Seed Company List: Where to Buy Vegetable Seed
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
Not all seed companies grow seed; some buy seed in bulk and repackage it. Some small companies grow everything they sell. Still others grow some of what they sell, and then get other producers to grow what they don’t produce.
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. Here’s a 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 Vegetable Seed
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.
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.
Kitchen Table Seed House
Wolfe Island, Ontario
Organic vegetable, flower, and herb 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.
OSC Seeds
Kitchener, Ontario
Ships garden seed from coast to coast across Canada.
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!)
Prairie Garden Seeds
North Battledford, Saskatchewan
Small family-run (father-daughter) seed company. Veg, grains, and cereals.
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.
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.
The Incredible Seed Co.
Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
Good mix of vegetable seed and other edibles.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
More on Vegetable Gardening
Articles and Interviews
Looking for more information about growing vegetables? Drop by the Grow Vegetables home page for articles and interviews.
Self-Paces Gardening Classes
Shopping for Nut Trees? Find Out Where to Buy Nut Trees and Nut Bushes
Where to find nut trees and nut bushes for sale.
By Steven Biggs
Nut Tree Nursery List
I get a lot of messages from people looking for more edible plants for their home gardens and edible landscapes. So I hope this list of nurseries that sells nut trees and nut bushes helps you find the plant you’re looking for.
This list focuses on nurseries, garden centres, and specialty nut growers in Canada and the northern USA.
It’s a work in progress. If there’s a nursery you recommend, please e-mail me to let me know.
Before you browse nut tree nurseries, get started with Nut Tree Shopping Tips, below.
Tips When Plant Shopping
Here are tips to keep in mind as you get ready to order trees and shrubs.
Delivery vs. Pick-Up
It’s expensive to ship trees and shrubs! They’re big. And if there’s soil—they’re heavy too.
Delivery costs depend on the distance, the size of the plant, and whether it’s in a pot with soil, or is “bare root.”
(Bare root means it’s dormant, and there’s no soil.)
If picking up your fruit plants is an option, you can usually save quite a bit of money.
Ordering and Shipping Fruit Trees and shrubs
Shipping usually begins in spring, when there’s no further risk to the plants from cold temperatures.
The first to ship are “bare root” plants—dormant shrubs and trees with no soil. (Roots are wrapped in something damp to prevent them from drying out.)
Cross-Border Shipments
Some sellers don’t ship out of country. That’s because it usually involves “phytosanitary” inspections and paperwork.
Or, there might be restrictions on shipping some types of fruit to some regions (to avoid the spread of pests or diseases.)
If you find an out-of-country vendor who ships to your country, ask about the cost of phytosanitary certificates—as well as the delay that inspections can cause for your shipment.
When You Receive Your Order
Bare-root Plants. Keep them somewhere cool and dark until you’re ready to plant them, so that they remain dormant. Plant as soon as possible. Make sure the roots stay moist.
Potted Plants. There’s less of a rush planting potted plants than there is with bare-root plants. Keep plants well-watered until they’re planted.
Landscape with Fruit
That’s easy to grow in a home garden!
Canada Nut Tree Nurseries
Pin this post!
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Hardy fruit, exotic fruit, and nuts.
Hardy Fruit Tree Nursery
Rawdon, Quebec
Hold-hardy nut trees, nut bushes, and a wide mix of fruiting plants.
Grimo Nut Nursery
We get Ontario grown pecans here! They sell a wide range of nut trees and nut bushes, along with some minor fruit.
Founder Ernie Grimo joined us on The Food Garden Life Show to talk about cold-adapted nut trees. Tune in here.
Nutcracker Nursery
Maskinongé, Quebec
As the name suggests, nut trees is a specialty. I’ve ordered plums and damsons here and was pleased with the quality of the plants.
Pépeinière Ancestrale
St-Julien, Quebec
Good mix of nut trees and nut bushes. This is where I got my first cherry-plum bushes. Fruit and nut trees.
