Gardening books and catalogues are such great solace for gardeners in the cold winter months. I've updated my resource list of plant and seed suppliers and have thrown in a few temptations to get you dreaming about plans for spring.
Lavatera is an annual easily grown from seed.
Botanus offers unusual bulbs, begonias, dahlias, gladiolus, gloxinias, lilies, fruit and veggies, roses, shrubs, vines and climbers, perennials, ferns and grasses. They have an online and print catalogue, as well as a weekly garden club video that airs every Thursday during the gardening season. (shipping within Canada)
Order a catalogue on the Botanus website or download a digital version here.
"‘Café au Lait’ is Botanus’ best-selling dahlia. One look at those luscious, creamy white petals with their blush of pink and it’s easy to see why. These big, prolific blooms, that show off an intricate petal design, should be in every flower-lovers garden," says Pam Dangelmaier, one of the three women who run Botanus.
Pam's second recommendation is one I heartily champion as well. "Acidanthera bicolor murielae is such a delightful plant to grow. It blooms in late summer/early autumn at a time when most other flowering perennials are beginning to fade. And I haven’t even mentioned the scent! It’s heavenly – kinda of like baby powder and suntan lotion mixed into one. I just adore these blooms!", she says.
Blossom Hill Nursery specializes in Peonies and Delphiniums. They ship peonies for fall planting, so keep this reference to order later in the year. Their online catalogue offers word descriptions only. (ships within Canada)
Canning Perennials offers over 1500 varieties of hardy perennials including ornamental grasses, hosta, daylilies, clematis and groundcovers. They also have a selection of vines, roses, shrubs and water plants. New catalogue launches February 1st. (shipping within Canada only)
Dominion Seed House in Georgetown, Ontario sells a large selection of vegetable seeds and annual, biennial and perennial flower seeds. Online and print catalogue. (ships within Canada)
Dutch Girl Peonies out in British Columbia ships its peonies for fall planting, so keep this reference to order later in the year. For now, you can preview some of the 80 varieties of peonies via their online catalogue.
Floribunda Seeds sells both unusual and heirloom flower, herb and vegetable seeds. Online catalogue. (Ships worldwide)
Fraser's Thimble Farms is a rare and unusual plant nursery in British Columbia. They offer a wide range of hellebores, bulbs, Japanese hepaticas, ferns, hardy orchids. an A-Z list of unusual perennials, peonies, deciduous vines, shrubs and conifers/evergreens. (shipping within Canada & the USA only)
Dawn of Gardens Plus says that 'Diamond Lake' from Proven Winners has "attractive heart-shaped and heavily corrugated blue leaves that have wavy margins. The leaves can grow as large as nine inches wide and eleven inches long."
"Storm Shelter is a reblooming daylily with 5" blooms that are mauve with a purple-eggplant eye and matching edge. Lavender Blue Baby has 5.5" blooms with purplish-lavender petals and a lavender-blue eye. The edge of this daylily is ruffled and is white in color", says Dawn of Gardens Plus.
Gardens Plus is a mail order company and nursery that specializes in hosta and daylilies but also sells a range of perennials including hellebores, coneflowers and coral bells. The update to their online catalogue will be finished shortly. (ships within Canada)
Halifax Seed is a family owned seed company that began in 1866. As well as fruit and berries, they sell herb, flower and vegetable seeds and gardening tools and supplies. (shipping within Canada only)
Heritage Harvest Seed is a Canadian heirloom/heritage seed company that specializes in rare and endangered heirloom varieties of vegetables, flowers and herbs. (ships within Canada)
Lindenberg Seeds has both an online and print catalogue. They offer flower and vegetable seeds, perennials, bulbs and roots as well as gardening supplies. (shipping within Canada only)
Matchbox Garden is a small farm and seed company located on the Grand River in Haldimand County, Ontario. They produce over 120 varieties of open-pollinated, heirloom and rare vegetables, herbs, flowers, seed and seedlings. (ships within Canada)
"Rosa Bianca Eggplant is an Italian heirloom that is beautiful, productive, and very tasty. We use it in everything from ratatouille and eggplant parmesan to chutneys and stir-fry," says Hanna Jacobs of Matchbox Garden.
"Another crop I fell in love with last year was the Ananas Noire tomato. Not an heirloom but gorgeous and really flavourful. It's early for a beefsteak of that size, with prolific production," says Hanna of Matchbox Garden.
Ontario Seed is Canada's largest packet seed company and has been in business for over 125 years. As well as trees and ornamental grasses, they offer seeds for flowers (annual, biennial and perennial), vegetables, herbs, legumes and forage crops and lawn and groundcovers. Online and print catalogue.
(ships within Canada)
Order a catalogue on the Richters website or download a digital version here.
Richters have herb seeds and plants, gourmet vegetables, everlastings, oils, gardening books and tools. (shipping worldwide)
Stokes Seeds As well as vegetable, flower and herbs seeds, Stokes sells garden accessories, books and tools. (shipping within Canada only)
Terra Edibles is enjoying its 25th year of selling heirloom tomato, bean, vegetable, herb and flower seeds–all organically grown. Online catalogue. (ships within Canada)
St Williams Nursery & Ecology Centre are focused on native plants, native seed mixes and speciality seedlings. (shipping within Canada only)
Taste of Eden Nursery specializes in hardy fruit trees, asparagus, small fruits, seeds and perennials. Online print catalogue. (ships within Canada)
Order a catalogue on the Vessey's website or find a digital version here.
