Comments regarding Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens)

Ordered perennial seeds 2 weeks ago and they still haven't shipped. I wish I would have found this web page before I ordered from them. They tell me the same old song and dance that the order is at the shiiping dock to go out. Hasn't shipped yet so am not happy. Won't get my business again.

Posted on March 12, 2010, updated March 15, 2010
Update of original Positive comment:
I had posted earlier re very positive experience ordering and receiving seeds.
Today I opened the package which states clearly "100 seeds" to find out that it contains 50 seeds.
How do companies get away with this?
This is not the first company that I had this happen.
Do buyers just expect this and accept this?
If I bought a bag of oranges that said it contained 12 oranges and it contained 6, I would return it; most people would.
I'm not going to return a package of seeds - probably most people don't. Maybe that is why they do it?
Last time I order from Park's.

I have ordered from this company for many years but I don't think they will get any more of my business. They have a serious problem with backordered items. I placed an order with them on Dember 10th last year and while I received the bulk of my order I am waiting for some geranium seeds. Three months? I had the same problem last year with some other seeds.

Posted on March 9, 2010, updated March 10, 2010
In 2009 Park Seed did a good job with my seed orders, but did not do so well with my asparagus and sweet potato orders. So this year, 2010 I tried them again for seed orders. And the entire order has been on hold because the romaine lettuce in my order is back ordered. To this day there has been no indication on the web site that the seeds are on back order. There has been no information in my order status that the seeds are on back order. And this morning my attempt to call their 1-800 number met with a fast busy.

I think this is the first time I have ever posted a negative rating, but I have just run out of patience waiting for Park Seed to complete my order. I ordered several items, including some seeds and supplies on Dec. 26th. A few weeks later, I e-mailed them and they shipped me 2 packets of seeds; the remainder of items were waiting for some seeds to finish their "germination testing". After about 3 more weeks, I finally got them to agree to ship the rest of my order, minus the seeds requiring testing. I am still missing one packet of seeds; they are of no use this season as they needed to be started in January. There is no communication from this company regarding your order if you do not take initiative to contact them. On the positive side, they do respond quickly and politely to inquiries--it just doesn't help get your order any quicker.
While they have a great selection, you just cannot be sure if any items are in stock. It is easier to order from other companies that ship promptly and let you know if something will not ship. Lesson learned; Park Seed will not be getting any additional business from me.

I ordered on 1-19-10. I have been a customer for 15+ years. Just a small order thankfully. My credit card was charged immediately. Called mid Feb when I had still not received my order & was told it was held up due to Marigolds on back order. There was no indication of this when I ordered. I should have cancelled at that time but was concerned about getting money back instead of future credit. I finally received my order today 3-9-10. At least they shipped available items last year & back orders at a later date. They will get no more of my business. My search is on for a new seed company with the varieties that I like.

Posted on March 9, 2010, updated March 9, 2010
This was my second season of ordering from Park Seed; their website had a good selection of the few vegetables I planned to start my garden from seed, and reasonably priced (except for the shipping costs). Last year, it took Park Seed months for them to complete the order. This year, I chanced ordering with them again: I ordered on Jan. 18th, 2010 this year to be sure to get items in-time. I ordered just the basics, seeds for tomatos, peppers, squash and cukes (6 single packs in total); Jiffy Pots; potting soil, and a portable 4-ft grow light. The last of the seeds arrived just yesterday, 3/8/10, after I wrote them a week ago. And the quality of the "sturdy, 30 lb" portable light for $80 is a joke; the frame is nothing but tiny little tubes that barely hold the lightweight fluorescent light, it can't weight more than 10 lbs.

This will definately be the last time ordering from Park Seed; I'll be examining other vendors rated by Dave's Garden before my next order!! Thanks.

Last year in early January I ordered an Athyrium Ghost Fern, 3 raspberry plants and some Coneflower (Echinacea) bravado seeds, watermelon, cucumber, and squash seeds. The fern did well until our 48in of snow came and its too early to tell if it survived the winter. The raspberry plants had 1 berry ripen which I was surprised we got any at all since I had heard they take a couple years to produce, again too soon to tell if they survived the winter. The Echinacea did well and I hope it survived the winter. The squash did very well and my pumpkins I planted near the watermelon took over the garden so the watermelon didn't produce anything more than what almost looked like a weed (my fault). I'm giving a neutral rating because of the time in which things were sent to me. (a piece at a time) I didn't get the cucumbers seeds until after I had planted my entire garden and It was too late in the year to start the seeds as they would not mature in time to harvest before cold weather set in. I understand that the bare root pants can only be shipped in good weather but seeds can be shipped with any non perishable items and should be shipped early enough to give people time to grow the seed before planting season starts not after its finished. I plan to plant the cucumbers this year and the watermelon I had left over and no pumpkin so the watermelon should do well. I did reorder from them on 3/3/10 so we'll have to see if my order comes together or in pieces like last year. If I get items to late to use I may stop using them and order from other catalogs that have a better reputation.

