Comments regarding Summer Hill Seeds

Wonderful experience with owner. She went so far as to expedite the order for free because I needed the seeds urgently. AMAZING seller.

This was my first time growning from seed indoors. Bought approximately 10 types of annuals; all flourished except the impatiens, but that's likely because I'm a noob (and they're difficult). Great selection of nicotiana and other classic English garden seeds. Will order from her again, definitely.

We’ve been customers of this company for over 10 years. We sell cut flowers and potted plants and have always had great success with seeds from Summer Hill. They have an extensive selection of seeds and many are hard to find. Nice people and helpful too. Highly recommend this company.

I started in 2015 with Summer Hill because they where only seed company still selling annual Salvia Splendens in with a good selection non-red colors. Prices were good too, so looked around and found some other goodies like Salpiglossis sinuata Kew Blue. All I ordered grew and bloomed great.

Ordered seeds from Summer Hill last year and again this spring. They have a large selection of seeds. Last year I ordered petunia African Sunset which were hard to find in seeds. These seeds all germinated and grew into HUGE and stunning petunia shrubs! This convinced me to start all my petunias from seed instead of buying plants. Excellent customer service and fast shipping.

I ordered seven packages of various seeds - excellent germination.

I recently received my first order from Summer Hill Seeds, having noted their DG Top Five status, am happy with this experience and will order from them again. With a Top Five rating, i expected excellence in all areas of the ordering and delivery process and that is exactly what i got, plus a nice "free gift" package as a bonus.

Posted on February 16, 2014, updated February 17, 2014
Posted on February 15, 2014, updated February 16, 2014
I received my first order from Summer Hill Seeds this week. Seeds arrived in a timely manner, I was notified by email when they would ship. They are packaged very well with germination instructions on the packets.
The reason I am giving a neutral rating is that there are fewer seeds in each packet than I would have liked. I like to have enough to experiment with different sowing methods (winter sowing, sowing indoors, etc.) and it's nice to have enough to use again next year if I was happy with the plants. In most cases I had to use them all in one shot.
I'm sorry to say, Summer Hill will only get my return business if I can't find a what I want elsewhere.

Posted on October 7, 2013, updated October 29, 2013
10/07/2013 After ordering 3 different colors of Ruellia Southern Star - blue, pink, and white and planting under identical conditions, I noted the following: 80% germination on blue, 28% on white, and 20% on pink. I contacted the co. to express my disappointment and received NO response. I contacted PanAmerican Co.,the seed producers, who told me Summer Hill did not purchase from them and is an UNAUTHORIZED SELLER, buying outside recognized distribution channels and relabeling and repackaging without permission. They speculated the poor germination rates of white and pink were due to very old product. Given this info and the lack of customer service, order from them at your own risk. I would not do it again.

It was an absolute pleasure to order from Summer Hill Seeds. I was able to find seeds "off the beaten path" as I am an experienced gardener who is always looking for the extraordinary. My order was placed on the 18th, shipped the very next day and was received on the 21st.

I can't wait to begin my winter seed sowing and Robin definitely made it a great start to the growing season!

I placed an order this past winter for passiflora caerulea, acquarelle pansy mix, and jams n jellies vinca.
My germination on the passiflora was 0%, but I don't think that was the fault of the company. In retrospect, I should have researched passiflora befor ordering, as it seems it would not have done well in my location.
The germination on the vinca and pansies was very high. In fact, it is not the middle of August, and the pansies are still blooming! I am impressed.

In addition, some extra dianthus seeds were included for free with my order.

I'll do business with Summer Hill again.

Posted on April 5, 2013, updated April 5, 2013
I ordered annual flower seeds and had very poor germination. I always grow my own annuals and this is the first year I have not had my own petunias and salvia or coleus. The vinca was fine and it is rather hard to germinate as it has to be kept dark. So I can only assume it was the seeds.
I have emailed the company and will see how they respond. I ordered from them because of all the positive reviews, so hoping this was a fluke. I will decide about ordering again depending on customer service. I notice 1 review that said their customer service was poor. If that is the case I certainly won't order again. Even the zinnas didn't grow and anyone can grow zinna. But for this year I will have to buy my annuals and I haven't had to do that for 6 years.

Speedy service, a double-checked packing list & bonus packs of seeds!! No complaints from me. I can't wait to winter sow some of the seeds I ordered :o)

Posted on November 28, 2012, updated December 1, 2012
Speedy delivery of the 3 seed varieties I ordered and rapid response to a query about an unusual weed, perhaps a bur cucumber, that appeared among the mouse melon seeds. However, the Eupatorium rugosum Chocolate seeds produced nothing but green-leaved seedlings and their pink flowers proved they weren't rugosum. The Barbarea vulgaris variegated seeds were also a dissappointment. They germinated as teeny tiny plants that stayed teeny tiny with no true leaves for at least a month before they died. Despite the three boo boos, the mouse melons grew so well and were such a hit with garden visitors, I can't complain too much and I'd definately give Summer Hill another try.

