E mail comments received by Australiaplants

Hi. I just wanted to say that you have a fantastic website and have heaps of excellent information on Australian plants. I live in Western Australia, and even though I was not on the market for Australian plants, your website had so much detailed information that I didn't have to go anywhere else. Your website was the best resource that I could find on the net and that's including all the sites from Australia! Thanks a lot for helping me out with info for Xanthorrhoea preissii and please continue to give this valuable and fantastic service to the rest of the world. Thanks a bunch.

Nicholas writes on March 11, 2003: G'day! I am amazed at how quickly you responded to my questions, and how thoroughly, too! Many thanks. I'll take your recommendation on the red cluster (needs a snappier name, like Vegemite Delite) and I'll be ordering on line. Do these require an acid fertilizer, like their relatives Metrosideros? Thank you again. You went way above and beyond the call of duty in generously taking the time to answer in such depth. (Yes, you can quote me!)

Carter writes on Jan 4, 2002: It was a great experience! They helped me out with my order, giving me advice on what they thought would grow best in my area and were quick in both e-mail response and shipment of my order. Plants were larger than I expected! I had bought pots to get ready for the shipment and the pots I bought were too small! Very friendly, fast, and professional.

Aleyda writes on Jan 1, 2002: I was very happy with the prompt response I received regarding Australian plants that would grow in the Chicago area. My kids needed Australian plants for a 4H project and I emailed Australiaplants.com and received a response. I ordered the plants and some seeds. The plants are doing great. The 4H kids are trying to grow Eucalyptus Neglecta from seed as well. The prices were unbelievably low.

Harry P Lew Botanic Gardens - Orlando Florida, 2/15/02 writes: The plants we ordered from you last year are doing great. Several Eucalyptus that were 1-2 ft. tall when we received them are now 7-8 ft. In the past I have had a E. citriodora go from a 6" seedling to 30' tree in 3-4 years.

Kim at the University of Queensland writes, 3/5/02: Hi I was surfing the net to find out more about the Poplar Box (actually what I want is a a tree similar to this but with very smooth bark - I have seen the specimen but no-one can tell me its name. Someone has suggested it might be E.cambungi, but don't think so) and ..lo-and-behold, came across your site --- it is absolutely great - easy to navigate and full of really useful information about each plant - and you sure have a lot available...My only concern?? - That you are based in the USA and not here in OZ and I can't find anything similar from an australian nursery in Queensland!!!!

Cheers and keep up the good work!

KR writes on 3/17: Thank you for your exemplary service. Everything arrived quite quickly and in wonderful shape. We are experiencing a rather unseemly March snowstorm and cold wave this week, will get everything into ground or pots asap. Thanks again, Michael, for your wonderful service!

NC from California writes on 6/18: Dear Mike: The seeds I ordered from you arrived yesterday. All of them appear to be in excellent condition.

All of the Eucalypts I ordered came in quantities describe in your on-line catalogue as 10+mg. I think the actual amounts you sent were between 150 and 400mg of seed. My math may be bad, but this appears to be 15-40 times the quantity you list. This is a very generous amount of seed and my sincere thanks for sending so much. I am also impressed with the level of customer service you have provided, including instructions for the germination of seeds I didn't order from you!

R. N. in Boston Mass writes: Last year we conversed about Eucalyptus growing in the Boston area (USDA Zone 6) and you suggested two species. I purchased several hundred dollars worth of plants. This season, I find that none survived the winter. This after covering them with hay to protect them from the snow.

I would not be upset if it was 25% or even 50% survival, but 100% failure seems, to me, to be too much. I am aware that you do not guarantee your plants, and acknowledge that they arrived healthy. But after some 20 years of purchasing plants for 3 different homes, this is the first time I've had a 100% failure rate. (Mike's comment: Although this is certainly NOT a satisfied customer and probably one who will never purchase from us again, I do feel there is a need to re-state our position. We provide healthy plants to you, but obviously we can't guarantee your success. The USDA Zone ratings we give are based upon cold temperatures - not wet soils during winter. When you put heavy mulch or hay around the base of Eucalyptus (this holds in excess moisture) and then get extended wet soils during the winter, obviously you are not providing the proper environment for your plant. Eucalyptus prefer WELL-DRAINED soils, not soils logged with water, snow, ice, etc. during winter conditions. This will rot off the root system and the plant will die or have serious damage. In this case, I did not feel I could absorb the cost of replacement plants and shipping as the cultural care you provide is beyond my control. I'm sorry, but you as the customer are responsible for providing the proper environment for your plants. I have no control over that.

Catherine W in Florida writes 6/15: Attentive and most helpful (and patient) owner. The web site is a mine of information for neophytes ...and for pros I'm sure. The order arrived promptly and thoughtfully packed ( adios plastic peanuts). Mike's seed scale is on the very generous side too. Thank you for a great web purchase.

Sir:
I want to thank you for your excellent web site. Unfortunately we are not able to purchase from you as we live in the UK, but we have a Eucalyptus Torquata (Coral Gum) in our garden, grown from seed planted about 6 years ago. We knew it was a gum tree but as it is now about 15 ft tall, we decided to find out what variety it is to see how big it will grow. Our garden is only 24ft x 28ft and we had visions of an 80ft monster!

Your site has such excellent descriptions and photos as well so we are relieved to see that it will only grow to 24ft. We live right on the south coast of England, about 400ft from the sea and the tree is in a very wet place, but stands salt and high winds very well. It has survived mild frost each year since planting and the first buds appeared about 2 years ago, taking around 6 months to bloom. Now it gets covered in flowers! Your description is so exact, identification was really simple.

Thank-you so much for the information.

Best regards
A & C P, Portsmouth UK