Comments regarding Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co.

Love this company as a resource for seeds. I had a question about when to harvest eggplant, and one of the gardeners called me and gave me useful tips. I also love the fact that they always throw in one free "surprise" packet of seeds. Most importantly, they frequently notify regular customers of opportunities to buy packets and have the proceeds go to a worthy cause, whether it's victims of a natural disaster or refugees. Looking forward to many more years of getting an amazing variety of seeds from Baker Creek, and I miss living close enough to visit their farm in Missouri.

I have now ordered a few times from this company and have always been pleased with my purchases. I have always had success growing what I've purchased. Just received my order of Crimson Clover and Bulls Blood Beet seeds and am beyond excited for spring!

I really want to like this company, but their website makes it hard.

Positive points about this company:
(1) They offer lots of seeds that I haven't seen for sale by other companies.

(2) The seeds I have used from them, Royal Blend Sweet Pea, had acceptable germination rates and grew beautifully throughout summer/fall 2021. Their free seed packet of purple Japanese mustard leaves also grew nicely even two years after receiving it and with improper storage methods.

(3) The reviews on their website can offer a lot of insight into how to get different seeds to germinate well. I also appreciate the "minimum seed count" listed for each seed packet.

Negative points about this company:
(1) Many of the seeds for sale online don't have any "days to maturity" noted. This makes it incredibly difficult to plan my garden out for the year unless I do extra research to find this information on other websites. There are some varieties of plant seed for sale that I can't find any information on elsewhere, so I am left to make a wild guess about maturation time.

(2) There is no standardized format on their mobile website that lists basic plant attributes. Plant height (if it's listed at all!) is often buried in a paragraph of information about each plant, and plant width seems to be rarely mentioned. This means navigating their website is labor intensive compared to others, and additional research is also required.

Oh I absolutely love this company!

I love this company! They have a lovely catalog with so many interesting seeds. I love to try new things and they have plenty to choose from. I also really love that they send a free seed packet with your order and this time it was Mizuna. I can't wait to try it! I'm a very happy customer!

I have ordered from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, probably 40 times over the years. I have always had a positive experience with them. The one time that I had germination issues with gray poppies, they refunded the cost of the seeds. I will continue to do business with this company without hesitation!

Quite a good selection of heirloom seeds. All I have tried are viable and produce well. These little round yellow squash and round zucchini are tremendous producers and everyone loves them! Thanks for preserving these great varieties!

I love ordering from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Free shipping on seeds makes it easy to order when I spot something that looks interesting, without having to try and group my orders to reduce shipping rates. I also love getting free seed packs when I order, as it is a nice surprise to see what new seeds I've received when my order arrives. Seed quality and variety is fantastic!

I’ve ordered a few times. Always an amazing selection, even when things sell out fast. This time I ordered enough for a free seed packet. You could tell that the picker took the time to consider my order and past orders and really put thought into the free seed packet they sent. I really appreciate it. Fast shipping, even to Iowa! Great customer service. If you haven’t checked out their YouTube you’re missing out. What a great all around company.

When I first ordered vegetable seeds from BC many years ago, I was disappointed by poor germination and off-types. However, I tried BC again after their Petaluma opening and have been a regular customer ever since. Variety, quality, and price are excellent. I particularly like their pepper and eggplant varieties. Germination is fast and reliable. I appreciate the free seed packet too.

Posted on May 9, 2021, updated May 13, 2021
Placed a small order almost 3 weeks ago to help out someone having difficulties. Three packets of seeds could have shipped first class envelope. They chose dhl where it has been sitting for two weeks. Dhl unreachable, baker creek does not care says it is circumstances beyond their control. The individual I was trying to help loves the artisan bumble bee varieties and was looking forward to growing them.

I have placed two orders with Baker Creek. My seed packets came within a reasonable amount of time (6-7 days), and to this date are germinating well.

With my most recent order, they included extra pepper seeds due to a low germination rate of that variety. I noticed a discrepancy regarding planting depth on one packet, but overall, the seed packaging is appealing and informative.

I plan on placing future orders, as they have many seeds I've been wanting to try in one place. I appreciate the many user reviews on specific varieties, because that helps me select the right plants for my personal situation and preferences.

Ordered thrice from Baker. Good communication when I have a question, well laid out website & pretty solid germination rates are why I shop here.

I have ordered from them for a few years. Good germination rates, accurate orders, fast deliveries.

Ordered 11 packs of seeds. $31 free shipping 2/28/2021. Order was received in 3 days with tracking. So far the seeds/plants are doing fine. Would order from them again.

I have ordered many seeds from Baker Creek but most have poor germination rates. I will go back to local purchase for seeds.
This year I ordered Fall Gold and Glencoe Thornless Raspberries. I received them in good time. The plants were barely rooted plugs. The special shipping bags are not special. Three out of 5 plugs were not alive. Why are you shipping plugs? For the cost, the plants should be at least rooted plants. Not fresh out of the plug trays.
I requested replacements which arrived dried out, leafless and plants dumped out of the bags.
Will not be using Baker Creek again
I also did not appreciate customer service person Leah's snark in the emails. I understand it can be difficult during a busy shipping season but we still need to enforce "filters" on our comments to others.

