I only ever ordered once from this nursery a few years ago. A couple currants which were really nice. This year late in the season, like in April I ordered a Pomegranate and a Crandall currant. It took a bit but a shipment finally came and it was 2 Rovada’s currants! I once had a nursery do something similar and it was a total rip off! Anyway the Rovada’s were very nice although I already have one. So I emailed and within an hour they apologized and wanted to know if I still wanted the plants or my money back. I took the plants and they arrived yesterday. Absolutely giant 3 foot specimens, both the currant and pomegranate. Beautiful! This place not only has unique plants they truly care about making you happy. I wanted to return the favor and post here about this nursery. The plants were huge and the price was fair. I will be ordering from them again.
I planted the Rovada’s out they were also nice, and this cultivar is about the best red you can buy. Long sprigs are typical.
Every company makes mistakes from time to time, it’s what they do to respond to mistakes that really matters. It sounds like Rolling River took care of their mistake in the best way possible. I will look at this Nursery next time I am thinking of buying something.
I wanted to add that they were packed really well, They had to travel over 3000 miles to get to me, the package looked like it was shipped locally. Well packed with supporting rods, and a square cardboard base taped to the plant to keep it centered.
This nursery has new owners, hands changed in 2015 but the old owners are still there helping train. Planting Justice owns the nursery. I’m not much into the goals of this organization, but I must admit it is impressive. They walk the walk and have a goal to make our food products better. This nursery is not typical!
Here is a mission statement of sorts from the website.
"Planting Justice is a grassroots organization with a mission to democratize access to affordable, nutritious food by empowering urban residents with the skills, resources, and knowledge they need to maximize organic food production, expand job opportunities, and ensure environmental sustainability in the Bay Area. "
Obtaining this nursery they are now expanding to nationwide in a small way. Most nurseries geared to the home grower, do not have these goals, and it appears to me using words like empowering, they truly want us to succeed and change our culture to focus on quality of food and not quickness. Looking at the quality of products I got from them, I’m am extremely impressed. I’m not a tree hugger. But I’m all in on this nursery and how they do business. To keep me though they will need to impress me every order. Not easy in anyway for any nursery.
I ordered from them twice and was very satisfied with purchase. Very nice packaging and the roots were very carefully preserved. All plants looked very alive.The honeyberries from them had already had fruits and flowers when I received them. I had trees from Raintree which looked very dry or completely dry for the more expensive price.
My first order from them this year will be my last. I ordered 3 staghorn sumac, and an Opal plum. They did the most incompetent packing job I have ever seen, causing all 4 to be damaged in shipping. The Opal plum may be fatally damaged, and was not even a tree to begin with. It lookes like a child’s failed 4-H project. The rootstock has evidence of at least 1 failed graft attempt, and the actual graft is to growth above the original failed graft. The graft is fresh/not healed and looks like total garbage. The scion was a “Y” fork, not a whip. It was mostly broken off during shipping and there is 1 nearly dead leaf attached to a suckering rootstock. I wrapped the scion in parafilm, but do not expect it to live. Their website said they had 33 Opal plum trees in stock, and they sent me something that is not even a proper tree.
Can not contact them through the website, they did not answer their phone or empty their voicemail.
My favorite nursery.