Comments regarding Gardens Alive!

I have used these products for Years, Never had the slightest Problem. Pyrolia is the Greatest Organic Garden Pest killer I have ever found. The Grass Seed is amazing as well as the fertilizers.
After some Research, it shows that they have gone on a Massive Expansion endeavor, buying out companies and such.
Growing Pains? There sure are a lot of complaints here?

I've placed a couple of orders from this company recently and had good experiences. Products (both live plantings and supplies) received quickly and in season-appropriate time and in good shape.

Interesting to me that my experiences with Gardens Alive have been good, but that has not been the case with some other companies in the Henry Fields group. They need to work on better horizontal integration.

I have used their fertilizer products (Vegetables Alive, Tomatoes Alive and Roots Alive) and some of their garden pest controls (Bulls Eye, Pyola, Escar-go and Green Step at different times and for several years. I still use them especially the fertilizers. They have all performed very well to my satisfaction. Well Done!

"On Jul 12, 2013 11:11 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you so much for your wonderful testimonial about our products. We look forward to helping with your gardening needs for many years to come."

This year was my first order. So far everything has been positive. I ordered pest control powder and 6 roses. So far all the roses, except one, is thriving and growing. One of the grafted roses turned completely black after about 2 wks. They said another one would be sent. This is the negative part. it has been 5 weeks and I haven't received the rose replacement yet!!!!!!!!!

"On Jun 21, 2013 11:12 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your posting. I will have one of our customer service representatives contact you for your account information and check on the reshipment 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!!

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 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."

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 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 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 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!
"

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!
"

I have been doing business with Gardens Alive since I believe the early 1990s. I placed three orders with them last season and was preparing to place one now when I found these reviews. I was very surprised by the number of negative reviews. My experience with this company has always been good and I like their products. I plan to continue to do business with them.

"On Apr 13, 2010 10:37 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

We greatly appreciate you taking the time to post this. We strive for 100% Customer Satisfaction. We are always here to answer any questions you may have or assist in any way we can. We look forward to serving you in the future. Happy Gardening!"

all I have to say is I was an impatient gardner....but for the price and the fact that everything is life time gauranteed i cant beat it. If something is wrong its fixed no questions asked no hassels. In gardening I have learned patients and all its rewards!!! Thanks Michigan Bulb. My yard gets more beautiful by the year!

"On Mar 18, 2010 10:41 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for providing testimony on our plants. And, we do pride our selves on our lifetime guarantee "If you are not happy with any item you order from us, or any item does not grow and flourish to your complete satisfaction notify us anytime for a reship, replacement certificate or refund, whichever you prefer. Feel free to send pictures of your garden - we would love to see!
"

i decided to try gardens alive in spite of negative reviews. my order was placed online jan.15'th and was received within a week, packaged very well and received in excellent shape. the $25.00 coupon was easily honored and made for a nicer, cheaper shopping experience. as i ordered seed starting kits, i will update my post as to how well they function. was very pleasantly surprised with the service received.

"On Feb 26, 2010 10:41 AM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

We greatly appreciate you taking the time to post this. We strive for 100% Customer Satisfaction. We are always here to answer any questions you may have or assist in any way we can. We look forward to serving you in the future. Happy Gardening!"

I purchased a 40lb bag of WOW for our lawn from Gardens Alive. I ordered the product at 11:30 a.m. on Wed. and it arrived the next afternoon! They gave me a $25.00 coupon, also. I work in retail, and couldn't have asked for better service. The Cust. Serv. rep was very helpful and polite. I rate Gardens Alive an A1 company, and will shop with them again.

I ordered several different things from them, and they were shipped in 3 different shipments. They kept me notified of all shipments, which arrived here in 2 business days from notification, and all were as described. The prices were not high and neither was shipping amount considering the number of shipments. I would recommend!

"On Aug 24, 2009 2:12 PM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Thank you for your kind words; we greatly appreciate you taking the time to post this. We strive for 100% Customer Satisfaction. We are always here to answer any questions you may have or assist in any way we can. We look forward to serving you in the future. Happy Gardening!"

It was with great trepidation that I placed an order with Gardens Alive. I had used their product for years when they first started, but it's been at least 7years since I ordered anything. (NOT becaue of product but changes in my life.)

I have to say I'm quite content. I ordered Japanese Beetle Traps, Roses Alive #3, and Liquid Rotenone/Pyrethrin on July 25. The box arrive today, July 28, standart shipping, plus I got to use a $25 off coupon. I was just getting ready to go to the local nursery to buy traps, as I thought it would be next week before delivery!
Perhaps they are tuning in to DG? Regardless, I am both relieved and pleased. Hopefully I can again rely on them for their excellant product line as I have in the past.

