During the waiting period for the replacement light from AeroGrow, I started wondering why I was unable to go to a store like Home Depot or Lowe’s to pick up a readily-available fluorescent grow bulb.  My curious nature led me down the path to deconstruct the grow light that left us before it’s time.  This of course led to destroying the glass tubing to get at the internal ballast and wiring.  You should not try this at home by any means.  Glass can cut you.  Fluorescent bulbs contain Mercury.

Ballast Circuitry - Front and Rear views

What makes this little guy AeroGarden light so special anyway?  Furthermore, why do AeroGarden’s grow bulbs cost ~$19.99 when you have alternative ~1450 Lumen, 26 Watt varieties available at 40%+ lower cost?  I do understand that AeroGrow’s business model depends on your purchase of said lights, but I always love a project. 

What if we could build an adapter out of the shell of the old light? Perhaps a socket for a similar fluorescent light?  Could this save us money in the long run? Here is a pair of 26 watt GE Spiral lamps for $11 bucks.  Nearly half the cost for better light.  Let’s compare the Underwriters Laboratories-accepted specifications:

	AeroGarden Grow Bulb	GE Spiral Bulb
Light Output (Lumens)	1450	1700
Energy Used	26W	26W
Estimated Life (Hours)	6000	8000

Interesting… this could be a viable option for us.  However, size could be a factor inside the cramped AeroGarden hood.  We will keep investigating.

Motivational Fulfillment & Logistics Services
15820 Euclid Avenue
Chino, CA 91708-9162

Straight out of Motivational Fulfillment & Logistics Services‘ sunny Chino, California distribution center comes our brand new 2-pack of Grow Bulbs via UPS.  These bulbs have arrived under AeroGrow’s warranty to replace my defective right-side bulb that went out back on March 12th.  Since only one of the bulbs went out, I now have a backup in case of a second failure.  (BOOYAH!)

Well this is a tough one… why the huge delay from the fulfillment center and/or AeroGrow?  I know from the UPS website that if a package is shipped UPS Ground from Chino to Atlanta and arrives on a Wednesday then it was shipped the previous Thursday.  March 22nd.  That means it took 8 days for AeroGarden to give the fulfillment company the go-ahead to ship my bulbs.  Either AeroGrow is having issues keeping bulbs in stock at the fulfillment center, or their internal systems that send the order to the shipper.  It does not sound like they have an ERP system in place.  Either way, the new bulbs are here and I’m excited for our little aeroberries.

Today, I called 1-800-GROW-NOW at 6:56pm Eastern time to get some help with the blown out lightbulb.  I was on hold for ten minutes and 20 seconds.  When AeroGrow Customer Service did pick up, a friendly voice greeted me.  After informing the woman that my AeroGarden bulb had blown out within the first month, she immediately said she would have not one, but TWO replacement lights sent out the next day. 

No questions asked.

Hands down, my best customer service-related experience of 2007.   She even commented on my 404 area code that I was calling from and we started chatting about how she used to live in Atlanta and ended up moving to Colorado to get away from the traffic. (Amen to that!)

All in all, I am very satisfied with the help team experience over at AeroGrow.  Sure, the ten minutes on hold could have been better, but when my call was answered the problem was taken care of immediately.  I would much rather stay on hold for a little while and actually SOLVE the problem the first time rather than calling and having to jump through hoops to get assistance. 

Experiences like this create passionately devoted customers.

In the meantime, I have setup a simple 40W light that is pointing at the right side of the AeroGarden to ensure they receive some light while I wait for USPS to deliver the new bulbs.

NEW AEROGARDEN! 

