Apr. 14, 2025
Growing plants from seed is an inexpensive way to fill your garden with flowers and edibles, and buying the seeds online makes the shopping process even easier.
With competitive price and timely delivery, Dayu sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.
You can also find unusual and hard-to-find flowers, herbs, and vegetables when you buy seeds from online shops. “Growing from seed opens a whole world of options,” says Kelly Smith-Trimble, author of The Creative Vegetable Gardener.
When buying seeds online, read the product description to learn how to grow them. Look for the “number of days to harvest,” which helps you figure when to plant and when to harvest. Check light needs and climate zones to make sure the seeds will thrive in the location you have in mind.
“Look for varieties that will perform well in your region,” Smith-Trimble says. “Some varieties are bred for specific conditions, whether cold or hot, dry or humid, or for resistance to certain diseases, so it’s important to think about your local environment when buying seed.”
The online sources on our list are also jam-packed with garden information—much more than you would get if you went to a brick-and-mortar store. The best sites have video tutorials, articles, and how-tos.
To find the best places to buy garden seeds online we researched a variety of retailers, keeping in mind price ranges, quality, delivery options, and more.
Burpee, founded as a mail order company in in Pennsylvania by Atlee Burpee, is one of the most popular seed sellers in the country. The company sells reliable seeds for flowers, vegetables, herbs, fruit, and perennials. They also sell heirloom seeds alongside modern varieties.
They also roll out their own innovative hybrids, like the Burpee Big Boy tomato. You can sort searches by whether the seed is organic, heirloom and heat tolerant, among other categories.
You can also find your USDA hardiness zone by typing in your zip code on the home page. Burpee lets you sort through their garden supplies to find products made in the USA.
Keep in mind that the smallest pack of seeds you can order from them is a pack of 100, so you might receive more than you need depending on your spring garden plans.
Botanical Interests offers a variety of affordable and high-quality vegetable, flower, and herb seeds, many of which are certified organic. They also sell more than 200 varieties of heirloom seeds, which are open-pollinated and over 50 years old.
In addition to their reasonable prices, Botanical Interests guarantees good germination rates for their seeds. A third-party laboratory tests the brand’s seeds regularly to ensure quality. If the seeds germinate poorly, they offer a refund, exchange, or store credit for your order.
Each seed variety includes helpful information about sowing, growing, and harvesting the plants. For more information, you can also reference the brand’s guides on seed starting, organic gardening, harvesting, and a variety of other gardening topics.
Botanical Interests partners with garden centers across the country, making their seeds widely available if you prefer to shop in stores. Some varieties, like their Black Kat pumpkin seeds or candy cane chocolate cherry sweet pepper seeds, are only available to purchase online. But with free shipping on orders over $49, you can avoid costly shipping fees if you stock up on seeds and supplies.
In addition to seeds, the brand sells gardening supplies like planters, gardening beds, tools, and seed starting kits.
Park Seed was founded in in Pennsylvania and is a household name in seed suppliers. They sell hundreds of flower, herb, fruit, and vegetable seeds.
They also sell seed-starting kits—their Bio Dome System makes it easier to grow your own seeds, and it comes in sizes that accommodate between 18 and 60 seedlings.
Like many sellers, Park Seed offers seed collections that are more affordable than they would be if you bought the same seed packets separately. You can find the seeds grouped together by variety and theme on the website.
We also love how easy it is to find seeds for your specific zone. You can find your USDA Zone at the home page by entering your zip code. Once you do that, a checkmark icon that reads “Grows in My Zone” appears on the product image of any plant or seed zoned for your area.
You can also sort seeds by species, uses, and garden trends. If you need seeds in bulk, Park Seed sells packs with up to 10,000 seeds. However, if you need to make a return, you will only receive a store credit instead of a refund.
Eden Brothers sells vegetable and herb seeds, but their flower seed selection is where they shine. Their site makes choosing the right flower for your needs easy, because you can sort seeds by a range of traits from flower color to garden theme.
Whether you are trying to deter deer, attract pollinators, or plant a moon garden, the search and sort feature makes it easy to find the right flower seeds for you. Eden Brothers also sells wildflower seed mixes customized to 11 U.S. states. Each state mix includes seeds for at least 20 native wildflowers so you can plant flowers that thrive in local conditions.
