Spring is in the air! If you haven’t gotten started on The Garden, 2016 edition, it’s not too late to do so! Although we’ve covered seed company reviews before, the emphasis was on catalogs and not brands. With that in mind, here’s a quick and pithy review of some seed companies I’ve used in the past and would probably use again in the future. This review of seed companies should give you some ideas about where to look for the most basic source of plant life.
Seed Companies
Baker Creek Seeds
Seed Selection
They have an extensive list of heirloom vegetables and flowers. Baker Creek also sells bulb plants in the spring but I never remember to order before their deadline. They have most of the basic herb varieties as well as some more unusual types but they might not be the best choice for herb gardeners that have an extensive wish list.
Bought
I’ve ordered from them several times, mostly for specific vegetable varieties I couldn’t find elsewhere, but I also got some wonderful Short Stuff Sunflowers that have grown particularly well in containers. My four-year-old saffron crocuses came from there as well. Unfortunately, the squirrel snacked on them in year two and I have had no actual flowers since then. I keep forgetting to reorder them.
Germination Rates
Overall very good. I did have some pansies that turned out an odd mottled shade instead of the color on their package but at least they came up! Just be careful with getting things from their end of season sales because some seeds (like onions and oregano) won’t keep for more than a year no matter where you purchase them. However, the other seeds have kept fairly well, which is another good aspect.
Other Information
They levy a flat-rate shipping fee of $2.50 per order, which is fine when you’re buying lots of seed packets but can be a pain if you only want one or two varieties. In addition, you often get a complimentary set of seeds along with your order. The Risentraube tomatoes they sent me as a bonus package were one of the most productive and long-lasting types I’ve ever grown.
Bountiful Gardens
Seed Selection
They’re great for vegetables and herbs but only have the most basic flower selection. Their premixed seed packages are very good for people that have small yards and want to grow a few different varieties of tomato, basil, carrots, etc. without having to get a bunch of seed packets to do so. I’ve never purchased grains, cover crops, or mushroom spawn from them but they also sell those.
Bought
I’ve made multiple orders but the plants I’ve been most impressed with to-date were the basil mix, the borage, and the alpine strawberries.
Germination Rates
Pretty good. I had particularly bad luck with a batch of tea seeds but they were nice enough to refund my money in that instance. No harm done really, except to my dreams of having a tea plantation of my very own. I also want to think they’re responsible for the lemon basil that I planted several years ago as part of a set of mixed basil that hasn’t quit making repeat appearances since then.
Other Information
They adjust your shipping price to reflect what you’ve bought, which is nice, even though this doesn’t vary much when your purchase is under $20 or so dollars. Meanwhile, the 50 cent “seeds for kids” packet that they sell is a lot of fun, though I never managed to identify the plants that came up because they drowned in a rainstorm a week later. Which, of course, was entirely my fault. Seedlings can handle torrential downpours!
Renee’s Garden
Seed Selection
They have a good basic selection of heirloom flowers and vegetables. I like the fact that Renee (or whoever is in charge of the company) offers some premixed vegetable and herb varieties as well as some plants that would be a good choice for small or container gardens. The packaging on them is especially decorative so they are ideal Mother’s Day gifts if your mother is the sort who gardens and doesn’t kill the plants like mine is.
Bought
Padron peppers, miniature roses, chervil
Germination Rates
Fair. Two of the three seed packets I planted came up just fine but the miniature roses that were the main reason for my purchase never did. However, the chervil seeds I saved even produced plants the following year as well. You’ll also want to take these germination rates with a grain of salt because I did purchase end-of-the season packets for a discounted rate.
Other Information
This company gets excellent reviews from other people and is often recommended by gardening magazines that I read on a regular basis.
Trade Winds Fruit
Seed Selection
Good, particularly if you’re looking for unusual plants. They do have some of the more ordinary vegetable and herb varieties as well.
Bought
Basil, fish peppers, borage, watermelons, water lily, red yarrow, winter savory, black from Tula tomatoes
Germination Rates
I’d say good to middling since most of them were planted about a month ago. The watermelons, fish peppers, and tomatoes have popped up with no problems but the borage has not come up and only one savory has appeared. I may have planted them too deep so we’ll see how this goes.
Other Information
Part of the reason I ordered from this company was because they had tea camellia seeds, blood red yarrow (everyone else sold white or the yucky-looking pastel kind), winter savory and the Black from Tula tomatoes that my family loves. The only trouble was that the tea camellia seeds were unfortunately sold out when I placed my order. They also had free shipping with $20 orders when I bought my seeds this year so I’m not sure what their usual practices are in that regard.
Livingstone Seeds
Seed Selection
With sunflowers and basil varieties being the notable exceptions, they don’t seem to have a lot of different seeds available. However, since the company only sells their product directly to retailers, this may not actually be the case. My limited selection may actually be the result of local preferences rather than a true reflection of their inventory.
Bought
I’ve gotten a lot of things from them, herbs in particular. The ones I can remember off the top of my head are blue spice basil, cinnamon basil, lemongrass, cucumbers, and marjoram.
Germination Rates
Great, particularly when used fresh. These plants have the best germination rates I’ve ever seen, which is why I snap them up when I see them if they have anything that looks interesting. The lemongrass I grew from their seeds has done very well. Several of these plants are now over 3 years old.
Other Information
At the moment, individuals can’t purchase these seeds for themselves.
Burpee and Ferry-Morris
Seed Selection
These companies offer your basic, run of the-mill seeds at generally reasonable prices with a few heirloom and organic varieties thrown in their catalog for good measure.
Bought
I’ve purchased mostly generic annual herbs such as basil and dill as well as a handful of the more ordinary vegetables like spinach, cucumbers, and so forth. They’re additionally a good source for ordinary flower varieties like zinnias, nasturtiums, and star flower vines.
Germination Rates
Fair to good. I haven’t had anything that hasn’t come up except maybe a set of spinach but the birds may have gotten it.
Other Information
These seeds are available at a lot of big name stores like Ace Hardware, Lowes’, Wal-Mart, and Target. They are generally good value but if you want a very specific type of heirloom vegetable or unusual plants, Burpee probably isn’t going to have the plant seeds you’re after.
Hopefully these seed companies set you on the right path! As always, happy gardening!
Would like to see a review on Botanical INTERESTS.