The scoop on 'Thompson and Morgan (US)'

Company Profile   Thompson and Morgan (US) Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1308 Jackson, New Jersey 08527-0308 (United States) Phone: 800-274-7333 Fax: 888-466-4769 Catalog Order Page: Hyperlink Paper Catalog Cost: Free » E-Mail them » Visit their website Recent reviews: Past month Past 6 Months Past 12 Months Positive 0 1 3 Neutral 2 3 4 Negative 0 0 1 This company is affiliated with Thompson and Morgan (UK) This company is affiliated with 1 company: ValueSeeds.com This company offers a variety of gardening supplies and seeds. Other helpful information: Accepts retail and wholesale orders Member of Mailorder Gardening Association

Company Comment, posted on April 01, 2009:   Thompson & Morgan (US) provides a great selection of the well-known and not so well-known seed varieties. We specialize in bring you the newest flower and vegetable seeds, as well as rare and unusual items. Our seeds are tested continuously throughout the year for good germination and vigor and all exceed the USDA standards. Nothing is genetically modified and we have signed the safe seed pledge. The seeds are sent fresh to us here in New Jersey directly from England, where we have strived for over 150 years to bring you the best from around the world. If you are not sure about how to grow your seeds, we’ll be happy to help you. Email us at tminc@tmseeds.com. 100% satisfaction guaranteed or we'll give you a replacement or refund.

Feedback History and Summary   68 positives 25 neutrals 49 negatives

Comments:

Rating Author Content Neutral kdfisher Ellijay, GA (1 review) November 01, 2009 "Thompson & Morgan Seedsmen, Inc. U. S. operations was acquired by none other than Gardens Alive as of Sept. 25, 2009" Curious as to how this will affect ordering through them? We all know mergers sometimes work and sometimes do not. Or better put... sometimes the bugs have to be worked out. Neutral seagardener Southport, ME (20 reviews) October 29, 2009 Holy wormcastings Batman!... Thompson & Morgan Seedsmen, Inc. U. S. operations was acquired by none other than Gardens Alive as of Sept. 25, 2009 (according to businessweek.com). It appears to be a larger format printed catalog but it seems as though there are less varieties to choose from(?)...speculation on my part. As many printed catalogs do now, there are special boxes bringing attention to more listed items on the web. The website in my opinion is a little less user friendly and is missing the convenient master index that could be searched by separate letter of the alphabet. The website search feature is also not complete: a search of "papaver" or "poppy" only comes up with two items on the website yet the print catalog lists thirteen under "poppy". Positive Karldan Norfolk, VA (Zone 8a) (3 reviews) May 21, 2009 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. On July 21st, 2009, Karldan added the following: The Cherry Brandy Rudbeckia plants are awesome in bloom. Stocky, well branched, and the blooms are true cherry red, none of the "rust or mahogany" shades normally seen in this flower. Shame, shame on the American breeders for ignoring this native plant. T & M has developed beautiful double and quill flowered forms, some top award winners. The bonus seeds of cactus flowered Zinnia are beautiful. Very large clear colored beauties, and for free. T & M remains my favorite of the seed catalogs, mainly for the ecletic and exotic seeds unavailable elsewhere. Oh, and the Crunchy Mini Belles peppers started blooming while still in the jiffy cubes. Needless to say, they are now loaded with sweet delectible peppers. I have a hard time growing the large blocky bells, and this is a perfect solution. Neutral thegladiator Pottstown, PA (Zone 6b) (5 reviews) May 20, 2009 I ordered some Cherry Brandy Rudbeckia seeds and some Lavender seeds and a soil thermometer on 4/14/09. I didn't keep track of how long it took to get my order but it did arrive fairly promptly. My issue is that none of my lavender seeds have germinated. However, the Cherry Rudbeckia have germinated quite nicely. The Rudbeckiaare very small and don't seem to be getting larger but I could be a little impatient. Since I only paid 2.95 for the lavender seeds its not much of a loss. However, all my work to get them up and growing has gone down the drain. Luckily I didn't create the flower bed in which I was going to plant the lavender. I gave the company a neutral but it should be closer to a negative because what's the point of getting seeds from a company if all you end up with is peat pots full of dirt. I think I might just opt to buy grown pants from a local nursery. As