Prairie Hardy Nursery
Two Hills, Alberta
Recommended by my horticultural colleague in Alberta Donna Balzer.
Rhora's Nut Farm and Nursery
Wainfleet, Ontario
Specializing in nut trees and minor fruit.
Silvercreek Nursery
Wellesley, Ontario
Nuts and fruit. Some of my apple trees are from Silvercreek—and I took a fantastic grafting workshop there.
Whiffletree Farm and Nursery
Elora, Ontario
Nut trees, nut bushes, fruit trees and bushes, and orchard supplies.
Willow Creek Permaculture
Dutton, Ontario
Fruit and nut trees.
USA Nut Tree Nurseries
One Green World
Portland, Oregon
Nut trees and bushes, fruit, subtropical fruits, fruiting ground covers. We chatted with Sam Hubert from One Green World on the podcast to find out all about hardy citrus. They carry lots of other fruit trees, fruit bushes, and berries too.
Raintree Nursery
Morton, Washington
A diverse collections of edible plants including nut trees and nut bushes.
More Sources for Plants
More on Growing Food at Home
Head to the Library for articles, interviews, and guides on how to grow fruit, nuts, vegetables, herbs, and more at home.
Looking for Lemon Trees? Find Out Where to Buy Rare and Hardy Citrus Trees
Find out where to buy a lemon tree.
By Steven Biggs
Looking for Lemon Trees? Find Out Where to Buy Citrus Trees
I get a lot of messages from people wondering where to buy a lemon tree. So I hope this list of nurseries selling lemon trees and other citrus trees helps you find what you’re looking for.
This list focuses on nurseries, garden centres, and citrus-growing specialists in Canada and the northern USA.
It’s a work in progress. If there’s a citrus nursery or garden centre that sells lemon trees near you, please e-mail me to let me know.
Before you browse through the list, get started with Tips When Shopping for a Lemon Tree, below.
Tips When Shopping for a Lemon Tree
Here are tips to keep in mind as you get ready to shop for a lemon tree or other citrus trees.
Delivery vs. Pick-Up
Larger potted plants can be expensive to ship! Delivery costs depend on the distance and the size of the citrus trees.
If picking up your citrus trees is an option, you can usually save quite a bit of money.
Mail-order sellers usually only ship spring through fall, when the temperature is warm enough.
Seasonal Lemon Tree Availability
Some of the sellers listed here are nurseries that propagate their own citrus and have plants year-round.
Others are garden centres that carry lemon trees and other citrus trees seasonally.
Here in Southern Ontario, I often start to see California-grown potted citrus trees in garden centres in the spring. Selection usually declines through the season, and once they’re sold out, that’s it until the following year.
Cross-Border Shipments
Some nurseries and garden centres don’t ship citrus trees out of country. That’s because sending plants across the border involves inspections and paperwork.
If you find an out-of-country vendor who does ship to your area, ask about any additional cost for inspections and paperwork. Ask, too, about the delay that inspections could cause for your shipment of citrus trees.
Canada Lemon Trees and Other Citrus Trees
Angelo’s Garden Centre
Vaughan, Ontario
This is a garden centre near me, in the Toronto area, that seasonally carries citrus trees, olive trees, and fig trees. (I got my first olive tree here!) Hear owner Carlo Amendolia tell the story of their 19-foot-high fig tree.
Brugmansia Quebec
St-Valérien de Milton, Québec
A good selection of citrus trees, figs, and, as the name suggests, Brugmansia—a.k.a. angel’s trumpet.
Exotic Fruit Nursery
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Citrus trees, hardy fruit trees, exotic fruit, and nut trees.
Fiesta Gardens
Toronto, Ontario
We’re big fans of Fiesta Gardens, here in Toronto. This independent garden centre brings in some really cool plant material every year—and there are usually lemon trees and other citrus too.
Fruit Trees and More
North Saanich, British Columbia
This nursery and demonstration orchard specializes in plants for Mediterranean climates. Owner Bob Duncan was the inspiration for my book Grow Lemons Where You Think You Can’t. He grow citrus tree espaliers in his demonstration orchard, and has a big Meyer lemon espalier on his house.
