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"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.
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".
On May 20, 2009, thegladiator Pottstown, PA (Zone 6b) wrote:
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
On May 20, 2009, Thompson and Morgan (US) responded with:
"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."
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.
On Apr 12, 2008, hortulaninobili OFLN, MO (Zone 6a) wrote:
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
On Apr 12, 2008, Thompson and Morgan (US) responded with:
"
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."
On Apr 5, 2007, zone5girl Painesville, OH (Zone 5b) wrote:
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.
On Nov 28, 2006, bbrookrd nantucket, MA (Zone 7a) wrote:
I placed an order with Thompson and Morgan on 11/20/06 and received it on Nov 27 which was very good service. My neutral comes from the fact that a large number of the seed packets have no photography or drawing of the plant enclosed. Also some of the seed packs are a generic packaging for a group of plants such as a seed packet for delphiniums list 4 possible choices on the cover and the inner pack is the one which identifies the actual one ordered. For a pack of seeds of Delphinium that cost 7.95 I expect a picture and a detail of the plant on the package. I keep my old seed packages for reference so these are useless and BORING. Sorry they may be saving money, but they are about to loose me as a customer. Patti
On Nov 14, 2006, alicewho North Augusta, SC (Zone 8a) wrote:
My experience with Thompson and Morgan was pretty much the same as some others, hit and miss germination. But they do have a great selection so it may be worth the gamble on seeds you can't find elsewhere.
On Jul 29, 2006, Drido Heredia Costa Rica (Zone 11) wrote:
I bought from T&M the last year, and the germination was good exept the oriental poppy, only like six seeds germinated and one alone remain but never grew and it has one year. And others perenials plants grew well but not flowers, only one(i´m very happy wiht this hollyhock) but the rest any and it is in the same place. Nice catalogues but hight prices and low germination rates
On Apr 30, 2006, nivlac San Antonio, TX (Zone 8b) wrote:
I placed my first order from them with some clemantis, madagascar jasmine, and some kind of tree with perty flowers on it, LOL. Just put the seeds in some Jiffy-7 pellets per sowing instructions, 04/29/06. The minimun germination for either of the three types of seeds is 30 days with one of them up to 60 days. I guess I have a lot of waiting to do. I hope that I can remember to follow up on this post. Expectation is a real Killer(bother), I am kind of impatient. I have read some of the posts and realized that germination percentages can be kind of low, so I planted 6-12 of each type. If I get just two of each I will consider it worth it. After all, How many seeds does natural process in nature produce and how many actually germinate. I figure the ratio is quite low when I think about it (there are always exceptions to a rule of thumb, but I still see it as a low success ratio.)
On Dec 22, 2005, cathaleen Prince George Canada wrote:
This is my first time ordering seeds here, did check prices before ordering, so will be interested in my germination rates - now that I have read some of the reviews, and see that the most recent ones all have had less then successful germination rates. I was happy with the ordering process and arrival of the seeds, but will wait to see what finds itself into my garden this spring. To be continued
On March 18th, 2006, cathaleen added the following:
Have had mixed results with my germination - but some of these non preformers did come with a warning from the company that they had lower then expected germination rates. So, I remain neutral - I do like the selection of seedlings from T & M, but all things being even may not order from them again - unless having trouble tracking down a specific seed type - there are just so many other good seed companies out there who I seem to be having more success with.
On Oct 24, 2005, hillfarm Quesnel, BC (Zone 4a) wrote:
I've had a love-hate relationship with T&M since, oh, about 1986 or so which was when I made my first order.
Great catalogue; lots of pretty pictures, BUT ...
... many seeds are overpriced (though lots aren't); germination can be very poor (though again, some is OK); plant descriptions probably err on the side of over-enthusiastic at the expense of true honesty.
This said, I order from them again & again & again ... with enough "hits" to make up for the frequent "misses", LOL!
One thing that bugs me - why do they send me so many catalogues? This spring I got (count 'em) FOUR!!! The last two had notes attached of the "You haven't ordered from us in some time; will this be your last catalogue?" type. Umm, I did order in 2004 - surely missing an order in 2005 shouldn't get this kind of response? (And as another gardening chum said who also received multiple catalogues: "If they didn't send out so much mail maybe they could lower their prices!")
Well, call me a sucker for punishment but stiff prices & iffy germination & all I will probably be ordering from these guys well into my doddering old age ...
