Subject: Plants By Mail FAQ

From: [email-masked] (Peter Leppik)
Date: 23 Jan 1995 16:38:21 GMT

Archive-name: plants-by-mail
Posting-Frequency: bimonthly (sporadic)

                Plants By Mail FAQ

                 by Peter Leppik
                 [email-masked]

This document is intended to introduce readers to the world of buying
plants by mail order; and also to serve as a central clearinghouse for
information about contacting various mail order plant houses.  I make
no claims about being more informed on this topic than your average
Joe, but I saw the need, and I'm willing to put forth the effort to
compile and maintain this.

History:
  Updated: 1/22/95
    Major revisions.  Most of the section on mail-order companies has
    been moved out of the FAQ.  It is now available via the World Wide
    Web <URL:http://seidel.ncsa.uiuc.edu/PBM-FAQ/>.  For those without
    access to WWW (i.e. Mosaic, Netscape, lynx), I will E-mail copies of
    this section upon request.  Please don't request unless you really
    don't have WWW access, though, since I don't want to be flooded.
  Updated: 7/12/94
  Updated: 4/30/94
  Originally Created: 3/17/94 (late at night)

Contents:

   I. Introduction
   II. But First, A Word From Our Lawyers
   III. How To Tell a Good Company from a Bad One
       (or: Things To Look For Before Taking the Plunge)
   IV. What To Do When Your Order Arrives
       (or: OhMyGawd!  There's No DIRT With These Plants!)
   V. Which Catalog To Order From
   VI. Mail Order Houses, How to Contact Them, and My Opinions Thereof
   VII. But Before We Go....

I. Introduction

It seems that one of the most common article titles in rec.gardens is,
"How can I reach XYZZY?" or, "The Plugh company sent me a catalog.  Are
they any good?"  I hope to be able to answer some of these questions in
a reasonably definitive manner (the first is easy, the second harder),
and provide the neophyte with some introduction to buying plants by mail.

My experience in this area has been short, but intense.  After finally
moving from a small condo into a real house (with a YARD and a GARDEN
even!) in 1993, one of my first projects was to begin widespread
replanting of the yard (which is mostly boring grass, or very ugly
hybrid poplars).  To do that, I began ordering large numbers of bulbs
and plants from a number of mail-order houses.  Some were good, some
were bad, and I learned a lot about what to look for and what to avoid.

I welcome any and all comments.  Send them to my E-mail address above.
If there is some catalog not covered here which you think should be, by
all means let me know.  If you do send me comments, PLEASE please respect
my poor, overworked mailer.  I've had people resend me the entire FAQ just
for a few lines of comments, and I even had one person send me a bunch of
UUencoded binary pictures!  Needless to say, this doesn't help me much, and
it wastes my disk space.  That said....do send comments, because
they do help!

At the end of this document, there is a URL address where you can find an
HTML version of this FAQ.  If you don't know what HTML is, don't sweat it.
If you do, then you can get this FAQ there.

I assume that, if you send me comments, you don't mind if they find their
way into a future edition.  I'll try to verify this, but sometimes I forget.  Thus, if you DON'T want you name in a future edition of the FAQ, be sure
to say so.

Finally, I used to include an extensive list of mail-order companies in
this FAQ, along with my comments (and comments of others).  Unfortunately,
it got to the point where the list was considerably larger than the rest of
the FAQ.  Instead of splitting the FAQ into several parts (which I
considered doing), I decided to move the list of mail-order houses onto
the World Wide Web.  There are several reasons why I did this.  First, I
didn't want to contribute to the already overwhelming volume on rec.gardens.
Second, the WWW is a much better tool for presenting this information, and
more and more people have access to it these days, thanks to the popularity
of Mosaic and Netscape.  Finally, it is much easier for me to maintain the
FAQ on the Web than in the text version, and even easier to have to do
only one of the two.  This means that the FAQ will probably get updated
and posted more often, rather than going for months between updates.

There is still the problem, though, of people who don't have WWW access.
If you don't have WWW access, and you want the list of companies, send me
E-mail, and I'll send you the list.  Beware, though, the list is long,
and it may look strange (with all kinds of HTML formatting characters).

II. But First, A Word From Our Lawyers

All opinions in this document are the opinions of the author, unless
otherwise noted.  The author is well-known for his arbitrary and
capricious judgments, and cannot be held liable for anything he says
herein.  Besides, the author is a poor grad student, and suing him is
like trying to squeeze blood from a rock.