Eden Brothers also has more than 100 varieties of culinary herbs and medicinal herb seeds. They’re one of the best online sources of seeds because they sell heirloom, open-pollinated, rare hybrid and organic herb seeds. If you need accessories, like gardening gloves or a self-watering planter, you will have to shop from another store.
At checkout time, Eden Brothers suggests other varieties of plants that complement the seeds in your cart. You can even add a free gift message to the order if you are sending a gift to your favorite gardener. Standard shipping for a half dozen seed packets is $4.99, but keep in mind that they don’t offer expedited shipping.
Eden Brothers will consider accepting returns on incorrect, defective, or damaged items if returned within 30 days after you get the package. If you change your mind on an item, they will give you a full refund minus shipping costs within 15 days of the package receipt.
If you want heirloom seeds, Seed Savers is one of the best places to look. The nonprofit got its start in as a seed bank for collecting and storing heritage seeds from across the United States. “They wanted to preserve biodiversity and the stories that went with the plants,” Smith-Trimble says.
Seed Savers also offers seed collections that can save you money. They have a pickling collection that includes seeds for dill, 'Detroit Dark' red beet, green beans, 'Chantenay' carrot, and a rare type of jalapeño pepper.
When you buy from Seed Savers, you support their mission to preserve endangered crops and the nation’s food legacy. However, unlike a few other sites on our list, you can’t sort the seeds by your growing zone so it’s not as easy to navigate.
Shipping is free on all orders over $250. You can also choose expedited shipping options with USPS or UPS, with cost based on product weight. You can choose a ship date, too, if you want your seeds to come closer to gardening season.
Seed Savers Exchange allows returns for a full refund, less shipping costs, on unused, unopened and undamaged items returned within 30 days of receipt.
Rare Seeds product descriptions are fascinating plant histories, so browsing the site is like leafing through a gardening book. You learn history and horticulture while you shop.
Rare Seeds got its start in as a hobby for the founder, back when heirloom vegetables were being rediscovered by the gardening public. The Missouri-based company has grown into North America’s largest seller of heirloom seeds and is one of the best places to buy garden seeds online.
Rare Seeds offers a huge selection of 19th-century heirloom seeds from Europe and Asia. They also offer garden supplies, some live plants, essential oils, and sourdough starter. And if you are ordering in the United States, you get free shipping with your purchase.
You can purchase rare vegetable seeds like 'Apricot Zebra' tomatoes, 'Bhut Jalokia' hot peppers, and 'Florenza' sunflowers from Rare Seeds.
Their new offerings for include 'Giant Bertroua' molokhia, an edible green native to Cameroon that grows up to 10 feet tall, and 'Filderkraut' cabbage, a traditional German cabbage with heads that grow to 10 pounds.
If you are a beginner to gardening and are looking for basic seeds, you may have to look on a different site for those seeds.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds got its start in New Hampshire in , when the company’s founder began selling apple seeds. 51 years later, Johnny’s has become an esteemed plant breeding and growing operation where gardeners can find seeds developed for hardiness and disease resistance.
Over the years they have developed award-winning new varieties like ‘Honey Bear’ winter squash, ‘Bright Lights’ Swiss chard, and the ‘Baby Bear’ pie pumpkin.
This year’s new varieties include ‘Marmalade Skies,’ an orange tomato that resists blight and ‘Honey Bun’ acorn squash, a striking, variegated dumpling squash that resists powdery mildew.
Johnny’s also has outstanding growing information and gardening tools on the site. They don’t just sell seeds; they tell you how to grow them. Check out their Grower’s Library, which has video tutorials, a glossary of garden terms, planting tools, and calculators to help you figure out many seeds you need for your garden.
We also appreciate that the brand offers same-day shipping, so you don’t have to wait very long to receive your seeds or gardening tools. If you have to return an item, they will credit your original form of payment; however, you will have to pay the shipping fee to return the item.
Ferry-Morse, founded in in Detroit, is the oldest continually operating seeds company in the United States. The company sells organic, heirloom, hybrid, and open-pollinated seeds, and they have some of the lowest prices. Most of their seed packs sell for around $3.
The reason so many of their seeds cost less is because they have fewer seeds in them. Most of their standard seed packets have about half as many seeds as many other companies’ standard packets.
