Comments regarding Johnny's Selected Seeds

I placed my first order with Johnny's on the night of Dec. 26, 2011. I was able to take advantage of some $1 sale items plus ordered things I have been looking for. I see some think the prices are higher than other places and that may be true in some cases but I figure it all averaged out in the end. The service is amazing as I received the package today, Dec. 29 and think that is pretty amazing. I will update this review once I sow the seeds this spring and summer and can comment on germination rates.

Recently ordered a good selection of seeds for fall planting (a few different varieties of kale, chamomile, zinnia, angelica, carrots, beets), as they had interesting varieties of all of those and their planting information on the website was very helpful. Plus, their printed catalog is a joy to browse, and the size of a small phone book. Good reference guide.

Shipping was very prompt and well-packed, but I have to second the person who said it seems a little more than it should be for smaller orders. It's done by price range so to maximize your shipping value you must order $30 of packets, which of course isn't hard to do. I think this is because they mainly do larger orders. No question if I had a huge plot I'd be ordering seeds from them by the pound.

Germination rates I've found to be on par with or exceed what they claim on their packets, so I'm quite happy with that. I definitely appreciate the Safe Seed pledge. Will order from again!

I have ordered seeds for two years from Johnnys, and have been very satisfied with pricing, packaging, shipping and germination. I will definitely order from them again.

No problem with the quality/germination of seeds, which has been good, or pricing which is mid-range.

However, this company does have the highest shipping costs of any seed firm I've done business with, which will limit my orders in future years (their catalog also seems to be de-emphasizing ornamentals, a disappointment since I've found some interesting annuals there in the past).

Using high quality seeds really does make a difference and Johnney's has them. High quality seeds, excellent germination rate, and my order arrived within 3 days! Johnny's is now a permanent part of my supplier list.

I have several packets of Johnny's seeds and I am consistently impressed with the germination rates even over years of storage in my bottom fridge drawer.

This place has a great selection of seeds. I have never had any problems with germination with their seeds. The only problem I have had with this company was with a coupon code that was not processed right. I called after my credit card was charged and they took care of it instantly. This company is a must for anyone who grows vegetables from seed.

Michael

Seeds do come quickly however be sure you read the shipping info as they will send seeds as available to get them to you fast. This means you may receive packages on different days. Since I like to plant all on one day I will order to have one shipment next time. They do have many choices and lots of gardening equipment to shop from also.

I've ordered with Johnny Seeds in the past as well as this year- when i got my seed order this year I was SO excited! Always great prices and shipping. By the way-ALL of my plants from these seeds are growing great! They have great tools as well! Thanks Johnny!

While shipping is standard, they ship it to your convenience. I have had them ship seed packets in 3 different shipments to get them to me the fastest.

They have good quality seeds, the their website is probably the easiest one to get around on compared to many other seed and nursery websites.

Their prices are higher than others, but they make up for it in the customer service, they have been fastest to respond, and refund when I have had problems.

If you have a question about Johnny's Seeds concerning an order or product, give them an email, you won't be disappointed.

Have placed a few orders with this company. I've had a lot of success with the seeds I have planted...significantly better than any store-bought seeds, in my experience.

I also find their catalog/website to be very informative and helpful, with easily accessible information about what varieties would best suit the conditions in which I planned to plant.

I read with surprise the recent post about not receiving a timely seed order from Johhny's. I have shopped with them many times and never had a bad experience. Perhaps something is back-ordered and is holding up the works. The writer does not mention if they communicated with the company. Better to follow up with the company than to post a bad review. I ordered some Hellebores from a nearby growwer who had excellent reviews and was alarmed when the Paypal payment went thu but I had no communication and no plants. I sent several emails and called. A couple of months later I heard from the man, who had become deathy ill while travelling to speak in another country and had to have surgery. He said he was vey far behind in everything and offered to return my money, I am still waiting, but have faith that evenually something will come. Stuff happens.

i ordered my seeds on March 16th.Today is April 1st no seeds. I am very disappointed. This was my first and last ordering with Johnnys. My best regards to anyone that does order from them.