III. How To Tell a Good Company from a Bad One
    (or: Things To Look For Before Taking the Plunge)

If you are like me, you probably have a dozen or two catalogs from various
places, some fancy, others plain, and you're wondering who to order from
and how to tell the difference between a place that really cares, and a place
that is just trying to unload some poor, pathetic bits of green stuff on
The Gullible Majority.  In this section, I will outline what I think a
good mail order company should do, and what you should consider before
buying a plant sight-unseen.  Keep in mind that this is aimed at the
relative neophyte, who needs a little more service than the extremely
experienced gardener....there are plenty of companies which provide good
plants, but don't offer the level of service than many gardeners need.

   What a Good Mail-Order Company Will Do

1) Every perennial in the catalog should have a clearly indicated hardiness
range.  That is, for every perennial (anything you expect to last more than
one year) should have indicated which USDA hardiness zones it will survive in.
Simple adjectives like "hardy," or "tender," are NOT sufficient.  Perhaps I am
biased, being a Minnesota native currently living in Illinois, but I have seen
too many catalogs which do not include this crucial information.  Without
knowing this, it is too easy to buy plants that won't survive in your climate.
This also includes those of you who live in places like Southern California,
where it never gets cold, since some plants require a period of cold
temperatures every year in order to survive/bloom/etc.

2) Every plant should have its botanical (scientific) name listed.  Of course,
this doesn't count for things like roses or tomatoes, which everybody knows
what that are.  This may sound picky, but think about it: if you ever want
to get information on this plant from some other source, and they use their
own name, you might have a devil of a time figuring out how to get
information.  A plant's botanical name is unique.  I have seen places that
will take a standard variety of some plant, come up with a flashy
(trademarked) name, and sell it as something special.  Needless to say,
this is dishonest.

3) Information on the habitat requirements should be easy to find.  By this,
I mean answers to questions like, how much sun does it need, how much water,
and so forth.  Nearly every catalog has this, but if you see one that
doesn't, stay away.

4) A good company will be able to answer questions about their products.
Really, this is basic.  If you call them, and ask about something, they
should be able to answer your question.  If they can only take orders,
this is a Bad Sign.  (By the way, in many places, you can call your local
County Extension office to get information about plants, too.)

Finally, something that you should probably ignore:

5) Every mail order catalog that I've seen offers some sort of guarantee.
This should NOT be a factor in deciding where to buy from.  After all, what
good does it do if they replace a plant that died because you can't grow
oranges in Alaska?  The replacement will just die, too, and you'll spend
twice as much time on a plant that was Never Meant To Be.  Some people
have even noted an inverse relation between the quality of the guarantee
and the quality of the plants: the louder the company proclaims its
"FOOLPROOF 100% MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE," the worse the plants are when
they arrive.

   What To Consider Before Taking the Plunge

Okay, so you've got your heart set on the beautiful Creeping Green Stuff.
Before plunking your money and time on it (usually more time than money),
you should stop and ask yourself a few questions:

1) Will it grow in my area?  If they don't make it CLEAR (i.e. by telling
you the hardiness zone), then avoid that plant, or buy it from somebody who
will tell you.

2) Do I have a place to put it?  It is very easy to get spring fever when
all the catalogs start arriving midwinter, and wind up buying enough
plants to cover every square inch of your yard two or three times over.
Make sure you have a specific place for each and every plant you order, and
make sure you will have the time to plant it when it arrives.  Keep in
mind that you will probably have to plant them soon after they arrive,
and you might not be able to control the exact day they arrive.  Thus,
ordering 150 bushes for a new hedge from one place, all of which will
arrive via UPS on the same day and need to be planted immediately, is
probably not a good idea.  Believe me.  I've done it.

3) Will it really look the way I want it to?  Keep in mind that the
pictures in the catalogs are designed to sell plants, and the plants in
your garden will generally not look quite as nice.  I have seen a lot of
comments from people in rec.gardens about the rose Blue Girl as a particular
offender in this respect.  Also keep in mind that illustrations (and
photographs) can be very deceptive.

IV. What To Do When Your Order Arrives
    (or: OhMyGawd!  There's No DIRT With These Plants!)

The most important thing to do when your order arrives is DON'T PANIC!

Good.  Take a few deep breaths.

