Comments regarding Thompson and Morgan (US)

I have ordered from T&M in the past because they have items I have been unable to find other places and have always been happy with their products and service. I recently placed another, rather large order and received it promptly, but when I started to plant some of the seeds, I was not happy with the packaging. Very tiny seeds placed inside the hard to open envelope without the benefit of a smaller glasine envelope. I lost several seeds because of trying to wrangle with the packaging and seeds are becoming more and more expensive so I was not happy.
I contacted CS at Thompson & Morgan and the following morning not only did I get an apology, there was already a replacement order on the way. Very good CS. I am still hoping they reconsider their packaging. By the way, not all the seeds were packaged this way, so I'm not sure how that works.

"On Feb 19, 2013 10:50 AM, Thompson and Morgan (US) responded with:

Thank you, we appreciate you sharing and we will always do anything we can to make it right."

Posted on February 12, 2011, updated December 27, 2012
Ordered from T&M last year without a problem. Shipping could have been quicker, but I received my order in plenty of time to start my seeds early in my "basement greenhouse".
I will order from them again. Good stuff.

"On Feb 15, 2011 12:46 PM, Thompson and Morgan (US) responded with:

Thank you for the feedback. We appreciate the information that is given to us as we use what our customers tell us to better improve our service. "

I've been a happy customer of T&M since 2006. Am a bit dismayed to read all the negative ratings here. Granted I only buy vegetable and herb seeds, almost never flowers, but I've been very happy with their seeds and their service. Am particularly delighted with their seeds and seed selection from Italy, (herbs, beans, kale, tomatoes, eggplant, etc.), they germinate well and produce vigorous, happy plants. Also have a soft-spot for their seeds from the UK. Keep up the good work, Thompson & Morgan.

I have been ordering seeds from T&M for several years. I have had very good sucess with germination, and been very satisfied with the outcome of the plants. They have always had great customer service if I had a question and I have never had a shipment lost or damaged. They will continue to be my number one souce for seeds.

"On Dec 30, 2011 9:27 AM, Thompson and Morgan (US) responded with:

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. Happy Spring to you!"

I have ordered quite a few flower seeds this year and am very pleased with the germination I've had with the seeds from TM. I've ordered from them for about eight years and have ordered many different seeds that were not available in the US at the time. I like their inner envelopes in the packets to keep the seeds fresh and really use their seed germination booklet, a must for seed sowing. I will continue to order from TM.

"On May 11, 2011 9:07 AM, Thompson and Morgan (US) responded with:

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. We want our customers to receive the best possible product and service. Happy Gardening!"

Posted on April 2, 2011, updated April 10, 2011
I am happy with the germination so far, good success. However I felt I was short-seeded with the number of seeds in the package. They were not always the amount indicated on the package.
Is this normal with seeds?

"On Apr 5, 2011 2:57 PM, Thompson and Morgan (US) responded with:

We appreciate your feedback. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information and have your seeds reshipped to you. You should definately receive the amount of seeds indicated on the package."

I placed a phone order with T&M on 1/10/11. My order arrived on 1/18/11, rather speedy considering that my area was nearly paralyzed by snow and ice for over a week.

T&M has been for years one of the companies I order from. Last year, after the company was sold, I didn't order, because I thought the new ownership might not improve the service and product. When the 2011 catalog arrived (now a magazine size edition compared to the old paperback size), I read it very carefully.

As far as I can tell, some of the symbols over the seed listings have been changed. No longer will a customer know if a plant is easy to raise, unless the description says so.
However, overall the details are good, and the pictures are top notch.

T&M is for me the go-to place for unusual seeds. I've ordered cycads and adansonia seeds (still have one baobab tree in a container!) and several other seeds I've never seen anywhere else. Germination is usually good, some seeds remain viable for years, but I refrigerate the seeds immediately and keep them cold until just before sowing. A few seeds didn't sprout - the cycads, for instance.

Customer service is usually good, and delivery is usually speedy, I don't recall any severe problems. When I did have a problem it was solved with either replacement or credit.

I noticed my new order was shipped in a small, flat envelope. The seeds were ok, but in the case of large seeds (like the sweet peas I ordered) damage might occur through rough handling. A padded envelope is definitely better!