If you need more than 15 or 20 seeds, you’ll need to buy a couple of packets or buy one of their larger sizes. On the flip side, if you have a small space to plant and don’t need 60 seeds, Ferry-Morse will keep you from buying more than you need.
You can sort plants at Ferry-Morse by traits including deer resistance, light needs, height, fruit or flower colors. There’s also a chart that shows you the size of the seeds you’re getting, so you won’t be surprised when you open that packet.
Founder Renee Shepherd founded Renee’s Garden in . Nearly 40 years later, she still trials and chooses all the flower seed varieties her company sells.
Renee’s Garden sells open-pollinated and heirloom varieties from around the world, along with exclusive varieties like ‘Ten Week Perfume’ stock and ‘Flashback’ calendula.
She focuses on the sort of nostalgic flowers you’d find in a cottage garden: bluebonnets, delphiniums, forget-me-nots. The selection is heavy on heirlooms, light on modern varieties.
Renee’s also sells vegetable and herb seeds, too. The company’s seed packs are lovely, with watercolor illustrations of the mature plant and instructions written by the gardeners who tried the plants.
This isn’t the place to find a super rare hot pepper bred a century ago in one county in New Mexico, but you can get a Southwestern Chile Trio packet with popular pepper varieties or a Trinidad Scorpion. Renee’s has a small, curated collection that focuses on what’s popular with backyard gardeners.
The site has videos, articles, and even recipes with herbs and vegetables. You can watch tutorials titled “How To Grow Big, Beautiful Zinnias From Seed,” “Flowers for Cutting,” or “Pruning Lavender.” There are recipes for Escarole Soup, green and red tomato sauces and pesto, with links to seeds you’ll need to grow the ingredients.
On the website, the flowers and vegetables are arranged alphabetically in a dropdown menu. The site is easy to navigate because it’s small and focused—it’s like shopping at a digital garden boutique.
Sign up for the newsletter and you’ll get 10% off your first order and notified of sales in the future. Shipping for a half-dozen seed packets is about $7, and they don't offer free shipping for any purchase amount. Shipping rates vary by the amount of purchase, with the average being 20% of your order amount.
If your seeds do not germinate, Renee’s will give you a store credit up to 6 months after purchase. Few online sellers offer such a guarantee.
Prairie Moon Nursery specializes in native seeds and seed mixes for specific garden needs. Need flowers that can grow in exposed clay subsoil? How about flowers that grow in standing water? Prairie Moon has it.
The company has more than 700 native wildflower, grass, and sedge seed varieties, making it the best place to buy garden seeds online if you are looking for native plants. There are also specialty mixes for birds and pollinators as well as seeds that produce deer-resistant plants.
You can search and sort plants by bloom time, region to which they are native, height, light needs, and USDA Zone. Product descriptions for seeds include a map showing the plant’s native range, including where the plant lives now and where it lived in the past.
Prairie Moon also sells Eco-Grass, a low-maintenance lawn seed mix that’s an alternative to thirsty, high-maintenance turf grass. Eco-Grass is a mix of native grasses and a blue fescue that can grow with less fertilizer, water, and mowing. It’s a good pick if you are looking to free yourself from a labor-intensive lawn but aren’t ready to replace your grass with a wildflower meadow.
They do not accept returned seed after 30 days and charge a 25% restocking fee on all returned seed.
TrueLove Seeds sells seeds with cultural and historical ties to Italy, Syria, Africa, Asia, the Levant, and their home base, Philadelphia. Their African Diaspora collection includes crops like okra, field peas, and peanuts that originated in Africa and were brought to North America.
TrueLove sells vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Browsing the site is like taking a culinary journey around the globe. You can sort seeds by region of origin that have been curated into collections.
TrueLove offer seeds for huacatay, a marigold native to South America that’s used in a Peruvian dish; 'Hopi Dye' sunflower, an Arizona native used by Indigenous peoples to dye wool and baskets; and 'Spotted Aleppo' lettuce, a variety cultivated for thousands of years in the Middle East introduced to the U.S. in the late s.
Truelove works with around 50 small farms around the country, and each farmer grows at least one culturally important variety related to their ancestry. They support small businesses and biodiversity while being one of the best places to buy garden seeds online.
They do not provide refunds for seeds due to customer ordering errors.
