What I'd like is some sort of raised garden that I can easily set up, grow my vegetables in, and harvest when they're ripe. Throw in some plants that are hardy based on the zone you live in, and voila a little green patch of heaven in your own backyard.

I would definitely love to see some deep seating (sofa or loveseat & chairs) that could be used outdoors. Some type of low table for drinks and snacks with additional chairs to expand the seating arrangements would be terrific. I'm more interested in comfort for myself and my guests if we sit by the pool or out on the deck. I'm really tired of those plastic stack chairs that break if someone moves wrong. And those web-laced aluminum chairs are so OVER! I know that I want to be able to have a 'living room' look outdoors.

What I'd love to see is more electric or manual equipment.  Nothin ruins a summer's day than some jerk mowing his lawn with a loud, polluting mower. Many excellent manual push mowers exists and they pay for themselves with gas prices as they are!  Bring on some of those babies and I'll buy 'em for my neighbors.

Admin note: Tyrell's comment posted twice, so we removed the duplicate.

Much as I'd like (in my heart of hearts) to see the outdoors become truly outdoors again, I think we're still heading towards more and more of the "outdoor living room" look.

Perhaps there's a compromise somewhere... rather than just  faithfully recreating the usual indoor furniture in weather-safe materials, for example, I'd love to see some enterprising designer take a leap into new territory with something that blends more with the natural world, or at least owns its inspiration to it. A challenge, I know, to do this and yet offers the comfortable seating that so many seek... but what's a garden for, if not to dream?

As for dining / bistro sets -- each serves a different function, so we'll continue to look for both. One for the family BBQ; the other for the intimate iced-coffee for two. Minimalism may be passe for our interiors, but on the deck or patio I'd really like to see more clean and simple lines in furnishings, and more duraable products, too! And we'll let the fabrics and accessories deliver the visual punch of personal style.

Like the rest of the world, however, in the end I'll just have to settle for whatever I can find (and afford!) in the stores... ;)

Howdy folks! Happy New Year also. I'm just glad school's out, for a while at least. Last semester was a killer!! Well, I'd like an ottoman - nice (comfy too) - for the best price possible. A little folding table that a laptop could be placed on while sitting outside & waiting for the chicken to grill would be great also. A comfy lounge chair for hubby - also for best price possible - would be great. I have a pet rat-newly acquired. How about a nice stand - not tall necessarily - for her cage so she can be outside with us, and a miniature canopy to put over it to keep the sun off her. Cool, huh!

I wish that we could find flower pots and potting soil all year round in the garden center.  There is a definate void in the fall when those of us in cold climates move our plants inside and need the above mentioned items.

I would like to see more outdoor cushions available for all the outdoor furniture we have bought from Wal-mart through the years.  It is nice to upgrade the look of the furniture from time to time due to weather and wear.  Thanks

I would like to see more eco friendly pesticides and fertilizers with more trace elements. I would also like all plants for sale listed with their source of orgin. Example I am not interested in purchasing plants grown in Florida and sol in 3 or 4 temperate zones away.

Please be sure you are not selling invasive exotic plants in any area.

Terry

The raised bed garden the john wants can be found at Square Foot Gardening (website)  It is all there.  Recycled plastic could be used for the 4 framinng pieces, 8 to 12 inches high.  With the increase in food prices, it is worth exploring.  I liked the addition of the compost bin at Sam's and have several.  Composting is an important piece when Square Foot Gardening.  It's all very green.

My fruitless search is less universal in appeal.  WalMart has been experimenting with lawn and garden statuary, in particular a poly resin cartoon frog that swallowed a bowling ball.  I want his friend, the yellow lab.  Equally bulbous, with a self satisfied smirk, the doggy has the glass eyes and the same durability.  You can't help but smile when you see it.  Froggy was made by HomeTrends.  I found (1) doggy at a tourist trap in CA, didn't buy it , and have regretted it ever since.

I am actually in the market for patio furniture since we just moved into a house with a large patio on a lake.   I have been trying to find a great dining set for outdoors that is heavy so the wind does not send it flying over into my neighbors patio but one that is also comfortable for long dinners and hanging out.  I prefer one that is "low" versus the high tables.   with wide and cushioned chairs.  Also that seats six (rectangle).   I also want a deep seating set that is very comfy and encourages lounging (like a living room).   It would be great to have deep sofas with cushions that are velcored onto it so again the wind does not do damage.  Cushions not in white would be great so as not to show dirt...more choices of colors and microfiber fabric for easy cleaning.   and make it all affordable!!   I am stunned at the prices of quality lawn furniture.   I can't even find a reasonable chaise lounge in plastic...ridiculous.

It would be great to create a planting system for concrete patios that are self contained but still give the look of a garden...