"On Apr 22, 2021 7:48 AM, Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. responded with:

We are so sorry to hear you had trouble with our products. We always germ test all lots of seed before we offer them for sale, but there are many things that can happen to the seed after it leaves our warehouse that can affect germination, including irradiation by the postal service. This is one reason why we offer a 2 year guarantee on our products. I do see that you emailed us about the plants you received, and Leah immediately replaced those for you. When you wrote back that you were not happy with the size of the replacements, she apologized and issued you a refund for them. "I am sorry you are disappointed. We try to give a complete description on our website so that customers can be informed consumers.
I have refunded the cost of your order back to you at this time.
Have a good day." "

Excellent seeds and service. Fast shipping even during the covid situation. Amazing selection of seeds including some very hard to find varieties.

Wonderful people and excited about adding them to our Homestead Garden show and podcast. Their seed product will be a wonderful addition and excited to see it enjoyed by our community and family. #MagnoliaCreationandHomestead #FarmFreshParenthoodPodcast
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Posted on February 10, 2020, updated April 11, 2021
Woo Hoo! Seeds came today! This is only my second year ordering from them, but most did well last year & those that didn't did do well for a friend I shared with, so I think I may not have planted them in the best location-my mistake! Haven't planted the seeds that I saved from last year yet, so I can't comment on that yet. Love the catalog-My camera fed me for a few years & I know you're not buying pretty pictures, but I love the pics of the veggies. Someone has a good eye! Free shipping-Thank You! I wanted to place my major spring order, but I know I'll need something later & won't hesitate to place another order since I won't have to spend $4 shipping for a $3 package of seeds! Customer service-I asked for gift certificates for the holidays & receieved WAY more than my garden can grow in one season (such a problem-right?) so I called to see if they are good for more than a year (answer-yes!) I spoke to a very helpful person. Trying really different stuff this year-we're experimenting with more oriental veggies. So far a positive experience!

Although they had to temporarily shut down their site a few times I got my order in. My shipment came in about a week and a half. I ended up making a second order too. There was such a huge selection of black flowers I couldn't help myself.Also a shout out, thank you for the free packet of dinosaur kale. It looks really cool and can't wait to see what it looks like.The seeds look good and plentiful. I wintersowed many of them and will start some indoors this week in case I have any failure as it's my first time wintersowing and it could be a me thing.

In spite of the high demand and impact that Covid-19 has placed on Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds' company, I received my order (including free gifts) in less than seven days. However, there was one packet of seeds missing. I sent them an email and Leah apologized for the oversight and on that same day I received a shipment confirmation email for the missing packet of seeds. Within seven days, I received two packets of the missing seeds as well as a free gift. I am so grateful to be able to procure my seeds from a company with such an impeccable reputation.

Posted on March 9, 2021, updated March 9, 2021
I have both ordered online and purchased at their seed stores many times in the last five years and am always satisfied. I've gone from beginner gardener to an experienced one with their seeds. My first tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, watermelons... in fact, almost every plant I've grown has come from Baker Creek. I'm not sure I'd be the gardener I am today without this company. I love the bizarre and interesting varieties they offer, the reliability of germination, and the reasonable prices (free shipping? Yes, please!). I recently have taken to purchasing a few seeds here and there so I have something to help cheer the winter blues, makes checking the mail exciting. Thank you, Baker Creek! As for the one silly negative review, I'm certain he didn't bother checking their website before complaining, because all of their "missing" varieties are still available online, they just don't have room to put every variety in their already huge, free catalog. Seems like their complaint was directed at someone's opinion who isn't even affiliated with the company. People will whine about anything these days. Ignore that ridiculous review and order your seeds from Baker Creek. You'll be glad you did!

I was looking for some particular seeds and I found them on the Baker Creek website. The ordering was easy and I was pleased and surprised to find that there was no shipping charge. The seeds arrived promptly. I was was so please with the service at Baker Creek that have already placed a second order.

This was my first year ordering from Baker Creek and it was a good experience. I intended to just fill in a couple of varieties I couldn't find elsewhere, but ended up adding a couple of additional interesting looking vegetables. The website said it could take up to 30 days for them to process and deliver the order because of Covid-related issues, but I'm in New England and my seeds arrived 8 days after I ordered them. Good service.

I have ordered seeds from Baker Creek for many years and never had any issues. This year, they made one small mistake on my order. I sent off a quick email with the seed packet I was missing. Due to COVID, it took them a little bit longer to get back to me. I expected this. Once they did, they said it will be taken care of. I got my missed seeds today. I can't wait to take my kids and visit their farm in Missouri one day soon.
Great company, great customer service, great products.

This is the second year that I have ordered from Baker creek and I am very pleased. They have the seeds we needed, plus a few new ones we decided to try this year and the shipping was expedient. We received our order within a week. Their website is top notch, the You Tube videos are great as is the mail order catalog.
Baker Creek is our first and only go to seed company.

