Online Seed Suppliers – The best sources for Heirloom Seeds
There are surely hundreds of great, family-owned seed businesses I have never ordered from—and new companies seem to pop up every day. There are some amazing companies I have found over the years. The following list contains the best online seed suppliers!
It is always important to consider your values, your gardening needs and your local climate/region when choosing your seed sources.
So, if you are wanting the very best quality of seeds for your garden or your homestead – then this is the list for you!
Here is the list of the best online seed suppliers:
Botanical Interests
When Botanical Interests was formed 25 years ago, they couldn’t have imagined a more wonderful journey. They started their company with the desire to share the beauty, fascination, and satisfaction of seed gardening with others. They truly love seeing people get excited about starting seeds and seeing it transformed into food for their families.
Botanical Interests continues to bring top quality seeds and information for gardeners everywhere to use and enjoy.
Baker Creek
Baker Creek is a family-owned business. They offer a stunning catalog and website with over 1,800 varieties of vegetables, flowers and herbs. They boast one of the largest selections of heirloom varieties in the U.S.
Baker Creek also carries one of the largest selections of seeds from the 19th century. They include many Asian and European varieties. They also specialize in rare and hard-to-find heirloom seeds from over 75 different countries. The company’s mission is to promote and preserve our agricultural and culinary heritage.
Baker Creek also provides a limited selection of live plants that are worth taking a look at.
Pinetree
A family owned and operated business since 1979. Pinetree Garden Seeds was founded with the simple mission of offering low prices on quality seeds to the home gardener. Over the years, their offerings have expanded to include over 1300 varieties of seeds. They offer many Heirlooms & Organics, a huge assortment of tools and gardening gear, books, live plants, and soap making/crafting supplies.
Located in rural Maine, they operate out of a 300 year old farmhouse and strive to offer the best service and products with a personal touch.
In 2011, the company was passed down from it’s founder, Dick Meiners, to his stepdaughter Melissa and her husband Jef. They are excited to continue the mission of supporting the home gardener by offering affordable, high quality seeds and goods.
Seed Savers Exchange
Seed Savers Exchange was founded in Missouri in 1975 by Diane Ott Whealy and Kent Whealy. Diane’s grandfather entrusted to them the seeds of two garden plants, ‘Grandpa Ott’s’ morning glory and ‘German Pink’ tomato. These seeds became the first two varieties in the collection. Diane and Kent went on to form a network of gardeners interested in preserving heirloom varieties and sharing seeds.
Today, they have expanded with 13,000 members and 20,000 plant varieties. Seed Savers Exchange makes its home on 890 scenic acres in Winneshiek County, Iowa, at Heritage Farm.
High Mowing
High Mowing Organic Seeds began in 1996 with just 28 varieties. Many of the original varieties originated in founder Tom Stearns’ backyard. Since then, their company has grown exponentially, and what started as a one-man operation is now a thriving business.
They have made available to home gardeners and commercial growers over 600 heirloom, open-pollinated and hybrid varieties of vegetable, fruit, herb and flower seed. True to our roots, High Mowing Organic Seeds continues to grow many of the varieties we sell on our 40 acre farm, setting them apart from the majority of other seed companies.
MIGardener
MIgardener was founded in 2011 by Luke Marion with the intent to inspire others to grow a garden, live healthier lives, and have fun doing it all with the help of social media. In 2015 MIGardener launched their very own seed store! Together they are the brain behind MIgardener.
They began on YouTube and came up with the slogan “Grow Big or Go Home” to help drive home their mission. They believe that when you put 100% effort into something, you will get 110% back. Today MIgardener can be found on Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, and Facebook. MIGardener’s ultimate goal is to be on every social media stream, and be the go to place for free gardening information whether it be video, picture, or just in community involvement.
MIgardener has grown from where it began in 2011, and will continue to grow.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Johnny’s is a large, well-known employee-owned seed company that has more than 1,200 varieties of hybrid, open pollinated and heirloom vegetables, medicinal, culinary herbs and flowers. If you are homesteading, farming or market gardening, they offer large quantities of seed, as well as a variety of cover crops to keep your soil in good shape.
I would highly recommend Johnny’s if you are market gardening because they offer seed in bulk which helps you to get the most bang for your buck.
Johnny’s also has high quality gardening tools, equipment and accessories, cover crop seed, soil amendments and organic pest control products. Their extensive site and catalog is full of detailed growing instructions and helpful tips, even if you don’t buy seeds from them.
Southern Seed Exposure
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange offers more than 700 varieties of vegetable, flower, herb, grain and cover crop seeds. They emphasize varieties that perform well in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, and offer many unusual Southern heirlooms, such as yacon, amaranths including peanuts, southern peas, naturally colored cotton, collards, okra, roselle, turnip greens, corns for roasting and meal, and butterbeans.
Territorial Seed Company
Territorial Seed is a large, family-owned company whose mission is to improve people’s self-sufficiency and independence by enabling gardeners to produce an abundance of good tasting, fresh-from-the-garden food. They trial and evaluate all their seeds at their farms, and the live plants that they offer are raised in their farm greenhouses. They offer hybrid, open-pollinated and heirloom seed varieties.
Territorial’s germination standards are higher than prescribed by the Federal Seed Act and their farm is certified USDA Organic, Biodynamic® by Demeter USA, and Salmon-Safe by Salmon-Safe Inc. They have a 100% satisfaction guarantee
Seeds of Change
Seeds of Change was acquired by the Mars company, which has supported GMOs in their food products. Unfortunately, since the demand for healthy, organic products is so high, many organic brands have been bought out by large industrial food corporations (like General Mills, Coca-Cola, etc.) who want a piece of the market.
They still offer a ton of great varieties of seeds but if you are not into supporting companies that any sort of connection to GMO then you may choose to go somewhere else. Even though some companies may have a parent company – that doesn’t always mean that will cause their product to change. Use your judgment!
Online Seed Suppliers: Supply and Demand
All of the above seed companies are great to deal with. They provide great seeds at a good price. If not for some of these heirloom seed suppliers – we would have lost a ton of those heirloom seeds over the years. I cannot stress enough the importance of saving your own seeds. We have to save our own seeds so that future generations will be able to grow high quality heirloom seeds.
Online Seed Suppliers: Where I stand
Out of the seed suppliers listed here I prefer to order from 3 of them. My absolute favorite is Botanical Interests, followed by Baker Creek Seeds, and Pinetree Seeds. Usually, between the three companies I can get all of the seeds that I will need for the homestead.
I hope this list of the best online seed suppliers helps you to find the best deals on quality seeds for this upcoming gardening season and may your garden be fantastic.
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