Comments regarding Gardens Alive!

I can't get unsubscribed from Gardens Alive. They send ads every day.

"On Mar 14, 2013 8:31 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for letting us know. I apologize for the inconvenience. One of our customer service representatives will contact you for your email address and make sure you are unsubscribed."

I have been a long time customer (over 10 years) and the last two times I have called because of an issue with their website ordering process, discounts, etc. (including not being able to sign in without a catalog), the customer service rep has spoken to me like a child and when I stop to tell her I understand the issue, I just want it corrected, her tone of voice very snippy and insulting. I will take my business elsewhere and I am called to be removed from their mailing list and website. They also spam you will catalogs by selling your name to other garden supply companies.

"On Feb 19, 2013 10:47 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your feedback. I apologize for the problems you have had with our site and one of our agents. I will have one of our customer service representatives contact you so we can take care of these issues for you."

We have spent a lot of money at Garden's Alive while starting our kitchen garden over the past couple years. Most of the things we have from this company are good to great. Unfortunately, we got 6 Blueberry and 2 Huckleberry plants in the spring that quickly deteriorated and then died. We got blueberries from other companies that have thrived, and our soil tests perfect for blueberries, so that is not a problem. We contacted the company about their satisfaction guarantee but have yet to hear anything.
:(

"On Oct 31, 2012 9:08 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your posting. We apologize for the problems with your plants and we would be happy to take care of this for you. One of our customer service representatives will contact you for your account information."

I placed a large order this spring with Gardens Alive, primarily because I'm an organic gardener and they have a variety of organic products. It's very difficult to find organic plants in my area, so I had decided to start and/or plant my own.

Mail order companies are a boon to gardeners, because they make it possible to find plants that we might not have available through local stores. So in that regard, I want to be fair to companies I've ordered from. On the other hand, I think it's only fair to warn others if I've encountered consistent problems with a company.

My main complaint is low/no germination of a number of the organic seeds/bulbs: most notably two types of onion, summer squash, spinach, garlic, arugula. Also, a raspberry plant that never grew.

It also took 2 months for all the items to arrive. I'm not sure how to prevent this--my order was placed in early April, which I guess is the busy season for nurseries. When I've ordered from other companies, I've never had quite as many items on back order or slow to arrive, but perhaps it has to do with the fact the items were organically grown.

I would not give this company an F; in fact, the tomato seeds all sprouted. But if you're ordering organic products, you might want to think twice about it and/or just order a few so that you aren't risking your whole crop.

I just contacted the company about the problems, so will update my rating after I hear from them.

"On Jul 16, 2012 1:21 PM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your posting. We apologize for the problem you has with the seeds and we would be happy to replace them for you or refund your money, whichever you would prefer. One of our customer service representatives will contact you for your account information and take care of this for you."

I've ordered plants from SpringHIll, Brecks and Michigan Bulb for almost 3 years now. I have to say that I've been mostly satisfied with the plants I've received. Some have made it and flourished while others not so much.

What I love about these guys is that their customer service is awesome! You don't have to send any shipping labels back or beg for replacement plants, etc.

I have noticed that some of the plants don't always do so well in the Colorado sun. I ordered hardy geraniums and the first order all plants died. I asked for replacements and even that batch only 3 plants out of 9 made it. I do have another hardy geranium that I bought from a local nursery and it does very well. I think the ones ordered from SpringHill just aren't used to our sun or summers. I don't know just a guess.

I did just recently order some german irises and only a few grew out of 40 bulbs!!! So, I will probably need to get replacements in the fall. Otherwise, the clematis, rose of sharons, sedums, lavenders, coneflowers, etc. etc. I've ordered over the years have done very well!!

