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

Attention California Residents - Please be aware Park's is charging CA sales tax on vegetable and fruit seeds, and food producing nursery stock (roots, crowns, strawberries etc.) that should be exempt from sales tax. In California purchases of the items above are exempt from sales tax. Therefore another state should not charge CA sales tax for these items. If you order from them and they charge sales tax, call them to have it removed. I am not an advocate of any organization or anything, but just a fellow gardener and customer. It's more the principle of the matter than anything else. Why should we be charged for sales tax on items from another state when these items are exempt in California? (Reference: CA Revenue and Taxation Code 6358)

I ordered 2 Dwarf Black Fig Trees and a Meyer Lemon in the fall that were delivered only three days later. The Meyer Lemon tree arrived with grocery store sized lemons, already on the tree.I highly recommend Park Seed Company for dwarf 1ft Fig Trees and lemon trees. Thanks.

I ordered veggie seeds from several different companies this past year to plant a smaller market garden. I don't know if it was just a bad year for them or what, but I had horrible germination rates from only Park seeds. One watermelon plant out of 30 germinated. Several different types of squash/ zucchini had at best 20% germination rate and as a last resort I planted some five year old walmart seed in the same spots and got closer to 80%. Out of 12 yellow crookneck squash plants three turned out to be a winter type tasting patty pan looking something that produced a heck of alot better than the crook necks. Anyway, I was disappointed and most likely will not be ordering from them again. They cost me money this year.

My wife and I placed a large order with Parks. The germination rate in general was rather poor but the cucumber varieties had a disapointing 2% germination rate, the corn (several varieties) a 10% rate. There are too many excellent seed companies out there to waste your money at Parks. The other problem was that they made a number of substitutions that were completely inappropriate.

This is a 3 part experience. I've ordered the past 5 years from Park. Have only ordered seeds, and they have nice moisture proof packaging. A few of the varieties did not germinate, but it happens to all companies. I love the bio starts. They work wonderfully on annual plants. Be forwarned, that they only work on annual plants. Do not use them on Perennial plants, since they pop out of the ground. I lost a considerable amount of money with this product. After complaining to them, they said I didn't plant the plants early enough for the roots to hold it into place. I planted the plants in August. They still popped out of the ground. Even annuals which have had all summer to grow, pop out of the ground. They said they would post a note on this product warning people of this possibility. To date they have not.

Last complaint is the price of garlic. Give me a break. The price went from 7.95 for half a pound, to 19.95. Their response was the lower price served 2008, and the higher reflects 2009. Many other companies still offer the lower price. It appears this company is getting greedy.

I ordered seeds from Park several years ago and had a 'bad experience'. At that time I wasn't aware of Dave's Garden Watchdog. Since then, I only order plants and seeds from Dave's top 30. By doing that, my online ordering experience has improved drastically. Why would anyone order from a company that has over 40 negative reviews in the past 12 months? Check out Dave's Watchdog top 30 companies and start ordering from them. Try Onalee's seeds. You, too, will be pleasantly surprised.
Seasons greetings everyone!

REf: Online order #5469607 [2870161:3394617] Amount $ 406.49 on 10/20/08
After 3 1/2 weeks , 6 or 7 calls ( employees named Jessica , Amy, Courtney. Frances and 2 emails, questioning why credit card had not been billed and where was the order? Everyone lied to me saying they would find out status and call back which no one did. one said it had been shipped. last call told me the item might be " out of stock" and would I like to wait another week or CANCEL? This was one Nov. 14th 4:00 p.m. central. I said cancel. She said would credit my card and email me of same. As credit card never billed which one email said would be within 48 hours of order, have not received replay as to day. 11/30/2008. Suggest fire lying employees.

I've occasionally ordered seeds from this company in the past. All germinated very well, aside from one ordered last year that did germinate very well but was most certainly not what the label suggested.

It was supposed to be a bush spaghetti squash so I planted a lot of them but they all ended up being a large vined pumpkin which makes this a tentative positive rating because it does make me a little apprehensive... But everything else I've planted from them has been true to type and I've never had any other problems with this company.

Additionally, I just received a plant order yesterday for three hellebore plants. I wasn't quite sure what to expect since I've never ordered plants from this company, but they were very well packaged, were shipped promptly and arrived in wonderful condition.

While they wouldn't be my first choice for full-priced products, they do have some good offerings and I have gotten some great seeds and plants from them.

This is the second year I have ordered seed from Park, and was again really disappointed. I ordered pastel zinnia seeds to plant along the 100 foot fence line which faces a real busy road. I can't tell you how upset I was when all of the zinnias bloomed bright red!

