P.O. Box 9000
Charlottetown, C1A 8K6 (Canada)
1-800-363-7333
1-800-686-0329

Reviews:

positives
neutrals
negatives

Displaying the 50 most recent reviews

RatingContent
Neutral
On Jan 19, 2021, CheeseDreams (2 reviews) from Halifax,
Canada (Zone 5b)

Veseys is a good company to go to for vegetable seeds, but the flower department is iffy. I have never had any problems with the vegetables, but some of the flowers I ordered (parrot tulips and a blue iris) serve as a warning to shop in person (the flowers were not as advertised, since the avignon parrot tulips look like magenta dishrags, and the blue iris turned out to be a wild type iris). Also, I received someone else's order of flower seed, so I hope that customer eventually got their correct order.

Negative
On Mar 10, 2019, terry13 (1 reviews) from waterville,
Canada

I ordered a lot of lily bulbs from Veseys over a two year period and probably half of them had the right label on the bag but the wrong bulb. Bare root stock was so tiny they would fit in a sandwich bag. Other companies sell mature plants that often bloom the first year. Some Veseys plants didn't even survive the first year. I had better luck with seeds, only once did I get the wrong seeds. They offered me a refund or replacement for the bulbs and bare root stock but I declined. I was expecting the same problem with the replacements that I had with the original order. Why go through the disappointment of getting the wrong plants and then get replacements that may or may not be the right ones. I just chocked it up to a lesson learned and buy from other companies. I've bought plants from several other companies and never had this problem.

Negative
On Oct 6, 2016, wooz (1 reviews) from Bonners Ferry, ID

bought purple and green pole beans from veseys and less than 5% came up!

Negative
On Jun 3, 2016, garmonbozia (2 reviews) from Frenchland,
Canada

You get what you pay for, and sometimes less than what you paid for. I ordered bulk, and only some of the bulbs were satisfactory. The bare-root plants I planted late fall didn't came up. The only plant that came up was a mislabeled one, a hosta that was labeled (and purchased) as lilly of the valley.

Negative
On Mar 15, 2016, Laurentides (1 reviews) from sainte-agathe-des-monts,
Canada

I have been buying from Veseys for many years and with every order there has been a problem of some kind; whether its ordering 30 "mixed purple and white day lilies" and waiting all summer only to see them all a horrible shade of tacky orange/red or ordering 12 Amaryllis bulbs for Christmas gifts in a allegedly beautiful dark shade of Burgundy and then when the blooms finally open you realize they are fire engine red like the one's you could have bought at Walmart for half the price or ordering Peony roots that were described as " generous 2-3 eye roots" that turn out to be half rotted tiny little one-eyed roots. I have never left a review like this before but after my most recent experience with this company I decided that due to the fact that I have relied on others' reviews so many times I owed it to the gardening community to recount my experiences. You might ask yourself, " Why do I keep buying from them if there's always a problem". I have recently decided that the reason is probably one that many Canadian gardeners experience: After a long and horrible Winter one receives this flashy catalogue full of beautiful flowers and none of the garden centres are open yet so there's only 2 ways to fulfil your gardening needs: You can order seeds or pre-order bulbs/ roots and plants from Vesey's or Botanus. Its a perfect storm for these companies because they really have no competition and the marketing is so slick. Truth is that you end up paying double the price for something you could have got at a local garden centre a month later that is already thriving. At the end of the day, Vesey's seems like this quaint little Island garden oasis selling dreams of beautiful flowers and giant bulbs and in reality it is just a company selling average to sub-par plants at outrageous prices and taking advantage of winter-shocked Canadians who have no other choice then to wait a month or to buy from their competitor: Botanus who's quality by far surpasses Vesey's but so does the price point! It's almost hilarious what Botanus charges for a lily bulb. Before buying from Vesey's make sure you read the small print on bulb sizes, plug sizes etc; I assure with a little patience you will get a lot more for your buck and support a local business by waiting a few weeks. If you really must pre-order I recommend Costco, at least the prices are fair and the bulb sizes are amazing.

Positive
On Dec 30, 2015, GeneSkCan (8 reviews) from Regina,
Canada

I have been ordering plants and seeds from Veseys for a significant number of years. While not all orders were trouble free, those that had problems due to dead plants on arrival or wrong bulbs, missing items, etc, I was always dealt with fairly and quickly by Veseys. Typically, they offered a credit toward my next order or a replacement when possible, all without hesitation. My latest dealings have been with Shirley at Veseys. A special thank you goes out to her for her professional prompt service and positive attitude toward her customers.

Positive
On Jun 19, 2015, SharonSix (3 reviews) from Huron County, ON (Zone 5b)

I've been ordering from Vesey's for a few years and have been pretty satisfied - I find their discounts and prices very good so if the odd thing winter kills or doesn't come up I don't worry about it. I really enjoy their catalogues. Last fall my order included 3 Brilliant double oriental poppies (rich red, black centre) - 2 came up - one of those died but the third plant did fantastic and even bloomed this spring (I've never had oriental poppies bloom the first year from a bare root purchase before). But - it was a pink poppy with a "ruffled edge". (Apologies to the poppy lovers that like a ruffled edge - but I don't care for them - they look ragged to me). Anyway I emailed Veseys and sent them a photo and I received a very friendly, helpful reply within a couple of days and a credit for all 3 poppies (they no longer stock the poppy originally ordered) - this was more than I asked for or expected. So I have no complaints about their customer service.

