OT: HIPSource Quality Survey '98

From: <HIPSource@aol.com>

Greetings.

HIPSource could use a little feedback, if you would be so kind.

As the Commercial Source Chairman of the Historic Iris Preservation Society I
am very interested in hearing the experiences of anyone--HIPS member or not--
who has ordered historic irises of any kind from any of the nurseries on the
1998 HIPS Commercial Sources List. This list is published in ROOTS-- the
journal of the Society--and on the HIPS webpage. I have also posted it here
twice. Additionally, I have referred some of you to these sources in response
to your where-to-get-it questions. 

I hasten to say that I would like to hear from you PRIVATELY--- at my address
below my name. Please don't just hit "Return" and post this stuff to the list
since your experience---positive or negative--may or may not have been
typical. And please know that your name will never be mentioned in connection
with this survey.

Here are the Commercial Sources I am asking about:

ARGYLE ACRES IRIS GARDEN
LOWELL BAUMUNK  
BLUEBIRD HAVEN IRIS GARDEN 
CHUCK CHAPMAN IRIS 
ENCHANTMENT ACRES FLOWER FARM
FOXES IRIS PATCH
HOLLY LANE GARDENS
IRIS CITY GARDENS  
IRIS COUNTRY
LORRAINE'S IRIS PATCH 
MILL CREEK GARDENS 
NEWBURN'S IRIS GARDENS 
NORTH PINE IRIS GARDEN
O'BRIEN IRIS GARDEN
SOURDOUGH IRIS GARDENS 
SUNNYRIDGE GARDENS 
SUPERSTITION IRIS GARDENS
WILLOW BEND FARM
WINTERBERRY GARDENS
WOODLAND IRIS GARDEN

And here are the types of things I would like to hear about. You may assume I
have seen the 1998 catalogs for all of them.

1. How long did it take a nursery to get a catalog to you after you asked for
it? Did you send money for any and not receive them? Did you have to remind
anyone?

2. What was your impression of the catalog generally--the layout, information
provided, accuracy, legibility, terms of trade, and so forth? 
 
3. What was your reaction to the actual historic iris offerings in the
catalog? 

4. What factors determined whether you ordered-- or not?

5. When did you place the order?

6. Was your order shipped as requested? Received in a timely manner? If not,
did you have to whine, nag or threaten? More than once?

7. Were the plants nice? Of acceptable quality? Healthy with no obvious
problems? Washed? Well labeled? Well packed? List enclosed? Any cultural
information inclosed for you? 

8. Did you end up with a lot of substitutes?  

9. Were there obvious errors in your shipment?

10. If you had to write or call to discuss your order were the folks
courteous? Were any problems resolved to your satisfaction?  Resolved in a
timely manner?

11. Would you recommend this source to a friend? 

12. Would you order again from them? If this source was the only source with
something you wanted, would you order it from them?

13. Did you order some modern things as well from the catalog? How'd they look
in comparison to the oldies?

14. Anything else you think I should know about? Especially anything unusual. 

If you are a HIPS member please remember that I am a volunteer and I could use
your support in this. If you are not a member,  I would still be very
appreciative of your information. In either case, I'd be grateful to hear
about any or all of those on the list you dealt with. 

If you ordered historic irises from someone not on this list and would like to
tell us about that experience, we would be happy to have that information,
too.

And, as always, if you know of someone selling historic irises who is not on
this list PLEASE take a moment to tell us. We may know about them, but we may
not.

There is no rush on this, but I would like to hear from you before 1 October. 

Thank you.

Anner Whitehead
Commercial Source Chairman
Historic Iris Preservation Society, AIS
HIPSource@aol.com
 



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