Comments regarding Horizon Herbs, LLC

Posted on March 2, 2013, updated May 1, 2018
I ordered jiaoulan seeds along with 1lb of clover seeds. WHAT I LIKED was the nice vacuum pack for the clover seeds. What I didn't like was the fact that my other seeds weren't padded or otherwise protected from the 1lb brick of clover seeds. My jiaogulan seeds were crushed. WHAT I LIKED was the response from Richo-- he sent a replacement post haste. What surprised me about this episode was that it could have been prevented; Mayche Cech said in an email that "you are the second person to get ground up jiao gu lan, apparently they are pretty breakable". Well, if you knew about the problem, why not do something about it before sending someone ground-up seeds? Also, about this order of seeds- the shipping amount for up to $15 of seeds is supposed to be $2.90, and $3.90 for over $15 worth of seeds. Well, I got a call from Horizon one night informing me that my shipping was going to be somewhat more than what they indicated on their website, due to the weight of teh package. Ok, fine, if that's what it takes, then so be it... BUT MAKE THAT TOTALLY CLEAR ON YOUR WEBSITE!! I CAN'T READ YOUR MIND! I'm looking at your "Ordering Information" page and although it does say that "Shipping charges go up from there...", that's not nearly clear enough to pass muster on this account.

More recently (19 February, to be precise) I placed an order and have yet to receive it (mailman just came by, but with nothing from Horizon) as of today, 2 March. This is longer than I usually have to wait for shipments from seed suppliers (including Horizon). An email inquiry regarding the missing (?) shipment has gone unanswered. And yes: that email was just a day ago... should I have waited longer? Maybe. Should a business not leave its customers wondering where their stuff is? Definitely.

Sorry, I really want to like Horizon Herbs, but things are just a little spotty my last couple of orders. I just don't know what I'm going to get or even IF I'll get what I ordered.

"On Mar 2, 2013 12:04 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Yes, I'm sorry too. I do remember sending the replacement jiao gu lan seeds and also kissing the packet to give it good luck on its journey. Jiao gu lan is quite delicate!

As for shipping prices, we assess each shipment and if for some reason the amount of money that was given for shipping is insufficient we may contact the customer for more funds. We can't do business if shipping dollars don't stretch.

As for slowness in delivery, the time period from when the new catalog comes out (mid Feb) and on into spring is going to mean slower delivery than at other times of year. Please count on that and order early! We are working day and night to send out orders and we are a family not a machine. By the way, there's no reason to wonder about the delivery--everyone who gives us their e-mail address when ordering gets an e-mail when we ship that gives full tracking info.

Again, I'm sorry for the evident frustration and I do hope this person has a great gardening year.

Richo


"

I have 8 gardens on my property and I've been growing plants for 22 years. I bought 2 anchusa plants from Horizon Herbs (name change:Medicinal Plants?). That's right, TWO plants which cost over $30. including shipping. Both were planted next to each other. One limped along and decided to live. The other turned slimy and black and died. This company refuses to supply me with just one replacement.after spending a small fortune to get two plants. Let's get with it folks. The big plant dealers in Tipp City Ohio have been CUSTOMER FRIENDLY for decades. But this company has this Holier Than Thou smug attitude:"Sorry, you paid, you got two plants and we're all done with you" NEVER shop there!

This is my first time ordering with this company. I went by the recommendation of a friend and I could not be more pleased!! I ordered several different plants and several different seeds. I am super impressed with this company for several reasons.

First, I included a note when I placed my delivery and it was immediately answered. In less than 24hrs I received a reply. The customer service I experienced was above par. There were several times I emailed a question about something and received an immediate reply.

In addition, I received my order very promptly and in pristine condition. I think if people actually read the policies and made sure they were clear about them (as I did) prior to ordering, there wouldn't be any of the issues I'm seeing with some of these reviews.

Finally, the quality of the items definitely met and exceeded my expectations. I was nervous about receiving live plants via shipping, but it turns out that was such a non-issue. The plants not only looked great upon receipt, but they are thriving very well.

I am also impressed with their prices. I think they're very competitive. I recall seeing live plants and shrubs on the list that were lower in cost than my local farmer's market (and they have excellent prices).

The bottom line is from the beginning to the end I felt like I was a valued customer, that my questions were taken seriously, and regardless if I spent $10 or $100 I would be treated the same.
As long they have what I'm looking for I will continue to order from this company. I'm glad I took my friend's advice.

Thank you for such a pleasant experience Horizon/Strictly Medicinal!

I have been a patron of Horizon (now Strictly Medicinal) for almost as long as their existance, about ~15 years now. Often I turn friends to Horizon, and group larger orders together with them. Always appreciative of prompt phone and email correspondences. If nothing else, the catalog reads like a textbook, and I pass them on as such to newer gardener friends. Horizon, from my distant perspective, operates as a model family farm business, which I adore. There are very few seed suppliers with their level of integrity across-the-board. I do know this well, being an organic family gardener, commercial farmer, and rare-plant collector.

I recieved my most recent order from them a few days ago. Nothing to bxtch about as usual. Timely, well-packed, and germination already, on-par with their own germ rates posted in the catalog.