Positive
On Apr 19, 2015, CdnErin (1 reviews) from Edmonton,
Canada

I have gotten the Vesey's catalogues the last couple of years, but I always ended up buying seeds, bulbs & plants locally because I liked seeing what I was buying. I always thought I should order one thing or another but always got sidetracked & never did. However, this year, due to health reasons I no longer am able to drive, so I decided to order from Vesey's since there was a Free Shipping promotion on the items from the seed catalogue. I also wanted to buy a light garden, and having it delivered to my door just made sense, since I couldn't think of anywhere locally that would sell one anyway, and it is difficult to lug things like that around on a bus. I was a bit nervous dropping almost $300 on items from the other end of the country, not sure if the items would be good or not, etc. I did pay a small shipping charge on the light garden, but that is perfectly understandable, and the extra charge was listed very clearly in the catalogue, so I was totally fine with it. I got my order fairly quickly, especially considering how far it had to go! I noticed later that Vesey's had emailed me both when they charged my credit card AND when the order shipped (I am terrible at checking my email), which was nice. I was SUPER excited when I got home to my order being here! I was like a kid at Christmas! I have to say that everything I ordered was of really good quality -- I ordered the 4-foot Jump Start T5 light garden (grow-light that hangs from a frame/stand, with a pulley-type of thing to raise or lower it), which is really sturdy, it's not horribly heavy, quite light in fact AND it's not flimsy or tippy, which I was a bit worried that it would be. I also ordered a dual-screen soil sieve, garden inoculant, a 3-in-1 soil meter, numerous packets of seeds, gardener's hand cleaner, some copper slug barrier, BTK ... you get the idea. A bit of everything. One type of seed I ordered was substituted for a different variety of the same flower, but otherwise everything was exactly as I ordered. I am THRILLED with my order! One particular packet of seeds -- Sweeter Yet Cucumber -- I sprouted some right away, and they are now utterly GORGEOUS baby plants! I have NEVER had such nice healthy baby cuke plants in all the years I have grown them. The order was packaged REALLY WELL, with things inside placed into separate plastic bags (ie, the BTK was in one bag, the 3 pks of garden inoculant in another bag, flower seeds in one bag, veggie seeds in another) with crumpled paper around the box so nothing would knock around too much. There was a lovely little "Thanks for your order" card inside that says my order was packed & shipped by Barb. She did a great job filling & packing my order! I am now considering saving up for the Deluxe 3-Tier light garden for myself next Christmas -- I think it would be well worth the money. I will definitely order from Vesey's again!!

Positive
On Apr 3, 2015, sskkm (6 reviews) from Regina, SK (Zone 2b)

Posted on August 24, 2014, updated April 3, 2015 I was extremely dissatisfied in my experiences with Veseys. I placed an order for two honeyberries and one lionheart lily. The honeyberries they sent me were not the variety I ordered. After emailing customer service to find out how I can return it, they apologized and said a request for refund was put in. Never saw the refund. On top of that, when the lilies bloomed, they weren't the lionheart lilies I ordered. Take care when ordering from this seller as they will substitute without asking you and you may be disappointed.


On April 3rd, 2015, sskkm changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following: After recommendation from our neighbour, I tried ordering from Vesey's again and made sure to include "No substitutions" in my order under the comment section. The order did not include any plants or seeds but misc gardening products. The second order arrived promptly, well packed, and it had a credit for the error from the first order. I was happy with my second experience with Vesey's and will try ordering from them again.

Positive
On Jul 29, 2014, OllieKatt (2 reviews) from North Bay,
Canada

I have now made 2 distinct orders from Veseys (a Fall and a Spring order) and I must say the Fall order was thoroughly successful, while the Spring order was "hit and miss." The Fall order was my first ever and the bulbs were large and firm and this Spring, everything sprouted and I have enjoyed a myriad of blooms from crocus, daffodil, and allium plants. The Spring order saw several plants not grow. I contacted customer service via email and they have given me a credit for anything that failed to grow (replacements were not viable as the stock is sold out), so I'm pleased with the way the company handled the issue. I will order from Veseys again this Fall hoping to try their peony and iris selections. Here's hoping it's a repeat of my very first order.

Negative
On May 25, 2014, treesnbirds (3 reviews) from mattawa,
Canada

the plants I received from Veseys were all very small and dried up. much smaller and weaker than anything I've ever received via online order from other suppliers or bought in bare root form. ie roses I paid $5 each for were one tiny twig about 1 mm thick and 5 inches long no branches. Some of the trees i'd ordered looked quite dead upon arrival ie wood shrivelled and dry, ends of twigs curled up and no green to be found. Everything is so small I won't be able to find it again to monitor and care for it my yard and garden. They also shipped in multiple events making tracking and receiving hard and spread over several days. Shipping also took several days which isn't good for live plants at all. I wish I'd never spent money there and never will again!

