Comments regarding Tomato Girl (Tomato Baby Company)

Yummy tomatoes. Incredible service. When we were having a colder-than-normal spring a couple of years ago, Alainia contacted me and asked for permission to ship later. I was very glad she did, because the plants would not have survived... We kept in touch, and once the forecast looked clear, she shipped. And I love the variety and personal comments about the plants. I know what I'm getting when I get my plants.

This is my first order from Tomato Baby Company. Plants arrived in excellent shape and are doing great in my garden. Couldn't ask for better service. I will order even more plants from the Tomato Girl next year!

This is my 3rd year ordering plants from Alaina and I could not be happier. My wife and I have been experimenting and searching for the "best" tomatoes in the world. Each year we read through Alainas extensive list of types and descriptions and order 10 - 15 different plants to try... plus our 10 favorites (so far). The plants have always arrived quickly and in great condition. It has been a blast deciding which tomatoes that we all like the best. I even contacted Alaina about a hybrid type of tomato that my dad used to grow in St Louis MO that we all loved growing up. Alaina and her husband jumped right on it, they did the research and found a close relative of that tomato and it was just like I remembered... Delicious. No more going to the store and/or nursery and just taking whatever plants they have available for us. We are never going anywhere else for tomato plants. I would encourage anyone out there to give Tomato Baby a try. You wont be disappointed.

Wonderful selection of tomatoes and peppers. ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC CUSTOMER SERVICE. Shipping was on time as scheduled, and my plants arrived in very good condition. Extensive instructions for adapting plants from travel mode to grow mode were very helpful. Will order again next year.

I am extremely pleased with the quality, size, and the healthy plants I received from Tomato Girl. I did not have any success germinating my "Pepperfish" Pepper seeds this spring. Alainia came to my rescue. I can enjoy my peppers again this summer. Thanks Alainia. You will have my business again and again. Sincerely, Bruce

I have ordered from Alainia (Tomato Girl) for at least 7 years...probably longer. Her selection of heirloom tomato varieties is superb. When I wanted to buy heirlooms, I checked out ebay and found Alainia who has since opened her own estore. I ordered early in April and received my plants last Friday--I specified my planting dates and Alainia accommodates by offering a choice of shipping time frames. The plants are always well packaged and extremely healthy...this year was no different. I ordered about 30 tomato plants, at least 12 pepper plants, and a half dozen eggplants. Alainia packed in 8 "samples" of tomato, pepper, and eggplant plants (FREE), for me
to try out.
I follow Alainia's exacting directions to help the tomato babies to acclimate to my area...fortunately we are having perfect weather. This morning my plants are in buckets with some water sitting in the shade. Tomorrow I'll move to partial sun and on Wednesday, I'll plant them deep (tomatoes), since tomato plants develop roots far up their stems. I can't wait
for the tomatoes--especially my new favorite, Black Cherry!

Alainia's plants can't be beaten--for healthy plants, for great varieties. I heartily recommend Tomato Baby Company ...I've been gardening 50 years so I know a good tomato plant from a great one--Alainia's are great!

Cheri Anderson in Indianapolis, Indiana

I ordered from Alainia at TomatoBabyCo on April 30th, 2012 and received my plants within a week.

Here are the things I loved most about this transaction:
- It was easy (I used the website)
- It was fast (both ordering & delivery)
- The prices are very reasonable
- The packaging was great
- The communication from Alainia was great, before shipping, during shipping and after I received the shipment
- The plants were GORGEOUS, healthy & in great shape when I received them

I ordered (3) plants & received one as a "sample". Alainia sent me a very detailed email about how to ease the plants out of the "shock" of being in the dark for 2-3 days, along with tons of other information. I had a couple of questions after receiving the plants (about using them in planters) and her response was quick, personable & very helpful. I'd ordered (2) tomato plants from a "big name" grower that were tiny, tiny seedlings with almost no root system - they were in terrible shape when I got them & died soon after. Tomato Girl's plants were huge (probably at least 6-8 inches tall, maybe more) and again, were in beautiful shape when I got them.
I wish there were more businesses out there that offered that personal touch along with great products. Very highly recommend Alainia & Tomato Baby Co.

