High Country Gardens Grade: C+

Top 20 Rank: #12

Overall rating: 77

Location: Shellburne, VT

High Country Gardens Review

High Country Gardens comes in at #12 of our top 20 online nurseries. They would be ranked higher but we emphasize evergreens, they don't.

High Country Gardens has a good reputation, especially with drought tolerant plants, also referred to as eco-smart, water-wise or xeriscape plants. They were sold in 2012 to American Meadows, who also has a solid reputation in the industry. High Country Gardens founder has remained, serving as a lead horticulturist at High Country Gardens. The mission, as their slogan states; "pioneers in sustainable gardening".

There are not a lot of Google reviews. When we last checked they had 79 with a 4.2 average rating.

According to their website, their plants are grown in New Mexico, Utah & Colorado and shipped from their greenhouse in Denver. Their primary grow location is still in New Mexico. It's their administrative offices that are now located in Vermont, at American Meadows headquarters.

The only 2 places their rating score got dinged were selection & sizes.

Their return policy seems more than fair. "we will honor our satisfaction guarantee for up to one full year from delivery. We are happy to offer a one-time replacement (if available), an account credit or a refund. Shipping charges are non-refundable." One of a few places that even mention refund.

Their ship costs are also one of the lowest we've seen.

If you plan on buying from High Country Gardens, you might want to call them first. They offer phone help from 7 am to 7 pm mountain time. Ask if they have any shipping delays. Don't accept a generic answer. If the person you speak to is unsure, ask them to talk to someone who can get your answers.

Their niche is perennials, bulbs, pre-planned gardens, wildflower seeds, xeriscape plants, and some garden center items. They also sell a variety of grass plugs. In our opinion, High Country Gardens is a great place to shop for any of those categories.

What were the red flags?

- Their Conditions of Use are super long. One piece seems like it would be hard to prove... "If you have followed our detailed planting and care instructions and you do not experience success..." How does anyone prove they followed planting & care instructions?

About the Author

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Doug Hall

President at Target Marketing Solutions

Doug Hall owns BuyEvergreenShrubs.com and has over 15 years experience working with some of the largest online plant nurseries. Doug has consulted for, visited and evaluated quality from over 50 plant nurseries. He also has extensive direct marketing experience.