If you’re wondering where to buy vegetable seeds and other plant seeds, we have a couple extensive lists of best garden seeds companies to help you along.
It’s Never too Early to Buy Seeds
During the 2020-2021 Covid-19 (and beyond) pandemic, all seed companies experienced shortages. Many were not back to full production even as late as 2022.
However, as you may have noticed, many companies and businesses are still not back to full inventory capacity. So now, no matter the time of year, it’s a good idea to order seeds early for an ample supply of more than one season’s planting for survival preparedness, just in case.
Planning, Picking and Ordering Seeds for the Garden
In typical times seed catalogs start coming in around January, and many during the week between Christmas and New Years, and the sooner you place your order, the better the chance of getting your selection.
Planning What to Grow in Your Garden
Gardeners longing for planting time can easily go overboard in ordering too many seeds. First of all, if this happens to you, the good news is that you can store seeds for a year or so.
However, the best way around that is with a clear garden plan.
In addition to the garden planner app, as an investor and investment educator, I use the value investing approach to help decide what to plant. Beyond that, most garden seed companies also have a lot of useful information on their websites to help you in whatever you’re wanting to plant and grow.
Online Saves Time
The Garden Planner app has a built-in program which generates a plant list with the seed companies that sell your variety. This has been a real time-saver for us.
Sure, it takes a little learning period, but once you get your garden layout entered in, you can keep tweaking that year after year as you rotate beds, change and add new crops. You can even save your plan for each year so that you can look back and see your notes on how your garden grew, as well as garden failures and wins.
Two other advantages of ordering seeds online are the quick search capability, and shortening the order/delivery time.
We actually order a lot of things from Amazon because it’s fast and easy and with Amazon Prime, we’ve save lots in shipping. You can get a free 30-day trial to see how you like it and get free shipping on most or all orders, plus free movies, music, etc., so lots of perks.
We’ve been satisfied so far with seeds ordered from there as well, and many sellers are also reputable businesses with their own websites and nurseries. We’ve ordered a number of seeds from different vendors, including purple sweet potatoes, cucamelons and the new hybrid of Brussel sprouts and kale, which we’ve written about here: Kalettes.
No matter where you get your seeds from, just make sure to follow the seed packet instructions for planting them. Some seeds fail to germinate because they’ve not been given their best chance through scarification, stratification or soaking.
Gardening is a lot like cooking or painting. The best results come from proper preparation and cleanup, both of which take a lot more time that the gardening itself. Start with good soil and organic compost, heed the seed packet instructions, keep your garden watered, (we favor drip irrigation), and you’re well on your way.
Seeds Are Our Future
At GardensAll, we are very encouraged to see so many people interested in gardening, homesteading and self sufficiency through growing our own food. Many in the Gardens All Facebook community are also interested in earning a living—or supplemental income—from gardening and farming, on anything from acres of land to 1/8 of an acre.
No one said it would be easy, but many are proving it’s possible, and many more want to and are heading in that direction.
So whether you’re a beginner gardener, just getting into vegetable gardening for the first time, or a seasoned old-timer, this article includes information you might find helpful. From ordering seeds and planning your garden, this is a good place to start.
While some say it can’t be done, others are just doing it.
List of Seed Companies
This list of seed companies was originally researched, compiled, and shared by Planting for Retirement community member, Paulina Circelli during the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020 that impacted so many. Thanks to Paulina for sharing this excellent, well-researched and alphabetically organized resource!
If you don’t see your favorite seed company please let us know the name and status and we will add it to this list. Also, please let us know, if you see a status that needs updating as well.
All of the companies on this list have taken the Safe Seed Pledge and Paulina has researched to the best of her ability, to ensure they don’t sell seeds from Seminis, Monsanto, Bayer, Syngenta, etc., or any of their affiliated companies.
The seed companies in this list sell heirloom, open pollinated, land raised, and organic seeds.
Seeds Companies are Swamped With Orders
All garden seed companies are reporting unprecedented volumes of orders. Those who are already gardening are ahead of the game. Those who are just starting… congratulations on taking action now! Once you grow your own food, chances are you always will as long as you’re able.
Some small seed companies had to close down during Covid. Some, due to being unable to meet demand while also tending their farm or homestead; others, due to personnel issues during quarantine.
Most, garden seed companies are back in operation now, however all are still experiencing reduced inventory and more out-of-stocks, especially as the season wears on. That’s due to a combination of a higher demand and a lower supply.
This list should help you find your way, and we will update periodically. Please let us know if you see any corrections or additions to make.
71 Garden Seeds Companies
Vegetable, Flower, and Medicinal Plant Seeds Listed Alphabetically
Updated 12/31/22
All companies on this list are currently open, in full production and shipping orders as usual, (unless otherwise indicated in this listing.
- ✅ Adaptive Seeds – “Pacific Northwest Grown, Open Pollinated, and Organic Seed.”
- ✅ Alliance of Native Seedkeepers – “Revitalizing Our Communities, Protecting Our Future”.
- ✅ Amazon – multiple companies. We’ve ordered some plants and seeds from Amazon sellers with good success; just check the reviews.
- ✅ American Meadows – “For years we have offered gardeners only the best wildflower seeds, flower bulbs, perennial plants and flowers, vegetable seeds and flower seed packets. The ones we grow in our own gardens.”
