pots which I knew before I bought them. I was happy with them, I could not find them locally.

I have never mail ordered a shrub, I always find what I want locally. I am blessed with a very large selection of nurseries here.

I ordered my Korean spice Vib from Forest farm. Sorry if I mixed up the 2 places. I ordered mine for $19.00 for the gallon size, they have good plants, I've ordered shrubs from them before. They are in Oregon. From bluestone I got 3 perrennials from them, all in good shape and got mixed up about what I ordered from who. Give Forest farm a look though, the tube size shrubs have decent root systems. I didn't even see the Korean spice Vib in the Bluestone catalog or I may have gotten it there. They had only the gallon for $19.00 at Forest farm.

Thanks for the explanation, poaky1. I have ordered plants from Forest Farm before, though it has been a few years. I will see what they have.

I always find what I want locally. I am blessed with a very large selection of nurseries here.

That's quite an understatement, buyorsell!! Yes, I too would have no worries about the availability of interesting plants if I lived in Oregon! You are lucky (but I get to see the sun more than you do. :-D )

Holly

Trust me, I miss the sun. Grew up in Phoenix. It is no fun to have a plethora of plants sitting and waiting to be planted because it is so soggy and wet that the ground shouldn't be worked....

Trust me, I miss the sun. Grew up in Phoenix.

Wow, must have been quite a shock moving from Phoenix to the PNW! Lots of sun in Phoenix indeed - but way too hot for me.

By the way, I did check at Forest Farm; they do have Viburnum carlesii but not the Viburnum carlesii 'Compacta' (I also see this viburnum offered as 'Compactum.') Unfortunately, I need the smaller version due to size constraints in the bed where I want to place it.

I may just have to find something else that will work.

Holly

I have ordered from Bluestone many times and always got good plants. I did order two Viburnum trilobum Red Wing and they are small but very healthy looking. It was hard to find locally and because it is small I can plant it without too much heavy digging so that's a plus for me. I don't mind waiting for it to grow bigger!
Joann

I have had great luck with Bluestone's perennials and vines, but not so much with their shrubs. Twice I have had small shrubs come with the only sprout broken off due to their weird packing with a ton of styrofoam pellets. I prefer to order shrubs from Forest Farm or Lazy S's if I am ordering small and inexpensive shrubs as I have had good success with them. Better packed and larger plants in my experience.

I have read a lot of negatives about Bluestone Perennial's packing methods. You would think they would take note of their customer complaints and change their ways! It must get expensive for them to have to replace so many plants damaged in shipping when it would be so easy for them to avoid this by improving/changing/bringing up to industry standard the way they package plants.

Holly