for the company, I would say the service is good but the product is low quality and you may not get any plants from the seeds (50/50 chance). The thermometer was just an overpriced meat thermometer. It wasn't a special designed thermometer just for dirt. Don't waste your money, go to a local kitchen supply store and get a cheap one, save the S/H Company representative comment on May 20, 2009: On May 20, 2009 12:34 PM, Thompson and Morgan (US) responded with: I am so pleased you liked the Rudbeckia Cherry Brandy, I am sure they will look great this summer, but I am sorry for your disappointment with the Lavender seeds - and I completely understand! I tried these myself and did not realize at first how much patience and care I would need for these seeds. I was determined to have my Lavender plants though and now have a nice row in my yard, all from seed! Please contact us and we can send you another packet of Lavender seeds to try. These can take up to 140 days to germinate and need alternate periods of cool and warm. Whilst challenging to get started, they are very easy to care for once going. Email our horticulturist, Susan, at hort@tmseeds.com - she can give you full details. The soil thermometer is actually a really neat gadget, specially graduated to monitor soil temperatures (from -40F thru 120F). Meat thermometers unfortunately can't monitor this range. This is a great purchase to help you get the right temperatures for your Lavender seeds to germinate and will last a lifetime. Hope to hear from you soon. Positive jglaze Hillsboro, OH (3 reviews) April 09, 2009 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! Neutral MarkP Missoula, MT (Zone 4a) (9 reviews) February 03, 2009 Orders were processed quickly and accurately. Germination......Well, that's a whole nuther story. Negative toomanypotatoes Perry, MI (17 reviews) January 08, 2009 I have historically ordered from T&M nearly every year. I place my order early so I can get geranium and onions going from seed. I made the mistake of ordering quite a few items from their sale list this year (including the geraniums). Two weeks later I get my package of seeds lacking most of the sale items (including the geraniums). A company rep says I should have called instead of placing an on line order because the sale stuff sells out so quickly...well I think they should have emailed me to let me know over 1/2 my order couldn't be sent! I would have selected things that were in stock. So much for geraniums from seed this year. Boo to you T & M. Positive qterhrs Friedens, PA (2 reviews) January 02, 2009 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. Positive compostuser Bremerton, WA (Zone 8b) (2 reviews) October 10, 2008 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. Positive lilaclily Lombard, IL (Zone 5a) (24 reviews) September 25, 2008 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. Negative missmyrnaloy Gilbert, MN (3 reviews) June 18, 2008 DO NOT BUY FROM THIS COMPANY... unless it is the last resort. I had placed an order from this company's WEBSITE - for "sale" items two weeks ago, received my order along with an order form for Free Shipping. NO where on the order form does it state that you can't buy sale items with the Free Shipping offer. I go to the website where I had placed my first order of "sale" items and where I had earned a Free Shipping coupon. I bought a few "sale" items, put them in the cart put my code in and it "applied"... no problem. Paid for it last night. THIS MORNING, received a phone call at 9:00 a.m. and on the other end is THOMPSON AND MORGAN chirping rudely in my ear that the WEBSITE states that you can not use FREE SHIPPING coupon with "sale" items. I explained about receiving their Free Shipping coupon and read her the Free Shipping coupon and no where does it state that. She said it was in the Newsletter. WHAT NEWSLETTER? She was trying her best, she really was... she then esclated it to the supervisor and I was pretty upset by then. Lucky her. Supervisor very, very, very RUDE stated that "you ordered on website and it states it clearly on website etc, etc. etc" When I tried to explain the Free Shipping coupon code and how I received and what I bought to receive it; she talked right over me like I wasn't there. I told her either to honor the order or cancel it, she said she would honor this time but wouldn't in the future. I said ok, and that I probably wouldn't buy there again in the future so that wouldn't be a problem. Now after reading all the negatives and neutrals, it looks like I am wasting my money. Why didn't I read this first before ordering from that company? I bought the paintbox nemisa