I have no interest in Horizon, I get no kickbacks from promoting them, and have never met them, but I snicker at the "Negatives" below because they seem so petty (my own opinion). In fact, claims to "have never killed a plant in my life" are kinda suspicious to me. I think I'm quite adept with my horticultural and agricultural skills, but I still kill plants sometimes. It happens. And I don't blame the germplasm supplier. It's part of my perspective or ethic, that I am always a student of nature, and never proclaiming to myself or others that I am a master..of anything. That being said, Richo and friends are just human, so I bet they as well can make mistakes (but I'm dubious), so I hope the Negs will give it another go and realize that they strive to be fair in their transactions, and correct the mistake.
N.C., Hawaii

This is my first year buying and seeds from horizon herbs. I asked customer service about some of their seeds being organic and inorganic and they were very very helpful. A few of the items I ordered we're not listed as organic but they found me organic seeds for these items. Extremely happy with communication with their customer service.

This company will treat you fine (not great, just fine), until something goes wrong.... and then it's your fault and they are UNWILLING to work with you to correct the situation.

I ordered 3 witch hazel trees in honor of a family member that passed away from Horizon Herbs. I got them and they were like little sticks, I followed the instructions and replanted them and waited for the Spring /Summer hoping the leaves would grow in and they would thrive, especially in the absence of our loved one. Come Spring, then Summer and the plants didn't change AT ALL, eventually I realized they had died... all three.
I'm a green thumb, I am the person people bring their dying plants to, to bring back to life. I don't kill plants, never have.
I contacted Horizon Herbs with my story and they were COLD. They said that it was my fault and that they shipped me a living plant that I killed and they would not replace it.
Most places will replace your trees if they don't live for a year. This was crazy. I was so willing to work with them and told them that it was leaving SUCH a bad taste in my mouth.
I will go out of my way to never support them again. I can't believe how cold and uncaring they are. I offered to pay shipping on new cuttings, but they said no. I'm not a story teller, I just wanted to honor a lost loved one.
Fortunately, I live in an area where witch hazel grows wild and a friend had a plant that I took my own cuttings from and rooted them and they are fine and growing.
This situation didn't have to go this way though.
Learn to apologize and stop blaming your customers when things go wrong.

"On Jan 16, 2016 12:47 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

We are sorry for the loss of your loved one. Our response is one of policy--we guarantee receipt of a live plant and trust that the gardener will care for it and keep it that way. Fall delivered woody perennials often need to be potted up for a year before setting to the landscape and the paperwork that we sent with the trees suggested that the stock be potted up for a year and not set directly to landscape."

This is the second year I have ordered live roots from Horizon herbs and the roots showed up pretty quick. The roots were beautiful and packaged with care, I even received a lovely gift of live viola roots. I had ordered some seeds as well, I have used Horizon seed many years and have been quiet happy. The catalog is full of good growing tips. I have had many great successes and will continue to order from Horizon, I can feel the love when I open the box.

I have recently purchased 9 plants and 2 seed packets from Horizon Herbs. I have read the negative comments and was not sure if I want to take a chance on my $100 but I did. I have to say that the plants arrived in excellent condition and started to grow right away, they were packed with most care that I have ever seen. The variety of the plants that this company offers is amazing. I highly recommend it. One thing to keep in mind is that they would not add another plant after I made the payment, they stick to their policy and the customer service is not the most kind either, but the plants are great and the selection is awesome. Thank you Horizon Herbs.

"On Sep 22, 2015 7:45 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Thank you for the comments, I will speak to customer service and make sure they have kindness in their voices. Richo"

Posted on September 17, 2015, updated September 20, 2015
I ordered 6 comfrey roots on Sept. 12th, 2015 and received them today Sept. 17th, 2015. I received not 6 but 7 roots, 2 of which were very large and each had a visible piece of the crown as described and some even with a little growth. They were packaged very well in moist coir and all of the roots look very healthy. I planted them immediately and will give an update once I have the results on their growth.

"On Sep 22, 2015 7:46 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Yes, you understand what a crown cutting is, and your good intentions brought about fast growth of the plants. "

I had ordered my first ashitaba plant from another seller online and it died on me right off the bat. Then I decided to try again through a different online seller. After doing some research online, I have decided to go with Horizon Herbs. I liked what I read about them from their website and I thought to give them a try. I called their company before I made my order because I have few questions about how to grow an ashitaba plant. The person who anwered my call was so polite and very accommodating, and she gave me an email address to post my questions, and she told me to wait a day to hear from the gardener in charge. Richo (the gardener) answered my email the following day and attached an instruction (which can be found on their site) on how to grow the plant. I really didn't expect to hear from him so soon and I have communicated with him a few times too after I ordered my plants. I really appreciate that they took time to explain in their website what to expect (once we receive our orders) with different orders, be they seeds, plants, bulbs, trees etc.
My plants came in neatly packed that it took me quite some time to pry the plants from the box that they came in. The soil were moist and the dirt stayed where they belong... in the pot. Thank you so much Horizon Herbs =)

"On Sep 22, 2015 7:49 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Buying seeds or plants on Ebay is the same as buying seeds and plants from reputable suppliers--that's where the Ebay seller got them--the only difference being that the materials are not as fresh or as abundant when purchased from Ebay. "

Like many bad and neutral reviewers for Horizon, I want to like them. But thus far I haven't had a great experience.

I had ordered some varieties of herb seeds, some of the packets ended up short of the stated count of seeds. Considering the high cost of the seeds, and some already having a low stated count, coupled with the quite high shipping rates for tiny seeds, I was a little put off.
I contacted them -- asking how we can rectify it -- almost two weeks with no response, other than an auto-generated response that they have received my customer service message:

"Submitted: 7/31/2015 3:07:00 PM
.....
We value your questions/comments and will be responding shortly.
--Horizon Herbs, LLC //www.horizonherbs.com/"

but I never heard anything further than this.

