Comments regarding Johnny's Selected Seeds

A great company with superior customer service. I have had great success with prior purchases except the corn (my fault) which is shameful because I do live in Indiana.
Just wanted to let anyone know who may be reviewing this company prior to a purchase that the few negative comments on here are not representative of the total Johnny's experience. And one of the best things? The employees own the company!
I placed my order for this spring's garden this morning and have full confidence that I am going to have a bountiful garden as in the past!

I recently ordered some hot peppers seeds and I'm very happy with the service and quality of seeds. Their website has extensive information on several topics as well.

This is the second year I have ordered from Johnny's. I was looking forward to this year's catalog in December and waited patiently until February. I called to ask when the catalogs would be mailed. Turns out they were mailed in December. Johnny's mailed me a new catalog first class and it arrived promptly.

About three weeks ago I put my order into the "wish list " function which worked well. Since then I had internet connection problems with my provider (no internet x 2 weeks). Yesterday, I went back to Johnny's site and tried to move the order to the shopping cart. It would not work. I called and received very polite customer service, who when the problem could not be fixed stated they would pursue it further. I got a call back a few minutes later, but still could not get it to work. The same representative cheerfully, and patiently took my lengthy order over the phone. Some items will ship later as it is still winter here.

That was yesterday morning. When I got home today the package from Johnny's was in my mail box. (I do live in Maine). Have had good luck ordering from Johnny's before and expect that to continue. Great customer service!

I ordered several packages of flower and vegetable seed. A couple things are scheduled to be delivered later (I knew that when I filled out my order); the rest of the order was shipped promptly and arrived in just a few days.

I was especially glad to find a company shipping shallot sets for spring planting, as most companies won't ship until fall. Thanks, Johnny's - I'm happy to join your list of happy customers!

Very smooth process; from ordering online, to good communication by email, to a prompt and accurate delivery. I will order again as I am very pleased.

I just placed my second order with Johnny's and recieved all my seeds in four days.

But, more important to me, I wanted to share the excellent customer service I recieved from them last season. I am a relatively new gardener, so it took me a little while to figure out that the pickling cucumber seeds I had ordered were actually yellow squash. When I emailed them, I recieved a prompt response asking for my address and order number so they could send me some cucumber seeds of a different variety (as they were out of the ones I had originally ordered). I recieved the replacement seed in only three days. Unfortunately, it was a bit late in the season for me to plant them last summer, so I plan on using them this season.

I work in retail and good customer service is huge to me. I appreciate Johnny's having gone out of their way to get my replacement seed so quickly. They are now one of my primary websites for veggie seed!

Thanks again Johnny's, the gentleman I dealt with in your CS department really made my day!

I ordered several seeds from this company last week. They had a sale on many of their seeds, prompting my order. I received my order within 3 days which was excellent. All varieties I listed were present and I received no substitutions so I am pleased so far. Hopefully, I will have no problems with germination rates.

Have had nothing but positive experiences with Johnny's. Catalog is very informative, seeds are of high quality, germination has been excellent, and delivery has never been a problem.

Ordered several varieties this past week, order arrived in about 7 days via mail and all seed packs were correct as ordered. Have ordered in past years with good germination.

We're very happy with the shungiku (edible chrysanthemum) seeds bought in August from Johnny's. Initially we had problem with our check card and Jeff in customer service department was extremely patient and courteous. The seeds were sent promptly as soon as our card was re-activated. We planted them 3 weeks ago, and now we're having hundreds of baby shungiku plants about 1 to 2 inches tall. We will return to Johnny's for other seeds, for sure.

Oh the quality is superb! Beautiful paper packets - environmentally friendly and recyclable with nicely nested seeds contained within - Very Very High germination - Please visit if you can - a wonderful place in the great State of Maine -

I order from johnny's every year. Their seeds have incredible germination rates, and the heirlooms come true to their label, something I've had problems with from other mail-order seed companies.
They have a lot of organic seed for sale as well, and more organic varieties are coming online every year.
Excellent company with excellent value!!

I was happy to find Johnny's online because seeds aren't always available here when it's time to plant. I had questions so I called the company and spoke to a very nice man in customer service. My order total came to around $40 and was shipped priority and arrived in 5 days. Shipping was around $10. I planted the seeds immediately, the germination on most was good. The second time I placed an order, also by phone, girl was not as nice as the first guy, order came to around $40, shipping was $10, order was sent regular mail and took 2 weeks to arrive. I have no idea why different shipping methods were used. I wasn't offered a shipping option when the order was placed.
I would still have given the company a positive rating based on customer service, shipping and selection. Here are the two problems that I encountered with Johnny's seeds and why I give this company a neutral rating: germination on many items was terrible and seed packs contained more than one variety. The tomato seeds had 20% of another variety, the carrots had 3 different kinds of carrots when they matured, the lettuce contained two different kinds of lettuce seed. Germination of several packets was terrible, although when I replanted with seeds from another company I got excellent garmination.