Nutcracker Nursery
Maskinongé, Quebec
Nice selection of citrus trees and figs. As the name suggests, they specialize in nuts. Also other fruit (I’ve ordered plums and damsons here and was pleased with the quality of the plants.)
Phoenix Perennials
Richmond, British Columbia
An excellent mail-order nursery with unusual plants. (This is where I tracked down a grafted tomato-potato plant for my daughter!) They have a good selection of citrus trees.
Sage Garden Greenhouses
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Co-owner Dave Hanson has joined me to teach about exotic edibles and Mediterranean plants. He is a wealth of knowledge.
Tropic of Canada
Rodney, Ontario
Citrus, figs, and a fun mix of exotics.
Valleyview Gardens
Markham, Ontario
This Toronto-area garden centre has tropical plants year-round. When I couldn’t find a yuzu citrus tree, this is where I found one.
USA Lemon Trees and Other Citrus Trees
Edible Landscaping
Afton, Virginia
Citrus, fruit trees, fruit bushes, berries, and exotics.
Four Winds Growers
Winters, California
Specializes in semi-dwarf citrus trees.
Logee’s
Danielson, Connecticut
As well as citrus, they have figs and other exotic fruit—and a ton of ornamentals. Their ponderosa lemon is over 100 years old!
McKenzie Farm
Scranton, South Carolina
Owner Stan McKenzie is passionate about cold-hardy citrus. Hear Stan tell us all about cold-hardy citrus on The Food Garden Life Show.
One Green World
Portland, Oregon
A delicious mix of citrus trees, olives, figs, and lots of sub-tropical fruit.
Sam Hubert from One Green World joined us on the Food Garden Life show with top cold-hardy citrus picks. Find out Sam’s favourite cold-hardy citrus.
Well-Sweep Herb Farm
Port Murray, New Jersey
Lots of herbs, and a good selection of citrus.
Nursery List: Fruiting Shrubs, Unusual Fruit, and Hardy Fruit Trees
Where to find fruit trees for sale.
By Steven Biggs
Buying Fruit Trees, Fruiting Shrubs, and Berry Bushes
I get a lot of messages from people wondering where to buy fruiting plants. So I hope this list helps you find a nursery with the fruit trees you’re looking for.
This list focuses on nurseries, garden centres, and fruit-growing specialists in Canada and the northern USA.
It’s a work in progress. If there’s a nursery you recommend, please e-mail me to let me know.
Before you browse nurseries, get started with Tips When Shopping, below.
Tips When Plant Shopping
Here are tips to keep in mind as you get ready to order trees and shrubs.
Delivery vs. Pick-Up
It’s expensive to ship trees and shrubs! They’re big. And if there’s soil—they’re heavy too.
Delivery costs depend on the distance, the size of the plant, and whether it’s in a pot with soil, or is “bare root.”
(Bare root means it’s dormant, and there’s no soil.)
If picking up your fruit plants is an option, you can usually save quite a bit of money.
Ordering and Shipping Fruit Trees and shrubs
Shipping usually begins in spring, when there’s no further risk to the plants from cold temperatures.
The first to ship are “bare root” plants—dormant shrubs and trees with no soil. (Roots are wrapped in something damp to prevent them from drying out.)
Cross-Border Shipments
Some sellers don’t ship out of country. That’s because it usually involves “phytosanitary” inspections and paperwork.
Or, there might be restrictions on shipping some types of fruit to some regions (to avoid the spread of pests or diseases.)
If you find an out-of-country vendor who ships to your country, ask about the cost of phytosanitary certificates—as well as the delay that inspections can cause for your shipment.
When You Receive Your Order
Bare-root Plants. Keep them somewhere cool and dark until you’re ready to plant them, so that they remain dormant. Plant as soon as possible. Make sure the roots stay moist.
