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Our company is the American gardener's premier source for top quality, untreated seeds. Our selection is unmatched (approximately 1,100 varieties available), and our products provide excellent value for the money. We've been delivering great gardening experiences since 1868—Always Dependable!
In our quest to sell only the best, we works with the top growers and developers around the world to bring new seed and plant opportunities to our customers. And our exclusive ParksPak(R) packaging and quality control processes ensure that seeds are kept at optimum low light/low humidity conditions until you are ready to plant them. Finally, to make sure that every gardener experiences success with seed, we enclose a free Gardener's Handbook with every order.
Of course, the best way for you to get to know us is to place an order with us and let us serve you personally. We welcome your input and questions, either via our online comment form (http://www.parkpr.com/feedback) or by calls to our customer service representatives and horticulturists (800-845-3369).
We Guarantee all products to be high quality, true to type, shipped properly, and to perform as advertised. If this is not the case, notify us as soon as possible, and we will gladly resolve the issue, offer gardening advice, or provide a merchandise credit. Please understand that we cannot accept responsibility for the results of extreme weather, neglect, unforeseeable acts of nature, or ignoring our hardiness zone recommendations
sandgarden Millsboro, DE (11 reviews) May 23, 2012
I've ordered plants and seeds for many years. Continue to be a customer based on quality. Never have had a problem.
Negative
reeve1 Plano, TX (Zone 8a) (30 reviews) May 22, 2012
Posted on March 5, 2012, updated May 22, 2012
I have to give credit where credit is due. I, too, have had some delays in delivery of seeds and orders of non-plant materials that are not subject to weather, but what I did receive was well packed, arrived safely and was exactly as advertised. When seed packs didn't have good germination rates or other problems occurred, they always refunded promptly and without question. All in all, I give Park's a positive rating. Yes, smaller companies with less overhead and business can react faster, but they get the job done and treat people humanely. If I had any troubles with getting a good outcome when problems occur, then I wouldn't be so generous. But, as long as they continue to do the right thing, I'll continue shopping there. No real harm has been caused by the problems I've encountered and they've gone the extra step to make it right. Thanks Park's!On May 22nd, 2012, reeve1 changed the rating from positive to negative and added the following:
I have experienced ALL the problems listed here - like deceptively selling seeds from 2011 by putting a 2012 sticker on the label and selling them as this year's product, poor seed count, poor packaging of tiny seeds and not providing a paper envelope inside the seed pack, poor viability of seeds, and all the other complaints and problems listed here.
But, the last straw is them not honoring their guarantee. It's like chasing a jack rabbit trying to get someone to follow through with what they say they are going to do once you get off the phone. I started doing this in writing so I had something that I could go back to my credit card company with. They sold me Pee Dee Liriope, their website says it has bright Yellow leaves, and the pictures show this. When I received them, they were medium green and looks like generic Liriope, not even close to the picture on their website. When I contacted them, a horticulturist got involved and stated that they needed a week to test the product. After a week with having the plant at her desk, she responded back to me saying that they acknowledged the misrepresentation and would issue a full refund for the full amount to my credit card. Weeks later, I receive a credit voucher towards more purchases, and they didn't even refund the shipping. Since this was the only item on this order and after explaining to them that this was their mistake, not mine, and I would not have ordered these if the item had been properly identified. They promised to issue a refund, but it's been over 2 months now and 3 attempts to email, to be promised the refund in 10 days, and I get nothing. Each person promises that they just initiated a refund to my card and then I don't see anything.
I'm issuing a chargeback today on my credit card and am finished shopping with these crooks! I only hope that they will finally go out of business soon so we can have one less obstacle and avoid the continuous problems that usually come with doing business with Park's and trying to purchase quality plants for my home and garden. They are not our friends.
Very poor tracking information at best. Seeds I ordered had a less than 50% germination rate. Still waiting for my shipment of annuals. Sent e-mails about status of my order and when plants would ship-no response after 2 days. Clicked on On-line chat and got a human but had to wait 5-10 minutes between each 1-2 word response from her. Still didn't really answer any of my questions and said that they are "backed up " on e-mails. I run 3 successful businesses and would never treat my customers like this. They get an F from me in the customer service department. This was my first and last order from them as they have forever lost my business.
Posted on April 25, 2012, updated May 9, 2012
I originally chose to order from Parks since they had some seeds that I was not able to find with other sellers. Their prices are a bit high but they do have many options so it makes sense to buy from them.
there are 3 reasons I'm marking as a negative. One is their shipping which all I ordered were seeds and they charge $7.95 which is a bit excessive for seeds which means they are making profit off of shipping. To make it worse they did not provide tracking information and it took 13 days to get my order.