"On May 19, 2011 9:51 AM, Johnny's Selected Seeds responded with:

Hello shell_1,

We are very sorry you've had a disappointing experience with us and that your order was not received. I would be happy to look into this matter and make it right. Could you please send me your order number or your other contact information so that we can help? Please email in the information to publicrelations@johnnyseeds.com

Thank you,
Ben Sturtevant"

I just started ordering from Johnny's last year. I've ordered mostly seeds plus some row covers.

The customer service is outstanding! I have emailed them a few times with questions about products or an order, and their response is always timely (usually same day), polite, and helpful.

My orders arrive fast, with the couple of back orders coming more quickly than expected. The seed germination rate is high, and the plants have turned out very well - and I am a novice. :)

I will continue to order from Johnny's because they are a pleasure to deal with and have a terrific selection of quality products. (While at the same time I'm hoping that all of the Monsanto seeds will be phased out.)

I've used Johnny's for a couple of years and am very satisfied with their selection and service. I was so pleased I quadrupled my order with them this year. I find the plant descriptions in their catalog to be accurate and highly useful in making my selections but what really sets them apart is their website and how to videos. They are awesome!

This will be my third year ordering from Johnny's Seed. I order vegetable and flower seeds. Excellent service and very helpful. They quickly respond to emails.

I have some herb seeds left over my last year and decided to try and see if they would germinate ( I start mine indoors). Wow, within 5 days they had sprouted already. I have several other vegetable seeds left also which when the planting time is right, I'll try those as well.

I haven't been disappointed yet by their products.
Highly recommend Johnny's.

This is the first time I have ordered Johnny's and I'm so far very pleased with their service. I ordered 20 seed packets and a roll of of row cover on Feb. 25 which was a Friday. I received everything on Thursday March 3rd. Even the seeds that were shown on the website as back-ordered came in. Getting ready to plant in flats tomorrow. I will update as time goes on.

Largest selection of organic seeds as well as very detailed descriptions and instructions.

I received fine service and products from Johnny's. Everything was well packaged and delivered in a timely manner and so far have an outstanding germination rate for their seeds. Selection and descriptions are extensive. Take advantage of their interactive tools and videos on their website! A nice place for education as well as seed purchase.

Today I received my order of seeds from Johnny's. I ordered it 1 week ago today. Everything came exactly as ordered. Last year the vegetable and herb seeds germinated beautifully and I will order from them again. My only problem is that Spring can't get here fast enough!

Have always been very impressed by Johnny's Seed. Good germination, good on true-to-name qualities. If for no other reason, I keep coming back for the Islander Pepper -- I've grown other purple peppers, but it is the best!

I have purchased several hand tools, a broadfork, and over 15 variaties of veggie seeds from this company. I have only grown some of the lettuce(Royal Oak, Outredgeous, and Winter Density) they have performed well above standard. Germination rate was slightly higher than marked, and the lettuce has maintained the description listed on website and catalog. The only issue I had was in shipping of the broadfork a couple washers fell out of the box through delivery. Everything is shipped quickly, and they are quick to send backordered items and quick to let you know if there is a supply problem. I would encourage others to buy from this company.-- Tim

Seeds arrived quickly and in good order. The order was 100% correct and I will be ordering from this company again in the future.

I ordered 3 seed packets, of which two are tomato seeds, and one sweet pepper. They came quickly and I can't wait to try them next summer! Thankyou!

Customer service for this company is the BEST. I use their catalog like a gardening bible, as the culture on each and every plant is listed.
I called yesterday to place an order, and asked about a bug problem I was having. The customer rep was sooo helpful she actually got out a reference book to help me.
Johnny's is the best I've ever dealt with by far.

I ordered from Johnny's for the first time on April 29th. The order was shipped the next day and arrived 2 days later. I was able to track the package. The seeds were well packaged, and the size of the packets was so much bigger than from any other company. I feel that I got a really good deal.
Thanks, Johnny's!

I placed an online order late in the evening of April 11. It included a number of seed varieties (most from their sale list) and a transplanting trowel intended as a gift for my husband's birthday. I wasn't in a position to pay extra for special shipping, so I thought it would arrive late. Instead, it came on the 15th, a day before his birthday. That's good service.