Last year I ordered petunia seeds....it was just awful. The germination rate was so bad, I had to use 300 seeds to end up with about 30 plants.

I have a very large yard, so every seed is really important to me. I really do know how to use my greenhouse!

I have e-mailed Park long ago and have not received a reply...at the very least is would be nice to receive an apology about all 200 red zinninas I planted and did not want and later just used my weed wacker on.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

I have loved ordering seed and supplies from Park Seed for years now. They have always had great germination rates, and in the few instances where they didn't, I called and they immediately sent a replacement packet, no questions asked.

That being said, I ordered a group of roses this spring from Jackson and Perkins, after they were taken over by Park Seed, that I didn't receive until the beginning of July. When I asked customer service what was going on while I was still waiting, I was told that the plants were guaranteed, don't worry. What I finally received contained a couple dead plants straight out of the box, and a couple that are still barely alive. (Planting roses in SC in July is just crazy!) After being told a refund (in an amount that won't even replace 1 of the 3 plants that are completely dead) is on the way, I called again 2 months later, and again, it's on the way... I'm extremely disappointed in Jackson and Perkins, and I worry about what is going on with the customer care overall in the company!

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available. We apologize for the delay in processing your refund, and hope to have this issue resolved for you as early as possible.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

Look out! Park Seed Company may take advantage of you. Last year Park issued a credit to me because they couldn't ship an item. Park never did issue the credit to my credit card and did not send a check.
This year I phoned Park and ordered several items. No mention was made by the Park representative that they would take the liberty of substituting other types of plants for the ones I ordered. And, that's what happened. Here came in these plants I didn't order and don't want. One item has not even yet arrived.
I phoned Park and Park did say they would issue a credit. Now, that's what they said last year, but I never did receive a credit card credit and no check in the mail. We will see what happens--if the other plant will be shipped and if a credit or check arrives.
Beware! Park is operating its business in a way that is not in the best interest of customers.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

DO NOT ORDER ANYTHING FROM PARK SEED. This spring I placed 3 orders with Park Seed. The first order was great! The second one looked fine but EVERY PLANT soon died! The third order was from a special sale they had…. EVERY PLANT was in poor condition or already dead!!!! The Canna bulbs never even sprouted. I complained immediately and they sent replacement SEEDS!!!! I called again and they agreed to send other replacement plants. These plants did not arrive until September and they, too, were already dead!!! On September 13th, I called for a full refund and was told that they would not refund the $24.90 in shipping costs!!!!! I insisted on speaking to a supervisor. They told me that the supervisor was too busy and would return a call to me. It became necessary for me to call 3 more times. I NEVER did get to speak to a supervisor. Finally the sales person called me back to say that a full refund, including the shipping costs, was approved by the supervisor. Yesterday I received 2 postcards listing a merchandise credit for my each of my 2 orders, minus the $24.90 cost of shipping. I checked my American Express credit card and NO refund has ever been issued. I do not want ANYTHING from Park Seed except my money. Why would anyone want to pay high shipping costs for dead and dying plants?
My advice is to shop elsewhere. I hope American Express will intervene to help me get a full refund for these inferior plants.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

My problem with Park Seed began last year (2007) when I ordered a corkscrew vine from them. It had not bloomed by fall, so I contacted the company asking for a refund. They never contacted me back but I later discovered that I had been given a credit (I had to call customer service to find this out). In the winter of 2008 I placed an order for a honeysuckle vine. When I hadn't received it by late spring, I called the company. (Of course, they had charged me back in the winter.) I was told that it would be sent as soon as it was available. I called again in August and was told that it would be sent in September. I called in September and was told the plants weren't big enough to ship so it would be sent in the spring of 2009. By this time I was fed up with the excuses and failure of the company to initiate contact with me to explain what was going on so I asked for a refund. It remains to be seen if I receive the refund. I will probably never do business with Park Seed again based on these experiences. They did send me some free clematis vines but they were not what I ordered.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

What a waste of money. I have ordered from Parks several times. They take forever to send your order, and then half of what they send is useless. I will never order from them again.

