hey.. its worth what someone will pay for it ...

the one who is mad.. is the one who will buy it.. lol

ken

How this works in real life is:

They overprice plants.
People don't buy them.
They put them on sale for $3 *at the store*
We buy them then.

What's the problem?

I won't buy from them again. I did when I first started out not knowing much better :(. I have since put them on my "no buy again" list. They did send me some very nice daff and tulip bulbs, but now I know better. All those glossy, fancy pics in their catalogs won't work anymore :)

That's what you are paying for that nice glossy catalog.

In one of their recent email newsletters they said that they have started charging for their nice, printed glossy catalog for a $5 annual subscription. They say they will give a $10 credit for a purchase. I have purchased from them once, but it was because I had a $25 gift certificate.

People are so desperate to be the first on the block with a new plant that they will pay anything. I prefer to wait at least one season. I learned my lesson with the last batch of new echinaceas.

REgarding plant prices - I work at a greenhouse. We got in gallon Jack Frost Brunnera and paid $5 wholesale. We sell them at $10. A more famous named greenhouse also has Jack Frost. The plants are in gallons but a little smaller and not quite as nice looking. They are charging $30. For a gallon!!!!!!!! And this is not a new plant for this area. But people will buy it and support this practice. They are also charging $22 for a plain old green brunnera. I will never pay those kind of prices for something I will probably end up killing! But as long as there are some people who will, the prices will never go down.

Diane

But oh I love their catalogs, such beautiful combinations and lovely gardens.

The catalog really is lovely. I'm still getting it for some reason. I was in love with it when I first started gardening and didn't know anything - it was inspiring. The plants themselves were very disappointing, as was finding out that there is no Amos Pettingill. Perhaps WFF is for people rich enough to afford gardeners - so they can peruse the pretty pictures, order all they want and have someone else deal with the crummy bits of root and stems when the package arrives.

I agree about their catalog being nice. If I see something nice in it, I immediately Google the plant and find it some place else for half the price. I'm not paying over 20 dollars for one plant, especially new Echinaceas which don't return after a mild winter!

Wayside Gardens is another place that irritates me, but mainly because they at times ship bare root plants when the site indicates it'll be "potted plants."

I don't mind paying "more" for well established husky plants that will put on a good show in their first season ... what urks me is dishing out big bucks for puny mail order plants, when I otherwise could have purchased much better ones at a local greenhouse for an equivalent price (minus postage). In Canada, I do order from a few reputable places that send out high quality plants, these plants are not inexpensive, though are a good deal considering the size of plants shipped.

Terry

The nursery itself is really nice to visit. Beautiful setting and really nice display gardens. Aside from the begonia tubers I really didn't buy much from them though. There are so many excellent nurseries in NJ/NY/CT with more reasonable prices.

I usually get the catalog and cut out the pictures of the combos and annual potted combos I like most and "copy" them with plants from local nurseries. The catalog is a great source of info, inspiration, and really helps me plan some new ideas for spring. I have never purchased anything from there though.

Everyone's right about the catalogue being beautiful. I look longingly at gorgeous photos.

If you want to know who buys from them I've read that Martha Stewart who has large spread in CT uses WWF. Sometimes when I google a plant variety her site comes up and cites WWF as source for many of the pictured plants. May just be a marketing deal and/or she really does buy some things from them. Won't add/subtract from my gardens either way.

Surprising as she's not easily parted from a dollar.

If their plants weren't so small and of usual varieties they could "maybe" make a case for some of their prices.

I'll just keep looking at the catalogue if I get it with their new "copy charge" policy and enjoy the pictures.

kowallika, where is this greenhouse? I want one for $5! lol I have 3, but one I'm not sure is making it. Sounds like a great price. I'll have to check locally too I guess.

I love looking at their catalogs, but i will *never* buy from them again -- substandard plants, for outrageous prices, that they won't replace. there was a time in the distant past that they sold decent plants. but, sadly, no more . . .

Diane,

I would love to find a reasonably priced 'Jack Frost' Brunnera. I've been waiting a few seasons to see if it would come down in price. I haven't seen it for sale anywhere but the more upscale garden centers here in Chicagoland. It's just everyone wants 15 - 20 per pot, that's just a bit too rich for my blood.

My favorites in the WFF catalog are the annual selections, where you get to pay enormous prices for common plants.

For instance, six Zinnia "Profusion Orange" are $38, not including shipping and handling.

You could of course pay $5 tops at your local nursery for a six-pack, or less for a packet of seeds that'd give you two or three times that number of plants. But then you wouldn't have that wonderful catalog with Amos Pettingill's folksy musings. And it must be better if you pay eight times what it's worth, even if it's not.

I have many things from WFF in my yard that I bought in the past. No more. I ordered a white clematis from them-had a Donohues tag.I know I didn't spell that right. Anyway it came in a 2" pot with one dried up root, it had come out of the pot. Price was $22. I couldn't believe my eyes. I called and the lady said they had run a special and sold so many they had to buy little ones to fill orders. They refunded my money.
A word about Jack Frost Brunnera. I found 2 seedlings in one bed last year. I must have let it go to seed. I potted them up and gave them to my cousin, I thought she was going to kiss me. So everybody that has a plant , let it go to seed. It doesn't take long and the varigation shows on the leaves so you will know what it is right away.

What!!! No Amos Pettingill????
You just rained on my parade lol.

At one time, about 15 years ago, WWF did have great plants including shrubs. I got my 3 viburnnum dilatatum 'Erie from them. They came bare rooted and were large with an extensive root system. They also had, for the time,unusual perennials. No more. My last buy from them was about 7 years ago and they sent me tiny plants - smaller than Bluestone and not nearly as robust- at BIG prices.

I'm convinced that the success of WWF is based on very wealthy people purchasing incredibly overpriced plants because it makes them feel as though they're ordering from what they perceive as a reputable and exclusive company. The success of this model is also based on wealthy wannabees and those who care way too much about image and money (think Hyacinth from "Keeping up Appearances").

The quality of their plants is mediocre at best and don't do what I did last year and waste a road trip up that way. I was so excited to see the gardens and what a mess! Geez. I can't tell you how disappointed I was. They really don't take very good care of those beautiful garden beds that Traci Sabato designed and created. Very sad.

Who ever mentioned this is absolutely right. There are so many wonderful nurseries around. Why order from these turkeys? It's like many of the other beautiful catalogs we get ... the pics are great and they're very useful for planning and winter plant dreaming. Other than that, they're good for recycling.