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Here is a copy of a review I posted today on another site:
"I've ordered now from Territorial, so I figured I should add my review as well:
1- Name of company? Territorial seed
2- Catalogue, online or in-store purchase? Online
3- Rating of company (based on combined- customer service, accuracy in your order, quickness of your order, communication, your happiness with the order & germination of the seeds)-
*= NEVER AGAIN!
**= poor
***= OK
****= Good
>>>*****= LOVE them & will definitely order from again<<<
4- WHY you gave the rating you did & any additional info!
I ordered a blueberry bush & a Meyer Lemon in April. I rec'd the BB bush fairly quickly. It looks good, has been transplanted and is growing well. The only thing was the lemon bush- it was on B/O- no biggie, but it was a LOT smaller than I had anticipated. I figured it would be about the size of the BB (in a 4" pot), but it was literally a bare root STEM. I can't really blame them for that as I didn't ask when I didn't see the description on the webpage. The lemon was also very healthy, and seems to be doing well after transplant. So I feel comfy giving them a 5* on this first order.
I've also just placed my 2nd order with them. I've spoken to a CS rep over the phone- she returned my call very quickly, given the 3 hour time difference & on a Saturday. She was able to fix MY mistake. I will update as soon as I rec'v that order as well."
I received my plant order from Territorial Seed Co yesterday. Despite a long trek from the Pacific Northwest to the eastern seaboard (VA), my plants arrived in perfect condition. Their packaging was unique to my experience, and the plants arrived at just the right time to be put into the ground. What else can I say, this is a number one company!
On May 7, 2008, mom2goldens Carmel, IN (Zone 5b) wrote:
This year is the first time I have ordered from this company, and was very pleased with everything I received. My seeds were shipped promptly after ordering, and my live plants arrived today, just in time for planting. Their packaging was excellent, and the plants were strong and healthy. Selection and prices were good; communication to confirm orders and shipping were excellent.
I've ordered from Territorial for about three years. They are consistently helpful and prompt. Plants arrive during the ship time promised, and have thus far been in great shape. Their seed has always performed. My only disappointment was with the ladder trellises - they are priced too high for what they are - poor quality wood with wire for hinges. They do work well, however, after I added real hinges to them. I highly recommend this company for live stock and for seed. As another reviewer mentioned, the print catalog is an education all by itself.
I LOVE this company. They carry tthe perfect plants for my cool coastal climate. They give excellent customer service! One of the live plants I received was crunchy & unrevivable. They sent me out another imediately no questions.
On Apr 28, 2008, littlebrook15 Rock Tavern, NY wrote:
Very good experience with this company. The seeds germinated well, and the plants I received were packed very well. One was broken (headless) and pulled out of the pot, but when I called the company, they understood right away and sent a replacement (which was perfect) immediately. I would recommend them.
On Apr 26, 2008, nancyjane South Texas, TX (Zone 9b) wrote:
Plants arrived perfect. Each plant had been packed with care, unlike those from Burpee and Parks (a disaster). If ordering tomatoes and living in Texas be careful of the shipping as most companies deliver far after our season begins and the shipping heat will destroy the plants.
I ordered seed on Wednesday March 12....my seed order
was in my mailbox Saturday March 16! I can't believe how fast the company shipped my order. I was worried that it would take a couple weeks to get them. What a fantastic job. I will definitely be ordering from this company again. Great job Territorial! Thanks so much! :o)
I've been buying seed from Territorial since the 70ties when they started with a four page catalog. The seeds always produced, the info on the packets is very useful and the seed arrived promptly; the staff is very helpful. In the 70ties, my last name was Anslow and I lived in Beavercreek, OR.
Now that I've been ordering seed from Territorial for 5 years, I feel confident in recommending them wholeheartedly.
I live in so. California not far from the coast, so my overcast summer microclimate is very similar to the cooler, short-season summers that Territorial Seed picks their seed selections for. Everything from TS that I have planted -- varieties of peppers, squash, tomatoes and lettuces --has germinated darn near 100% and performed beautifully in my garden. In fact, on more than one Spring I have sprouted these same seeds that are sometimes one or two years old with germination rates still close to 80 or 90%. Now that's quality seed!
I have relied on the extensive culture information in TS's catalog over the years to help me learn and grow as a newbie vegetable gardener. Each section, such as "Lettuces" or "Carrots" gives good general planting and growing notes at the top. Each variety listing has thorough descriptions and a good photo. I have found that their estimates on days to harvest are pretty much on target, and very handy listed right below each varietal name. Not all catalogs do that, and it does help me calculate whether or not I have time to order and grow those time- and weather-sensitve crops like tomatoes and lettuces.
I've never experienced a problem ordering from Territorial Seed Company. It's likely that I won't, based on the general good opinion in the comments here.
Even if you live in other areas that don't "match" Territorial's cool summer climate, I believe TS is worth a try for you because they generally do feature the cream of the crop varieties, many of which I see in other more general catalogs and which are typically highly rated elsewhere, such as in books like The Compleat Squash and 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden.