Thanks for listening....

I have the bistro table and dining table but I need the floor beneath it! I have other projects to do before the masonry, but I feel like I should be able to find something to fill in, maybe 18x18 recycled plastic (but wood deck or slate looking) floor tiles, maybe a slate blue.

Maybe I could then skip the masonry altogether!

The set I have on my porch currently came from Walmart! So to that end, I would like to comment on what I think could be better, as I am looking to replace and/or add to this set. I would like to replace it, but may opt to re-paint it and replace the cushions. I do want additional seating besides this set. My existing Walmart set is a table with 6 chairs. While my family is only myself and my husband, we frequently have guests over where we need all 6 chairs and the space on the table for 6 to eat. So I would recommend sets large enough for 6.  The cushions on this set are too difficult to keep clean. They were mildew resistant, but they require major scrubbing to get them clean. I would like something that resists dirt, stains and mildew better, and require less elbow grease to get off that dirt. Holding their color is also important. Am I asking for too much...hope not!  I would like to then be able to get a set of complimentary comfy chairs with a shared small table and perhaps ottomans, but the ottomans are not necessary if the chairs sit deep enough for comfort, or are rockers or they swivel. An alternative would be lounge chairs with cushions. One of the most imprtant things to me are price. It strikes me as bordering insane to pay more for my outdoor furniture than I did for my indoor furniture. A set for $1000 is obscene!

I would like to see more choice in the way of outdoor dining sets.  Tables of normal dining height, seating 4/6/8, with chairs comfortable enough for guests to linger at a long, leisurely outdoor dinner would be great.

The number of reasonably priced sets out there like this is quite limited.  Several years ago I wanted to buy an outdoor dining set that would seat up to 8, but did not want to spend the small fortune that they were asking for the teak dining sets at Smith & Hawkin. So I ended up buying a pine indoor dining set at K-Mart and keep it protected from the rain.  It's far from ideal, but it works and the price was right.

I would like to see solar powered backyard lighting that produces more light.

I bought a set of solar powered Malibu floods and they barely illumninated anything.  I returned them and bought some GE solar path lights; one of the two of them did not work at all.  So I returned them too.

I like the idea, but the execution seems either underpowered or unreliable!  I wouldn't mind paying more for something that actually worked well!

 I have a set from Wal-Mart that I have had for about 4 years now. It is a good set, but I do need to replace a canopy and some of the seats. I agree with June about the replacement parts. It would be nice if Wal-mart made those cushions and other cloth parts available.  Maybe if they can be ordered at Wal-Mart.com.

Another thing that I would like goes along with what Cathy said about flooring. I want to put something down below the sets that is nicer looking than the masonry that is available. I actually don’t want masonry because:

1)       It is a hard surface and my young kids could get hurt on it.

2)       Unless you do it just right, Grass will grow in between making it look bad.

3)       Again, unless you do it just right, it will be unleveled and the furniture will not sit evenly.

It would be nice if there was some sort of a thick, porous, and durable matt that could be rolled directly onto the grass that one could place furniture on. Oh hey, it should also look good and be affordable J

If there was one last “wish” that I have is to keep bugs away from my furniture, especially spiders. We have a ton of spiders in Arkansas, and although most are not poisonous to humans, I can’t stand them. So whenever I go to sit on my lawn furniture, I take it apart to make sure I don’t have any making their home in there. It would be great if there was some sort of material that repelled insects away from the furniture that could be left on there all the time.

I know these may be tall orders, but you did ask our opinion. I already have a nice lawn set, so if you want my money, it would be for something that I need and don’t have.

Thanks!

Admin Note: Issa is a Wal-Mart Associate

 Marvin, nice job on the site and great comments as you proceed on your 2009 buying plans.  Looking at what has recently arrived in the stores for this season and seeing that I reside in Florida and have been shopping for a new outdoor set I offer the following comments to you and WM: 

Location, location, location, that is, merchandise your offering in the correct location in the store.  I do not believe outside in the garden center, under the canopy is the correct spot to sell your wears.

I have shopped your competition (the T stores) and have to tell you they get it with regards to merchandising.  Even your sister company Sam's Club offers a much better environment for their offering of outdoor furniture which is a quick in and out sale for them.  They group their offering together like the T stores and it looks good. 

Maybe your staff offers the stores all the tools they need but local management does not execute and make it happen.

I would like to see an outdoor, "retro" fan that can be side-mounted on a wall.  At an amusement park last year, they had these awesome "Havana-style" fans that were side mounted and sprayed mist.  That would be perfect for the back deck during the hot summer!

Marvin,

How often are you going to post on your site?  No comments since December?  Not much of a blog to say the least.

When are you going to tell us what you are finding for 2009?

