My honest to goodness picks for buying seeds in zone 7 (and others!)
When I first started my balcony garden, I wasnt too serious about where I was sourcing seeds from. I just picked up seeds wherever I saw them. 50 pack of seeds from Amazon? heck yea! Random lot of seeds off ebay? Sure, looks like a deal!
I was younger then, a sweet, summer child. Both eager and a little drunk on the promise of life every little pack of seeds brings. Things like germination rates were a foreign and impossible concept for me to even fathom then. But I learned, friends…oh, did I learn. Nothing hurts quite like emptying out a packet of seeds and babying them closely and lovingly just to have a literal 0% germination rate…lets have a moment of silence for all the seeds, time and money lost on fruitless endeavors (pun intended).
Its been a couple of years since then. Ive learned quite a bit, and with that comes quite a few companies that ive come to trust like many others.
This is not the first of this kind of list, nor will it be the last. Seed companies are a dime a dozen these days it seems, and I see more popping up on instagram and etsy all the time. Ill list the big boy contenders we all know and love, as well as some gems ive found along the way. It can be pretty confusing and overwhelming to buy from instagram and etsy, so if you need some tips for that, you can read this post here where I go how ive found ways to find solid sellers!
These are companies I have purchased from that havent let me down and that I keep coming back to time and again.
..and now to the lists!
Companies I love (& you probably do, too)
- MIgardener – Luke’s dedication to making heirloom and rare seeds both affordable AND accessible is one of the main reasons I keep buying from them. They always have excellent sales and discount codes available, their customer service is top tier, and even when they are completely swamped with orders, I still find their shipping to be fast. The only downside, to be completely frank, is that many times you do receive a low amount of seeds in comparison to other companies…but their selection and service outweighs that for me.
- Fruition Seeds – Fruition Seeds is a company that 100% aligns with my heart. They are progressive, radical and in tune with community needs. They are local to me as they are in the Finger Lakes region of New York and they cater to gardeners who live in areas with shorter growing seasons. Beyond the catered and curated selection of seeds for northern growers, Petra and her team are an absolute wealth of knowledge. The website is full of webinars, courses, ebooks, charts and blogs! The seed packs are beautifully designed and feature a fountain of information on each packet. I couldnt recommend them more!
- Back To The Roots – I love Back To The Roots for the seed collections! I buy them for myself and as gifts as well. Their microgreen kits are some of favorite and I encourage anyone who has not ventured into microgreens to start here. They make it easy to grow just about anything. I love companies who simplify the growing process for people, and make it fun for the kiddos as well. While this company is perhaps not for the large scale grower, or for someone looking to grow rare varieties, I always like to mention them for fun and as a nice stepping stone into a decent kitchen garden!
- Baker Creek – You cant really make this type of list without mentioning Baker Creek. They reign on every list just by selection and varieties alone. Theres not much I can say about that has not already been said (good or bad).
- High Mowing Seeds – I love High Mowing Seeds both for their dedication to environmental and social justice, and their seed donation program. According to their website, 100,000 seed packets are donated every year through their program. Food security and sovereignty are both topics that are close to my heart and anything I can do to help causes like this always take priority. Apart from this, they do have some of the highest quality seeds ive ever grown.
- Seed Savers Exchange – One of the most beautiful catalogs ive ever seen! So much information, beautiful photographs, recipes and interviews. Their website is no exception. Click here to read more about their non profit exchange program, dedicated to keeping Americas endangered crops accessible to all growers!
- Fedco Seeds – Another company with a catalog that I absolutely adore. It is black and white and reminiscent of earlier times. Once im done with the catalog, I actually like to cut out images to use for my garden journal. While the website is a little bit clunky, its absolutely worth it. They provide the results of their germination testing as well and I really love the transparency. I do also appreciate the cost vs amount of seeds they provide, depending on the variety.
Etsy Shops Ive Purchased From
- Southern Seed Exchange – They are local to my family home in FL, so I gotta rep the swamp fam always! Super fast shipping and reasonable pricing. I like their selection quite a bit and havent had issues sprouting, unless it was my own mistakes (which I make all the time). They have thousands of excellent reviews and good sales every so often.
- SeedvilleUSA – I mention this company due to how popular they are on Etsy (over 500k reviews/sales if I remember correctly). However, there is a caveat here. While they do have a FANTASTIC selection, and very fast shipping…I find the germination rate to be lower on the list in comparison to everyone else I have mentioned in here. I will also mention that I dislike that they ship their seeds in small clear ziplock bags. I do end up repackaging into lightproof packs, so thats something else to keep in mind if its a deal breaker for you. However, I just double up on what I plant to make sure I get some germination, repack the seeds and in all, im pretty happy with how its gone.
- Seed2Sprouts – I love this shop on etsy. Great selection and the pricing is reasonable. The shipping is super fast and they list germination rates on their packs. From my own plantings, the rates listed are pretty accurate. They do also send freebies with most orders, which i always find to be such a cute touch. The only downfall here is they use the same small, clear ziplock baggies. These too I end up repacking for better and safer storage. This is not a dealbreaker for me, but I mention it in case it may be for you!
- LoveLightHerbFarm – One of my favorite shops for herbs. The Evening Primrose I purchased from them is soon entering its second year! They have better packaging than other etsy sellers and use lightproof envelopes, which I really appreciate. They have an organic farm in Oregon, and include wild-crafting as well. Big fan!
& thats all, folks. Phew!
Thanks for sticking with me through this one. Im always looking for new places to buy from, so if your favorite is not on this list, let me know about it and ill be sure to check them out. I am hoping to make more posts like this as I find and try more places, so be sure to check back for updates.
GoblinSteader 