Positive
On Jun 7, 2013, sahootoo (2 reviews) from New Brunswick,
Canada

I ordered bulbs online and requested a catalog. I received the catalog and enjoyed the many varieties to choose from. I didn't know when my bulbs would ship and sent of a simple email to ask. I received a quick response and was also advised that my credit card would not be charged until the order was filled. Before the order was filled (I ordered very early) my credit card actually expired and I was contacted via email and was requested to call as there was an issue with the charge. The person I spoke to was friendly and helpful. A few days later I received a very well packed packaged (with lots of padding and air holes to avoid any damage to the bulbs). These bulbs have begun to sprout and look healthy thus far! I am happy to see that other reviews show that issues with quality were resolved in a satisfactory manner.

Positive
On Oct 25, 2012, LadyAssassin (17 reviews) from Belleville, ON (Zone 5b)

Posted on October 13, 2011, updated October 25, 2012 I have to agree with what Seedhead said- "Veseys is a shadow of its former self". I have never really had conversations with the family that owns the business, so I have no customer service issues, but the quality in plants they deliver has really gone downhill. I was wondering if it was just me, but it seems not. This year I had only ordered a few Coneflowers which were very overpriced for the teeny tiny plants they give you. Plus, they were starting to yellow and the soil around them was starting to dry out despite their roots being wrapped up. I am curious to see if these little things will perform well or not. I am giving them a neutral, but I'm not sure I will order from them anymore.


On October 25th, 2012, LadyAssassin changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following: The coneflowers from last year didn't grow at all this year or produce any flowers, so when I contacted Veseys they immediately replaced them. They arrived larger and healthier this time! I also placed an order for fall bulbs and oriental poppy roots. Everything arrived in wonderful condition and I'm very pleased. The only thing I didn't like was having to wait for this order to arrive. I had received bulbs from other companies early in October and had to wait to plant until my Veseys order arrived. Otherwise, I am very happy with the bulbs and service, and will continue to be a customer.
Company representative comment on October 18, 2011:
On Oct 18, 2011 11:33 AM, Veseys responded with:

To Lady Assassin,
I wish to assure you that Vesey's takes plant quality and customer
satisfaction very seriously. For that reason we publish in our
catalogue that if you are not completely satisfied by the quality of
our product upon arrival we will replace or refund immediately. From
your post it doesn't appear that you had contacted our company to
inform us of the quality issues you experienced with your Coneflowers
when they arrived.
We make this product quality guarantee as there are many factors that
affect the quality of shipping live plants beyond our control. While
we make every effort to properly store and maintain plants at our
facility, there are occasions when product is affected by shipping
delays (Canada Post) and/or the packages can become subject to extreme
temperatures while enroute. For these reasons we wish to remove any
risk that these uncontrollable factors can cause the customer by
promising them that they will be satisfied with their product or we
will make it right.
I would ask that if you have a concern with your recent order that you
contact our customer service department immediately so we can rectify
your problem. Thank you for placing an order with Veseys and I am
confident that we can meet your expectations on plant quality both now
and in the future.
Sincerely, John Barrett, Director of Sales, Marketing & Development,
Veseys Seeds Ltd. john@veseys.com

Negative
On Oct 12, 2011, Seedhead (3 reviews) from Toronto,
Canada

Veseys used to be a good company with a good reputation and consistently high quality plants, but in the last few years or so it has rapidly slid downhill, both in terms of the quality of their plants/bulbs and their customer service. Not sure if there has been a change of management or just some mediocre personnel issues. I suppose I keep ordering from them out of habit even after I realized they have been skimping on quality, but no longer. When the bare root perennials that I ordered hadn't arrived, their customer service rep named Pat had the gall to imply that my zone wasn't due to be shipped yet. Having been previously assured that they would go out in "early October," I knew there had to be a glitch. When I pressed her on it, she admitted that their stuff was late coming in this season. When I asked when they would be shipped, she very testily informed me "there are thousands of orders ahead of you." Never answered my question either. Not sure what prompted this attitude. I was not rude or nasty, didn't raise my voice and hadn't even complained yet, except to note that I had been told early October. Maybe she was having a bad day, maybe she has been fielding complaints from many other customers frustrated with the delays and was at her wit's end. Of course, it's not their fault if there was a supply delay on the import side, but it's inconceivable not to receive an apology, or acknowledgement that this might be an inconvenience to customers. And of course she should have been forthright up front about why plants are late going out this year. I hope that doesn't reflect on the company's ethics. I would have understood. Instead, she gave me a condescending gardening lecture as an apparent explanation of why the delay won't affect my garden. I'm an award-winning Master Gardener and, as we all know, best gardening practices are varied and subjective, not to mention subject to unpredictable weather patterns. I prefer to use my own expertise and experience as a guideline for planting, but maybe that's just me. I have never experienced customer service as rude and shoddy as this in all my years as a gardener. Clearly, Veseys is a shadow of its former self. Inexcusable!


