You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
We're very happy with the shungiku (edible chrysanthemum) seeds bought in August from Johnny's. Initially we had problem with our check card and Jeff in customer service department was extremely patient and courteous. The seeds were sent promptly as soon as our card was re-activated. We planted them 3 weeks ago, and now we're having hundreds of baby shungiku plants about 1 to 2 inches tall. We will return to Johnny's for other seeds, for sure.
On Jul 21, 2009, packetpete Feeding Hills, MA wrote:
Oh the quality is superb! Beautiful paper packets - environmentally friendly and recyclable with nicely nested seeds contained within - Very Very High germination - Please visit if you can - a wonderful place in the great State of Maine -
On Jun 22, 2009, baffledq Salt Lake City, UT (Zone 6b) wrote:
I order from johnny's every year. Their seeds have incredible germination rates, and the heirlooms come true to their label, something I've had problems with from other mail-order seed companies.
They have a lot of organic seed for sale as well, and more organic varieties are coming online every year.
Excellent company with excellent value!!
My order was shipped quickly. Very good selection of some hard to find items in their catalog with growing information. I'd considered trying endive for a few years and their catalog was the only one I found with endive seeds.
I love Johnny's for the great variety, high quality, and perfect delivery. They are a little pricey, but you get what you pay for. Plus, they have items you just can't find anywhere else, like my favorite Caselode peas. One of the best!
I placed 2 recent orders with Johnny's, both orders were completely correct and arrived in a very short time. I was hesitant to order at first when I read the warnings posted here about Johnny's getting seed from Monsanto, but after looking at the Johnny's web site I feel assured that they are committed to ethical and environmentally responsible practices.
I love Johnny's vegetable seeds! They outperformed my nursery transplants last year by far. This year I ordered more varieties and can't wait to watch them grow. They always ship quickly, and when I ordered a variety that went into backorder and then later weren't able to fulfill it, I was sent a refund check right away. Customer service has been great.
This year I ordered flower seeds (impatiens and phlox- and some others I haven't sown yet) and so far have had TERRIBLE luck getting them to germinate, but I'm assuming that it could be me, or the species in general. Im not sure, but my rating stands. I'll definitely order again :)
I've been ordering seed from Johnny's since their first years in business. I don't order every year because my garden is small and I often have seed left over. In fact, when I check for germination in old seed I find I have more Johnny's packets at the end than any others. Their seed prep facilities must be first rate.
I was sorry to read about the problems some people had with Johnny's' website purchases in the past couple of years. I have had mixed results ordering online from several otherwise good seed companies (not necessarily Johnny's), so I now routinely order from all of them by phone.
I called in this year's order last Friday and it arrived in the mail today (Monday). Maine to Oregon in 3 days -- that's fast. I also had a very pleasant ordering experience with the person on the phone line, which I find to be the norm with Johnny's and most other seed companies I do business with.
After reading past comments by other folks here, I can sympathize with some of their feelings of suspicion and mistrust. As the owner of a small business, myself, I can only say that everyone is human, everyone makes mistakes. My dealings with this company have always left me with the feeling that they are honest, high-minded people who are working hard to make the green world better, for both plants and gardeners. Johnny's has always focused on offering seeds for home gardeners who want quality, taste and environmentally friendly products. When they started, there weren't many seed companies interested in this. I am thrilled that they are still around to see the new interest in locally grown food, green products, etc.
I also consider their catalog to be the most complete and informative gardening book out there, bar none. And I have never had a negative experience that I can recall, in 30+ years of buying from them. That's a pretty amazing record, I think.
One more thing that, for me, is germane to my ordering experience, is the ongoing shift Johnny's is making from sole proprietorship to employee-owned. As a co-owner of small business (not garden-related) interested in making a similar change, I have a special feeling for other business owners who are moving this way. I believe it is the wave of the future, an antidote to the soulless corporate culture that has stripped the life from so many industries and hapless workers. Having struggled to make this happen in our own small company, I know the commitment it takes to make this happen, and I salute Rob Johnston for instituting this. It means he sees his employees as family and that's the kind of company I want to support with my own dollars.
