Comments regarding Botanical Interests, Inc.

I've had great experiences with Botanical Interests. It seems to be the rare business to maintain its quality despite going through an acquisition recently (by Epic Gardening). Orders pre- and post-acquisition have been equally great with respect to packet quality, seed germination, shipping quality, and retail customer service. My only quibble is that I wish their website would have some actual photos of the plants, rather than just the artist drawings. Those are a nice, luxurious feature of their seed packs, but sometimes I want to see the IRL crop rather than an idealistic drawing.

I've had very good results from Botanical Interest seeds and costumer service. I had a moment of madness in late 2021 and ordered a BIG box of seeds, but didn't plant them until winter sowing in February 2023 and they all germinated! At the end of May 2023 I have blooms on the alyssum and johnny jump ups (many of the others will take a while to bloom).

They also have great customer service--I wanted to change an order and you get a real person via email and it is lightening fast. Their shipping is also very quick. And they have a rewards program that gives you free packet points with your orders. I got three free packets just from that 2021 order, which helped me fill in a few things I hadn't known I needed at that time.

Beautiful packaging, too. Feels very special to get their package in the mail.

I ordered some fall vegetable seeds from BI and so far am extremely impressed. While they are beautifully packaged, it was the time, communication and instructions that made the ordering perfect. Literally only a couple days to process and arrive. I will try to update once I germinate and grow: beets, kale, brussels, carrots...

I am a Texas Certified Master Gardener and Life Member of Seed Savers Exchange, so I have some skill in seed starting and growing. Botanical Interests has reasonable prices and their seed has high germination rates. I had trouble with one packet, and they made good on it by providing a replacement. Their customer service is responsive, a major feature when dealing with online seed sellers. They sold me a good strain of California Giant Zinnia, after numerous failures with other vendors. It's a good company, worth doing business with.

Posted on December 22, 2018, updated March 20, 2021
I just received some of the most beautifully packaged seeds I have obtained in over 20 years of seed growing. Botanical Interests sent them promptly in a lovely little box (I was sorry I had to spoil it by opening it) and I received beautiful packets of seed as well as a gift seed pack of mesclun lettuce (a favorite of mine). I had been trying unsuccessfully to find nasturtium Mahogany and now I have it. I will report back on germinations success but I must say that I am already very impressed by the packaging, delivery, planting instructions (far more specific than most) and the obvious care that has been shown by the staff of this company.

Received my seeds today -- gorgeous packaging, great shipping box, love the unexpected free packet of seeds, too. The seed packages have tons of helpful information. I'll definitely order from them again.

With so many garden centers and stores wiped out of vegetable seeds because of the Covid-19 Virus, and everybody wanting to grow a Victory Garden this Spring/Summer, I was able to still find a good selection of seeds at Botanical Interests online store. Everything I ordered was available, was shipped in 24 hours, and arrived perfect in a small box, so the seeds wouldn't get crushed in the USPS sorting machines. They even put a packet of free flower seeds....

Although I get a bunch of seed catalogs in the late winter, I always order from Botanical Interests. I have never had a problem with germination and the seeds always produce true to variety.

The catalog is full of great selections, accurate descriptions, photos, and growing advice.

The service is on top and shipping is fast. Mine always come in a little reusable box to prevent smashing of seeds.

This company is great and as a bonus, the seed packs are cute enough to use as a decoration!

I received a packet of their flower mix from a friend and begrudgingly planted the seeds. I had low expectations thinking this was a gift shop souvenir. These seeds are amazing! The plants are big and vigorous and complement each other. The pollinators are loving it. I'll try this again next year! FYI- The bed I used is mostly used for veggies so the soil is rich and loose. I also watered daily for the first few weeks. Voila! A beautiful wild flower garden!

I ordered from Botanical Interests earlier this year. They were having a very impressive sale and so I promptly sat down and paged through their entire site. By the time I finished, I was racing the clock to midnight. I barely got the order in with perhaps 4 minutes to spare... when I realized for some reason the sale code was no longer registering. I placed the order regardless and sent out a questioning email. Botanical Interests responded the very next morning with the explanation that they were in a different time zone and so I had unfortunately missed the sale by an hour. However (despite everything customer service is still alive in this world) they decided to refund out the sale amount anyways.

Of the many, many seeds I ordered from them every single packet has had extremely high germination rates and looks true to species. I am beyond happy with Botanical Interests and plan to order from them next year.

I first heard about this company from an online blog that I read I have been ordering from this company for a couple years now.... mostly microgreens. I have had wonderful results and will continue purchasing.

great customer service.