At least I received my package quickly, unlike many of the bad reviews here state having had to wait weeks or more for it to even ship.

"On Aug 12, 2015 1:47 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

I'm sorry you found it necessary to post negativity in this venue. My personal e-mail is herbseed@horizonherbs.com and if you'd like extra seeds please let me know, I'll be glad to oblige. I've checked the e-mail functionality off of our website and found it to work fine from this end, but it is indeed a common thread that people say they didn't get an answer back, so maybe there is some kind of a glitch that escapes my ability to detect and fix. You could simply call us at (541) 846-6704. 1) high cost of seeds. not. we sell packets of certified organic veggie seeds for $2.45 each which is low. 2) high cost of shipping. not. A few packets of seeds cost $2.95 to ship which is low. "

I bought 20 comfrey "live root cuttings". Their website showed beautiful lush comfrey roots but what I received was quite different.

Typical bait and switch. The cuttings were pathetic pieces of roots and had been in the plastic shipping bag for some time and had sprouted - with the shoots winding all over the place. The "crown" was nowhere to be seen. It was difficult to decide which end was up.

I Emailed them but received no response. They probably (correctly) figured that I'd never come back to them so why bother.

The nice thing about comfrey is that it's so weedy that it'll come up no matter which way you plant it. But, I could have done just as well going on Ebay and buying the same junk for much less money.

Go to yelp to see all the negative reviews.

"On Aug 7, 2015 10:18 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

I didn't see your e-mail but I am the one who sent the crown cuttings, which were sprouted pieces of the crown of the plant, certified organic, and were quite large!. If they are growing in the bag that is a good sign! "

I was very impressed with Horizon Herbs. They let me know the time-frame within which I can expect my seeds and I received them a month earlier and this was an international order.The seeds were exactly as advertised and I will definitely use their services again.

For those who are willing to be patient in exchange for accurately identified, viable plants/seeds of excellent quality and cultivated/collected with care, this vendor is one of the best anywhere.

Horizon Herbs carriers a number of unusual plants and seeds. For those of us in the herbal healing business they are a great resource. Often they have plants that are not listed on their website and if you ask them they sometimes have them.

I first ordered dried herbs (which were wonderfully, carefully packed and very fresh), then some seeds which contained very good package information like where and when to plant them for best germination and finally I got plants. They were in the best soil I've ever received from any company (and I've bought thousands of plants, really!).

To address the customer service issue that many people seem to have... all I can say is that their products are worth the wait if there is one! My orders have been received within a reasonable time for these types of products (live plants, etc.) and customer service has always been very helpful with quick response as needed.

I orders 6 comfrey crown cuttings from Horizon Herbs a few weeks ago. They were shipped on the date that I requested and only took a few days to arrive. Not only did I get real generous cuttings they also included 3 smaller ones so I ended up with 9 total plants. Their customer service was quick to respond to my emails and really detailed with the answers to my questions. They also sent a free catalog with my order. They get 5 stars in my book and i will definitely be ordering from their web site again in the future.

Posted on May 9, 2015, updated May 9, 2015
It's like watching Anne Rice arguing with negative reviewers on Amazon...

The owner seems to spend a lot of time on here rebuking and giving condescending "fauxpologies" to customers who have the nerve to express dismay that their orders took three weeks to process.

If that level of energy and concern were actually channelled into addressing the issue instead of defending it as company policy (and decrying all those who disagree as "poor misguided negative souls who just don't 'get' the ~*magic!*~ of gardening", or whatever) maybe those complaints wouldn't end up getting posted here at all.

After I parted ways from this company, a friend who stocks his farm through Rolling River Nursery advised me to try them instead. We'll see if their order is still malingering in "pending" status ten days after they charge my card.

"On May 9, 2015 7:46 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Well, we work with real goods, not faux goods. However, this lady never got a chance to get her goods (2 hawthorn trees) because she read a negative review on "yelp" and asked for a refund. We gave her the refund, but would have rather given her the trees. If she needed them at a particular time, all she had to do was ask.

I placed my 1st order on March 5th for various seeds.And I must say that I hate waiting to get my order.It currently hasn't shipped out and it is now the 18th.I am sooo anxious that I have seriously considered contacting the company several times but I did not want to slow the process further!! I have faith that these seeds will be the best of the best and if it comes down to them not being what I have been expecting, I will be changing this review in the future.Seems like a good yet frustrating test of my patience :-/.

