May 10, 2008 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: swPA
Posts: 629
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Brewery Creek Garden Center
After two years of mishaps, I have decided to list Brewery Creek Garden Center's website
http://www.bcfarm.com as a poor place to purchase plants. Last year they charged me for both orders which were identical and only sent one, which meant I ended up with 1/2 of my initial garden design. I took me over two weeks to get them to send the rest, but by then they substituted varieties because they ran out. This year they substituted 2/3 of my order or 4 of 6. They just started shipping 5 days ago and were already out, which suggests they have trouble with their supply keeping up with their orders. Of course I did not notice if there was a place to decline substitutions, but I was really disappointed that so many were substituted and that the choices were not comparable to the oiginal order. Their substitutions were common, run of the mill varieties that could be purchased locally a lot cheaper. If you order from this company, I would suggest a LONG list of preferred substitutions. By the way, prices are $3.99 each plant, with 6 plants to a box and I was charged $11 postage for priority mail. So you have to order 6, 12, 18, 24 etc quantities. Plants arrive in good shape, but that's 2 year's in a row that I was disappointed. Not so bad, if you like surprises, but I am so organized and have everything planned just so and it really is disappointing. CECIL
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Hybrids Rule, Heirlooms Drool! |
May 10, 2008 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Michigan's Sunrise Side
Posts: 83
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I'm sorry to hear your order didn't work out, Cecil.
Thanks for letting the rest of us know. john
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I know where food comes from... |
May 10, 2008 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3
Posts: 3,220
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Wow! I'm sorry to hear you didn't get the varieties you wanted, it seems odd that they would be out so soon after shipping season starts. I wonder if the expanding popularity in heirloom tomatoes is generating more local gardeners to seek out the Brewery Creek Garden Center southwest of the Minneapolis area, and the more unusual varieties are snapped up quickly by drive-by customers?
I've never visited their greenhouse operations in person because that's a 5-6 hour drive from me,but my sister lives in the next town over and I have sent her there to pick up one or two heirloom plants for me in past years. I've gotten Amish Paste, Silvery Fir Tree, Black Cherry, Green Giant, and Cosmonaut Volkov from what I can remember, usually after mid-May. I vaguely remember they might have been out of some others I requested she find for me. The plants are always bushy and dark green, nice sized and in excellent health. I'm sorry you didn't get what you planned for, that would make me mad, too. Maybe they need to ask for pre-orders by March so they could gauge how much seed they need to start for mail-order varieties, and guarantee that those who pre-ordered would get what they requested. Otherwise, it's understandable that they will sell their stock on hand to whoever shows up in their store with cash. Dee |
May 10, 2008 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: swPA
Posts: 629
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Dee: On their website they mention they have customers as far off as Nebraska that drive to the facilities,6 hours one way. That would be the way to go, instead of mail order if they have that big of a turn around, but I am not driving from PA
CECIL
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Hybrids Rule, Heirlooms Drool! |
May 11, 2008 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SW Kansas
Posts: 339
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Cecil I understand your disappointment. I have experienced similar results ordering seeds and plants from other vendors. I have decided they all mean well and think they are doing a good thing but then they don't know our garden, taste perceptions and even our intended use for the seeds. And then why do think one variety is sold out and there is still plenty of another. Could be several reasons but one could be that to the majority it is better. I received a substitution on a bean variety from a vendor highly recommended on this site this year. They did send two instead of the one I ordered. They had no way of knowing I had tried these and don't care for them. To me not even comparable. But sure to them they maybe better. I promptly offered them online and gave them away. I had stated no substitutions on tomato seeds but forgot to state on any seed. And too late to order elsewhere so will just grow hybrid beans this year. And will order these early next year. I hope the ones you planted do well for you. I also experienced substitutions when I ordered plants and learned to state none allowed. And another problem is delaying shipping. I didn't order any this year but learned to state a desired date 7-10 days before I really wanted them. As otherwise they maybe later than desired. I wish you better luck next year with your ordering. JD
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April 15, 2009 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Buffalo, MN
Posts: 7
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I'm sorry to hear this. I haven't been there, but I've heard really good things from people who visit their nursery and am planning to go there to buy some plants in a week or two. I know one of the owners passed away this past winter and that is going to affect their mail order business this spring. He was apparently in charge of the mail order portion of the nursery and the website says that mail order is on hold for the time being.
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April 15, 2009 | #7 | ||
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: swPA
Posts: 629
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Quote:
Quote:
I imagine running a large mail order business is tricky at best, but if it was nearby; I would certainly go in person. I am such a planner and that messed up my map Hey, that was last year anyway CECIL
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Hybrids Rule, Heirlooms Drool! |
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April 15, 2009 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Buffalo, MN
Posts: 7
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I'll let you know how my trip there turns out :-)
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