Ordered many packets of seeds and have been horrified at the germination rate - less than 10%. I've been gardening for over 30 years and have never had so much trouble. Out of the 450 seeds of corn I planted only 14 plants have come up over a month later. In Utah the growing season is VERY short so my guess is I will not see one ear before frost. Not ONE of the zuchini has germinated, not one. Butternut trees leafed out and promptly died, ditto for the rasberries. Canadice grape is doing great. I did contact the company (Gurney's) with my complaint and they are promising a refund. Happy with that but will never order from this company again. They also owe me a refund of $142 from a previous complaint, have yet to see that one

"On Jun 21, 2012 2:57 PM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your posting.We apologize for the problems with your order. A customer service representative will contact you for your account information and check on your refunds for you.

"

I ordered a batch of 5 million flea-eating Nematodes on May 2 and waited...and waited some more. I received no explanation for the delay. I finally emailed customer service and explained I needed to cancel my order if they were unable to supply the item. A few days later I received an email that my item had shipped on May 23 (21 days after I ordered them--not including the actual time in route). Again, the email included no information regarding the reason for the delay and a simple "sorry for any inconvenience." Nematodes work best if introduced in the cool temps of spring before fleas get going, so a month delay is significant.

"On May 29, 2012 1:17 PM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your posting. It may be the nematodes were on backorder. We apologize for the delay. One of our customer service representatives will contact you for your account information and check on what had happened."

I have never had problems with any plant material that I have ordered from Gardens Alive. And I do appreciate their coupon.

I was especially impressed with their elephant garlic bulbs. They were large (a bit more than golf ball size) and very healthy. The bulbs sprouted and began to grow within a few days of planting.

I have had elephant garlic from other companies. The bulbs were about 1/2 the size, obviously stressed and did not compare to the quality from Gardens Alive. I am ordering again while I am still in the shipping period for my State.

"On May 16, 2012 11:51 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you so much for your post. Enjoy your garlic!"

Posted on May 12, 2011, updated May 15, 2012
Posted on March 8, 2007, updated May 12, 2011
I ordered Tomatoes Alive and Shrubs Alive (for acid-loving plants) in March, 2006. The order arrived promptly. I was very happy with these products, especially the Tomatoes Alive fertilizer. I had so many tomatoes, I couldn't eat them fast enough. Plus I have plenty of fertilizer left over for this season! Anyway, I just placed a $75 order online today and experienced absolutely no drama. Their system accepted my catalog codes, gave me my $25 discount without hassle and I ended up paying $50 for 5 products, one of which was a 10# bag of rose fertilizer..not a bad deal.

"On May 13, 2011 8:48 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your wonderful testimonial about our products. We appreciate you as one of our customers and look forward to serving you in the future.
"

Just released ladybugs and extremely surprised that every single one is alive. Hoping they are feasting on thrips for dinner tonight.

"On May 3, 2012 12:00 PM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Great to hear, thank you for sharing!"

I have used Gardens Alive products in the past and the performed very well. The reason for my negative rating is that I suspect that some of their products, specifically, Tomatoes Alive, Vegetables Alive, and Root Crops Alive may contain high levels of dangerous heavy metals like Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead.

My suspicion is based on the fact that I asked Gardens Alive to tell me the level of these heavy metals in the products listed above and they declined. They told me that the numbers were low but declined to give them to me even after repeated requests. The word "low" is good but it means very little without the actual number to compare to other products and my own acceptance levels. The only reason that I can think of for this refusal is that the numbers were not favorable.

Beyond this, I have nothing but praise for the company and the performance of its products. Unfortunately not knowing the heavy metal contents of the products make them too risky for me.

"On May 3, 2012 11:55 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your posting. We checked on this for you and the amounts of heavy metals in our products are so low they are below the minimum reporting amount."

I have ordered from this company for several years and have never had any problem whatsoever. Garden's Alive makes some good products for those interested in organic gardening.

"On Feb 14, 2012 5:28 PM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your nice feedback. We do offer some excellent organic items as well as many enviromentally friendly items.
"

I ordered a bunch of lady bugs and nematodes this past year. Couldn't be happier, the lady bugs hung around for a good while, and the nematodes, well, who knows, but my plants and veggies all did well and I will be applying them again this year. Everything was smooth in ordering and everything came as expected. Nothing quite as funny as hearing a thousand ladybugs walking around in a mesh bag. Except maybe the look on my husband's face when I told him they'd be hanging out in the fridge until the weather was better to release them. Definitely will repeat business this year! Thanks!