One thing I really like about T&M is that the company refrains from cutesy additions such as pictures of the crew or satisfied customer blurbs praising the product and service.
Frankly, I don't really care who works at T&M (or any other seed seller), and I don't like it when a catalog touts itself even more by publishing customer feedback. After all, good service and products should be the norm, not the exeption.
Why should I care if Mr. A.Z. from Norway is very happy with the seeds/plants/service he received? Does that guarantee I will receive the same? Feedback is good for forums like this one, but has no place in a catalog. Some of the worst ranking sellers print the most favorable blurbs!

Some sellers really need to review their catalogs and cut out the maudlin sentimentalities, self-aggrandizing statements in the forms of customer feedback and bible verse studded ads. T&M sells flowers and vegetable seeds, some plants, supplies and books, but no philosopy, theology or lifestyle advice, and I like it!

So, in conclusion, T&M will continue to get some of my business. I don't buy much, and the seeds aren't cheap, but when what I want is available, I get it. I will plant the new seeds and report later, if anything unusual occurs.

I have ordered from T & M for years. My seeds always arrive in a timely manner, as they did this year. The seeds germinate well whether I start them in my greenhouse or sow them directly.

"On Jan 18, 2011 10:33 AM, Thompson and Morgan (US) responded with:

Thank you for sharing your experience with our seeds. We appreciate the feedback. Happy Gardening."

Wow,

Ive ordered from them from years.. sure maybe a mix up here or there or some seed count issues. But I never bothered looking them up till today and I couldnt believe all the negatives.

They really are a good seed company to order from, Ive always found thier germination rates to be comparable to other seed companies Ive ordered from.

I would give them 3 out of 4 stars.

Silverkelt

I've read some of the negative comments, but to tell you the truth, I've had nothing but good experiences. I'll continue to order because they have some vegetables that are hard to find anywhere else. I've never had a problem with the veggie seeds germinating, either. I find that some of their prices may seem high, but then again, these are varieties not offered anywhere else in the U.S. I like some of the U.K. veggie varieties, so I figure it's cheaper than buying them from a supplier in the U.K. ( or flying over to London, though I wouldn'd mind the vacation!)

"On Jul 22, 2010 7:44 AM, Thompson and Morgan (US) responded with:

We appreciate your feedback. Your feedback is appreciated and used to help provide better service to our customers. Happy Gardening!"

Seeds ordered January 30th, all except one received February 16th.
There was one mistake - I received gherkins instead of monarda - which I received 4 days later after calling.
I had my doubts as I had heard about the change of ownership, however they were easy and pleasant to deal with, even happily correcting a mistake which I had made on my original order.
The seeds are still from Thompson & Morgan in the UK, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
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.

Posted on May 21, 2009, updated February 16, 2010
As usual, I had a very good experience with T & M. I HAD to have the "Cherry Brandy" rudbeckia. Germination about 50%, still got over 30 healthy plants for about 10 cents each.
Morning Glory "Carnivale de Venice", 100% germ. "Crunchy mini bells" peppers, 100% germ. Bonus seeds of cactus zinnia and marigold "boy o boy" (My favorite french marigold) most welcomed.

I ordered 2 items, both of which I could not find at the same place. Response to the online order was quick, shipment was quick and I received within a few days. My "free" packet was EGGPLANT (not a favorite of mine....anyone want them?) Everything was packaged nicely and received in great condition. I haven't started the seeds yet, so I can't speak as to germination, but I'm confident!

I love the selection from this company and have never had a problem with germination of seeds. As a matter of fact because the pkts. have so many seeds I have been able to replant with success for years from the same pkt. flowers and vegetables. I look forward to seeing the beautiful catalog each year.

Each year, I place and order with this company. I select plants not available at my local nursery. I agree, some seeds DO NOT germinate or die weeks after germination, but I simply send the empty seed packet and receive a replacement. If I choose, I can also request a complete refund.

The FALL catalog has a coupon $10 off your order. Hence, you are only paying for the S&H charges - which $3.95. You can't beat that price.

You can also get FREE S&H if you know the code.

Lets see...
in 2007 The code was VC2007
in 2008 The code was VC2008

I have to guess the code for 2009 is VC2009.

I'm really surprised to see so many negative reviews here. I have had nothing but the most positive experiences ordering from Thompson and Morgan.

Sure, I have had a few instances where the seed packets were empty or contained less seeds than advertised. I've also had extremely poor germination rates. But T&M customer service has always, ALWAYS been top-notch for me. Emails were always returned quickly and courteously, and replacements have always been quick to be shipped out at no charge.