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange is a smaller brand that encourages seed saving and guarantees high-quality and sustainable heirloom seeds. Located in central Virginia, the brand grows many of the seeds on their own farm and works directly with small farmers to produce hundreds of varieties of organic heirloom seeds.
If you’re a beginner to gardening or seed saving, the brand provides comprehensive growing guides to help you get started. It offers about 800 varieties of vegetable, flower, herb, grain, and cover crop seeds, including a large selection of rare Southern heirloom seeds. All of its seeds are naturally produced, and the vast majority are open-pollinated.
You can purchase many unusual Southern heirloom varieties from the brand, including peanuts, southern peas, naturally colored cotton, collards, okra, roselle, turnip greens, and butterbeans. Much of the brand’s seed selection does well in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, but Southern Exposure has options that will thrive in any region. More than half of its seeds are also certified organic by the USDA.
The brand offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all of its seeds, nursery stock, and accessories, so you can receive a refund or replacement if you are unhappy with your purchase. Southern Exposure offers a very limited selection of gardening accessories, so you’ll need to shop elsewhere if you also need gardening supplies like soil or fertilizer.
For a wide selection of flower, herb, and vegetable seeds, shop at Burpee, an online superstore for gardeners who grow from seed. If you want to buy rare seeds and support a seed bank that works to preserve biodiversity, Seed Savers Exchange is the best place to buy seeds online.
Seeds don’t weigh much unless you are buying in bulk. Standard seed packets weigh 1.5 grams, so you can get a garden’s worth of seeds shipped to you in an oversized envelope for less than $7 or so.
Some online seed sellers offer free shipping on larger orders. Seed Savers Exchange, for example, offers free shipping on orders over $250.
Online seed sellers’ selections vary. Nearly all sell standard varieties of flower, herb and vegetable seeds. You can get seeds for 'Big Boy' tomatoes, 'Cut and Come Again' zinnias, 'Blue Lake' green beans, and 'Sensation Mix' cosmos at almost every online seed store.
For more unusual seeds, you’ll need to go to sellers that specialize in such items, like Rare Seeds. Generally, online stores offer a wider selection of seeds than brick and mortar stores.
The germination rate is the estimated percentage of seeds that are alive and viable in a seed lot. The higher the rate, the more of your seeds will sprout into plants. Seed sellers with a good reputation sell fresh seeds with a high germination rate.
The expected germination rate is typically listed on the seed seller’s site or on the seed packet label.
“I typically buy seed from well-known seed companions with a good reputation because I know I will get a high germination rate,” Smith-Trimble says. “Often, the company will tell you what the expected germination rate will be.”
Most online seed sellers will accept returns of unused seeds within 30 days of purchase. Most do not give refunds on seeds that don’t grow, with the exception of Renee’s Garden. This site will give you a store credit if your seeds don't germinate.
That depends on the seed. If you are starting seeds indoors, it’s helpful to have a seed starting kit to control temperature and humidity. Depending on how much light you get in your space, you may also want to invest in a grow light.
If you are sowing seeds directly in the garden, you don’t necessarily need any special tools. Just use your fingers to poke a hole in the soil, and drop the seed in the hole.
Before purchasing seeds, you'll want to determine where you are planting your seeds (potted planters or garden beds) and what you want to grow. Take into consideration how much space you have to dedicate to your garden.
Some online seed sellers or gardening sites have seed quantity calculators and charts to help you determine the number of seeds you need to plant a given space. To calculate it yourself, use this formula: X = W x L x S
X= number of plants to fill a bed
W= Width of row
L= Length of row
S= Number of plants per square foot
Winter is the best time of year to buy seeds for summer and spring gardens. That way you are ready to plant them outdoors in the spring, or you can start them indoors in late winter.
Buying vegetable seeds for your garden takes a lot of planning and can get expensive. There are a lot of seed companies with vastly different prices, selection, guarantees, and shipping costs.
I purchased garden seeds (and plants) from numerous places over the past two decades, including over 20 places online last year. I now know which places have the best selection, cheap prices, and free shipping.
You can even buy some really cheap seeds for $2 or less from 2 websites. Ordering 10 packets of seeds (including shipping can cost anywhere from $20 to over $70.
Or you can spend a little bit more at the bigger retailers, which supports their research efforts on disease resistance, pest resistance, and new varieties.