This was my first year with Territorial Seed. They shipped fast and their seeds are germinating fine. I had a question on some mini peppers that were taking a little longer to germinate, they responded very quickly and I have many seedlings up and growing. Will order from again.
On Mar 2, 2008, highlanderdcb Mars Hill, NC wrote:
I've ordered seeds from Territorial for the past several years. This year I hesitated to order from them because they are not listed in the top 30 companies by the Garden Watchdog. However, I went ahead and ordered and was not disappointed. I received my shipment in less than a week and everything was there. I particularly like Territorial's catalogue because of the detailed information they provide about growing each variety of vegetable.
I ordered online the evening of January 31 and received my order at noon on February 2. Granted I live in Oregon, but that is still exceptional service.
I've been ordering from them for years. Never any bad experiences. Before I was old enough to buy my own seed, my mother ordered from them, and when I was an older child, I had her write the check and then I paid her back. I was a very happy kid when I saw the Territorial package in the mail! All the seeds I've ordered have germinated well and thrived as plants. I love their wonderful selection of heirloom varieties, especially the tomatoes! Of course, I've never ordered plants from them, because the shipping is so high for only a few plants, so I don't know how good the plants are.
On Jan 14, 2008, IldikoThomas Mercer Island, WA wrote:
Even though they're sometimes a touch more expensive than comparable seed companies (~25%), we absolutely LOVE ordering from Territorial and have been impressed with the quality and germination rates of their seeds (seems to make up for the slightly higher cost). And their catalog is incomparable -- an amazing wealth of gardening information for those of us in the maritime Northwest. I always have a couple of catalogs on hand to refer to when it's planting time!
Ordered for the first time in 2007 from this company. They are not the cheapest company around, but they do have a good selection. I was well pleased with almost all my purchases.
They did substitute one of the Honeyberries I'd ordered with a different plant, and one of them came in very poor condition. They quickly replaced the plant (a good thing, as the sad one didn't survive). However, it seems they have sent me one early and one late bloomer, and they likely will not pollinate each other, which may result in no fruit. So, we'll have to wait and see on that.
On the whole, I was happy with the plants and seeds I ordered, although I thought the plants were a little small, they all survived with the exception of the one they replaced.
I found them a good source for those of us who like to garden organically.
On June 4th, 2008, ShaunMarie added the following:
After seeing the early honeyberry in full bloom and the late one with not a bud in sight, I called the company and explained that although both plants were growing and healthy, I would not get any berries as these two cannot pollinate each other. They promptly sent me a different early bloomer, and although I won't get fruit this year, at least I'll have fruit from now on. They were very courteous and the replacement was prompt and seems to be growing well.
On Oct 25, 2007, lisaoliver Foristell, MO (Zone 5b) wrote:
I love their products, but this is about their WONDERFUL customer service. I ordered garlic and fall veg. seeds in summer- seeds arrived promptly and what I planted germinated quickly and abundantly. I was in a car accident and when Garlic arrival time came near I realised I would not be able to get out to plant so I e-mailed them to cancel my order, they replied the next day, expressed their concern and even offered to let me send back my fall seeds. Wow, they not only treated me like a person, but a friend. That is something you don't get from most businesses. I just became a customer for life. Friends at Territorial, Thanks again!
On Oct 13, 2007, dancinglemons Richmond, VA (Zone 7b) wrote:
Just received my garlic from Territorial. FAN-TAS-TIC!! I will most definately do business with them again. This was my second order, the first was lettuce seed.
Have always been very pleased with this company, they have the best selection for growing in the pacific northwest.The catolog has a wealth of information.It is my gardening bible.
On May 21, 2007, botanyknot Shaw Island, WA wrote:
Territorial Seed has been my main source of seeds for the past 20 years. Their varieties are chosen specifically for a maritime climate and they are nearly all sure winners. Extended-season selections are noteworthy. Their catalog has been my constant gardening companion and more helpful to me than any other gardening guide (in fact, I always pick up 2 since I wear them out).
On May 18, 2007, StonoRiver Johns Island, SC wrote:
Territorial has slowly replaced Park's as my main source of vegetable seeds over the years here in the south. I know they're not a southern company like Park's is, but over the years their catalogue descriptions and germination rates have proven remarkably reliable. For years they were the only reliable source I could find for Garlic, and their "Inchelium Red" has proven to be the garlic of choice for my climate. Haven't bought new garlic for years---just save the biggest cloves and replant them in September. Never had a problem with these folks. I like 'em.
This company has great packaging, however, I found that for the price the plants were very very small. I could do much better at our local garden center-bigger plants for the same, or even lower price. This was my second year ordering from TS. The first year the plants were much healthier than they were this year. Their seeds and other garden products are really good. Just stay away from transplants.....
