Rocky Mountain News
If a tomato plant wilts, you can get your money back from the big stores, at least.
I turned into a hard-hitting investigative journalist the day a friend asked me if it was true the big-box home improvement stores have a one-year, money-back guarantee on plants.
She had sunk a bundle into her garden and didn't want to lose out if bushes drooped or flowers wilted.
Could it be true? A whole year? Mighty generous if it was, I thought, given that 99 percent of dead plants in my garden were my own dumb fault.
"Operation Plant Kill" was on. I contemplated wearing a floppy hat and oversize sunglasses when shopping, lest anyone recognize this gritty reporter poking through the pansies in the stores. Then my husband gently reminded me that in my 20-plus years as a journalist, I'd never had one person yell, "Hey, aren't you that columnist . . . "
I chose lobelia, pretty plants that wilt quickly when left in the hot sun, and a few tomato plants, which are picky about being unceremoniously plunked outside in the middle of a spring snowstorm.
Even when aiming for a thriving garden, I'm something of a "hit woman" in the garden. So with a little effort, it took only days for this grim garden reaper to accomplish the goal: limp lobelia and lifeless tomato plants.
Next, the tough part. My palms sweat when I stand in any line to make a return. I envision the scowling customer service representative grilling me on the blouse I'm handing back with a ripped seam. (Imaginary rep: "Did you by any chance gain 10 pounds after you purchased this silk creation?")
So imagine my anxiety when I approached a customer service rep in Lowe's garden department.
"Ahh, I'd like my money back," I stammered to a woman busy deadheading flowers.
In a snap, she was ready to refund my money or replace the plant.
Same story at Home Depot. In both cases, after they offered the refund I explained who I was - Dig garden editor and plant killer - and refused to take a replacement or money back. I didn't gain 10 pounds (OK, maybe 5) but I did intentionally destroy those plants.
In short, what I learned from friendly garden managers and from the corporate offices of both stores is this:
At Lowe's, you can return plants one year from the original purchase date for a replacement or a refund. In most stores, if you don't have a receipt, you'll get store credit.
Home Depot will take perennials back for a year. Here's where things get a little murky: Corporate policy dictates that annuals aren't covered. (This prevents people from bringing back plants in late summer, when the plant would naturally die.)
But there's wiggle room, and I spoke with a manager in Louisville who believes in making customers happy. He said he'd happily have taken back my plants.
So no angry lectures for me at the chain stores.
How about Denver's big garden centers, like Paulino Gardens, Echter's Garden Center and Tagawa Gardens? They all have similar policies.
"We wouldn't browbeat you, and we'd likely take back the plant," says Beth Zwinak, manager at Tagawa, when I explain my return- policy goals.
"But we might talk to you a little about how it happened; why the plant died. We don't want our customers to make the same mistake."
If an annual comes back three months later, a refund is unlikely, said Zwinak. But most customers, she adds, know they're at fault and welcome guidance.
"People are at various stages of being gardeners," Zwinak said. "Killing a plant offers a lesson, and we want to help."
A lecture doesn't sound so great. But a lesson? Most gardeners - including this one - could benefit from a little gentle guidance.
Avoid returns
Before you purchase plants, take these tips from customer service representatives at Home Depot, Lowe's and Tagawa Gardens.
* Look for warning signs on delicate plants and treat them with care, introducing them slowly to the great outdoors.
* Read those labels carefully. Avoid underwatering or overwatering (often the bigger problem). If the soil is rich and the plant's in the right spot - a tricky balance of shade and sun - you won't have to bother with the whole "returning" hassle.
* If you do have to return a plant, it will help if you've held on to your receipt, especially for expensive bushes and trees. Don't expect to get your money back if you show up with neither dead plant nor receipt. Some centers require both, so call ahead.
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