Orchids Limited - A review

[smweaver]

I have purchased from them for decades. In fact, they were one of the first firms that I went to for orchid purchases when I first started growing. And I agree with you that Jerry was always friendly and helpful. Their prices seem to have climbed considerably over the last few years (some of their cattleyas are insanely priced). While I can probably get used to higher prices (just have to be a little more choosy in what I decide I, in theory, can't live without), the quality of the plants I've received over the last year or two has declined. A number of the plants appear to have been simply pulled from a smaller pot and placed into a larger one at the time of shipping so that a higher price could be asked for a supposedly more mature plant (and I do want reiterate that it "appears" that this is what happened; I do not know that for a fact, even though the plants, when pulled from their pots, were not yet established in the larger size and showed no new root growth into the new medium).

So after last week, when I received the latest over-priced (to me) small plant that was labeled "blooming size" (and that description was very generous and optimistic in this case), which had a small root mass that was evidently just moved up to a larger pot size, I decided I would not be purchasing anything else from them. This is a shame, as I always loved looking at what they had, and I had previously looked forward to receiving a shipment from them.

[Leafmite]

That is too bad that you didn't have a good experience. I ordered one orchid from them and it was smaller than I had expected and probably the most I ever paid for an orchid so I never ordered from them again.

Their shipping is fantastically expensive and my orchid wasn't even packed as well as the orchids I have ordered from other places. (The best packed orchids I ever received were from Al's Orchid Greenhouse, second best was Exotic Orchids of Maui. Hausermann's and SVO always do a great job).

[Roberta]

I recently bought a Den. papilio from them and got a beautiful, husky plant. Not inexpensive, but well worth the price (and very much in line) for a plant of that size and quality. And also very reasonably-priced little L. dayana that was listed as not in bloom but came with a bud that has just opened and it is a beauty. Packing was adequate, plants arrived in good condition.

[stonedragonfarms]

I've had mixed experiences with them; oddly I've found their customer service stellar when dealing with them online, but lacking on the few occasions that I've been in the Minneapolis metro and able to visit in person. I agree that their packing is great, as is their communication about when plants will ship and when they will arrive, on the flip side though, it's extremely spendy--I was going to order 2-3 plants when their site update occurred at the end of September, but $40 of shipping/handling for $60 of plants is a bit steep...
Price creep is inevitable, probably doubly so when you are dealing with specimen sized plants & dealing with the current high prices of LP & natural gas [I really don't miss heating a greenhouse over winter in the upper midwest...]
Just my $.02

[Mshab]

I agree the quality of the plants I’ve gotten from them is top notch and the packing is exceptional. I’m disappointed in the reduced selection online compared to what they used to have. I’m not able to get the orchids I want from them anymore.

[Roberta]

The selection varies depending on what is growing... since they breed most of their own product I suspect that they aren't so much harmed by the supply problems as other vendors, but when something is sold out, it's gone until a new "crop" can be grown. I have had my eye on their Den papilio since they sold out several years ago. The one that I got was well worth the wait, though.