I would be on the phone in a flash, sending e.mails with pics of offending items. Those are truly shocking - absolutely no excuse for those etiolated, colourless shoots, pathetic excuse for pots and rubbish specimens altogether. Give the nursery a chance to put this right and reimburse you, including postage......and if they refuse, a declaration of war is in order.

I would contact them first and send them pictures explaining why I was displeased with the order. Given their reputation, I am sure they will make things right. I have not purchased from them but I know folks have recommended them.
Good luck.

Julia

Yes, That is just what I did, just before posting the picture here, I sent an email to them with the pic. Within an hour I received a phone call, very apologetic, and offered to replace the clematis. I agreed, that is all I expect, good healthy clematis. I think it was too early for them to ship from their area, the UPS did not help by turning the package so that all of the potting came away from the pot, but, as she stated several issues needed to be addressed with packing and shipping. The one good thing I can say is that they all have tremendous root systems. So, you learn as they learn. They have been repotted in larger pots, cut back, and we will see what happens. I was just so surprised, as I have always had great luck with my internet/mail orders. They will make good, and that is what matters.
Debra

Deborah , I'm sorry to hear about your plants ! I ordered 6 from brushwood , and I really can't say enough good about them. I'm sorry I already potted them up and didn't think to take pics to post and share with others. I also ordered omoshiro , and it has a bud on it . Hoping in a day or two it'll open .
I hope klems sends you some beauties and you can post updated pics ! :)

I've ordered only 1 hard to find plant from them. Everything was perfect. Their packaging was better than most. The only problem I've ever had in getting plants by mail order is transportation via USPS. The worst was lost for 13 days-yet the plants survived. A lot depends on local managers on both ends. After 2 problems with USPS, I always specify UPS or FedX. There are big variations in how nurseries package plants, but quite frankly they come with such good root stock, packaging problems are not a big problem.

Thanks lilyfinch and gary11, I have three ordered from Brushwood, so I can't wait to see how they arrive. I am sure I will not be disappointed. I have already received three from Bluestone, and I just can't enough good about their plants and shipping. I cut the three damaged ones back, and they are already looking a little greener, after a few 80-90 degree days. We are expecting 30 degrees tonight and a light snow, so I am scrambling to find a spot for 7 potted clematis, that are in 2 Gal pots. No garage. I did get a little carried away this winter on my clematis orders. Still have 5 coming after the 15th. Hopefully the weather will be nice again, after this week. I am very tempted to plant the three from Bluestone next week, but I do like to wait until they have a little harder stem on them. Omoshiro and Guernsey Cream where the hardest for me to find, sold out every place, so I hope they survive.
This is a picture of my "Sweet Summer Love" that I received from Bluestone last week, they arrived perfect and have grown an inch already.

Wow Deborah , those look great !! I wish I had ordered some from bluestone . Maybe during those spring sales they have.
Today I picked up a jackmanii Clem and one called andromeda from the local rose nursery I drove to . Here are their blooms , I really like andromeda !! No idea where it'll go , but it was only 8$.

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A little droopy from the heat :)

I love the Andromeda! And at that price! And my Jackmani has never failed me. I do have better luck with the type 3 clematis. We only have one local nursery that carries any Clematis. They usually have the common ones, but I did get a Romana last year, and the prices are usually pretty high, but they are usually in 2 Gal pots. The first Clematis I bought were from them at their July sale, I think I bought five, for a few dollars each, and he gave me one that looked dead and wasn't tagged. It turned out to be Nellie Moser, and that started my addiction... Nothing like a free plant to get you started. Post more pictures of Andromeda when gets a little bigger, please. Debra

I also prefer type 3 Clem's ! They grow like crazy and nothing can stop them.
I decided andromeda was worth seeing if type 2s are good for me here in the south. I have Betty Corning and Jenny from brushwood new this year. Do you know anything about those? Betty seems like a sure thing , but Jenny isn't one I've heard much about. It's fun to see how they turn out!'
Let us know how Ramona is ! There aren't any good Clem's locally here either. Unless lowes gets them in by accident ! :) I had driven an hour and a half to a rose nursery that had my two new ones . Also bought 6 roses! ;)

When I look at my list, I do have more type 2 than type 3. Earnest Markham was the prize bloomer last summer, bloomed from May through Sept nonstop. Romona had one bloom, but is off to a good start this year. However we just had 2 inches of snow and 29 degrees, high winds so I am seeing many snapped tips that I will clip off in a day or two. Seems to happen every year. I do not have Betty Corining but I am familiar with it, but not Jenny.
I see that my Brushwood order shipped yesterday, I ordered, Florida Sieboldiana, General Sikorski, Rebecca, and Piilu... all type 2, so I am anxious to see how they arrive. I will take pics. I did get a Villa De Lyon in a green bag at Walmart that is looking good, but still pretty small.
I will be going to the large nursery in the city this week to pick up a Spartan Juniper and roses.. I will see what they have in clematis, but they usually have the usual there as well. I think I am overloaded for this year, if I get all that I ordered planted I will be out of room for this year. :-)

How funny !! I picked up ville de Lyon also at Walmart along with henrii and venosa . Ville de Lyons was the only one that never woke up ! Lol
What kind of roses do you enjoy in tx ? I'd imagine the heat is a lot to keep after watering constantly.

That is funny! You just never know when you buy them like that how they will do.. I love my Henrii and Venosa, that I got last year, I did not plant them until the fall even though they did bloom in the pot. They have grown like crazy this spring. I am such an impulse buyer for clematis. I did buy a box of four of The President the year before and only one survived.
The nurseryman only recommended one climbing rose for me, a Joseph's Coat, for the hot winds that we get. So that is all I am planting this year, and I will grow a Huldine with it. We will see how that works out. I could not decide if the Guernsey Cream might look better next to it.. We had beautiful roses in New Mexico, but we have such hot dry wind year round here, they all just look beaten. I hope it does well. I am sure that in the Dallas area the roses do much better as they do have more humidity.

I am glad to hear that Klehm's was willing to work with you to make everything right. Last year, I ordered three Clematis 'Jan Fopma' from them and found them to be the most extraordinarily healthy and well-packed clematis plants I have ever received.

Yes ispahan, I was relieved that they reacted so positively. The new replacements arrived on Friday, much better that the first ones, and the packing was taped around the dirt/mulch, so in case UPS did turn in upside down, at least the roots where still covered. And as I said before, it think these plants had a better root system than most of the Clems I have ordered anywhere. We learn as we grow, right? I am very pleased with the purchase now.

I've ordered clematis from Klehms in the past and I had thought they were better than all the others! It's been awhile but my recollection is that it was their root systems were much more impressive compared to other suppliers. But yes, those pics do not look good, but I'm sure the plants will be just fine once they settle in. Clems are tough.

-recovering clemaholic

p.s. former caretaker of 60+ clems, now re-starting my new collection at a postage stamp garden new condo. :-(

I actually bought some bareroots from homedepot.com of all places. Curious to see how they arrive. Am expecting them today or tomorrow.