"On Jan 31, 2012 2:01 PM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for sharing about your order. We look forward to your order this spring. Happy Gardening."

I'm so happy to have found Dave's Garden again! I couldn't remember for years and years what this site was called.

I used to work for Gardens alive (aka Breck's bulbs, Spring Hill, Gurneys, Audubon Workshop, Thompson & Morgan and a handful others I can't remember.) A lot of times, my friends/coworkers and I would pull up this site and have a good laugh. Not *at* the customers, mind you, but at our company for making people so mad.

All in all, I don't really have too many complaints about the company. I used some Brecks once and it didn't grow, but who's to say if that was my fault or theirs.

I will say you need to do your own research. The people you're speaking with when you call in have as much information on the products as you do. If someone asked me a question, I'd just pull out the catalog and clarify what was in it. We didn't really have extensive training on the products.

Additionally, don't abuse the "Unhappy? Send it back and we'll refund/replace for free" policy. If you return/refund a little less than half of the things you've bought (legit or not,) they'll ban you.

Lastly, cut them some slack when they try to "upsell" you at the end of the call. They have to sell a certain number of items per month or they get in trouble, or possibly fired if it's happened enough. That was always the most frustrating. In this economy, GA should be happy people are still ordering at all.

Hope everyone is doing well up there in Indiana! I'd say I miss it... but.... I do not. At all. :)

"On Jan 25, 2012 11:21 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Gardens Alive is always working to improve our customer experience which includes product training and information provided to our employees. We are also dedicated to maintaining a positive working environment for our employees. We would like to take this opportunity to wish you well in your future endeavors.

"

After ordering from Burpee and waiting months for my order I was elated to find that ordering from Gardens Alive only takes days to receive an order. My dry mole relief seems to be working so I give them a 10!!!

"On Oct 31, 2011 11:28 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

At Gardens Alive we do our best to ship your order the same day. Thank you for your nice feedback."

I ordered two lady bug traps from Gardens Alive within the last two months, and as the lady bugs (Japanese and not
really ladies) descended this autumn day, we read the directions closely and affixed (or thought we did) the two boxes to the windows as directed. Later that day (yesterday), I noted that the one which was attached to the window in my office had fallen - the sticky part on one side was not sticky at all. I re-placed the trap on the wooden frame between the upper and lower windows. This a.m., my helper, who had put the traps on the windows arrived and we examined what was wrong with the trap. The sticky part on one side was not sticky and trying to find another layer did not reveal any solution to the problem. In doing this I accidentally upended the trap and powder flew out and up my lungs. That was a good l/2 hour ago and I am still coughing and choking - I vacuumed up what was on the floor but have no idea what I have inhaled. I called the phone # of Gardens Alive and talked to someone in India who after hearing my complaint and getting my name and address and business name stated that I did not have any account with Garden's Alive nor did I ever order from them. Therefore, I did not exist and there was no help to be had. I wanted to let the company know that they had a defective product, one with unknown repercussions should the powder get in the atmosphere - that the sticky part didn't work - and I needed to know what was in the powder. Would it draw lady bugs to inundate my office? Was it dangerous? Do I need to go to a Dr. or emergency ward? Well, obviously I am frustrated. I will never order from them again. Their product is inherently defective and possibly dangerous. But the man in India didn't care - I think his name might have been Peggy. Throroughly disgusted and pretty much alarmed.

"On Oct 17, 2011 10:36 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your feedback. I apologize that your account could not be located. A customerr service representative will contact you for your account information so we can locate your account and take care of this for you."