The second offense was the fact they sent me old seeds from 2011. A white label was printed out and stuck over the "packed for 2011" to read "packed for 2012". That is not only gehtto but lame! I paid $4 bucks for fresh seeds I did not pay a discounted price for old seeds. Yes some seeds will be ok for a few years but as a business this is very underhanded business move. If they are unable to sell product they need to reduce the price and sell it as older product and give the new product to customers paying full price. It also seems their newer seed packs do not have dates printed on them so I would assume this means it will be easier for them to recycle their old product with less complaints.
The 3rd offense is they specifically state a seed count for each product which is not true in some cases. I had 2 packs of seeds that claimed a 20 count and was less. The other packs were the right count and in some cases a few more. If they are not able to properly pack their product as quoted on their website they need to be selling based on weight and not count.
Posted on April 24, 2012, updated May 4, 2012
I ordered various seeds and two live plants on the 15th, and I received an email on the 17th telling me that they were shipped. On the 19th, I got the two live plants, and I just got the seeds on the 23rd.
The plants were severely root bound, and it took me over an hour per plant to untangle and plant them. I also think the graft on the dwarf black fig I got is very low, and I hope I don't have any problems with water sprouts in the future, although I'll probably just propagate and graft a new tree if it gets bad. Even though the plant conditions weren't perfect, I personally haven't had much better luck with any type of live plants from anywhere else, and I think if I ordered my plants more timely, they would have arrived in better condition.
Anyways, overall, I ordered some plants and seeds, and I got the plants and seeds, nothing special.On May 4th, 2012, Flyingpiggs changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
After taking a closer look at the fig tree, I realized that it's infected with fig rust, which is why the leaves were curled when I first got the plant. I treated it with some copper spray, and it appears to still be alive, although I pruned the top off after planting so I don't see any foliage or bud break yet.
I emailed them about two weeks ago about it, and I haven't gotten any type of response. Another email I sent them previously about their product had two questions in it, and the representative completely ignored the second question that I asked. I'm about to send them another one right now asking again, but I don't really expect any response this time either, especially with Mother's Day coming up.
Positive
Larrys_Gardens Castle Rock, WA (Zone 8a) (3 reviews) May 4, 2012
I have ordered seed, biodomes, and biodome refills for the past several years. I have never had a problem.
This year I decided to take a leap and order live plants. I place two orders, and I was amazed at the quality of the plants, the quality of the packaging, and of course, the expedited shipping time.
Very well done.
Positive
larry3228 Columbia, TN (Zone 6b) (1 review) May 1, 2012
After a number of years buying seeds at the local big box store I decided to try Park Seed again. My order of strawberry plants arrived in 6 days, both of the types had a few extra plants. I set them out a few days ago and they look good so far. My order of 14 types of seeds arrived in 9 days, no back orders or errors. I'll update this review after I see how everything grows.
Positive
OHGardenGuy Loveland, OH (3 reviews) April 30, 2012
Posted on May 6, 2011, updated April 30, 2012
Posted on April 25, 2011, updated May 6, 2011
Posted on February 23, 2011, updated April 25, 2011
This is the second year that I have ordered the bulk of my seeds from Park Seed and I have been very happy with their service and products. My garden last year was one of the best I've had in years and that was with a drought in southwest Ohio.
My order this year was delivered promptly (37 packets of seed plus seed starting mix/pots). I have only one packet outstanding (cucumbers) which I don't need for awhile anyway. I for one am quite happy with Park.On April 25th, 2011, OHGardenGuy added the following:
Just an update on this year's seed starting activities. All seeds that I purchased from Park have been planted and nearly every single one has germinated (including the seed packets that had the "Packed for 2011" label covering the original label on the packet.
The pansies I already moved outdoors are blooming like crazy. Most of my other seedlings are growing so fast that I have to keep putting them under additional grow lights so they can keep growing with plenty of room. Some really exceptional ones: Sunny Lady and Cherry Blush Impatiens, Big Begonias (all types - huge plants right now), Wizard Mix and Watermelon Coleus, Arizona Sun Blanket Flowers and all the tomatoes and peppers that I have started (all ready to go out now, but I still have to wait a couple of weeks).
The only ones I didn't have much luck with were Delphiniums, but I never have any luck with them and thought I would give them one last chance.