I've been dealing with Robin at Summerhill Seeds for quite a few years and I consider her to be in top rank of seed providers. I've been professionally gardening for 30 years and have raised plants from seed nearly that whole time. I've watched seed houses change hands and go from first class international service to ruin. I've dealt with shifty sellers on E-bay as well. Summerhill Seeds hits a very sweet spot of offering many new and cutting edge plants at reasonable prices,with low cost shipping. I just placed another order and happened to message Robin about problems with germinating one type of seed. I am used to starting perennials from seed including the use of outside stratification, indoor heating mats, plastic bag method in the fridge, etc. She offered me me replacement seed and went the extra mile. I know another plant crazy when I meet one- she's obviously a "mad keen adventurous gardener" cut out of the cloth that Christopher Lloyd sailed by. Not some bought out seedhouse now run by bean counters.Count yourself as lucky to get great service. As to mistakes yeah they did happen last year. Gaillardia 'Burgundy ' wasn't that from 2 houses last year( not Summerhill) so the source of the commercial seed screwed up and it ripples through our pipeline. I guess my take on that is if you are betting your bottom line then pay the price at Jellito. I've done it in the past and have dealt with commercial nurseries who do the same. As time goes on I find I drop the squeaky wheel customers who just explode upon a left turn. Gardening is slow sculpture at best , and not right now gratification.I joined this site today to say as much.

I ordered 6 different geranium seed packs from them, shipping was extremely fast and the germination rate was good and they sent a few pack which is a plus, the flowers are doing absolutely amazing right now.

Placed my order late on the 9th, received this morning. Nicely packaged to avoid damage in the mailing system. Invoice appears to have been hand checked for order accuracy. Loved the handwritten note of thanks that was written on the invoice, makes you feel appreciated and not just another number/order. I really loved the bonus seeds I received, it was as if they were picked just for me. In fact, I had really thought about choosing those seeds as well. I also liked how fast they were to e-mail regarding order confirmation and shipping information. None of the other companies have done that. Nice to know where your order stands. I know where I'll be purchasing from in the future and I'm definitely telling everyone else to, as well. Thank you!!!

Had excellent germination and growth this spring on the following seeds: Coleus "Kong Rose", Nasturtium "Strawberry Cream", and Torenia "Duchess Blue and White". The petunias "Dolcissima Sienna" produced only a few seedlings, none of which made it to planting out. I think this happened last year with a different Dolcissima strain, perhaps from a different company; I assume it's a problem with Docissima petunias in general, which is a pity- they look so gorgeous in the pictures! No more Dolcissima petunias for me, but I will continue to order from Summer Hill in the future.

Ordered the following:Thunbergia Superstar Orange, Vigna Caracalla Corkscrew Vine, Cuphea ignea Matchless, Felicia,Fuchsia magellanica hardy, Cerinthe Bouquet Gold, Calceolaria Valentine Hybrids, Balsam Camellia Mix , Alonsoa Salmon Beauty,Centaurea Chocolate moschata ssp.suaveolens, Sollya Blue Bell Vine,Oxypetalum caeruleum Heaven Born.Excellent germination from all except Thunbergia,Fuchsia and Cerinthe, still waiting on these.They have an excellent variety of seeds and I am really happy with the Sollya.I've never gotten these to germinate before.

An international order handled efficiently and with care. The package was received prompt, greatly packed, and with bonus seeds to make any gardener happy.

I brought some Crossandra seeds - Tropic flame and yellow splash. I wish I had ordered more seeds this season from Summerhillseeds. Germination rate is good. Robin is very helpful. Shipping was very fast and neatly packaged.I would definitely order again from this company. Thanks for the free seeds.

I ordered seeds on sunday and had them on thursday, along with 2 packs of free gift seeds and a hand written note. I'll definately order from them again because of their service and unusual selection.

Excellent seeds, nearly 100% Germination.

We will be a repeat customer.

Posted on November 2, 2011, updated March 12, 2012
I ordered six packets of seeds and within a couple of hours of purchase I recieved an email saying my order had shipped. I got the seeds two weeks later which I thought was pretty fast considering I'm in Canada and I'm sure it's not an easy task getting gardening supplies through customs. So far my experience has been good and I will most likely order again since Robin has a great selection of flower seeds. I will update next summer on how the germination goes.

The free packet of seeds was a lovely bonus.