Territorial Seed Company really does stand by their word that their plants are guaranteed to arrive in good condition. Recently I ordered some salvia and when it arrived one plant was broken and not going to survive. I wrote the company right away and they shipped me a new one within a week!! It arrived in very good condition and is now planted in my garden. Lori was kind, courteous, helpful and a wonderful representative of her company. I would definitely recommend Territorial Seed to all my gardening friends and anyone else interested in doing business with a company who stands by their word!
On Apr 14, 2007, CMoxon Urbandale, IA (Zone 5a) wrote:
Wow, my plants arrived today (a selection of lavenders and rosemary) and they look terrific. All healthy and green. Labels were in all pots. Dirt stayed in all pots. The packaging was excellent and held the plants in their pots in a row in the box, so nothing was shaken around and beaten up, like other shipping I've experienced from other companies. I would not hesitate to order plants from TS again. I also ordered seeds earlier in the year and they came quickly with no problems.
Received variegated lavender, golden oregano & bee balm plants by mail to to Northern New England. All plants arrived in great shape and are of a good size for planting. We had them arrive early to pot up in a greenhouse until the weather warms. We've done business for several years and have been consistently pleased.
On November 16th, 2007, seagardener added the following:
We also ordered a bunch of 25 bareroot 'Seascape' strawberry plants from Territorial & asked a local greenhouse grower to pot them up for summer planting. I've ordered & purchased strawberries in the past and always had a significant number either moldy or that failed to sprout. The grower commented that every one of the 25 plants sprouted and rapidly began producing fruit right in the pots. We transplanted them into glazed deck tubs and included them in window boxes alone and with other plants. They kicked out fruit all summer and produced abundant runners with plantlets that we moved into the garden. The lavender & oregano did great and the 3 bee balm plants bloomed well. Top notch.
On Apr 8, 2007, SarahL Oregon City, OR (Zone 8b) wrote:
This is the 2nd year I have ordered seeds from Territorial. All of the seeds that I started indoors are doing well, I'd say I had a 97% germination rate. The seeds were packaged well and arrived super fast. I will definately order from them again!
I've ordered seeds for the past several years and had great success. I wanted my dad to have a more successful gardening experience, so this year I ordered him seedlings from Territorial. I e-mailed ahead of time to get recommendations of what they have that might be successful in South Carolina. I then ordered 2 tomatoes, 2 peppers, and a sweet basil. They just arrived today. My dad reports: No labels in any of the plants. All of the dirt was out of the sweet basil - nothing even clinging to the roots. The tomatoes were drooping and one's leaves were curled in and appeared to be just about dead. What dirt was in the pots and the shipping box was completely dried out. He's going to try to water and revive them, but was very disappointed. He had planned to just get tomatoes from the local "big box" store, but I convinced him that the quality and selection would be better elsewhere. I guess I assumed that if they couldn't safely ship live plants to the east coast they would say so.
On April 13th, 2007, E_M_I changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
They responded to my e-mail complaint and have promised to replace the plants that died. I'm hoping that the replacements are in much better shape when they get there. I've upgraded the rating to neutral because they seem eager to correct the problems.On April 23rd, 2007, E_M_I added the following:
Plants arrived in much better condition. My dad was relieved and happy to note that this time the pepper plants had labels. Territorial was moderately quick to address the problems.
Super Super Super! A wonderful company to work with - totally professional, great packaging and abundant content of seeds. Pricing awesome, quality outstanding and super catalog which they are nice enough not to send you every week. I will be a repeat customer for many, many years. Thank you so much!
Usually I sow a few extra seeds to be sure I have the amount that I want to plant. With the broccoli and cauliflower seeds, I got 100% germination. Now all I have to do is figure out where to plant them.
On Feb 20, 2007, turtle_girl Westminster, MD (Zone 6b) wrote:
I ordered a large quantity of seeds and some strawberry plants (They arrive in March) from this company on 1/19 and received my seeds in less than a week. They can be a little on the pricey side, but you get a generous quantity of seeds and I've always had good results with germination rates and species correctness.
I also love their large selection and the fact that you have a choice of seed pack sizes with most of their items. The seed packs include all the necessary (and correct!) information to get your plants off to a good start...something I haven't found with some other companies.
I will definitely order from them again and recommend them to others!
On Feb 15, 2007, shermsgarden Snohomish, WA wrote:
Been ordering from Territorial for several years now - so long I cannot remember. Orders have been complete, and prompt, germination is consistently good (even after seeds are couple years old). Recently had a problem with a rhubarb tuber purchased from them that just wouldn't grow properly - got small initial leaves and then crown appeared to rot. I contacted the company and they ran me through things to check and suggestions which I tried - and now it is growing like a weed. The item had been in the ground for one season and was still struggling - as was the gardener - a lot of companies would have told me it was my problem. They were still willing to support the customer in getting the item to grow. I really appreciate the service I have received from them. This season I branched out a little and ordered some items from other companies - and learned my lesson - will return to this "old standard" where the products are reliable and service good!.