Johnny's is an excellent seed source. I have ordered from them for years, and have never had a cause for complaint. They are the 'gold standard' for seed companies, in my opinion.
The times I've queried them about a product or seed, they have responded promptly and helpfully. Orders are promptly filled and shipped.
My only "complaint" is that they are so far from my gardening zone- I wish they had even more items suitable for the hot, humid, disease ridden, ant infested, weedy Southern garden I'm tending ;)
I recently ordered seeds from Johnnys Selected Seeds. The seeds arrived promptly, all were packaged in the United States. Now to see if Maine seeds will grow in the high desert of Wyoming, cold nights, hot days, limited water,
I have been ordering from Johnny's for several years and have been very impressed with their seeds and service. My order this year was filled within 8 days (all the way from Maine!) with no missing packets. I also like their selection, and have had good germination with their seeds.
Wow. Johnn'y's sends your order out immediately. If something is not in stock, they send out what they have in stock, then send rest of your order as soon as they get it. So far, I have gotten the seeds that were out of stock much sooner then they originally said.
I ordered my seeds online on Friday March 6. Less than 24 hours later, I received an e-mail notice that my order had been shipped. The seeds were in my mailbox on Monday. Great service! I usually order a few packets of seeds from each of several different catalogs (trying to support as many good companies as possible). Next time, I'll place the bulk of my order with Johnny's.
On Feb 21, 2009, stormyla Norristown, PA (Zone 6b) wrote:
Shortly before Christmas, I ordered a Cedar Compost bin from this Company. I had searched the web for this particular item and found that even with the shipping charges, Johnny's was $50 cheaper than competitors. I expected to receive it some time in the end of December. It arrived in 3 days!!! It was very well packed and all parts were there and it was as easy to assemble as they claimed. The quality is quite good and the ease of opening it is very helpful.
When I tried to order it through the website, I experienced difficulties. I called the Company late at night and left a message telling them that I needed help placing an order. They called back on the next business day and took my order.
After such a pleasant experience I decided to order a nifty compost aerating tool called "The Compost Crank". I ordered it with no trouble through the website. The website showed that the item would be available in early January. Very promptly, I received an email confirming the order and estimating shipping in the first week of January.
The tool arrived in Mid January. It was well packed and all parts and instructions were included. I can't praise this tool enough. It is well made, easy to use and makes quick and easy work out of a tough job.
Based on my experiences, I will be ordering more tools from this company as they carry hard to find, unusual items. They speak with experience of using the tools and I have faith in their product recommendations.
They were one of the very few seed companies that made super-picky gardener Steve Solomon's list for the Northeast in his book "Gardening when it Counts" so I figured I would at least get good quality seed that germinates well and comes true as labelled. I ordered a packet of Copra Onion seeds, Lemon Cucumber seeds, Sugar Snap Pea seeds and 25lbs of Yukon Gold seed potatoes, which wont ship until April. I got everything about a week and a half after my mail order left my mailbox- VERY timely!
I would HIGHLY recommend them for seed potatoes, you wont find a better price or anything even comparable anywhere. I purchased 25lbs for $16.75 plus $14.00 shipping for a toal of $30.75 for 25 lbs of seed potatoes. From Ronnigers it would cost $60.66 all total for the same thing, $41.95 for only 20lbs from Wood Prarie Farm, and $62.50 from the Seed Savers Exchange.
As long as my crop turns out well, I will be purchasing my seed potatoes from them forevermore, thats almost the same price per pound they charge at the grocery store for Yukon Gold eating potatoes! And from what I hear and read, I wont even have to deal with poor quality as a result of getting such a good deal! Gotta love it!!