Potted Plants. There’s less of a rush planting potted plants than there is with bare-root plants. Keep plants well-watered until they’re planted.
Landscape with Fruit
That’s easy to grow in a home garden!
Canada Nurseries
Bambooplants.ca
Ontario
Great selection of minor and unusual fruit plants.
Boughen Nurseries
Nipawin, Saskatchewan
Boughen sells fruit trees and berries for cold climates. This is where I found my favourite culinary crabapple, ‘Dolgo.’ They also have Nanking cherry, which, despite being easy to grow, can be difficult to find in many parts of Canada.
Corn Hill Nursery
King’s Country, New Brunswick
Owner Bob Osborne is a CBC radio columnist, and the author of the book Hardy Apples: Growing Apples in Cold Climates.
Hear Bob tell us about hardy apples on The Food Garden Life Show.
DNA Gardens
Elnora, Alberta
Specializing in hardy fruit trees.
Exotic Fruit Nursery
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Hardy fruit, exotic fruit, and nuts.
Fruit Trees and More
North Saanich, British Columbia
A nursery and experimental orchard. Well worth a visit if you’re in the area—but they do mail-order too. Lots of less common fruit such as medlar and Asian pear. (And olives, citrus, and figs!)
Grimo Nut Nursery
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
A specialty nut nursery that also has uncommon fruit such as American persimmon and a number of mulberries.
Linda Grimo shares tips on how they prune mulberries in this guide to growing mulberries.
Hardy Fruit Tree Nursery
Rawdon, Quebec
Some good articles about growing fruit trees on the website. Grafting onto full-sized rootstock.
Nutcracker Nursery
Maskinongé, Quebec
I’ve ordered plums and damsons here and was pleased with the quality of the plants.
Pépeinière Ancestrale
St-Julien, Quebec
This is where I got my first cherry-plum bushes! Fruit trees and nut trees.
Prairie Hardy Nursery
Two Hills, Alberta
Recommended to me by my horticultural colleague in Alberta Donna Balzer.
Production Lareault inc.
Lavaltrie, Quebec
Berries and small fruit. (Also asparagus, rhubarb, and kiwi.)
Rhora's Nut Farm and Nursery
Wainfleet, Ontario
Specializing in nut trees, with some minor fruit too.
Riverbend Orchards
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
Cold-hardy fruit bushes, including haskaps, currants, and cherries.
Silvercreek Nursery
Wellesley, Ontario
Some of my apple trees are from Silvercreek—and I took a fantastic grafting workshop there.
T&T Seeds
Headingley, Manitoba
Seeds, accessories, and fruit plants by mail order. Also a garden centre if you’re in the area.
TreeMobile
Toronto, Ontario
A not-for-profit organization supplying fruit trees and supplies to gardeners.
Hear our chat with TreeMobile founder Virginie Gysel.
Whiffletree Farm and Nursery
Elora, Ontario
Trees, small fruit, and orchard supplies.
Willow Creek Permaculture
Dutton, Ontario
Fruit and nut trees.
USA Nurseries
Pin this post!
Edible Landscaping
Afton, Virginia
Fruit trees, fruit bushes, berries, and exotics like citrus.
Honeyberry USA
Bagley, Minnesta
Cold-hardy fruit bushes including honeyberry, a.k.a. haskap.
Off the Beaten Path
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lots of figs, as well as other unusual fruit.
Hear the owner, Bill Lauris, talk about figs in this podcast episode.
One Green World
Portland, Oregon
We chatted with Sam Hubert from One Green World on the podcast to find out all about hardy citrus. They carry lots of other fruit trees, fruit bushes, and berries too.
Raintree Nursery
Morton, Washington
A diverse collections of edible plants including nut trees and nut bushes.
Trade Winds Fruit
Seeds for rare and unusual fruit.
More Sources for Plants
Here’s a Fig Nursery List to help you find fig trees for sale.
More on Growing Fruit
Head to the Growing Fruit Home Page for articles, interviews, and guides on how to grow fruit.
