Alberta Nurseries and Seeds, Ltd.
Signed Safe Seed PledgeBox 20
Bowden, Alberta T0M 0K0 (Canada)
Reviews:
Displaying the 9 most recent reviews
| Rating | Content | |
|---|---|---|
| Negative | On Sep 7, 2014, Gizmolady (1 reviews)
from High Level, Canada I spent well over $300 with this company, and it will be the last. Not only are the seeds old, there are no expired dates on the packaging, the only way I could tell were some of the paper packages were yellowed, old pics, re-priced labels and less than 10% viability. They are packaged in clear plastic which does not help them to last. I had to purchase local seeds in order to replant. The living plants I had ordered, quite a few did not survive. With my order lacking some items and being late in the year, I opted for a refund. Great! I received my refund...... The cheque bounced! Now, what to do. After finally reaching them....after numerous 'no answers' instead of risking another NSF I opted for them to ship me a live plant the next season. I should have opted to try for another refund. Blackberries, which are hard to kill, did not grow. Very disappointed, in what used to be a VERY great source, the reliability of seeds and plants in such short growing seasons is a necessity and costly endeavour. My family, which had ordered from them for the last 50 years have found a new supplier. | |
| Positive | On Sep 1, 2013, RJG (4 reviews)
from Calgary, Canada Found Bow Seeds for the first time this year at Sunnyside in Calgary. Great prices with massive seed counts. Germination rates were excellent for everything I purchased. They will be my first choice next year. | |
| Negative | On Jun 4, 2012, phoenix2012 (3 reviews)
from Yorkton, Canada Posted on May 24, 2012, updated June 4, 2012 Posted on June 3, 2011, updated May 24, 2012 Posted on June 2, 2011, updated June 3, 2011 I have just got my order of Evans cherry trees. When I opened the box the leaves are black with aphids and some of the leaves are curled. I have tried at least 6 times today to get through to the company but only ever get an answering machine telling me they are busy. When I tried to order from them in January I had the same problem getting through to a person. I am very upset; can't even take them out of the car as I have plants in the house and my garden outside links with another's who has many roses. I don't want to be responsible for infesting the whole neighborhood with these things. I don't know what to do with them. And they can't even stay in the car as tomorrow I am going to the University plant sale so they might well infest anything I bring back from there. What a mess! I haven't ordered a lot of plants from nurseries before but when I have they have always been healthy and apparently free of bugs and disease. This is the first and last time I shall ever ever order from Alberta Nurseries . On June 3rd, 2011, phoenix2012 added the following: Follow up..Today I got an email from then and they were most apologetic, told me to burn the plants if possible and they would either refund or replace them. So at least they responded quickly and are doing what they can to make things right. On May 24th, 2012, phoenix2012 added the following: ok update almost a year later. I have NOT got a refund and when I emailed them about it I got a reply saying they didnt have any record of sending one. she said they had been changing their computer system and must have lost the email conversation. They were most apologetic and asked what did I want to do, refund or replace the seedlings? Since I had wanted Evans Cherry and had not been able to get them elsewhere (and mice took out two of the cherry tree seedlings that I did get elsewhere) I opted instead of the refund to get the replacement trees, and I was assured they would be sent to me in the spring. This was back in the winter. There has been NO sign of either trees nor refund. In the last few weeks I have emailed both the person with whom I exchanged emails this spring, and to the company address and neither have bothered to reply. I am very unhappy and disappointed at this whole business and can only assume it is best to avoid buying nursery stock through the internet from these people. On June 4th, 2012, phoenix2012 added the following: well I sent another email to this company telling them I had posted a negative rating on Dave's Garden. Today I got THIS email: Further to your unending complaints ie: your recent email as of SUNDAY June3rd. Your order has been sitting at your post office awaiting your pickupsince FRIDAY. It was there within 2 working days. As you can see, I sent youan email to that effect on the May 30th....as a REPLY to your own email.Dave's Garden is gong to be MOST interested in this - you are correct...(We'll add our own rider, thank you) but do as you wish.We will agree that your Seedlings have been replaced and shipped again. Therest is up to you. No further need to let this keep you grinding, yet again- that is up to you as well.Regards,: So apparently 4 emails over the course of a year = unending complaints. It is also interesting they did nothing until I said I had posted a negative review in Dave's Garden. . I did not get an email on May 30 but even if I had, that would have been a reply to an email I sent of May 17 so two weeks to reply to an email??! After patiently waiting a year?! Because I am not close to the Post office and they do not phone when things come in I had asked that they be shipped by bus. Indeed the invoice had that instruction on it but it was crossed out and sent by mail. So I made a trip to the P O and indeed there were 5 seedlings in a box. They have numerous sprouts on them but they look like potatoes look like when they have sprouted in the dark. The leaves are a pale yellow and the new (branches?) are white and twisted like a monkey tree might be. On one stem they are all facing in one direction as though the stem was sprouted lying on it's side, on the others several are curled entirely around the stem, one is an entire circle looping up and around and down and back up. Most of these hopefully will be able to be trained into growing like a normal tree does with branches on all sides and reaching up instead of down. Otherwise they will need a lot of pruning of almost all the new shoots. The leaves are so small and still curled so I cannot tell if they really are a cherry tree..they look more like a forsythia at the moment, with the colour of the leaf that is there. Still, they look healthy for something apparently raised in a closet. Just the few hours in pots and filtered light is beginning to encourage a little tint of green in some of the leaves. I doubt they will be able to be planted out this year. So eventually I did get some seedlings. People can judge for themselves if they want to run the risk of a similar saga dealing with these people by email. If you go to their physical location everything is likely fine. but obviously by the way I was treated e-customers are at the bottom of the food chain in their business. | |
| Positive | On Feb 7, 2005, atOnement (1 reviews)
from Calgary, AB (Zone 3a) I have been pleasantly surprised by the vast amount of seeds that actually germinated from all of the Bow Seed packages I have purchased. From Sun Flowers, to Summer Cypresses, to Viola, they all seemed to sprout up and grow vigorously. I have tried various other seed manufactures, but haven't had as much success. The seeds are priced very reasonably. I have so many early bloomer plants thanks to Bow Seed, that I am going to half to give away half of them. I have no more room left in my house for them. I honestly wasn’t expecting such success this early on in the year. I haven’t tried their mail order, since I live in Alberta and can pick them up easily at any major garden center. I’d highly recommend them if you want seeds that actually germinate! | |
| Positive | On Feb 1, 2003, Wych (1 reviews)
I have purchased seeds from several companies and have yet to have any equal the germination and production that I got from this company. The whole idea of growing is success,and with this catalogue I always have good sucess. | |
| Positive | On Jan 10, 2002, Lynnette (31 reviews)
from Courtenay, Canada You can't go wrong with this nursery. First rate in all ways. | |
| Positive | On Jan 5, 2002, etitanic (1 reviews)
Well laid out catalogue, easy ordering, prompt delivery, good quanity of seeds per package, excellent germination. Very pleased and will use again. | |
| Positive | On Jan 2, 2002, susans (1 reviews)
Prompt delivery of product. Excellent quality seeds and plants. Plants are always well packaged and very healthy. Beautiful, informative catalogue. | |
| Positive | On May 1, 1996, JaneMattei (3 reviews)
I have never used them for mail order as I am from Alberta and their products were widely available everywhere. I will say that this has been a family-owned business for many years and that every seed they sell is test-grown or developed in their own fields and germination tested at their facilities before it is marketed. The hardiness ratings are based on their location (Zone 3), so you can rest assured that just about anything you get from them will perform within stated limits. I was always very satisfied with the quality of their products. | |