The Watchdog celebrates a milestone ;o)

This definitely belongs in Ripley's "Believe-it-or-not". Today is March 17, 2005. Exactly 11 years ago today, Peter Leppik created the Plants by Mail FAQ. I didn't know today was the anniversary until I was updating the FAQ.

And why was I updating the FAQ? To change the references from the "Top 20" to "Top 30". We expanded the list in large part because of the phenomenal growth in the number of companies listed in the Watchdog. So please help welcome these newest "top dogs" - if they're not among your favorite vendors yet, you might consider adding them to your personal short list:

Chamblee's Rose Nursery
Cross Country Nurseries
eFlower Garden
Flower Scent Gardens
John Scheepers, Inc.
Logee's Greenhouses, Ltd.
Old House Gardens - Heirloom Bulbs
Raintree Nursery
Schreiner's Iris
Swallowtail Garden Seeds
The Uncommon Rose


These vendors join several longtime top-rated vendors:

Antique Rose Emporium
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company
Bluestone Perennials
Brent & Becky's Bulbs
Buried Treasures
Dune Lane Nursery
ECOLAGE
Forestfarm
Frostproof Growers
Gardener's Supply Company
Hallson Gardens
J.L. Hudson, Seedsman
Johnny's Selected Seeds
Lee Valley Tools, Ltd.
Oakes Daylilies
Paradise Garden
Pinetree Garden Seeds
Select Seeds Antique Flowers
Territorial Seed Company

Speaking of the ever-growing list, the Watchdog recently surpassed another important milestone - we now have in excess of 4,000 companies listed! Many of the newest vendors are from Australia and the UK, so I invite everyone to browse by their home country and see what's new.

Fantastic!

Great to see some of my favorites there, what a wonderful thing we do :)

Another reason this is such a great site! Good job, Terry.

I always check the WatchDog before I order ...... I wouldn't want to be without it ..... Thanks

great job! great companies!!!

just... thanks ... for everything you do. ~Blooms

Awww, shucks. Thanks for the pats on the back; they're always appreciated.

But I wasn't fishing for compliments ;o) I was just wanting to share the good news about the new GWD Top 30 list, and the serendipity that led to us to make this changes on the precise anniversary of Peter launching the Plants By Mail FAQ wayyyy back in 1994.

Great job. Several of the new top-30 are intimate with my bank account and deserve the recognition.

Kudos!

I also have been referring to the GW before I buy! I don't buy too awful much and when I do, I want to make sure my money is well spent. THANKS FOR THE GARDEN WATCHDOG!

Congrats to ALL of us that make the garden watchdog GROW!

*** Just wanted to add this we all should check those catalogs here in the watchdogs-I know they are
pouring in this time of year and the pictures are so tempting...but please check the watchdog before you place your orders!!!

This message was edited Mar 18, 2005 4:10 PM

I use the GWD instead of bookmarking most sites. I wish more of the regular users here would post in the watchdog when they order. I enjoy reading those posts almost as much as I do the forums.

Sheila

I joined Dave's just about two years ago.
It took me a few months to figure out what a great tool GWD was.

Since then I haven't made an on-line gardening buying move w/o it.

Not once since using it have I been burned and have found many great buying sites thru it.

My garden and I congratulate all involved in making this anniversary possible.
My wallet on the other hand......................;-)

Ric

I use GWD all the time. It's a great asset to everybody. I did order from a company that had mostly negative this year. They had some seeds I wanted and where a good price. So figured it was worth a try to give them a chance since the rating was 50-50. I have no complaints so far will see about the germination before I leave a rating.

Congrats and thanks for GWD.

I'd gotten burned ordering live plant material online before discovering Watchdog. I don't want the same Home Depot cookie-cutter garden that everyone on the block has. For something special you have to order through mail or, these days, online. You can only go so far on intuition and a nice online catalog. I'm so glad I found Dave's Garden! I've had to start a new collection since losing most all of my plants to hurricane Frances last Sept. What Frances didn't get, second helpings did in weeks later! Upon discovering the Watchdog, I immediately started ordering from recommended companies. I'll never again buy another online plant, unless it's listed here. I also like to give back what I receive by rating the companies from which I buy, since I know how invaluable an asset it's proven to me. After all, in online shopping knowlege truly is power. Thanks for such a great service!

Hey Terry, I did as you said and sent a congrats email to my favorite fella Glen Varner at Flower Scents, he thanked me for letting him know of this "honor" (his word) -- are we not letting them know? I also mentioned the PlantScout and PlantFiles photos needed and will keep working on him, lol.

yep - I sent a note to each company listed in the Top 30 (maybe he hasn't gotten all the way through is inbox yet?)

Probably! He said he's been flooded with orders this week, wonder why, lol. Gotta keep plugging DG :)

I already have a favorite vendor I buy my plants from, but I do keep getting these beeeautiful catalogs in the mail. (Don't know how they got my address)

So I sit down and look at all the lovely pictures, fold the pages down on the ones I particularily like, highlight the zone in each choice. Then before I actually make an order, I go to the Garden Watchdog. Every single catalog I get in the mail either has a very bad rating or is affiliated with one of those companies with bad ratings. So in the recycle bin the catalog goes.

Thank goodness for the Garden Watchdog. Without it, I would have bought blindly, been highly disappointed and quit buying altogether. I certainly appreciate all the benefits of having DG here along with all its members to help us make the best choices.

Molly
:^)))

Today in the mail I received a beautiful catalog from Wayside Gardens. I decided to look it up in the GWD...and found

It belongs to Park Seeds
has 134 positives
48 nuetrals
73 Negatives

Total: 64% Positive

I wasnf't going to order anything anyhow...but the pictures sure are pretty.....LOL Jo

Terry,

Thanks for the cross mail. Wow 11 years....I found you guys by referral a couple of years back. Didn't become a paying member until this year. You guys are great. Definitely have grown. Kudos for all the years past and best wishes for the years to come. You guys have really done a great job managing this site....it is huge.

Terry--perhaps you can give me a little history here--I am curious--what do you mean by "Peter Leppik created the Plants by Mail FAQ". Was this the beginning of DG? Just wondering.

tabasco, the short answer is "no" - the PBM-FAQ was in no way connected with Dave's Garden - they were completely separate websites until the point in time that we assumed responsibility for the PBM and then subsequently merged it into the Watchdog.

Peter Leppik created the Plants By Mail FAQ back in 1994 as a website designed to let users share their experience with others about various bare-root plant vendors. This FAQ leads you through the story if you're in a comfy chair and want to spend a few minutes scrolling through: http://davesgarden.com/faq/gwd/#67

Terry & Dave............Please stand while we all here at Dave's give you a standing ovation for your hard work and dedication to make this such a great site........

Deann

hear hear, I second what Deann says....it's been great here, and you all at DG work so hard to keep this garden running smoothly. thank you!!

I only became a subscriber last week(and did'nt know what I was missing!), but the Watchdog has truly gotten me through the winter. It's also tweeked me into spending more $ than I dare admit! But as a sufferer of seasonal depression, this has kept the promise of spring in the forefront of my mind through the cold and grey. I can't thank you all enough. And I'd rather spend my money on plants than zoloft anyway!

Hi Gemini.....you live near on of my best friends on DG...Mystic...she lives in Ewing and is one sweetheart!! I hope you get the chance to meet her some time soon. Also, plan to attend the KY RU the first week end in Oct...seek out the Round Up form...lots of fun. Jo