My negative rating is in regards to the online ordering. About a year ago I voiced my concerns to a representative, I recently checked their site and nothing has changed. Garden's Alive will not let you order online without creating an account with them - there is no way to proceed as a guest through checkout. This means that all your credit card info is stored on their web hoster's server - convenient, but dangerous. My second career led me to a job as tech support for a domain registrar. You can not imagine the barrage of attempts and the unpublished successes that hackers accross the globe have on "safe servers". I don't do online banking and I don't use companies online that will not allow checkout as a "guest". I can't keep them from hacking into my credit card company, but I can minimize exposure. Network Solutions is the original and oldest registrar in the world as well as the registrar for the domain gardensalive.com - the Washington Post headline in 2009 was: "Network Solutions Hack Compromises 573,000 Credit, Debit Accounts". The webhoster of gardensalive.com was also hacked in 2007 as shown by the infamous rewriting of googles whois info.

- it's time to start protecting the consumer, use "check out as Guest"!

"On Jul 26, 2011 4:31 PM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your feedback. We are checking this out and will let you know what we find out.

If Gardens Alive! Customer Service spent as much time on getting the initial orders correct as they do on apologizing for the errors, they would have higher ratings, as I've found their products to be high quality. However, since they changed hands, I've not ordered from them in several years.

"On Jul 12, 2011 4:27 PM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your feedback. We do our best to ship our products correctly and in a timely fashion. Gardens Alive has not changed hands, it is the same founder/owner from the beginning."

I called to place an order. The rep refused to give me the 25% discount that was advertised on the site! I had to place my order online. That was mostly annoying. The worst part, and therefore what ensures I will never order from this company again is that the total on the order "overview" page that you look at before you confirm an order was different than the amount they charged me on the next page! They charged me MORE than the total for the purchase!! I saw this and immediately emailed and made them aware of the issue. They have not responded. There has been no contact with me, correction, or an apology. They have ignored me and therefore lost a customer.

"On Jul 11, 2011 11:54 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

We apologize for the trouble you had with your order. We will definitely take care of this for you. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information.
"

Posted on May 23, 2011, updated May 23, 2011
Posted on May 13, 2011, updated May 23, 2011
I placed an order using a $25 coupon. As required, I paid the balance of the order with a credit card. Plants arrived in the fall and by the next spring they were blooming nicely. End of story? Not quite yet. Fast forward to the call from a collection agency claiming I somehow own money from a COD order. A quick call to Gardens Alive (aka Breck's) and they confirmed they failed to apply the coupon in full. It took them 2 minutes to figure out where they made the mistake. It is now nearly a month later and I still get calls from the collection agency despite attempting to follow-up with the company 1/2 dozen times. They have written nice letters (to me) stating that they have cleared this up, but the collection agency still says my account is not cleared. So if you order from this company, realize you may end up having your account go to a collection agency after they misapply a coupon. Good luck.

"On May 16, 2011 10:13 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for letting us know about the problems you are having with your account. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information and take care of this for you."

Terrible products, even worse Customer service.
I placed an order for Garlic, Asparagus and some fertilizers.
I paid $18.95 for Garlic and it is rotted and moldy.
I paid $14.95 for 12 Asparagus plants, planted them carefully and only 4 have come up.
I tried emailing the company about this issue on May8th, again on May 12th and again on May 16th. ABSOLUTELY no response from them other that an automated email saying they would reply SOON. SORRY but it is not May 20th - no response in 12 days.
I am afraid to use the fertilizers lest the quality is the same as the plants I received!

"On May 20, 2011 4:35 PM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your feedback, We apologize for the problem with your order. A customer service representtive will be contacing you for your account information."

Did a search for the Iron X Selective Weed Killer ingredients pdf on Yippy.com . Found the following at Pesticide Database Org: PAN Product Info for Neu1173h concentratecurrent windowpreviewpreviewshow in clouds. Bayer advanced natria lawn weed control concentrate. W. neudorff gmbh ... Iron x selective weed killer for lawns. W. neudorff gmbh kg. Distributor Product. Dec 30, 2009. Active. Iron x ! ...
http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Product.jsp?REG_NR=06770...
26.5 % Iron Pholate in this product. Has slightly toxic rating (#3)-Eye corneal irritant

"On May 11, 2011 9:03 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your feedback about our product Iron X. I checked with our product specialist concerning the toxicity and find we don’t claim that our products have no toxicity, just that they have low toxicity, which is the case with Iron X. "

I placed two separate orders with Gardens Alive! & my items were received quickly & just as I ordered. I ordered the Critter Chaser Strips, Garden Fabric Pins & the Weed Barrier Mat (Heavy Weight). I have not used any of the items yet, as spring seems reluctant to visit Minnesota. If I have any issues I will update my post.