and to find out that most of their seeds has poor germination rates. Oh great. I now have over $70.00 worth of useless seeds. I will try them out next February. I want to make sure that no one else gets treated like this from this company. If you are going to send a Free Shipping coupon then why not put a disclaimer stating you can't use it on Sale items? Give me a break! Company representative comment on July 13, 2009: On Jul 13, 2009 8:58 AM, Thompson and Morgan (US) responded with: Dear mismyrnaloy, I'm sorry you had confusing information about the terms of our sale and thank you for bringing this to our attention. Whilst we do point out on our website that offers may not be combined, I agree, it did not say so on your order form. Please accept my sincere apologies for this error. With regard to the poor germination of your Nemesia seeds, please contact us as we do stand behind our money back guarantee and will replace or refund as you wish. Please contact me and I will sort this out for you. Kind regards, Claire Watson cwatson@tmseeds.com Positive LiliMerci North of Atlanta, GA (Zone 8a) (3 reviews) June 17, 2008 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. On June 18th, 2008, LiliMerci added the following: I forgot to mention but when you are buying TM seeds, they do indicate what kind of 'experience' you need to germinate those seeds. It thought that was very good because it kept me from trying to buy too many seeds that I may be too hard to germinate. On July 10th, 2008, LiliMerci changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following: My seeds did not come after 10 business days and I contacted TM about it. TM assured me that my seeds were sent. I do not blame them if mail service did not deliver the products. My email were answered promptly and replacement seeds were sent. I received seeds today. From the shipment, I can not tell if these were seeds that were originally sent or the replacement package. I can not say enough what EXCELLENT customer service they have. I have not dealt with many companies with prompt service as TM. My highest recommendation to them. Positive CarolineC Berwyn, PA (7 reviews) June 08, 2008 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. Neutral WinterStinks Peabody, MA (13 reviews) May 21, 2008 I ordered some Cowslips seeds from T&M back in early March. The price and shipping were reasonable and they were shipped promptly with adequate planting information, however I have tried plating them inside outside and everyway possible with no luck getting them to grow. Overall it was not a bad experience but the seeds didn't grow, whether it was me or the seeds I can't say for certain but I have had many other seeds grow perfectly. Neutral hortulaninobili OFLN, MO (Zone 6a) (1 review) April 11, 2008 I ordered nearly $300 worth seed 2007 spring. Many of the varietals I attempted to grow did not. Germination was overall poor, not consistent, erratic and less than probably 60% on many varietals. Of course I followed their directions and also consulted other online and published sources for information. Below are the main points I would like to make light of . . . POSITIVE: (1) nice selection of many harder-to-find and not run-of-the-mill seeds (2) very good cultural information that is accurate and valuable (3) easy to use and organized paper and online catalog (4) my order was processed, delivered, and received in a relatively short amount of time (5) seed packaging was hermetically sealed (perhaps the reason for $$$?); always good to keep the seed in stable environment NEGATIVE: (1) the occasional out-dated or incorrect information concerning names of various species (2) poor germination due to possibly any of the following (age, viability, environmental factors, improper storage, etc) (3) customer service was inept, rude, and apparently, no matter with whom I spoke to, not one seemed very willing or concerned (4) email and catalog inquiries returned in an unprofessionally slow manner (5) seed quantities fairly low for the price paid - granted some seed should be expected to be high (i.e. new cvs. just introduced to market) Overall, I would say the experience was neutral but with more positive weight. Scale 1 - 5, 1=excellent and 5=very poor, I would assign a 2.5 Company representative comment on April 15, 2008: On Apr 15, 2008 10:01 AM, Thompson and Morgan (US) added: Dear hortulaninobili, I thank you for your constructive comments, but I am very concerned about the comments about the speed of response times, quality of customer service and the poor germination issues you have experienced, and apologize wholeheartedly for these. Please contact