Despite prior positive experiences with Park Seed, this year's experience has been negative. Several items that I ordered on the website, cabbage seed, bean trellis, and broccoli seed to name few had no indication on their website of being on back order. It is only after I place my order and nothing ships that I have to call Park and discover that these items are on back order and it will be 3 or more weeks until they ship.

This is a huge waste of my time and money and ruins your gardening plans when you depending on timely delivery. If they don't have something in stock they need to reflect that on their website before you place your order.

Posted on February 18, 2010, updated February 26, 2010
VERY slow service. Here is a receipt from them, minus my address:

Order #: 5811287 - 1 Order Date: 7/28/09

Sold To: XXXXXXXXXXXX

Ship To: XXXXXXXXXXXX

Date Shipped: 1/18/10

Amount Charged : 1.75

Carrier / Tracking ID

USPS FIRST CLASS REGULAR Package 1
Total number of packages: 1

Items included in this shipment:

1. CABBAGE SWEET SURPRISE HYBRID (5068) Qty : 1

Note the order and ship dates! Their web site said nothing about being on back order; they claimed to be in stock. That was supposed to be my fall crop... My previous experience with them had been good, so this year I placed another order, thinking it a fluke, before I checked them out here. Placed on 1/15, contained pepper seed; so I needed delivery by the first week of February to start transplants on time. Shipped 2/16, long after I had ordered and received from another supplier. This is not the same company it used to be. Park has pretty catalogs, a great selection, and friendly customer service, but don't bother ordering if you plan to plant the same year.

After reading the negative comments I thought I should post about my positive experience with Park Seed. I have no affiliation with the company other than having ordered from them over the years--but not recently until now.

So many of the old "tried and true" companies have changed, as indicated by the change in style of their catalogs. When I received my latest Park Seed catalog I was pleased to see that it still resembled the catalog I remember from years ago.

I ordered online on February 14 and got an acknowledgment almost immediately by email. There was plenty of info in that email about how to check the status of my order. My order consisted of seeds with the addition of plant marking stakes. I did not oder plants.

On February 17 I got notification that my order had shipped via USPS. One item was not listed and it was explained that I could go to the website to check the status of that item. (In checking it simply says, "Not yet sent").

The order arrived February 19. I am on the West Coast, so I think that is pretty good transit time. I am confident that the backordered item will arrive in due time.

I figured the company should get credit for an order that went right.

After 30+ years of ordering from Parks, this will probably be the last...was a great company for many years, but must have been sold as some other reviewers have noted.
Ordered seeds Jan 17 and hadn't got them almost 1 month later. Checked order status online which said they hadn't been shipped yet. Tried to check again next day and was told the order number was not valid. Called company and gave order number and was told they were waiting on one item (all seeds) and wouldn't ship for at least a week. That will make it about 6 weeks since I ordered. Since last year was almost as bad I would not recommend them

After the month and a half they HADN'T EVEN SHIPPED MY ORDER. sent them an email and got no response after a week. They were clearance seeds too, so i know they had them in surplus and in stock. they held up my whole order (10 different seeds) b/c some tomatoes i ordered were on backorder... so send me the rest, or notify me at least before you don't send them for that long. I finally had to call and the lady didn't even so much as say she was sorry.

I will NEVER order from them again. worse online seed order ever. I wish i would have read the reviews here first b/f i ordered :(

Posted on January 16, 2010, updated February 14, 2010
I have ordered seeds from Parks off and on over the last few years and have not had any problems with the orders nor with the products. I like the foil type packets and the directions and I have had good success with germination and the plants that resulted. I have not ordered any plants and probably will not as I like to grow from seed and/or propagate from plants myself and have been doing so for many, many years. I just received their new 2010 catalog which is always very informative, nicely laid out and I like the plants (flowers) being listed in alphabetical order with a heading as to whether they are annuals, perennials or biennials. I also noticed that their prices seem to be lower than other companies, such as Burpees, in many areas. I will be ordering seeds from them again.