"On Apr 21, 2011 4:01 PM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your nice feedback. We are sure you will be happy with our products but if you have any problems let us know and we will be happy to take care of it for you."

Posted on March 23, 2011, updated April 14, 2011
Posted on March 20, 2011, updated March 23, 2011
I placed my first order with Garden's Alive! this year. The catalog is the most helpful that I have ever received-very informative on plant diseases and pests,as well as, products to help.My order arrived EXTREMELY quick. I was so impressed that I placed a second order. Great job Garden's Alive!

"On Mar 21, 2011 9:23 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We pride ourselves on selling environmentally friendly products.
"

I received a $25 coupon in the mail with no additional purchase necessary. I placed an order for some seeds and fish emulsion and kelp fertilizer.

I was a little skeptical because I never received a confirmation email within 24 hrs like the Gardens Alive website states that I should. I emailed their customer service and received only an automated reply. I emailed them again a few days later and then later that day I received my order. A couple days after that I received a real response to my 2nd email.

I'm happy with my order and I am thankful for the $25 coupon. I received my items quickly, although the response to my emails was a little slow.

"On Mar 21, 2011 7:50 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for placing your order with us. Please accept our apology for the delay in responding to your email. This is our busiest time of the year. Happy Gardening!"

I ordered with their $25 off coupon and did not receive the order. A month later, when I went back to the confirmaton email I realized they had sent it to the wrong address. I contacted them and within a few days they contacted me back and resent the product, no charge. Even though my out of pocket cost was $2.90 - they still made good on their order. I think that's great!

"On Mar 16, 2011 7:35 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you very much for sharing your experience with us. We do pride ourselves on our customer service and making sure our customers are always taken care of.
"

I've ordered from Garden's Alive for several years. The $25 coupon every year helps my budget. They are a bit pricey but I guess you get what you pay for. I probably wouldn't order from them without the coupon. They do have some terrific products to address many different kinds of garden problems, from nutrients to insect and plant disease problems. I've been pleased with the results I've had using the products. They now have organic vegetables, plants and seeds. I plan to give those a try and will write a review about the new products later. I've not had to address any issues with customer service. I do resent having to speak to someone in India or anyone with a heavy foreign accent that I can barely understand. I wish they would not outsource their CS. FYI .. I heard that a customer can insist to speak to a person in the US and companies must comply. I plan to try that.

"On Feb 7, 2011 9:22 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your feedback. Your comments are very appreciated and are used to better service our customers. Happy Gardening.
"

I ordered their Stay At Home Ladybugs earlier this year (2010). It was very obvious that they did not send me the quantity they said (900). I called and told them about the problem and they sent some more. The total amount sent though was still less than the amount I was supposed to receive.

I called and told them about the problem and they refunded the total amount for the ladybugs. It was rather disturbing that they didn't bother to count or make sure that they sent what I paid for.

Now, I see at least on their Web Site, that they list the number of ladybugs you will be getting is about 900, which I think is misleading. How many are about 900?

If you order any, be sure and try to count them. The problem is---it's hard to do.

"On Nov 16, 2010 9:21 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

We appreciate your feedback. We use this information to provide better products and service to our customers."

My order did not arrive and they did nothing to help me track it down as to where it got to and in fact seemed rude when I asked questions. They acted like they didn't even care. They did refund my money but I will never order from them again. From here on I will buy local.

"On Nov 1, 2010 9:34 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your feedback. Your comments are very appreciated and are used to provide better service to our customers. A customer service representative will be contacting you to find out what happened with your order.
"

I used their Roses Alive and it worked miracles Spring and Fall. would highly recommend their product! Txsdar

"On Oct 27, 2010 7:10 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for sharing your experience with our Roses Alive. Your comments are very appreciated. Happy Gardening!"