me on 1-800-274-7333 or email cwatson@tmseeds.com. Sincerely, Claire Watson, Vice President. Negative chunx San Diego, CA (32 reviews) April 11, 2008 I was really on the fence about a neutral or negative, but with the lack of communication from T&M, the extremely poor germination, and the high prices, I'm going for a negative. I ordered 11 different packets of seeds, all of which arrived promptly. The first problem was with the cucumber seeds which stated contained 15 seeds (in the catalog and online). The packet actually contains 5 seeds. I emailed and a week and a half later I had 3 packages of the seeds, so it was nice to get an extra package. However, they never answered my email and the website still shows 15 seeds per packet. The packet states 5. All of the cucumber seeds I planted germinated. Not so with most of the others. Less than 25% of the asarina seeds germinated, about 60% of the marigold seeds germinated, and only 4 out of 22 double impatiens seeds germinated. I emailed again and told them of the poor germination rates. I found it strange that the same species, different variety of these seeds I purchased at Lowe's all germinated. I asked for an email confirmation and received nothing. Two weeks later I received replacement seeds for the marigolds and impatiens. This set me back in planting the seedlings outdoors. With the time and effort I put into these seeds, I expected much better. Although T&M did honor their guarantee and replace the seeds, the customer service is dismal, the germination poor, and for the price, I feel the negative outweighs the positive (or neutral). I will not be purchasing from T&M again unless it's a last resort. Company representative comment on April 11, 2008: On Apr 11, 2008 8:39 AM, Thompson and Morgan (US) added: Dear chunx, I am the Vice President here at Thompson & Morgan and I am very unhappy to hear about your poor experiences with us - the products and the customer service. Please can you contact me directly at cwatson@tmseeds.com so we can sort this out to your satisfaction. Sincerely, Claire Watson. Negative gessiegail Taft, TX (Zone 9a) (18 reviews) March 16, 2008 I have ordered garden flowers many times from T&M with good results. This time I ordered 25 seeds in each package of Dibley's Hybrid streptocarpus seed. Having been used to just popping the pod open and getting literally hundreds and hundreds of seeds I was a little shocked to see that 25 fine dust seeds looks like nothing I have ever seen. However, if I get good germination I won't be upset that I paid 5.00 for each package and 4.75 for mailing them to me. Be back and hope to change neutral to positive. On June 10th, 2008, gessiegail changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following: Not a single seed germinated! I am good at growing from seed I want you to know. From now on I am only ordering from The Gesneriad Society for 2 bucks a package of seed or from Mauro in Brazil for 3.50 a package. That was a throwaway of 15.00 for supposedly 50 seeds. Positive caywood Lodi, NY (1 review) March 09, 2008 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. Positive starlight1153 Seale, AL (Zone 8b) (15 reviews) January 19, 2008 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. Positive lovesroses New Hartford, CT (Zone 5b) (1 review) January 19, 2008 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!!!!! Negative valliebeth17 Crown Point, NY (Zone 4b) (2 reviews) January 14, 2008 I have to agree with everyone who commented about the bad germination rate. Of 19 seed packets, only five had any germination to speak of. A few others had extremely low germination rates, and the rest absolutely none. This is after I pay close attention to chilling seeds and other planting requirements. T&H's beautiful catalog and unusually large selection, along with their lovely cupons and free shipping offers is not worth the money, time and effort completely wasted. I thought I just didn't know how to start primulas correctly, maybe it wasn't me after all. I wasn't going to try again, but I may look into a different source for them. Company representative comment on January 15, 2008: On Jan 15, 2008 10:39 AM, Thompson and Morgan (US) added: Hi valliebeth17! Please remember we stand behind our guarantee! - refund or replacement if not satisfied. We want to resolve this - please contact us. I want to reassure you all our products are tested and meet or exceed USDA requirements. Also speak with our horticulturist, she is always willing to share her hints and tips to improve your sucess rate. Phone us on 1-800-274-7333, our friendly Customer Service team will sort this out for you. Kind