Company representative comment on October 18, 2011:
On Oct 18, 2011 11:32 AM, Veseys responded with:

To Seedhead,
I am sorry for not responding to your comments earlier but I have been
out of province on business and have only just received notification
of your post.
Allow me to begin by expressing my sincere regret for your recent
experience dealing with our Customer Service Department. I agree with
you wholeheartedly that our representative should have explained that
the delay in your shipment was caused by our grower. Due to some
rather unusual and unfortunate weather conditions across the
continent this past summer we have unfortunately been subject to
harvest delays by many of our growers. Because of this our shipments
are substantially behind this season and this backlog has been causing
stress in both our production and customer service areas of the
business.
While it is true that we ship by zone in the fall (starting with the
lowest zones first), this shipping system combined with our grower
delays has unfortunately put you in a position of receiving your order
later than we would like. While I am not making excuses for the
communication issues you have experienced, I do hope that you will
take the other factors into account when considering our overall
customer service reputation.
I wish to assure you that our customer service department is operating
at the highest level of professionalism, gardening knowledge and
efficiency in our company's 73-year history. While that is certainly
no excuse for the manner in which your issue had been handled, I do
hope that you realize that we all have bad days and that your call was
certainly an exception to the over 200,000 phone inquiries we have
each year.
So that you are aware, I have double checked with our customer service
department to make sure that everyone is on the same page when it
comes to explaining the grower delays with customers. Trust me when I
say that ethically our company operates at the highest of ethical
standards and there was certainly no planned attempt to hide our
grower delays from our customers.
In closing I do thank you for your comments and would hope that should
you ever have an issue (no matter how small,) with our company in the
future that you would contact me personally so I would have to
opportunity to find an immediate solution.
Respectfully, John Barret, Director of Sales, Marketing & Development,
Veseys Seeds Ltd. john@veseys.com

Negative
On Jul 25, 2011, pesacado (1 reviews) from Montreal,
Canada

I must say I am disappointed by the inconsistent quality of the bulbs and tubers. I have yearly ordered up to a couple of hundred dollars worth of mostly spring growth bulbs and plants for a relatively robust but typical Montreal garden. I'm not a garden wiz, but I am studious, and conscientious in my general preparation, placement etc. Some orders arrived rotten, while others were small, clearly seconds, while still others grew indifferently, not at all, or only bloomed once and never again. Considering their prices, I think they could certainly improve their quality control and be more accurate in their advertising. I don't think I'll be ordering again this year.

Positive
On May 11, 2011, GeorgeandMisty (5 reviews) from Gatineau,
Canada

Posted on October 14, 2010, updated May 11, 2011 Posted on August 13, 2010, updated October 14, 2010 So far so good with my experiences with Veseys. My first order was for fall bulbs, so they have not been shipped yet, but they sent email confirmation quickly. The second order I put through with them were for seeds (for my parents as well as myself). The shipment was received promptly and everything looked in good condition. with so much to do this year around the house I have not had time to plant any of the seeds (although I did get some pots filled with soil). My parents have not had a chance to plant the creeping thyme they purchased to start covering the acre of yard that they have. They plan on starting in the corners of the yard as the riding mower can't get close enough to the fence. My 3 order, was again for fall bulbs for my mother and myself. Email confirmation was sent promptly. Now it's just a matter of waiting for the right time for them to ship them on over. I am so excited! thanks!


On October 14th, 2010, GeorgeandMisty added the following: my bulbs have arrived and are now just about all planted. Some of the bulbs were larger then I expected. All but 1 of the bulbs were in good condition. The 1 bulb (Allium Globemaster) appeared to be rotten, soft and moldy. I planted it anyways in hopes that it was still viable. Guess I'll see in the spring if it grew or not. The only thing I was a little disappointed about (being new at garderning) was that the packages did not include the depth / distance apart to plant the bulbs. I had to go online and try to find the information. From what I found, it would seem that the depth would be 3 times the width of the bulb. However, for the distance apart, I guessed. I have a feeling that I will get some surprises come spring.
On May 11th, 2011, GeorgeandMisty added the following: The fall bulbs I planted: Finally some nice weather and the plants are starting to come to life. So far so good in most cases, but some of the plants aren't doing as well as others, however, I'm guessing it's my fault for likely not planting them in the proper location. When the snow melted, one of the bulbs had started growing, but had turned yellow and mushy. I wrote to the company and they offered me a refund. For now I am holding off on accepting the refund, as I have relocated to bulb to a sunnier location in hopes that it survives. If it survives, no need for a refund. Cross your fingers. The spring planting order: Received yesterday and the plants look in good condition. they were well packaged and the soil that it came with was still moist, so the plant did not go without water. I was impressed. So far, I have not had any issues with the company, no errors on my orders. I would highly recommend this company have ordered some overstock items already. Hopefully they will be in better condition them someone posted that theirs arrived in. Will keep you posted... thanks

