I've ordered twice from Bluestem in the last few years; the most recent order was last year. I'm sorry to say that in both of my very large (and expensive!) orders, I've received a significant number of grass plants that were essentially dead, i.e. large plants with only a very small number of green leaves (and by this I mean 3 or 4 green leaves out of a good-sized "field-dug" clump). If I went out in spring and found my own grasses in this state, I'd dig them and up and throw them in the composter without a second thought (and have done so the odd time)... but having paid quite a bit for these, I divided out the tiny living fragments and put them in a holding bed, where they eked out the summer. Given that I could buy healthy live 1-gallon potted grasses locally for the same price as these mail-order ones, I'm not impressed. In spite of the Garden Watchdog "recommendation", I'm aware of at least one other local report (from another forum) of a similar experience. I've never ordered from Plant Delights, so have no comparison to them. I have, however, ordered bare-root perennials from other sources and never received plants that were on the brink of death before. Anyway, I didn't complain either time (just assumed it was bad luck the first time, and gave them another chance), though I'm sure if this is anything more than random bad luck, they'll evetually be forced to face it. And I can't imagine the owner or management intentionally sent out such poor quality stock... I assume it was untrained staff, or who knows what...but, whatever, I'm not planning on ordering again from Bluestem in the conceivable future.

PLEASE don't respond to such old posts. What happened back then could be totally different from today. Start your own post if you have a problem with a certain company, because I still believe that we have this forum to complain if we are treated badly. I did back then. I would not presume to say the same thing today, 5 years later unless I had recent personal experience with them. Not fair to a vendor who can have some off times. Problems happen and it is how the mitigate those problems that should count. -Babka

Plants I've purchased from PDN were very large - big enough to divide immediately (and I did, as a friend and I share lots of our purchases). However, I live close, so I've only purchased in person at Open House. I've been told those are the exact same plants they ship. Obviously, very new offerings won't be as large. For example, Stitch in Time.... ~Angie

Well, I sort of looked a bit, and fell in love with a Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum 'Jinguji') with red stems that wasn't even on sale. But I waffled too long and it was sold out when I finally decided to buy it. So, to console myself, I just ordered some Phlox Minnie Pearl and a Hosta Diana Remembered, all on sale. Like I really need more phlox and hostas. But this phlox blooms much earlier than mine, which will make the hummers and bees happy, and the hosta blooms white in late summer and will join my plantaginea-type hostas that also bloom then. Claire (rationalizing the purchase of plants she doesn't need and is not sure where to put them)