Jump to:I organized the best vegetable seed companies into a top 12 list. This infographic summarizes why each one earns a spot as a good place to buy seeds online.
I also evaluated the price and selection for each vendor later in the article with their prices. In order to compare the selection, I picked 4 popular seeds people plant in the garden: tomatoes, peppers, peas, and watermelons. I tallied up the number of varieties of each of those plants that each place sells.
Keep reading for full explanations and my own personal experiences with each website.
Websites:
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Vegetable Seeds. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Burpee and Territorial have affiliate programs, which I have joined. That means I get a small commission if you buy from them after clicking on their links. I have tried to not let that influence my recommendations, but thought it was only fair to point out.
Catalogues usually ship out in November and December and the majority of gardeners purchase vegetable seeds in January.
After January, inventory might be harder, but not impossible to find if you're looking for something specific. Starting in March, specific garden seeds can be hard to find, but more common vegetable sees should still be available.
In March of , I had to order from several different vendors to cobble together my wish list based on which seed companies still had stock available. This added quite a bit of cost, as I no longer had the luxury to price-shop and accumulated shipping costs across several different vendors.
Vegetable seeds and other seeds for your garden can get expensive. The cost of garden seeds varies, shipping can add up, and coupons can be hard to find or nonexistent.
For the seed vendors I evaluated, seeds packets range from $0.45 for sample packs up to $8 (or even $9) from other websites. I calculated the cost of buying 10 tomato seed packets from each vendor, including shipping (but not tax). I selected the same basic seeds for a fair comparison, and the totals are wild - ranging from $17 to $85.
Sometimes a high price is worth it to secure your favorite seeds or a unique vegetable variety. But other times you can price shop to keep costs down.
Shipping costs can also add a surprising amount to the order total, which is incredibly frustrating after spending hours thoughtfully putting seeds into your cart. You're left with the decision to accept the cost or to start a new time-consuming seed order on another site.
Several websites sell vegetable seeds with free shipping, either for all orders or if you meet an affordable minimum spend (like $30). A couple more websites offer free shipping with $75 spends, but reasonable shipping costs if you don't meet those minimums.
Several vendors calculate shipping as a percentage of your spend, which I am not a fan of. I know it doesn't cost that much to ship seeds in the mail! For example, it doesn't cost $12 to ship $35 worth of seed packets via USPS. That shipping cost example is 30% of the order total.
I have all of the shipping costs for each seed company listed in a chart a couple sections below.
Most vendors don't offer coupons during the busiest months, like January and February. Some offer discounts closer to summer and early fall to sell their leftover inventory.
Burpee also often runs promotions for 20-30% off, or discounts for mix & matching herbs plants (for example). They have a current promotion of buy one get one free seeds, with code SEEDS425.
I compiled the cost per seed packet and shipping for various seed companies. I also included the total cost of ordering 10 seed packets to more accurately illustrate the actual cost of ordering your garden seeds this year.
There are also a few seed companies that focus on providing vegetables and garden seeds for a specific climate.
Some seed companies offer a good selection of both seeds and plants. Other vendors in this article also sell plants, but the selection is not nearly as complete (for example, they may sell asparagus and potatoes, but not pepper or tomato plants).
Territorial seed is my favorite source for buying vegetable plants with fair pricing and affordable shipping. They also have very useful filters to browse plants easier than other sites.
The seeds from Territorial are on the pricier side, averaging around $5 per packet, but I can sometimes find sales for 20% off. Their pricing for larger quantities is pretty decent if you are looking to buy in bulk.
I routinely buy tomato and pepper plants from Territorial because they have a large selection of unique varieties that nurseries don't always carry. For twice the price of a packet of seeds, I get a plant shipped to my home. They also let you pick the time frame for shipping plants, something other vendors don't offer. Their packing is top-notch and plants arrive healthy every time I place an order.
Burpee is one of the oldest seed companies and known for their plant breeding programs that introduce new seed varieties to the public. They also only offer non GMO seeds.
Founded in the late s, Burpee is known for creating several household vegetable varieties, including Iceberg lettuce, the first stringless green bean, and the first golden beet.
This company probably carries the largest inventory of seeds out of the companies listed (not to be confused with the largest number of varieties). They're one of the last vendors to sell out (but they DO still sell out of stock) and their seeds can sometimes be found in local nurseries and other stores.