The reason your roses/trees/whatever arrived without any dirt is not because
the company sent you dead plants.  Shipping woody plants without dirt
("bare-root") is standard.  First, it does not harm the plants
much, as long as the company has taken steps to ensure that the roots don't
dry out.  Usually, this involves dipping the roots in some sort of stuff
that helps retain moisture.  Second, shipping plants bare-root helps keep
shipping costs down.  Shipping with dirt could easily double or triple the
weight of the plant when shipped, and make it that much more expensive to
buy.  Finally, shipping plants bare-root helps prevent the spread of pests
that live in the soil (like the Japanese beetle).  Needless to say,
unless you're buying small seedlings, it would be expensive for a company to
grow all their stock in greenhouses.

There are a few places which ship plants in pots.  Shipping a plant with the
dirt will be less traumatic to the plants, and, as a rule, you can expect
these plants to be healthier, but, because of shipping expenses, they will
often also be much smaller than bare-root plants--and more expensive.  Given
the option, I will usually buy the plant shipped in a pot, since the quality
is often much higher.  In addition, there are some plants which have to be
shipped in pots, simply because they're too fragile otherwise.

Generally, you will get a little booklet with your order explaining how
to plant your new plants.  Usually, the first thing to do (with bare root
plants) is to stick them in a bucket of water for some time.  You should do
this as soon as they arrive.  Then, dig a hole according to the booklet
instructions, and plant those buggers.

It may take some time for your new plants to leaf out, especially if they're
dormant when shipped.  Again, don't panic.  If you planted in the spring,
don't call the company to complain that the plants are dead until midsummer.
They'll just tell you to wait, because sometimes the plants take a while to
adjust to their new surroundings.

V. Which Catalog To Order From

If you are buying roses, you should certainly order from a catalog which
specializes in roses.  There are quite a few of these catalogs, and you will
generally get better selection, quality, and price than you would from buying
>from  a catalog which doesn't specialize in roses.

For some reason, this rule of thumb seems to be the other way around when
buying bulbs.  I have had the best experiences buying bulbs from White Flower
Farms, which is generally an outstanding catalog, but they aren't even
remotely limited to bulbs.  My worst experiences, on the other hand, were
with places that sell only, or mainly bulbs.  Go figure.

Not everybody will agree with my judgments.  After much consideration (and
several long discussions on the order of "Company X isn't really THAT bad!"),
I've decided that the main consideration has to be consistency.  That means
that I can count on large plants, of a uniformly high quality, every time I
order.  Note, too, that I haven't yet had anyone take issue with my list of
"Good" companies, just the "Bad" ones.  Having said that, here is my list of
best and worst companies, based primarily on my personal experiences:

Really Good Companies:

  White Flower Farms
  Nor'East Miniature Roses
  Heirloom Old Garden Roses (but see below)
  Gardener's Supply Company
  Shepherd's Garden Seeds

Companies To Avoid:

  Spring Hill
  Michigan Bulb Co.
  Breck's Bulbs

VI. Mail Order Houses, How to Contact Them, and My Opinions Thereof

There are literally hundreds--if not thousands--of mail-order plant
companies.  I used to include a list of companies here, but it has
become unmanagable.  So, to make the list easier to deal with, I've
moved it out of the FAQ, and onto the World Wide Web.  If you have
access to Mosaic, Netscape, Lynx, or any of the other Web browsers,
my list of mail order companies, how to contact them, and comments
that I (and others) have is available at:

http://seidel.ncsa.uiuc.edu/PBM-FAQ/

If you DON'T have access to the Web, I'll be happy to send you the list
(and the comments, etc.) via E-mail.  Just beware: the whole thing is
quite long.  If you just want information on a particular company or three,
you might want to ask about those specifically.  My E-mail address is
[email-masked].

If you have had experience with any mail-order company, good or bad, I
want to hear about it!  Your experiences will help other gardeners.
Please, send any comments you have to me, at the above E-mail address.
I'll include them in the on-line database, unless you don't want me to.

Finally, I know of only one company with an E-mail address.  If you know
of others, please let me know.  It would be really nice to have a list
of places to buy plants via E-mail (or get information, for that matter).

Here are the entries from the on-line database on those companies listed
above as my best and worst.  For each company, I will list their name,
mailing address, phone number, a general description of what they sell,
and my opinions.  Opinions are strictly mine, unless otherwise noted.
I will not indicate an opinion unless I have actually ordered something
>from  a company, unless the opinion is someone else's.