"On Sep 8, 2009 9:46 AM, Johnny's Selected Seeds responded with:

Hi! Please contact our customer service department - they will be happy to help you and clarify the problems you had. We want you to be happy - please contact us today!

Daria Walton, Webmaster, Johnny's Selected Seeds."

My order was shipped quickly. Very good selection of some hard to find items in their catalog with growing information. I'd considered trying endive for a few years and their catalog was the only one I found with endive seeds.

I love Johnny's for the great variety, high quality, and perfect delivery. They are a little pricey, but you get what you pay for. Plus, they have items you just can't find anywhere else, like my favorite Caselode peas. One of the best!

I placed 2 recent orders with Johnny's, both orders were completely correct and arrived in a very short time. I was hesitant to order at first when I read the warnings posted here about Johnny's getting seed from Monsanto, but after looking at the Johnny's web site I feel assured that they are committed to ethical and environmentally responsible practices.

I love Johnny's vegetable seeds! They outperformed my nursery transplants last year by far. This year I ordered more varieties and can't wait to watch them grow. They always ship quickly, and when I ordered a variety that went into backorder and then later weren't able to fulfill it, I was sent a refund check right away. Customer service has been great.
This year I ordered flower seeds (impatiens and phlox- and some others I haven't sown yet) and so far have had TERRIBLE luck getting them to germinate, but I'm assuming that it could be me, or the species in general. Im not sure, but my rating stands. I'll definitely order again :)

I've been ordering seed from Johnny's since their first years in business. I don't order every year because my garden is small and I often have seed left over. In fact, when I check for germination in old seed I find I have more Johnny's packets at the end than any others. Their seed prep facilities must be first rate.

I was sorry to read about the problems some people had with Johnny's' website purchases in the past couple of years. I have had mixed results ordering online from several otherwise good seed companies (not necessarily Johnny's), so I now routinely order from all of them by phone.

I called in this year's order last Friday and it arrived in the mail today (Monday). Maine to Oregon in 3 days -- that's fast. I also had a very pleasant ordering experience with the person on the phone line, which I find to be the norm with Johnny's and most other seed companies I do business with.

After reading past comments by other folks here, I can sympathize with some of their feelings of suspicion and mistrust. As the owner of a small business, myself, I can only say that everyone is human, everyone makes mistakes. My dealings with this company have always left me with the feeling that they are honest, high-minded people who are working hard to make the green world better, for both plants and gardeners. Johnny's has always focused on offering seeds for home gardeners who want quality, taste and environmentally friendly products. When they started, there weren't many seed companies interested in this. I am thrilled that they are still around to see the new interest in locally grown food, green products, etc.

I also consider their catalog to be the most complete and informative gardening book out there, bar none. And I have never had a negative experience that I can recall, in 30+ years of buying from them. That's a pretty amazing record, I think.

One more thing that, for me, is germane to my ordering experience, is the ongoing shift Johnny's is making from sole proprietorship to employee-owned. As a co-owner of small business (not garden-related) interested in making a similar change, I have a special feeling for other business owners who are moving this way. I believe it is the wave of the future, an antidote to the soulless corporate culture that has stripped the life from so many industries and hapless workers. Having struggled to make this happen in our own small company, I know the commitment it takes to make this happen, and I salute Rob Johnston for instituting this. It means he sees his employees as family and that's the kind of company I want to support with my own dollars.

I searched through johnnyseeds.com and was ready to order $30 worth of seed. I read the negative review regarding Johnny's using seeds from Monsanto and stopped order immediately. I confirmed through the link that Johnny's does in fact use seeds from Monsanto. Do not order from Johnny's or any other company using Monsanto!

"On Sep 8, 2009 9:48 AM, Johnny's Selected Seeds responded with:

Please read this article for more information. Johnny's is NOT affiliated with Monsanto:

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/pdf/Who_Owns_Johnnys.pdf

Thank you,

Daria Walton, Webmaster, Johnny's Selected Seeds

Johnny's is an excellent seed source. I have ordered from them for years, and have never had a cause for complaint. They are the 'gold standard' for seed companies, in my opinion.

The times I've queried them about a product or seed, they have responded promptly and helpfully. Orders are promptly filled and shipped.