Posted on February 15, 2010, updated February 15, 2012
I ordered some petunia and stevia seeds. The order was quickly sent, well packed and there were bonus seeds. The stevia seeds had an almost 100% germination rate! In the past I had problems with stevia seeds from other sources germinating. So I was very happy with the results from the seeds that I got from Summer Hill. They have a great selection of flower seeds and I was hard pressed to not go overboard and buy more than I could possibly grow! I just planted the petunia seeds for my summer hanging baskets and will update this review later this spring. At this point I sure plan to order again in the future.

Summer Hill Seeds offers quality seeds at reasonable prices, and an excellent choice of flowers. Web site is easy to use. Ordering and delivery process is quick. Personal note from owner always added. Have ordered in the past and will be one of the first companies I refer to for seed purchase in the future.

Posted on March 6, 2011, updated January 21, 2012
Wonderful company, I've ordered from them twice now, and both times my seed orders arrived within a week. Also love the fact that they carry Violet Queen Cleome.

Interesting selection of seeds and quick shipment.

Posted on September 5, 2009, updated January 11, 2012
I know it is a funny time of the year to order seeds....but I like to take a good look toward the end of my growing season and start planning for the next year....I'm already looking forward to next spring. I find the end of summer is a great time to order, you don't have to deal with the spring rush..

I placed an order on-line with Summer Hill Seeds. What a great experience. I received a few e-mails just to inform me of the status of my order....WOW! When I received my seeds, Robin had included 2 free packets of seeds, based on what I had already purchased...again, WOW! She is good...the seeds are right up my alley. I also received a HANDWRITTEN thank you. Now ask yourself, how many seed companies actually hand write thank you's to their customers?

With this kind of customer service, and keep in mind I think I only spent $30.....I will be a repeat customer....as well as telling my garden friends how great is was to order from this company...two thumbs up to Robin and her team!

the best place to find seeds of edibles. Shipment is prompt and arrival in good condition.

Since Sept.2010 I've placed three orders to Summer Hill seeds and every seed that I've planted from them has germinated. Over winter I ordered from a number of seed companies and of all of them, Summer Hill is the best. My last order to them was for hibiscus and diascia seeds because the ones from Pinetree were pretty bad. All the replacement seeds are up and thriving. Summer Hill will be my first choice when I'm looking for more flower seeds.

I ordered many different types of flower seeds and a couple of hard to find tomato seeds. My package arrived in about 12 days, (that was quicker than expected). I also received 2 free flower seed packets and a thank you note on my invoice. I am a new SHS customer and it's a nice touch to be appreciated as a customer. They have a very nice selection of seeds to choose from, and me being a "flower guy", had a great time choosing the flowers I wanted to grow in my yard. I have also noticed that their seeds are large, fresh and have a good germination rate...that is important to me. I highly recommend Summer Hill Seeds.

I had the same experience as the person below. The USPS said the package was delivered but I never got it. Even though I did not expect it, Robin said she would send the seeds again, this time with a signature needed! Their selection is great as well. Only thing different that I noticed is that the instructions don't mention frost dates. I'm envious.

I recently placed a small order of seeds, after reading the glowing reviews of this company. Unfortunately, although my order was sent out in a timely manner, the Mail Service lost my package. I was very impressed with how well the situation was handled by Summer Hill. They not only sent out a replacement order, but were very pleasant throughout the whole transaction. I really appreciate that they were so conscientious, even when they were not at fault. I highly recommend them!

This company has a great selection of seeds with prices better than most. I was really impressed with the free seeds that I got, and it seemed like a lot of care had been put into selecting them. The germination has been at nearly 100% so far. I will definitely be ordering from them again.

I have placed a few orders with Summer Hill Seeds, and will continue to order from them. The selection is really unique and inspiring. Flat rate shipping is great! I do wish the seed packaging contained more information, but a quick search of the website usually answers any questions I have. What I *really* love about this company is the customer service!! I had a concern about a particular seed after opening the package and hastily shot off what was possibly a rather alarmed email, but the response was very swift, informative, personal and respectful. That makes such a huge difference to me. Highly recommended :)

Got the seeds very quickly, plus they included a package of canna seeds! I didn't know you could grow cannas from seed, so it'll be fun to try and see what I get. They wrote a nice little note on my receipt, too, thanking me for my business. As a new customer to them, it's nice to be appreciated.

Ordered my seeds last Saturday and they arrived today, six days later, together with a free packet of seeds and detailed instructions So far so good. Now to see if anything grows!

I had ordered my seeds & i think they have so many seeds that are not available elsewhere. I needed to talk to them about my seeds & they were so quick ( on the weekend) getting back to me. It was a few hours later!!! That was a nice surprise. I got my seeds & will continue doing business with them. They care about their customers.

Another one of my favorites. They are book marked on my computer. Fast shipping and very reliable results. Also, they always send something free with the order. I love their unusual selection. I try something new every year. I think they are just great.