regards, Thompson & Morgan Positive Ficurinia Portland, OR (5 reviews) January 08, 2008 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. Neutral CaptMicha Brookeville, MD (Zone 7a) (27 reviews) November 12, 2007 I've bought from them in the past when I couldn't find any other suppliers of the particular item I was looking for. Everything is completely over prices. Germination isn't great either. You don't get your money's worth. I might buy from them again if I just have to have something and can't find it else where but I won't like it! Positive rebecca101 Madison, WI (Zone 5a) (10 reviews) September 25, 2007 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. Negative flowertina W Hartford, CT (1 review) September 07, 2007 I would not recommend their seeds to anyone. I fell for their catalog which is very well designed but the seed quality is very bad. I bought some summer sorbet seeds that came in nearly empty but that was replaced. However the replacement did not germinate. I also bought Mimulus maximus, Nemesia paintbox which along with some others did not germinate. Please do not plan your annual garden depending on their seeds. Negative landofoz Hutchinson, KS (7 reviews) May 28, 2007 I ordered several seed packets of snapdragons, white coneflower, and asters, in addition to a few others. I had great germination for the asters but only 3 coneflowers sprouted out of an entire packet, and I think I got about 4 or 5 seedlings from 3 packets of snapdragons. I've been able to germinate "difficult" seeds like guara and have had excellent results from coneflower seeds from other sources, so I do not feel that the problem is me. I doubt that I will buy seeds from them again, as it seems I am not the only one who has had problems with germination. Positive doghill6 Rogue River, OR (Zone 8a) (14 reviews) April 21, 2007 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. Negative 123456789 Winston, OR (5 reviews) April 21, 2007 I think this company must be staffed by chimpanzees. i once ordered lavatera seed but got non- viable chaff, and malva not only the wrong plant ENTIRLEY, but the worst invasive weed since dandilion hitched a ride to the new world in somone's pocket. Neutral zone5girl Painesville, OH (Zone 5b) (17 reviews) April 05, 2007 Like many others have posted, I have had spotty germination. Some seed varieties germ very well, others not at all or very poorly. I love their variety, but there are just too many other places to shop at that have never disappointed me. I'm going to take my business elsewhere from now on. Neutral apaeth Bay City, MI (1 review) April 05, 2007 I ordered 15 packs of flower seeds from T& M in December. All of them have germinated as per the instructions on the packet. My only problem thus far was with the quantity - every packet had less than the advertised quantity - anywhere from 10 to 50 percent less than stated. I won't order from them again... Positive debbymck Racine, OH (6 reviews) April 02, 2007 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 Positive LooneyLinda Mantua, UT (Zone 4b) (33 reviews) April 02, 2007 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. Positive cannaqueen Mantua, OH (Zone 5a) (19 reviews) April 01, 2007 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....... Negative debincincy Cincinnati, OH (Zone 6a) (5 reviews) March 26, 2007 Ordered seeds March 14, arrived March 24 - 10 days, no problem for me. Ordered from T&M due to their having seeds for 2 plants that no one else carried, except Select Seeds, and the shipping cost was the lower of the two. Will have to wait and see on germination and report back. On May 10th, 2007, debincincy changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following: Here's my update. Terrible germination, in fact, NO germination on the 2 flowers I particularily wanted. I tried 3 different ways to start and nothing. So signs of life. I am now going to look into how to get a refund and will never order from them again. Negative egm Ottawa Canada (7 reviews) March 20, 2007 I have been gowing plants from seed for the past ten years with little trouble; to fill up flower gardens on 5 acres. In search of different varieties, I came across T&M last year and ordered primula seeds, as well as other varieties. I also ordered some seeds this year. I tend to order from 3-5 companies per year. T&M seeds have very low germination. They also send small amounts of seeds that tend to get stuck in the glue of the little foil packages (not a fan). I am not one to complain to a company; they should know what they are selling., I just won't order again. I found a local seed company 'Gardens North' and