Growing School Food Gardens

I wanted to pass along an important update in case any of your schools are holding Gardener's Supply gift cards.

One of the schools in our network received a $500 Gardener's Supply gift card from the Captain Planet Foundation a couple of years ago. We just learned today that Gardener's Supply filed for bankruptcy over the summer and has since been acquired by Gardens Alive.

Today, I spoke with their customer service team, and here's what they shared:

• The new owner will honor existing Gardener's Supply gift cards, but only until the end of this calendar year.

• Gift cards now function more like 50%-off vouchers: any order placed with a gift card must total at least twice the value of the card being used.

• Gift card orders must be placed by phone. They cannot be redeemed online.

• Many items in their catalog are currently sold out, so selection may be limited.

If you or your school teams have any outstanding Gardener's Supply gift cards, I recommend using them as soon as possible - and budgeting for the required match if you plan to redeem them.

Feel free to share this with any colleagues who might be affected.