These Are the Best Places to Buy Seeds for Your Garden
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Ah, the first day of spring! That means it's time to get back in the garden and make some magic happen. Many plants are easy to grow from seed such as lettuce, cucumbers, peas, squash, kale, sunflowers, pansies, and marigolds. Other plants, such as tomatoes and peppers, need a little more coddling to start from seed, but they're still relatively easy if you have a bright window or inexpensive LED grow light. Whether you're growing your own vegetables, herbs, annuals or perennials, starting any plant from seed is an economical (and fun!) way to stock your garden. So first, you'll want to visit the best places to buy seeds.
There are so many benefits to ordering your seeds online. For one, you'll have access to more varieties than you can find at your local nursery. For another, many of these companies also supply seedlings, live plants, and bulbs, as well as additional garden supplies. So, you can shop for everything you need to start a vegetable garden in one place!
Reading the seed package helps give you a better understanding of growing from seeds, too: Look for the "days to harvest," which helps you determine the last date you can plant. Then, count back from your area's first frost date to get an idea of when you need to start seeds indoors or outdoors once all danger of frost is gone. However, some plants, such as lettuce and beans, are better off being "direct seeded," which means you plant them directly in raised garden beds or opt for smaller planters or pots and do not have to give them a head start indoors. Now get ready to shop the best places to buy seeds for your garden!
Best Overall: Burpee
What started as a mail-order poultry and livestock catalogue in 1876 soon became the popular seed company we know today. As one of the world’s foremost home garden seed and plant companies, you'll find plenty of reliable seeds on their site including vegetables, flowers, herbs, fruit, and perennials. They're also known for introducing innovative varieties of fruits and flowers such as the original "iceberg" lettuce and the first white marigold.
Best for Vegetables: Johnny's Selected Seeds
The founder of Johnny's Selected Seeds started the company 50 years ago in a New Hampshire farmhouse attic with just $500 in savings. Today, it's a well respected plant breeding and research program where farmers and home gardeners alike can find seeds for heirloom varieties and new varieties with better yields, disease resistance and hardiness. The website's tools, such as the seed starting calendar, are super-helpful to both novices and experts.
Best for Flowers: Eden Brothers
Founded in 2009 in a small garage in California, Eden Brothers has grown exponentially over the years. Now, they are an invaluable resource to gardeners looking for hard-to-find varieties. With thousands of products to shop online—from heirloom types to hard-to-find flowers—you're sure to find whatever you need to satisfy your green thumb.
Best Budget-Priced Seeds: Ferry-Morse
Founded in 1856, Ferry-Morse is the oldest continuously operating seed company in the country. You'll find seeds for flowers, vegetable, herbs, and fruits at great value, so you can stock up on everything for your garden without breaking the bank.
Best for Direct Seeding: Park Seed
Founded in 1858 by a 15-year-old boy who wanted to sell seeds from his own garden for pocket money, Park Seed offers seeds of every variety. The direct seed category is neatly sorted to make it quick and easy to shop for seeds you can sow directly in the ground without having to read every seed description.
Best Sowing Instructions: Botanical Interests
Not only does Botanical Interests offer a huge variety of flower, herb, and vegetable seeds, but their colorful and pretty seed packaging is the best in the industry. Each packet explains everything you need to know about planting and growing that specific seed.
Best for Rare Seeds: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
If you're looking for rare and heirloom seed varieties, Baker Creek is for you! From black carrots to striped tomatoes and everything in between, you'll find a range of gorgeous and unusual flowers and vegetables to make your garden even more special.
Best for Herbs: Renee's Garden
Renee's Garden does an amazing job of offering herb seeds for every taste. The transparent variety (for example, 12 different kinds of basil seed packets!) makes it worth a visit to add a lesser-known herb, such as borage or chervil, to your garden.
Best for Heirloom Seeds: Seed Savers Exchange
If you have a special interest in growing heirloom varieties, Seed Savers Exchange collects, stores and regenerates thousands of types of rare and heirloom types of flowers, vegetables and herbs. Their entire mission revolves around conserving seed varieties so that they do not disappear.
Best Organic Seeds: Territorial Seed Company
Founded in 1979, Territorial Seed Company offers a wide selection of vegetable, flower, and other edibles with a focus on teaching gardeners to be independent and self-sufficient. More than 1,200 varieties of organic seeds are available on the site.
Best International Selection: Truelove Seeds
Along with a collection of 50 small farms around the world, Truelove specializes in culturally significant vegetables, herbs, and flowers that have made it to the U.S. along with waves of immigration. Think: okra, peanuts, and so many types of basil that you may lose count!
Best for Wildflowers and Grasses: Prairie Moon Nursery
If you prefer native plants that would grow in the wild near you, head over to Prairie Moon. You can sort by your region and soil type, so you know what will work best for your area. They have a wide range of wildflowers, grasses, and even shrubs and trees.
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