All my favorite seed sources

Is your mail box starting to fill with the promise of green things this summer? Every January without fail, the Veseys seed catalogue arrives at my house. Although I rarely order from it anymore, that catalogue and the seed racks at my local Canadian Tire were once the extent of my seed choices. I still look forward to its arrival, as it signals for me the cycle of seeding, growing and planting getting a little closer. Since I started growing flowers as a business, I’ve had to search out seed companies with more interesting choices for my customers.

I thought you’d like some material to dream over while we wait for spring, so here is a list of my favorites. I have personally ordered from all of these places in the last ten years and can vouch for their quality and service. A note on ordering seeds from outside Canada: your parcel may be held at customs and charged with import duties, or even rejected by the CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency). Although outright rejection hasn’t happened to me often, larger orders of seeds are definitely stopped and subject to charges when coming from outside the country. This is something to consider if you are planning a large vegetable and flower garden, as the costs add up quickly with import fees and duty.

With that in mind, my list starts with my favorite sources right here!

CANADA

West Coast seeds- based in British Columbia with a good variety of flower and vegetable seeds, I appreciate West Coast specifically for their cover crop seeds and focus on organic seeds. I buy cover seeds to sow and add organic matter to my soil and use a weed suppression. West Coast is also the only place I’ve found in Canada that carries the full line of Ladbrooke soil blockers, my preferred method of seed starting.

Heritage Harvest Seeds- based in Manitoba this is my go to when I want trusted, open pollinated seeds adapted to the Prairies. Heritage Harvest has made it their mission to save those seeds your Grandma grew and kept in an envelope every year. Open pollinated seeds are more suited to the conditions they are grown in year after year and are as such, more resistant to things like climate change. I love that they have seeds for things like short season watermelon and corn. If you are an heirloom tomato lover, grab a cup of coffee and settle in before you start to browse their 254 varieties. You’ve been warned! :)

Richter’s Herbs- based in Ontario, Richter’s supplies seeds and live plants of a huge variety of herbs, way beyond the basics of parsley, mint and basil. Each herb is accompanied by a detailed description of it’s uses, both culinary and medicinal. This company is where I bought herbs for my very first garden in my PMQ where Scott and I lived for the first 9 years in Cold Lake. I have learned so much from just reading their catalogue over the years!

Prairie Garden Seeds- based in Saskatchewan, this is my favorite source for grains like barley and wheat. I admire the commitment to organic growing and producing 95% of the seed they sell themselves. If you dig a little into the business of selling seeds, you’ll understand this is a rare accomplishment. Most seed companies are just resellers, buying seed from one of the big four seed companies in the world and putting their own packaging on it. A small family business that grows what it sells always gets my vote. Once you grow your own wheat in your garden, you’ll be hooked. All the pioneer woman feels!

William Dam Seeds- based in southern Ontario, this company carries a lot of flower varieties that are hard to find for the home gardener like tweedia, eucalypytus, and craspedia. They have expanded their flower selections in recent years to cater to home gardeners and flower farmers alike. A great resource for Canadians.

USA

Baker Creek Heirloom seeds- based in Missouri and California, Baker Creek has a huge collection of rare seeds from Asia and Europe. Their paper catalogue is known for it’s gorgeous photos and inspires a long sit-down to browse and dream. Check out their pumpkin and poppy selection, it’s dreamy!

Johnny’s Selected Seeds- based in Maine, Johnny’s has a reputation for excellent customer service and high quality seeds. Everything they sell is tested to check germination rates, a rarity among seed companies. They do grow some of their own seeds and have trial gardens to evaluate the performance of new varieties before selling to the public. I know whatever seeds I buy from Johnny’s each year will be top quality. Their website is a wealth of information on growing, backed by their years of research on the home farm in Albion, Maine. I refer to it countless times during the year when I’m looking for variety specifics.

Renee’s Garden Seeds and Swallowtail Seeds- both based in California, these two smaller companies cater more to home gardeners but still carry a nice variety of flowers. Swallowtail seeds has 121 selections of zinnias, one of the biggest I’ve seen. Renee of Renee’s garden writes extensively for her website and blog, with hundreds of articles on starting flowers, vegetables and herbs from seed.

Adaptive Seeds and Uprising Seeds-based in Oregon and Washington State respectively, check these companies out for their commitment to certified organic seeds. An ongoing challenge to the organic flower farmer is finding certified organic seeds. Thankfully some companies that were previously devoted to vegetables have begun offering more flower seeds for those of us who want to support organic agriculture with our dollars. Both companies grow the majority of their own seeds and hire other local organic farms to grow the rest. I’m so thankful for small companies like these who strive to keep a seed supply alive in North America.

UK

Chiltern Seeds-based in Oxfordshire, England this little gem of a company is where I go for hard to find colors and unusual flowers. England has such a huge culture of gardening and the diverse offerings in Chiltern’s catalogue reflect that. I was broken hearted in 2021 when Brexit put a stop to overseas shipping but now it’s back! I am anxiously awaiting the return of their handwritten paper mailers with UK stamps in my mail box.

GERMANY-

Jelitto- based in Schwarmstedt near Hanover, Jelitto is where serious plant addicts go to find unusual perennials. They specialize in perennial plant breeding and have over 3700 cultivars on their website. It’s a long rabbit hole! Jelitto has improved germination rates on some of the trickiest seeds with their Gold Nugget treatment. This allows those seeds which normally need a long cold treatment to germinate without that, in only 2-4 weeks. I am absolutely addicted to their website. I spend many evenings looking through their different collections and always find plants that no one else is carrying because they have their own breeding program. Be prepared to spend hours browsing!

One important thing to keep in mind is invasive species. I see seeds available on websites that are considered invasive here in Alberta so before you order anything, especially seeds listed as “wildflowers”, check out the Canadian list of invasive species here. For my American friends, a list for each state can be found here.

Happy seed shopping!