Seasonal Affective Disorder

Bless, planted five days ago.

Winter depression. I do not get that. How could I? The weather is incredible around here lately, but I needed a title with misdirection, wouldn't do to leave that blank.

It's fun.

The kits are fun. Usually I do not buy a kit, just use seed from things around here, but this time I did. And it wasn't on sale either. When you query [aerogarden coupon] there is usually something around to type in at checkout.

I could not find the place to type in the code. Nothing shows.

So I emailed aerogarden and said that. They wrote back immediately and said they applied the discount I found. The coupon code goes into the item line on the order, but like I said, I looked and saw no place to put it, and Maude, I PUT on my glasses and LOOKED.

The kits are expensive for seeds and that bums me out because they amount to a seven little cups each pre-packed with a single seed. The seed, the stuffing for the cup and the liquid nutrients, but the whole seed kit must be less expensive. And they are now. Before they were a little worse.

Expensive because that one seed in there really does need to germinate. When one or two fail to germinate there will be an anxious customer on the phone demanding replacement and becoming all bad-mouthy about your product. Guess how I know. For the company there is a lot on the line so the seed had better be good, the lights wasted for germination that did not happen, replacements out of synch with the rest, synch with the other type plants with varying times as with  herb gardens growing together. There is a lot to the organization, suggestions as to placement of cups, there is more to the product than meets the eye, for this is hydroponics for dummkopfs to be frank about it, and the company really is good with customer service, seed kits, lights, hydroponic units, all around very good service. That has been my direct experience.

Uh, what do you say when you admit something, disclosure, that's it, I own this company.

I love saying that. I hear it on the finance channels all the time and find it pompous as h-e-double cigarette holder sticks, like red carpet interviews, "Who are wearing?"  I have some stock because I like the idea of the company and that is what I base things on. Silly, I know. Hardly ruthless at all.  The stock was utterly cyclical at first, one year to the next the same ups and downs pegged at holidays, the units make great gifts, I bought stock, boom, the startup guy sold his company and bailed.

And that whole time I was imagining him the archetypical Boulder plant-loving alternate farmer type and turns out I'm wrong and he's all businessman.

The new major owners split stock to expand and there went its price.  I too could bail or keep the stock and see what happens. I did buy it because I like it. So I kept it and do not bother following the price anymore.

They expanded the product line. Modestly at first with smaller more affordable units, then expanded more dramatically with a line of larger more powerful units, the largest incorporating LED instead of high output fluorescent light.

They expanded the line of seed kits both herb combinations and flowers. Expanded the line of devices to assist independent of kits, trellises, reflectors water fillers and such things as ordinary hydroponics involve.

They hooked up with Scott's Miracle Grow company and expanded their distribution, a lot more outlets now, and Miracle Grow's marketing. The association with Miracle Grow and the expanded lines have already shown positive results. The company's quarter reports indicate significant steady increase.

Bink DAYTIME

No seasonal disorder around here. Disorder, yes, but not seasonal.

Aerogarden

Nice people.