------

Breck's Bulbs
U.S. Reservation Center
6523 North Galena Rd.
Peoria, IL  61632
Orders: (309) 689-3870

Breck's sells bulbs imported from Holland: tulips, crocuses, daffodils, etc.

OPINION: Overall, I am not terribly impressed with Breck's.  Their merchandise
(contrary to the catalog hype) is not particularly premium, but their prices
are higher than most places, even some places which have superior stock.
They do not list hardiness for anything, though most of what they sell should
do fine most places in the U.S. (they don't sell any of the really tender
bulbs, like glads).  You can do better elsewhere.

Note that Breck's Bulbs appears to be the same company, or closely associated
with, Spring Hill, another company on my "Avoid" list.

------

Gardener's Supply Co.
128 Intervale Rd.
Burlington, VT  05401
Orders/Customer Service: (802) 863-1700
TDD: (802) 660-3530
Fax: (802) 660-4600

All kinds of gardening supplies, and a few plants.

OPINION: I have had good experiences with this company.  Their products
appear to be of a uniformly high quality, and a lot of people in rec.gardens
swear by them.  At least one of their employees reads this newsgroup, so
you may be able to get answers "from the horse's mouth," if you know who
to ask.  If anybody can supply me with his E-mail address, I would appreciate
it (for future editions).

------

Heirloom Old Garden Roses
24062 NE Riverside Dr.
St. Paul, OR  91737
Orders: (503) 538-1576

This is a catalog of "old" roses: not a hybrid tea to be found.  If you're
looking for english or unusual roses, this is the place to go.

OPINION: If you are a rose grower, and you are still growing hybrid teas,
this catalog will convert you.  Many of the old roses offered here are just
as good, if not better than, the more common modern roses.  The catalog offers
a lot of information about a zillion different roses, including hardiness,
and (my favorite) lists of roses well-suited for particular uses (i.e.
roses for growing over trellises, roses for scent, etc.).  Their stock is
first-rate, and all grown on its own roots, so there are no bud unions to
worry about.  There is no separate phone number for questions, but I found
the people answering the phone to be knowledgeable and helpful.  Two thumbs
up.  Note that they charge $5 for the catalog, but once you're on their
mailing list (i.e. after you buy something), they'll send it free.

Kristin Bruneau <[email-masked]>reports a different story:
About a month or so ago on rec.gardens.rose people started to discuss 
their experiences with the company.  Over all it was very negative.  
Some of the major complaints were that the plants were too young (9 
months or less), you never knew when they would get around to 
shipping your plant (some waited over a year), and the owners were 
very nasty when you had a problem (and basically said that's too 
bad).  The only reason I am passing this along is that the responses 
were consistently bad and many people's stories were extreme (no 
roots on the rose, horribly nasty experiences with the staff).

I too had a bad experience with them.  I ordered from them last year 
for the first time.  Even though the rose was in stock when I called 
in May, I had still not received it in July.  I had to call up and 
raise a fuss before they finally agreed to send it out.  Gosh only 
knows when I would have received it if I left it up to them.  When it 
arrived it only had two canes, one completely stripped off and 
dangling from the plant.  It only had two leaves on it and came with 
the worlds biggest slug that was the size of a nickle and covered in 
yellow fringe (Yuck!).  I called them to complain and their response 
was basically "Oh".  They only guarantee for the plants to arrive in 
good condition so I called.  I did not want it replaced at that time 
because it would be too late in the season to plant another one (if 
they finally got around to sending it to me).  I told them that I 
expected them to replace it if it died.  They finally agreed.  Well, 
at first it dropped the only two leaves that it had and I thought it 
would die.  After a while it did come back though.  It is doing ok, 
not great.  The rose was Rosa Rugosa, basically a weed.  Maybe that 
explains why I was so lucky it made it.

Anyway, since Heirloom Old Garden Roses was on the highly recommended 
list I thought I'd pass these experiences along.  I know that 
different people have different experiences and that we must weigh 
that in our minds when we order.  Just my 2 cents worth.

[I don't know if this is due to temporary management problems, or something
deeper.  I'm going to keep this company on my "good guys" list for the time
being, because of my good experiences, but I would appreciate any comments.]

------

Michigan Bulb Co.
1950 Waldorf NW
Grad Rapids, MI  49550-0500

Michigan Bulb Company sells bulbs, perennials, and other assorted plants.