TomatoBabyCompany is still open for business and their website is active. Very smooth transaction and the plants are doing great. Alainia was a pleasure doing business with. I recommend them very highly.

I loved Tomato Girl, got great service and tomato plants that neither I nor the lack of rain in GA last year could kill. I AM SO BUMMED that they seem to have closed. When you go to their website, it takes you to page that says "TBC has closed its doors. Thank you for your support the past few years. ".

This has been, hands down, the best experience purchasing ANY product online that I've ever had.

Back in January, I started receiving gardening catalogs in the mail and got incredible excited at the prospect of deciding what to plant in my yard this year. Having noticed a ton of positive reviews on DG, and dissatisfied with my last online plant purchase, I reached out to the owner of Tomato Baby, Alainia, and inquired about when ordering began. After receiving a reply within 24 hours, I wrote her back with a few questions. Not only was she incredibly knowledgeable and informative in her reply, she was also as sweet as could be.

I eventually asked her for advice on picks for both tomato and pepper plants based on my region, 2010's gardening issues, color/taste preferences, planting medium, and overall production. This began a series of detailed emails back in forth in which we figured out exactly which plants I should order, three and a half months ahead of time!

Even after ordering, I received a phone call from Alainia's husband, who helps her run the company, letting me know that in their opinion, I had ordered TOO many of one plant in particular. Having ordered 3 of the Matt's Wild Cherry, they were concerned that I would have a tangled mess on my hands and more cherry tomatoes than I could ever keep up with. In addition to rectifying the over-order and substituting in two different cherry tomato plants at my request instead of a refund, he spent nearly a half an hour on the phone, walking me through how everything would be delivered and the planting methods they found worked best in containers.

I was planning on waiting until my plants were delivered to review this site, but after Alainia emailed me this morning to recommend the delivery be postponed, based on the weather conditions she had checked in my area, I just had to review. They're in Tennessee, I'm in New Jersey, yet she had made a point of ensuring to the best of her ability that my plants would grow to their full potential.

While I will post an update when my plants do arrive, I highly recommend ordering from Tomato Baby. Their customer service is second to none.

Posted on June 2, 2010, updated June 2, 2010
After reading all the great reviews, I decided to order for my 1st time. Not sure why my experience was so different. Plants arrived when stated but bare root, wrapped in paper towels, wilted with dead leaves. Emailed owner who said they would be fine and gave me more instructions. At this point, they were easy to contact. I was skeptical but willing to try. I have never planted tomatoes that looked like this, I have always bought them at nurseries and the comparison was remarkable. Tomato BabyPlants were long like 2 ft sticks, skinny, with maybe only a few green leaves on top. After hours planting and digging (had to be careful, they were thin as pencils) and giving them 4 days in the ground--they still look wilted, with dead branches and yellow spotted leaves. I just pray I didn't introduce disease into my garden. Emailed owner several times and included pics,asked for a refund, no reply yet. Waiting to get a reply back. I honestly wonder what these other people who reviewed got shipped to them and why mine was so different. I was really looking forward to some great tomatoes this year, guess not. :(

"On Jun 2, 2010 10:19 AM, Tomato Girl (Tomato Baby Company) responded with:

I refunded your money fully on 6-1-10, the day BEFORE you posted this because the plants were not what you expected. You asked for "large plants" on your order form and that is what we shipped. This morning I have an email from Dave's Garden that you gave me negative feedback.

I only did not respond to you during the Sunday and Monday of Memorial weekend. Per our website, email responses can take up to 24 hours typically, but we were closed on Memorial Day. I responded mid-day on Tuesday, but didn't finish the long, in depth planting email and good faith refund until the evening for the busy, short ship week. I responded to at least 10-15 emails from your various questions gardening techniques to include my plants over the past two weeks. As you stated you were a new customer who had a poor year last year, we also sampled 5 plants with your order of 13 for disease resistance qualities and known cultivars loved by our current customers in hopes of being part of your garden experience this year and thus forward.