AeroGarden Pro-100 - (Stainless steel trim and Adaptive Growth Intelligence that automatically adjusts the water, nutrients and lights for each plant type at three specific stages of growth, from germination, to initial growth, to advanced growth. The Pro-100 also includes the Grow Light Replacement Reminder system and the Super Grow 24-hour light cycle)

SEED KITS

The Salsa Garden - (Cherry Tomatoes and Zesty Jalapeños for salsa/sauces)
The Holiday Herb Kit - (Parsley, Sage, Oregano and Thyme)
The Salad Bar Series - (4 seed kits of mixed salad greens: Romaine, Arugula, Baby Greens and Mesclun Mix)
The Herb Chef Pack - (Two-season pack, 14 “mix ‘n match” seed pods for creating customized culinary gardens)
Salad Chef Packs - (Two-season pack, 20+ varieties of salad greens including arugula, baby greens, romaine, mesclun and butter lettuces).
The Strawberry Patch™ - (Strawberries.  I was so excited about this one that I started a blog about it.)

ACCESSORIES

Herb ‘n Serve™ Fresh Salad Dressing and Marinade Maker - (Create vinaigrettes and marinades at the touch of a button with AeroGarden herbs, oil and vinegar.)
One-Shelf Wall Garden shelving system - (Mount your AeroGarden on a wall)
Three-Shelf Wall Garden shelving system - (Mount THREE AeroGardens vertically to a wall)

Check out AeroGrow’s press release from yesterday: 
AeroGrow Unveils 12 New Products to National Retailers and Catalogers at the International Housewares Show in Chicago, March 11-13
The new AeroGarden Pro-100 with Adaptive Growth Intelligence™
Nine new Seed Kits
Boulder, CO – March 12th, 2007 - AeroGrow International, Inc. (OTC BB:AGWI.OB - News) (”AeroGrow” or the “Company”), makers of the AeroGarden™ kitchen garden appliance, announced today that it is unveiling 12 new products to the retail industry at the International Home & Housewares Show in Chicago on March 11-13, 2007 (booth L12357).The International Home & Housewares Show is the largest housewares and culinary show in the United States and one of the largest industry trade shows in the world, showcasing thousands of new products and designs from more than 2,000 exhibitors including industry giants like KitchenAid, Hamilton Beach, Bissell, Cuisinart and more."We're dedicated to offering consumers the widest possible choices for countertop gardening of the freshest, most flavorful produce, simply and easily, right at the consumers' fingertips," said Michael Bissonnette, Founder and CEO of AeroGrow. "The introduction of so many new seed kits and accessories offers an amazing choice to consumers when deciding which homegrown food to enjoy next. The consumer demand for new seed kits demonstrates the acceptance of the AeroGarden appliance and countertop gardening not only as a new product category, but possibly as an entirely new industry." The new product offerings being introduced to retailers for the first time are:The New AeroGarden Pro-100The AeroGarden Pro-100 has stainless steel trim and Adaptive Growth Intelligence that automatically adjusts the water, nutrients and lights for each plant type at three specific stages of growth, from germination, to initial growth, to advanced growth. The Pro-100 also includes the Grow Light Replacement Reminder system and the Super Grow 24-hour light cycle.Nine New Plug & Grow™ Seed and Plant Kits

Well… crap.  I came home today to find that the right side light bulb has gone out.  Funny part is, this bulb was ~27 days young.  I looked over the limited warranty information and it looks like the bulbs are covered by a 6 month warranty from the date of the original purchase.  Looking back at my receipt, I placed my order on 1/29/2007 so I should be covered.  I will give AeroGrow a call tomorrow at 1-800-GROW-NOW and see if they can get another bulb out to me.  I hope the lack of light will not impede our strawberry plant growth.

 
Notice the right side is a little darker…

The plants on the right side are already are starting to look weak…

Picked this up off Market Wire:

AeroGrow International, Inc. (OTCBB: AGWI) (”AeroGrow” or the “Company”), makers of the AeroGarden(TM) kitchen garden appliance, announced today that the AeroGarden has just passed the 100,000 unit sales milestone. The Company began selling the AeroGarden in March 2006.
“It’s been quite a launch. We expected a high level of consumer acceptance, but going from zero to 100,000 gardens sold in less than a year has been a powerful market confirmation of the AeroGarden’s appeal,” said Michael Bissonnette, Founder and CEO of AeroGrow. “The AeroGarden appeals to a wide range of demographics and interests, both men and women, young and old, cooks and gardeners and it’s a hot gift item as well. Our consumers are forming their own chat groups, sharing photos of their gardens and getting involved with the product in ways we couldn’t even imagine when we started.”