My only "complaint" is that they are so far from my gardening zone- I wish they had even more items suitable for the hot, humid, disease ridden, ant infested, weedy Southern garden I'm tending ;)

I was planning to buy several varieties of seeds from Johnny's, and then I read THIS:

//www.opednews.com/articles/A-Call-to-Boycott-Monsanto-by-Barbara-Peterson-090319-925.html#comment199045

And was Shocked to see Johnny's on the list of those who use Monsanto seeds (Seminis) , especially since many of my organic gardening friends use them.
Please re-think your policy, and don't thtink you cabn just hide this!

"On Mar 20, 2009 3:51 PM, Johnny's Selected Seeds responded with:

This is simply not true. Please see Johnny's front page of the website for accurate information.

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/home.aspx

Thank you.
Alisa Keimel
Marketing & PR Manager"

I recently ordered seeds from Johnnys Selected Seeds. The seeds arrived promptly, all were packaged in the United States. Now to see if Maine seeds will grow in the high desert of Wyoming, cold nights, hot days, limited water,

Wow. Johnn'y's sends your order out immediately. If something is not in stock, they send out what they have in stock, then send rest of your order as soon as they get it. So far, I have gotten the seeds that were out of stock much sooner then they originally said.

Great customer service.

I ordered my seeds online on Friday March 6. Less than 24 hours later, I received an e-mail notice that my order had been shipped. The seeds were in my mailbox on Monday. Great service! I usually order a few packets of seeds from each of several different catalogs (trying to support as many good companies as possible). Next time, I'll place the bulk of my order with Johnny's.

Shortly before Christmas, I ordered a Cedar Compost bin from this Company. I had searched the web for this particular item and found that even with the shipping charges, Johnny's was $50 cheaper than competitors. I expected to receive it some time in the end of December. It arrived in 3 days!!! It was very well packed and all parts were there and it was as easy to assemble as they claimed. The quality is quite good and the ease of opening it is very helpful.

When I tried to order it through the website, I experienced difficulties. I called the Company late at night and left a message telling them that I needed help placing an order. They called back on the next business day and took my order.

After such a pleasant experience I decided to order a nifty compost aerating tool called "The Compost Crank". I ordered it with no trouble through the website. The website showed that the item would be available in early January. Very promptly, I received an email confirming the order and estimating shipping in the first week of January.

The tool arrived in Mid January. It was well packed and all parts and instructions were included. I can't praise this tool enough. It is well made, easy to use and makes quick and easy work out of a tough job.

Based on my experiences, I will be ordering more tools from this company as they carry hard to find, unusual items. They speak with experience of using the tools and I have faith in their product recommendations.

Excellent germination rates last year (much better than Park Seed's). Recommended.

They were one of the very few seed companies that made super-picky gardener Steve Solomon's list for the Northeast in his book "Gardening when it Counts" so I figured I would at least get good quality seed that germinates well and comes true as labelled. I ordered a packet of Copra Onion seeds, Lemon Cucumber seeds, Sugar Snap Pea seeds and 25lbs of Yukon Gold seed potatoes, which wont ship until April. I got everything about a week and a half after my mail order left my mailbox- VERY timely!
I would HIGHLY recommend them for seed potatoes, you wont find a better price or anything even comparable anywhere. I purchased 25lbs for $16.75 plus $14.00 shipping for a toal of $30.75 for 25 lbs of seed potatoes. From Ronnigers it would cost $60.66 all total for the same thing, $41.95 for only 20lbs from Wood Prarie Farm, and $62.50 from the Seed Savers Exchange.
As long as my crop turns out well, I will be purchasing my seed potatoes from them forevermore, thats almost the same price per pound they charge at the grocery store for Yukon Gold eating potatoes! And from what I hear and read, I wont even have to deal with poor quality as a result of getting such a good deal! Gotta love it!!

I too was affected by the hacking incident at Johnny's seeds and was very inconvenienced by having to get a new card and cancel various other orders. It would have been nice if they had offered those affected free shipping or something to compensate us. Because they did not, I did not order from them last year. I am giving them a "neutral" because they are still a good company and hopefully have learned something from this.

I was looking for a source for Belgian Endive (Chicory) seeds as well as some other, more normal, veggies for a cool-weather garden. The Endive will be an experiment, but the Mache should work, even during our rainy season--assuming we get one later on...

After reading the reviews of Johnny's here at Garden Watchdog, I tried their website for myself last Friday afternoon (the 18th). I tried to order four packets of seeds, but my "shopping cart" only had two items in it, so I decided to order by phone.

I called and spoke to a nice guy who let me know that all the seeds were in stock, and that they would be sent out on Monday (the 21st).