I used the $ 25 off coupon towards a 100 ft roll of red tomato mulch. I received the mulch about two days after I ordered for it. Great Service !

"On Oct 27, 2010 7:08 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you very much for your feedback. Your comments are very appreciated and are used to better service our customers. Happy Gardening!"

I received my package last week. After reading the reviews here i was a bit scared to put in an order.But then decided to go ahead and try it one time so called in.My call was answered by henry from india.well i had read about you guys outsourcing well i had a set frame of mind because i read these reviews about india.I was rude with this fellow and to my amazement the more rude i got he got more and more polite till the point i thought oh my god what am i doing.i apologized to him and told him that this was my first time ordering from your company and i was very rude to him and that sweetheart gave me a $25 discount as it was my first order that was so sweet of him,so i apologized again.i got my order and love the products and just wanted to say that these kids are doing a great job.and the truth is if i was connected to someone here that person would have disconnected the call for being so rude but not the indian.i would love to order more and will call u soon.Thumbs up GA great and sweet service and great products,best experience till now.

"On Sep 10, 2010 8:23 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your input. Your comments are very appreciated and are used to better service our customers Thank you for sharing your experience. Happy Gardening!"

I emailed Gardens Alive twice with this inquiry and, as yet, have received no response. Sent a third one tonight.

On line they offer the following:
Item # 2837 Wow Supreme 40 lb bag 48.95 (2 -4)
or
Item # 2958 WOW Supreme 40 lb bag Buy 3 bags get one free $195.80

It doesn't compute... 3 bags at 48.95 is $146.85, not $195.80

Seems like false advertising to me, especially since they won't respond to my emails. Too bad since it is a great product!!

"On Aug 10, 2010 9:55 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your feedback. We had an error on our site and we have corrected the pricing. The item 2958 is now $146.80. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention."

I was happy with the customer service but the product (Iron X) didn't work.

I ordered two bottles of Iron X from Gardens Alive based on the misprinted catalog directions cited a few posts back. I called and found that each bottle treated 600 sf, not 2500 sf. I have a 5000 sf yard so I never would have ordered knowing the correct application rate. Domestic customer service offered me a couple more bottles for free because of the mistake. I was pleased with this as it gave me enough to cover the weedier areas.

Unfortunately the product did not work as advertised. I mixed it at 5oz/gal as directed and spot sprayed the dandelions 24 hours ago. There was no rain and I sprayed them thoroughly. Some look slightly shriveled but all still have green leaves. I saw no effect on any other weeds. I will try for a refund but I would have far preferred an effective product.

"On May 24, 2010 11:43 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for taking the time to post. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information."

I ordered my usual items, as well as several additional items that would be covered by the $25 coupon in their brochure. The items I wanted are apparently no longer available, so they just sent and billed me for the remaining items, which I only ordered because they were 'free' by using the coupon. They didn't even have a record of my complete order, only an altered order, listing only the items they had. They shipped them with no explanation or notation that the other items were no longer available. After several emails, letters and calls, this problem still has not been resolved. I have sent subsequent emails, but they no longer respond. I strongly recommend to SHOP ELSEWHERE. I know I will.

"On May 18, 2010 10:35 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for taking the time to post. We apologize for the confusion. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information."

Several times I have asked that the hardiness zone be corrected on my mailing label for this and the sister companies. I am clearly in zone 6 - quite close to 6A. These catalogs have me in 7B. I have to remember each time I order to change the shipping dates. The order takers seem to get quite frustrated with me and are often rude about this issue. One order taker said that the USDA sets these zones - and I agree with this. He should have looked to see that all of the state of VA is not in zone 7. From sister companies, I have lost sweet potato and other plants because they were shipped when I still had snow on the ground. Beneficials from Gardens Alive did no good since it was too cold to release them before I learned they had me pegged for shipping in a much warmer zone. Each time I have ordered on line or on the phone, I have requested that they correct this issue. They never do - and so I simply refuse to order from any GARDENING company who cannot read the USDA hardiness maps. Any serious gardener knows his/her hardiness zone. These GARDENING catalog people don't seem to care that they are wrong.

