HGrep
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Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:13 pm
Location: NYC

5 gal hydrangea-is this right?

Hi everyone.

I could use some help with this purchase I just made. I ordered 3, 5-GAL limelight hydrandeas. The price was equivalent to 3-GAL elsewhere so I thought I'd go for the bigger size. They just arrived & I this is how they looked.
I couldn't find these in my local nurseries but I do know the other hydrangeas offered definitely did NOT look like this.
I'm not familiar with ordering plants, so I don't want to make any complaint until I am sure what I should have expected.
Thanks a bunch.
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luis_pr
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Posts: 824
Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2009 8:31 am
Location: Hurst, TX USA Zone 7b/8a

Hmmm, I too am not impressed. I would have expected more stems from the crown but maybe they cut those to reduce the shipment's weight and reduce the transportation costs.

The unknown of what to expect and the fact they are not blooming is the reason why I am reluctant to order by mail. I mean, one has no idea in what shape they will be when you get them?!?! Maybe some of the worse ones can be pruned to make the various branches be in sync with the others. Then you have to wait for new/more stems to grow from the crown. Which may not take too long since these are supposed to be older plants.

Not sure if they will take them back or return your money since they are not dead. I usually check "the watchdog" to make sure the place is "ok" to order from. Luckily, Limelights are pretty strong and sturdy bushes that can take a lot of abuse.

The other problem is you have no idea what these guys really are until they bloom. Reminds me of several hydrangeas and roses I ordered that turned out to be something else.

You can complain (read the legalese sections to see what they will do) as, at most, they may give you a small credit to use when ordering again.

Shirley Pinchev
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Posts: 50
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:22 pm
Location: Shoreline wa

I have to agree with luis - they are not pretty at all, but if you wait a year or so they might come back. I personally would phone the company and ask for a manager and tell them that you are very disappointed. You might also mention that you have posted photos of the plants and have had comments that they are not up to the standard of most mail order nurseries. I would also say that many people are interested in how that company will handle this complaint.
If they are a responsible company then they should either ship you a new order or refund your money. Send them the photos that you have posted, perhaps they do not realize what is being shipped.

Buying from a reliable company may cost a bit more, but they will guarantee their product and that is really important - hydrangeas are expected to live for many years and the extra cost for your plants should be stretched out over the life of the plant. So if you pay an extra $10 and the plant lives for 20 years, then the actual cost is only $0.50 per year! Hope I did that right..... Please let us know if they do agree to make you happy. If not, please post the name of the company to help other avoid making the same mistake.

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GardeningCook
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Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2015 8:35 pm
Location: Upper Piedmont area of Virginia, Zone 7a

HGrep - I posted to you here yesterday but ONCE AGAIN my post (& your reply apparently) were removed. So let me try AGAIN.

I've been ordering plants from online vendors for many many years now, & those plants you've received look perfectly fine. Shipping - even plants that are very-well packaged - does take it's toll, & you're never going to receive the same pristine specimens that you'll find at a local nursery.

Just trim yours up a bit & get them in the ground asap, & I'm sure you'll be surprised at how very quickly they perk up & get going. As far as whether or not they turn out to be the variety you ordered, you won't know that until later on (as you frequently wouldn't even if you had bought nursery stock). Over the years I've never had that happen, but all the vendors I've dealt with have been quick to offer replacement plants &/or credits the very few times I've had a problem. The online nursery business has become extremely competitive in the past decade or so, & any nursery that wants to make it understands that their customer service has to be above board.

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Allyn
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Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:38 pm
Location: Mississippi Gulf Coast - zone 8b

I know I posted on this already, but it seems to have disappeared. I agree with GardeningCook. The top one looks a little sad, but the other two look okay. They need to be planted and they'll fill out again. Plants you receive through the mail aren't going to arrive looking like the plants you find at your local nursery, but they'll recover from their ordeal soon enough.

Edit: I knew I posted on this. There are multiple threads going:
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 05#p361605

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GardeningCook
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Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2015 8:35 pm
Location: Upper Piedmont area of Virginia, Zone 7a

Allyn wrote:I know I posted on this already, but it seems to have disappeared. I agree with GardeningCook. The top one looks a little sad, but the other two look okay. They need to be planted and they'll fill out again. Plants you receive through the mail aren't going to arrive looking like the plants you find at your local nursery, but they'll recover from their ordeal soon enough.

Edit: I knew I posted on this. There are multiple threads going:
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 05#p361605
Ah Ha - thank you SO much for letting me know that I'm not going crazy. This has happened to me several times on other threads, & my techno-idiot brain never processed the fact that there might be multiple threads!!! :lol:



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