In summary, I have had great luck with Park seeds both this year and last. Now I just need to get them into the garden - this rainy springs is maddening!On May 6th, 2011, OHGardenGuy added the following:
One last comment on this year's purchase. The cucumber seeds I didn't receive were replaced with another variety at no cost (I was not charged for my original cucumber seed order either). The variety I ordered apparently had a crop failure hence the replacement. Not bad out of 37 seeds packets ordered. And I appreciated the free seeds. On April 30th, 2012, OHGardenGuy added the following:
I have had nothing be excellent luck with Pard Seeds. I placed my 2012 order in late December (40 packets of flowers and veggies) and received my complete order in a couple of week. My experience with germination rates has been at least 98%.
I agree that I am not crazy about the way some packets have the current-year label placed over the previous year's "grown for" date. I still had the excellent germination rates, so I don't sweat that too much. My problem is that I tend to have too many plants to set out (and not enough room for them).
Positive
qterhrs Friedens, PA (Zone 5a) (4 reviews) April 30, 2012
Way back in the 80's Park & Burpee were my go to companies but after years of bad germination I stopped using them. This season I needed some seed starting supplies and Park had great prices so I thought I would give them another try. They had seeds on sale so I purchased some of them alond with my supplies. Shipping was fast and well packed although I forgot what a PITA packing peanuts where. All the seeds germinated and are growing great so I placed a second order and had the same great experience. They will be added to my list of companies to order from next year.
Negative
excellentjohn Binghamton, NY (2 reviews) April 27, 2012
I have given Park seed many many many chances to improve itself. The catalog offers "unique" seeds but planting instructions are marked generically and poorly with gold foil envelopes that loose the seed and are hard or impossible to read. THE SEED GERMINATION IS 40-50% AT BEST. And most importantly, IF you choose to do business with this seed company, you better give yourself 2-3 months to receive your seeds. Customer service is full of broken promises such as "I apologize for the 4 week back order in sending out THE REST of your order but they were on back order. I will rush your order out today." 4 weeks later, still never received my order. B E W A R E with Park Seed. Bad, bad, bad, bad!
On January 9 I placed a small order with Park Seed. After receiving no delivery information, on Jan. 27 I wrote them asking about the status of my order. Park responded to say that they were holding my order because one item was on back order, which they did not inform me of when I ordered. They did not tell me when the item would be available. They shipped my order on Jan. 31, minus my back order. The heading on the order invoice said: "THIS SHIPMENT MAY NOT INCLUDE ALL ITEMS ORDERED. CHECK OUR WEB SITE UNDER -ORDER STATUS- FOR INFO ON ANY ITEMS NOT INCLUDED IN SHIPMENT." What kind of service is that; they do not even tell you what is on back order?
When I heard nothing further from Park Seed for another month, I assumed that the back ordered item had been cancelled according to Federal law. By Federal Law a company must ship a back ordered item within 30 days, cancel the back ordered item, or give me the opportunity to extend the back order period. Park did nothing.
On March 30 Park shipped my back ordered item. More than 2 1/2 months after the order was placed. To think they were planning to hold my order that entire time.
Park Seed was a good company in years past. I will never order from them again.
Positive
Old_Gardener Calabasas, CA (20 reviews) April 24, 2012
Posted on March 3, 2012, updated April 24, 2012
I placed 2 orders in November, 2011 (on the 1st and 4th). When I received the second order before the first (on the 17th), I emailed Parks to inquire about the status of the first order and was informed that shipment was delayed due to a back-ordered item and that the item was not expected in until "sometime after Thanksgiving". I opted to have the in stock items sent out rather than wait. I did not receive the last item until mid- to late- December. I would have preferred Parks to 1) notify me that there was going to be a delay in shipping, 2) notify me that an item was on back-order and 3) notify me when they did actually ship. In addition, I have had some issues with germination rates this year (just one example: a pack of marigolds with 0% germination while 2 other packs of marigolds ran 95%+). The daylilies I purchased were dried out and very small but most have managed to survive. After 25+ years of ordering from Parks, I won't be back as I have discovered other vendors through Dave's that have better quality stock.On April 24th, 2012, Old_Gardener changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following:
I placed an order late 4/16 for some bio-dome/bio-sponge products and miscellaneous seed. Park Seed shipped on the 18th and I received everything today, 4/24. I'm pleased this time with their service.
Neutral
LoveForests Clearwater, FL (Zone 10a) (3 reviews) April 12, 2012
Posted on April 2, 2012, updated April 12, 2012
Posted on March 24, 2012, updated April 2, 2012
Ordered 3 packets of seeds, they sent me an email saying all three were shipped.
