Comments regarding Swallowtail Garden Seeds

I've been a customer for two years, and have ordered maybe ten seed packets each year. I've been very pleased with the experience. Speedy delivery, reliable labeling, and excellent germination. I've ordered from a lot of sources, and this is the one I'm coming to trust the most.

This is an excellent company in all respects. Great seeds with good germination rates and rapid service to Canada.

This was my first time ordering from Swallowtail seeds. I ordered a bunch of primrose seeds (as well as others) and all but one that I opened were perfect. One of my primrose seed packets was light - so I emailed the company. WIthin 48 hours they had 1) refunded my money for the packet and 2) mailed me another one!
I've started monarda and primrose and so far, the germination rate has been really solid. I recommend this company!

This was my first order with Swallowtail Garden Seeds, and I am quite pleased. They really give you a generous amount of seeds! My order came quickly. Their selection of seeds is big, it was hard to choose what I wanted! I would order again next year.

This was my first order with Swallowtail Gardens, and thus far I'm quite pleased. The germination rate on the snapdragons I've sown has been excellent, and I was thrilled with the quantities of seed for such good prices. I ordered from 3 other sources on line the same day I ordered from SG, and received all of them 1-2weeks before my order from SG, so I was glad I ordered early. Considering the bulk pricing and good luck I've had with the seed so far, I don't mind getting my order in early :-)

This is the first time I have ever left negative feedback for anyone anywhere. And I hate it. But I feel that I must express my disappointment.

On Feb. 2nd I sent Swallowtail Garden Seeds an email telling them that I'd had extremely low germination on a packet of their coleus seeds. I asked their advice on whether they thought the seeds might still sprout (it had been 3 weeks,) or if they thought should I replant. After 5 days with no response I sent another email asking if I could get the seeds replaced.

The next day I got a reply telling me, "As our seeds are guaranteed, of course you can get a replacement." Fast forward 4 weeks. No replacement seeds sent. No contact from Swallowtail Seeds.

On March 3rd I sent another email asking if I'd gotten lost in the shuffle. Again no response. This morning I sent yet another email and.......you guessed it. As of this writing there's still been no response.

By reading through their past feedback this company has a pretty good reputation. I'm not sure why I've been given such poor customer service but it is certainly frustrating and I will not be ordering from them again.

Last year was my first time ordering with Swallowtail and I am very happy that I did. Their product descriptions were right on, everything (veggies and flowers) came up great – grew/looked/tasted exactly as described. Great company, great customer service...it's reassuring to know that there really is an actual “somebody there” at the other end of the internet in case something happens. I will rely on their descriptions and be a little more adventurous in my ordering this year!

Have ordered from this company for the last two years. Excellent selection and service. I'll order from them again and would highly recommend them to others.

I stumbled on the Swallowtail seeds website after doing a web search for a particular type of California poppy seed I couldn't find. I was very happy with the speed of their delivery and their germination rates. the flowers were just gorgeous. This year I wanted to order more, but I was unsure whether they had their 2008 seeds ready, so I emailed them and got a very prompt reply. Once again, my order was sent very quickly! I expanded my order this year beyond California Poppies, and I expect good results, based on last year's performance. Their web site is beautiful, the descriptions and pictures are accurate, and it is very easy to navigate, load, and order. They have varieties I can't find anywhere else. They are one of my favorite companies!

I ordered several packets of seeds from this company and received my order within a few days. I won't have any idea of the germination rate until next spring, but the website, ordering and order fulfillment were all great. I will do business with them again.

I love Swallowtail gardens. Nice , easy to navigate website and good descriptions. Just ordered 21 different packs of seeds ad they arrived all the way fro Ca. to me in days.

Thank you for a such a great transaction!

Excellent company! I've ordered from them in the past (one or two years ago) with good service, as well as good germination rates. Recently ordered again--and received the seeds in an incredibly short time. They also have a good selection of seeds.

Ordered from them for the first time and was very pleased. All the seeds I had ordered had come and had arrived within a few days of ordering. They have a great selection, good prices and wouldn't hesitate to order from them again. Sowing instructions are easy to follow, now I just have to see how well I can germinate and grow them! I will recommend them to my friends.

I'm not sure why this company isn't still in the top 30. I really like Swallowtail Seeds. I've never done any formal calculation of germination rates on their seed, but I've been pleased with pretty much everything I've ordered from them over the last few years. They're quick and fairly inexpensive, especially their bulk seed. They have a wonderful selection of things. Their website could be a little easier to navigate, and their seed packets do sometimes leave off the oddest, important information (e.g., planting depth or light requirements for adult plants), but their seed packets are usually very clear and straightforward about what the seeds need to germinate -- much clearer than some other companies in my estimation. Rather than say, "Sow seed in early spring," Swallowtail Seed tells you what temperature the seeds need for germination, so you can plant them whenever you want (if you can control the temperature), or you can plant them at the appropriate time of spring or summer (based on the temperature outside). I also really like their seed packaging. They always have an outer envelope of paper with instructions and information printed on it, and then they have an inner plastic envelope for the seeds. I like this arrangement, because I can open the paper envelope and check out how big the seeds are and how many there are without disturbing the airtight seal on the clear plastic envelope inside. And the packet usually has quite a few seeds. Their packets of Dame's Rocket and Foxglove, for example, are essentially bulk amounts at regular seed packet prices.

