Top 5 Heirloom Seed Catalogs

I love heirloom seeds. Heirloom seeds are seeds with a history. These old seeds were saved year after year often by the same families for growing in their gardens.


The names these old gardeners gave their seeds are intriguing. Who can resist a tomato called “Stump of the World”? What would that even taste like? And, what about Serpent Melon? At less than 12 inches, it is a cucumber, but at 3 feet, it is a melon. Okay, you have me…I am intrigued.

Heirloom seeds refer to any seed that predates modern, 1951 or later, hybridized seeds. A hybrid is a plant that is bred by crossing two distinct plants to create a genetically different third plant. Hybrids are sterile and cannot reproduce the crossed varieties. Hybrids are bred to take advantage of certain characteristics each parent may have. They are created for a variety of agribusiness reasons, such as uniform size for shipping and marketing, the ability to withstand transport over long distances, ripening at the same time, or resistance to pests, blight, and other environmental and weather hazards.

Since I am not a large agribusiness farmer, just a home gardener, it makes sense for me to use heirloom seeds for my garden. With heirlooms, I can enjoy a wide variety of colorful, uniquely shaped, yummy tasting, delightfully named vegetables from my garden.


Here are my Top 5 Heirloom Seed Catalogs.

#5

 

 

Amishland Heirloom Seeds

 

 

This website is a one-woman operation with some amazing heirloom seeds. The owner grows and harvests all the seeds she sells on her website. Who can resist Woodle Orange Tomato or Chicken Heart Peppers? She also carries heirloom flower too. Most have limited quantities so order early!

#4

Heirloom Seeds

Heirloom Seeds is a small family run web based seed business. They are backyard gardeners for backyard gardeners. What started with tomatoes and peppers has grown to include other vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers. In the descriptions, they mention where the seed came from and what year it originated in. Try Parisian Pickling cucumber, an heirloom from France dating to 1892, for pickles or slicing into salads this summer.

#3

 

D. Landreth Seed Company

Landreth is the oldest seed company in the US. It has been in business since 1784 and introduced zinnias, various tomatoes and Bloomsdale spinach to its customers. Their heirloom selection is quite large and includes such delicious sounding varieties as Minnesota Midget melons and Turkish Egg Orange eggplant. They also carry heirloom flowers and bulbs.

#2

Seed Savers Exchange

Seed Savers Exchange is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and preserving heirloom seeds. They have a gorgeous catalog, informative website and you can find their seeds in retail locations. Join their nonprofit group and save 10% off your seed order from their website! I have my eye on the Chioggia beets, a pre-1840’s Italian variety and tiny Tommy Toe tomatoes. Yum!

#1

Baker Creek

Jere Gettle started this catalog in 1998 when he was just 17 years old. It has grown to include 1300 different varieties of heirloom vegetables, flowers and herbs. He and his wife, Emilee, are preserving numerous old seed companies and have their own magazine, Heirloom Gardener. Their gorgeous catalog and website are extensive and you will want to buy everything! Some of my favorites are White Wonder watermelon, with creamy white flesh, Rouge d’Hiver lettuce, a red romaine from France and Black Pineapple tomatoes, a stunning striped tomato.

Honorable mention:


Seeds of Change

For organic, sustainable seeds not always heirloom.



My Top 5 Favorite Flower Catalogs

Now that the holidays are over, my thoughts turn to flowers. Specifically, I’m thinking of the flowers that will soon come up in my garden. I’m wondering what survived the cold and squirrels and moles or which flowers just didn’t have the will to go on or had a lack of survival skills necessary to make it in my somewhat-though-not-entirely-neglected garden.

I guess what I am truly thinking of is what can I plant this year? What do I need to replace? Can I squeeze any more flowers into existing beds? Or, should I create another flower bed?

All of this thinking leads me to ordering flower catalogs. This is when I rush to open my mailbox…what catalog came today! I will dog-ear the pages, circle and star my selections, then deconstruct those glorious flower catalogs until I find just the right plantings for my garden.

Winter is the perfect time to dream of spring.

Here is my list of top 5 flower catalogs.

#5

Spring Hill Nursery

Huge lovely variety of beautiful flowers from perennials to roses, climbing flowering vines to low blooming ground covers, plus flowering trees and shrubs, this catalog is all-inclusive. Watch for the new Spring Hill Annuals catalog and Spring Hill Select catalog this spring!


Full disclosure: yes, I do work for the company that owns Spring Hill Nursery but I (sadly) do not have anything to do with the plants nor do I work in the same state as the nursery (again sadly…). But I do have insider knowledge of the 2 new catalogs mentioned above that will be out this spring...  J

#4

Jackson & Perkins

Not only is this catalog filled with stunning roses, it also has beautiful perennials for your flower beds too! But the roses…awww…the roses are breath-taking! Floribunda’s, Grandiflora’s, tree roses and hege roses and so many more!

#3

Hidden Springs Flower Farm

This online catalog is loaded with stunning peonies of every variation. It is has sections by bloom time, A-Z peonies, rare peonies, award winners, heirloom, cottage garden peonies…you get the picture! They have every peony imaginable all in one place.

#2

 

David Austin Roses

 

 

 

 

I love roses! Love them! This catalog has the most stunning roses ever created.

Full, lush, stunningly gorgeous roses.

 

 

 

 

#1

White Flower Farm

This is the most gorgeous flower catalog ever created. Their photography is amazing and dream-worthy. The potted annual collections are inspirational!