I’ve bought a lot of seed packs on the Internet. Actually, I’ve bought them all on the Internet. Local garden centers simply do not have a wide enough selection to suit my tastes. What varieties they do carry are usually boring and/or not suitable for the local growing region.

  I’ve had a lot of experience with different online vendors, and have had both very good and very bad experiences. There are a lot of them out there so hopefully I can help you avoid some nasty experiences by giving out my favorites.

5th Heirloom Acres Seed

  I rank this one 5th since I have actually had some very bad experiences with them, but the pros (or in this case the ‘pro’) far outweigh the cons.

 A family-run business, Heirloom Acres (as the name suggests) sells non-hybrids exclusively. They have a decent range of varieties, but nearly all of them can be found easily elsewhere.

   My first order with these guys got off on a bad foot. Half my order was backordered and the rest took insanely long to arrive. I had to call twice to remind them to ship it.

   I was happy with the seeds when they finally did arrive, so I wrote the whole thing off to an honest slip-up. I know how confusing shipping can be.

   My second order was fine but the third had a similar problem with a garden tool that they were supposed to have in stock that simply took way to long to show up at my door. Also, in this order one of my seed packets was treated with chemicals, which I don’t like to use.

  Normally, I would immediately quit doing business with such a company, but these guys have one huge pro that outweighs the cons for me. They are really, really, cheap. Seriously cheap.

  A packet of tomato seed on their site normally runs 95 cents. An ounce of squash seed runs $1.75. Compare this to 2.75 for a tomato seed packet or as much as $7.00 an ounce for squash elsewhere. I’ve always been told that you get what you pay for, so I was a tad anxious about the quality, but these seeds all germinated fine and were the varieties advertised.

 I would consider buying seeds from Heirloom Acres as long as you have time for a lengthy shipping period. I’m an eternal cheapskate, so I still order a lot of my seeds from them, especially brassicas and other cool weather crops. They used to carry some cool Sweet Potato varieties that I loved, but apparently they’re gone from the website now.

 4^th Tomato Growers Supply Company

  Tomato Growers Supply Company is an amazing source of tomato seeds. The best out there, bar none. Selling only Tomatoes, Peppers, and Eggplants, they offer over 500 varieties! Including some really wacky stuff like Micro-Tom, the world’s smallest tomato plant- growing to about 8 inches tall.

   I’ve absolutely never had a problem here at all, aside from the fact that they’re a bit stingy on the seed count. If the packet says 30 seeds, then by golly you’re getting 30 seeds and not one over. However, they’ve always sent me a free packet or two along with my order which has helped me find some really neat varieties I wouldn’t have tried otherwise. Like “Haiwaiian Pineapple“, a deep yellow beefsteak heirloom.

  The pepper selection is good, but features mostly hybrids. I’m an open-pollinated kinda guy, but some of these hybrids are pretty fun. Like a purple habanero pepper. I’m not overly impressed with their eggplant selection. Although they are one of the few places (maybe the only?) I could find “Listada de Gandia”- a gorgeous purple and white striped eggplant.

 3^rd Bountiful Gardens.org

 Bountiful Gardens is an offshoot of one of my favorite organizations- Ecology Action. They’re a group that does great things for sustainable agriculture all around the world and is headed up by the author of “How To Grow More Vegetables…” one the greatest garden books ever.

  While their selection is far from limitless, they feature a slew of great varieties you can’t find most places. Not only standard vegetables, but also less common edible plants like Strawberry Spinach and Leaf Amaranth. They also have a lot of interesting cover crops like Austrian Field Pea and Blue Lupine.

   All their seeds are untreated, and most are Organic or grown Biodynamically. Not one hybrid on this site, every thing is open pollinated. These guys are supremely committed to doing everything in an environmentally sustainable way.

 2nd  Johnny’s Selected Seeds

  A very high quality source of seeds. They ship lightning fast and always keep their site updated. Their catalog is very well put together and they have a slew of stuff. However, they’re a bit too pricey for a guy like me. Dunno about you, but I wince at paying four dollars for a packet of tomato seeds. They have a wide variety of herbs as well as strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Their branded garden tools are some of the best around. I love my Johnny’s Broadfork.

   Expensive or not, these guys have been around a long time and are as much a household word among vegetable gardeners as Burpee’s is.

 1st….

  Are you ready for my absolute favorite seed source? Ready? Really ready? Alrighty it’s..

 Baker Creek Seeds!

   I think (although I’m not sure) I bought my absolute first pack of seed from Baker Creek. The varieties they carry are simply awesome. Like me, they seem to have a taste for the wild and crazy. It was from them I discovered Bitter Melon, Cassabanna, Naranjilla, Jelly Melon, Malabar Spinach, Tigger Melon, “Trail of Tears” Bean, and several of my favorite eggplant varieties. In fact, they may just about have the best eggplant collection ever.

  They also have more watermelon varieties than I’ve ever found on a single site (almost 60!), including some of my all time favorites like “Abu Dabi” and “Black Diamond”. Sporting over 21 okra varieties and 84 melon cultivars is no small feat either. Spend some time looking around their online catalog. You’ll end up buying something fo’ sho’ The site also sports a handy seed calculator to determine how much seed you need to buy for the amount of space you have.

 Everything they carry is non-hybrid, and none of it is treated. They ship quickly and frequently include freebies and helpful growing guides. Great people.

So yeah… 

 I’ve ordered so many times from these different companies they all seem like old friends. I actually feel guilt when I don’t include them in my year seed purchasing plans. How dumb is that?