Two weeks later nothing has arrived, so I email them saying I received no seeds. They email me and say they are going to re-ship two of the seed packets but the 3rd seed packet is now "out-of-stock".
They email me 4 days later saying the two seed packets were shipped. Two and a half weeks later none of the seeds ever arrived.
So this whole time, they get to have my money, but I don't get to have my seeds, (which I really needed those seeds a month ago because it is going to be getting very hot here in Florida very soon).
I am never ordering from them ever again.On April 2nd, 2012, LoveForests changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
One packet of seeds arrived today.
I called the seed company, the nice Lady said my other two packets of seeds were returned to their company after being shipped to me. She asked me if I would want a credit or have those two seed packets shipped out to me again (today), .... I said go ahead and ship those two seed packets to me again. Hopefully they will get here this time
By the way, I never had any shipments from any place marked as "undeliverable" to this address, so her saying that is what happened is pretty new to me.
Will see if I get the rest of the seed packets.On April 12th, 2012, LoveForests added the following:
Received the rest of the seed packets on April 9, 2012.
Sure wish I had known that Park Seed filed Bankruptcy, I would NOT have placed an order. As it stands, I've received nothing despite promise after promise after promise. They won't cancel my entire order and say if I refuse shipment -- if and when they ever ship it -- they'll give me a merchandise credit (eh-hum...WHEN they receive it) but they won't refund my money. Does their website reflect anything they say is on backorder? NO! But, that's their excuse, if they don't use the, "ship out immediately" one. Don't waste your time nor your hard-earned cash! ORDER AT YOUR OWN PERIL!
Neutral
cramsey1 Salt Lake City, UT (Zone 6b) (22 reviews) March 19, 2012
I recently purchased several packages of seeds from Parks. They were the only vendor that had Snapdragon Twinny Violet $3.95 Snapdragon Twinny Bronze Shades $3.95, Snapdragon Twinny Yellow Shades $3.95, Columbine Double Pleat Blue and White $1.95, Cantaloupe Ambrosia Hybrid $4.25. The prices were high and the shipping was $6.95. Very expensive for 5 packages of seeds. Well the snapdragon seeds germinated well but I had only 4 out of the 20 seeds of the Columbine germinate. I hope my Cantaloupe seeds germinate better then the Columbine. Now in Parks favor they did replace the Columbine seeds and I should receive them sometime next week. I think that their prices are very high for the amount of seeds they sell and the shipping cost are outrageous. However, their customer service was good. Overall I gave them a neutral rather then a Negative because they replaced the seeds and had good customer service. However, a 2 oz package sent first class USPS mail should only have cost 90 cents and not almost $7.00.
Ordered Bio-Dome products in January 2011 on a special sale. They were not delivered until the end of April 2011 - long after seed-started time for the season. I made multiple calls for help in getting the order delivered to no avail. Was promised many times that a supervisor would return my call but no one ever did.
Negative
infosquid Skokie, IL (2 reviews) February 25, 2012
I've bought flower and vegetable seed from the Park Seed Company for years and years, but this year I was disappointed to receive seeds marked "packed for 2012" on a label that was pasted over a label that read, "Packed for 2011"! Very disappointing. Shame on you, Park Seed! Looks like an old faithful has fallen onto bad times. I'll order elsewhere in the future.
Negative
GeorgeCoo Vernon Center, MN (1 review) February 20, 2012
Posted on February 20, 2012, updated February 20, 2012
Like others have mentioned, I have found inordinate delays in getting seed and other orders sent from Parks Seed. On 1/26/2012, we placed a seed order with Parks Seed. In the past, they have always sent partial seed orders if something was back ordered. THEY DIDN'T. I called on Monday, February 13 to see why we hadn't heard or been sent anything. The order was being held up because they didn't have two packages of seeds. They agreed to "rush" the rest of the order to me. Since I had received no acknowledgement of the order being sent, I called again today (February 20). The first customer service representative told me that the order had been shipped on Friday of last week and gave me a tracking number. I asked to speak to a supervisor who I was told would call me back in a few minutes...that was four hours ago. I checked with the US Postal Service. The second time I called at about 10 AM, they again stated the same as the previous and told me I had to go not to the postal service website to find the location of the package but to streamliteinc. I did. Again, when I couldn't find the package, I called back. This time, another representative stated that they were sending out the package TODAY and that I couldn't track it either through the postal service or Streamliteinc. OK. Now what? I await hearing from the "supervisor" to find out who is correct and why I am getting different stories.