Great source for rare seeds. I was looking for alpine strawberries and they were the only place i could find the seeds. Good shipping, seeds arrived the same day as a seed order of similar size placed with a competetor two days earlier. I've yet to see how the germination rate goes, but I'll edit later if it isn't good.

Placed an order online on Monday the 21st, received my seeds on Friday the 25th. Everything was packaged nicely and arrived safely. Now I've got to see if I can them to grow (I'm notoriously bad starting with seeds)! :-)

I ordered five vegetable/herb seeds and one type of flower seeds. The germination rate was impressive (probably >90%). Communication was fast, and they answered a question via email clearly and thoroughly. Although it took almost two weeks to get to me (which was surprising, since they are a local company), I was pleased with my experience and would order again.

Prompt service and hard to find flower seeds. I will be ordering from them again and again.

This is my 3rd year of ordering from Swallowtail Gardens. I found their website while searching for cypress vine seeds and I've expanded my order each year. This year, I placed my order last Sat night and rec'd it today. The seeds have always germinated well, their packaging and instructions are great. In my experience, they have been great and offer a wonderful selection.

I ordered seeds, they arrived quick, and the germination rate of the seeds was fantastic! I had a question regarding some information on some seeds and the customer service is superb. I will definately be ordering again from them.

Great company.
I received my order in 4 days shipping from CA to IL.
I found the directions included easy to understand and detailed.
So far everything has germinated as expected

Will definately order from again..

Swallowtail Garden Seeds offers a great selection with their online catalog and the seeds I ordered arrived in just a few days. Everything is packaged very nicely. I like the fact that seeds are enclosed in a sealed plastic bag within the paper packet with instructions. Also, the prices are very reasonable. I can't wait to get started with this year's garden.

I've placed 3 orders from Swallowtail this year and been pleased with every one. Shipping was quick and seeds nicely packaged. They also have a nice selection of some not so common varieties.

All of the seeds I ordered were in stock (I checked the online status before ordering), and the seed packets have contained at least the amount of seed specified, usually a little more. Germination has been excellent on geraniums (100%) and pansies (80% or better) I'll update if germination is poor on any varieties I start later. The germination instructions were OK - germination temps for non-direct seeded plants, seed depth, light needed for germination were available on most packets. Minor quibbles: It would be nice if they included the time to start indoors before the last frost. I did have to look this up. And noting the outdoor soil temps for sowing (cool or warm) would be a plus for novice gardeners. The instructions on the sweet pea seeds and sunflower seeds are vague enough that a beginner might start the sweet peas far too late in our climate, and the sunflowers a little too early.

Shipping was a week or two slower than Parks and Pinetree Garden Seeds, even considering the distance, but it was acceptable.

I have to agree with kqcrna in Cincinatti. I've yet to figure out why this company is so highly rated...and I'm fairly easy to please. My initial reaction was to give them a positive rating with suggestions on how to improve their website and customer service. However, problems with my order and a lack of communication from the company have soured me on this experience.
To top it off, I had to spend several hours of my free time doing research on how to grow their seeds because the packs often lack such basic information as planting depth, sowing time, or frost hardiness.

I placed a large seed order with them on 1/19 because of all of the positive ratings they got on this site. It took over two weeks to get the bulk of my order (a bit long, but expected). Part of the order was sold out and part was on back order. It would have been nice if they would have noted this on their website or at least sent me an email letting me know this so I could order from another source. The back ordered items were supposed to be sown in late January.

More than a month later, I've yet to receive them...However, I was charged at the time of my order. I'm not uptight about the money so much as I just find it to be a bad business practice.

Additionally, you can't check the status of your order online, so I called them a week ago (Not a toll-free call) to check on my back-ordered items. I received an Email back letting me know I should get the rest of the order "soon"...I guess they couldn't be bothered with the time or expense of returning my phone call. I'm still waiting for my seeds.

"

First: We are a family run business and we sell seeds because we love it and we are certainly disappointed if anyone is unhappy. If this customer will contact us we will refund their money and they can keep all their seeds from their "large" order and it will cost them nothing. And they didn’t have to post to get this deal, we offer this to everyone—it is our standard way of doing business.

I am not sure who this is posting so I cannot address their concerns specifically. But we are here during the week to give planting advice (so there is no need to check reference books if you don't want to) and we respond by e-mail (usually within 24 hours) if you don't want to use the phone. However, it is my own opinion that the planting instructions on the packets are more than adequate and we have a great seed starting page on our site also (several Universities use it in their own programs). Perennial flowers on our retail (non-professional) site have winter hardiness ratings so you can become familiar with them before you buy and we have a zone chart on the site so you can see if the plant is right for your area.