I'd like everyone to know that the seeds arrived here yesterday--only two days after their stated shipping date!--and that there was additional growing information about the Endive in with the seeds.

One additional item will be shipped in October, but the Johnny's order assistant and I were both clear about that on the phone.

As always, I will watch my charge-card statement carefully, but in this case I believe the proverb "Once burned, twice shy" will rule. If I find out differently, I'll let everyone here know, but so far, so good!

"

Hi there -

I wanted to take a moment and thank you, very much, for your business and for the second chance. We appreciate the opportunity to regain your trust. We wish you a great growing season!

Sincerely,
Alisa

Alisa Keimel
Marketing & PR Manager, Johnny's"

Great selection, great tools. The collinear hoe is a great time saver. Seed prices are expensive as is shipping, even to a few towns away. I've had mixed success with germination. I prefer treated seeds and they do not offer this in many varieties.

This season was my first experience of ordering from Johnny's. My order arrived promptly and in good condition. I accidentedly ordered some treated Star Ship squash seeds which I didn't want. I emailed Cathe at Johnny's and she promptly sent out an untreated packet... free of charge. Cathe's customer service is excellent and it's nice to know there are companies left that try to make us gardeners happy. I will definitely order from Johnny's again.

Karen

I placed an order with Johnny's last year in 2/07, and had no problems with them at all.

I like their "mini" packs since I don't typically use all the seed in a normal packet. I ordered a wide selection of veggies and the germination rate on all of them was fantastic, which also helped when you want to save money.

I didn't have any shipping problems (it arrived quickly), or mixups with the order either. I will definatly buy from them in the future.

Johnny's is a great company, i have been ordering seeds from them for many years. I have been too busy the last couple (2)seasons to have the time to start seeds and get them planted out, so i can't wait to recieve this years order. One thing i think is so great is that some of the seeds i still have from YEARS (as many as 4) ago still germinated impressively when i tested them.
I have called them before with general planting and care questions and was always treated very well and given excellent information.
Their catalog is among the most highly anticipated, i always look forward to finding it in my mailbox.

i had some four year old broccoli seed from johnny's on hand and thought, oh, what the heck, and threw them all in a container. i do believe 100% came up. they're outdoors now, and i snip off a small salad every few days. no need to wait for heading up, the leaves make a good salad.

i want to remark on the people who have had an unhappy experience ordering online. don't do it, with this or any company. there is invariably an 800 number to call, it's safe, and you can ask any questions you have at the time.

I got a letter from the company about my credit card theft like many others. I agree with other comments that an email would have prevented much grief, but that takes quick action on the part of Johnny's. I am satisfied with the product, although the shipping seems expensive. The service is good, and you can't argue with the selection. I will order from them again, but will not use a credit card again. Sorry, but that's the price of not staying on your toes in this business.

After last years disastrous experience with Gurney's I found a local source of bean seeds (Johnny's) and had great success with their germination rates and quality. After this spring's problems with Vermont Bean, I planted last year's leftover bush beans from Johnny's and had approximately 90% germination which is excellent from year old seeds. I will use them again in the future and stay far away from Gurney's and Vermont Bean.

I ordered a bunch of seeds from this company this spring and am pleased with the results so far.

The Cherokee Purple tomatoes were most impressive--very robust, resilient plants. I've also had good results with the common mint, holy basil, Roman chamonile, and foxgloves. Just planted the Wampum corn (untreated) and Autumn Beauty sunflowers, so can't speak yet on quality. They have a good selection of green manures too and in smaller amounts than many companies sell. It's also worth mentioning that their website is east to navigate, and their catalog is well designed.

Would definitely buy seeds from them again.

I have ordered seeds from this company several times over the years (but in light of the new and sneaky ways theives have I will go get one of those paid temporary cc to shop online with) and I am always pleased. We actually didn't order this year because we had so many seeds left from them, some years old, and decided to try them. Much to our surprise they have all come up under the grow lites so no order this year but I will be back to order from Johnnys at the next cabin fever itch.

We purchased a variety of seeds from Johnny's, including two types of beets, the purple haze carrots, peppers, arugula, and several varietals of tomatoes. I'm pleased to report that within a short time of planting, all of our vegetables were growing and looking great, much better than seeds and plants we had purchased elsewhere. Last night we made our first arugula salad, which was wonderful, and reminded me that I should leave a positive review here. Additionally, I was impressed with their customer service representative over the phone and with their website, which is easy to navigate. And lastly, thanks to Dave's Garden, where I found the positive reviews that led me to Johnny's in the first place.