Toni you've gotten Fred to respond online?!!!!!! I remember the first time I ordered from them it turns out that one of my selections was unavailable. I didn't know this until I received my plants with a $5 bill and some change in the bottom of the box. lol I try to go to Pepper's when I go to the beach in the summer. Pepper's is only about 2 hours away from here. When I'm there everyone is super nice and helpful but I've never been able to get them to respond to an email. The last time I stoped by on the way home from the beach I managed to get 60 plants in my van. It was quite an accomplishment with all the luggage. lol Gardino's was amazing!!!!! Sid and Andrea were wonderful and spent so much time showing me around. When I called to ask if I could come by I wasn't expecting them to take me thru all of their shade houses but I was thrilled that they did. They have so much that isn't listed on their site. I picked up a few plants and would have gotten more if I'd had another empty suitcase. Hoya retusa Hoya imperialis Hoya macrophylla variegata Hydinophytum formacarium Vietnamese gardenia Burbidge nitida Pseudobombax ellipticum (pink grafted) Strophanths gratis Griffinia sp. Hippeastrum reticulatum striatifolium Gardenia carinata Gloxinia chic For the most part I tried to get stuff in 4" pots but did get a few gallon size containers. I just recently began collecting hoyas again and what a selection they had! I wish that I'd bought more varieties but there were too many other things that I just had to have : ) I've been buying from Gardino's for years and never realized that they were in Delray. It's only about 15 minutes away from my Mom's place in West Palm and I'm there fairly often during the winter. BTW I don't think that I'd be drilling holes in antique containers either. You could always try setting a pot in one and seeing how it does. Just remember that the interior of your container will become discolored and you probably won't be able to get it clean if it's a porous material.

Unfortunately I don't have a hydroponic supply store in town, I need to drive to Las Vegas, it's a 3 1/2 hour drive one way to get to the nearest hydroponic store for me. But when I am in Las Vegas, I check the phone book for the hydro stores close to my hotel, and then like to take a drive there to check out what they have (ask questions etc.). But just like any other retail business you have both kinds, the people that give you their honest opinion, an the ones that are just trying to sell you products. You just need to be objectively able to tell the difference. I don't see anything wrong with buying from the net, although I would prefer buying direct from a brick and mortar business to save the shipping cost. However I wont buy from a site if I have any questions about the company's ethics. And I look for well established company's that have a physical address, as well as phone number. I will sometimes even call the phone number to ask questions, and/or make sure the number is valid. I often even e-mail them a quick question just to see if they give a professional reply, as well as see how fast they respond. Any good company will answer within 24 hours, with the exception sometimes of the weekends. Any longer and they are giving potential costumers time to shop somewhere else. And if they don't think much of potential customers spending money, they will think even less if you have a problem you need resolved. I can't really think of one time that I have had a bad online buying experience for anything. I don't generally buy from eBay or Amazon, not saying that buying from them is a bad idea, but you should be extra vigilant in determining if the seller is reputable. Again I always try to find out if they have a regular physical store address and phone, but most of the time that's hard to do with eBay and Amazon because they don't usually post links to the website (not a eBay store) to get that info, nor do they usually post the website name in order to do a Google search for it. However I did buy some GH nutrients from a eBay seller about 4 years ago, and found that seller to be very helpful and prompt with shipping my order. But at the same time I have looked for those same nutrients both on eBay and commercial online sites, and found the savings from the eBay stores very minimal, and in a few cases even found better prices from the commercial online stores. Just my 2 cents 4 cents

I ordered undercabinet fluorescent lights from CSN Lighting last July, and had a couple of problems with the order. First their website listed one price for the units, but when I select the items and proceded to the checkout, a different (and of course higher) price was used for calculating the total. Then, when I called to get the price problem straightened out, I specifically asked whether fluorescent tubes were included with the lights since the website said (and still to this day says) "This undercabinet fluorescent light bar is the latest in undercabinet lighting, complete with energy efficient T5 fluorescent lamps." which really suggests that the lamps would be included. Whereas the PDF specifications file from the lamp manufacturer noted that the lamps were not included. So, the person I talked to checked and said that the fluorescent tubes would be included with the lamps. When the shipment arrived, no fluorescent tubes. After several subsequent calls to them I was unable to get the matter straightened out, so I ordered the tubes from elsewhere and have decided to not give any more business to CSN Lighting (or any of the dozens of other CSN stores) My main lighting for the room, I ordered monorail track lighting from Arcadian lighting, and had a much better online shopping experience. They honored their 110% price match guarantee without batting an eyelash, and the person I dealt with there (Tony Lin) was extremely helpful. The order was shipped with two incorrect items, and Tony noticed it before the package arrived, and immediately shipped a separate package with the right items, and a prepaid shipping label to return the wrong items.

we also tend to research stuff very thoroughly. and then not to buy locally lol the bathtub was just the right bathtub; the framing, though, was not..)) etc, etc also, our house dictated a lot of less available choices. less available=tons of money or time. sometimes both we bought off e Bay, Craigslist, Etsy a lot as well. Two vanities(out of three; the third was custom), some lights, kitchen hood...etc. etc a lot of the lights were actually shipped from Europe-still better price than here..shipping and all. but a light is simpler than square feet upon square feet of handmade tile or whole house worth of flooring which yes, I had to see there. as tiles, slabs, and other hard finishes blah blah and I learned a lot-for example chrome finish is always there and available; try to get the same in polished nickel. suddenly-this is out of stock, that is out of stock, this arrives in another three to six weeks.. all the plumbing was done like a puzzle-part from here, part from there. because internet we saved a lot of money yes knowing what I know now-I'd better save time towel things, bars, holders etc-I've not even purchased yet)) I look at them and think. will figure out later-we're finally moving soon..or so it seems haha I don't like sets, what can I say. Door handles is one thing. The whole shebang for a bathroom-I'd rather take my time. just sharing my experience-a more or less savvy person's experience-and I'm nothing compared to my husband in that, believe me-during a year and a half of a gut remodel (counting from plans approved, permits obtained, port-a-potty brought..)) needless to say, our GC wasn't happy with us, at all his other customers are either millionaires, or go for widely available materials while we had to search the right for us tile for the bathrooms for weeks upon weeks. then ask to customize it-texture, blah blah. then wait... and yes, it was locally..just the traffic disagrees. One drive to San Diego on weekend-2 hours one way. Same with LA. So easy, but not easy enough. Lucky are people who just go with what they want. I can want many things; but I need such and such, and not only from aesthetic point of view. I really wanted cement tiles for example-but wasn't going to happen. On the other hand I'm not picky at all when it comes to appliances for example But internet is not always the most savvy way (even though I did win that hood on e bay for 100$). The most savvy way-is to find that floor model..)) The GC also told me he never yet saw so many cans of paint in one house. Well..what can I do, lol. By the way I chose them really fast. They told me "Be ready in three days"-I was ready)) I'm reading reviews like there is no manana-still got one of the mirrors, raving reviews and all-the color differs, the design differs, and the general feel is that I was robbed.. (that's Wayfair; they're usually good. return policy is good as well. now not every site is good in their return policy. And mirrors are really heavy I won't even go into everything we had to change/order more because the work was done incorrectly. And it happens too. It's a huge remodel. Some subs are more amazing than the others, lets put it this way. In the end, I'm also happy with most of the things..especially the ones I chose lol You know what I'm unhappy with? With myself. Should pick all the freaking plumbing in this posh Pirch, while drinking their cappuccino. Paying triple. Would be healthier now. Of course everybody's different..that's the reason I love to read you guys)) Home is people in it..ultimately speaking. I wouldn't become that interested in the topic, otherwise.