Vessey's Seeds has been in business since 1939. They sell vegetable, herb and flower seeds, fruit and berries, tools and accessories. (ships within Canada and the USA)
Vivaces Nordiques is located in Quebec, Canada. Their speciality is daylilies or hemerocallis. Minimum $50 order. (shipping within Canada only).
Daylilies from Vivaces Nordiques
Wildflower Farm is a great source for organically grown, non-GMO, native North American wildflower seeds, native grasses and wildflower seed mixes. (ships within Canada and the USA)
The 2019 catalogue will be available soon.
William Dam Seeds carry vegetable, herb, flower, climbers and vines, ornamental grass seeds, rootstock and bulbs, and garden supplies. (ships within Canada)
Wrightman Alpines specialize in alpine plants perfect for rock gardens. Their online catalogue lists 600 alpines. (ships within Canada and the USA)
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds carries a large selection of seeds from the 19th century, including many Asian and European varieties. Online and print catalogue. (Serving Canada, the US and Mexico)
Bluestone Perennials Perennials, shrubs, bulbs grasses and groundcovers. Online and print catalogue. (ships within the USA)
Botanical Interests is a family-owned company that sells organic, untreated vegetable, flower and herb seeds. 90% are open-pollinated and are non-GMO. You can review their catalogue online or request a copy. (USA orders only)
Brent and Becky's Bulbs Seeds, perennials, bulbs, garden accessories and tools. Online and print catalogue.
Burpee Seed Company have flower, vegetable, herb, fruit, heirloom seeds, and garden's supplies. Online and print catalogue. (ships within the USA)
Everwilde Farms has GMO-free annual flower, wildflower, herb, native grass and heirloom vegetable seeds. Online catalogue. (shipping worldwide)
The opening page of the Floret website reads, "Live a flower-filled life." Love that!
China Aster Rose Quartz Mixed from Floret seen above.
Floret's Breadseed Poppy Pink Peony (seen right- sadly not available in Canada) and Iceland Poppies Sherbet Mix (seen left)
Floret Flowers is a family-run flower farm in Washington's Skagit Valley that has become well known for its unique and heirloom flowers. They sell a curated collection of seeds, bulbs and dahlias as well as gift and paper goods. (shipping worldwide)
Johnny's Selected Seeds offers vegetable, herb and flower seeds. Online and print catalogue. (ships worldwide)
Northland Rosarium sells roses that are container grown on their own roots (ships within the USA only).
Outside Pride offers over 1000 flower, herb and groundcover seeds. (ships within the USA).
Plant World Seeds offers 3000 varieties of flower, vegetable, grass, vines and climbers, trees and shrubs seeds. (shipping worldwide).
Prairie Moon specializes in bee-friendly native plants. They offer seed and seed mixes, plants, books and tools. Online and print catalogue. (ships to USA and Canada)
A closeup of the seed packet and a picture of the foxgloves from Renee's trail garden.
Swallowtail Seeds has annual and perennial flower seeds, flowering vine seeds, vegetable and herb seeds. (shipping worldwide)
Territorial Seed Company is a family-owned business that offers vegetable seeds and plants, flowers and herbs, fruit and vines, garlic and tomatoes, heirloom and open-pollinated vegetable plants and seeds as well as garden supplies. (ships only within the USA)
Turtle Tree Seeds is a small non-profit seed company that sells 100% open-pollinated vegetable, flower and herb seeds. Their seeds are non-GMO, non-hybrid, never treated and grown without the use of chemicals. (ships only within the USA)
White Flower Farm offers a wide range of perennials, annuals, bulbs, shrubs, vines, roses, gardening tools and supplies. (ships only within the USA)
International:
Chiltern Seeds is a U.K. seed company that specializes in unusual flower, vegetable, herb, tree, shrub and climber seeds.
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. This list was compiled from sources with which I am familiar with and those that readers have recommended to me. I sent out as many requests as I could to various companies asking them to suggest a couple of items that gardeners would be excited to order in spring 2019. Not everyone replied with suggestions.
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Did I miss any plant and seed companies that you'd like to recommend? Please leave a comment below. What plants and seeds are on your wishlist for 2019?
I recommend Prairie Moon Nursery in the US. They are a mail order company which offers only natives (plants and seed) and has wonderful customer service. Their web site is extremely helpful with information on the plant's native range, growing requirements, and comprehensive information on how to germinate the seeds.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion Linda. I will update the list with your recommendation.
DeleteCheck out Hawthorn Farm Organic Seeds. They are one of the few seed retailers that are not simply resellers. There really is a Hawthorn Farm (near Palmerston) where Kim Delaney and her crew actually grow, select, and trial almost all of the varieties they sell. Kim is an active with the EFAO and has been a farmer for decades, certified organic since 1996. www.hawthornfarm.ca
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion Bev. I will add Hawthorn Farm Organic Seeds to my list.
DeletePhoenix Perennials in Richmond BC has a mail order business and ships to Canada.
ReplyDelete