The holidays have past and gardeners mull over the coming garden season. Seed catalogs have arrived and the email inbox has regular enticements to prompt an order. Reviewing the offerings is a favorite winter activity, especially if you live where planting the garden doesn’t commence until spring.

Here’s a list of the seed companies I’ve come to depend on. If you have a favorite I should know about, add it in a comment, including why you like it.

You can find this list on my RESOURCES page along with my Favorite Garden Books and Knowledge Bases for Gardeners.

Mother Earth News Seed and Plant Finder lets you quickly search the online catalogs of more than 500 mail order seed companies. Especially useful for unusual varieties.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds has an incredible variety of seeds and an extensive Grower’s Library I consult frequently.
Renee’s Garden offers a wide selection of heirloom and gourmet vegetable, flower and herb seeds. Some of their seeds I’ve planted for decades. Frequent new introductions and lovely seed packets with artist drawings and useful info.
San Diego Seed Company Brijette, urban farmer and seed purveyor produces and curates organic, heirloom vegetable, herb and flower seeds regionally adapted for Southern California. Check her Instagram feed too.
Territorial Seeds often has seeds I want that are out-of-stock at other companies. The seed quality and germination rates have been excellent.
Seeds from Italy is the U.S. distributor for Franchi Seeds, Italy's oldest family-owned seed company, founded in 1783. Many of their heirloom varieties are untreated, most are open-pollinated, and many are certified organic. Seed count is very generous and packets reasonably priced.
Fedco Seeds is a no nonsense seed company in Maine with many organic, open-pollinated and unusual varieties. Seed packets and website are ordinary but have everything you need to know.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds carries the largest selection of heirloom seeds and one of the largest selections of seeds from the 19th century; hence their website rareseeds.com
Botanical Interests is another reliable seed source with gorgeous art and helpful information on their seed packets. Often available in garden centers.