Online Seed Sources: Hard to Find Seeds
Q: I’m looking for odd and interesting vegetables, rock garden plants, and perennials, and I feel like I’ve exhausted my local retailers. Can ordering from online sources be trusted?
A: I’m happy to hear you’ve been supporting local businesses. However, as you’ve discovered, they simply can’t carry everything. The plants they offer must sell through enough volume to justify their space in the store. So I turn to specialty suppliers online for hard-to-find plants and seeds. Through trial and error over the years I’ve found some trustworthy sources and I’m happy to share a few of the best with all of you.
SEED SOURCES
Plant World Seed: plant-world-seeds.com - They grow their own seed which is increasingly rare - over 3500 varieties of flower and vegetable seed - many of which are rare, unusual and exotic. UK based.
Hazzard’s Seed: hazzardsgreenhouse.com
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds:Â rareseeds.com
Totally Tomatoes:Â totallytomato.com
North American Rock Garden Society (NARGS): nargs.org - Become a member and participate in their amazing seed exchange program. Thousands of rare and hard-to-find seeds.
PLANT SOURCES
Can be expensive but very much worth it to obtain strong, healthy, quality plants rather than puny little runts with no chance of survival.
Plant Delights Nursery -Â Fabulous color catalog:Â plantdelights.com
Edelweiss Perennials:Â edelweissperennials.com
High Country Gardens:Â highcountrygardens.com
Brent and Becky’s Bulbs: brentandbeckysbulbs.com
MORE SEED SOURCES BELOW FROM JANE'S DECEMBER 2024 E-MAGAZINE LETTER:
Thanks to Keith Funk’s above list for rare & unusual, hard-to-find seeds and plants! I’ve added my own list below, gathered from my own and others’ experience. Some of these are small operations & clearly labors of love so investigate and shop early.Â
Thanks to Bob Nold, Diana Capen, Eve Reshetnik Brawner, and several of the Boulder Culinary Gardeners for their suggestions. ~ Jane Shellenberger, Editor/Publisher
ONLINE, HARD-TO-FIND SEED SOURCES
JL Hudson – unusual flower seed, heirloom veggies, reasonalble prices, great catalog.
Jellito Perennial Seeds – perennials, grasses, herbs. Based in Germany but ships from their US branch.
AlPlains Seed – out of Kiowa, CO. Extensive native and rock garden plant seed, cactus, Yucca, germination tips
Adaptive Seeds – rare, diverse & resilient vegetable varieties for northern climates. They sell only public domain, open pollinated, untreated seed
Select Seeds – for old-fashioned fragrant flowers, flowering vines, rare annuals & perennials
Tomatofest and Miss Penn’s Mountain Seeds – for tomatoes
BBB Seed - wildflowers, native grasses, cover crops, regional seed & pollinator mixes
Western Native Seed - regional natives
Vibrant Earth Seeds - short season, regionally adapted, open pollinated
Pine Tree Garden Seeds – inexpensive seeds & supplies, vegetables, flowers, herbs
Seed Savers – for heirlooms
Sandia Seed – 101+ varieties of peppers and more
Colorado Hardy Plants – flowering ornamentals & hardy native plant seed
Sand Hill Preservation Center – family-run by early members of Seed Savers, many varieties not available elsewhere
High Desert Seed & Gardens - Montrose, CO. Resilient vegetable, flower, herb, grains seed
DianeSeeds – flowers
Seeds from Italy – large quantity packets, 500+ varieties of Italian heirloom vegetable, herb & flower
Wild Garden Seeds – organic herbs, flowers, veggies, & great greens
Grand Prismatic Seed – a tiny company in Utah offering crazy hard-to-find regional natives & flowers/plants mostly used for dying
Masa Seed Foundation – Locally-adapted organic vegetable seeds for the Colorado Front Range
...
Read our Q & As with Keith Funk answering common Colorado gardening questions here. You can also hear him on the Garden Wise Radio Show on Legends 810AM.
