Michigan Bulb Co.- One of My Favorites

I have used Michigan Bulb Company for the last few years and they continue to impress me. Though I can complain away about other companies, they have always been a solid, good-service company. They offer a wide variety of plants, bulbs, pre-selected gardens, vines and things of the like. I have found new fun things on their website every year. They also offer specials every day or weekly that blows me away. Order $80 and pay $40, free shipping, 67% off half of their inventory, and they mean 67%, it's not marked up and then dropped, I've watched for this kind of thing. Their shipments always come in good condition and with "extra care" packaging. I just can't say enough good things about them.

As oppose to Burgess who I have put in the "don't buy from" pile of seed and plant companies, Michigan Bulb Co. offers lifetime guarantee on their plants. This is directly from their webpage and is exactly how it works:

"Michigan Bulb Company's Risk-Free Lifetime Guarantee

If you're not happy with any item you order from us, notify us anytime for a full refund or replacement, whichever you prefer.

What's more, any item that does not grow and flourish to your complete satisfaction will be replaced free--with no time limit--for as long as you garden."

I have taken them up on this and everytime I get a responce by the end of that day at least with no complaints, questions or requirements. All I have to do is email them with "Hey MBC, my plant has died, could you replace it" and within hours I get a "Sure Tina, sorry for the problem, here's your order number, they'll be shipped tomorrow." That is how customer service should work. Easy Peasy.

Michigan Bulb Co. I love you.

Different Problems

It seems I keep running into little problems. Which all gardeners do I assume. Of the plants I have ordered I am somewhat disappointed. I thought everything was great with the bareroot plants that I got from Michigan Bulb Co. but my Old-Fashioned Bleeding heart went from doing absolutely nothing, to drying out and wilting to the ground. It has been in the ground for 3 or 4 weeks now and everything (almost) else I got from them is showing new growth. I emailed them almost a week ago to ask about a replacement and still have not heard anything. I wouldn't mind so much but it is a spring plant, as soon as it warms up, it won't flower and I've wasted a month of growth time. Along with that from MBC. One of the 6 Strawberry plants I received has also not done anything, while the rest have new leaves and are doing well. 1 out of 6 isn't very good odds I don't think. The last thing I have to complain about is my packet of seeds from Park Seed for some Hibiscus. The packet had 10 seeds in it, and it instructed me to soak them overnight which I did. Only 3 came up. Which is a huge and ridiculous dissapointment. 3/10 is terrible. I have emailed them too and am waiting for a response. I'm trying to be optimistic since both companies have guaranties but I have very bad luck with things like that...there are always conditions and such. Boo.
On another very different note, it is cold here this weekend. My boyfriend and this years gardening buddy has the entire weekend off with me which hasn't happened for probably 2 or 3 months. Being that next week is our last frost date, I was hoping to get all of the final preperations done for the garden beds. There are 3 more beds that need to be cleared and prepared with compost and fertilizer. Two should be simple and the other one is the largest and hasn't been touched in 4 years. That should be quite the chore. And we don't have a wheelbarrow :( That problem needs to be fixed. Anyways, with the first plant date being so close, I had hoped to have much more done but I only have the weekend and a few 2 hour nights per week that I can work outside so I have not been as productive as I wanted to be. I might have to push things back so that I don't rush into planting in the wrong places just because it wasn't prepared yet. I have a bad tendency to do those things, always getting overly excited.

Reading blogs from other zones makes me very jealous, and makes me wonder why I am still living in Minnesota/Wisconsin. I am seeing pictures of all kinds of flowers and wonderous things that have come up and already in bloom while my yard is very sad with the only color being the wild (what I believe to be) violets and dandelions. Luckily for me we have lilac bushes in the backyard or I'm simply be going crazy. Hopefully everything will fall into place this next week, I know I will get anxious and probably end up working till dark every night that the weather permits. There is nothing wrong with that but I should really learn not to procrastinate.