¤ 2/10 ¤ Usually round this time of year is when I start looking and ordering new organic seeds for my garden. I heard mixed reviews about Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, some being that they are good and others being that they completely cannot handle shipping seeds.
Lets go with the Pros of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds first:
The Good
The great thing about Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is that they are using the "Safe Seed Pledge" which means no Genetically Engineered Seeds or Genetically Modified Organism (GMO). So all of their seeds are completely fine to use without worries of that rubbish. Second, they have quite the array of seeds to choose from and they are currently working with Wild Boar Farms, who have been creating new strains the normal way.
The Bad
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds does NOT send you any form of tracking. They stated in their email after my purchase that I would receive shipping information and I should receive my package within one week. I HAD to email Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds five separate times. First Email was to ask when I would receive shipping information, for that email I received a reply stating my items were shipped. Second Email was to ask why I haven't received my seed packets after a week, which is when I was told I would receive my seeds. Third Email was a complaint email stating I never received my seeds and asking yet again for Tracking Information, I didn't receive an email for tracking, all they did was send me an email stating everything was shipped again. Fourth Email was to ask why I was promised Tracking Information and never received any, Did NOT get a reply back. Fifth Email was given TWO weeks after initial order stating I didn't receive them yet. No reply still!
I got my seed packets THREE WEEKS after my order, which is completely UNPROFESSIONAL. For all the great amazing products Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds had to offer, I would NEVER BUY FROM THEM AGAIN! I do NOT recommend this seed company to anyone, sure they took the safe seed pledge and are working with amazing farmers to gain more rare seeds for their collection. But it's not worth it, their employees whom handle shipping don't care about your gardening cycle or when you need to plant seeds. To me it seems they just want your money, then to hell with you if you don't receive your seeds or not. DO NOT support this company, there are many others that benefit gardeners and actually consider their gardening schedule, Bake Creek Heirloom Seeds does none of this.
The seeds I bought were Yellow Strawberries, Tronchuda Kale, Pink Flamingo Swiss Chard, Wild Boar Farms Blue Beauty Tomato, Spinach and a Pepper seed packet. These seeds are okay but totally not worth the hassle Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Shipping Employees give. I give this company a 2 out of 10 because of their poor customer service and their poor shipping.
HyperSmash
Hi Jeff,
ReplyDeleteI am a Swedish gardener and I can only agree on BC's inability to handle shipping and customer service. I ordered on March 24 (noon here in Sweden and dawn in Missouri) and my order was shipped on April 10 - 17 days after they received my order and charged my debit card. I received tracking information and according to the last update my order hasn't left US yet. It will probably arrive in Sween after the Easter weekend. Too late to sow the tomatoes this year so just a waste of money.
I order a lot of vegetable seeds from a company in Sweden and a handful of UK companies, but Baker Creek have lots of interesting varieties that aren't available in Europe so for next spring I will have too look for a more reliable seed company in US. Do you know of a similar seeds company where I can find rare and interesting vegetable varieties?
Anna,
DeleteTry for Johnnys Seed Supply, or The Cooks Garden. They have excellent cultivars and a range of crop available.
www.johnnyseeds.com
www.cooksgarden.com
Hi Jeff,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the links. I will definitely take a look at both these companies. For this season I have already placed an order with Adaptive -Seeds in Oregon. Their range is very interesting and seems very suitable for northern gardens too, they even have a melon mix for cold climates and short seasons. I couldn't resist the melon and some of the beans they stock, they have a couple of rare heirlooms that I haven't seen elsewhere.
Good luck with the 2014 growing season. Mine has just started ;-)
Best wishes
Anna