"On Mar 18, 2015 5:28 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

please e-mail me with your name and order number and I'll check your order status and if it hasn't shipped, will ship the seeds to you myself, with pleasure. My e-mail is herbseed (at) horizonherbs.com. richo"

Posted on March 12, 2015, updated March 14, 2015
This review is aimed solely at their customer service, not the quality of their products, which I believe are good. I mainly want to comment on their extremely slow service, especially during the busy season when they cannot seem to staff up to meet the demand. If you are in a hurry for an item, you must order well ahead of the busy season or else find a more responsive company. I ordered 2 packets of seeds on March 1. (Just as a contrast, I ordered 2 packets of seeds from another company on March 2 and received them by March 6.) When March 11 arrived and I still had nothing from Horizon, I called to find out the status of my order. I was informed that this was their busy season and there was a 16 day lag between receiving an order and filling it. They said it would be another week before they would get to my order. However, they told me if I would pay them another $10 (more than my seeds cost), they would mail them out promptly. I laughed and cancelled the order! I turned around and ordered the exact same item from another company who promptly informed me that all seed orders are filled with 1-2 days of order receipt and I would have the seeds the same week. Quite a contrast, as it is their busy season too. So if you are in no rush for an item and are willing to wait for an extended period, Horizon is probably fine, but if you need something soon, you will have to pay $10 over and above your order cost to get the same fast service you will get from other vendors for free. And when you call to find out why your order has not arrived, you will probably get the same unsympathetic response I got--"Sorry but we are busy. Just pay us $10 more and you can have your item mailed right out."

"On Mar 13, 2015 8:10 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

This review is clearly written and useful. I have contacted customer service to repeat once again our policy, which apparently was not followed. New orders with requests for immediate shipment garner a $10.00 rush charge. If a customer calls for order status and the item has not yet shipped, it is our policy to provide fast turnaround gratis. I have d-mailed joylucile to get in touch with me (richo) personally so I can be sure her items are shipped without further delay. I have requested that she change this negative rating and expect that she will. Isn't there enough negativity in life and in the world without us gardeners shooting negativity at eachother? On another note, I had the pleasure of actually talking to DAVE who started this garden watchdog website. Turns out he is no longer involves with this website, hasn't been for a decade, and is sorry he ever unleashed this watchdog in the garden. I'm sorry, too. Richo

Posted on July 11, 2014, updated July 21, 2014
Posted on July 9, 2014, updated July 11, 2014
Posted on July 5, 2014, updated July 9, 2014
Posted on July 3, 2014, updated July 5, 2014
I believe it is useful for foreign purchasers if there are information available as to how the transaction proceeds when purchasing from Horizon Herbs, so here I record what happens between me and Horizon Herbs during the transaction.

Before writing the history of communications with Horizon Herbs, it might be good idea to note it is July now, spring, the busy season, is already over.

Before making orders, I wrote a mail asking about history of trade to Taiwan to know about any potential risks it might involve. I got a response from Horizon Herbs in 2-3 days.

So I ordered some seeds on 6/30 to be shipped to Taiwan.
And I got a message saying "Thank you for your order" when completed the order online. In the ordering info, it says "pending" in the status column.

The next day the payment status become "completed" from "pending". But I did not received any message from Horizon Herbs, so I do not know what did it mean. The Carrier and Tracking ID columns are still in blank.

In my understanding, Horizon Herbs is not aware of current status of transactions since each contracted gardener ships products and Horizon Herbs functions mere a "transaction center" to connect customers and gardeners, but this understanding might be wrong.

Anyway, I am not sure if the seeds have already been shipped or not.

Today, 2 days after the initial order, I sent a mail asking if the shipment is via Air Mail or via Sea Mail. I believe this kind of trading normally use Air Mail, but I could not find any explanation about it in Horizon Herbs web site, and also, I was informed in the first mail from Horizon Herbs that the shipment might be take up to 6 weeks to be received, so I became a little bit worried about how they were going to send me the seeds.

I hope everything goes well. (keep updating later)

"On Jul 3, 2014 7:41 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Hi There,
The above letter is very interesting and the suppositions are well meaning. To set it straight:
1) We ship all international orders via AIR MAIL.
2) We are not a "transaction center." We have 2 sides to our business: Customer Service (answers phone, invoices, downloads orders, charges cards, etc.) Farm (grows and cleans seeds, plants plants, ships seeds, ships plants, etc.)
3) "Completed" means your order was successfully paid for and downloaded and we are working on getting you your stuff. As long as you gave us your e-mail when you ordered, you actually received an automatic e-mail from us that said your order was successfully paid for and downloaded and we are working on getting you your stuff. Additionally, you will receive an e-mail with tracking when your seeds actually ship.
4) International orders may take 6 weeks to receive because they have to be approved by CUSTOMS. We have no control over customs delays. Sometimes seeds are rejected at customs and the customer never gets their goods. Sometimes we receive the package back weeks later and start the process of communicating with the customer, sometimes the seeds are simply discarded at customs (Italy and Greece are the worst for this, also Taiwan, China, South Africa and Brazil are very chancy). Most seed companies in the US will not send seeds internationally because, considering losses incurred through customs issues, it is not a profitable venture. However, we keep trying, because we would like gardeners to get what they need regardless of where they are.
If you would like personal assistance with any issues you have, it would make sense to drop me an e-mail at: herbseed (at) horizonherbs.com
I would prefer this over your public posting of comments on this "Dave's" venue.
I do a lot of free consultation (limit 3 e-mails) with gardeners every day, and I help people understand the process of ordering and receiving live botanicals. Thank you for choosing "positive," it makes a difference!

Posted on September 20, 2013, updated June 7, 2014
Posted on September 7, 2013, updated September 20, 2013
Posted on September 7, 2013, updated September 7, 2013
Posted on August 29, 2013, updated September 7, 2013
Posted on August 15, 2013, updated August 29, 2013
Posted on June 19, 2013, updated August 15, 2013
Posted on May 9, 2013, updated June 19, 2013
The amaranth seeds i ordered came within 4 wks from when i ordered them. They are small, i hope they grow.