In addition, sales of the Company’s Plug & Grow Seed Kits recently surpassed 270,000 units since the launch in March 2006. AeroGrow’s Seed Kit line, soon to be expanded to more than 18 different plant kits, allows consumers to simply and easily grow a wide variety of herbs, vegetables, flowers and fruit in their AeroGardens.

Congrats AeroGrow!  I am looking forward to seeing the new plant kits!

During the AeroGrow International follow-up call, I was informed by the customer service representative to stop using the Strawberry setting on the AeroGarden and use the Herbs/Basil setting instead.  This is very important to your AeroGarden Strawberries as the original Strawberry setting was optimized for a different variety of strawberries.  Please use the Herbs/Basil setting to grow your AeroGarden Strawberries.

What is the difference between the Strawberry and Herbs/Basil settings?

AeroGarden Strawberry Setting:
15 Hours Lights On (day)
9 Hours Lights Off (night)

AeroGarden Herbs/Basil Setting:
17 Hours Lights On (day)
7 Hours Lights Off (night)

Get excited everyone.  Two more hours of sunlight for your AeroGarden Strawberries. (That’s 13.3% more sunlight for your AeroBerries!)

He first identified himself as being from AeroGrow and that he was calling to follow up about the AeroGarden Strawberries.  Questions that AeroGrow asked me:

1. What day and time did you receive the item?
-I received the plants on February 13th via FedEx Standard Overnight.

2. What was the temperature outside during the delivery time?
-The temperature outside was about 45 degrees.

3. Did the plants remain outside for any period of time?
-No, the delivery was left indoors by the FedEx driver.

4. What were the conditions of the strawberry plants?
-Excellent condition.  No darkened areas on the leaves.

5. Did you plant your strawberries as soon as they arrived?
 -They were planted in the early evening of 2/13/2007.

“Thank you sir.  I also want to inform you that we are advising people to use the Herbs/Basil setting to grow their AeroGarden Strawberries, as when we designed the original AeroGarden and programmed the strawberry setting, we used a different breed of strawberries.”

-Interesting.

The gentleman then asked me if I had any other questions, which I did not.  He said that if I had any questions or problems during the growing process to call AeroGrow directly at 1-800-476-9669, email customerservice@aerogrow.com or visit AeroGarden help on the web at www.aerogrow.com/help..

All in all, a very good follow-up call by AeroGrow that was also enlightening.  They seem to be rather concerned about the conditions of the strawberry plants after shipment.  (Heck, I guess I would be too if I spent $27.99 to ship it!)

While problems could come up in colder climates, I feel that AeroGrow has taken multiple steps to ensure the survivability of the strawberry plants during the shipping stages.  The first level of protection is the AgriStar Star*Pac bag, followed by the foam envelope/bag and the sealed cardboard box with the HeatFactory Shipping Warmer to heat the internal temperature of the box.  With the combined three-tiers of protection, the plants are shielded from the elements and out of harm’s way during shipping.

The Strawberry Patch kit has been ordered!  I went to www.aerogrow.com today after hearing about this amazing new strawberry seed kit.  Unlike the typical seed kits for the AeroGarden, the Strawberry Patch/Sweet Rubies kit includes live plants.  Understandably, since you receive actual living plants, this kit is a little more expensive at $29.95 plus $9.95 for FedEx overnight delivery. 

 AeroGrow International accepts all major credit cards and makes it very easy for you to purchase your new Strawberry Patch kit online.  I am excited at the possibility of growing my very own strawberries at home!  (Not to mention, no dirt!)  If all goes to plan, I will be one of the first people ever to receive the seed kit.  AeroGrow has guaranteed a ship date of February 12th so assuming all is well at FedEx I should have my seed kit before Valentine’s Day!  More to come!

Consumers Can Now Grow Garden-Fresh Strawberries Indoors, Year-Round!

