Kelly’s Tree & Landscaping Nursery

On 9÷25÷2014, I purchased 30 Emerald Green Arborvitaes from Kelly’s Nursery. I originally visited them to purchase Leeland Cyprus’es instead, but they 100% convinced me otherwise and told me the Arborvitaes would easily grow 20+ feet tall for much less maintenance with a discounted price. Trusting what I thought were local experts here in Calvert County, they completely lied and played me just to sell what they had in stock… and of poor quality. The trees came «on time» a few days later (as they were happy to be rid of them), and they would not cooperate ever since I immediately noticed there were major problems with the trees (including being infested with bagworms). After thoroughly communicating problems to them over the next 2 – 3 weeks, the owner (Kelly himself) started becoming extremely rude and blatantly lieing (saying that it had been months since I placed my order etc). I was even told by Mike and Kelly that the trees don’t typically grow anywhere near as tall as what they advertised to me after I purchased them. This is bait and switch marketing where I lost nearly $ 3,000. Please do not support this kind of horrible business practice and/​or people in Calvert County.
Read their BBB review (as of ¹⁄₂₀₁₅ rated «F», lowest) here:

Nursery is cluttered and not easy to navigate. I’ve gone to pick certain trees from there and they had grown root through the pot and into the ground. They told me that I couldn’t buy that particular tree or any tree that was grown into the ground. Their prices are outrageous and never have what I need. If they do happen to have bulk stone or topsoil it is always way above average price. I refuse to go there anymore.

My wife and I bought 37 leyland cypress from Kelly’s Nursery in April 2012. The trees were brown and had no branches on the bottom but Kelly McConkey personally reassured us that the branches would regrow after we planted them. The trees weren’t doing well so we called the nursery in July and October and each time Mr. McConkey said the store had a no return policy and that there was nothing we could do. In February we found from Wentworth nursery that the branches of leylands do not regrow. We called the nursery and left messages on his cell phone trying to talk to Kelly about the situation and asking for replacement trees. He wouldn’t return any messages and we even sent a certified letter which he never picked up. After calling 3 times in 3 days in May he finally texted us. He refused to replace our trees despite our purchasing them solely on his assurance that the branches would regrow. He offered to sell us replacement trees at cost, but we wanted nothing more to do with his company. We felt taken advantage of as naïve tree buyers relying on the advice of who we thought was an expert and a professional. We can not urge you more strongly to take your business elsewhere.

We purchased a tree from Kelly’s Nursery (keeping business in the county), for a memorial garden for one of my best friends, my father.
It took months for us to get this tree from Kelly’s, I found it four months before I knew pops would pass and started planning his garden. 3 months later the tree still hadn’t arrived. A few weeks after pops passed I went to Kelly’s, and very emotionally asked that the tree be delivered that week. We paid for installation of the tree with additional humus to be added to feed the tree.
We specifically mentioned that it was important that the crew that came to handle installation speak English, when they arrived no one spoke English. In addition they attempted to drop the tree in our yard and leave, attempting to argue with me (not a good choice) at the same time.
Having had so much communication with Kelly’s I had the cell number of Tim, the manager at the time, and proceeded to call him. I first mentioned the language barrier and then the fact that we paid for a service and his staff was refusing to do the work. He resolved the issue assuring us there would be no further problems.
The tree we purchased from Kelly’s nursery and had them install died within a year. Once we realized the tree was in danger we immediately contacted Kelly’s nursery. They put us off for months until the tree was finally dead. My husband called Kelly’s and was told they only replaced trees that they installed. He informed them that they had in fact installed the tree, at which point he was told they had no responsibility and would not replace the tree.
Throughout this situation we have contacted several local nurseries we were informed that Kelly’s had to know early on the tree was sick and several local nurseries have a replacement policy of any tree that dies within the first year. Many offered to come and remove the dead tree given the circumstance for which it was planted. We declined and have done everyhing ourselves this time.
We have the new tree so we can now proceed with the rest of the garden installation, our hope is that no one else has to endure such poor customer service again.
Kelly’s may be convenient but it definitely it not worth it.
Side note: Pops passed in October 2010, the new tree was planted April 2012