Neutral
On Feb 2, 2011, AnneCS (10 reviews) from Vaughan, ON (Zone 5b)

I've ordered from Veseys at least 10 times now since 2007... plants/bulbs, tools/materials, and seeds. Their tools/materials and seeds come quickly, packed nicely enough and I've never had a problem related to these orders. The plant/bulb orders have been hit or miss for me and actually as I look back over past orders, I am not sure how I manage to muster up the optimism to continue ordering plants from them regularly! I think the thrill of using a $25 off coupon on an order barely over $50 is usually to blame. Early orders are most rewarding--with a majority of the plants in dormant or near dormant states when they arrive, in decent condition, in peat moss-filled bags generally. Usually nothing impresses, but nothing disappoints majorly when ordering early--except when they get the order wrong--more on that later. End of season sale (50% off) orders tend to result in the delivery of up to ~50% "off" plants--dead or nearly dead, with no chance of surviving--and the survivors having to pull through being planted at the wrong time... so not such a bargain in the end. I have received several wrong plants--max. 1 per order, and they were not substitutions, but packing errors. I contacted them by email to get a refund only one of the times that this happened (I hate dealing with this kind of stuff), and it would have been an okay experience except that the CSR and I were in disagreement about the amount to be refunded at first. I had to nicely argue my side to get an actual full refund (if I recall correctly, it took 3 emails from me before she conceded), which I found to be incredibly irritating. I was only asking for a full refund without any deduction to the value of the item (due to the $25 off coupon I used on the order since my order was well above the required $50 order without this item) and then obviously tax and the related dollar or so in shipping, since this item that I didn't receive had tipped me over into the next shipping bracket. To me, this was only fair and how the CSR should have calculated it in the first place. After reviewing my orders, I don't think I should order plants from them anymore... I am apparently way too optimistic and forgiving (or forgetful!).

Positive
On Jan 25, 2011, Tabacum (16 reviews) from Mantua, OH (Zone 5a)

1/24/11.....Ordered Plant propagator trays and domes, along with plant pots....these work awesome, as I ordered these from them last year also.....prices for these are reasonable.....decided not to order anything else due to the negatives and neutrals existing with this company..... Ordered a pkg of sunflower seeds also; but hopefully, these will germinate well.........took about a month for shipment, but thats okay, as winter is still here..........

Positive
On Aug 12, 2010, TicketyBoo (1 reviews) from Mount Forest,
Canada

I have been a regular customer for 4 years now and have filled my garden with plants and bulbs from this company. I have never been disappointed! All the bulbs have performed wonderfully, we have been enjoying strawberries all summer (ever bearing) and have made lots of jam and pies from the conventional ones. Also raspberries have done exceptionally well. Peonies are gorgeous, dahlias and Asiatic lilies are beautiful. Have never been disappointed!

Negative
On Jul 26, 2010, lynxhayes (2 reviews) from Montague,
Canada

Ordered seeds, half the coreopsis germinated. NONE of the buttonflowers did. There was a fund raiser by Masons,plants from Veseys, I ordered strawberry plants, Hostas and fairy lilies. When I recieved the plants, the strawberries were just slimey mush, the hostas were the same but did actually grow and the fairy lilies are just now (2 months later) slowly poking through. I live on the Island but will not be buying from them again

Negative
On May 4, 2010, grnapple (1 reviews) from Sacramento, CA

I ordered seeds from Veseys. None of them were back-ordered or a special order but it took seven weeks for them to arrive in California. Their website says 3-4 weeks. Needless to say, I was incredibly disapointed.

Positive
On Feb 10, 2010, trc65 (8 reviews) from Galesburg, IL

I received a catalog from this company offering free shipping, so I couldn't pass it up. Prices for seed were comparable to seed companies I usually use so I ordered from them to lower shipping costs on orders from other companies. Seeds arrived 14 calendar days from my order, which is within the time promised when ordering. One item was backordered, but they shipped items in stock and will ship other item when it becomes available. Their normal shipping is high compared to other companies, so I don't know if I would order from them again, unless they offer free shipping :).

Positive
On Aug 16, 2009, crazy_turtle (1 reviews) from Cambridge, ON (Zone 5b)

Ordered three times from this company. Although the roots I received were small they grew quickly into perfect healthy plants. Have also ordered seeds that germinated perfectly, and a large lot of gardening equipment that arrived packaged perfectly.

Positive
On Jul 23, 2009, howie24 (4 reviews) from Oakville,
Canada

I ordered turnip seed from this company for the first time this year. The order shipped quickly and arrived within 5 days. Seed germinated without a problem. Thumbs up for this vendor.