Although I realize Park Seed has changed hands, they do have things that are hard to find elsewhere. Because of reviews, however, i did cut my order down to a "test" size. I ordered 5 packages of seeds.
I got my total order in one week. My credit card was not changed until the order was sent, and all the packages were labeled 2010 and were sealed foil, which should be mentioned as they keep seeds much fresher than the traditional paper packs do. I am happy with them and will probably order more from them.

Well, I should have read the reviews BEFORE I went with Parks. I placed my seed order early, to get seeds on time. I received a portion of my order but my 20 packets of Mirai BC corn has been backordered. I am reasonable, I am not planting until May, but after contacting them twice by phone and being told two weeks in a row that the corn was going to be sent out at the "end of the week", I am getting a little nervous if it EVER will come. I would love to know one way or another so I can order from a different supplier. There are not many suppliers of the Mirai corn so I do not want to get left out to hang. Times a wasting!
Dave, Hammonton, NJ

Ordered blueberry plants in Nov. 08 for shipment in "early March" Contacted them in early April and was told that they wouldn't get to me until the beginning of May. I canceled my order but all I got was store credit. So I ordered seeds for this upcoming season. 1+ week later, still not shipped. No indication as to when they will be shipped. The products I've gotten from them seem good, but why bother? You have no idea if you'll actually get them.

I've ordered from Park seeds for years and haven't had many issues. The biggest one would be that they don't always have things in stock but I have always received them before I'm ready to start them in my greenhouse. The seeds have been well packaged and they carry varieties that I can't find elsewhere. I comparison shop and don't find them a lot higher than some other companies.

Posted on February 2, 2010, updated February 3, 2010
Poor customer service. Poor shipping. I would not order from this company again. Quality of seeds unknown at this time.

Detail:
I made an order for 11 different seeds on January 25th. I called on January 31st which was a Thursday and asked about my order status. They said nothing is shipped since 2 items are not in stock which would become available in the first week of Feb. I asked them to send what is available and send the rest in a separate shipment. They said they can't ship anything today, there is no shipment on Fridays and Mondays, so my order will be shipped on Tuesday.

I call on Tuesday (Feb 2nd) and they know nothing about my coversation on Thursday. Now they say 3 of the itmes are on back order and they won't be available until late Feb. So nothing is going to be shipped until then. Unbelievable! So I ask them again to send what is available now. I'm not optimistic about getting my seeds anytime soon.

I should have listened to other bad reviews and not ordered from them.

Ordered seeds on 12/22. They were shipped 1/29 after I sent an email of inquiry on 1/23. (I did receive an immediate reply on 1/23 that stated they'd put a rush on the order...notice the ship date of 1/29. Rush must mean six days?) One item is still on back order. Very slow service. More than likely won't use again. I need more reliability.

Also, catalog is now offering 10% off entire order. I wrote to ask if I could have a discount on the existing order since I waited so long but no reply.

First off I can say I am surprised the read such negative comments about Park's.

I have ordered many seeds over the past years and have always been completely satisfied with the speed and quality of the products.

The problem I have with seed companies is the presentation leads people to believe that these companies are seed producers. Nother could be farther from the truth. Most of the seeds I received in the January 2010 were from Japan or various European countires. That shocked me.

I have ordering from Parks for many years, but seeds only. So far, orders have been on time, and good germination rates. They have had some very nice introductions, like the profusion zinias, and a good overall selection and fair prices (I have noticed some increases this year though). I like the foil packets for re-sealing the surpluss seeds. The only complaint I have is that orders often arrive in many seperate shipments and I have to do some more checking.
After reading some of the negative comments, I would like to add that I would not buy bulbs, shrubs, etc. from what should be a seed company, I go to a bulb, tree/shrub, perrenials plants company.

I received my 2010 seed order in very quick fashion but two of the packets are stamped packed FOR 2009. I called and was told that the seeds were still covered by the guarantee and will have been tested for germination. I told the friendly phone rep that I did not pay for or want last year's seeds. They gave me a credit but I still will have to spend it with their firm. Most of the seed packets did not have any date stamped on them - the prices were less than listed in the catalog - and now I wonder what year they were packaged for.

I ordered seeds last year and they came in on time with a planting guide booklet that was good. I had a really nice Garden , they sent me a free bonus packet of banana sweet peppers that grew like crazy I pickled 8 quarts and gave away bags full. I just reordered my spring selection, Parks is my seed company of choice, Grady, Central Florida Gardener

I am surprised with all the negative ratings. I hope they have not had some idiot take over since the spring of 2009. I have ordered from them yearly since 1999 and I have had some pretty good experiences dealing with this company. My orders were recieved in about a week. I will often use the website to pick which seeds I want and then phone-in my order to make sure they have them in-stock. I hate waiting for something and this works great for me. The phone ordering department is great (patient and professional). I phoned in this year's (2009) during March or April, their busy season, but maybe that is why they had the seeds I wanted in stock?
I nearly gave them a neutral rating due to the price. But the seeds that I order for my garden are specialty and I have found their price to be the best (compared to the other companies that carry the some varity) and the seeds germinate well.