I consider myself to be an experienced gardener with a dislike of the common plants you see everywhere else. From perennials to annuals, herbs to vegetables, Thompson and Morgan is my #1 choice for seeds, followed by their sister site, Value Seeds.

Last week I placed an order with TM for $35 and used their $10 off coupon. Later a rep called me at home to let me know that the coupon was not good because the seeds are on sale. I am OK with that. I felt that their sale prices were good and they have a very nice selection. I cancelled the original order because I had to make modification to the seeds selection w/o the $10 off. I did re-order and waiting for the order to make my final decision. I am upset to read about the germination rate below, but since they guarantee their seeds, we will see. May be the guarantee won't apply because I bought the seeds on sale. I thought their customer service was excellent and all my email complaints were promplty answered. I feel the 7.00 shipping was excessive but the price is probably still pretty average for most online company. Heck, gas price is at $4 a gallon, it will cost me more to go out and buy seeds. So, I will wait and see when the seeds arrive and what kind of germination rate before making my final decision.

I received most of my order promptly, and the rest as soon as it was available. The hosta seeds were supposed to have 50+- seeds, but only had 32. I called and was given new seeds immediately. It turned out that the first packet were not hostas at all, but some sort of tomato. I now have 2 mystery tomato plants flowering, as I let the rest go since they were not hostas. None of the Silver Fox Foxglove seeds that I sowed germinated. I felt that I had bothered them enough already and it was becoming too late in the season try again. Plus, I was already getting overloaded with seedlings. They have a wonderful selection of seeds, many of which are hard to find elsewhere. Considering that, and the excellent customer service, their prices are fair.

A great selection of hard-to find species and unusual varieties. I placed my first order in Jan. '07. The order was confirmed and arrived quickly. Everything was correct, and some nice freebies were included. I see a lot of complaints in this forum about low germination of T&M's seeds, but I have not found their seed deficient. I start many perennials from seed---some are a challenge to grow and require patience and/or special conditions to grow. So far I have had good germination rates for all the T&M seeds I've planted thus far, some of which have required stratification, heat or light for germination. For $1 T&M offers a very useful seed-starting guide: given the number of negatives appearing here from people having trouble germinating their seeds, it would probably be good if they gave free copies of the guide with each order and kept the free seeds...

In short, I feel this is a great source. There is a trend toward many seed retailers offering choice perennial varieties only as plants, this is an expensive, and in my opinion less fulfilling way to fill a perennial garden. Regarding prices---there are some eyebrow raising seed prices in the T&M catalog (one Verbascum I bought was nearly $1/seed), but if it's an unusual variety I'd rather it be offered at a high price than not at all, which is after all very likely the only other alternative. It isn't really fair to fault a company for its prices---nobody is holding a gun to your head making you purchase overpriced seeds, if someone is willing to pay their asking price for a particular seed, then by definition it is not overpriced.

I have been buying from T&M for quite awhile now. I buy some, and then go back and buy more and repeat the proces s over.

I love the sales they have and have always have recieved my seeds within just a few days.

Usually I have always recieved a fre e packet of some sort of seed with my order. it is great because it give sme a chance to try new cultivars and if those grow here than I can expand my flower buying fromthem to other types of seed they carry that similar.

I was a little dissapointe dthis time thought to find that while online it said I was goign to receive a free packet of white eggplant seeds and it showed up on line, but when i got my email confirmation and order is was not there.

I am going back to place another order already and excited about being abe to get $10 off on orders over $35 bucks.
Hope the coupon works. Figure the missing freebie was some computer glitch on my part this time.

Stil a number one company with me.