Negative
On Oct 10, 2008, mallika_1 (1 reviews) from toronto,
Canada

Ordered for the first time, but will NOT order ever again because: - tiger lilies were all white, not the multi colour indicated in the catalogue - the 'dinner plate dahlia' flowers were no where close to a dinner plate - was a mere1.5 inches across -the calla lilies - have never given me a single bloom, and the plant has stayed an 8 inch tall bunch of green leaves - the tube rose bulb - did not sprout at all - am thoroughly disappointed since I have a great garden and do take real good care of all my plants - but this order from Vesey's is very very disappointing - on a positive note, the customer service is very friendly, and I got a refund on the a portion of my order - I rather shop at a local nursery for great plants for a fraction of Vesey's price

Positive
On Aug 4, 2008, evr (8 reviews) from Toronto, ON (Zone 5b)

ordered seeds and sphagnum moss -reasonable price and good quality. Professional packaging, but I didn't know when my order was shipped as they did not send me a notification email (I did receive a receipt/confirmation on my email though). Other than that, great customer service and shipping at a reasonable time (not price - they charge you different shipments for seeds AND bulbs...kinda pricey but not too pricey), got my package of stuff in less than 10 business days I believe. I would buy from them again even the shipping price is not cheap because they package well!

Positive
On Jun 1, 2008, axelqueen (6 reviews) from Winnipeg,
Canada

I have ordered several times from this company; each experience better than the last; the seeds I ordered grew very easily, and the seedlings have (so far) thrived in my garden...particularly the Foxy Foxglove, and the Helios Clematis (no small feat for a "let's just try this and see what happens" gardener). But the best experience had to be with their roses; my best friend in Victoria gave birth to her first child in April, so to celebrate, I ordered three Morden roses from Veseys (a Blush, a Fireglow, and a Sunrise). I asked if they could include a little card with the order to congratulate the parents, and they happily obliged. I was very happy with the prompt and personal service, and my friend just informed me that the roses are blooming like there's no tomorrow. Recently I ordered some Boyne raspberries to fill in a large gap in my yard, and though I wasn't expecting anything in their first year, the canes are bursting forth with healthy leaves. More happy! :) I also really like their variety of...well, just about anything you can think of! I will order from this company again and again until I have a really bad experience with something, or my fingers fall off and I can't use email any more.

Negative
On May 12, 2008, hummerplants (4 reviews) from Campbell River BC,
Canada

Ordered three times from Veseys. Three rose bushes for spring 2007, two grew one died. Three Hardy Geraniums, they wre hard as rocks never grew. Three hyacinth which bloomed nicely this spring. Three Dahlia Tubers order this spring were small and poor quality. Dahlia Tubers never poduced roots or sprouts. They shrivelled up and turned black. Very disappointed with the outcome of the Dahlia Tubers.

Positive
On Jan 29, 2008, kathiegroomes (1 reviews) from Morinville,
Canada

I always order from this company - I have never had better service, quality, or selection. I recommend Vesey's to all gardeners... they are also extremely knowledgeable in all areas of the garden, which is especially helpful for new gardeners. I have never had a seed, bulb, or live plant fail, and have always had my questions answered right away whether I use the telephone or email. :)

Neutral
On Aug 27, 2007, crazy_gardener (42 reviews) from Wainwright, AB (Zone 2b)

I agree, their seeds are of great quality and they have a great selection to choose from, always something different to try each year. However their live plants are not at best, I’ve also had many mislabeled lily bulbs from them. Nonetheless, they do stand by their guarantee of customer satisfaction and have always credited my account with no questions asked.

Positive
On May 27, 2007, saintartaud (8 reviews) from Kansas City, MO (Zone 5b)

I ordered seeds from this company, so I cannot comment on their plants. They have a fantastic glossy catalog and a very well designed website. Photos and descriptions are clear. These are not always necessities, but a definite bonus. I also like their all season vegetable seeds blends, which I've not seen from any other companies. Everything I've planted this spring has come up nice and robust, especially the Picante salvia, broccoli & cabbage all season blends, and Touchon carrots. The two organic varieties I ordered, Tyee spinach and Bull's Blood beets, have done fairly well. I didn't have luck with the Magic Carpet thyme, but I'm pretty certain this was my own fault. I will definitely be ordering from this company again. Absolutely no complaints.

Negative
On Apr 18, 2007, egm (7 reviews) from Ottawa, ON (Zone 4a)

Judging from the comments below, I guess not much has changed over the past few years. Of the items I ordered last year, I recieved cannas - City of Portland - that were twigs with root nodes on them - no tubers - I planted them and had small tubers by the end of the year - no blooms. From another source - other cannas that I planted last year flowered and multiplied. The bluebells arrived moldy and didn't survive. I chaulked it up to buyer beware - but they are not cheap. I ordered from Lindenbergs this year and just received my order. The canna tubers are large, firm and healthy - and 3 for $3.79. I have learned my lesson!

Negative
On Jan 22, 2007, Fundygardener (6 reviews) from (Zone 5b)

Veseys seeds are great, true. But their service with regards to their plants is abysmal. When the plants I ordered arrived, they were decomposing and unhappy; the order was much later arriving than I had expected it to be, which may be why the plants were so unhappy. I find that they're going on their reputation and not necessarily listening to customer dissatisfaction, or doing very little to improve a situation. I was supposed to receive credit for the plants that expired, but never did. Hence I'll not be ordering from them again, and will think long and hard before recommending them--except for their seeds.

