Pat's Pets

I sent an order to Pat's Pets in May for a special offer and have yet to receive anything for my money. I've had no response to emails. I knew that Pat's Pets is slow ship but since my order is for a their choice special offer I would expect shipment by now. I hope they will see this and return my money. It's too late to ship episcia in October.

I was fortunate enough to buy directly from Gary at a local society sale this month--chiritas, streps, and AV's. Plants were all large and very healthy. About half of them were blooming or about to bloom. He was also very helpful, sharing cultural information.

This is a super company with friendly, honest and caring customer service. I was surprised to get a call from Gary after I ordered to tell me they'd had some problems and to offer to either cancel my order or hold my check and send the order when production got going again. I told him to send the plants when they could, and they eventually arrived very carefully wrapped with two extra varieties included along with a nice note from Gary appologizing again for the delay. Experience had taught me to expect a 40-50% death rate for mail ordered plants, but the ones from Pat's Pet's are flourishing. I was very impressed with both the quality of service and the quality of the plants.

Gary is a real Gent. An extremely nice fellow with a scientific approach to plants that betrays itself in his supreme plants. You may see his plants exhibited or sold at major conventions. The plants are well-grown in 2 or 4 inch pots at more than reasonable price. (He is not in it for the money, but to break even: "It's a business to pay for a hobby.") I thought there was some mistake at first! They are also grown in a spaced-out, uncrowded area so that they develop proper crowns, and in his own very controlled potting mix. He hybridizes some gorgeous "Pat's Pet-" series gesneriads, including the first seven-lobed flowered Smitiantha. He is more than helpful about how to grow the more uncommon (but easy) gesneriads. I simply cannot say enough about Pat's Pets.