I see a lot of whining going on but I have to fly in the face of it and say that I LOVE Thompson and Morgan! As a Master Gardener who has worked for White Flower Farm and given a couple of Seed Starting talks there, I know the pitfalls that can beset gardeners, especially if they are new at it. (Use the best materials available! DON'T go cheap for starting mix! REALLY make sure you have the right lighting!) Yes, Thompson and Morgan (a company that originated in England) offers seeds that may be a little trickier to start. But these seeds are treasures from around the world, most are rare, and they are offering us A HUGE BUFFET of fabulous choices!! (Aren't we Americans just a little bit spoiled? And demanding?)
That all has to figure into their costs, and after working in the business, I know that the profit is small and hardwon when you are selling little packets of seeds for a few dollars (think of how many they have to shuffle, pack, and sell to make any real money, folks!!) They offer rarities and delights that could so easily disappear from a tough marketplace...many garden business are stumbling or folding in recent years!
Think bigger picture - anyone want to go back to limp offerings of a few Marigolds, Petunias and tomatoes again? Hoping everyone will appreciate that seed starting is an adventure, see what you can get to grow, instead of acting like Nature should arrive on our doorstep wearing a guarantee.......
and that if you want the romance of gardening to continue, Thompson and Morgan deserves and needs our support!
P.S. Try their Eschscholzia 'Champagne and Roses' - Easy to plant outside, and absolutely mesmerizing in the garden, plus - I'll bet none of your neighbors will have it!!!!!

I was shocked to see how many people have complained about this company. I have been ordering from them for years and I have always been aware of the fact that some seeds are harder to germinate than others, and often they have a lower germination rate. (This information is always provided to you in their catalogs!) My plants have never come "untrue" from seed, and their prices are quite competitive. Sure, hard -to-find plants may cost more but that is due to supply/demand and the fact that some plants don't produce many seeds, or because growing them from seed may not always be the best way to propagate them. They have been around since 1855 and I firmly believe that they know what they are doing.

This year was my first time ordering from T&M, and I'm glad I did. If I had seen their terrible rating on the Watchdog before ordering it might have scared me away - fortunately (this time) I didn't look until after ordering.

I ordered several kinds of annual flower seed. Germination was poor on two varieties (papaver rhoeas & scabiosa atropurpurea), but this was probably due to my method (direct seeding - should have winter sowed for stratification). Germination on other varieties (also direct seeded) was good to excellent. Overall the rate was comparable to other companies I've tried. And the flowers truly surpassed in their loveliness. I was especially impressed with the clarkia bottae, clarkia elegans, and eschscholzia 'Thai Silk Lemon Bush'. Very unique varieties I didn't see for sale elsewhere.

They have the most drool-worthy catalogue in existence, and I personally enjoy it immensely.

My one complaint is that their prices are completely ridiculous. I would not buy from them if you can find something similar (at 1/2 or 1/4 the price) elsewhere. But it may be worth it sometimes to turn to them for something particularly fine or rare.

I get their catalog first, but order from them last every year. Their prices are a little higher, but the others are catching up. They have unusual things and interesting varieties. I don't have trouble with germination much, but one time I got Japanese Maple seeds from them and only a few germinated. I always have a few failures, especially with the tricky stuff from any company and I usually assume it's my fault. So I like T&M. It's fun to try the weird stuff. Plus, this year they sent a nice pair of gloves with the order. I love free stuff.

All of the seeds I bought from Thompson Morgan were just about 100% germination. I liked everything from the fast shipping to the germination. I wasn't thrilled with their prices, but I didn't have to buy from them.
Debby

This is my first time ordering from T & M, partly because of the negative comments. I decided to order and do my own experiment. I have Russian Black, Black Cherry, and Sun Gold from three sources. T&M's seeds have had 100% germination where the others have not. One highly-rated company had less than 50% germination.

I used the same soilless mix, with the same heat.

While this may not occur on all their seeds, it was interesting.

Reading all the negatives almost scared me away from ordering from this company, but they had some unique sunflower seeds not found elsewhere. I ordered Little Dorrit
sunflower seeds and planted them in a plant propagotor with
a heating pad set on low temp. Also planted Dwarf Yellow
Hedging sunflower seeds. They germinated within two weeks. The other sunflower seeds ordered will be started
outside when the ground gets warmer. Unique seeds tend to
be more expensive, but worth the try one time.......

Used T&M for seven types of annual seed. All came within ten days of ordering and my germination rate was over 95%.I will be ordering again next year as they carry a great assortment of seeds!!

I ordered when seeds were on sale in June. I set the packages aside with the rest of my seeds to be planted for the following growing season.
A week ago, I took the seeds out to sow in peat pots and found two of the packets contained no seeds at all.
I wrote to the company to see if I could get a refund or credit and explained that I would hold off on a rating until I got a satisfactory solution. I did not think that ordering from a company it was necessary to actually have to open seed packets on receipt to make sure there was actually a product inside.
Even though they were on sale, I expect "something" for my money.
I will leave the neutral rating and either mark it up or down depending on if and when I receive any acknowledgment of my email about the order.