Posted on December 2, 2013, updated January 16, 2014
Ordered Thanksgiving weekend to take advantage of 20% coupon. Be careful, their website dumps your shopping cart after 20-30 minutes. I was researching and adding to the shopping cart and when I checked out i paid $27 + shipping $8.95. I received the order confirmation and noticed 30% of my order did not show up in the cart and was not included. I wrote TWO emails and tried calling - I EVEN LEFT VOICEMAIL. Botanical Interests did not answer either email nor did they return my call. apparently my request to add 6 herb seed packets to the same order fell on deaf ears! Nothing from botanical Interests...just a FedEx notice of shipment. They sure are quick to take your credit card and totally disregard the customer. So here I'm left with an incomplete order, no access tot he 20% discount and looking at another $8.95 postage.

Sorry there are way too many companies out there, particularly in this economy who would not disregard customers like this company has. i INTEND TO REFUSE THE FEDEX PACKAGE AND FILE A CLAIM WITH MY CREDIT CARD TO REVERSE TRANSACTION.

DO NOT SPEND YOUR MONEY AT THIS STORE!

Posted on September 28, 2013, updated December 4, 2013
This past spring I ordered about $50 of seed from BI. It was my first time ordering seeds and I was looking forward to sowing at least a part of my garden. I mistakenly ordered Stevia when I wanted Thyme. One was right under the other on the herb list and I added the wrong product. When I received my seeds I e-mailed BI just to make sure I had ordered the Stevia. I had so the mistake was mine. However I truly expected BI to make me a happy customer and send me a pack of Thyme seeds. Instead I received an e-mail stating I had ordered the Stevia and to enjoy it! To this day this is still bugging me. I won't order from them again.

How can you not like this company. I've never had a bad seed. I order every year. Inexpensive seeds and they come up as expected.

I ordered seeds online and also bought Botanical Interest seeds from my grocery store stand. My online seeds came quickly and grew fine, although I didn't end up liking the varieties. The seeds from my grocery store, however, had poor germination rates. I mention this only because I would say buyer beware at your grocery store seed rack. I don't know that conditions are met for keeping seed viable. Mine didn't grow. I would recommend buying seeds from this company online. I really enjoyed the seed packets for all the useful information it contained. I would shop here again if there was something that interested me, but anymore, there are other companies with vegetables that suit my needs better.

Excellent service and a good selection of seeds. Lots of good information as well. I was more than pleased with my order and have already placed another order with this company.

this was my first time ordering from this company..i received my order thurs...i was very happy with my order it came really fast and was packaged awesome!..the seed packets themselfs are really neat and have a lot of information printed on the outside of the package as well as the inside...along with all the seed packets i ordered i also ordered the newspaper pot maker..ive been wanting one for a while so i finally ordered it..i started making lil seed pots right away and it worked really good...i like the idea of makin my own seed starting pots instead of having to buy them over and over...i cant wait to start all my seeds..i will totally do business with this lovely compant again!

I have been sowing Botanical Interests' seeds several times annually for about four years, concentrating on vegetable and fruit crops. Their germination rate is excellent, and it doesn't hurt that the seeds arrive beautifully packaged.

The company also donated hundreds of seed packets for classes I gave on edible gardening at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.

Their email response time is also very prompt.

Posted on July 6, 2012, updated July 6, 2012
Posted on June 15, 2012, updated July 6, 2012
Placed my order on the evening of the 12th, received this morning. Pacaged in a box. Order was correct. Fast,accurate,well-packaged. Unlike other companies, no bonus seeds.

I first found out about Botanical Interests through my FFA Chapter . BI had donated some seeds and I went through them and picked the ones I liked . I grew some gorgeous squash and beans. This year I ordered from their website and was surprised at how fast their shipping is . They have made a loyal customer out of me !

Excellent service and professionalism from this company. I have planted the seeds and believe they will germinate without any problems. If they do not germinate, I am sure this company will replace the seeds. Am glad I found this site on Dave's garden. I would highly recommend this company, especially if you are seeking organic seeds.

I am very pleased with this company thus far. I ordered 22 varieties of flower seeds from them on 9/6/11, they shipped on 9/7/11, and I got them today, 9/9/11. They came all the way from Colorado to Indiana in 2 days! They came stacked alphabetically in a nice little green box with a handy seedstarting tips booklet in the bottom. I was thrilled! The seed pack art makes me very excited for next year. Also, their website is beautifully done, easy to navigate, and offers lots of helpful information. The packs are a wealth of information too, front, back, and even inside! This is nice for beginners like me. The variety of flower seeds they offer is very good, many of them are heirlooms, and some are organic. I love heirlooms, so this was great! Their prices were awesome for the amount of seeds I got, and the shipping wasn't too high either. I am so happy that I found this company and I hope you try them too!

I have placed two orders with BI this season -- some cool weather veggies that need to wait until this heat is over, as well as beans and corn. Both packets of sweet corn (SugarPearl and Luscious) emerged after 4 days and look fantastic so far -- green and lush -- even with the horrible heat we've been having. The bush bean (Contender) came up quickly as well, and is also doing well in the heat.

I experienced excellent communication from the company via email when my order was placed and received my orders within a few days. Overall, I'm thrilled with my experience so far!

