Customer service departments and pre-nuptial agreements have something in common. About the only time you need them is when things go wrong. You want the customer service department to understand your problem and make things right.

Avoid surprises. Pay attention to the guarantee. If you don't like it, don't order. Some offer unconditional guarantees. Others may only promise to deliver sound, healthy plants or seeds. There may be a deadline and procedure for requesting a replacement or refund.

By now, you've narrowed the field down to just a few nurseries. Given what you've learned, compare them and select just the one(s) that are best for your gardening needs.

Remember, it can be expensive for a nursery to send out a catalog. Request only those that really pique your interest.

The search gives you a list of matching nurseries. Compare the details given under each name.

It's easy if you open multiple reports. Here's how to do that:

• Click on details for the first nursery on your list.
• Drag this window over to an empty part of the screen.
• Repeat these two steps until all the reports are open.
• Then, you can read and compare them. Or print customized copies of each profile.
• Choose the nursery by comparing the profiles.

Don't you wish selecting a wireless phone company was that easy?