I've spent nearly $1,000 at Millstone Nursery, but after what happened today, I will never…read morereturn--and I strongly warn others to stay away.
About three weeks ago, I purchased a tree-form David Austin rose from this nursery for nearly $100. The day I brought it home, I noticed early signs of black spot disease on several leaves. I immediately planted it in a high-quality grow bag, pruned the diseased foliage, and treated it with copper fungicide. I've cared for it meticulously ever since.
Despite all efforts, the rose continued to deteriorate--no new growth, no viable buds, and even some grafted stems fell off, clearly indicating structural and physiological issues with the plant. This was not caused by neglect. It was a sick plant from the start.
Today I brought it back to the nursery--not to demand, but to request help or even a replacement. What I received was hostility. The owner told me that "bringing back plants like this could kill everything in our nursery," and insisted I take it away immediately. She literally told me "don't bring it inside, take it away, you're going to contaminate us." We were treated as if we were carrying biological weapons, not seeking a fair resolution.
When I pointed out that the plant had shown signs of disease almost immediately, I was told "all our plants are guaranteed disease-free," and that any issue must be "your fault, because you planted it." I was also told that unless they had planted the rose for me, they offered no guarantee or support whatsoever.
This is not how responsible nurseries treat loyal customers. Even big box stores like Lowe's and Home Depot offer a 1-year plant guarantee--Millstone, by contrast, hides behind a "Final Sale" policy while pushing diseased plants at premium prices, then refuses to take accountability when problems arise.
I love gardening. I treat my plants with care, knowledge, and deep respect. I don't expect perfection, but I do expect honesty and basic decency. What I got instead was arrogance, evasion, and disrespect.
Avoid this place. They sell expensive plants with no accountability, and if anything goes wrong, they'll blame you.
If you value your money, your time, and your dignity--go elsewhere.