Seed Company List: Where to Buy Vegetable Seed
By Steven Biggs
Buying Vegetable Seeds Online
I get a lot of messages from people wondering where to buy vegetable seed. So I hope this list helps you find a seed company with the veggie seeds you’re looking for.
This list focuses on seed companies that have a good selection of vegetable seeds. Some have print catalogues—some sell seed online.
This list is a work in progress. If there’s a seed company or seed catalogue you recommend, please e-mail me so I can find out more about it.
Before you browse vegetable seed suppliers, get started with Tips When Shopping for Vegetable Seeds, below.
Tips When Shopping for Vegetable Seed
Here are tips to keep in mind as you get ready to order vegetable seed.
You Don’t Always Have to Shop!
To start with, you don’t always have to buy seed.
Emma and I at a GVGO field day, finding out how experts in this club grow giant vegetables. Members get free seed.
Many gardeners save seed—and are often eager to share favourite varieties. (My three favourite tomato varieties came from friends who shared the seed with me, and now I save the seed and share it with my gardening friends every year.)
Seeds of Diversity is a Canadian organization focused on protecting seed diversity. It has an annual member seed exchange. You can also visit the website to find Seedy Saturday events across Canada. These events feature seed swaps and often include a retail component with seed vendors.
Seed Savers Exchange is an American organization focused on preserving biodiversity in food crops. It collects heirloom seed varieties to store in a large, nongovernmental seed bank, and operates an online seed exchange where members can search and swap seeds.
Seed Libraries operate in many areas. Sometimes they are hosted by municipalities—sometimes by other organizations. I’ve seen some hosted by libraries—libraries with books! The idea is that gardeners can “borrow” seeds, and at the end of the year, having saved seeds, “return” seeds to the library.
A garden club can be another way to get seed. For example, Giant Vegetable Growers of Ontario (GVGO) is a garden club focused on growing giant pumpkins and giant vegetables. Members get seed when they join.
Interested in the idea of seed libraries? Tune in to hear Ben Cohen, the author of Saving Our Seeds, talk about seed libraries on the Food Garden Life Show.
Grow a Container Vegetable Garden
And get an early harvest of crops that usually take too long!
About Seed Companies
Local companies don’t always sell locally grown seed. Actually, not all seed companies grow seed. Many buy seed in bulk from around the world, and then repackage it.
Still others grow some of what they sell, and then get other local producers to grow what they don’t produce.
Some small companies grow everything they sell.
Some seed companies have trial gardens to test and showcase varieties before selling them…a worthwhile trip if you have one nearby.
As you read seed catalogues and browse seed websites, you’ll see that different seed companies have different specialties:
A regional focus—only selling seed grown in a certain region
Untreated or organic seed
Heirloom or open-pollinated varieties
New hybrid varieties
Ordering Vegetable Seed
There’s often lots of seed-related lingo in seed catalogues. Not sure exactly what heirloom vegetable seeds are? Find out more about the language of seeds in my glossary of seed terminology.
New seed catalogues start to show up in my mailbox (and e-mail inbox!) late in the year. Shipping usually begins in early in the year. The closer to planting season you leave your ordering, the more chance your order will get bogged down in the last-minute rush of orders.
Because I like to test crops and varieties, I often order from a lot of companies. But this is not a cost-effective way to seed shop, because there’s usually a minimum shipping fee for each seed company. So if you can find everything you want at one seed company, you might save money.
One more thing: Find out how the company you’re ordering from deals with out-of-stock items. Some companies will ship what they have and then keep a back-order for what’s not available; but some companies will substitute a similar variety.
Cross-Border Shipments
Some seed companies don’t ship out of country because of the extra paperwork to sell in another jurisdiction.
(The last time I tried to order my favourite sweet pea seeds from the UK, the seed company no longer shipped to Canada! But sometimes companies will have another company distribute seeds elsewhere…and this was how I got my hands on my favourite sweet pea variety—the one my late cousin Jill grew.)
When You Receive Your Seed Order
Unpack your order and check to make sure that you have everything.