"On Aug 6, 2009 1:56 PM, Gardens Alive! responded with:

Valued Customer:

Thank you for your kind words; it is greatly appreciated. Our company is based on 100% Customer Service; if you are not satisfied, then we have not done our job. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance. We look forward to serving you in the future."

I have ordered from this company several times over the years, most recently last month, and have never had any trouble. They've honored the $25 off coupons, and my order has come within a week. With the coupon, the WOW (corn gluten) is cheaper than any other place I've found (factoring in shipping). Without the coupon, it is comparable. I have never ordered plants or live products from them, only gardening supplies, and have been very happy with the products, and the results.

I had a bad experience with the company two years ago regarding the free $25 coupon. They tried to bill me for products they refused to send, but we finally got it fixed.

I am trying them again today and we will see if they get this order correct and in a timely way. I am not using a coupon, by the way. I think there is a reason there is so much hassle using them.

I will post back my experience with this order. If there is any problem, they have lost me for good, and I will be sure to let DG know.

I've ordered from GA several times, and so far so good. Shipping was promt. Items arrived in good shape, and I like that they use compostable packing peanuts.

First time customer this year, ordered 4 bags of Wow pre-emergent. Order came quickly and was well packaged. Still too early to tell how the product is working.

Sorry to read of some of the negative posts regarding Gardens Alive. Maybe I've been one of the lucky ones; am elated that I've been "lucky" for over 15 years of doing business with them!

Once again I've ordered from them this year, and will place a second order in a few weeks. Products rec'd always arrive in good condition with very fast shipping. (I tend to lean towards buying some of their pest products as well as TomtoesAlive.)

I received, via e-mail, a coupon for $25.00 off an order of any price. I ordered about $20.00 worth of product, and they used the remaining $5.00 toward shipping. I paid only 2.13 for the whole order. Both were soil amenders which I am very big into, and could no tbe happier! If this offer ever happenes again, I will definitely be taking part.

The items I ordered seem to be having a positive effect. I have 2 pots of the same plants, and the one that I used the products in are greener and bushier.

Jennifer

Have ordered from Gardens Alive 2 or 3 times each year for the past 2 years. Always positive experience. Love their seed starting mix and the veggie fertilizer. Last order one bag of powder was busted in box, they promptly sent me another. They always honor the coupons, have quick shipping and great quality products.

I'm surprised to see all these complaints. I've never had a negative experience with this company. Just now I placed an order, as I've done every year for the past seven years. Ordering online today was easy--first a Google search for a coupon, follow the link and added my item to my shopping cart. I logged in with my user name and put in my CC info, done. No problems, no weird things. I'm sure my items will arrive in a few days as always.

Once in the past my order of WOW was destroyed in transit (I can only imagine what the inside of that UPS truck must have looked like!) Gardens Alive was quick to resend, no problems at all.

I have ordered from Gardens Alive for many years and have never had a problem with any order. My most recent order was a couple weeks ago, and I received the order in good condition in a few days. My only complaint is that they always have those silly discount coupons to deal with. Their regular prices are fairly high, but with the coupons it's more reasonable. I wish they would just forget the coupons and have lower prices.

I'm not sure what the previous complaint was about... if you went to burger king on monday and bought a combo meal for $4.99..... and saw that they are having a special on it on thursday for $2.99 would you show up and ask for a refund? Get real, if the attorney general even listens to anything you say I'd be surprised... Your acting like just because they don't have a storefront and real people you can meet and interact with you can just do whatever you would like and make them cave to your demands its just because they deal with you over the phone and email you think you can do whatever you please, . Gardens has been a fantastic company thier products are a little overpriced but the garauntee makes up for it. I think you are being unrealistic in your complaint.

I'm quite frankly surprised to see all of the negative comments with this company. I always order from Garden's Alive online, with no problems at all. I have found that their Pyola spray is the best around for instantly getting rid of the Japanese Beetles and aphids on my rose bushes and other plants. The Soap Shield and Shield All both work wonders on rose fungus. The Roses Alive is the reason I have big healthy roses. I also have their Bulbs Alive and Perinneals Alive feeds to and they are all wonderful. Their lawn weed and feed, while it takes longer than chemical's to work, does work over time. I am a member of the Garden Solutions club and enjoy my 10% discount with every purchase from their member companies. People who want instant gratification shouldn't try organic gardening as it take more work and more time to see the results. But those results are wonderful with a little patience!

I have ordered from most of those linked companies and knock on wood I have been very happy,, I did have a coupon problem once, I called and they corrected it,, the products work and flowers have been in good condition, i have been ordering from most of them for years..