June 4, 2013 - Ed Hume Seeds Customer Service & Deadheading

Ed Hume Seeds Customer Service

After my recent experience with the sugar snap peas that weren't, I decided I'd write to Ed Hume Seeds to let them know that what I bought wasn't what I got.  I must say, the company is very quick to respond.  I had the same thing happen last year, when I purchased their Dwarf Cherry Rose Nasturtium seeds, the flowers of which turned out to be a common orange color.  I refused their offer to refund the price of the nasturtium seeds, but since I'd paid nearly $5 for the sugar snaps, plus tax and shipping, I accepted the offer of a refund on them.  I was also vindicated on my nasturtium complaint....it wasn't just me, and I'm not color blind!

Hi Carol:
    I have checked with everyone on the staff and none of their peas are bearing yet. And, I have not had any negative comments about the variety Sugar Lace other than yours.
    The peas come from an Idaho grower, with a top notch reputation.  Their pea varieties are grown in Eastern Washington, Oregon and Idaho.  I looked at the test label and it reads 99.5% purity and 87% germination. Having worked in the bulb industry in my early days I know occasionally a rouge variety will appear in a crop...it's usually one plant which is overlooked by the crew.  So that may explain the reason for the one plant with purple flowers. (Probably the variety Sugar Grey.)
    By-the-way, I am not certain if I ever wrote you about the Dwf. Cherry Rose nasturtium situation.  We found out the California flower grower had sold out to a Dutch growers.  Apparently in the transfer, somehow the varieties, either here in the USA or when they arrived in Holland got mis-labeled. You would have thought they would have caught the color difference/name when the plants were flowering in the field...but they didn't.
    Carol, I will send you a refund for the two packets of peas and your $2.00 mailing fee.  It may be tomorrow before it goes out in the mail, as I think I have already missed today's mail.
    Thanks for letting us know about this condition, so we can do something about it!
   Wishing you a most successful and bountiful gardening season!
    Ed Hume
    Ed Hume Seeds, Inc.        

So....I will continue to be a customer, as I have for many years.  Mistakes are made, but good customer service can make up for them.

Deadheading

A job I dislike doing, mainly because it means the end of a period of beautiful blossoms, is deadheading.  But deadhead I must if I want a pretty garden and bountiful blossoms next year.  

 The spent lilacs were removed as far up as I could reach without dragging out the ladder, and the chives were all cut back.  All that remains in this bed are volunteer alyssum, which are much prettier in person than they are in this photo.

 All of the dead flower heads were removed from the rhodies.  The big, healthy looking rhody had 80 blossom heads, the sickly looking smaller one had 79.  Yes, I counted as I cut them, it makes the job more interesting LOL!  Both of these get the same treatment, but the foliage on the one on the right never looks healthy.  The flowers, however, are always abundant and beautiful.

 Oh, how I hated to cut back the yellow lilies!  They are always such a welcome spot in the garden, and the aroma is heavenly.  but the blossoms had mostly faded, so off they came.  

There were a lot of blossoms on those plants!  A heaping wheelbarrow full!

 I did salvage a beautiful bouquet for the kitchen.

And another for the piano.  Now my entire house smells lovely!