See if there are any back orders.
Seed Company List
Canada Seed Companies
Looking for Canadian seed retailers? Here’s a list of Canadian companies selling vegetable seed, flower seed, and microgreen seed. Remember: Some companies grow everything they sell; others are resellers. So if you’re looking for Canadian-grown seed, check with the company to find out if it’s seed is produced in Canada.
Annapolis Seeds
Nictaux, Nova Scotia
Owner Owen Bridge started the business in 2008 as a high-school-aged seed saver. Great place to find unusual veg like Bolivian cucumber and Jamaican burr gherkin. Seeds are grown in the Maritimes by Owen and other small-scale growers.
Atlantic Pepper Seeds
Harvey, New Brunswick
Specializing in hot peppers! And if you’re interested in landscaping with edible plants, they have a section with ornamental peppers.
B.C. Eco Seed Co-op
BC-grown vegetable, flower, herb, and grain seed for sustainable farming and gardening.
Berton Seeds
Toronto, Ontario
Specializing in seeds imported from Italy.
Casey’s Heirloom Tomatoes
Airdrie, Alberta
Wide variety of heirloom tomato seeds, all raised by the owner, Jeffrey Casey.
Cicada Seeds
Errington, British Columbia
Specializing in perennial vegetables, along with some herbs and flowers.
Eagle Creek Seed Potatoes
Bowden, Alberta
Specializing in seed potatoes.
Ferri Seeds
Warkworth, Ontario
Fruit, veg, and quite a few hard-to-find seeds.
Floribunda Seeds
Keene, Ontario
Specializing in seeds for the cottage garden.
Gaia Organic Seeds
Ottawa, Ontario
Organic veg, flower, and herb seeds.
Grand Seeds
Dunnville, Ontario
Organic veg, flower, and herb seeds.
Greta’s Organic Garden
Montreal, Quebec
Good assortment of veg, herb, and grain seeds.
Giant Vegetable Growers of Ontario
Komoka, Ontario
Not a seed company, but an association for people interested in growing giant vegetables. Members receive giant vegetable seeds. Lots of fun!
Halifax Seed
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Canada's oldest continuously operating family-owned seed company, established in 1866.
Hawthorn Farm Organic Seeds
Mount Forest, Ontario
Organic vegetable, herb, and flower seeds.
Heritage Harvest Seed
Fisher Branch, Manitoba
Heirloom flower and vegetable seeds, and ancient grains.
Incredible Seed Co.
Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
Good selection of veg, along with herb and fruit-tree seeds.
Kitchen Table Seed House
Wolfe Island, Ontario
Organic vegetable, flower, and herb seeds.
Tourne-Sol Cooperative Farm
Les Cèdres, Quebec
Specializing in open-pollinated seeds. This co-operative farm has a neat model: It’s a worker's cooperative. Hear about what they do in this interview we did on The Food Garden Life podcast.
Lee Valley
Wide range of garden tools and books, including seeds.
Matchbox Garden and Seed Co.
Caledonia, Ontario
We see Hanna Jacobs, founder of Matchbox Garden and Seed Co., at Seedy Saturday events here in Southern Ontario and are fans of her heirloom and rare vegetable seed varieties.
Mumm’s Sprouting Seeds
Parkside, Saskatchewan
Seeds for growing sprouts and microgreens.
No Coast Seeds
Wroxton, Saskatchewan
Open-pollinated seeds for short-season gardens.
OSC Seeds
Kitchener, Ontario
Ships garden seed from coast to coast across Canada.
Pepper Merchant
Ottawa, Ontario
Specializing in pepper seeds, sweet to hot.
Prairie Garden Seeds
North Battledford, Saskatchewan
Small family-run (father-daughter) seed company. Veg, grains, and cereals.
Revival Seeds
Mosher Corner, NS
Family-run seed company specializing in organically grown, open-pollinated heirloom vegetable, herb, garlic and flower seeds.