Beets, carrots and lettuce will be next. I will update with performance of those seeds when appropriate.

This is my second year ordering seeds from Botanical Interests, and I am very pleased with the germination rates and the health of the plants. I intend to order from this company again next spring. I plant both vegetables and flowers from Botanical Interest seeds and I've had excellent experience with both! I highly recommend this company. Plus the seed packets are packed with useful information, and the shipping is very fast.

Posted on June 3, 2011, updated June 10, 2011
Posted on May 13, 2011, updated June 3, 2011
This is another top notch company. The shipping was very fast and the seeds came well protected in a small box. Amongst my order was some of the organic sugar pearl corn, which i am really looking forward to. I would order from this company again.

"On Jun 9, 2011 8:26 AM, Botanical Interests, Inc. responded with:

All Botanical Interests' seed lots are tested for viability at an independent laboratory before we accept them for packing, and we only accept seeds of the highest quality. There are many variables that can affect germination, and we are always happy to send replacement seed if seeds do not germinate.We mailed replacement corn seed the day after speaking with this gardener and do not know why he did not receive it. We will contact him to verify his mailing address.
"

I recently purchased two packets of basil seeds (Italian Large Leaf and Purple Petra) from this company. I promptly planted them expecting low germination rates as is typical for most herbs. Boy was I wrong. Not only did nearly all of them sprout, but they sprouted in as little as 2 days!

Seed packets are also beautifully illustrated and full of useful and whimsical information about the plant being seeded. I will most definitely be purchasing seeds from this company again.

I am very pleased with Botanical Interests. I ordered from them for the first time last year and then again this year. They are extremely fast with shipping and their packaging is great. My seeds last year grew very well. This year my seeds are starting out great and I expect them to do well again this summer. I will continue to order from this company!

The fastest delivery ever. It seemed like I had them the day after I completed my online order, very nicely packed in a box. The shipping was less than most of the others too. Great service. I have never used their seeds, but I assume everything will be fine.

Posted on March 4, 2010, updated February 26, 2011
I have bought these seeds for a couple of years and I have had very good germination. I decided to order on line because of the better variety. I ordered about 40 dollars of seeds. When I received my order (in under 5 days) I had two seed packets missing. I emailed the company, heard back promptly, and had the missing seeds within a few days. They also sent a little calendar with some beautiful pictures. I am glad that the customer service is as high a quality as their seeds. I will definitely be back!

And I have already gotten really good germination with the one pack of seeds I started :)

This place seems like the best all-around seed company out there. Affordable, extremely high quality, and dedicated customer service.

I can't believe this company doesn't have more ratings than this! This is by far the best seed company that I do business with. The personal touches are great!

The seed packets are literally works of art. I want to frame every one. The seeds come in good quantities, no cheating with weights and terms. They germinate and are actually the correct variety when they sprout.

Plus, with the prices I'm not sure how they stay in business. Maybe by providing a much needed service and taking care of their customers!

I just received my second order for seeds. Very quick service and received exactly what I ordered. I have sowed about 3 packs of seeds so far, but I can't seem to stop ordering. I love the descriptons as well as the detailed instructions. I love the idea of growing something that my grandparents might have grown in their own gardens.

I've bought Botanical Interests seed packs at the nursery in the past, but this was my first year ordering from them. I like that they have a wide selection of organic heirlooms. The service and communication were great and the packaging was very nice.

Seeds ordered January 29th, all received February 3rd.
Will report back in late spring on germination.
This has been a good year for me, seeds ordered from 10 companies and everything now received.

I was astonished when my order arrived within 2 days of my placing it. Accurate, reasonably priced, well-packed, great website. Wow. Nothing sprouted yet, but, hey, I just planted seeds (indoors of course) a couple days ago.

I have ordered from BI several times now and love love love this company!! They have a nice selection of seeds and their shipping is very prompt (for me usually 3 days from order to delivery!). The seed packets are beautiful as well as a wealth of information!! Germination of all varieties I have tried is very close to 100% and all have been true to what they said they were.

I really love this company and can't recommend them enough. I also like the fact that I am supporting a family owned company. I am able to buy their seeds locally at one nursery, but love the expanded online selection!

Ordered +$100 in organic vegetable, herb, and fruit seeds online. These arrived w/in three days! Germination has been excellent. Prices are much better than Seeds of Change, who has completely fallen out of favor due to horrible service and slow shipments.

BI will be my organic edibles supplier from now own!

I absolutely adore this company. I love the beautiful sketches on the front as well as the wealth of information on the packets. I ordered seeds from them online on Sunday and got them in the mail today (Friday). I highly recommend looking online, as they have a larger selection than what you may be able to find in stores. Highly recommended!

I've ordered from 3 companies so far this year, Botanical Interests being the last. Despite that fact, I got my order from them first, everything I requested with no problems at all, even with winter storms. I also love how Botanical Interests packages different varieties together so a small garden can have more variety. I've used Botanical Interests for several years and always love the results.