In the spring of 2007 I purchased 2 daylilies from Park's. They were very small and seemed to be younger than the company seemed to advertise (they said blooms the first year). In 2008 my first Rainbow Candy bloomed. Not only was their just 1 bloom but it wasn't Rainbow Candy. I do not know what this daylily is but it is not what I ordered. I wrote to Park's and asked for replacement plants because when I first ordered these daylilies I made sure they understood that I would accept no substitute plants. A few days ago I recieved the replacement plants. I have no idea what kind of daylily they might have been because they are dead. It looks like they have/had crown rot. I guess I will do without the beautiful Rainbow Candy because I won't ever deal with Park's again. This is truly sad to me because I grew up in South Carolina and my family always purchased from Park's. Boy have they gone downhill. Jackson and Perkins has Rainbow Candy, does anyone know whether or not this daylily is worth purchasing from them? I've had good luck with them in the past. Thanks for the input.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"

I've ordered from Park Seed for years and never had any problems with their customer service, until now. I ordered bulbs that were delivered in May and were supposed to bloom in 10-12 weeks. The bulbs never broke ground so I emailed last week to report that and requested a refund. I received an email telling me that I wasn't entitled to a refund because the "guarantee" had expired. The supposed "guarantee" is 90 days or the growing season. Seems to me that this would still be considered the growing season since these were summer bulbs. It is still summer, afterall, and just past the 12 week period during which the bulbs were supposed to bloom. I subsequently called and was told the same crap but after insisting, was given a credit. I'll use the credit but it will be the last time I order from this company. I don't call that a guarantee. That's just riduculous.

"

I am concerned that I have not yet resolved the issue at hand and would like an opportunity to do so; however, I have not yet received a reply from you concerning this matter. Please contact us at your earliest convenience. Customer satisfaction is very important to us.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"

The last time I ordered from this company, the sent me a product that was defective. I called them and told them this and they said they would send a new one out right away. I never got it so I e-mailed them twice before they ever replied and told me again it would be mailed out in a week. A week went by and I never got it. I e-mailed them again, then they told me they would have to back order it! Apparently they never had it in stock and were lying to me instead of just telling me they didn't have it in the first place! I cancelled my order after that. I never used to have problems with this company and was a loyal customer for years...but this year something has definitely changed with thier customer service!

"

I am concerned that I have not yet resolved the issue at hand and would like an opportunity to do so; however, I have not yet received a reply from you concerning this matter. Please contact us at your earliest convenience. Customer satisfaction is very important to us.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"

I strongly recommend that Park Seeds update their computor system (that is if they have one) I have had different themes and variations of the posted complaints. The thing that bothers me the most is the "back ordered" that you do not even know about untill the order is processed and paid for. If you try to get a "status" update it tells you the order number is not correct.(even if you cut and paste it)
I am from the era that you sent in box tops etc. to get your "decoder ring) and it actually came. (without computor help).
I am going to find a company that will bring me back to those days of waiting for the mail to deliver my order the same as my decoder ring

I've ordered from Park and Wayside several times over the years and have always been pleased with their products until this year. In April I ordered seeds and plants from Park (order # 5279899) and plants from Wayside (order # 5280715). Park split the order and shipped the seeds very promptly and I have no complaints about that. However, both companies were a problem in regard to the plants. I checked the order status online occasionally but it really isn't that meaningful other than saying some plants would not be shipped until fall, but I couldn't tell when they were going to ship the others. After nearly a month with no plants received and as the Texas weather was getting hot, I sent an email to each company saying where's my stuff? Then they finally shipped some of the plants at the end of May when it was around 100 degrees. The plants were much smaller and of poor quality, not at all what I was used to getting from either company, and some did not survive. Company communications are poor. I'm still waiting to see what they do with the fall shipments of the remaining plants; their online order status feature didn't tell me anything meaningful tonight. I had recommended these companies to a couple of colleagues at work and after I saw what poor quality plants they were shipping this year, I contacted my colleagues again and told them not to buy from these companies and why. I'm not sure what happened at these companies in the last year, but I'm no longer recommending them to anyone and I have shifted my gardening purchases elsewhere where the plants are better and the staff are more easy to deal with. I have a busy work schedule and don't want to spend my limited gardening time dealing with mail order problems like this.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]

I have located your order and I am in the process of reviewing your information. I would like you to know that I will be contacting you via e-mail shortly. We will make every effort to resolve this issue.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"

I ordered, among other things, 2 daylilies from Park Seed Company on March 3 2008. My credit card was charged immediately on March 3. My zone 6 was open for shipping in mid-March. Park Seed Company has yet to ship the daylilies. The other plants in that order arrived two months after my zone opened up for shipping.

Until I emailed them on August 4, they hadn’t contacted me even once to say that the plants weren’t going to ship in the spring. I asked them for a full explanation of their failure to ship these plants. This was their reply:

“Your remaining items are currently on backorder. You may have these items cancelled and receive credit or wait for the shipment to arrive this fall. Please readvise.”

