I'm not familiar with the others but I agree with you about Mosaic-World. He's just fantastic. Great guy and he sends you lovely, well cared for plants.

I also noticed that he's not listing lately. He has a website though. Mosaic-world.com.

I've ordered from Borlovans Nursery at Ebay.
I ordered an Aspitistra(Cast Iron)from them. I was initially dissapointed with the way the plant shipped. I thought that perhaps the plant would be a bust, yet I was surprised. This past season(just as the nursery assured me) the plant put out new growth like gangbusters! Every day it seemed new leaves pushed out. I got a total of 20 new leaves this growing season!
For my money,this is the best site for Aspidistras. They are very reasonably priced. They sell shrubs,houseplants,perrenials,trees,tropical plants,etc..
He adds extras as well as a 30 day guarantee.
Grice

Sort of off topic to the thread but bboy has posted in suggestions asking for GW to add a Rate 'N Review section for people who buy garden stuff on-line, mail order etc and if you have a second and think it would be a good addition please follow the link below and let GW know.

Thanks.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rate And Review

Hi everyone,

Cactus Limon has great reviews in garden watchdog, but when I made purchases from them on ebay, I got no response from them at all. They advertise combined shipping and tell you to email them for the total. I bought four plants on Nov. 9, emailed them FIVE times and even called them, leaving a message on their voicemail, and no response at all! I'm surprised and disappointed...

I just made a purchase from teedeecacti--will let you know how that goes!

-Esther

Esther,sorry to hear of your bad experience.
You should report the problem to Ebay. Maybe they will be able to resolve it for you.

Btw,did you pay them and never receive your order?
P.S. Gabro,sorry for getting off topic here,lol
Grice

Grice,
Thankfully I didn't pay, but I didn't even get a chance to because they never told me how much to pay! So at least it's not like I was cheated out of money... but I really wanted the stuff I ordered--including cool monstrose cactus.

Gabro, I'd love to hear whom to avoid. My email is otternymph@gmail.com. (Sorry, I'm not sure how to email via the forum, if there is a way.)

I bought online recently from gosucculent.com, who also sells on ebay as infinisource. Shipping is a flatrate of $14.95. The plants are in great shape, although on the small side. The smaller ones come in pots, all labelled, and bundled in newspaper. I found the experience very satisfactory... and it's sure easy getting carried away!

I'll report on teedeecactus on Monday when I pick em up from the post office. Hope they weren't on your list, Grabo...!

-Esther

Hi all,

Esther...you're right CACTUS LIMON is horrible! I wanted to buy a plant from them but they never replied to a question I had about it. And they were so incredibly rude when they finally did!
And I might as well just list the people to avoid on this site:
1. Cactus Limon is one to avoid, not because of her plants (because I never even got a chance to order!), but because of her communication.
2. Jwdobbsfarm is another to avoid. He has many positive feedback ratings, so maybe it's just me. However, he does have a bunch of negatives. Anyway, I had a bad experience with him. He doesn't respond to emails, when he finally did he was so rude, and there is also some sort of communication problem between his farm and the shippers (that's how it was explained to me...it seems like a big messy operation, which is funny, because they are supposedly a very small family owned business-he tried to tell me this so I'd understand why he doesn't check his emails regularly!). Anyway, I FINALLY got the plant, and even though it's a nice plant, it's nothing like the picture shown. So I definitely urge you to avoid them.

There is one more to avoid, but I'm a little weary to list her, because I feel she might be on here. Someone here has the same name she used in her emails to me on ebay. Esther, I'll email you privately and tell you her ebay name. Basically, she sent me the wrong dracaena corn plant (green rather than variegated), it came with one cane instead of a few canes (as advertised), and it was dead upon arrival! Even though she was a little difficult to deal with, she did refund my money, so I did not leave her negative feedback. If anyone else wants to know her name, just leave me your email.
Good luck with your ebay purchases, and I hope this thread is helpful.
Gabi

Hi everyone, Gabi,

I got my plants from teedeecacti today: an adenium obesum, pachypodium namaquanam and cereus tetragonus. The adenium is probably about 20" tall, the box was BIG (a good sign!). When I lugged it home, the box was stuffed with packing paper and the plants were very professionally wrapped and labelled. (Someone there has deli-sandwich wrapping or gift-wrapping experience!) They also threw in two heat packs. (You can get a heatpack if you spend close to 20$ and up.) The plants look like they can't believe what happened to them, but the roots are super healthy and the leaves all stayed put! I was very impressed. So I highly recommend them!

BTW, Gabi, Cactus Limon finally contacted me! It only took a month! LOL. I have yet to explain to them that I don't want some of the stuff I bought from them because I bought them elsewhere. They'll never reply, at that rate.

Anyway, hope this helps anyone else buying from ebay!

Thanks,
Esther

Hi all,

Gabi, maybe it's me, but I just don't get the point of buying your plants on EBay.

Now that I know you're in the NYC tri-state area, I can't help but think you'd do better in (1) local box stores, (2) local supermarkets, (3) local greenmarkets (even if you'd have to come into the City on a wknd for them, like maybe Saturday); (3) the Plant District (West 29th St. in NYC). From the plants I've seen you discussing, none are rare, exotic & so special that they can't be commonly bought. Not trying to be an old fart here, just thinking of $$ saved on shipping which could be spent on even MORE plants.

12 steps indeed,
(PG) Karen

Esther, you should report that seller to eBay as a Non Performing Seller , for not getting an invoice/payment instructions to you in a timely fashion.

Everyone who buys on eBay should bookmark the link below. It is a fast easy way to look up negs and neutrals.

Also remember, 98% feedback is good in school but not on eBay. In most cases, you want 99% or higher.