ordered primula as well as other difficult seeds from them, and the germination was outstanding. Many major seed sources seem to be getting sloppy, and customers should not put up with it, they are making big money and should reply with quality products! I would not reccomend T&M to anyone. On March 29th, 2007, egm added the following: Thanks for your input, but I am not interested in your guarantee. I prefer to recieve quality seeds when I order them, and not to have to contact after the fact. Company representative comment on March 27, 2007: On Mar 27, 2007 1:06 PM, Thompson and Morgan (US) added: Thanks for your comments. Just to remind all our customers we guarantee germination and stand behind our seeds 100%. In the event that there are any problems, we really want to hear about them, so that we can put things right. Please contact us! Negative thope Caddo Mills, TX (4 reviews) March 20, 2007 I suppose I should say "neutral" since I haven''t actually received my order yet so I have no idea if I got my seeds or if they will germinate. I have been told I should receive my order in about 7 business days. Please note that I placed my order 10 days ago. I was also told that some items are on back order. I don't know if they held the order hoping those would come in or not. I wish I would have come here and read others thoughts on the company before going gaga over the beautiful pictures in the catalog. I even placed orders with a couple of other companies about three and four days after I placed this order and I received their seeds last week. I guess whether I order again will depend upon the germination rate. Previous comments do not fill me with hope though. Company representative comment on March 27, 2007: On Mar 27, 2007 12:10 PM, Thompson and Morgan (US) added: Thanks for posting and bring this to the attention of fellow gardeners and T&M shoppers. We have had an unexpected over demand for many of our products this season, which has meant that the orders are taking a little longer to ship and we are busy making more to fill everyone's orders, so that the seeds arrive in time for spring planting. If you do have any complaints about contents or germination please call us and we are happy to stand behind our germination guarantee and will refund your money or replace your seeds, as you wish. All our products way exceed the USDA minimums, but germination can drop off between testing, and we thank our customers for bringing this to our attention. Feel free to call with comments 1-800-274 7333 x3019 Positive whitehen Salem, MA (Zone 6a) (7 reviews) March 04, 2007 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!! Positive Windy Belleville , IL (Zone 6b) (21 reviews) February 28, 2007 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. On March 27th, 2007, Windy changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following: I was contacted by a representative of the company March 27,2007 about the problem. I had sent an email to them on the 26th of February but apparently this was not followed through then. I sent a copy of the email to the rep and I am going to receive a credit as I do intend to order from this company again. So my rating is upgraded from neutral to positive today. Negative TJ9 Berlin, NH (5 reviews) February 09, 2007 Our experience with T&M will be our last! Our order was in the hundreds. (probably because they're so expensive). Having controlled conditions we started seeds indoors for early spring transfer to our greenhouse. The germination ratio was very,very low. Below 35% of over 250 seeds. We must add that all other seeds planted side by side from other companies did very well. It's not us!!! We now realize and are convinced that the pretty pictures and catalog is where they place the emphasis. Our third and last year. In the prior years we also complained of low germination,via telephone they worked around taking responsibility and assured us of anything that made no sense only to send us other seeds which did no better... no refund as requested. We've asked them to remove us from there mailing list. Company representative comment on March 27, 2007: On Mar 27, 2007 1:56 PM, Thompson and Morgan (US) added: We do realise our products don't suit everyone, but we do listen to our customers and make every effort to follow up and put things right, in the event of a problem. A full refund was issued in February when this customer contacted us, and he has been removed from our mailing list as he requested. Positive FlipTX Pasadena, TX (13 reviews) January 24, 2007 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.

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