Not even an apology. This is what you get from Park Seed Company. You place an order, they immediately charge you, you wait for your plants to arrive whenever Park Seed decides you can have them.

I’m not that picky when it comes to the plants I receive; I don’t mind getting smaller plants because I like watching them grow. However, I do actually want to receive the plants.

Two similar things happened with Park Seed-owned Wayside Gardens as well. Park Seed has left me no option other than to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. There is such a lack of customer service going on at Park Seed Company and Wayside Gardens that I will be very cautious about ordering again from either company.


Marsha Ravenscroft

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"

They have a great selection on herbs, and I got hooked. Shipping I thought was steep; however, it satisfied the ID because the seeds arrived with a quickness.

Some of the seeds are Back-Ordered, and they were clearly stated on the packing slip.

It was a breeze to order from them online, and when I checked on my order via telephone, customer service was great as well.

I will be ordering from them again.

"

I am happy to hear that you are pleased with your products and service.

We would love to forward your compliments; if you would send us your order information, we can let the appropriate department know that their efforts were recognized and appreciated. Please email me your zip code, last name, and order number.

Thanks again,

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Department
e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com"

Giving Park's a positive overall, because the seeds are always excellent. Nice selection, good germination rate. That said, the plants are not good. I used to have excellent luck ordering live plants from them, and if it's a barerroot plant, I'll still do it, but I'm done ordering live plants from them. For several years, they've looked like they've been thru the wringer, and most of them die. I ordered 3 dwarf phlox from them this year, and one died almost immediately after arrival, and the other two sprouted new shoots about 1/2 an inch tall, then died. One other plant I ordered was DOA, having been wrapped in a plain sheet of paper to keep it from drying out, which obviously didn't work. Long story short, excellent for seeds; dicey at best for plants.

"

I am happy to hear that you enjoyed your seeds so much.

We would love to forward your compliments; if you would send us your order information, we can let the appropriate department know that their efforts were recognized and appreciated. Please email me your zip code, last name, and order number.

Thanks again,

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Department
e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com"

In August 2007, I ordered a few "live" plants as well as quite a few packs of seeds from Park Seed.

I had good success with the seeds, however, the quality of their live plants I received were questionable at best. I ordered miniature lamb's ear and when it was time to ship, they showed up as a pot of decomposing goop. The plant was fried. Thankfully, I ended up getting a refund.

I also ordered some shrubs last year as well, they came in good condition and I planted them. Well, a few weeks ago, I noticed one was fried, kaput, dead. When I called about getting a refund, the representative told me my guarantee expired in May 2008. Well, we had a cool spring, particulary in May, and things were late blooming and coming out of dormancy. So by the time I noticed anyway, it was too late. The other shrub that I got, which was the same type is fine, it is actually thriving. But the other one is dead.

Now most local nurseries offer a one or even two year guarantee on shrubs to let them go through their seasonal cycle at least once. But to hear that I only had what amounted to six month guarantee, as I do not think the winter time can be counted here, I was extremely disappointed.

I will not order any 'live' plants from Park or it's subsidiaries ever again. I even question if I will oreder anything from them ever again. For a company in business over 100 years, I am extremely disappointed in the quality of plants and its service.

I will be going local or ordering from a few of the Watchdog Top 30 Nurseries in the future.

What a disappointment.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"

I've ordered seeds from Park's in the past and have always had good luck with them. I can't comment on the live plants, since I have never ordered any from Park's. Judging from most of the recent comments, it seems the problem lies with their handling of live plants versus just ordering seeds. I would probably order seeds of things I can't find anywhere else, and buy live plants locally.

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I am happy to hear that you enjoyed our products so much.

We would love to forward your compliments; if you would send us your order information, we can let the appropriate department know that their efforts were recognized and appreciated. Please email me your zip code, last name, and order number.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Department
e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com"

I ordered 3 fringe trees. These trees were not easily available to me locally.

The three trees arrived in beautiful shape. They had been packed so carefully that I cut the packing box off of each one to access plants whose roots were still moist.

The foliage was in excellent shape, and the trees were larger than advertised. Instead of getting trees that were 18 inches tall, I got trees that all were at least a good foot taller.

The trees would not have been in any better shape had they been packed and delivered the same day.