I placed a small order using a coupon code that came with the catalogue they sent me. The items arrived properly packed and in about 10 business days. They included some free pepper and lettuce seeds. If I grow them, I'll edit this with germination rates later.

I love the incredible variety this company offers! I've never had any difficulty ordering, unless you count the ones that sold out before I placed my order -- my fault for not ordering earlier. The staff has always been very helpful and courteous in these situations though. I've never ordered plants from them, only seeds, and I've always been very, very pleased!

I have bought seeds from T&M for several years. Their annuals usually come through in fine shape. Perennials are a mixed bag: even though I try hard to follow their propagation instructions, about a quarter of them fail. I have not succeeded with their Poppies at all.
Nevertheless, they do offer many varieties other seed companies do not, and even though their prices are generally high, there are a few bargains for generic strains, and I will probably continue to order seeds from their extensive catalog and cross my fingers when I plant them.

For vegetable seeds, I have found no better supplier than Thompson and Morgan. My germination rates with their seeds have consistently been excellent. I cannot comment on their flower seeds, because I don't grow flowers. The prices on some of their seeds are a bit high, but I've found excellent value on their outlet, valueseeds.com.

I have made three purchases from Thompson & Morgan this year. The seeds started thus far have produced some lovely plants. The only thing I'd suggest for improvement is for them to put photos of the plants on all the seed packages (so I don't have to print the photos and attach to remind myself which are growing). ;-)

I purchased about $40 worth this year. I used snail mail due to the fact that the web site couldn't process a $10 off code properly on the computer. I still received my seed within a weeks time. All seed was shipped and there were a few free packs included. The prices are little on the high side but they are the only source for Cosmos Versailles Tetra,
Chrysanthemum Primrose Gem and Linanthes French Hyb. Stardust Mix. The cosmos VT are gorgeous! Color exactly as catalog describes.

I can't speak for the viability of the seeds, but I did place an order with them for seeds and I also took advantage of the half price offer for the patio greenhouse. Both the seeds and greenhouse arrived in less than a week. The greenhouse was easy to put together and I was surprised at the size. It was larger than I expected.

I have been ordering from T&M for at least 5 years - probably closer to 10 years (I usually spend $200 to $300 a year) and I always look forward to receiving the new catalog. It is always the first one to arrive and I enjoy the detailed germination and growing-on requirements. In fact, I often pass on extra catalogs to friends who are reluctant to start seeds so they can use it as a guide. However I agree that they send out too many catalogs per customer. I haven't noticed any germination problems other than the ones that need very strict stratification...but even those tend to be ok if I keep track of the temperature schedules (cold, warm, cool, etc). I have to admit, though, that I have NEVER gotten my sedum ussuriense to germinate...although this year I did get my sempevirvum to do so after I accidentally froze them instead of refrigerated (my greenhouse refrigerator was still set on "christmas cookie" temperature). The simple germinators, like pansy, impatiens, petunias, salvias - have all been successful for me. But I have to belly laugh at their refusal to sell any poppies that are "somniferums" but maybe that is just the US government picking on our overseas cousins! Customer service has been great in my experience...I had one pack of ageratum arrive empty this year - the foil packet was there, just no seed anywhere inside. I had a replacement pack (N/C) in less than five days! (with seed). I also had a packet of New Zealand delphiniums with two foil packets inside - so it more than made up for the empty one (though I did feel guilty about complaining about the empty pack without offering to pay for the double pack). Overall, T&M are one of my favorite seed companies. (I also heavily use Park garden). When it comes to germination....how much is that just the luck of the gardener? I always figured that this was my fault in some way, I never thought that it could be a company. I guess I have to keep better track of this and do some comparison experimentation in the future. I have 20 packs of pets from T&M and 5 or so from Parks this year....maybe I will do a count of seeds planted vs seedlings emerged and see if this brings any problems to light (for either company I guess).

I've been ordering from T&M for several years now, and despite some having sad germination rates, I have been generally happy with their seeds. I've gotten good germination on all the ones (that I've planted so far) from my order this year. They also have many rare seeds that I haven't found anywhere else.

I put in an online order and it showed up five days later. The seeds were exactly as I ordered. The website was simple to use. Seeds are a bit on the expensive side, though.