This was our "last chance" for Parks Seed. In the past, they had always sent partial seed orders if they didn't have all of the stuff. NOW??? In the past, they had delayed other plant orders so that we got caladium bulbs, dried up petunias. etc that came in the heat of late May/early June. By August 1, the bulbs were so damaged they had produced only 3 small leaves. WOW!! These plant delays apparently come from their agronomist beliefs in the proper shipping times to the north. They were dead last by over three weeks in our plant orders from similar companies. I don't recommend ever this company. My mistake for giving them another opportunity. On February 20th, 2012, GeorgeCoo added the following:
Since no supervisor called me by 3 PM, I called Park Seed again. Finally got to a supervisor who told me my seeds had been shipped TODAY; they went to streamliteinc.com & that they would get them to a regional center of the postal service. They said that streamlite typically takes 3-5 business days to get it to the post office and then they expected the post office to take another 3-5 days to get them to Minnesota. That makes it March 1 or later. I still can't get the tracking number to work nor does my email show it was sent (yes, I checked the spam). Let's see...if I plant the impatiens the day they arrive and it takes 12 weeks to get to the point where one can set out the plants...yep, that makes it JUNE!!!! Good work Park Seed!!!
Posted on March 29, 2011, updated February 20, 2012
Posted on February 8, 2010, updated March 29, 2011
I have ordered seed from Park Seed for over 25 years. In the past, orders have been processed in a reasonable period of time - even late orders were received within a week or two. Last year and this I waited up to a month before receiving anything. I realize mid/late winter is a busy time for seed companies but I received all seed from other suppliers within 2 weeks. It's unlikely I will order from Park again unless there is something that no one else carries.On March 29th, 2011, kjd added the following:
Again, ordered a few packets of seed this year. It took 3 weeks for my order to show anything other than "not shipped" on their website. An email inquiring the status received only a canned reply. Eventually the seeds did arrive. Of the 4 packets, 2 had nearly 100% germination ( used to be typical for Parks), the other 2 had no germination at all. I'm still waiting after a month for a reply to my email regarding this issue. I will NOT be ordering from Park Seed ever again.On February 20th, 2012, kjd added the following:
Last April I contacted Parks 3 times regarding no germination of some seed packets. It was not the entire order, and the non-germinating seed was not one requiring special treatment or expertise. I did not get any kind of acknowledgment or reply. Eventually I ordered the same seed from Harris and had over 90% germination. Parks guarantee states they will replace or refund if contacted in a timely manner. When I received their catalog again this spring, I sent another note about last year's order, and I tried to call but could only leave a message. Neither the note or the call were returned. I guess they are no longer interested in my business.
Posted on April 23, 2011, updated February 12, 2012
Posted on April 23, 2011, updated April 23, 2011
I wanted to plant some Helleborus for my wife. In order to get all the varieties I wanted, I ended up buying from 3 different online vendors. Most sold them for $20 each, including Park Seed. One had an internet special for $10 each.
Park Seed plants arrived last out of the three. They were fairly large and healthy compared to the other companies.
I just planted them so it is too soon to tell how they will work out in the long term, but by comparison, I give them a positive rating.On April 23rd, 2011, srvadt added the following:
Ooops, I got this company confused with one of the other 3. The review should have gone like this:
Most sold them for $20 each, but Park Seed had the Golden Sunrise variety online as an internet special for $10 each, so I bought two, but was wary of what the quality would be like for that price.
Park Seed's arrived first. They were also the largest and healthiest of the three. Amazing. By far the best company of the three.On February 11th, 2012, srvadt added the following:
Update Spring 2012: Plants did great over the winter and are putting up flowers in February!
Positive
CapeCodGardener Mid-Cape, MA (Zone 7a) (13 reviews) February 10, 2012
Posted on April 18, 2010, updated February 10, 2012
My experience with Park Seed has been very positive since I began ordering seeds and seed-starting supplies (BioDomes and sponges) in 2006. This year I ordered about 25 different varieties of flower and vegetable seeds and received them all within a few weeks. As another reviewer noted, their prices aren't always the cheapest--though generally reasonable--but I've always had good germination with them and I like the detailed instructions on the website and in the printed catalog. I also ordered a three-tier L-5 plant grow-light system from them in February and received it in a few weeks, despite being told that it was back-ordered for two months! Don't know if this slight confusion was a result of their bankruptcy process, but I was pleased nonetheless to receive the setup so quickly!
I'm hoping that they emerge from bankruptcy reorganization in good shape because I've always relied on them and had good service.On February 10th, 2012, CapeCodGardener added the following:
My rating is still positive, in Feb. 2012. I ordered several bags of Bio Sponge refills on Jan 31 and received them four days later, with a bonus packet of tomato seeds. I think this is the fasted response yet from Park Seed.