- ✅ Annapolis Seeds – Vegetables, Herbs, Flowers, Grains, Mushrooms;
NOTE: Based in Nova Scotia; currently shipping in Canada only. - ✅ Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds – “America’s top source for pure heirloom seeds.” And certainly our favorite go-to seed source!
- ✅ Botanical Interests – “High quality seed and garden products.”
- ✅ Burpee Seeds – “Offers a broad range of novel and traditional vegetables, herbs, fruits, flowers, perennials, and quality gardening supplies.”
- ✅ Chauly’s Favorite Seeds – “Heirloom, open pollinated, organic gardening & non-gmo.”
NOTE: Website name is BabyBows.com - ✅ Clear Creek Seeds – “Heirloom garden seeds… keeping heirlooms in the family.”
- ✅ Diane’s Flower Seeds – “We sell heirloom seeds, including annual flower seeds, perennial flower seeds, heirloom vegetable and herb seeds.”
- ✅ Eden Brothers – The Seediest Place on Earth.” “Selection includes over 700 different vegetable & herb seeds.”
- ✅ Field and Forest Products – “We can help you get started with superior certified organic mushroom spawn, indoor mushroom grow kits, tools, technical information, and good advice.”
- ✅ Filaree Garlic Farm – Garlic, potatoes, asparagus crowns… open and shipping
- ✅ Forgotten Heirlooms – “Rareseeds for Heirloom Tomatoes, Exotic Peppers, Cool Beans and More at Affordable Prices.”
- ✅ Fruition Seeds – “Organic seeds and trees for short seasons.”
- ✅ Full Circle Seeds – “Culinary, Medicinal, Flowering, Unique, Edible, Grains”
NOTE: Based in Sooke, British Columbia, Canada; Shipping within Canada only; not currently shipping to the US due to customs challenges. - ✅ Great Lakes Staple Seeds – “100% Michigan Grown Staple Crop Seeds that Empower Your Plant-based Lifestyle Goals.”
- ✅ High Mowing Seeds – “Our goal to leverage the power of seed to transform our world.”
- ✅ Hudson Valley Seed Company – “Your source for heirloom and open-pollinated garden seeds and beautiful garden-themed contemporary art.”
- ✅ Hume Seeds – “Ed Hume [of Gardening in America show] has the longest continuously running gardening show in America.”
- ✅ Irish Eyes – “a small scale, family owned organic farm that provides the highest quality, most affordable, and diverse selection of organic seeds and plants.”
- ✅ J. L. Hudson Seedsman – “A public access seed bank established in 1911”!
- ✅ Johnny’s Seeds – 100% employee owned; “Our mission is helping families, friends, and communities to feed one another by providing superior seeds, tools, information, and service.”
- ✅ Kitazawa Seed Co: – “Your source for Asian vegetable seeds for 104 years.”
- ✅ Kusa Seed Society – “Practical Work With Seedcrops — Research Work on ‘Sacred Grasses’
“Work for the Future, Being Done Today”. [Unable to fulfill orders at time due to personal circumstances; you can request to be notified by email when they resume]. - ✅ Little Shop of Seeds – Fully stocked for 2023; owner retiring after 2023, so it’s the last year for purchasing seeds from here.
- ✅ Maine Potato Lady – The Maine Potato Lady is a certified organic handler (#0706) through MOFGA Certification Services, LLC. All our seed is untreated.
- ✅ Mary’s Heirloom Seeds – a “mom and pop” small business created to help people become more sustainable and self-sufficient.”
- ✅ Meadowlark Hearth – “All seed offered is open-pollinated, including heirloom varieties certified organic seed.”
- ✅ MI Gardener – “Grow Big or Go Home”; “Empowering others to establish food security through home gardening.”
- ✅ Native-Seeds – a non-profit whose mission is “to conserve and promote the arid-adapted crop diversity of the Southwest in support of sustainable farming and food security.”
- ✅ Ohio Heirloom Seeds – “For People Who Eat What They Grow™”
- ✅ Oikos Tree Crops – “Ecological Enrichment: New Seeds, New Plants, New Ideas.” Seeds, roots, fruit & nut trees, tubers, rhizomes, berries, rare plants
- ✅ Old House Gardens – “America’s expert source for heirloom flower bulbs.”
- ✅ Open Circle Seeds – “Here is the Open Source Seed Initiative Pledge: You have the freedom to use these OSSI-pledged seeds in any way you choose….”
- ✅ Pinetree Garden Seeds: (DBA: Super Seeds) “Your source for seeds and supplies, helping the home gardener succeed since 1979.”
- ✅ Plant Good Seed – “The mission of The Plant Good Seed Company is connecting plants and people. We offer vegetable, flower, and herb seed varieties sourced directly from our farm in Ojai, California and a network of growers that reflect our agriculture ethic.”
- ✅ Prairie Moon Nursery – “Native plants for gardening and restoration.” Based in Winona, MN.
- ✅ Prairie Road Organic Seed – “Select certified organic garden seed, from our garden to yours.”
- ✅ Project Purity Seeds – Shipping seeds as usual
- ✅ Project Tree Collard – “Helping communities grow food security.” Tree Collard seeds, plants, and cuttings of perennial vegetables, fruit and herbs.
- ✅ Renaissance Farms – “Preserving the diversity of tomato seeds for future generations is the heart of our mission. Our focus is to bring you the highest quality heirloom and open-pollinated tomato seeds grown with the best organic practices possible.”
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