Do you know where your seeds come from?
It all started last August when I used a coupon from Gurney’s to order asparagus roots. By the third week of September my order hadn’t arrived. I decided something was amiss and called the company.
The customer service representative I spoke with assured me my order would arrive at the proper planting time for my zone, sometime near the beginning of December.
I was confused, how was I supposed to plant anything in zone 3b in December?
The cheery voice told me to put the crowns straight in the ground and mulch over them. They would be fine.
I expressed my doubts. I already checked with my local extension agent, the president of the local Master Gardener association, and a knowledgeable neighbor before calling. No one thought planting asparagus after October in our area was a good idea. I would just take a refund.
The less-than-knowledgeable representative asked me to hold while she checked with someone. Silence. A few minutes later a chipper voice came on the line and said, “Spring Hill Nurseries.”
Huh? I explained that I was holding for someone at Gurney’s. “No problem,” the jaunty voice assured me, “I’ll transfer you.”
More silence and another voice came on the line, “Henry Fields.”
What?
“I’m holding for Gurney’s. What’s going on?”
Not to worry, she could transfer me. I hoped so, this wasn’t a toll free number and I was racking up the minutes running around in this long distance circle.
More silence and then-click. They hung up on me.
But who had hung up, Gurney’s, Spring Hill Nurseries, or Henry Fields? And why was I transferred from one to the other?
This is a really good article on the importance of knowing who you’re buying from, growing heirloom, and saving your seeds.
December 30th, 2007 at 2:09 am
What great read! Thanks for the heads up. We just ordered a bunch of catalogs too. I’ll have to pay attention to whom we order from. We really want to start seed saving this year; I want to make sure I saving open pollinated seed and wherever possible herloom or heritage varieties.Thanks again.
P~