Three problems - (1) one package of seed was open, when I called the person who answered didn't seem to think this was a problem- they asked me about the number of seeds (2) very poor germination of lettuce - I mark all my plantings by variety, date planted and source. There is no question what came from Park (3) the one live plant I ordered was a rooted cutting - not even a plug - it had one straggely root and did not make it.

No problem with the seed, germination rates, or plants I ordered. Everything was above average or better in quality. I could almost give a neutral rating but for two issues: First, it took 4 separate phone calls to finally receive all of my order. Second, I find Park's prices high in comparison to other companies with the same availability and selection. Summed up: too much work to get my order and the same or acceptable substitute varieties can be found elsewhere for less money. Park Seed is affiliated with Wayside Gardens. I had a much better experience with Wayside, however, I ordered two plants from Wayside versus 60+ packages of seed from Park.

WARNING! It is extremely difficult to get your money back from Park. I accidentally ordered the same thing twice, an Alstroemeria collection. My American Express card was charged $38.14 on 6/24/08 for order #5385329 and $38.14 on 8/11/08 for order #5422549. After writing to them about the mistake on 12/6/08, I received a credit to my American Express card of $38.14 on 4/2/09. I e-mailed them 11/17/08, that I had not yet received order #5422549 and was told, that it would be shipped in the spring. On 4/23/09 I wrote again requesting shipment of order #5422549, and I was told that it had been cancelled, because it was a duplicate order and my account had been credited $38.14. They had cancelled both orders, but only returned the money on one of them! On 4/28/09 I was told, that the Alstroemeria collection was no longer offered and I would get the credit for the other order within 7 to 10 days. On 7/30/09 I was again promised a refund. That was the last I heard from them.

Message: 'Hi,
I just want to thank you for another great garden.
All my vegetables were wonderful this year. I order all my seeds from you.
I was very impressed with the Parks Early Thickset Peppers. This was my first try with them and they were wonderful. Applesauce tomatoes are big and great tasting.
Also, all my flowers were beautiful.The Sunny Smile Sunflowers were filled with blooms. My Easter Egg plant is filled with eggs and everyone can't believe it's real.
Thanks for another great year. Look forward to receiving my 2010 catalog.
Thank you for being such a dependable company.
Linda from Virginia'

This company used to be very good but they are now unreliable and will not receive any more orders from me. My complain is like many others -- they stall and stall on issuing refunds for merchandise they never shipped.

I placed an order on 4/30/09 and while the full amount of the purchase was charged to my credit card, only part of the order shipped. After repeated calls, I was informed that the product was out of stock. I requested credit to my credit card account and they said it would be posted immediately. That was 3 months ago and with every phone call, they say the same thing "Oh we are sorry that has not been posted, but it will be on your next statement". I can check my credit card account on line and see daily posting and the credit is never posted. Unfortunately, I will have to file a complaint with the BBB and my credit card company, something I have never done before for any merchant.

I ordered two different varieties of Thai Pepper plant seeds. When they arrived, I followed the directions printed on the packets and soon had two sets of plants growing. I repotted them when they were larger, but soon had concerns because the thai pepper plants that I'm familiar with normally have woody stems/stalks, and these were green and sagged easily (I needed to brace them). Now that they are larger, and I actually have fruit growing, I see that what they sent me were varieties of tomatoes. Not Thai Pepper plants. I would never buy from this company again if they can't keep track of their seeds. I pity the person who ordered tomato plants.

Today I received seeds I ordered so long ago, I'd forgotten they were on order. Now it's too late to plant. Meanwhile the veggie and herb seed packets I did receive last spring didn't have any growing information on them, the number of seeds inside were skimpy and germination rates were not great, even for items that are so easy to grow like the mesclun mix lettuce. Not a successful experience.

WARNING WARNING WARNING...STAY AWAY FROM PARK SEED AND OR ANY AFFILIATES...I only wished I had known.

