Document:

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                                  EXHIBIT 10(e)

                     Specimen form of Stock Option Agreement
                    (as amended through October 23, 2001) for
                   Non-Qualified Stock Options, U.S. Specimen

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                             STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
                          (NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION)

         THIS STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT is entered into as of OCTOBER 23, 2001 (the
"Grant Date") by and between The Scotts Company ("Scotts" or "we") and SAMPLE
PARTICIPANT ("Optionee" or "you").

         1. GRANT OF OPTION. You are hereby granted an option (the "Option")
under Scotts' 1996 Stock Option Plan (the "Plan") to purchase ______ common
shares of Scotts. This Option is not intended to qualify as an incentive stock
option under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

         2. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF YOUR OPTION. The purchase price (the "Option
Price") to be paid by you upon the exercise of your Option is $39.950 per share.
Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan: a) you may exercise your Option
beginning on the third anniversary of the Grant Date; and b) your Option
terminates and ceases to be exercisable on the tenth anniversary of the Grant
Date.

         3. EXERCISE. Once vested, you may exercise your Option, in whole or in
part, by delivering to Merrill Lynch a signed notice of exercise. If you die or
transfer your Option as permitted under the Plan, the person entitled to
exercise the Option must deliver the signed notice of exercise. The notice of
exercise must state the number of whole common shares being purchased. You may
pay the Option Price in any manner permitted by Section 6.4 of the Plan. You (or
if you die, your estate) will be responsible for paying to Scotts the amount of
any taxes we are required by law to withhold in connection with the exercise of
the Option. You may satisfy these tax withholding requirements in any manner
permitted under Section 10.4 of the Plan. No proceeds from the exercise of your
Option will be paid to you until all tax withholding requirements have been
satisfied.

         4. YOUR RIGHTS AS A SHAREHOLDER. You have no rights or privileges as a
shareholder of Scotts as to any of the common shares covered by the Option until
you are issued a share certificate.

         5. GENERAL. This Agreement incorporates and your Option is subject to
all of the provisions of the Plan which are not specifically described in this
Agreement. If there is any inconsistency between the provisions of this
Agreement and those of the Plan, the provisions of the Plan control. This
Agreement is governed by Ohio law. This Agreement represents the entire and
exclusive agreement between you and Scotts concerning your Option grant. Any
change, termination or attempted waiver of the provisions of this Agreement must
be made in a writing signed by you and Scotts. The rights and obligations of
Scotts under this Agreement will also extend to our successors and assigns.

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                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Scotts has caused this Agreement to be
executed by its duly authorized officer, and Optionee has executed this
Agreement, in each case, effective as of the Grant Date.

                        THE SCOTTS COMPANY

                        By:
                                 ----------------------------------------------
                                 David M. Aronowitz
                                 Executive Vice President, General Counsel

                  Optionee acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan and the
Prospectus dated NOVEMBER 1, 2001, and all supplements thereto, related to the
Plan. Optionee represents that Optionee is familiar with the terms and
conditions of the Plan. By signing below, Optionee accepts the Option subject to
all terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Plan. Optionee agrees to
accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the
committee administering the Plan should any questions arise under the Plan or
this Agreement.

                                 OPTIONEE:  Sample Participant

                                 ----------------------------------------------
                                 Signature of Optionee

                                 SSN:     000-00-0000

                                       2<PAGE>

                                  EXHIBIT 10(f)

                     Specimen form of Stock Option Agreement
                    (as amended through October 23, 2001) for
                           Non-Qualified Stock Options
                                 French Specimen

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                             STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
                          (NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION)

         THIS STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT is entered into as of OCTOBER 23, 2001 (the
"Grant Date") by and between The Scotts Company ("Scotts" or "we") and FRENCH
SAMPLE ("Optionee" or "you").

1.       GRANT OF OPTION. You are hereby granted an option (the "Option")
under Scotts' 1996 Stock Option Plan (the "Plan") to purchase ______ common
shares of Scotts. This Option is not intended to qualify as an incentive stock
option under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

2.       TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF YOUR OPTION. The purchase price (the "Option
Price") to be paid by you upon the exercise of your Option is $39.950 per share.
Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan: a) the Option will vest on the
third anniversary of the Grant Date; b) you may only exercise your Option
beginning on the fifth anniversary of the Grant Date(1); and c) your Option
terminates and ceases to be exercisable on the tenth anniversary of the Grant
Date.

3.       EXERCISE. Once vested, you may exercise your Option, in whole or in
part, by delivering to Merrill Lynch a signed notice of exercise. If you die or
transfer your Option as permitted under the Plan, the person entitled to
exercise the Option must deliver the signed notice of exercise. The notice of
exercise must state the number of whole common shares being purchased. You may
pay the Option Price in any manner permitted by Section 6.4 of the Plan. You (or
if you die, your estate) will be responsible for paying to Scotts the amount of
any taxes we are required by law to withhold in connection with the exercise of
the Option. You may satisfy these tax withholding requirements in any manner
permitted under Section 10.4 of the Plan. No proceeds from the exercise of your
Option will be paid to you until all tax withholding requirements have been
satisfied.