Burpee seed packets cost more, averaging $5-7 each, but many of them contain 50-100 seeds per packet compared to 20-25 for other websites (using tomatoes and peppers as an example).
If there's a variety you know you will grow every year, these can actually be a good value for seeds that save for several years, like tomatoes.
Burpee also carries pretty much every type of plant you might want to order. They have a good selection of asparagus crowns, seed potatoes, fruit trees, tomato and even herb plants.
Burpee is also very generous with their guarantee. If you plant asparagus or strawberries that don't work out (been there!), their refund process is easy and hassle free.
I ordered melon seeds, Purple Wonder and Mara De Bois strawberry plants, herb plants, and the patio-sized Fignomenal fig tree that I can bring indoors in winter. Everything arrived in excellent condition, although the Purple Wonder strawberries died sometime after transplanting. I can't rule out that it wasn't my fault, but when I contact them to troubleshoot, they happily refunded the cost as a store credit.
Many gardeners go down the rabbit hole to find unique tomato and pepper seeds, often growing more than needed for the sheer delight of trying new things.
Almost all seed vendors in this article have a fairly large selection of both tomato and pepper seeds. However, a few stand out above the the rest.
This lesser known seed company is a great find. Victory Seeds is family owned in Texas and provides great customer service. I left a little thank you note in the online checkout 'notes' box and they sent my order with a hand written note back.
They sell all types of vegetable seeds, but it's their tomato seed selection that truly stands out. They have over 500 tomato varieties and are involved in a dwarf tomato project where volunteers helped create over a hundred new, compact varieties.
Victory Seeds is one of the few places growing these dwarf tomatoes and making the seeds available to the public. If you have a small space or want to grow tomatoes in containers, I highly recommend some of their dwarf tomato varieties.
This seed vendor is a hidden gem. Their extensive vegetable seed collection is impressive on its own, with almost 200 tomato varieties and another 175 pepper varieties.
But wait, they keep getting better! If you are interested in fruit, you're in for a treat. They sell fruit seeds for everything from kiwi berries and passion fruit to pawpaws and giant yellow mulberries.
I found them when looking to buy Aleppo pepper seeds in an attempt to make my own aleppo pepper seasoning. They are only vendor in this list that sold them. Ordering was easy, and pricing was fair.
Honorable mentions
Two vendors really stood out on price: Artistic Gardens and MI Gardener.
Artistic Gardens doesn't have a large selection by any means, but they offer sample size seed packets for $0.45 that contain 3-5 seeds. Their large seed packets contain 10-25 seeds for $1.25.
If you want to try all of the basics for a low price, check out two of their seed packet collections: 50 herb seeds for $24 (was 22.50 in ) and 50 vegetable seeds for $24.50 (shipping included!) which has 3 tomatoes, 4 peppers, 3 summer squash, 2 winter squash, 2 pumpkins, carrots, peas, and the list goes on.
I highly recommend the 50 vegetable seed collection for first-time gardeners. It keeps the cost way down and lets you try to grow different things and see what performs well in your climate.
Lastly, they also sell and ship wreaths for Christmas - a fun twist!
This is another great source for cheap seeds, but with a large selection.
MIGardener has over 700 heirloom seeds, and everything they sell can be harvested for seed saving (like Baker Creek). Their tomato selection is extensive with over 125 varieties.
was the first year I purchased anything from MIGardener and I was happy with the quality of the seeds and service. I've been following them on YouTube and Instagram for years now and I can tell you they sell out very quickly because of their loyal fan base.
With so many seed vendors out there, it's nice to find some that serve a specific niche. If you've come across specialty seed vendors not on this list, leave a comment to share!
Kitazawa sells over 500 traditional heirloom varieties from Japan, targeting Asian American gardeners and farmers that supply to restaurants. They offer a great selection of seed kits as well. If you're new to Asian vegetables, try their Stir Fry kit or Indian Cuisine garden kit, among others.
I've been happy with the seeds I've purchased from Kitazawa - they have good germination rates helpful planting tips on each packet. I particularly enjoyed the Chinese Parsley (Cilantro) I ordered that was slow to bolt in hot weather.