Neutral
On Aug 5, 2006, flowercrazy39 (11 reviews) from Manchester, NH

Ordered about 8-10 seed packets from this company and not a grower in the bunch. Really. They germinated okay but none survived and not by my hands. Very weak seed quality.


On August 25th, 2006, flowercrazy39 changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following: I received an email from Vessey's offering me a full refund and I did receive it. I don't know that I'd order from them again but very much appreciate the refund and the effort made.

Neutral
On May 19, 2006, Hannahbelle (2 reviews) from Victoria, BC (Zone 8b)

Although I love looking at the catalouge when it comes, I must say I have been quite disappointed with the live plants I've ordered. They were very small and in dismal shape when they arrived and most of them did not make it, and here in Victoria BC Canada it is so temperate that we often joke that it's hard to kill plants. The Dahlia that did live (1 out of 4) was not true to name, instead of being a pink ball type, turned into a giant red dinner plate (pretty though it was...) That said, the customer service representation was excellent and the gal I spoke to was very friendly and said that I would be credited for the lost plants, however when I placed my next order and asked to have my credit applied to that order, it was not done and I was charged full price for my bulbs. I may try again with seeds but I think that would be it...

Neutral
On May 15, 2006, Ceara (1 reviews) from Gaspe,
Canada

We've ordered from Veseys about 8-10 times over the past four seasons. Ordered everything from seed starting equipment, to organic bug removal products, to seeds, bulbs, roots and shrubs. We are very pleased with the handling of the seeds and garden supplies. All of these have always arrived quickly and in good condition. However, the live shrubs we are not generally pleased with. They arrive rather small, and take quite a while to grow. Once, we ordered four lilacs because they were on sale, and two of them died. But we promptly received refunds for these and the next season we re-ordered the same lilacs at regular price and those came in much better condition. The bulbs I haven't had any trouble with thus far, including the free ones. Some roots we ordered like daylilies are very small, and this is the third season since they've been planted and hopefully we will see them bloom finally this season. The other roots were not that healthy and died. But this year, we put in an order for a bunch of lily bulbs back on March 3rd, expecting arrival before now, and they still have not arrived. The existing lilies in my garden are already up 5 inches and we are experiencing 80 F temps during the day. I fear receiving these bulbs too late will result in them not blooming this year. Or worse, spoilage from shipping in warm weather. Have contacted them on the matter of the bulbs this year and was assured they would be shipping out soon, but this is the reply I received on May 3, 2006: "The oriental lily order will be leaving soon and the larger spring bulb order will be a couple of weeks before it leaves." As of May 15th, they still have not arrived. Will wait and see what happens. This is why I vote Neutral. Good customer service and nice packaging, but live plants aren't always 100% and a little on the small side. I wish the bulb shipping would be a lot faster.

Neutral
On Mar 31, 2006, girlndocs (7 reviews) from Tacoma, WA

I ordered some pansy seeds I was hoping to wintersow and was dismayed to get an email receipt saying I could expect the seeds (in stock, not backordered) in 3-4 weeks! That's just too long. First class US mail can travel cross-country in 4-5 days, I've received Canadian cross country mail in not much longer, and I can't remember a company I've dealt with that had more than a 48-72 day turnaround on orders.

Positive
On Jan 5, 2006, DONBROWN (13 reviews) from Halifax,
Canada

A good reliable company for seeds. I would not order any more blubs or rhizomes from them since the prices are very high and on the one occasion that I did purchase rhizomes, they were rotted and the situation was not able to be resolved.

Positive
On Oct 24, 2005, hillfarm (36 reviews) from Quesnel, BC (Zone 4a)

I have only ordered seeds from Vesey's, not bulbs or plants. I have had consistently good service & the seeds always germinate well. Caveats: Keep an eye on prices here - some are a bit high in comparison to other sources. A number of times a few items have been back ordered (in a largish order) & have shown up much too late for planting the season ordered. Overall a reliable seed source. Lots of sunflower varieties & the vegetable selection for short season climates is quite good.

Negative
On Oct 19, 2005, 2zeus (12 reviews) from (Zone 7b)

Lousy results with plants from this company - I'm on my 2nd replacement tuber for a calla lily, and none of the 3 bloomed, dahlias were the wrong colour and unhealthy, and a replacement for an oriental lily which was the wrong colour was the most pitiful little thing I've ever received mail-order! Only thing I've had from them that was good was lily bulbs; plants have been scrawny, and either never grew, or were unhealthy. If it weren't for the credit I have for plants that were unacceptable, I wouldn't deal with them in future, and won't once the balance is spent this year.