"On Jun 19, 2013 7:16 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

The seedlings you've grown are amaranth but they're not getting much light. cannot determine why this would engender a neutral rating. you can see the seedlings at our website. here's the link [HYPERLINK@www.horizonherbs.com]"

My experience with Horizon Herbs was fantastic. I found their catalogue to be wonderfully diverse & quite large, including a great array of rare & unsual specimens. Their plant profile write-ups are well written & I get a strong sense that they are quite competent at (& love) what they do.

Everything was received within a respectable timeframe; all seeds appear to have great germination rates.

I will undoubtably be buying seed from them again.

I ordered 3 elderberry plants from Horizon herbs and I would like to compliment the staff of Horizon herbs on a job well done.
The plants are healthy, green, and vibrant. I planted them immediately in pots and they have really taken off. No wilting or shock. They love their new home. Thanks!

Posted on April 17, 2014, updated April 18, 2014
This year I ordered seven different seeds, but the incentive was their fresh Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot) seeds. In fact, I only went to their site to order this year because of the Bloodroot seeds, and just added six other seeds as to 'fill the quota" of seeds to bring into my country without getting additional taxes; I wouldn't order the Bloodroot seeds alone, as Horizon Herbs holds a rather expensive shipping cost to Europe. (Much higher than other seed-companies do to ship non-registered letters to Europe.)

(In fact, I ordered the same seeds last year, but an unforeseen thing happened, so I had to travel away for months. Back again, of course the seeds were not viable anymore. But to my joy I could see that the seeds once had been very viable, since they had germinated (and unfortunately died) in the packet.)

Less than two days after I placed the order I received an email stating that I had received a refund from Horizon Herbs. The amount was that of the Bloodroot seeds. There was no additional information on the email though. But it got me anxious. So I logged into my account on Horizon Herbs, and checked the order status. It said nothing about the refund there. (Yet.) I then wrote Horizon Herbs an email through their site, where I asked the question whether it was the Bloodroot seeds that they had refunded me for. I expressed like I did above, that the Bloodroot seeds were what made me order in the first place, and I requested that they would explain whether the refund was for these seeds.

I also checked the status of the Bloodroot seeds on their site, and it was still shown as available to buy. (Now, eleven days later it still is available to click and add into the shopping basket.)

I received no answer to my email to them. (Now it is nine days ago since I wrote them the email.)

A couple of days later, I wrote them again, but not only because of the Bloodroot seeds. Since the order didn't seem to have been executed yet, I wondered whether they could add another type of seed that needs to be fresh to germinate (Galium odoratum - Sweet Woodruff.) In this email - also written through my account on their site - I also mentioned that I had written them another email a couple of days before, and by this hinting that I expected an answer.

I have received no answer to either of the emails - and it's been more than a week that I wrote the last one.

I checked the order status a couple of more days later, and it still didn't reveal anything about the Bloodroot seeds.

But today I checked the order status again, and now it clearly states on my order: "refund bloodroot: $-9.95"

I have yet to receive the letter with the seeds to my mail box, but of course it means that the Bloodroot seeds are not shipped to me.

To me this tells this about Horizon Herbs:

Lack of valuing the customer: Horizon Herbs have neglected to understand the importance of delivering what they offer. And IF some item in an order for some unforseen reason is not available, they should give a clear notice to the customer about it before executing orders.

Lack of communication: If they at all read my two emails, they have neglected the importance I put on specifically the Bloodroot seeds.

Lack of flexibility or options to the order: If they happened to have read my emails, they should have given me the opportunity to cancel the order.

All in all this is one of the worst experiences I have had when it comes to ordering seeds.

I notice that a representative for Horizon Herb has read through the feedbacks here, and have offered comments to some of the neutral or negative feedbacks.

I would then simply end this review by a message to the representative for Horizon Herb:

1. Don't just address customers through this site: Show common courtesy and instead respond directly matters regarding a change of order to their email addresses. 'Too busy to respond' isn't an excuse in business. Write your customers directly if there is some unforeseen discrepancy regarding an order.

2. If your shop is empty for a particular seed, then for goodness sake, don't let the seed stay available to add to the basket! Tag the seeds as 'sold out' as other seed companies do. (As already stated, it is eleven days ago since I ordered the seeds, and the very same seeds are seemingly available to buy.

3. Whenever Horizon Herb has the Sanguinaria canadensis seeds available again for shipping, then if Horizon Herbs ship to me a portion of these seeds (I will pay for the seeds, but not for the postage), I will change this feedback from negative to positive.

Why am I willing to go all from negative to positive? That is because Horizon Herbs (on the positive side) appear to really keep the quality on their seeds high. Other years where I have ordered seeds from them, their packaging of seeds, and the quality has appeared to be high.

Therefore, if Horizon Herbs will stretch themselves to ship the seeds (when available to them) to amend this bad experience of mine, the overall picture is thus different, and I am willing to change the review.

But for now, too bad that this negative experience has turned my impression about this seed company around a 180°.

Very slow to ship so order early! Love their selection and their catalog and website. They only sell open pollinated seeds, organic, no hybrids and no PVPs. Highly recommended!

Posted on April 1, 2014, updated April 1, 2014
Posted on March 28, 2014, updated April 1, 2014
I placed an order for seeds on March 19. I got a confirmation of my order through e-mail, but nothing else since then. So, I just called them to find the status of my order. It *still* hasn't shipped. The woman said it should ship at the beginning of next week. She said that it's already at the "shipping house," and is just waiting to go out. That sounds a bit strange to me.

