The Top 8 Places to Buy Vegetable, Flower & Herb Seeds for Your Garden

It’s February and spring is in full swing here in Central Florida, Zone 9b. Now is the perfect time to start all of your warm season crops for spring. If you haven't order your seeds yet, its not too late to get your seeds ordered for our spring and summer growing seasons. If you live in a colder climate then you will begin starting many of your seeds in the coming months, so now is a great time to plan out your garden and get your seeds ordered. Fall is the best time to grow most crops here in zone 9 and since I grow a lot of cut flowers and vegetables, I like to have most of my fall grow list planned out in the spring as well so that I don’t miss out on any seed varieties before they sell out.

There are a lot of online seed companies to choose from and if you’re new to seed shopping you may come across some terms that your unfamiliar with such as Non-GMO, Organic, Heirloom, Open-Pollinated and Hybrid seeds. In this post I will explain those terms and what to look for when buying seeds as well as list my top favorite seed companies to order vegetable, flower and herb seeds from.

What to Look for When Buying Garden Seeds

Seed shopping is an exciting experience that doesn’t have to be overwhelming. There are just a few things to look for and some terms you will want to know to make your experience a little easier.

When shopping for seeds I personally like to look for seeds that are Non-GMO, Organic and Heirloom varieties. I also like to look for varieties of crops that have more resistance to pests and diseases common to my area as well as have more heat tolerance since I live in a hot climate where our cool growing seasons are short. So keep this in mind when choosing which varieties to buy and try to find seed varieties that are better adapted to your climate.

There are so many amazing seed companies out there which can make it a little overwhelming when trying to decide which companies to order your seeds from. It helps to have some preferences for the types of seeds that you want in order to narrow down your options. For example, I like to look for a few qualities to help me determine which seed companies are right for me.

Sustainability is an important aspect to me so I like to support companies that practice sustainable gardening and farming methods as well as companies that do not support the use of GMO seeds. Since I prefer to use organic, heirloom and non-GMO seeds in my garden it is important for me to find a seed company that has a large variety of organic and heirloom options, I will go more into what these terms mean and the pros of using organic & heirloom seeds in the next section.

Lastly, you want to make sure that you look for a company that sells high-quality seeds. You want seeds that are healthy and free of pests or diseases, which results in high germination rates and healthy, vigorous plants.

GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) Seeds

GMO is a term that describes an organism, in this case plants, that has been genetically modified in a lab. This method involves combining genes in a way that can not occur naturally. GMO’s are a controversial topic and many people believe that they pose many risks to the environment as well as human health and for good reason. GMO crops use a greater amount of pesticides, have less crop diversity and are less resilient which are just a few of the many reasons to choose Non-GMO varieties. You can learn more about the risks of GMO’s here.

The good news is, contrary to popular belief, GMO seeds are not available to the average gardener and are currently only sold to farmers and other commercial agencies. So when seed shopping, GMO’s are something that you shouldn’t have to worry about accidentally buying.

You will notice when seed shopping that many seeds are listed as Non-GMO, meaning that these varieties have not been genetically modified in any way. So if you are worried about buying GMO seeds then make sure to buy seeds that are specifically listed as Non-GMO. Over 300 seed companies have signed the Seed Safe Pledge, meaning that they pledge that they will not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants, almost every company I recommend in the post has taken this pledge.

Organic Seeds

Another term you will come across is the term, Organic. Organic seeds simply means that the plants were grown using certified organic methods and all seeds listed as organic are Non-GMO. There are many reasons to use organic seeds whenever possible. For example, because organic seeds are grown with out the use of pesticides, not only is this better for the environment but they are more resilient to pests and diseases therefore they will usually grow better in the home garden, plus when you buy organic you are supporting an organic farmer!

Its important to remember while shopping for seeds that a seed variety is not organic unless it is otherwise stated in the seed description. Many people get confused and think that because a seed is listed as heirloom or Non-GMO it means that it is organic. Seeds can be listed as heirloom, non-GMO, etc. and still not be certified organic.

Open-Pollinated

Open-pollinated means that plants have been pollinated in an uncontrolled environment through natural means, such as by bees, bats, wind etc. Open pollinated varieties breed true given that they did not cross-pollinate with other varieties of the same species.

Cross-Pollination and hybrid seed varieties

This is when two different plants of either the same or different species pollinate one an other, in other words, the pollen from one plants flower pollinates the flower of another plant. When it comes to seeds you will often see this term when buying hybrid seeds.

This leads us to the term “hybrid” varieties. Hybrids are created when two or more different varieties cross-pollinate and create a new variety. Varieties are selected for certain characteristics such as disease resistance and productivity then are cross-pollinated in controlled environments in hopes to combine the desired characteristics of each parent plant.

There are many advantages to growing hybrid varieties since many of them were created to be more productive and resilient to pest pressure or environmental conditions etc. The only disadvantage of hybrid varieties is that they don’t grow true from saved seeds, meaning that each seed that you plant may give you different characteristics.

What are Heirloom Seeds

Heirloom seeds are varieties of seeds that have been passed down for many generations, typically of 50 years or more. These varieties are open-pollinated and breed true to their variety given that they didn’t cross-pollinate with any other varieties. This means that you can save seeds and get a plant with the exact same characteristics as the parent plant. Heirlooms have been passed down for many, many years for good reasons. This is because they hold some value to the people growing it such as better flavor, productivity or more disease resistance than their non-heirloom counterparts.

By growing heirlooms, you are not only getting better tasting, more productive and resilient plants but you are also helping to preserve the variety and you will be able to save seeds for future use.

Where to Buy garden Seeds

Locally

When shopping for garden seeds, it can be convenient to buy your seeds locally such as from a nursery, feed store or big box stores but there are some things to keep in mind.