OPINION: This catalog is filled with the kind of BREATHLESS PROSE and
AMAZING BARGAINS designed to stampede the gardener into making impulse
purchases.  Their prices are cheap, but selection is limited, and quality
was very mediocre.  In addition, I was unable to find a phone number anywhere
in the catalog--this could be a real problem, if you have problems with your
order.  To their credit, they generally include hardiness information.
On the other hand, they also sell the "Blue Girl" rose, which is an automatic
two demerits in my book.  Go elsewhere.

[email-masked] (Jeff Reifsteck) reports:
I've had nothing but bad news from Michigan Bulb.  The plants were poor and
didn't survive.  They did replace them without question but my 40 creeping
myrtle (6" evergreen ground cover) became 40 crape myrtle (a big bush and
a lot more expensive).  I needed ground cover not bushes.  Except for the 
replacement of a "Blue Girl" rose all the other replacements were not plantable.

[email-masked] (Angela Pilote) reports:
Last year I ordered some things from them -- NEVER AGAIN!
I even told my husband to remind me of the poor quality
of there plants and bulbs if he even SEES me *looking* at one
of their catalogs.
None of the plants survived and only about half (maybe less)
of the bulbs came up. The bulbs also seemed very small
and I think I read somewhere that this is a sign that the
bulbs have not matured enough to bloom.
The prices seem to be good, but if you factor in the survival
rate and time invested -- it's not a deal. I'm better off paying
premium prices at my nursery for good quality plants and bulbs.

Evelyn Walker <[email-masked]> reports:
I have ordered perinnals from Michigan Bulb company, the first year
the blooms are not so big, but usually the second year it is bigger,
If you plant them in a fertilized area the plants do a lot better.
I have shasta daisies, carnations, guardinalla or whatever. I was
really pleased with it. I plan on getting a few more for some bare spots
in my yard

------

Nor'East Miniature Roses, Inc.
P.O. Box 307
Rowley, MA  01969
Phone: (508) 948-7964
Orders: 1-800-426-6485

On the West Coast:

Nor'East Miniature Roses, Inc.
P.O. Box 473
Ontario, CA  91762
Phone: (909) 984-2223
Orders: 1-800-662-9669

A large selection of miniature roses, and some supplies for those who like
to grow them (like miniature vases)

OPINION: This company is also on my "Good-Guys" list.  Their prices are
quite reasonable, and their stock is high quality.  Their catalog has a photo
of many of the offerings.  If you are into miniature roses (or would like to
be), this is the catalog to get.

[email-masked] reports:
cheap cute lil'roses.

------

Shepherd's Garden Seeds
30 Irene St.
Torrington, CT  06790
Orders: East (203) 482-3638
        West (408) 335-6910
Customer Service: (203) 482-3638
Horticultural Help: (408) 335-6910

Shepherd's sells mostly seeds, but also a few plants, and some kitchen and
garden supplies.

OPINION: The stylish illustrations in this catalog give it a distinctly
yuppie feel, but this is a good catalog nevertheless.  They have a number
of varieties that are hard to find elsewhere (a whole PAGE of ornamental
sunflowers!), and a wealth of useful horticultural information.  My order
arrived promptly, in good order, and appears to be high quality (it is still
a little soon for things to be sprouting around here, though).  Prices are
a little above average, but seeds are cheap no matter how you slice it.

------

Spring Hill
Mail Order Reservation Center
6523 North Galena Rd.
P.O. Box 1758
Peoria, IL  61656-1758
Orders: (309) 689-3800
Customer Service: (309) 689-3849

Spring Hill sells just about any kind of plant that catches their fancy.

OPINION: Spring Hill is one of these places that is in the business of
dumping cheap, inappropriate merchandise on unsuspecting customers.  The
quality of their merchandise is mediocre, even though the prices are about
average.  The provide little or no hardiness information, which is especially
troublesome considering that they sell some plants (like carnations) for
outdoor planting, even though they will not survive the winter in large
portions of the U.S.  Furthermore, if you ever buy anything from Spring Hill,
you will be on their mailing list but good.  I have received no less than
four different catalogs from them in the last two months (not even counting
the large number of "special offers" which seem to arrive about once a week,
and at least one telemarketing call).  Avoid this company like the plague.

Note that Spring Hill appears to be the same company, or closely associated
with, Breck's Bulbs, another company on my "Avoid" list.

