Burpee – Another Fine Seed Source
Written: Feb 24 '05
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Every year I order seeds to start indoors and then transplant the plants outdoors when the weather warms. Burpee Gardening offers plenty of variety and color for the garden.
Navigating the Site
Navigation is simple since the Top and Bottom menus appear on every page as one moves through the website. The Left navigation menu changes, offering different ways to search or navigate particular pages. For instance, on the Herb page, the left menu changes to offer an alphabetic way to search for particular herbs. It’s annoying that there is no button that says “Home”. I had to intuitively guess that the Burpee logo in the upper left corner was a link to the home page.
At the Top
A search box is located at the left. It is easy to search by keyword (such as “tomato”) or by item number (a great feature if you have a catalog and want to save the cost of a stamp by ordering online). There is also the option of searching for products or articles relating to the keyword, or search for both. For example, when I did a search on “tomato” products, the results came back showing 11 pages (8 products per page). The only problem with this search is that for products, you have to explore each of those 11 pages in sequence. You can’t jump from page 1 to page11. A search on “tomato” articles returned two articles: “George’s Secret Tomato Sauces,” and “Totally Tomatoes”. The articles are listed as hyperlinks; click on the link to go to the article.
There is a top row of text links at the top of the page: My Account Sign-in, Catalogue Quick Order, Free Catalogue, About Burpee, Customer Service, View Basket.
A second row of text links offers: Vegetables, Flowers, Herbs, Garden Gear. For instance, when you click on the “Vegetables” link, a page opens that features photos of various categories such as Peppers, Corn, Cucumbers, Watermelon. Above these photos are letters of the alphabet so that you can search the vegetables by name (Artichokes, Arugula, Asparagus, Beans, Beets, etc.).
To the Left
A few links at the left of the Home Page screen offer resource information. The first link is a “Nutrition Guide”. This guide offers nutritional information about food as well as growing tips. For instance, did you know that artichokes contain a powerful cancer fighter called silymarin? I didn’t until I found it listed in the Nutrition Guide.
The “Tip of the Day” link opens a pop-up window with a tip. This tip can include gardening information as well as potential gift ideas for the gardener in your life.
“The Garden Wizard” link walks you through a question and answer process to find the perfect plant for your needs. A screen then opens with a variety of choices to choose from.
There is also an option to sign up for a Burpee e-mail newsletter, or find your growing zone by entering your zip code. A “Garden Showcase” displays photos of customers’ gardens.
In the Middle
The center of the Home Page displays new items as well as a link to order the latest catalog. There are also photo links for: Burpee’s Ultimate Growing System, Garden Ready Burpee Plants, Burpee Credit Card, Internet Specials, Seed Shop Bargains, Berries and Grapes.
To the Right
The first link at the right is an offer of a free gift with an order of $25 or more. There are also links for other products such as Burpee’s new “Fourth of July” tomato, which is supposed to yield an early tomato harvest.
At the Bottom
A series of text links in small almost unnoticeable print line the bottom of the page. These include: My Account Sign-in, Catalogue Quick Order, View Basket, Free Catalogue, About Burpee, Customer Service, Privacy and Security, Burpee Guarantee.
Ordering Process
I had a Burpee catalog, so it was just a matter of typing in the order numbers for the appropriate website page to appear. Each product page displays a color photograph of the item. A larger photograph can be viewed with the click of the mouse button. Information about the product is also displayed. For instance, I am on the page for Coleus. There is a product description including how large the plant grows and that it does well in both sun and shade. A packet of 12 seeds costs $3.95, and three plants $12.95. The page says that plants ship in the Spring in time for planting in my area. There is a button marked “Tell a Friend” so that the product information is e-mailed to them. There is also a link to add the item to the basket.
I selected the quantity I wanted of the item and clicked “Add to Basket”. A new screen appeared with the item listed (quantity, price and a remove button in case I had changed my mind). You can adjust the quantity and click the “Update” button to see the new cost. Or you can click the “Checkout” button to make your purchase. There is also a “Continue Shopping” button. I continued my shopping.