Neutral
gardenpom Melbourne, FL (4 reviews) February 9, 2012
Posted on January 14, 2010, updated February 9, 2012
Posted on October 21, 2006, updated January 13, 2010
I have been ordering from Park Seed for a good 30 years, since moving to Florida in 1975. They have always provided fast service, excellent seeds and plants, and excellent customer service. I just received two Verbena plants last week that looked OK upon arrival, but within 24 hours had shriveled folaige and now appear dead. I have e-mailed them about this, so we'll see if they are still the company they used to be. I expect they will be good to their word, and if they aren't I will be back to let you know. On October 22nd, 2006, gardenpom changed the rating from positive to negative and added the following:
Well, I'm back to update my recent post about Park Seed. In reading the letters from other people I was dissapointed to find out Parks is no longer a family run business. That may explain how the company has changed for the worse. I e-mailed them to tell them my two Verbena I received died practically overnight...they tried to tell me the plants have simply gone into dormancy (overnight). The plants are DEAD. I am not going to fight with them over $7.95. The bad publicity they get will hurt them more than the money will hurt me. They are no longer the wonderful seed company I dealt with for YEARS. Enough said!On January 23rd, 2007, gardenpom changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
I will not let one bad experience undo all the years of pleasure I had ordering from this company. I wish they were the same trusted company they used to be, but since they are not I will no longer order from them. I will change my rating to NEUTRAL. On March 16th, 2008, gardenpom added the following:
Against my better judgement I did order once more, from Wayside Gardens, only because I wanted a Butterfly Rose bush and could find it no where else. My credit card was charged and I waited for my Rose. I never heard anything so I finally e-mailed them as to the whereabouts of the Rose bush. They explained the ones they had been sent were not up to their standards and were sent back. To make a long story short, the Rose I ordered in spring did not arrive till fall. It was a decent sized and healthy plant when it finally did arrive. Most reputable companies will not charge a credit card until they ship an item, but Parks wastes no time getting their money up front. I am leaving my rating at neutral only because of the years of good service I had from Parks companies. But I will NEVER order from this company again. There is NO EXCUSE for not keeping a customer informed about their order.On January 26th, 2009, gardenpom added the following:
Very sad reading all the reviews here, because this was ONCE a wonderful company. I eagerly read through the winter catalogs, checking off what I wanted, and would order a few times a years, always getting excellent service. I still receive their catalogs, but now they go straight to the trash. On January 14th, 2010, gardenpom added the following:
Just received the spring catalog and was almost tempted to order a few things. They do have one of the nicest seed catalogs out there. Thank goodness I came back here to the reviews. It brought me back to my senses. Catalog to recycling. On February 9th, 2012, gardenpom added the following:
I wanted to update this review, because six months ago I was looking on the internet for another plant light for starting seeds, and finally decided to get another just like the one I have now, which I got from Parks. I filled out the order and went to do the credit card info, and my computer warned me that it was not a secure site...so I cancelled the whole thing. I then e-mailed them to tell them about it, and of course, never got any e-mail back.
Positive
tabbscreek Irvington, VA (7 reviews) February 8, 2012
I ordered assorted annual seeds over the internet on Jan. 29 and they arrived in my mail box Feb. 7. My family has ordered from Park for over 40 years and have been very satisfied with their service over that time.
I have ordered from Park Seed a few times over the years. I guess I have been very lucky because I have never had a problem with a single order. My last order was for seed starting supplies. They had some of the best prices on 1020 trays and cell flats I could find. Shipping was very reasonable. Roughly half the price of a very similar order I had placed elsewhere. Over all I'm very happy with Park Seed and will buy from them again.
Negative
orcasgirl Monmouth, OR (1 review) January 28, 2012
Last winter (2011) I sent an order to Park Seed. I know Oregon is far from South Carolina, but it shouldn't take a month for a package to be shipped and arrive here. It did. I heard about restructuring of Park, that they were under new ownership, etc., so decided to try again this year. (The pictures are really pretty!) I sent the order, via snail mail, on January 2nd. The check reached my bank on January 10th. Today, January 28th, my order still had not arrived. I called and was told that the order had not shipped because one of the items (seed starting soil, which I NEED) was on back order. Most companies would have shipped the items that were in stock and informed me of the back order. Today I asked Park to ship the package (which will now go out January 30th) and cancel the soil and refund the difference. I am not happy, and will not order from them again.