Kay

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We appreciate you taking the time to let us know how pleased your are with your product. Thank you! Your opinion is valued and we, of course, welcome feedback. It's customers like you who act as a reminder of why we do what we do and the importance of supplying only top quality products and offering the best service possible. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"

The absolute worst mail order company (including non garden mail order companies) I've ever dealt with. Every time I've called, the person on the other end sounds like a robot with no compassion or empathy what so ever. I placed my order back in March '07 only to get a 3 pack of plants (bulbs) that doesn't bloom true. They offered me a refund. My refund never came. When I saw that they advertised the plant again in Aug '07, I called them and explained that I never received my refund and that I wanted the plant again. This person said she would have to charge me shipping and handling again. I asked her why should I pay for S&H on an item they shipped incorrectly. She was finally able to find a way not to charge me. I finally get my replacement bulbs but only one of the 3 grow and again it doesn't bloom true. I call today only to get the same robot response, no empathy, no compassion and was told that I had already received my refund yet I can't find a record of it. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY TO ANYONE INCLUDING MY WORST ENEMY. I think I should get more than a refund for the time and energy I've wasted with them. Do NOT buy from them unless you like agony and disappointment.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"

I odered bean, corn and watermelon seed. Delivery was quick. 1 item was on back order but it arrived 5 days later. I have had good germination with what I ordered so far. Will plant the other item later. If I have a problem I will let you know.

"

Dear Irishkm,

I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed our product so much. We do constant test on all our seeds to keep our germination rates high. Your opinion is valued and we, of course, welcome feedback. It's customers like you who act as a reminder of why we do what we do and the importance of supplying only top quality products and offering the best service possible. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Department
e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com"

I ordered four moses fire daylilies, and 3 sedum autumn charm. After one winter two of the three sedum came back, and two of the daylilies died, and the other two bloomed differently. I have contacted for a replacetment

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. Therefore if this matter has not been taken care of at this time, I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"

Surprise surprise, fairly good news about Parks. Like a lot of you the only thing growing from Park's was my disgust with them, but they had a Day lilies Moses Fire & Startle that I wanted, so I decided to give them one more chance. The plants are growing and Startle is sending up a flower shoots. That's the best results I have had from a Park's plant in in the last 4-5 tries.

"

I am happy to hear that you enjoyed our products so much.

We would love to forward your compliments; if you would send us your order information, we can let the appropriate department know that their efforts were recognized and appreciated. Please email me your zip code, last name, and order number.

Thanks again,

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Department
e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com"

I have always done business with Parks in ordering seeds and never had a problem. So when I saw some annuals that I wanted, I didn't think twice. I ordered a 6-pack of torenia and a 6-pack of bacopa. Total bill for 12 PLUGS was $34.

The torenia was Raspberry Ice whose catalog description was raspberry red and white. When the plants came, they were VERY puny, about 6 leaves each. But 3 of the plants had a bloom on them. A very purple bloom. I checked the tag. It said Raspberry Ice, gave the same description of red & white, and even showed a picture, but they shipped purple plants. I did contact them immediately by email and they responded quickly saying they had no more plants. They would not issue a refund but would give me a $9.99 credit. Of course no credit on shipping. I might add that all 6 plants bloomed purple, and then promptly died after the first bloom.

The bacopa was also very puny and the few tiny leaves on each plug were very yellow and anemic looking. I attributed that to being without light for a few days. So I potted them up in good potting soil, gave them a dose of root stimulator and hoped for the best. Well it's been a little over a month and only 1 of the 6 is left. It has 8 very light green leaves, and I doubt if it will ever get any bigger. I might add that I work at an independent garden store and have potted up more plugs than I care to ever count. So I know it was not my potting methods that caused problems. I did not bother to contact Parks regarding the bacopa. I would only get another credit that I have no plans to use.

I since found happy healthy red bacopa at my local store. They are thriving and are at least 5 times bigger and covered with blooms.

I will not be using my $9.99 credit. Shipping alone would cost me more than that for one plant. So basically I have paid $34 for one sickly bacopa that is never going to grow. I have learned that I will buy local or I will not buy at all.

I was sadly shocked by the size and condition of plants I received. A Sambucus Black Beauty and an Alcea Old Barnyard hollyhock were so small and hardly worth the price I paid. A daylilly didn't survive. The Helleborus were shipped finally months after I had ordered them and didn't survive either.
I should have known better but the next spring I ordered two New Dawn roses. One of the roses (bare root) looked decent but the other unbelievably had barely the slightest bit of roots. When I called customer service they tried to talk me into planting it and seeing if it would grow. I told them no way that I wanted a replacement - a plant that was sure to grow. It took a while but I was finally shipped a plant that was in very good condition with plenty of roots. I can't believe that they would even send out that first rose with no roots. Do they think the customers are stupid and don't know what a good plant should look like?
I will never order plants anywhere again without checking Dave's Garden Watchdog site.