So, if the seeds finally go out next week, that will be nearly *2 weeks* after I placed the order. As for the "we're just really busy in spring excuse," most *other* companies do not take this long to ship in spring! Maybe Horizon Herbs needs to hire more people. If I don't get my seeds by the middle of next week, I will be changing this rating to a negative.

Either way, I don't think I will be ordering from Horizon Herbs again.

"On Mar 29, 2014 9:42 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

I looked through 97 orders that came in on March 19th and was unable to find any from Atlanta, GA. If you'd like to make sure that your order goes out on Monday please e-mail me at herbseed (at) horizonherbs.com with your full name or order number. It will be my pleasure to make sure you get your seeds, and I do apologise for the wait. This is a reminder that anybody who wants next day service can pay the $10.00 rush fee. Otherwise order early. The response times are well enumerated on our website and we can get behind at this season--other times of year a 3-day turnaround is typical. Maybe other companies are shipping faster--my personal experience with this is mixed--but do other companies offer over 1,000 species of medicinals? no. I know it is hard to wait during the spring. I was just in the greenhouse weeding seedling flats and FINALLY saw the seedlings for the red celery coming up. I wanted to update the website in view of the EXTREMELY LONG germination period for these seeds, which took so much longer than everything else that got planted before last full moon. But when I did the math, it was 13 days, not nearly as long as I had thought. Its funny how patience is such a necessary part of being a good gardener and yet I get impatient in the spring. I wonder at myself, sometimes. "

Like other, I like the idea of the company. I have ordered numerous seeds and plants from them. The problem I had was with a large (and expensive) order for yacon plants. All the plants promptly died. I contacted them to ask for a least a partial refund/replacement. I got back a blunt "there is no guarantee on live plants" response. I noticed last time I was on their site that they no longer sell these plants.

"On Feb 16, 2014 9:05 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

To clarify, we do indeed guarantee receipt of live plants. The remainder is up to the gardener, to nourish them and keep them healthy. We do sell yacon, it is currently listed, it is a great plant, and frankly it is very easy to ship in live state and keep alive.
"

I placed two orders with Horizon Herbs for 2014. The first order was for (20) comfrey cuttings, (2) black cohosh roots, (2) goldenseal roots, and (20) camas bulbs. The second order included a number of seed packets.

Order placing was simple and straight forward. A shipping notification arrived 3 days after ordering for the order placed in November and 10 days after the order placed in December. The shipment of the roots went on a joy ride to Denver (super strange since Denver doesn't seem on the way from Oregon to Southern California) and took forever to arrive but we got them right into the ground the next day. The orders arrived nicely packed with lots of good vibes.

There were more than twenty comfrey cuttings shipped and so far twenty-two have emerged; the first leaves on some cuttings emerged within 3 days! It's still too soon for the other bulbs and roots but I expect similar results.

I've started some of the seeds. Germination rates are terrific and all the seedlings are vigorous. Nettles, burdock, mullein germinated in less than 7 days. It's still too cool here for some of the others even here in sunny San Diego.

I highly recommend Horizon Herbs. Be forewarned, if you are impatient and expect instant results, this might not be the seed house for you. But, if you want awesome seeds, roots, and bulbs Horizon Herbs is a great choice.

Posted on January 29, 2014, updated February 1, 2014
Posted on January 29, 2014, updated January 29, 2014
Posted on January 29, 2014, updated January 29, 2014
The website claims that my card will not be billed until order has shipped... I placed my order on Jan. 20th, and my card was billed immediately. On Jan. 28, I still hadn't received my order. I called the number listed on their site, and was told that my order had shipped and that I needed to check my email for verification email, and to also check my spam folder because sometimes their emails get caught there. So I had already checked those, and told the girl I had already checked. She said that my order had already shipped, but verification couldn't be done because the shippers had already left for the day. She told me she would call me this morning (Jan. 29th) to let me know about shipping verification. By 12:30 p.m. my time in Alabama, I'd still received no call. I called their number again, and explained previous situation, and was told that the order had not yet shipped, but was being shipped immediately (at the very time I was on the phone with Horizon Herbs.) When I came home at 4:15 p.m., I checked my email, and a verification email was in my INBOX (not SPAM box) that states the order was shipped after 2:00 p.m. (Yes, I do realize the time zone difference.) I called Horizon again to be extra sure the order had shipped, and to point out that their own website states that my card would not be billed until shipment was made, that my card was billed 9 days ago, I had received no notice that the shipment would be *late* and shipment had not occurred, and that it seemed there was no intent of shipping my order until I investigated it. *Customer Service(?)* glossed over the issue and I was told that it may take 5 days for my order to arrive. This puts me far behind in growing time. I read and believed & enjoyed your bio online. I entrusted you with my hope & order, and cash dollars. I ordered things that you should have readily available, according to your own word. However, this evening, I read reviews for Horizon Herbs online, and have now become anxious. Please let this situation improve and become favorable. Please don't give me the run around.