Neutral
jimwatershed Saint Augustine, FL (Zone 8b) (4 reviews) January 5, 2012
Positives:
Some seeds have a good price
Overall, what I have planted seems to have acceptable germination (mostly herbs)
Negatives
Shipping charges seem rather high and in reverse
Lots of seeds are pricey (and I didn't order those)
Took a while for my order to arrive
Neutral
willmetge Spokane, WA (Zone 5b) (7 reviews) December 29, 2011
Posted on September 10, 2009, updated December 29, 2011
Very misleading description of Heteropappus meyendorfii (Blue Knoll). The photo is totally doctored. I've grown this variety for years and it looks nothing like the photo. The information provided is very misleading and contradictory. The subheading says "Neat little cushion of lavendar blue" and the description refers to it as "powder blue". I would consider it a soft blue violet that is definately not a "neat little cushion".
The description says "in late summer, when all the summer annuals are fading and the fall color hasn't yet got started, it is nothing short of amazing" and then states at the bottom "sow seeds in January or February for October and November bloom". It always is the last thing to bloom for me, even after the garden Mums. I have never had it bloom even close to summer.On December 29th, 2011, willmetge changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
Neutral
zinniared Virginia Beach, VA (Zone 8a) (1 review) October 15, 2011
Posted on October 10, 2011, updated October 15, 2011
Posted on October 9, 2011, updated October 10, 2011
First time ever ordering from Park Seeds. They had a
certain pepper I wanted. I bought 2 packs of the pepper,
25 seeds suppose to be in each packer. One had 24,
okay that just one seed short. The other pack had 21,
four seeds short. When you pay $7.02 shipping for
2 packs of peppers and 2 packs of tomatoes, you do not
want to be shorted any seeds, especially hybrids.
Most companies will give you a little extra because not
all seed germinate. Parks is so stingy!On October 10th, 2011, zinniared added the following:
I sent them an e-mail and received a reply that they
had an automated machine that packs the seeds
and sometimes it gets stuck. They are going to send
me some replacement seeds. Will update post if
I receive replacement seeds.On October 15th, 2011, zinniared changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
I did receive a replacement packet yesterday 10/14,
so I am happy about that. I changed the rating from
negative to neutral.
Neutral
sharonmi Westland, MI (Zone 6a) (3 reviews) September 8, 2011
Posted on March 1, 2011, updated September 8, 2011
Posted on February 14, 2010, updated March 1, 2011
Gave Park one last try this year (how dumb am I?). Order arrived after 5+ weeks and 2 phone calls, still not a complete order. Two packets of seeds had little stickers placed over the area that has the date on the front, you know, packed for 2010, which is what the stickers said. Well, like I'm not going to peel them off, and underneath them it said packed for 2009. So, not only are they liars (each phone call they claimed they would send my order right out, put a rush on it - via pony express, I guess), they are also cheats, trying to pawn off old seed on us. Not very smart about it, either. So I say, DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS COMPANY! It will be a big waste of your money. Want my order no., Park? 5875366 Lets see you lie your way out of this one.On March 1st, 2011, sharonmi changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
Ordered from Parks this year only because I had a credit due, which I received only after complaining to the S.C. BBB. So far, I am pleasantly surprised. My seeds arrived within 3 weeks (quick for Park), and I received a refund for seeds for which the price had dropped. I mean, who does that? A refund! I will reserve judgement on ordering from them again and watch this years posts to see if they have improved or are still the same old same old.On September 8th, 2011, sharonmi added the following:
All seeds germinated well this year,but I'm still seeing all the negative posts so will have to think hard before I order from them again.
Positive
gardenboy1985 Stratford Canada (9 reviews) September 5, 2011
Posted on January 30, 2010, updated September 5, 2011
I Have ordered seeds from Park's for the past 5 or 6 years with no problem's at all! The seed all germinates well. There catalogue is wonderful and is a very good place to get hard to find seeds. Seed is well packaged in foil envelopes to keep them fresh for a long time. Customer service has been excellent to me. And they make ordering seed from Canada a breeze. I Would gladly recommend this company to anyone and will contine to order from them!On September 5th, 2011, gardenboy1985 added the following:
Ordered many different seeds again this spring with excellent results. Germination was at least 80% with all of the seeds. Not sure why there are so many negative comments. I have been ordering SEEDS from this company for 10+ yeasr and never had a problem! I WOULD RECOMMEND this company to anyone!
