Julie Arora
Google
Disappointing Experience with Johnny's Selected Seeds – They Didn’t Stand Behind Their Product
I was excited to order from Johnny's Selected Seeds to create a low-maintenance, pollinator-friendly lawn. I initially ordered grass seed, but after speaking with an agent, I decided to try clover as an alternative for green ground cover that would attract bees and stay small. I specifically told the agent I needed something that wouldn’t grow tall, as I didn’t want a meadow—just a neat, small clover lawn. The agent, who claimed she worked at their farm and used this clover annually to nitrogenize the soil, assured me their Mammoth Red and Medium Red clovers would stay small. Trusting her expertise, I ordered $150 worth of clover seed.
I spent thousands on topsoil and professional installation to get it right, but what grew was a disaster—a giant meadow of clover that towered over my yard! It was nothing like the small clover I was promised. Last year, I tried mowing it to keep it down, but it was so patchy and hard to manage that I gave up and let it grow again this season. It’s been a nightmare to deal with, and the expense of fixing it (easily thousands in labor) isn’t worth it. I’ve since decided to embrace the meadow and plant wildflowers instead.
This season, I called to order herb and vegetable seeds and mentioned my frustration to a new agent. I explained that I don’t have a field—I have an unplanned meadow because of their clover. The agent admitted they don’t even sell microclover or Dutch clover, which would have been the small varieties I needed. I asked if they’d offer a credit, given their mistake, but they refused. Instead, they offered a measly 20% discount on a future order, which doesn’t come close to covering the $150 seed cost, let alone the thousands I spent on labor to deal with their error.
Their website claims, “Johnny's is committed to your success, every step of the way. We want you, our customer, to be 100% satisfied with all of our seeds, tools, and supplies. If anything you purchase from us proves unsatisfactory, we will either replace the item or refund the purchase price.” I’m far from satisfied—their agent misinformed me, and the clover turned into giant plants—but they didn’t honor their guarantee. When I wrote back, offering to send pictures of the “disaster” and asking for credit toward wildflower seeds (deer-resistant ones, since I now have a meadow), they still refused, citing that it’s been two years since my order. Their response felt dismissive, and a 20% discount doesn’t address the scale of my loss or their mistake.
I normally deal directly with companies to resolve issues, but Johnny's Selected Seeds has let me down. Their satisfaction guarantee feels hollow, and I’m disappointed they wouldn’t stand behind their product or their agent’s misinformation.