On Jul 25, 2008, d_montaigne El Cerrito, CA wrote:
I was looking for a source for Belgian Endive (Chicory) seeds as well as some other, more normal, veggies for a cool-weather garden. The Endive will be an experiment, but the Mache should work, even during our rainy season--assuming we get one later on...
After reading the reviews of Johnny's here at Garden Watchdog, I tried their website for myself last Friday afternoon (the 18th). I tried to order four packets of seeds, but my "shopping cart" only had two items in it, so I decided to order by phone.
I called and spoke to a nice guy who let me know that all the seeds were in stock, and that they would be sent out on Monday (the 21st).
I'd like everyone to know that the seeds arrived here yesterday--only two days after their stated shipping date!--and that there was additional growing information about the Endive in with the seeds.
One additional item will be shipped in October, but the Johnny's order assistant and I were both clear about that on the phone.
As always, I will watch my charge-card statement carefully, but in this case I believe the proverb "Once burned, twice shy" will rule. If I find out differently, I'll let everyone here know, but so far, so good!
On Jul 25, 2008, Johnny's Selected Seeds responded with:
"
On Jul 25, 2008 10:56 AM, Johnny's Selected Seeds added:
Hi there -
I wanted to take a moment and thank you, very much, for your business and for the second chance. We appreciate the opportunity to regain your trust. We wish you a great growing season!
On Mar 7, 2008, rosethyme Denton, TX (Zone 7b) wrote:
This season was my first experience of ordering from Johnny's. My order arrived promptly and in good condition. I accidentedly ordered some treated Star Ship squash seeds which I didn't want. I emailed Cathe at Johnny's and she promptly sent out an untreated packet... free of charge. Cathe's customer service is excellent and it's nice to know there are companies left that try to make us gardeners happy. I will definitely order from Johnny's again.
I placed an order with Johnny's last year in 2/07, and had no problems with them at all.
I like their "mini" packs since I don't typically use all the seed in a normal packet. I ordered a wide selection of veggies and the germination rate on all of them was fantastic, which also helped when you want to save money.
I didn't have any shipping problems (it arrived quickly), or mixups with the order either. I will definatly buy from them in the future.
Johnny's is a great company, i have been ordering seeds from them for many years. I have been too busy the last couple (2)seasons to have the time to start seeds and get them planted out, so i can't wait to recieve this years order. One thing i think is so great is that some of the seeds i still have from YEARS (as many as 4) ago still germinated impressively when i tested them.
I have called them before with general planting and care questions and was always treated very well and given excellent information.
Their catalog is among the most highly anticipated, i always look forward to finding it in my mailbox.
i had some four year old broccoli seed from johnny's on hand and thought, oh, what the heck, and threw them all in a container. i do believe 100% came up. they're outdoors now, and i snip off a small salad every few days. no need to wait for heading up, the leaves make a good salad.
i want to remark on the people who have had an unhappy experience ordering online. don't do it, with this or any company. there is invariably an 800 number to call, it's safe, and you can ask any questions you have at the time.
On Jun 5, 2007, GroundHogKiller Kennett Square, PA wrote:
After last years disastrous experience with Gurney's I found a local source of bean seeds (Johnny's) and had great success with their germination rates and quality. After this spring's problems with Vermont Bean, I planted last year's leftover bush beans from Johnny's and had approximately 90% germination which is excellent from year old seeds. I will use them again in the future and stay far away from Gurney's and Vermont Bean.
On May 27, 2007, saintartaud Kansas City, MO (Zone 5b) wrote:
I ordered a bunch of seeds from this company this spring and am pleased with the results so far.
The Cherokee Purple tomatoes were most impressive--very robust, resilient plants. I've also had good results with the common mint, holy basil, Roman chamonile, and foxgloves. Just planted the Wampum corn (untreated) and Autumn Beauty sunflowers, so can't speak yet on quality. They have a good selection of green manures too and in smaller amounts than many companies sell. It's also worth mentioning that their website is east to navigate, and their catalog is well designed.