I wrote a long, in depth, email explaining that I wanted you to have a refund because you don't know my plants and didn't know what to expect. When we send "large" (versus "small" ordered) plants, they are tall, pencil thickness, and ready to be transplanted below the soil line for large roots. Tomato plants will put out extensive root systems all along buried stem. Within 3 weeks, the above ground plant stem will be thicker than your thumb. You tried to plant them in good faith. You asked a lot of questions to ensure your great garden this year. Per your pictures after you planted them, you didn't plant the stems in the ground to make them into your new root system grown for YOUR garden as we discussed. Even then, I sent the refund to show you good faith, and asked you to try what I am pledging to you. I believe you are a good person, who is trying, but either not understanding or worrying, or not believing me. With the refund, I felt you had nothing to lose and would try to plant correctly as tomato plants should be partially buried unless you purchase the "small" plants and plant at root line. As I told you regarding other planting questions such as mulch/ cultivars /climate etc, it is best to experiment some and see what works best for you. Now, with a refund in full faith, and plants to boot, I hoped you would have some faith in me and my plants for a spot in your garden, planting larger plants appropriately.

alainia
TomatoGirl
"

I KNOW summer is here!!! My tomato plants just arrived!! Packaged for their travel from TN to MA PERFECTLY!! The only problem is there are SO MANY VARIETIES TO CHOOSE FROM!! And if you love heirloom varieties YOU'LL love this company!!
Thanks for the wonderful plants!!!

This is my second year ordering from Alainia and the Tomato Baby Company. I was a first time vegetable gardener and I had HUGE success last year with the 18 heirloom varieties I planted.(and some free samples too!) All thanks to the incredibly beautiful and healthy plants that I received and to all the great growing advice. Awesome eggplant and peppers too!! My babies are in the ground and looking healthier than ever. I would never purchase my plants from another source. Customer service is outstanding and the selection is amazing!

Loren Powell
Memphis, TN

I have been absolutely amazed by the service and products provided by this company. I am quick to criticize and hard to please, but I was wonderfully surprised with the Tomato Baby Company! I could not believe the beauty and value of the plants that I received. Not only did I receive remarkable follow up but was given some great advise to help with some of my horrible mishandling of my plants. Aside from the unbelievable customer service that went far beyond my expectations, the selection was quite extensive. The Tomato Baby Company has won my loyalty for my future purchases! This company exhibits a quality that is not easy to find.

Great plants, even better service. Friendly communication. I have been a customer for 3 years and will return again next year

My daughter bought a few plants for me through Tomato Girl and they arrived in excellent shape. They are very healthy plants even after being shipped to her home, then brought to my house. I enjoyed my daughters tomatoes so much last year that I decided to try growing my own. I look forward to the harvest.

I am so pleased with this company! This is my second year ordering from her. The plants are healthy, large, rare varieties and the prices very reasonable. Best part is the customer service- good email updates and quick responses to questions. You can't go wrong ordering from Tomato Girl!

I received my tomato plants about ten minutes ago. They are large, healthy and superly packed. Prices are great, also received free samples.This company has excellent customer service, I could not expect any better.I would not buy tomato plants from anyone else. Yonkers,N.Y.

best plants i have bought on the the internet or from nursery. plants were in great condition and was please to receive the free samples. i would recommend the tomato girl to anyone who is planning on gardening

Posted on May 9, 2009, updated May 12, 2010
Fantastic company! Got HUGE healthy tomato and pepper plants (plus two way cool freebies Alania selected for us from her totally awesome plant menu), which were packed superbly, and delivered just when promised. Alainia herself is very friendly, and delivers wonderful customer service; the care instructions she sent were the most comprehensive and easy to follow directions I think I've ever received. Will definitely be a repeat customer.

This my second year of ordering from Alainia with Tomato Girl and I love this company. She has a huge selection of tomatoes and other plants such as peppers, cabbage, and more. My plants arrive quick and healthy with plenty of detailed instructions on getting started, and extras in case some have trouble in shipping. Its like opening a christmas present not knowing the entire contents of the box. Last year provided us an abundance of tomatoes and peppers, so I'm excited to get growing this year.