"On Jan 29, 2014 8:13 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

We use a payment portal called "Authorize.net." Orders are charged immediately when you order, and we never see your credit card information. Your order is one of several hundred that were shipped today. Customer service personnel cannot go over to the seed house and ship your order, they simply communicate to the shippers and the shippers ship your order in the order it was received. If you would like your money back please call customer service and tell them that Richo OK's a refund. "

Posted on January 15, 2014, updated January 19, 2014
I ordered on Jan 2, 2014 and received a confirmation of the order. The funds were also electronically transferred that day.
On the morning of Jan 13th, I sent an inquiry since I had still not rec'd my order. No response. On the afternoon of the 14th, I sent another inquiry. I got the following response: "this order has shipped out to you and you should have it within this next week. Please let me know if you do not get it."
Today I got a message that it just shipped. In other words, they sat on their hind end and weren't going to do anything until I pestered them. It looks like they didn't even try to send it until after I started bugging them.
And just another note why this made me mad. On their site, they claim speedy shipping once your order is confirmed. From the site: "Please note: Once your order is confirmed, it is up for shipment--no additions, changes or cancellations are possible."
I have ordered from these guys more than once, but this has left a very sour taste in my mouth.

"On Jan 16, 2014 9:54 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

All of the above seems to be in the normal flow of seed shipping. Orders are received and paid for, paperwork goes from office to shippers, shippers ship orders in the same order as received. When the order ships, the shipping confirmation is sent to the customer. My hope is that Likalee will plant the seeds with love and patience. Richo

I bought some Splinathes and Criolle Sella pepper seeds from Horizon Herbs to grow in a greenhouse over the winter. The Spilanthes had a very high germination rate and the plants are very vigorous and have many flowers per plant. The Criolle seeds also had a high germination rate. The plants are very vigorous and are flowering like crazy. I am very happy with the seeds I received from Horizon. The customer support is excellent as well. When I emailed a question about making a tincture with the dried Spilanthes plants I received an informative reply the same day. I will order from Horizon again soon.

Posted on November 29, 2013, updated November 30, 2013
Posted on November 29, 2013, updated November 29, 2013
Posted on November 29, 2013, updated November 29, 2013
I ordered 12 bearberry plants last June. The plants I received were very small with minimal roots. I followed their instructions for planting and watered them every day. After 3 weeks 7 of the 12 plants had died, so I called and asked them to send replacements. They said they could not do that until the fall. In late October I realized nothing had happened, so I called and they had no record of my previous call. The person I talked to said she would ask if they had any plants to ship to me and call me back but she never did. I called again 2 weeks later; again there was no record of my previous call. This time they did call back the next day and said they had no plants so they would refund money to my credit card. I just received the credit card statement (which runs thru a day 2 weeks after I talked with them) and there is no credit on the card.

Each time I talked with someone there they were pleasant and seemed willing to be helpful. However, the follow-thru just doesn't seem to happen at this company. I would not recommend buying from them.

"On Nov 30, 2013 10:30 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Hi this is Richo, owner of company. All I know at this point is customer was sent plants in fine condition and apparently was unable to keep them alive. When I heard about it, I suggested that we refund her for plants that did not make it. It takes at least three days for refunds to show on the statement. I do not think that we "charged her again" for the plants. However, for sure, we'll look into it and make certain that this was a refund. We don't want to cheat anybody. Dave's garden is not a good venue for working out customer complaints--you can just call us with your concerns (but not on thanksgiving). Our phones are answered 9-5 m-f pacific time at (541) 846-6704.

I ordered $50 worth of seeds and two roots. Confirmation of shipment was quick (next day, maybe two) with tracking information. I checked the tracking on the day due and saw the package was marked 'undeliverable as addressed'. I sent an email to Horizon worried that the roots would dislike all the shipping. They promptly responded saying they'd check the roots and resend as soon as they received them. The package turned up the next day, guess the delivery service labeled it wrong for the trucks. Roots were in great shape and the seeds looked good. I'm happy and just placed another order.

"On Nov 30, 2013 10:31 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Thanks, great!"

I've been buying plants and seeds from Horizon Herbs for years; it's always a wonderful experience working with them. Horizon is a wonderful source for rare and sometimes endangered plants. Generally I order potted plants, and they always arrive on time and in good condition. And equally important, I’ve always received prompt as well as constructive advice for any questions I’ve had about their plants. In fact I was even referred back to them I checked with the staff at the University of Washington Department of Botany with a question about propagating Mandrake (Mandragora officinalis). It’s hard to think of a stronger affirmation for any company.

"On Nov 30, 2013 10:34 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Yes, Mandragora is one of the rarest plants on earth and we've passionately worked with its conservation over the years. It is heartening to know that our plants and seeds are handled with care by people who care. Thanks very much for taking the time to spread the positive word in this venue. It will make your plants grow strong!"

I have been ordering seeds, plants, books and herbal supplies from Horizon Herbs for approx. 3 years now. The seeds are accurate and viable. Besides the pictures on the website there are also some videos on YouTube showing what the plants look like such as the Ashitaba, these are very helpful and give you examples of leaf structure and growing these items. The catalog is most helpful because it describes growth and historical uses for the herbs. The plants I have ordered have continued to flourish as well. Most recently I had some questions regarding the growth of 2 of the plants I ordered approx. 2 years ago, the cape aloe and cactus grandiflorous, I sent an email with my questions and I received a response in about 2 days from Richo. When I have ordered numerous different items (plants,seeds,book) I have also been pleasantly surprised that everything was packed with such love and care when it arrives it is still in the same position the packer put it in. This company that not only cares for the plants but that the customers are pleased as well.