I have ordered seeds from this company several times over the years (but in light of the new and sneaky ways theives have I will go get one of those paid temporary cc to shop online with) and I am always pleased. We actually didn't order this year because we had so many seeds left from them, some years old, and decided to try them. Much to our surprise they have all come up under the grow lites so no order this year but I will be back to order from Johnnys at the next cabin fever itch.
We purchased a variety of seeds from Johnny's, including two types of beets, the purple haze carrots, peppers, arugula, and several varietals of tomatoes. I'm pleased to report that within a short time of planting, all of our vegetables were growing and looking great, much better than seeds and plants we had purchased elsewhere. Last night we made our first arugula salad, which was wonderful, and reminded me that I should leave a positive review here. Additionally, I was impressed with their customer service representative over the phone and with their website, which is easy to navigate. And lastly, thanks to Dave's Garden, where I found the positive reviews that led me to Johnny's in the first place.
I was a container gardener until this year. I have been buying a modest variety of seeds from this company for about 3 years, all of which have produced excellently. My orders are always shipped fast. The Sarian strawberry seeds I bought this year actually started germinating in 2-3 days and the hanging planter is now packed, so I am thrilled. I am still using some seeds from 2004 and they are sprouting and happy.
I've always had positive experiences with Johnny's seeds. While
I increased my ordering from a company that immediately dropped
Monsanto variety, I believe that Johnny's is working hard to find
substitutes and will ease out Monsanto seeds as soon as they're
feasible.(Though I have no concrete knowledge of this except for
a brief interview/quote from Rob Johnston). Please don't lose faith
in this company. In fact, most other main seed houses also still
carry the monsanto seeds, (Nichols,territorial,etc....).
On May 8, 2007, Johnny's Selected Seeds responded with:
"
On May 9, 2007 8:06 AM, Johnny's Selected Seeds added:
Hi there -
Johnny's carries a few varieties produced by Seminis Seed, which is now owned by Monsanto. I want to make this distinction because many seed companies had a relationship with Seminis before they were purchased. A part of Johnny's mission is to provide customers with quality, unique varieties. If customers demand varieties that only Seminis carries, we will provide those. However, as Johnny's finds varieties that are in all ways suitable to replace a Seminis variety, Johnny's replaces it with a variety from another vendor. We are slowly phasing out Seminis varieties, without harming customer demand for certain varieties.
If anyone has further questions about this, please feel free to call us toll-free at 1-877-564-6697 and we'd be happy to talk to you about it further.
On Apr 25, 2007, adadia Glenmoore, PA (Zone 6b) wrote:
I ordered several packets of seeds and some seed starting items from Johnny's this spring. Unfortunately, I had some serious problems with the post office - I moved last year and notified the PO, but they changed my address temporarily instead of permanently like I had been told. To make a long story short, when Johnny's shipped my order it was redirected by the PO to the wrong address (I think). Anyhow, I corrected the problem with the PO as soon as I found out, Johnny's re-sent the order to the correct address as soon as they were informed of the problem, and I got everything soon after. I am pleased with the way Johnny's handled my shipping problem, but I did end up receiving the seeds too late for planting cool weather spring crops-I blame that on the PO, not Johnny's. All in all, Johnny's got my order to me in a reasonable amount of time despite the PO's mistake. I would order from Johnny's again.
I ordered Mexican Sunflower (Torch) and Black Dragon Coleus seed from Johnny's in Feb. Seed arrived promptly in the mail, but largely failed to germinate. I ended up with a half dozen Torch, given the size of these plants relative to my yard that is enough. Called customer service to complain on the poor germination of the coleus though. They promptly sent a new seed packet and this time the germination rate was fine.