"On May 11, 2010 11:12 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for taking the time to post. We base your grow zone on the USDA Hardiness Zone Map. We understand there are micro zones which causes the temperature to be slightly different within the same grow zone. Unfortunately, we are unable to determine these zones based on zip codes, which are used by the USDA. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information. We apologize for the inconvenience."

I'm definitely an unhappy customer! I ordered a bottle of IRON X! last week. The catalog stated that a bottle of concentrate makes 3.125 gallons and should be applied at a rate of 1 gallon per 2,500 square feet, meaning a bottle of concentrate would treat 7,812 square feet of lawn. (This makes it reasonably economical product!)

When I received the product the instructions on the bottle state that the bottle of concentrate makes 3.125 gallons and should be applied at a rate of 5-10 gallons per 1000 square feet. That translates to a bottle of concentrate treating only 300-600 square feet. That is a HUGE DIFFERENCE from what is stated in the catalog.

At that rate it would take about 17 bottles of concentrate to treat 7,800 square feet of lawn! That would come to $510.00 instead of $35.00.

Below, I have copied, exactly, the ad from the catalog followed by the instructions from the bottle.

***************************************************************

Copied from the March Catalog I received in the mail.

IRON X! Selective Weed Killer for Lawns sup-
presses weeds quickly and effectively without
killing your lawn. Dying weeds will turn
black or brown within hours of application.
People and pets can enter the treated area as
soon as the spray dries. It even works in cold
weather and is safe to use on new lawns, one
week after grass emerges. Lawn areas may be
re-sown within one day of treatment.
Mix 5 ounces of concentrate with 1 gallon of
water. Apply the mixed solution with a hose-
end sprayer at a rate of 1 gallon per 2,500
square feet of lawn or spot treat with a hand
sprayer. 16-ounce concentrate makes 3.125
gallons. There is no unpleasant odor and the
solution is rainfast in 3 hours. Repeat treat-
ment in 3 to 4 weeks for best results..
#3721 16 oz $34.95, 2-4 @ $32.95 each,
5+ @ $29.95 each
**********************************************

Copied from the instructions on the bottle.

Application Directions
Shake well before using. Mix one part
Iron X! Selective Weed Killer for Lawns
with 24 parts water (5 oz. in 1 gallon of
water). Apply the mixed solution at a rate of
5-10 gallons/1000 sq. ft. (5.75-11.5 fluid
oz./sq yd.) Any standard hand-held or
backpack sprayer can be used. Thoroughly
spray weeds. Use a coarse nozzle setting to
reduce drift. Uniform coverage is important
Repeat treatment in 3-4 weeks for best
results.
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I have emailed Gardens Alive about this issue twice but have never received any reply.

"On May 11, 2010 2:39 PM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for taking the time to post. We apologize for the mis-print in out catalog and this will corrected. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information."

I received a Gardens Alive! catalog after requesting a Gurney's catalog (only way I can figure at least). It came with a free $25 in merchandise coupon, no strings attached, simply order and mail the coupon back. I ordered the veggie alive and tomato alive fertilizers. Including shipping it was less than $25, so I sent off the order form, coupon and waited for my order. I received it in less time than expected and can't wait to use it this season. Will definitely be keeping them in mind for other products I need. If they treat a customer getting free items this good I can imagine how they treat those who pay for everything.

"On May 4, 2010 1:26 PM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate you taking the time to post. Happy Gardening!
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Ordered from their catalog using the online ordering. Used $25 off coupon with no problem. Got starter soil, veg seeds and potatos and oinions starters. My order was complete and shipped timely. My cilantro and broccoli seeds are already sprouting after being planted a few days.

"On Apr 13, 2010 12:19 PM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate you taking the time to post. Happy Gardening!
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