Comments regarding The Tasteful Garden

I was going to order several pepper plants. Everything was going well until I got to the place in the ordering process to put in a credit card number. The site is not secure. No https and no closed padlock. In order to protect myself, I did not order and I would recommend that no one else order from them via the Internet until they fix this problem. I really hope they do this soon, as the prices and selection are good and others' comments are (so far) very positive.

[ADDED NOTE BY THE GARDEN WATCHDOG ADMINISTRATORS, APRIL 11, 2003: We have looked into this and found that, indeed, The Chef's Garden's website is a secure website and the credit card collection occurs behind a secure connection. However, their site is configured in such a manner that the user does not enter the secure area until the moment they enter the submit button.

The site is secure, from what we can see, however, the method utilized introduces confusion in their customers. We have notified them of the error and suggested a change.

In the meantime, rest assured that they are secure.]

Possibly the best selection of heirloom tomato plants of any growwer. Beautiful healthy plants. Gorgeous herbs.

You cannot go wrong with them.

They are unique in what they do and how they do it. Hard to
explain. Limited catalog, nice prices, human people run it.

I certainly have no complaints.

On 1 to 10 (although a small company) I rate them a 10!

As you might expect, they sell edible herbs and flowers. Very lovely people, not too busy to chat. Plants are great - first rate. Visit in person, if you can - the dogs, Sandy and Sage are friendly, the country beautiful, and the plants etc. are worth having. I'll be going back in person, but I think the web site is also great. A true gem!

If you're looking for top-quality tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and herbs, this is the place for you. The people are very friendly and accessible, and the site is chock-full of info, including smart, practical, easy-to-understand growing tips and luscious recipes.Ordering from the online catalogue is a bit tricky, although it works like a dream if you follow the directions. When they say DON'T hit backspace, and to click on the "Add to Cart" button, not return, they mean it! The shipping/handling charge seemed a bit high to me until the plants actually arrived, but when I saw them I had absolutely no problem with it. ALL the plants were large (8"-10"), exceedingly healthy with deep root systems, smartly packed with what was obviously loving care, and, no kidding, looked as if the only trip they'd made was from my local nursery 5 miles away instead of cross-country! I honestly couldn't believe it. I planted the Carmello tomato on May 25th (today is June 30th), and it has 10 fruits, the largest is the size of a tennis ball! Amazing. Although I planted some tomatoes 3 weeks earlier, their fruits are not this big. I planted Ori & Mandarin peppers (from The Chef's Garden) also on May 25th, and they've all set fruit, even though our weather here in Eastern Iowa has been unusually rainy and cool this year. One of the Mandarins has a pepper that is already over 2" long. Unheard of! After trying to order Bay Laurel trees from several sources (unsuccessfully), I got 3 from The Chef's Garden. Gorgeous, beautiful things! I hope to cherish them for years to come. Although a small operation with a limited catalogue, these folks know what they're doing and take a very hands-on approach. I've ordered thousands of dollars worth of garden supplies from probably 20-25 sources over the years, and I have to say, for live plants, The Chef's Garden is the very, very best I've found. Next year I'll be ordering from them first!