I am extremely annoyed at the negative dings people have showered on Johnny's because of a matter that wasn't their fault. Their commitment to customer service is clear and of long standing. There is usually not a problem with an order, but if there is, a short phone call is all it takes to straighten the matter out perfectly. The seeds are of the best quality, the planting instructions clear, the growing suggestions are perfect-- and if someone has trouble because of a microclime issue or questions because of some other factor, an intelligent person on the other end of the phone or email will provide good, solid clear guidelines. This is an utterly outstanding company, and people whining because someone else gained access to their credit card information through theft should be ashamed of themselves. I wonder how well they would cope with a problem of this magnitude! A glance at the actual feedback for Johnny's will reveal only the barest minimum of complaint over the years save for this one issue. Johnny's will keep my custom, and they remain the firm I will suggest first when friends ask for advice on where to obtain seeds and gardening equipment.
Mike Connelly
Brunswick, Maine
On Apr 15, 2007, bagel_k Central, NJ (Zone 6b) wrote:
I ordered some seeds from them last winter. The shipment was fast and seeds are great, very good germination rate seems like 100%. They have very interesting and large selection and nice catalog. I think it is sad that their rating went down because of data stolen from their computers. I also got their letter about my credit card information being stolen, and had to cancel my credit card number. I wish they deleted my personal information after they received my payment. But I hope they've learned their lesson and will get better virus protection for their computers. I'll order again.
On Mar 29, 2007, GrammysGardenAZ Cochise, AZ (Zone 8b) wrote:
I have always been very happy with Johnny's seed but this year we had decided to give up on our old seeder. I looked at all the "walk-behind" and alot of the smaller tractor models. After several phone calls to ask the same questions over and over, we decided to order the "European Push Seeder". It arrived promptly and within an hour my DH was in the kitchen! "I love this thing, What else can I plant today?" We are very happy with the product and with the customer service we received before I ordered it!
On Mar 27, 2007, gardenkeeper1 Palatine Bridge, NY wrote:
I ordered from Johnny's for the first time a few weeks ago and was very happy with my experience.
I had requested a catalog from their website and when it arrived, I couldn't believe the wealth of information on growing just about anything. Their selection was huge! I got several other seed catalogs in the mail from other companies and they all dimmed in comparision to Johnny's!
When I placed my order, the representative on the phone was friendly and helpful and told me that my order would ship the next day!
My order arrived in 3 days from the time I ordered! I was extremely impressed at this speed, especially during this busy spring season.
On Mar 21, 2007, soulgardenlove Marietta, GA (Zone 7b) wrote:
I have never left feedback for Johnny's before as I felt that they were in the top 30 and held their own without me.. Now, as someone who actually does belong here on Daves, subscribes and contributes to the threads, has formed relationships with gardeners here, and has a care and concern for truly wonderful plant and seed companies.. (ahhemm), I'm going to leave MY feedback for this truly wonderful seed company.
I am a customer of Johnny's Select Seeds and I appreciate the letter that was sent notifying me that their data was hacked and it included my personal information along with my credit card info. I can understand how some can see that as solely Johnny's fault.... However, after speaking with Michelle in Customer Service for over 20 minutes about the situation today, I sincerely feel that they DO care and are absolutely upset over it and are most disturbed by the ensuing negative feedback that has been left as a result of this online computer heist. Michelle was most forthcoming about what they are doing, how they believe it happened (an email bug) and who they are working with to rectify the situation (FBI) Just in the news... just plugging in your computer away from home or office and checking your financial accounts can now result in the account names and passwords being copied and liquidated immediately. To whom would you ascribe the blame? It is my understanding that the info was not hacked from the web site. It was obtained through an internal computer which was accessed from outside the office, which means someone had a password.
My credit card was fraudulently charged a total of $300 to match.com on Valentines Day and fortunately for me, the following day all charges were reversed. If anything, this has proven the strength of my marriage as my husband immediately knew something wasn't right and that I was not attempting to date when he saw the charges. I hope and pray that the thief has raised enough money to date without having to take it from Johnny's seed customers. It's a good thing to keep some humor and perspective here.