Positive
quixotic_in_AK Eagle River, AK (2 reviews) August 5, 2011
This year I placed my first order with Park's and I have to say that I was and am impressed, so much so I placed another order. The order contained a couple bio-domes and 10 seed packets. The bio-domes are a God send! Previously I had only grown in recycled tubs, peat pots, ect... This year I experienced no damping off, bugs or any other ailments and in addition the roots were plentiful and obscenely long. The seeds I ordered had a close to 90% germ rate, as opposed to the seeds I had ordered from Thompson & Morgan (maybe 20%) and they all came true to type. Had the same positive experience with my second order. Not sure why there are so many bad reviews...However I do know that I will be ordering again.
They were very unpleasant on the phone, Itoh Peony is still vegetating, really barely clinging to life and so far since spring not a single oregano seed germinated. They charged two separate shipments for the one peony and three seed packets.. The person on the phone was so unpleasant, I just dropped it and will simply shop elsewhere. It is too distasteful to deal further with them and not worth the stress.
Positive
CTYankeegirl Mystic, CT (12 reviews) July 24, 2011
Wow! I guess I've just been lucky ordering from them. I've ordered seeds from them the last several years and had no problems at all. The all came just like they should. This year I ordered several plants from them and once again, no problems. They were well packed and healthy ( Scaevola aemula - fanflower). They are thriving! The strawberry plants are also doing great. I shared them with the neighbor kids and they are doing great as well.
I'll keep ordering from them until something goes wrong...
I ordered plants which came baretoot. Four alive and one VERY dead and moldy. I sent it back for a refund with order form etc but since i did not send it registered return receipt they claim they never got it and refused a refund . Burgess plants sent same way to Burgess and they SENT refund.
Buyers beware - send everything back return receipt registered etc etc - this company will do everything to avoid responsibility. The postage would cost more than the plant was worth - probably part of their game.
Negative
purple53 Rohrersville, MD (2 reviews) June 13, 2011
In my early days of gardening, about 20 years ago, I cheerfully and naively ordered from the big, mainstream catalogs like Park's. I didn't know any better, so the seeds that germinated and were true to name delighted me. These days I'm wiser and more experienced. I know I can do better, far better, with smaller mom-pop suppliers who know and grow and really care about their products. Every time I have fallen for a "big sale" on Park's plants recently, I've filled my cart and then left it after seeing the exorbitant shipping charges and remembering the puny size and weakness of the plants that I had gotten in the past. No one from Customer Service ever responds to my suggestion that they bring their shipping charges in line with reputable nurseries--nurseries that, unlike Park's, do NOT tack on a fuel surcharge. I don't intend to order from Park's ever again.
Ordered wave petunia seeds, grew them in greenhouse. As they came up they looked "odd". Well 5 out of 30 seeds were petunias, rest loose leaf lettuce!!! Company wanted to replace seeds-they take 8-10 weeks to germinate-that means by August they might grow. No. Wanted to give me my money back-I had 8 hanging pots of lettuce-no, if I replaced them it would be $30 a pot! So they JUST sent me replacement live plants. They are the most pitiful things I have ever seen, so root bound they are having a hard time just surviving in soil. I would be ashamed to send out such terrible plants and there is no excuse for 30 seeds, 3 different colors, all being lettuce! Never will I buy from Park.
I had ordered rainbow pepperseeds and twice all I received was empy packs, NO seeds, I called them the first time, they sent me the other pack, same- no seeds, I finally told them to give me a refund, they said they would, but I haven't seen it posted to my bank account. I am really angrey with them, will never order from them again. They told me it wasn't their fault, but whose could it be? When I order something I expect to get it, it's my money.
Positive
aileen246 Priest River, ID (19 reviews) June 3, 2011
Late 2010, early 2011 I ordered a number of seeds from Park. Some were on their seed sale. Every variety I planted germinated very well. I have not ordered any live plants from them, so I cannot comment on them, but I am very happy with the seed orders. Will continue to buy seeds from Parks.
Bad and worse. This is our summer house and I asked that the plants be shipped after Memorial Day, when we arrive. The first batch was sent 5/13 and left outside our door. So they were dead by the time we got to them. Second batch was supposed to be here June 5, arrived four days early, two of the three plants withered and dead, one of the plants rotting and dying. No info on the website, either -- it stills says the second batch hasn't shipped yet.
I have ordered from Park Seed for the last 3 years. I have always been happy with them. The plants I recieve are packaged well, they are healthy and I always recieve them when I should! I have had plants shipped from other companies when there is still frost in the ground! This year I ordered 30 plants and they all arrived in great condition at an appropriate time and they are ALL thriving. Thanks! Park Seed :o)
Visit Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) at:
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