I am a small commercial market gardener who has been buying seeds, tools and other supplies from Johnny's for over twenty years now (since 1989), and have had nothing but positive experiences with them. Yes, they're somewhat pricey (esp. the tools) but their customer service and informative literature is second to none, and their seed germination is the BEST. If they sell it, it will grow--it's worth the money. To those folks who gave Johnny's negative reviews because they carried some Seminis seeds, I say GROW UP. You can boycott whom you wish, but don't try to impose your values on everyone else. This forum is for evaluating quality of service and products, not "political correctness".

I just received most of my order from Johnny's seeds. They were out of 2 varietys that I ordered. They shipped the bulk of my order the day after receiving it and the 2 varietys they were out of arrived, within days of each other, about a week later. Love this company and have been doing business with them for a number of years.

I placed my first order with Johnny's this year, and I am definitely satisfied. They offer such great variety. And even at peak season, my order was quickly verified and shipped. I've started several seeds indoors already, and gotten great germination ratres.

This is my other of two favorite companies....Baker Creek and Johnnys are the best!! Love the products!

I've been growing Johnny's seeds for nearly 30 years now but this year I put in a HUGE order because we are growing in a greenhouse for the first time and also expanding our outdoor efforts. We are going to flirt with growing commercially. Experiment and see what we discover without any expectation of actually creating income.

I fell in love with Johnny's all over again.

For the northern gardener, especially, they simply can't be beat. The product selection is awesome and the varieties are tested. It's not about pretty pictures (though there are those, too), it's about seeds and tools that WORK. A newbie to gardening could get nearly all information needed here from the detailed seed instructions included in the catalog. (The best in the business in what it provides for actual growing information.) The seasoned grower will appreciate the details, too.

Johnny's places high value on TASTE alongside other virtues. All of the seeds are labeled with easy-to-read symbols in their catalog. Greenhouse growing, cold-hardy, ease of growing, etc.

Customer service is fabulous. Everyone is knowledgeable and friendly. There is good email communication about orders shipped in multiple shipments. Your card is not charged until the particular item SHIPS. (In fact, in my experience, not until you've actually RECEIVED it.)

If I could only grow ONE thing (say it ain't so!) it would be ACE peppers. Can't recommend them enough. They set fruit even under stress and turn red-ripe early. Johnny's is one of the few places that offer these seeds. Germination of my Ace seeds this year was 100%.... and my other Johnny's seeds' germination was much higher than with seeds from another source I might try.

They sell tools unavailable anywhere else. Often they are designed by Eliot Coleman...the cerebral, no-nonsense commercial gardener who releases his self-designed tools through Johnny's. Some of them can be pricey but Coleman is the first to encourage your own ingenuity. He forever changed the way I garden when I discovered him 25 years ago. This year's expansion for us is taking some of Coleman's more recent discoveries to heart. Johnny's carries the complete line of Coleman's books.

Buying from Johnny's is a win-win purchase you can feel good about: family-owned, first rate seeds, products and practices and innovation without gimmicks.

Love 'em.

Excellent company. Their online catalog was easy to navigate and I got everything I ordered within 5 days counting the weekend.

I put my order in online and noticed they were our of a specific type of soybean I wanted. Called the customer service number and got someone who admitted there was a crop failure at the grower. He gave me the name of the seed they were recommending as a replacement. I asked him if he would recommend it and he told me he's grown both and the replacement was not as flavorful as the one they were out of. I appreciate the honesty. BTW - my seeds arrived five days after ordering.

Great selection and Shipped FAST, well-packaged! A 5-star rating in my book!

I often order seeds from Johnny's, and I've always been pleased with the service and with the seed quality & germination. This year I ordered a large tool: a wheel hoe with attachments. My order was packed well and shipped quickly. I am 100% satisfied with Johnny's Selected Seeds.

Ordered both cover crops and vegetable seeds. Very fast shipping. Great selection. Very good catalog with growing tips, seed sizes and other interesting data.

Prompt shipping, great customer service. Part of my recent order was out-of-date, so I e-mailed Customer Service. I received a gracious reply the same day that a replacement was shipping immediately. The replacement arrived within days and with no hassles.

Seeds were delivered very quickly and website was easy to order from. Shipping on the high side. Enjoy the catalog. Was a little leary to order from d/t past feedback but experienced no problems thank goodness.