As of , Kitazawa became part of True Leaf Market and their old website no longer works in . Instead, you can shop for Kitazawa seeds on the True Leaf Market website. The pricing for seed packets and shipping appears to be exactly the same.
If you love old world Italian vegetables, look no further. Seeds from Italy imports Italian-grown seeds from Franchi Seeds, a family owned seed company in Italy.
Browse through Italian varieties of tomatoes like Principe Borghese (great for sun dried tomatoes), eggplants or summer squash. Zucchini, which actually originated in Italy, has a decent selection with suggestions to help you pick a new favorite.
I have not purchased seeds from this company yet, but plan to for the garden season and will report back.
Seed companies list the USDA growing zones on each vegetable seed page, and that's a great way to get started. However, those growing zones are based on first and last frost dates and that's it.
High and low temperatures, as well as humidity can dramatically affect the vigor of plants. If you've had trouble with certain varieties in the past, try one of these seed companies focused specifically on your climate.
I have not personally purchased from any of these three seed companies. My current climate (midwest) should allow me to plant seeds from Southern Exposure and Fedco for the growing season (I will report back!).
Southern gardeners are fans of Southern Exposure for their seeds that perform well in the hot & humid climates. Many varieties can't handle the heat, even peppers will wither and die.
But Southern Exposure is dedicated to providing seed varieties for those hot climates of the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. They also mention their vegetable seeds generally perform well in the Midwest (which is humid and can also get hot spells).
This seed company is actually a cooperative, where employees get a voice in operations. They are based in Maine and specialize in cold-hardy varieties for areas with shorter growing seasons that can also get hit with late frosts.
Fedco also sells berries and fruit trees, which I highly recommend for Northern gardeners. It can be challenging to find cold-hardy varieties that bloom late (to avoid late frosts) or survive the harsh winters. The USDA growing zone doesn't provide enough information to successfully grow a fruiting berry plant, bush, or tree.
They have some hard to find cold-hardy varieties I've looked into myself, like the Black Tartarian sweet cherry, several table grapes, peaches that bloom late, raspberries, blueberries, and more. The prices are also very fair - for example, a 3-6' peach tree is $38.
This seed company specializes in vegetables for hot, arid climates of the Southwest, including the dry higher elevations. They are also preserving Native American seeds, working with over 50 tribes.
Their website explains further, "Preserved in our seed bank today are nearly 2,000 varieties of crops adapted to arid landscapes extending from southern Colorado to central Mexico, many of them rare or endangered. The collection represents the cultural heritage and farming knowledge of over 50 indigenous communities, as well as recent immigrants like Spanish missionaries and Mormon homesteaders."
This seed company specializes in seeds adapted to the Pacific Northwest climate. They explain, "Our seed is adapted to the Pacific Northwest and other short season northern climates. We sell only public domain, open pollinated (OP) seed, as well as diverse gene pool mixes."
When I gardened in the Bay Area of California, I know I had to look for seeds that didn't need super hot summers. I haven't ordered from Adaptive seeds before, since I live in a different climate now. However, this source comes as a recommendation from a reader in Washington who was kind enough to share her go-to resource.
Harris seeds reached out to me after seeing this post. I haven't ordered from them before so I got a little background. While they've focused on farmers (with great bulk pricing), they are also here for the home gardener.
I was surprised at the selection of seeds - not only do they have a lot of varieties, they have a lot of ones I've never heard of. If you like unique options, check them out.
I also appreciate that a lot of seeds are untreated, which is always specified on the seed page. If you want to buy larger quantities, a lot of seeds are sold by the half-pound. For example, a half-pound of Little Marvel Pea seeds contain about seeds for $23.00. I'll be ordering from them this year (with my own money) and will update accordingly.
I received no compensation for the section above, however, the background below is actually sponsored. I received compensation for it, so I want to be clear. Here is the background information from Harris Seeds:
"Harris Seeds is one of the best places to buy vegetable seeds for your garden, trusted by growers since . Known for offering the highest germination rates in the industry, they ensure your garden gets off to the best start. Their extensive selection includes the largest variety of seeds and gardening products at unmatched value, catering to beginners and expert gardeners. If you love fresh veggies, try their juicy tomatoes and zucchini varieties. "
"Harris Seeds also stands out for quick turnarounds, so you can start planting without delay. With over a century of expertise, they remain a go-to source for quality and reliability. "
It's hard to pick a favorite vendor, since each one is great for their own reasons. But when friends, family, and people I meet ask me where to buy vegetable seeds, Baker Creek Heirloom is always a go-to recommendation.