Love the selection and variety of seeds, as a novice gardener I especially like that each seed variety had a complete description including ease of growing, yield and customer ratings. It was really hard to limit myself choosing seeds! My order arrived quickly despite current USPS shipping delays and it was well packaged (and included a free seed packet, mine was Tomato). Will definitely be ordering again!

I have ordered from Baker Creek a few times and have had much success with their seeds. I really like the variety offered. Their catalog is gorgeous! Free shipping and free seed packs keep me coming back. Thanks to seed companies like Baker Creek I have a wonderful garden sanctuary and no lawn!

I have had two great experiences with Baker Creek Heirloom Seed company. I originially came across them while searching for sweet banana peppers, and found they also carry many kinds of really interesting seeds. There is Kalugeritsa pepper from Macedonia and Thousandhead Kale from England. Their seeds are beautifully packaged and usually arrive before expected. Orders include a free packet of seeds that seem to complement the seeds in your order, seeds that you will actually want to plant. So what's not to like? I will order from them every year!

I placed my 2021 seed order, understanding that there might be a delay in shipping due to all the postal slowdowns and other things going on. To my utter surprise, my order arrived just 4 days later! And they included a free package of Kale seeds. This was the first time I've ordered from Baker Creek, but it won't be the last. I really appreciate that they have free shipping.

Posted on March 7, 2018, updated January 29, 2021
I order from various seed companies each year. I start thousands of vegetable and flower seedlings under lights each year. I placed three orders this year with Baker Creek. I called and talked to their customer service on one occasion recently. They couldn't have been more pleasant. All my orders arrived within a couple of weeks.

I want to say it is disgusting to read the rude, vicious, and almost hysterical comments some people make when leaving negative reviews.

First of all, people with complaints should CALL THE COMPANY FIRST. Don't rely only on emails. If you are still unhappy and without a resolution, THEN they should post the facts here and their rating. NO ONE should jump to wild conclusions and accuse a company of being a cheater, liar, or deliberately fraudulent.

All companies post their shipping costs and no one is twisting your arm to force you to buy from a company whose shipping costs you don't like. If you don't like it, then don't order.

We received our order very quickly. This was our first order with them and I am looking forward to seeing how the seeds grow. They have some very interesting varieties.

I was amazed how quick and efficient their service is! A wonderful job my seeds arrived promptly and are beautiful! Thank you so much!!

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is a gem. They have an incredible offering of rare and heirloom vegetables as well as flowers and fruit. They are beyond committed to saving and sharing heirlooms and getting them in the hands of everyone. As a bonus, their catalogues are absolutely stunning and beyond inspiring. Though they may make it look easy, one cannot begin to imagine their commitment and dedication to preserving heirlooms in an environmentally friendly manner. Also, I have ordered seeds and plants numerous times and have never had a bad experience - always professional and timely.

I've ordered from Baker Creek a few times now, and continue to be delighted with the selection, value, germination, and speed of delivery.

This year, I'm even teaching young gardeners how to start from seeds, and we plan to use Baker Creek's tomato varieties as a starting point.

Amazing variety. Good value (especially if you save seeds at all) and unique selections that I haven't been able to find anywhere else. Not only will I order again, but I'll keep them at the top of my list to suggest to others to order from as well.

In ordered several times from Baker Creek. The whole experience was positive - from order processing and delivery to seed quality. I value wide range of seeds they carry.

However I'm not excited with free shipping policy they offer for North America regardless of order value.

First, this ist reflected in price of a single pack, as they calcuted / included shipping & handling cost in the price of goods.

Second, it is not environmental friendly to ship so many orders and this policy clearly contributes to increased nr of orders being shipped out.

Third, it is clear that they struggle to manage increased Nr of shipments as they need do close down Web site for several days already several times.

This increased Nr of small value orders are a big burden for the environment and employees and I see no reason to encourage this trend of "one pack orders" by offering free shippment regardless of order value.

I ordered seeds online. The seeds arrived in a week. I was delighted with my free seeds. This is the second year I've ordered from them and I will order again in t h e future.

Posted on November 23, 2020, updated November 27, 2020
Baker Creek website has many "glitches" in it. Will not let me log in, does not send me an email to create a new password. I emailed the company 3 weeks ago, to either remove my account info, and I will create a new account, or perhaps fix what is wrong on their end. I have tried 3 times to place an order, and it will not go through. I tried using a different browser, same issues happened. I tried calling the company telephone number and got a useless recording, to send them an email, which they never replied to. I will not be ordering any seeds from Baker Creek....I am seeing comments from other customers, the same issues are happening to them also. A quick way for a business to down the tubes real fast.

"On Nov 24, 2020 12:04 PM, Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. responded with:

We're sorry to hear you've had trouble with our website! Our phones are currently down, as we have a large number of our customer care team working from home, so we do not have enough people on site to run the phones. We do have a large number of people working on responding to emails, it may be that we did not receive yours. If you will email lisa@rareseeds.com I will work on getting your issues dealt with as quickly as possible.
"

I have placed several orders with Baker Creek in the last three months and have been very happy with their service and selection. My recent email was responded to the next day. My last order was placed on 11/12/20, through their website, with no issues.

I will definitely be doing business with them again in the future!!