4.       YOUR RIGHTS AS A SHAREHOLDER. You have no rights or privileges as a
shareholder of Scotts as to any of the common shares covered by the Option until
you are issued a share certificate.

5.       GENERAL. This Agreement incorporates and your Option is subject to all
of the provisions of the Plan which are not specifically described in this
Agreement. If there is any inconsistency between the provisions of this
Agreement and those of the Plan, the provisions of the Plan control. This
Agreement is governed by Ohio law. This Agreement represents the entire and
exclusive agreement between you and Scotts concerning your Option grant. Any
change, termination or attempted waiver of the provisions of this

--------
(1) If you terminate or if the Company terminates your employment without cause
after the Option has vested but before it becomes exercisable, your Option shall
be exercisable only during the 90-day period following the fifth anniversary of
the Grant Date. The rights granted in the preceding sentence constitute an
exception to the provisions of Section 7.4 of the Plan.

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Agreement must be made in a writing signed by you and Scotts. The rights and
obligations of Scotts under this Agreement will also extend to our successors
and assigns.

                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Scotts has caused this Agreement to be
executed by its duly authorized officer, and Optionee has executed this
Agreement, in each case, effective as of the Grant Date.

                            THE SCOTTS COMPANY

                            By:
                                 ----------------------------------------------
                                 David M. Aronowitz
                                 Executive Vice President, General Counsel

                  Optionee acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan and the
     Prospectus dated NOVEMBER 1, 2001, and all supplements thereto, related to
     the Plan. Optionee represents that Optionee is familiar with the terms and
     conditions of the Plan. By signing below, Optionee accepts the Option
     subject to all terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Plan.
     Optionee agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or
     interpretations of the committee administering the Plan should any
     questions arise under the Plan or this Agreement.

                            OPTIONEE:  French Sample

                            ---------------------------------------------------
                            Signature of Optionee

                            SSN:     INTERNATIONAL

                                       2<PAGE>
                                EXHIBIT 10(g)(2)

First Amendment to The Scotts Company Executive Retirement Plan, effective as of
                                January 1, 1999

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                                 FIRST AMENDMENT

                                       TO

                               THE SCOTTS COMPANY

                            EXECUTIVE RETIREMENT PLAN

         WHEREAS, The Scotts Company (the "Company") sponsors The Scotts Company
Executive Retirement Plan (the "Plan"); and

         WHEREAS, the Plan provides that executives in Band G and above, other
than Joseph D. Dioguardi, are eligible to participate in the Plan; and

         WHEREAS, the Company wants to permit Mr. Dioguardi to defer incentive
pay and compensation under the Plan;

         NOW, THEREFORE, effective as of January 1, 1999:

1.       The definition of "Executive Incentive Pay" in Section II of the Plan
shall be revised to provide:

                  "Executive Incentive Pay" means, with respect to each
         Participant, any bonus under the Executive Annual Incentive Plan or any
         incentive pay pursuant to an employment agreement.

2.       The last sentence of Section III of the Plan shall be deleted.

3.       Paragraph (1) of Section IV.B. shall be revised to provide:

                           (1) With respect to each Plan Year, an Eligible
         Employee may elect to have a percentage or a flat dollar amount of his
         Executive Incentive Pay which is to be awarded to him by the Employer
         for the Plan Year in question allocated to his Deferred Executive
         Incentive Pay Account and paid on a deferred basis pursuant to the
         terms of the Plan. To exercise such an election for any Plan Year,
         within thirty (30) days after the Executive Annual Incentive Plan is
         finalized for the Plan Year (or, in the case of Executive Incentive Pay
         under an employment agreement, within thirty (30) days prior to the
         beginning of the Plan Year), the Eligible Employee must advise the
         Employer of his election, in writing, on an Executive Incentive Pay
         Deferral Election. Such Executive Incentive Pay Deferral Election shall
         apply only to Executive Incentive Pay payable to the Participant after
         the date on which the Executive Incentive Pay Deferral Election is
         received by the Administrative Committee. If an Eligible Employee
         terminates

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         employment or changes to an employment status other than an Eligible
         Employee, his election to defer Executive Incentive Pay shall terminate
         and no additional amounts shall be deferred.

4.       A new paragraph (5) shall be added to Section IV.D. of the Plan to
provide:

                  (5)      INELIGIBILITY FOR EMPLOYER  CONTRIBUTIONS.
         Notwithstanding the foregoing, no contributions shall be made for or
         allocated to Joseph D. Dioguardi under this Section IV.D.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Amendment to be
executed as of the 23 day of DECEMBER, 1998.

                                  THE SCOTTS COMPANY

                                  By: /s/ Rosemary L. Smith
                                     -----------------------------------------
                                       Rosemary L. Smith,
                                       Vice  President - Human  Resources and
                                       Member of the Administrative Committee

                                      2

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