I tried to order on-line from California on June 9th but the automatic shipping charge on about $70 was about $40. Called Customer Service and placed the order but forgot to mention the free upgrade - called back the next day and was told the order was being packed and it was too late. Noticed my order status indicated that a number of plants had "shipped" status but not the roses. Called back on Thursday, June 12th (told they would be shipped the next day). Called today, June 17th and told they've been packed for the last week and are awaiting manager's inspection, and MAY ship at the end of this week, by June 20th. Hmm, I know it was really late to order bareroot roses but if they've been in the box for a week already I wonder what kind of condition they'll be in by the time I get them.

Park Seed has now added a "fuel surcharge" to products ordered on line. I ordered some "sticky labels" which totaled $11, plus shipping, PLUS an extra $2.50 for the "fuel surcharge". I couldn't find the product locally but will look for a new resources that doesn't add unreasonable fees. I can understand a fuel surcharge for products that are delivered, but not for mailing a packet of labels.

I ordered the Basket of Berries collection that included the 25 strawberry plants, 3 blackberry plants, 3 raspberry plants and a blueberry plant.

All the strawberry plants died shortly after planting and the blackberry and raspberry within a week of being planted. The only thing that survived is the blueberry bush which I put in a container.

I am very disapointed with this particular product. Yes, it was only $35 with shipping for the whole lot but if I had known that 90% of the order would die so fast, I wouldn't have bothered getting it.

I placed 7 orders in Feburary for plants after careful planning of my gardens, and here I sit in mid june missing shipments. They offer to upgrade you to 2 day shipping however they don't select saturday delivery so the shipping dept sends my plants out on thursday before the memorial weekend and I get a box of slime the following Tuesday. I called in, got a credit and guess what? They did the same thing the next week with 9 Coreopsis plants. I was so disappointed and angry I didn't even call in for the credit. My neighbors had their gardens in WEEKS before i had my first plant of 500.00 worth of orders. They sent me seed mats on June 2nd...what good is that? They should have been in the ground in April. When i call in they give me a different story on why my things aren't shipping, horticultrist hold, backordered, sold out (sold out??? i ordered in FEBUARY!). One rep told me my order was shipping in the fall....passionflowers in FALL in Brooklyn? It's June 13th, still missing plants, half of what I had was DOA and the rest I could have bought at the big box garden center and had half the headache. If you love reading the words "to be shipped" over and over, you'll love Park Seed.
Avoid!!!!!!

Without exception all that I have ordered from them has died or failed to sprout. The only redemption is that my cc was fully refunded. Would not use nor recommend. Much more success with their sister companies, Wayside and J&P.

I ordered my Tribute day-neutral strawberry plants in mid-May and received them about a week and a half later. They sent them 2-3 day Priority Mail, and the plants arrived 2 days after they were shipped. The strawberries are leafing out quite nicely and I have already had to remove a flower bud.

After reading the complaints here I made sure to call their customer service and make sure what I had orderred was in stock - for the prices they charge on their sale items it makes making that ONE phone call worth the effort.

Their shipping was comparatively fast (I've orderred from 5 or 6 places this year), but don't bother with the 2 day FedEx shipping (unless you're getting it for free). Just because FedEx sends it in two days doesn't mean you will get it two days after orderring. You should still expect to wait a week and a half at least. Still not as slow as about half of the places I orderred from.

The CS lady I talked to was pleasant. She even asked me if I knew that the items I orderred were on sale (of COURSE I did...that's why I orderred! :-D ).

All in all a good experience. Packaged well and things look healthy. The asparagus I orderred was still cold when I took it out of the box - I have NO idea how they managed that one.

Ordered 4 varieties of seeds (plants couldn't be shipped to Canada, sadly). All four varieties are thriving, particularly the Rudbeckia Green Wizard, (which looked so cool in the picture I HAD to have it). Quite unique varieties at a reasonable price, and the wait wasn't even that long for international shipping. And just looking at my original invoice, I noticed somthing I hadn't before; they list the country of origin for the seed varieties. Rather cool if you want to look like a smarty know-it-all to your neighbors.
Even though I wouldn't be able to order their plants due to cross border restrictions, I still enjoy the weekly emails; they have quite a number of interesting ideas that I can incorporate into my yard.