4 internet orders placed in early spring I had to cancel due to being laid off from my job (company has since filed bankruptcy) Orders totaling $447.40 were all billed to my credit card prior to shipment. When I called to cancel all orders due to job status I was told no problem, cards would not be billed. I have spent countless hours documenting, and calling Park Seed to obtain my refunds. Closest thing I have received is 4 post cards with a credit certificate number to apply to my next order. NO WAY!!! This was my first and will be my last experience with Park Seed. I want my money refunded and have now posted an official inquiry/complaint through the South Carolina Better Business Bureau (easy to do online at website). SAVE yourself a huge headache and just steer clear from this company and it's affiliates. BBB matter is still pending. I'll let ya know how that comes out.

Stay away from this company. I have nothing wrong with the products they sell, but I have a HUGE problem with the way the company treats its customers. First, they sent my order to the wrong address and overcharged my credit card. You will not be notified of any products unavailable at the time, until you receive your items in the mail. The customer service is exceedingly unhelpful when getting refunds. Don't waste your time trying to get your money back through them. I would call the customer service to confirm the amount you need refunded, then go to the BBB for help. Here's the website to help you get started: [HYPERLINK@odr.bbb.org]

After reading the reviews here, I almost didn't order, but I'm glad I did. My seeds arrived within two weeks (minus one packet but right after I placed my order they informed me that those would be shipped later). They communicated well with me regarding shipping dates, etc. I counted several seed packets when they arrived: I wasn't shorted any seeds. I went with Park because I couldn't find such selection at low prices anywhere else on the web. When I bought seeds from them when I was a kid, they grew very well, so hopefully the quality is the same. I did buy after the seasonal rush, so maybe that's why they came so quickly. At any rate, I am satisfied with my purchase.

My experience was so similar to Clairemonts (May 18) that I took that advice and contacted the Better Business Bureau.
I had ordered seeds and equipment online back in early March. Turns out both items were on backorder but website never disclosed this fact. After multiple emails w/no reply and and multiple phone calls where very pleasant company reps promised delivery dates that never came true.. I finally cancelled the order on 4/14. At that time I was informed that my credit card had already been charged which infuriated me further and that it would take 30 business days for a credit to be applied to my VISA. When I complained about that too, Park supervisor said that she expedited a credit and it should appear in 4-5 days. It didn't ! So I lodged a complaint with BBB and finally rec'd a credit on 5/20. Run... don't walk away from this company.

By far the WORST online seed shopping experience I have ever had! It took them over 2 weeks to ship order. The packets had no plant description and were no longer listed on their website, so such things as flowers were difficult to identify. The vegetable packs, such basic items as corn, beans, tomatoes etc, were from China origin and other foreign sources! Now, I would expect exotic flowers seeds to be imported, but common vegetable seeds? I would like to know they are selling me imported vegetable seeds before I decide to buy. I returned my order with a tracking confirmation number from the USPS. My return arrived at their facilities on May 7th. It took them, 3 phone calls, 1 email to customer service, and over a month to refund my credit card! Last call made was on June 8th and I finally saw a credit posted 3 days later! Would NEVER buy from this company again!

I ordered a number of plants from Park seed back in Feb. 2009. The catalog said the plants would be delivered at the proper time for planting in my area (zone 6). By mid-May I had received nothing. I called customer service & spoke with a very nice lady who said the plants would be shipped in the next couple of weeks. The end of May some of the plants arrived. Interestingly, my credit card was billed at the time of my order in Feb. I emailed the company & asked where the remainder of my order was. I received an email a few days leter explained the remainder of the plants would arrive shortly. They did arrive 1-2 weeks later - in mid-June. Needless to say I was disappointed with the timing & the lack of communication about my order, especially since I had already paid for the plants. All the plants have survived. But normally I would have expected these plants to have been received much earlier than late-May & into June. Especially since all the garden centers had all their plants out for sale in April! I will hesitate before ordering from this company again.

I enjoyed gardening until I had to give it up for many years in favor of an urban lifestyle (midtown New York City). Last year I was finally in a position to go back to gardening again, so I started by ordering clematis and roses from Park, because I was familiar with the brand from way back.

This order caused me more anxiety than it should have. The plants trickled in over the course of about two months. The clematis were delivered in a more timely manner than the roses, but were quite small and required a lot of TLC to make it through their first season. There was one arbitrary substitution of rose varieties and all the plants arrived much later than optimal for bareroot planting. This made them easy prey for aphids and very vulnerable to hot weather. The last to arrive had to endure a heat wave shortly after starting to leaf out.

All the plants ultimately survived and are thriving in their second year. However, the service I've received from other suppliers has been so much more timely, the communication much better, and the service more personal. Now that I'm getting familiar again with the world of suppliers, I don't see any reason to order plants from Park ever again.