Al Harrington [[email-masked]] says:
I think you are being way to hard on Spring Hill.  I realize that 
they do not supply hardiness information, and that some of their 
plants are not in the best shape - their customer service is very
good.  I purchased the carnation collection (15 plants) and 2 of 
them died.  I got credited for all 15 as it was a collection.  

I ordered a lot of stuff from them (over 100 plants) and just about 
all are doing just fine - what isn't I get credit for.  

If nothing else seeing color pictures of *everything* they sell is 
nice.  :-)

------

White Flower Farm
Litchfield, CT  06759-0050
Orders: (203) 496-9600

White Flower Farm sells just about every kind of ornamental plant that one
might reasonably want to grow in North America.

OPINION: I will state my bias right up front: White Flower Farm is far and
away my favorite catalog.  They have a reputation for being "upscale,"
but their prices are only slightly above average.  Their catalog offers
a wealth of useful horticultural information, along with interesting
commentary about each and every plant.  All the information you need to know
(hardiness, planting requirements, light requirements, etc.) is compiled
in a single useful index, as well as being stated with the description of
each plant.  The catalog is organized alphabetically by genus name, so
in addition to being fun to read (and look at the pictures), it makes a
very useful reference.  Of course, the catalog is only secondary to the
merchandise.  Fortunately, their produce more than lives up to the high
standards set by the catalog: it is absolutely first rate.  When I was buying
daylillies, crocuses, and daffodils from White Flower Farm and other
catalogs, the bulbs or roots from White Flower were often more than twice
the size of the ones from other vendors, and at a comparable price.
Even if you never buy anything from White Flower Farm, you should get their
catalog as a reference, since it is almost as good as buying a book on
ornamental plants, but a whole lot cheaper.

Sean A. O'Hara ([email-masked]) disagrees with some of my tone:
Not really a flame, but please!  I have a few of White Flower Farm's 
catalogues, and I do value them for their reference quality and nice 
photographs.  But their plants and garden information is distinctively East 
Coast in character.  I would very much enjoy growing a number of plants they 
list, but no longer attempt such folly as they are definitely inappropriate 
for my arid western climate (as would many of the plants I cherish in my 
garden be inappropriate for yours).

Please, let us not forget those 'less fortunate' souls who garden elsewhere! 
North America is a big place, and I do not expect my garden to look like 
your any more that I expect your to look like mine.

This reminds me of the search for a "North American gardening style".  I can 
think of nothing more ridiculous to search for - as if it could ever be 
defined for a continent like ours - or that you'd want to try!  This has 
always been a way to 'one up' the 'English style'.  Well, England is a 
relatively small place, and even then it contains diversity more than we 
imagine.

[I must plead guilty here.  Perhaps I should have said that they sell "just
about any ornamental plant one might reasonably want to grow East of the
Rockies...."]

[email-masked] reports:
I ordered fuscia (vodoo and swarthy gem) which aren't 
doing so well.  Tristar Strawberry plants satisfactory.  Begonia tubers 
mediocre.  I also liked the catalog ;-)

-----

VII. But Before We Go....

I hope this FAQ has been useful.  I also hope it has been accurate.  If you
find any mistakes, or have any comments, please send me E-mail at the
address listed at the top of the file.  Any suggestions for improving
future editions will be happily accepted, and possibly even acted upon.

This FAQ is also available via the World Wide Web.  The URL is:

http://seidel.ncsa.uiuc.edu/PBM-FAQ/

The WWW version includes everything in this file, plus an extensive (and
growing!) list of mail-order companies.  I also include comments on a
number of the companies, to help choose which are good, and which are
not worth it.

(NOTE TO EVERYONE WHO HAS READ THIS BEFORE!  THE URL HAS CHANGED!)
-- 
	                                   Peter Leppik--  [email-masked]
Lost in the Information Supercollider

http://jean-luc.ncsa.uiuc.edu/People/PeterL/HOME.html

---

From: [email-masked] (Karen Kolling)
Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 19:11:37 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] writes:
>...

The Gardener's Supply people are great folks.  I ordered a humongeous
light fixture from them and UPS apparently dropped it in shipping,
slightly denting inwards one end so I couldn't install the bulbs.  GS
took it back without a peep.  I have placed at least five orders for
various things over the past 2-3 years and been very pleased.  Their
order takers all seem to be gardeners.

Also, they credited my charge account twice for the return, (due to a
disk crash, as it turned out), and when I called to let them know, they
said thanks, and a few days later a freebie thank you package of maple syrup
>from  one of their employee's subbusinesses showed up.