Lowes vegetable garden section won't be getting my money any more.

Excellent customer service. Beautiful! Plants arrived within three days of placing the order. Arrived in excellent condition. Very large, very green, very full with no signs of stress. Alainia cheerfully selected plants specifically for me based on my likes and dislikes and answered my many questions promptly. I'll definitely be a repeat customer.

Wow! My plants were huge when they arrived! The plants were all healthy, and carefully packaged, and there were even free plants included. Last year I was sent a "rate your plants" email, and one of my favorites was being eliminated. I emailed the company and they started seeds of the "discontinued plant" just for me! They did it again this year. All of my gardening questions are always answered. And it's more than just tomatoes, They have the hottest jalapenos I've ever had, and the hard to find green chiles that I am now hooked on.

Tomato Baby Company is - without a doubt - the friendliest and most customer-oriented gardening business I have ever used. In the 30 years I have been gardening I have tried just about every catalog/mail order place on the planet. Tomato Girl and her Tomato Baby Company ARE THE BEST. No grower has more variety and the prices beat all the competition hands down. My plants were super healthy and arrived exactly as ordered and ON TIME. Tomato Girl always answered my emails promptly, provided detailed instructions for everything from opening the box to planting, and included a ton of FREE plants with the order. I could grow my own plants but buying from Tomato Girl is so much fun and SO easy. You can really trust this company. I won't buy anywhere else. Mary B.

This is my second year with Alainia, and she really cares about your experience. She will not ship plants until the weather is right-- and she always adds in extras. My plants arrived last year, and not a single one died until Thanksgiving! She is the best tomato supplier that I have come across. Thanks Alainia! Mary

I have been a customer now for 4 years. Alania is delightful to work with, the plants she grows are outstanding in every respect! Her heirloom tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and herbs have never failed me. They come packaged nicely with never a break to be seen. Incredible for large, live plants! Every box has extras of either something you ordered or a new variety which makes it like Christmas to open! I will continue buying my tomatoes, which, I will add, taste like tomatoes used to taste when I was a kid! I try something new every year and her adventuresome spirit offers and deletes new and old according to what she and her customers send feedback about. It just doesn't get better than that! Thanks Alania! Dokami

In summary, like your favorite neighborhood gardener, but on the internet. Excellent, detailed guidance; to removing from shipping container, prepare for planting, etc, etc. Amazing customer service, shipping on time, but not over weekends, and accepted a last minute adjustment to accommodate my local weather. Everything was clearly (and correctly) labeled, and she even threw in an extra item. Very responsive email, and the prices are fantastic. 2009 was my first year, I wish I could get more of veggies from here.

The BEST! If there's another vendor on the internet who can offer such an incredible selection of live heirloom tomatoes, as well as a decent selection of peppers and eggplants, at EXTREMELY modest prices and shipping charges, I haven't found it and believe me I've looked for years.

My order of 40+ plants, including the generous extras, arrived safe because of the excellent packing of large, healthy plants. And, in addition to everything else, Alainia is a delightful person who goes out of her way to accomodate the customer. I will never buy another tomato plant anywhere
else but from Alainia as long as she's available.

I am so happy to have found this site.

I just received my tomato and pepper plants today and all is well! I was so happy to find someone who sold actual tomato plants instead of seeds as I never have much luck with the latter. I got my precious purple cherokee which I can't find in stores. She even sent some extra plants. Communication was great. I wouldn't hesitate to order again!

I had great experience with Tomato Girl last summer. Alainia is very personable and helpful. She sent extra plants and explicit instructions on planting and care of the tomatos and peppers. Prices are good too.

Excellent company!!! I bought heirloom tomato plants from Alainia last summer, they were awesome healthy plants! She had around 100 different varieties and peppers too, and she even sent instructions how to care for them, and answered some questions I had after the sale! The most reasonable prices that I have found, and she sent a few extra plants. Very positive experience and a helpful company!