My husband and I have worked hard to take extreme measures to keep our credit clean and our score high. I have canceled that account, and had a new account sent out to me. I have put a 3 month fraud alert on my credit and have heard that it can be quite inconvenient to open credit in such situations, however, we already have all the cards and accounts we currently need. I will closely monitor my credit report, which should be done, regardless of such a situation occurring. While I'm not "happy" about the situation.. I certainly don't think Johnny's was directly negligent, a bad business owner or out to get me.. This was a demonstration of a modern day heist in action and Johnny's was as much a victim as their very valued customers.
As long as Johnny's continues to produce such incredible catalogs and sell quality seeds, which they always have, they can continue to count on me as a customer. Its unfortunate this happened to both of us. Johnny's I believe in you, what you do and what you sell. I believe in your company. I feel confident you will regain your position in the watchdog, your just my favorite underdog right now. God Bless. Susan
The very best seed possible - worth the extra price. You definitely get what you pay for at Johnny's. Their shipping is the fastest in the business. Their customer service is top notch.
After 10 years of purchasing seed from Johnny's however, I am no longer doing so because they continue to carry Seminis/Monsanto varieties. I miss Johnny's, but feel very strongly against Monsanto. This is a personal decision on my part and no reflection on Johnny's. To their credit, when I e-mailed a complaint they e-mailed me a list of the Seminis varieties that they carry so that I could avoid them. This was nice, but not enough for me. I have swithced my loyalties to companies that do not carry Seminis/Monsanto varieties.
On Mar 19, 2007, khadie Montgomery Village, MD wrote:
I love Johnny's. Always have always will. Seeds and other supplies have always come fast, packaged well... And who can beat their selection?
And for this top topnotch quality, they do not charge top dollar, which they easily could... Their pricing is very reasonable. I know they do a lot of breeding and research out of this money too, and I do appreciate that--as I've dealt with companies that do NOTHING for the future of gardening and charge a heck of a lot more.
More than excellent products though, I appreciate how sincerely committed I feel this company is to wonderful business of growing edibles and beautifuls from the earth.
I will only do business with companies like Johnny's in the future..those I feel that love growing first and second, need to make a living, as do we all...
I work in web development and I have to say, things like this can happen even to companies that are paying attention to security. My credit card was not compromised but my dad's was, because I asked him to buy me a gift certificate this year. (oops, sorry dad!) He and I both called and we felt they dealt with the situation appropriately. It must have taken a few days to uncover the extent of the damage & that's why the letters didn't go out immediately.
I will continue to order from JohnnySeed.com. Going forward their security will probably be much better than a company that has never had a problem and never thought much about it. Just like if you're robbed, then you install the best alarm system you can find.
On Mar 15, 2007, Johnny's Selected Seeds responded with:
"
On Mar 16, 2007 8:24 AM, Johnny's Selected Seeds added:
Darcy -
Thank you for your very kind words and empathy. Indeed, our security will become much greater than it was, and not only because we wish it to be that way for our customers, but because when this sort of thing happens, it is absolutely required. Johnny's takes this theft very, very seriously and we will continue to do everything we can to prevent it from happening again. This is not a one-shot update or fix. We will continue to pay attention to it going forward into the future.
I previously lived at 7,000 feet were it was very challenging to garden. Last fall we moved to a small farm at 4,000 feet with many spaces that need and can be filled. I made a good sized sampler order for varied seeds. Next I made an order for weed barrier and row covers. Everything has arrived at my rural location, complete and in record time. I haven't gardened since I was a kid and relying heavily on the thorough growing instructions on the seed packets and catalogue. I can't wait until my parents visit in July, and show off the results.
Unfortunately data theft happens - even to huge corporations. I think they handled the situation well. I will do business with them again because they have a good selection of products and focus on customer service.
