Dear Charles,
A dear friend of mine used to visit there from time to time because she traded succulents with the boys and they catered to her. She would furnish them with rare specimens which they would then propogate and sell.
I am in Texas, but from what I have heard from others over the years, I wouldn't go if I lived within 10 miles. One botanist said there were diseased plants all over the place mixed in with apparently healthy ones.
Their catalog makes you think it is Kew Gardens in the U.K. Many of those plants they may or may not have, and if they do, they have ONE and have to cultivate one for you to fill your order.
They are also notorious about not answering e-mails or phone inquiries UNLESS they think you are going to report them to Dave's Garden's Feedback Forum, and then they get busy trying to please you. They spend a great deal of time trying to justify complaints at that forum.
At least you have seen for yourself. Good luck with your ten new plants.

Dear eldo,

I am glade to know your feelings about the ten miles I wish I had known that it would have saved me a day of torment,I would have rather drove to Texas then gone up there.
I probably won't get this all correct but, Tom told me that a couple of days a go that some big coleus guy from another country came over to see him about his work. He said that the web was coleus.org. I haven't researced it out if you know anythink about this site let me know, but I would have hated to have seen that mans face when he showed up, saw that mess. Tom also said some people from Lexington Ky. are going up tomorrow. I have no way of contacting these to save them from the torture, and a horrible waste of gas.

Take care
charles

Having been to Glasshouse Works a couple of times as well as mail ordered: Onsite visits are probably best to check out sale items and non-plant curiosities (statuary etc.) that would be expensive to ship. The place isn't set up so that you can expect to pick up everything you want in a 2 1/4 inch pot.

If you order, expect considerable delays as GW apparently propagates many or most of its plants when it receives your order. Coleus should not be a problem due to quick rooting (my one coleus order was received promptly and in good shape).

The place will not win awards for organization and tidiness, but I don't recall seeing any significant disease problems or receiving diseased plants through mail order.

eric

well just to let you now I made several calls to them to ask about visiting them and let them know what I wanted.
I guess mail order is the way to go if you want to buy from them, that way you dont have to look at the mess...

Hi, Charles-
I'm sorry you made that long trip and didn't get much out of it.
I should have been more careful to say that it might be good if you checked out THE FEEDBACKS on Dave's Website before going. I hope I didn't influence you to make that long drive.
At least your experience might save someone else a trip, unless they are a lot closer and are just curious.
How do you winter over your coleus? What is your favorite mail-order source? Can you buy nice varieties where you live? We have an independent nursery run by a lady who knows her stuff, and she usually has enough varieties to satisfy most people, but I'm always on the lookout for something different.
I ordered some from a lady in the Carolinas I believe who has a small operation. It was in late June or early July and she was selling everything for a dollar or so. They arrived in Texas in hellish weather but were in great shape and every one lived and thrived. I don't know how I found out about her- probably on this site.
In past years I have let everything freeze, but I have a few this year that I hate to lose. I don't know if cuttings will root this late in the season, and I don't have a greenhouse, so they would be in and out of the garage. The plants are enormous (for coleus) and impractical to save as is. If I cut them back to a foot or so, there would be mostly stem, since the lower parts of the stems don't get any light.
We'll see how it goes.
Best,
James

Hi, James

Hey, it had nothing to do with you why I went to glaashouse, I am just sorry that I did.
By the way I am very glad you told me about Dave's web site, that will really help me out a lot.

Well this will be the first year for coleus, I just wanted to see what I could do with them through the winter. I have a grow light in a spare room that I will use and hope since they came from glasshouse that they will survive after repotting is done.

This will be my first year to do mail-order so I am really looking foward to it. I like roses and can't wait to receive new ones this year. Dave's web will really come in handy for that as well.

We don't have any place around here to purchase good nursery items so that's why I can't wait to start receiving from mail-order. I don't mind driving places as long as it is not like the last disaster.

I have a question for you, I purchased two hydrangea that came in a 3x3 little plastic pot, I was wondering how would you would keep them for winter. I thought it was probably getting to late to plant outside and survive.

Thanks
Charles

Hello Messrs. James, Charles, and Eric,
Thank you for the information you have posted here regarding Glasshouse Works. I only wish that I had checked "Dave's Garden" site prior to ordering from them back in 10/04/2006. To date, I have not received my order. I e-mailed them back in 10/25/2006 but never got a reply.

Today, after reading your posts and the comments on Dave's Garden, I decided to check my cc statement to find out if they charged my card already. They did. The ad said that there would be 15% discount for orders in the month of October over $50. Not only did they NOT give me the discount, but my cc was charged $2.20 over the invoice.

So, here we are, the 16th of Nov., and no word or anything from them. I just e-mailed them again tonight requesting for the status of my order. Let's see if they will respond this time.

Thanks again, y'all.
Chong

P.S. Having read this and the prior thread, I suspect that they may be having difficulties in propagating my orders (various jasminium and cestrum varieties). I was under the impression that all the plants I ordered were excessive inventory. Someone in the prior thread said that they propagate the plants after you order. So since they charged my cc, without even a clear date as to when they intend to ship, they are violating the cc policy that they can only charge your cc when they are ready to ship your order.