Once all the items were in my basket, I clicked the “Checkout” button. A new screen opened. Established account holders can type in their e-mail address and password. I had not ordered online before, so I selected the New Customer link. This brought me to a page where I filled out a form with my name, address, e-mail and phone number. I also chose to ship my order to one address. You can sign-up for the Burpee newsletter if desired. There is also a place to enter a coupon code if you have one.
I clicked “Continue” and another screen opened. This screen restated my shipping address and told me that my order would ship within 7 - 10 business days and cost $3.95 to ship (my order totaled $14.10). I clicked the “Continue” button.
Now I had to provide payment information. Burpee accepts Visa, Discover, MasterCard or American Express. You can also select whether the website stores your credit card information for your next visit. The default option is to erase your credit card information after the order is placed.
When the “Continue” button is pressed, a page displays the entire order with shipping and billing information. Verify that the order and information is correct, then either cancel the order or press the “Submit Order” button.
A new page appears with the Order Number. Below this information is the option of setting up an online account with Burpee. You can select to do this or click “No Thank You”.
Shipping and Handling
When buying a gift certificate, a shipping and handling fee is not charged. Also, if you pay with a Burpee MasterCard, shipping and handling is free.
Order under $25.00 – $3.95
$25.01 to $35.00 – $4.95
$35.01 to $50.00 – $5.95
$50.01 to $75.00 – $6.95
$75.01 to $100.00 – $7.95
Over $100.00 – $9.95
E-mail Notification
I was very surprised that Burpee sent me no e-mail notifications regarding my order. I know my e-mail address was correct, so all I can conclude is that they do not communicate via e-mail. I’m surprised in this techno-savvy world that a company as large as Burpee does not offer e-mail order confirmation or provide information to track shipments.
Receiving the Order
My seed order arrived at my house in a timely fashion and in excellent condition via the U.S. Mail.
I ordered four packets of seeds, which came in a semi-stiff cardboard mailer with a gummed flap. The seed packets were inserted into the packing list, which had been folded in half. Also included was a coupon good for $5.00 off my next $30.00 or more order (the coupon expires in four months). Inserted in the mailer was a paper envelope containing advertising/promotional offers related to gardening products.
RSS – I learned something new with this one!
I had never heard of RSS until I saw the link at the bottom of Burpee’s home page and decided to check it out. Here is an abbreviated explanation from Burpee’s website: “Do you check your favorite website everyday to see if it’s been updated? Keep track of your favorite websites in one location using RSS. When a website updates, you see a description of the change and a link .... RSS means ‘Really Simple Syndication’.”
Burpee provides RSS free for individuals, non-profit organizations for personal and non-commercial use. Click on the RSS link at the bottom of the Burpee home page and a screen opens up with a lot of information about RSS including free readers and step-by-step instructions on how to benefit from this service.
Other websites use RSS feeds, too (BBC, ESPN, Farmer’s Almanac, National Geographic, NPR, NY Times ... to name a few).
Summary
I have ordered from Burpee for many, many years using their mail-in order form. This is my first time using their website. It was a good experience. However, I do wish they had sent me e-mail notifications that my order had been received, processed and shipped. It eases the mind having that bit of reassurance. Burpee, as in the past, provided prompt shipping. I will order from them again. For now ... I’m looking forward to digging in the dirt!
I hope you found this review useful.
Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
Additional Information
www.burpee.com
W. Atlee Burpee & Co.
300 Park Avenue
Warminster, PA 18974
Customer Service Toll-free Phone: 800-333-5808
Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm, Eastern Time
Seeds Ordered for 2005
Coleus (Picture Perfect Rose) – $3.95 for 12 seeds
Marigold (Happy Days Mixed Colors) – $2.25 for 50 seeds
Marigold (Yellow Nugget Supreme) – $4.95 for 50 seeds
Tomato (Fourth of July) – $2.95 for 40 seeds
Please read my other reviews.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds (online store)
Park Seed (online store)
Cook’s Garden (online store)
Dutch Gardens (online store)
Rubbermaid Big Max Storage Shed
Rubbermaid Tool Tower
Fiskars Power-Lever Bypass Lopper
Step 2 Grass Hopper Wheeled Garden Stool / Cart
Swan Tuff and Flexible Garden Hose
Black & Decker Cordless Battery Mulching Lawnmower
Copyright 2005 Dawn L. Stewart
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Vegetable & Flower Seeds
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