Buyers beware, OK? Go ahead & order from T&M but be sure to doublecheck with other seed houses & your reference books on the more uncommon stuff - may save yourself $$$ & disappointment on some items.
(And if you really are serious about accurate descriptions/excellent germination/professional service & if you can afford to spend fairly serious $$$ on seeds, check out Jelitto as well.)
I purchased Coleus seeds in December. The germination percentage was very poor. I did contact the company for a replacement and received it very promptly. I think they should offer more seeds in the packets to offset the poor germination.
I'm somewhere in between with this company. There orders always arrive quickly. I have never had a back order. They offer some items that are hard to find elsewhere.
Once one of the packages of seed I ordered was empty, but they promptly sent me a package with seed in it.
However, they seem expensive. Sometimes the amount of seed you receive is small. A few things have not germinated.
On March 8th, 2004, JulieU added the following:
I should have added this sooner. I was very surprised to receive an email from the Vice President of this company only a day or two after posting my comments. I would assume this company does care about it's customers.
A little pricey, but they have some seeds that aren't available elsewhere. Most of the time the seeds are fine, but at least on 2 or 3 occasions an entire pack failed to germinate. And the Cambridge Blue lobelia I ordered last year looked a lot like Riviera Blue Splash.
On Jan 25, 2003, elfeik Near Kansas City, MO (Zone 6a) wrote:
My experience has been that when they are good they are very good and when they are bad they are lousy. About 5 years ago I bought flowering cactus seed, which had 90% germination, and have grown and produced several flowers per season. But I bought lily seeds at $6 per 20 seeds, that had poor germination and the plants that grew were genetically strange. After suffering with them for several seasons I threw them out. Overall I have bought herbs, vegetables and annuals that have done well, but I have noticed a trend of poorer results from their seed in recent years
On Jan 4, 2003, Eric_OH Columbus, OH (Zone 6a) wrote:
On the positive side, T&M offers new and interesting hybrids and varieties that are difficult or impossible to find anywhere else. Shipping is fast and germination has been average to good for me.
The major downside is the cost. T&M is one of the most expensive seed houses. There seems to be a minimum price per packet policy (around $2, though most seeds cost more) and it is annoying to have to spend $3 for 800 seeds of a variety when they could easily sell you 100 seed for $1.50.
The expense of that flashy color catalog undoubtedly adds to the price of their seeds.
On Oct 1, 2002, broots Cochrane, ON (Zone 2b) wrote:
I have ordered from T&M & other US companies for a number of years & this is the only one that charges duty. This only began 3 years ago. By the time you convert to US funds & add the duty it doubles the original price & with their high prices, it makes for a costly seed order. I will still order from them but will be very selective. I do enjoy their catalogue.
On January 17th, 2003, broots changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
Just rec'd this year's order, but I was mistaken when I said I was paying duty last year. Just checked my bill & it is the GST & PST plus the $5 Canada Post handing charge. Sorry for the mixup. Still, I have never had to pay this with other US companies, YET.
On Feb 21, 2002, Sari Saint Helen, MI (Zone 5a) wrote:
I LOVE their catalog. However I have had problems with germination rates. Example, I planted 10 flats of lupins on the same day using the same soil. 3 flats were T&M the rest were from other companies and trades. T&M - 10% germination the rest 90+%. I called customer service and got the seeds replaced. Customer service was great, the seeds were no better. I had the same problem with some rudbeckia and petunias. The petunias were also sold as pelleted seeds but weren't.
To be fair I have also purchased some good to really good seeds from them. And will purchase seeds from them again.
Bottom line -- Premium prices. Average to below average germination.
I would just like to decide for myself T&M's quality. I have written and called to receive their catalog, and nothing. Two different friends said they found a place to order it on the net and it took 6 weeks. My neighbor said she has called their phone number and requested a catalog for 3 or 4 years and has never received one. I am just wondering, if they are that busy, or what?
In general I have found this company satisfactory. I, too, however, found the biggest disappointments in the occasional expensive seeds (in the $5 range), which did not germinate. Of course, I do not know if this was due to seed quality or my lack of expertise. Their catalog is a true gem, full of helpful info and of course beautiful pictures. I do resent getting credit vouchers instead of refunds, but this practice seems to almost be the norm. The vouchers are too easy to lose before re-ordering the following year. If the merchandise is not provided, companies should not keep your money.