Neutral
On Jul 17, 2005, WillowPolson (10 reviews) from Groveland, CA (Zone 8b)

I ordered 2 rose bushes, and they arrived so late in the spring (late April) that the ones in my yard were already completely leafed out and had buds on them. I even emailed them to explain how warm my California climate is, and to let them know that I needed them sent immediately, and was told "please be assured we will ship your order as soon as possible". By the time they arrived, it was already getting warm and dry here, and one of the two dried up and died despite my best watering efforts. As a Certified Master Gardener, I have never lost a locally-purchased bare-root rose, which are planted in January, not April. Since they don't seem to be able to ship out their roses early enough for California, I won't be buying from them again. The only reason my review is neutral is that the one surviving rose is doing well and has had four flowers on it this year already (the vigorous Dr. Brownell yellow). Scentimental was much less strong (some branches were rather twiggy) and it basically shrivelled up and died, even though both plants were coated with wax very heavily and I planted them the day after I received them.

Positive
On May 15, 2005, redbull (3 reviews) from Joliet, MT (Zone 4a)

We ordered and received seeds and roses. Everything was delivered as agreed. The roses were high quality well packaged plants. We are very satisfied.

Negative
On Mar 22, 2005, spklatt (2 reviews) from Ottawa, ON (Zone 5a)

Good selection, prompt shipping and very good, thorough sowing info included with each seed order. They will inundate you with "special offers" and other flyers, though - hence my rating is only neutral as opposed to positive.


On August 24th, 2009, spklatt changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following: Last fall I ordered daffodils, allium, phlox paniculata and fritillaria. They were being shipped to a colder gardening zone than where my billing address is, and I mentioned this in the order - but Vesey's did not take this into account and the shipment arrived after the normal end of the planting season. The daffodils were the only thing that worked. The alliums came up some white, some purple and some not at all, although only purple were ordered. The phlox and fritillaria were not seen again after their roots were planted in the ground. In the past I have had good results with seeds from Vesey's, but every time I have tried live plants and bulbs, it has gone wrong. Not a single live plant has ever appeared, no matter what gardening zone I was living in at the time. I doubt I will order from Vesey's again.

Positive
On Mar 19, 2005, cathaleen (10 reviews) from Prince George,
Canada

I have ordered seeds for many years, and always fast delivery of the order. Have also ordered plants from Veseys, and have always been happy with the products and the speed of delivery. For Northern Gardeners working with a shorter growing season, this is a great company to use .

Positive
On Mar 1, 2005, toomanypotatoes (17 reviews) from Perry, MI

Seeds were received within two weeks which was better than I expected (they're Canadian I'm in US). They had seeds I couldn't find anywhere else and very small seeds were shipped in nifty little plastic vials so they didn't get 'lost' in the packet. That's pretty cool when your paying a premium for those Wave petunia seeds:)

Positive
On Jan 24, 2005, Karrie20x (1 reviews) from Spokane, WA (Zone 5b)

I received my perfect order from them in record time. I was very pleased.

Positive
On Oct 26, 2004, SugarMaple (11 reviews) from Southbridge, MA (Zone 5b)

I ordered two types of seeds, one plant, and a couple of books from Veseys this year. The seeds germinated and grew just fine. I'm not too thrilled with the silver lace vine that I received, though. It looked pretty nice when I received it, but it was rather small and didn't grow well at all. I later found out that it is an invasive plant, so I'm only half-disappointed that it isn't doing well. Shipping is slow since they are in Canada and I am in the US, but it didn't affect my planting schedule. Overall, I like Veseys because they have some things that I just can't find anywhere else and because they are in a worse gardening zone than I am in. If it grows there, it'll probably grow here.

Positive
On Aug 16, 2004, roseofkaren (2 reviews) from Palatine, IL (Zone 5a)

I ordered some seeds online & printed out the conformation page. Later in the day, I looked at the page & I noticed that I had ordered the wrong variety of the specific seed that had precipitated the seed order! I emailed the customer service department of my error, and they promptly (within 2 hours) responded that they would fix my mistake. When the seeds arrived, they were indeed the order I intended to make in the first place.

Positive
On Jul 14, 2004, heatherg (2 reviews)

I've ordered seeds and bulbs from Veseys many times, and have been happy with what I received. They gave me free shipping instead of "bonus bulbs" when I asked for it. The bulbs arrive in plenty of time for fall planting.

Negative
On Jun 22, 2004, digwell (2 reviews) from Shelburne, NS (Zone 6a)

I have no complaint with the seeds. However, the live plants have been less than satisfactory. Although the three bare root roses that I received from Vesey's were in good condition and are now growing fairly well, a butterfly bush has failed to show any signs of life at all in over six weeks. I was also very disappointed with the size of many other of the bare root plants they sent. A clematis, advertised as a "heavy two-year plant" was a scrawny four-inch long root with the tiniest bud of top growth that has yet to appear above ground. Six siberian iris were each smaller than my little finger, and two purple coneflowers had only single leaves with a small fringe of roots. For the price I paid, I could have bought larger and sturdier plants from local garden centres. Friends had highly recommended Vesey's, and my disappointment is greater because of it.


Company representative comment on June 24, 2004:
We were able to contact "Digwell", and were happy to be able to resolve this issue to their satisfaction.
Veseys

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