Garden Escape Acquires Time Inc. New Media's Virtual Garden

Posted on August 10, 1998

Garden Escape, Inc., a leading online retailer of gardening products, information and services, announced that it has completed its acquisition of Time Inc. New Media's Virtual Garden. Garden Escape will continue to run its gardening website, Garden.com, and the recently acquired Virtual Garden website as separate entities. Plans include continued development of the popular Virtual Garden community, and a scheduled re-launch with expanded features and functionality in Fall of 1998.

"Since its inception, the Virtual Garden has offered cyber-gardeners one of the best online communities to provide a wealth of resources on the Internet," said Cliff Sharples, CEO and president of Garden Escape, Inc. "I believe that by integrating Virtual Garden with Garden Escape's core properties, including its flagship site, Garden.com, we create significant value in two distinct areas - for our customers: we continue to combine the best of what the Web has to offer and further enhance our abilities to create the ultimate gardening resource for gardeners; and for our investors: we further establish ourselves as the online gardening category leader while positioning ourselves to compete as a national gardening brand."

"The Virtual Garden was the first online brand developed by Time Inc. New Media," said Linda McCutcheon, President, Time Inc. New Media. "The deal we're announcing today with Garden Escape, Inc. recognizes the growing market value for top-quality digital content."