Big box stores have a large selection of seeds though often times many of their seeds are not well suited to your region or you will find seeds that are do not grow from seed easily. Not only that, but I often find that the seeds that are sold in big box stores are not high-quality and can have some pretty poor germination rates. Its not to say that you can’t get your seeds from big box stores, just make sure that you do your research so that you know what you’re buying will grow well for you and know that you may or may not get lower quality seeds.

Sometimes local nurseries or feed stores will sell some of companies that I mention later in this post such as Botanical Interests, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange or Renee’s Garden. If you can find a local place that sells seeds from these companies you are not only going to get high-quality seeds but you will find a larger selection of varieties that will do well in your climate. Its worth checking to see if you have a retailer near you.

Online

Ordering your seeds online may be slightly more inconvenient and you may have to pay for shipping but with so many amazing seed companies to choose from, you will find thousands of varieties of garden seeds that you won’t find locally such as rare heirloom seeds or unique hybrids. You will also be able to find varieties that are better adapted to your climate as well as ones that have better pest and disease resistance.

8 of my Favorite Places to order garden seeds

Now that you are a little more familiar with some common seed terminology and know what to look for when choosing a seed company, it’s time to start shopping for your seeds! Below is a list of my favorite seed companies that I often order from and some you can find locally. The companies listed below are seed companies that I have personally bought from and have had great experiences with in the past. Like I mention previously, there are many great seed companies out there to choose from, these just happen to be some of my favorite tried and true places to buy seeds from.

1. Baker’s Creek heirloom seed company

Baker’s Creek is North America’s largest heirloom seed company that started in 1998. It is usually my first stop when shopping for unique, high-quality vegetable and flower seeds, there is so much to love about this company. For starters, they specialize in rare heirloom varieties with over a 1000 varieties to chose from and they have FREE SHIPPING. They also signed the Seed Safe Pledge and donate a significant portion of their profits to various non-profit organizations!

2. Johnny’s Select Seeds

Johnny’s Select Seeds is an employee owned company that was founded in 1973. They have superior high quality seeds and I am always pleased with my order. This is my favorite place to buy my cut flower seeds and any seeds that I may need larger amounts in as they have various seed package sizes. They carry a large variety of vegetable, flower and herb seeds including organic, heirlooms and hybrids. Its also great place to find hybrids that are more resilient to pests and diseases or better adapted to your growing conditions. They too have signed the Seed Safe Pledge. My only complaint is that the shipping can be pretty high so I try to take advantage of any free shipping promotions when they have them.

3. Botanical Interests

Botanical Interests is another great company that has been around for more than 25 years. Not only do they have high quality seeds at great prices but they have such beautiful seed packets that have a lot of great growing information in them! This is one of the few online seed companies that you can also find locally given that there are retailers near you. A few of my local nurseries near me sell them, so usually I will check there before ordering online. They have a great selection of veggies, flowers and herbs as well as a large selection of organic seeds and heirlooms, they too have also signed the Seed Safe Pledge.

4. Renee’s Garden

Renee’s Garden sells high-quality, heirlooms, hybrids and non-GMO’s with a nice selection of organic seed options. Not only is Renee’s seed packets feature absolutely stunning water color art but they also have a wealth of information on them such as complete growing instructions, harvesting information as well as cooking ideas. This is a great company to buy flowers, herbs and vegetable seeds as well as a small selection of plants, tubers, bulbs and garden resources. You may also be able to buy them locally, you just have to email them to see if you have a retailer near you.

5. Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange start in 1983 and while people from all different regions buy their seeds from them, they specialize in varieties that are adapted to the mid Atlantic and Southeastern Regions of the United States. Not only does this company have some great, high-quality seeds but they also support sustainable agriculture by participating in seed exchanges, not selling GMO’s, supporting Ecological Agriculture and more! You can find a large selection of vegetable, flower, herbs, grains and cover crops that include heirlooms, organic garden seeds, and pest and disease resistant varieties. Depending on your location you may be able to find a retailer near you.

6. Seed Savers Exchange

This company’s story started more than 45 years ago and they have since grown into the nation’s largest nongovernmental seed bank. Seed Savers Exchange has worked hard to preserve and share thousands of open pollinated and heirloom varieties. Here you will find a huge selection of high-quality, organic, non-GMO, heirloom and open-pollinated varieties of vegetables, flowers and herbs. Both members and nonmembers are encouraged to share their homegrown seeds through the Seed Saver’s Exchange. This a wonderful company that is working hard to save and preserve rare and heirloom seeds so that they can be grown for many years to come.

7. Seeds Now

Seeds now is a small family owned business that has high quality seeds and excellent customer service. They only sell non-GMO, non-hybrid, heirloom and open-pollinated varieties as well as organic options. Here you can find garden seeds of vegetable, flower, herbs and more.

8. Floret Flower Farm

Our list wouldn’t be complete without adding Floret Flower Farm. Floret is a family-run flower farm located in Washington that specializes in unique, uncommon and heirloom flower varieties. There are so many great things to love about Floret, not only have they paved the way in the flower farming industry but they practice sustainable farming methods and give back so much to their community. While they specialize in flowers, they also have a selection of some edibles such as tomatoes and pumpkins. This company is worth checking out if your looking for some unique flowers to add to your garden!

Well that about sums it up!

I hope that this post helped make your seed shopping a little easier. I will be adding new companies to this post whenever I find new ones that I recommend. What are some of your favorite seed companies? Leave them in the comments below as well as any questions that you may have!

If you found this post to be valuable I would greatly appreciate if you spread the love by to sharing or pinning this post! Good luck and happy planting!

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