Here is a link that might be useful: Look up Negs and Neutrals

Hi PG,

I see your point but the truth is (as far as my experience goes at least), ebay is cheaper than my nearby garden store. The plants I get on ebay are usually very young, which I like...whereas the plants at a garden store or wal-mart/home depot/lowes/supermarket are usually full grown. I like getting smaller plants and watching them grow. My H. Carnosa and H. Kentiana are the only Hoyas I didn't buy from Ebay, and I actually had to split up the Kentiana into 2 pots because it was just too full for me!

I also find that my choices are greater on Ebay. I have many more plants than I've listed on this forum, and even though they may not be rare, I don't see them in the usual garden stores. It just makes more sense to me to sit at my computer and buy plants rather than searching all over for the ones I want...I work many hours and find buying things online (not just plants) is easier. But again, it's really not that much more money...sometimes it's less.

And I have to admit, I love getting packages in the mail! I feel like a kid on Christmas when I get a package, especially when it's a plant! And I'm usually not disappointed with what I get...most sellers ship very carefully.

I know that was long, but I hope that explains why I prefer buying from Ebay. But taking a trip to the city plant district sounds like a nice field trip...thanks for the idea.

P.S. If you've never bought from Ebay...I urge you to try it. Although I must warn you...it's addicting, and for us plant addicts, that's dangerous.

Gabi

I guess to each their own right? If you pick them up or have them delivered they're all equally wanted by the grower. I remember last year buying a couple of Adenium Obesums from Walmart for about 5 bucks and having someone tell me they had spent 3-4 times that amount purchasing same sized plants on-line.

For me there's nothing like spending hours trolling every store I can think of looking for plants and then experiencing the feeling of finding something that you really want and being able to pick it up and hear it whisper "take me home with you." And then the feeling you get as you walk your plant to the register your chin held a little higher and your shoulders squared up brimming with pride because you have discerning tastes and you just got yourself one heck of a plant.

Ok maybe I take this buying plants stuff too serious.

:0)

Well I guess it really IS whatever works for the individual. Am glad Gabi, you took no offense & took it in the spirit in which I meant it.

I do know what you mean tho' abt packages arriving making ya feel like kid on Xmas morning. Had that feeling myself today, when got 2 pkgs at office, 1 a sweet holiday gift from a friendly client, the other a replacement Hoya for a purchase I made end Sept in FLA, lost the Hoya partly 'cause the sender didn't mark top from bottom & they were indistinguishable. Unfortunately, his tips on telling top from bottom didn't work for this one & he sent the replacement unmarked as well (GRRRRR). I'm pretty ticked off abt it; called him tonite, the tip his wife gave wasn't true, he's supposed to call me tomorrow AM. Ackkkk!

Also, my collection was 180+ plants at last count, I really have no business buying more plants, at least at my local society or swapping Hoyas w/ 'puter friends by mail, tends to keep them small, so I can usually find another spot or 2 or 5. I've deliberately stayed off EBay due to its potentially addictive nature; the one exception I expect to make is to buy Hoyas from Cowboyflowerman soon.

Definately whatever works. The plant district (W. 28th, it's 28th St., (not 29th, as I mistyped above, sorry), btwn 6th & 7th Aves.) has some excellent stuff, reasonably priced, but no Hoyas! Happy shopping everybody.

Yes, PG, buying over the computer tends to keep the plant shopping to a limit. Which is another point I forgot to make. If I go into a garden store or Lowes, I want EVERYTHING. But at least on Ebay I can have some control, and usually only buy 1 plant at a time.

Glad you're considering buying from Cowboyflowerman. Though he has beautiful hoyas, I have to warn you that his communication is very poor, as I've recently noticed. Not too bad though, he just never left me positive feedback (and I paid the same day the auction ended!), and never responded to my inquiries about why he didn't leave me feedback. That being said, he still has nice plants, which is what really matters. If you can, post pics of what you get if you do end up buying from him.

Oh, and PG...is this plant district a bunch of garden stores on a street? That's what I'm picturing. I will definitely check it out when it's nicer out and I have more room for plants. Thanks for the info.

On one of these forums, just a few days ago, someone reported buying something on Ebay, I think, that turned out to be arguably endangered and the Feds were snooping on line and discovered the transaction and came and snatched the plant.

Oh yes, I read about that too. Shocking! It's kind of ridiculous how serious it is. I guess endangered plants is a major concern, but being called by the Feds also sounds way frightening.

Pirategirl, thanks for the info. Even tho I grew up in NYC, I only got into plants very recently, so never even considered the garden district! I bought a few very well priced succulents at the farmer's market in Union Square a few weeks ago. I have to say that Ebay actually LIMITS my browsing around and buying things I didn't intend to. If I want an adenium, I can just type it and click Search. Only adeniums pop up. No distracting but delightful echeverias or kalanchoes or sedums to catch my eye!

Buyorseller, thanks for the link... I should report it...

-Esther

Otternymph,

Yes, I completely agree! If I type in the exact plant I'm looking for, I'm more apt to buy just that one instead of being side-tracked at a plant store and buying more than I intended to buy.

I just bought succelents and cacti at the Union Square market as well! We probably went to the same little store...it had lots of succs and cacti that were in ceramic pots - most were little tiny ones and mixtures of succs in a pot, along with a bunch of separate succs in their own pot. I went last weekend and they had some really nice ones. Most are doing well, but my Pachy is getting really leggy and another one I got (not sure of the name, but it's a succ) is completely dismembered from the soil! It still has a tiny root system but I can lift it right up and it's completely separate from the soil. I hope it recovers...I'm just going to leave it as is and hope it grows a bigger root system so it can be repotted.
Happy Ebay shopping!

Gabi