This is the best place to buy seeds if you enjoy growing unique varieties and can't resist a pretty vegetable and intriguing description! Their prices are reasonable and free shipping is a welcomed perk.
Baker creek heirloom (rareseeds.com) is a fan favorite for a reason. They have a large selection of unique, heirloom seeds with stunning pictures and detailed descriptions. They are also known for their 500-page full-color catalogue for $15. It seems silly, but it's worth it (and more fun than scrolling through Instagram for a few hours!)
They are also a great heirloom seed source for those of you who enjoy saving seeds from plants you grow. As explained by Baker Creek, "All the seeds we sell can be saved, shared, and traded, and we encourage people to save their own seeds."
Every order comes with free shipping and a random free seed packet (my free seeds have usually been a flower mix or a lettuce variety). I've been happy with every order from Baker Creek Heirloom over the past 10 years.
There are other large seed vendors worth mentioning because they might be familiar to you. I've purchased from them and wanted to include their selection and pricing for a fair comparison. However, their costs are much more expensive.
Johnny's offers a good selection of quality seeds, often the preferred vendor for university research trials. However, they are also the most expensive vendor on this list, especially when shipping is included.
This seed company is a favorite among home gardeners for their selection and reliability. They also have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, with refunds going back to your credit card (not a store credit!).
I've ordered some hard to find seeds from Johnny's in the past, as well as indoor seeds like Silver Drop Eucalyptus. I like to browse their "Easy Choice" collection of seeds that have a winning combination of flavor, productivity, and disease resistance.
They offer a little bit of everything from popular tomato seeds to disease resistant hybrids, and a decent selection of live and dormant plants as well. Only shop with one of their coupons that's basically 50% off ($25 of $50, and up to $250 off $500), otherwise you are grossly overpaying.
The prices at Gurney's vary quite a bit for seeds, ranging from $3-$8. However, I've found many of their dormant root crops to be affordable, especially with one of the coupons. They also sell asparagus crowns in bunches of 10 instead of 25, making it easier to buy several different varieties without being overwhelmed.
Unfortunately, Gurney's quality can be really hit or miss. Seeds sometimes have low germination rates, other times they are great. The plants can arrive in poor condition, other times they thrive.
That said, their warranty is outstanding and easy to use. All plants, seeds, and other products are guaranteed for a year. I've used this guarantee - their customer service was very pleasant and gave me a store credit (unfortunately, they don't offer a refund to the original payment).
I purchased some seeds, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and peanuts from Gurneys in . The seeds germinated well and both potato varieties grew into healthy and vigorous plants.
The sweet potato slips arrived 1 month before my last spring frost date, but they can't be planted until all frost has passed (often waiting 2-4 weeks after the last frost date to be safe). I tried to keep them alive but only a few survived. Gurney's was quick to give me a store credit for the price of the sweet potatoes, however it was too late to order more and that was disappointing.
Some of us can't resist browsing paper catalogs while sipping a cup of coffee on a cold winter day. So order a few catalogs from the links below and start planning your garden!
A favorite garden blogger of mine, Garden Betty, has an entire article about the best garden catalogs. She talks about a few vendors I haven't ordered from before that might be worth checking out.
I've found a new favorite way to start seeds - in reusable silicon trays. Their flexibility allows you to easily pop out seedlings and the trays can also be sanitized in the dishwasher for future uses.
update: the trays I bought have been replaced by the seller with just the trays (no humidity domes or grow lights). You can try these instead.
4-pocket binder sheets fit seed packets perfectly. The smallest pack you can buy seems to be 25-30, which gives you 100-120 pockets. When storing them back-to-back (one faces front, one faces back), you get double the storage for 200-240 seed packets. I bought a 50-pack and it was way too many - oops.
I also bought a 1.5" thick binder which was definitely too small. I would definitely recommend a 3" ring binder, especially if you are storing large seeds like beans, peas, and corn.
I built out a giant herb garden this year, ordering from several different vendors. Get my recommendations of where to buy herb plants, along with pricing and shipping comparisons.
The company is the world’s best sweet sorghum seed for sale supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
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