The Best Seed Catalogs Out There

Here is my compilation of the best vegetable garden seed catalogs (as well as a few useful tool and accessory catalogs). If you are just learning about seeds, I encourage you to visit the heirloom seeds, heirloom tomatoes, and gmo seeds pages to learn about the differences.

I love getting my catalogs in the winter when I’m itching to get my hands dirty and dreaming of warm tomatoes, but I’ve learned to browse seed catalogs online where possible to save paper. Try to just order one or two of your faves.

Seed Catalogs from Onions to Heirlooms to Fruit Trees

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Offers a huge selection of heirloom seeds of a wide variety of vegetables

Botanical Interests Seeds
One of my favorite seed catalogs because of the stunning botanical illustrations. High quality vegetable, flower and herb seeds, in the most  informative seed packets on the market. Great gift collections. Free coloring books. They hire world-class botanical illustrators to do their seed packets. I get all my flower seed from them. (For me, they're local)

Burnt Ridge Nursery (Fruit and Nut Trees)
Huge selection of fruit and nut trees to diversify your food growing endeavors. Great for vegetable gardeners who are diversifying and expanding into permaculture.

Burpee Seed
Around since 1876 and offers a huge assortment of seeds of all types. An informative and fun catalog always.

Clarington Forge/Bulldog Tools
(World’s best garden spades and forks since 1780, seriously.) 35 years ago I bought a “Bulldog” spade and fork from the original Common Ground store in Palo Alto, and to this day I do 90% of my gardening work with those two original tools. No kidding. They last FOREVER if you oil the handles once in awhile and don't leave them out in the rain. Well worth the price, as it truly is a lifetime investment (unlike the big-box-store variety, which bend and break).

Dixondale Farms (Onions and Leeks)
A family of Texas onion farmers selling a huge selection of onion sets since 1913. My mom used to say “Bad cooks don’t use onions. Good cooks use onions. Great cooks start with onions and then figure out what else to add.”

Garden's Alive!
They don’t sell seeds, but they sell a lot of other really useful stuff that will help you get bigger yields and have more fun, like tools and fertilizers. They say “Environmentally responsible products that work!™”

Gardener's Supply Company
The only place that carries my favorite seed starting trays, and they also sell a great Hori Hori. Also full of fun garden gadgets and gizmos that make great gifts. (Gee!). I love this catalog even though I’m a bare-bones kind of gardener. (Give me a good spade, fork and hori hori and I have everything I need.)

Tomato Fest
Gary Ibsen is the go-to guy for heirloom tomatoes. 650 varieties, all described in mouthwatering detail.

Gurney's Seed & Nursery Co.
Another of the classic, been-around-forever, have-everything seed catalogs.

High Mowing Organic Seeds
This family-owned independent farm is dedicated to sustainable agriculture and only sells certified organic seed.

Johnny's Selected Seeds
One of my fave’s, and a seed supplier for many CSAs, Their mission statement is “We are an employee-owned seed producer and merchant to help families, friends, and communities to feed one another by providing superior seeds, tools, information, and service". Great selection of tools and hoop house stuff, too. They do all their own grow trials every year on every variety.

NE Seed
Hybrids and heirloom seeds for commercial and home gardeners. Good selection of organic fertilizers (under “hardgoods”).

Nichols Garden Nursery
A northwest favorite, I love this quote from their catalog of herbs, vegetables, flowers and tools: “We have been in the seed and nursery business for over 50 years. Our purpose during these years has been to bring people closer to nature through gardening. Nothing can equal the sense of accomplishment of growing hundreds of pounds of vegetables from a few ounces of seeds.”

Park Seed
One of the classic, been-around-forever big guys, Park has an awesome collection of flower, herb and vegetable seeds.

Grow Organic
Formerly known as Peaceful Valley, an AWESOME resource for organic seeds, fertilizer and other supplies for organic gardening and farming.

Planet Natural
Heirloom and organic seeds, but their claim-to-fame is in organic pest control, beneficial insects and organic fertilizers.

Richter's Herbs, Plant and Seed Catalog
All things herbs, including culinary and medicinal herb seeds, plants and information. Great selection of harder-to-find herbs, as well as books.

Seed Savers Exchange
Devoted to preserving the world’s home vegetable varieties. To me, the most beautiful catalog (and calendar) there is. All heirloom seed, meticulously gathered from around the world over many decades by dedicated gardeners.

Seeds of Change
Another beauty, all certified organic seeds, live plants and tools. Committed to giving back to communities and empowering people everywhere to grow food.

Renee’s Garden
She’s a great person, cares deeply for seeds and her customers, and has a great hand-picked selection of “gourmet vegetables, kitchen herbs, and cottage garden flowers”.

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