Richters Herbs
Goodwood, Ontario
More than herbs, a great selection of unusual vegetable seed too. My daughter and I have given a number of gardening seminars at Richters over the years—and we’re big fans of this family business. (Don’t ask me about the time we came home with 18 varieties of mint!)
Sage Garden Greenhouses
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Great selection of vegetable seed. Co-owner Dave Hanson is a CBS Radio gardening columnist—and we teach gardening courses together. This company leads the way in how horticulture of the future can look, with compost-based fertilizing, wood-fibre biodegradable pots, and geothermal heating in the greenhouses.
Small Island Seed Co.
Mill Bay, British Columbia
Rare, cold hardy, and perennial food crops.
Stokes Seeds
Thorold, Ontario
Sells vegetable seed to commercial growers and home gardeners. It’s a family-run business, and I’ve visited the trial gardens and the seed-sorting facility as a member of a Garden Writers Association.
Sweet Rock Farm
Gabriola, British Columbia
Small, farm-based seed company recommended to me by some of my students.
T&T Seeds
Headingley, Manitoba
Seeds, accessories, and fruit plants by mail order. Also a garden centre if you’re in the area.
Urban Harvest
Warkworth, Ontario
Great source for organic and heirloom veg seeds. We’ve hung out with founder Colette Murphy at many seed events. I credit her with helping to stoke my daughter’s seed addiction!
Veseys Seeds
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Usually the first glossy seed catalogue to arrive in my mailbox in December.
West Coast Seeds
Delta, British Columbia
Wide variety of untreated seeds.
Wild Rose Heritage Seed Company
Alberta
Specializing in heirloom vegetable seeds.
William Dam Seeds
Dundas, Ontario
Long one of our favourite seed companies, with a broad selection of vegetable seeds. It’s in our neck of the woods, so we like to see what’s growing in the trial garden.
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Grow a Container Vegetable Garden
And get an early harvest of crops that usually take too long!
USA Vegetable Seed
Adaptive Seeds
Sweet Home, Oregon
Seeds grown in the Pacific Northwest, with a focus on unusual and resilient seed varieties. We’ve grown some fantastic kale from here!
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Mansfield, Missouri
A focus on heirloom seed and unusual crops. We love the Whole Seed Catalog, their glossy guide that makes me wish I had a 10-acre garden!
Founder Jere Gettle has joined us on The Food Garden Life Show to talk about seeds. Tune in to hear him talk about how the the 12-page photocopied price list he put out as a teenager grew into what he does today.
Bene Seeds
California
Specialized in tasty tomatoes. Founded by the late tomato breed Fred Hempel.
Fedco Seeds
Clinton, Maine
Worker- and consumer-owned co-operative. (You can join and be a member!)
High Mowing Organic Seeds
Wolcott, Vermont
Serving both vegetable gardeners and commercial growers. Good selection of veg seeds.
John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds
Bantam, Connecticut
Vegetable, herb, and flower seeds.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Winslow, Maine
Employee owned. Lots of great online growing resources. Serves commercial growers and home gardeners.
Renee’s Garden
Felton, California
Focused on varieties suited to home gardeners. Founder Renee Shepherd curates seeds from around the world, testing them in her own garden.
Row 7 Seeds
New York
Vegetable seeds chosen for taste.
Territorial Seed
Cottage Grove, Oregon
Wide selection of veggie seeds and other edibles.
Victory Seed Co.
Irving, Texas
Vegetable seed for home gardeners. And…they sell the dwarf tomato varieties released by the Dwarf Tomato Breeding Project.
Wild Boar Farms
Citrus Heights, California
With a reputation for unusual and wildly popular tomato varieties, tomato breeder Brad Gates at Wild Boar Farms focuses on flavour.
Hear our chat with Brad on The Food Garden Life Show.
Find This Helpful?
Enjoy not being bombarded by annoying ads?
Appreciate the absence of junky affiliate links for products you don’t need?
It’s because we’re reader supported.
If we’ve helped in your food-gardening journey, we’re glad of support. You can high-five us below. Any amount welcome!
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