For 2008, I wanted to purchase an outdoor fountain.  Visited two different Wal-Marts and cannot find one.  Did you buy any for this year?  My local garden center has many options for me to choose from.

I would love to see organice seeds and pants... with the world changing in this dicreation I tink it would be a grat benafit to walmat and to the please to get the organice garden going.

I purchased a swing several years ago. The frame is in good shape, I have replaced the seats, but the canopy needs replacement. These are not permenently attatched to the frame and yet there are no replacements for them. The swings are not expensive. That is not the point. It is such a crime to have the frames end up in a landfill, especially at a time when everything possible should be eco friendly. What is "GREEN" about throwing this much metal, that will take years to break down, in a landfill.

I recently visited my local Walmart store looking to purchase a patio set for wedding gift. I'm very disappointed at this years selection. All the sets that our local store is carring seem to be of low quality. I was really hoping to purchase the Better Homes and Garden Mika Ridge set at our local store. Much to my surprise they can only be ordered online. I wanted to purchase both the 5 piece set and the 3 piece matching cafe set. A friend of mine purchased this set last year and its gorgeous! Come on Walmart ...........if you were to stock these sets in our stores they would fly off the shelfs. This set retails for as much as the other sets our local store is carring right now and beats them all............ hands down. I'm not interested in paying a shipping fee to get it here, but if it was available in my local store I'd purchase this set in a minute!

I really like the River Delta Bar Height Patio Set, however I would like to be able to purchase the table only. Is this possible?

The local Wal-mart stores have metal benches made with a curved open lattice type seat and back. I would like to purchase one, but have been told they are not available for customers, only for store decor. Is it possible to have the address of the supplier so I can purchase one of these benches? It would be perfect to leave down by the lake in our back yard. No problem with damp moldy cloth seats anymore. Water would pass throuigh and the seats would dry quickly after a rain.

Jo Rockhill 

As I went through the garden section of store #1202, I noted that many new plants that were for sale were drying up or already dried up.  I find this not a very good start to the spring season.  As a customer, and a valuable loyal customer, I would like to see better care taken of all the new seedlings and plants in this store.  These plants should not be later put on SALE just because lack of care has left them dried out and dying. 

MORE OFFERINGS LIKE MIKA RIDGE!  I HAVE SEEN MANY REQUESTS ON WEBSITES FOR THE MIKA RIDGE UMBRELLA AND CHAISE LOUNGES!!  MIKA RIDGE IS STYLISH, COMFORTABLE and REASONABLY PRICED...  BRING IT BACK!!

I would like to buy the Mike Ridge 10 X 10 canopy (again). Please bring it back. I live in Georgia and need a new one.

I would like to see the Better Homes and Garden Mikia Ridge Colletion add chairs that could be sold seperately from the set.  I currently own the 3 piece Cafe Set and my guest fight to sit in the chairs they are so comfortable.  I do not have room for another table, but I could fit a couple of chairs.

I just saw (at a friend's house) and fell in love with the Better Homes and Gardens Bali Island outdoor furniture collection---all of it!   I set about to order the entire group online, only to find out that it's not available now, in-store or catalog.   Will you be bringing it (or something similar) back again in 2009?  My friend would like to add more pieces to her grouping, and she would like to see it back again also.   I am furnishing a FL vacation home and am surprised that I can't get this year round in Walmart stores.   PLEASE advise.

I would like to be able to purchase fresh plants that are not root bound and ready to go out of bloom.   Much of the flowers and plants seem to be in this state.  Consumers who don't have green thumbs will readily purchase theses plants.    But what is the return policy and failure rate?

Does WalMart employ a horticulturist?   Retail  Nurseries do not buy root bound material, over grown and ready to  have the blooms fade.  Theses nurseries purchase plant material just in bloom.  This allows for better watering practice (lower root demand, lower water requirement), and longer shelf life (fewer plants that do not sell because they are ragged looking, or out of bloom.)

It seems to me that the root bound material failes more readliy in a retial situation- and the comsumer ultimatly pays for the waste.

We love our pets and we clean up regularly, but I would love to find an organic/natural pet line that contains or eliminates the dog odors in the backyard; particularly on the lawn surface.  Something like "urine off" but more organic for the pet's health.

Also would love a self contained room with accordian french doors that you can use as a multipurpose indoor outdoor room.  i.e. yoga studio, exercise, dining, etc. Have seen them as a pre-fab.

Please, please offer at least a few organic products!  I was very disappointed that your store in Wheeling, IL didn't carry an Iron Phosphate slug bait such as Sluggo or Escargo!  The only kind they had was extremely toxic to pets, children and wildlife!  Not a good choice for anyone!!

Why not use your department to show that Walmart is becoming the front runner in earth friendly products?