We only charge for back-orders if we believe we are getting the item in very soon. But we sometimes get disappointed too. Crops fail, promises made to us by other companies to fill the void can't be fulfilled (and we understand this, no blame intended--this is Christmas time in the seed business and there is extraordinary demand for a limited number of resources). And sometimes our back-order date isn't met. We are not perfect.

When we tell someone to expect their seeds soon it means that the seeds have already shipped via U.S. mail and at the time of time of inquiry the delivery is still well within the normal shipping time. We do ask the person to keep us posted so if a problem does appear we can fix it. But it is true we get the credit when the Postal-Service is unusually fast and we get the blame when it is unusually slow. Neither is fair.

But a last point and I want to be very clear on this. We have a good rating because we earned it. We respond to customers quickly, we offer a 100 percent unconditional guarantee, we offer unusual varieties (over 4,000 counting our bulk section, and over 1200 retail). We cultivate a culture of caring about what we do and how we do it within the company.

It truly doesn't matter to me what our Dave's Garden rating is, it does matter to me that we behave here at Swallowtail Garden Seeds with integrity: both in the quality of the products we offer and how we treat our customers. And by that measure I feel very good about what we are doing and who we are.

To all of you, have a wonderful season. You have shown us extraordinary support over the past few years. And it is very much appreciated. And as stressful as spring can be for both growers on schedules and suppliers I hope we can all find it in us to be kind to each other and make a genuine effort at productive communication. We guarantee everything we do unconditionally, and that will hopefully ease at least some of the natural stress of the season.

Happy Spring and whether buying from us or another supplier, please really make a commitment to enjoy yourselves as you discover or rediscover the miracle of the seed.

Don McCulley
Owner
Swallowtail Garden Seeds"

Rec'd seeds quickly, and packages have the description and germinating instructions. I don't know about germination rates yet, but I would not hesitate to order again. Good prices and generous seed amounts.

I placed an order with this company and received it less than a week to the east coast. I found that they have great prices, good information, excellent shipping costs, and so far the germination rates have been 90-100%. Highly recommended.

I found this website online and I LOVED the selection! I bought several different snapdragons and a few others I can't remember right now.. I'm so happy! It was just what I wanted.. and at a great price to boot! Great Germination rate! I will be back, no doubt!

I searched the web high and low for some seeds and a good price. I finally found the seeds I wanted and a chance to buy large quantity "bulk" items.
I am all set for my favorites and can't wait to sow these seeds in the spring.
I have a very long driveway that I like to line with some favorites every year. I am sure with the seeds I purchased I will have more than enough to make my entrance lovely , plus many leftover to add to other areas as well.
The seeds were sent in a padded envelope which is a deal breaker with me. If a company does not pad my seeds, they won't hear from me again.
I will definitely be ordering from this company many seasons to come. The price was also very competitive as well.

I ordered three varieties of foxglove online. Their site was easy to use, with great pics and planting instructions. Seeds were well priced and arrived extremely well packed. Shipping was amazingly fast, as they are West coast, I am East coast. Will definitely order again, Thanks

I ordered several packs of seeds last year that were perennials so this is my first season of blooms. I had excellent germination rates & they have all flowered true to color. I'm already making a list for my next order from this wonderful company.

I was very impressed with the seeds that I purchased from Swallowtail. I bought some tidal wave petunias and they are just blooming so great right now. They were well packed and shipped in a timely manner. Most of the seeds germinated without fail. I will definatly purchase from them in the future.

I ordered my seeds on late Friday afternoon, I got the seeds this morning, (Wed) the seeds arrived well packed with sowing instructions. I will definitely buy from them again.

This is great seed with good selection. I had trouble with germination of a couple last year, and received prompt and personal help with the particular seed types. I also received a credit for one type, and a replacement for the other. That is a nice company!

Purchased a lot of morning glory and columbine seeds in early May. Great prices and received seeds in less than a week. Seed packets were very nicely labeled with planting/germination instructiions and seeds were double-packaged (a plastic bag inside the paper packet) in each case. Almost everything has sprouted already. Only quibble I have is that the writing on the outside of their seed packets appears to be water-soluble (especially the green printing of the varietal names -- less so for the black planting/germination instructions) so be careful -- I soaked the morning glory seeds overnight, putting each seed packet under the glass holding those seeds and the next morning I couldn't read the names on the packets!

A high-quality source for true-to-name seeds, including many rare varieties. I obtained a 93% (!!!) germination rate with their Meconopsis seeds, while Meconopsis seed I've acquired from other sources never had a germination rate above 40%. Generous seed packets, fair prices, and quick, inexpensive shipping are also halmarks of this company. Highly recommended.

Great company....great seeds.....great...everything! :0) Would NOT hesitate to buy from again! :0))

I've placed several orders for seeds and have always been satisfied. They have a great variety of seeds, generous seed packets with essential info and an easy to navigate web site. Will definitely order from again and recommend them highly.

I've ordered seeds from Swallowtail Garden seeds for a few years now, and I'm very happy with the seeds, the service and the selection. The seeds germinate well, the directions are good, and I'm happy with the plants. Swallowtail carriers seeds I can't find anywhere else. Next year I'm going to order a few of their remarkable selection of tomato seeds.