BOULDER, CO — January 18, 2007 — AeroGrow International, Inc. (OTCBB: AGWI) (”AeroGrow” or the “Company”), makers of the AeroGarden kitchen garden appliance, today introduced the Strawberry Patch, an indoor garden kit that allows anyone to grow fresh, delicious strawberries year-round, right on their kitchen counters. The Strawberry Patch adds to an expanding line of plant gardening kits that includes a wide variety of herb, vegetable and flower gardens.

The Strawberry Patch will allow consumers a simple and convenient way to enjoy fresh, vine-ripened strawberries all year-round. AeroGrow’s variety, Sweet Rubies, has been developed in England by Edward Vinson Company, the recognized world leader in strawberry breeding. Sweet Rubies was selected specifically for its extraordinary flavor, the quantity of fruit produced and the ability to harvest ripe fruit within 6 weeks of planting. The strawberries grow with the AeroGarden’s typical Plug & Grow convenience, with no dirt, no weeds and no mess.

“Strawberries were the number one most requested kit for the AeroGarden, but it wasn’t possible without some major breakthroughs,” said Sylvia Bernstein, AeroGrow’s Director of Plant Products. “We had problems growing strawberries from seeds due to the limited varieties available and the 4 to 6 months of growth needed before harvest. So, we made the decision to launch with live plants but found that most growers don’t ship live strawberries to consumers year-round. We literally built the supply chain from grower to consumer, including developing novel ways to ship live plants in winter.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, demand for fresh strawberries is at an all-time high. Americans consume nearly 6 pounds of fresh strawberries per person each year, totaling more than 1.2 billion dollars. The Strawberry Patch Kit allows consumers to inexpensively grow crop after crop of fresh, great-tasting strawberries in the comfort of their own homes with minimal effort and no experience needed.

“To our knowledge, we’ll be the first company in the world to deliver live strawberry plants year-round directly to consumers,” stated AeroGrow founder and CEO Michael Bissonnette. “We anticipate that the Strawberry Patch will dramatically increase the versatility, appeal and interest of the AeroGarden, expanding our reach beyond the traditional indoor gardening of herbs and vegetables.”

The Strawberry Patch Kit, expected to be available in February, is the latest offering in an expanding product line of garden kits that includes Cherry Tomatoes, Italian Herb, French Herb, Japanese Herb, Salad Greens, Gourmet Herb, Chili Pepper, Cascading Petunias and International Basil. Seed Kits are available online at aerogrow.com and through select national retailers.

AeroGrow intends to support the product launch with a multifaceted marketing effort, including through its infomercial, catalogues, retail outlets, public relations efforts and web communications. Consumers and investors can learn more about the Strawberry Patch at aerogrow.com.

About AeroGrow International, Inc.

Founded in 2002 in Boulder, Colorado, AeroGrow International, Inc. is dedicated to the research, development and marketing of the AeroGarden™, the world’s first kitchen garden appliance. The AeroGarden features NASA-proven, dirt-free aeroponic technology, allowing anyone to grow farmer’s market fresh herbs, salad greens, tomatoes, chili peppers, strawberries and more, indoors, year-round, so simply and easily that no green thumb is required. See www.aerogrow.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS “Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements by Michael Bissonnette and Sylvia Bernstein, Statements regarding growth of the AeroGarden product line, optimism related to the business, expanding sales and other statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company’s business. Words such as expects, anticipates, intends, plans, believes, sees, estimates and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results could vary materially from the description contained herein due to many factors including continued market acceptance of the Company’s products. In addition, actual results could vary materially based on changes or slower growth in the kitchen garden appliance market; the potential inability to realize expected benefits and synergies; domestic and international business and economic conditions; changes in customer demand or ordering patterns; changes in the competitive environment including pricing pressures or technological changes; technological advances; shortages of manufacturing capacity; future production variables impacting excess inventory and other risk factors listed from time to time in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings under “risk factors” and elsewhere. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.

CONTACTS:

Corporate
John Thompson
AeroGrow International, Inc.
(303) 444-7755
john@aerogrow.com

Investor
Justin Davis
After Market Support, LLC
(720) 489-4913
justin.davis@aftermarketsupport.com
SOURCE:  Aerogrow International Inc