"On Nov 30, 2013 10:35 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Hi, thanks so much for the positive words, they are very much appreciated. May your gardens grow strong. Wishing you the best this holiday season. Richo
"

Ordered a packet of seeds from this company over two weeks ago and have not received anything. Got email "confirmation" day of order but all the links in the email for customer support, company contact or order tracking are broken and no good. Fear this company is not legitimate and while I would prefer my money refunded, I fear that I will neither see it or my seeds. Here is the email:
Thank you for your order. We are proud to be at your service!
We pride ourselves on delivering the best possible shopping experience on the Internet. That means that from the moment you enter //horizon.scarabmedia.com/ to the moment your order is delivered to you - we are dedicated to your satisfaction.
In order to better serve you, you may access this order and view its status at any time here:
//horizon.scarabmedia.com/receipt.asp?Deleted (link was broken)
Please feel free to contact us at anytime if you have any questions regarding this or any other order by visiting customer support located at:
//horizon.scarabmedia.com/support/
If you have selected a manual payment method, your order status will be set to "Awaiting Payment" until payment has been processed. Please remember the following:
-We respect your privacy! We will not share any information about you with any other organization at any time. Ever. See our Privacy Policy and Refunds/Returns page here:
//horizon.scarabmedia.com/privacy/
For your convenience, you may track your order, edit your account, or view any of your past orders through our Customer Gateway here:
//horizon.scarabmedia.com/gateway/
Once again, thank you for placing your order with us. We value your business and will continue to offer the best experience we can.
Sincerely,
Horizon Herbs, LLC
//horizon.scarabmedia.com/
All the links were broken or pointed to a non-related site. This was my first order with this company, based on my experience I would strongly caution anyone from doing business with them. I have not received my product, they took my money and I have not been successful contacting them or tracking my order.

"On Aug 30, 2013 6:42 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

This fellow managed to get into our old website which is not functional. Many happy customers use our real website at horizonherbs.com. this person should simply e-mail me at herbseed@budget.net and I'll get them their goods right away.
"

Horizon Herbs has been my favorite company to order medicinal seeds from for 7 years. The service has always been great. I've also ordered plants, books, a tincture press, etc. and have been satisfied. The thing I most appreciate is the way they educate by way of their catalogue, books and website. The catalogue is a wealth of info on the plants/seeds, presented with great intelligence, experience, spirit and heart. I can think of no other company that offers such important products and continues year after year to offer more. Richo is a top herbalist and story teller. Thanks to all at Horizon Herbs for their vision and hard work.

"On Jul 25, 2013 8:09 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Thanks farmer Sue, for this light out of the darkness like the rising sun. When we approach any circumstance in our lives, be it communication with a coworker or an offhand question from a postal worker, etc. we truly do have 2 options. The first is to delve into the pit of complaint and cover ourselves with the tar of sadness. The second is to rise into the light of positive outlook and breathe the fresh air there!"

I ordered 20 Comfrey Bocking # 14 roots at a reasonable price. They arrived without delay and upon opening the packages I had 2 bonus roots. And about a 1/3 of the roots were crown cuttings- which other vendors charge a premium price for.
Due to delays and a hectic schedule- AKA: Life! I did not get the root cuttings in the ground until 2 weeks after their arrival. I am happy to say that all 22 root cuttings are flourishing! I am very pleased with Horizon Herbs.

"On Jul 15, 2013 8:06 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Thank you for the positive review, it is appreciated more than you can possibly know. We grow the comfrey these days in our downtown gardens and what I've noticed is that the vigor comes through--make a cutting from a puny plant and you get a puny response--make a cutting from a vital plant and you get a vital response. So we have plenty of vital plants these days to make cuttings from, and that's a real blessing. I'm not sure about the "crown cutting" part--we think we only send crown cuttings but maybe there's a difference in concept of what a crown cutting is. Should be a root with a piece of the crown attached. I do sometimes include some root cuttings instead of crown cuttings, but only when they are so large that I just can't help it. Richo"

Posted on June 3, 2013, updated June 14, 2013
Posted on May 9, 2013, updated June 3, 2013
First of all, Horizon Herbs' selection is jaw-dropping. And so many plants that I haven't seen ever since moving to the USA. It was somewhat nostalgic. Comfrey (I ordered roots) reminds me of that lush jungle of comfrey bushes in front of my grandmother's gate back in the village. I used to love pulling the flowers out of their holders and eat the sweet nectar. But that aside...

I tried to approach this new resource (new to me) without any preconceptions of whens and hows. I've already read about their workflow, and yeah, I can imagine that kind of business getting, well, busy. But when they got to shipping my order out, it arrived within 2 days. All seeds neatly packed, quantity errs on the "extra" side for the most part. Instructions to germination and planting are right there on little packets, and more information is on the website. If still in doubt about any plant, use Google.

Now I'm gonna face the issue of where to plant all these babies. I mean, I can deal with 20 seeds of some, but 100, 500... That'll keep me busy. I'm also very happy that I found a resource that puts name on all those plants that I've observed every day in the village but never knew what they were called.

Definitely will shop more, and before recommending HH to anyone, I'll make sure to inform them about the way things are done so that people won't be expecting the sun, and the moon, and the whole stars ensemble "right here" and "right now". No one likes constant nagging, and communication is best when you ask the right questions.

"On May 9, 2013 9:02 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Thank you for this level headed assessment, it is appreciated. I personally like to plant more seeds than I think I'll need, and thin out the weak seedlings thereby selecting for vigor. that's how our new age open pollinated strains of vegetables and herbs get stronger."