Current News

2013 Seed Buying Guide

Planning and dreaming next year’s fields and gardens

Now that the crops and gardens of 2012 have been harvested, it’s time to think about next year’s crops and gardens. Whatever you plant, good seed can make a big difference and the companies listed in our directory will deliver good seed and good service. Get a coffee, get comfy and have a look. You’re sure to find the seed seller that’s perfect for you.

A. E. McKenzie Co. Inc.
www.mckenzieseeds.com
In business since 1896 A.E. McKenzie Co. is asking old and new customers to, “click the cute little blue button and ‘LIKE’ us on Facebook.” You’ll find info on decorating small spaces, easy and healthy recipes and tips to guarantee success in the soil.

Alberta Nurseries & Bow Seeds Ltd. 
www.gardenersweb.ca
For more than 80 years Alberta Nurseries and Bow Seed have supplied hardy seed and nursery stock to gardeners and farmers. Visit the website and check out their Safe Seed Pledge.

Annapolis Valley Heritage Seeds
www.annapolisseeds.com
As a living seed bank for the Maritime region, the goal of Annapolis Valley Heritage Seeds is to maintain, select and develop the greatest diversity of seeds possible which thrive in our climate. All hand grown, open pollinated non-GMO seed for gardeners, small farmers and seed savers.

Blazing Star Wildflower Seed Company
www.growwildflowers.ca
In their twenty-first year of business, Blazing Star is dedicated to preserving and restoring native Canadian wildflowers. They’re your source for everything from xeriscaping to wedding favours. In 2013, they’re adding two year old plant plugs to their inventory.

Boundary Garlic
www.garlicfarm.ca
Specializing in heritage, certified, organic garlic for seed, Boundary sells by mail order across Canada. They carry about 150 varieties and will export bulbils.

Cottage Gardener Heirloom Seedhouse & Nursery 
www.cottagegardener.com
The Cottage Gardener is an heirloom seed house providing organic seeds of rare and endangered heirloom varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers to gardeners and market growers since 1996. Seed is available in retail packets or bulk quantities.

Country Farm Seeds
www.countryfarmseeds.com
Serving Ontario farmers since 1972, Country Farm Seeds seeks out additional opportunities for customers to improve their bottom line, such as competitive seed prices and export premiums for many of their top varieties.

De Dell Seeds Incorporated 
www.dedellseeds.com
A “family-only” owned and operated Canadian seed corn company, De Dell Seeds is also proud to be the only, non-GMO seed corn company in Canada, producing certified organic seed corn in Canada.

Dominion Seed House  
www.dominion-seed-house.com
In business since 1928, Dominion offers over 2,000 gardening products, including old favourites as well as new flowers and vegetables from all over the world.

Early’s Farm & Garden Centre Inc. 
www.earlysgarden.com
Over a century in business, Early’s inventory of 693 seed varieties includes vegetable, flower and sprouting seeds as well as grass and turf —and most are available in bulk quantities.

Evergreen Seed Co. Ltd.
www.evergreenseed.ca
Custom mixes are their speciality, and Evergreen carries a complete line of proprietary forage varieties, forage mixtures and turf mixtures, Evergreen is recognised by Agriculture Canada and the Canadian Seed Institute to apply official tags and seals.

Florabunda Seeds
www.florabundaseeds.com
Think English cottage gardens of the past. At Florabunda you’ll find varieties salvaged from English abbeys and monasteries in the middle ages. Others were brought back to Britain by plantsmen who were sent out on plant-hunting expeditions around the world.

Full Circle Seeds 
www.fullcircleseeds.com
The year 2013 will mark 20 years of offering certified organic, open pollinated, hardy seed. Besides heritage varieties Full Circle Seeds carries varieties from Asia and Europe prized by the best local chefs.

Gardens North
www.gardensnorth.com
Birthed in 1991 as a “dining room operation,” Gardens North now does business in over 30 countries, supplying seed to gardeners, commercial growers and other seed houses and offers the only Canadian source for GA-3 (a germination stimulator.)

Greta’s Organic Gardens
www.seeds-organic.com
Greta’s Organic Gardens is an organic seed company growing plants for their uniqueness in taste, appearance, colour and shape. Greta’s heirloom seeds are untreated, open pollinated and non GMO.

Halifax Seed Company
www.halifaxseed.ca
Established in 1866, Halifax Seed Company is Canada’s oldest continuously-operating family-owned seed company and is constantly evaluating new products to determine their suitability for the Atlantic Region.

Heritage Harvest Seed
www.heritageharvestseed.com
Heritage Harvest Seed specializes in rare and endangered herb, vegetable and flower seeds including heritage garlic, Jerusalem artichoke and top set onion. No longer shipping to the U.S.

High Mowing Organic Seeds
www.highmowingseeds.com

Now carrying over 800 vegetable, flower and herb varieties, High Mowing Organic Seeds is dedicated to supporting sustainable agriculture. Their breeding program focuses on developing varieties with traits that are important to organic growers.

Holes Greenhouse & Gardens Ltd
www.holesonline.com or
www.enjoycentre.ca

Founded by the late and highly-esteemed Ted and Lois Hole 37 years ago, and now one of Canada’s largest garden centres, Holes is renowned for its quality plants and seeds.

Hope Seeds
www.hopeseed.com
Offering one of the best selections of maritime, heritage and organic seeds in Canada, the people at Hope Seeds are committed to high quality, organic growing and local food.

Horizon Seeds
www.horizonseeds.ca
Horizon Seeds, an all-Canadian family owned business, and member of SeCan grows all its seed in Norfolk County and offers certified hybrid corn, organic and conventional soybeans with treatment options available on all hybrids.

J.L. Hudson, Seedsman
www.jlhudsonseeds.net/index.htm
In business since 1911, Hudson Seedsman defines itself as a public access seed bank; information on site on how to order by mail or email. Canadian customers need to note: orders can take a month to arrive. There is no phone service.

Hyland Seeds (a division of Dow Agro Sciences Canada Inc.)
www.hylandseeds.com
Hyland Seeds carries a wide selection of GMO and non-GMO corn, cereals, alfalfa, soybean and white bean, including Refuge Advanced corn hybrids.

The Incredible Seed Company
www.incredibleseeds.ca
Specializing in open-pollinated and heritage seeds.  Vegetables, flowers, herbs.  Only untreated and GMO-free seeds.  1-888-851-6620 or visit our website.

Johnny’s Selected Seeds
www.johnnyseeds.com
Johnny’s Selected Seeds is a privately-held, 100% employee-owned seed producer and merchant. Products include seeds for vegetables, flowers, cover crops, and pasture mixes, as well as tools — ships internationally.

Lindenberg Seeds Ltd
www.lindenbergseeds.ca
Good quality seed at a fair price is the best value. That’s been the philosophy at Lindenberg since 1935 when the original Lindenberg brothers began selling seed to Prairie gardeners. The Lindenberg family continues to sell only seed that has been tested and retested for quality.

Maizex  Seeds Inc.
www.maizex.com
In business for more than 25 years, Maizex offers traited hybrids and varieties that annually deliver above average performance across a wide range of heat units. Inventory includes seed corn, silage and soybean products along with agronomic expertise.

McFayden Seed Company
Effective August 15, we will not be offering a catalogue for the upcoming 2013 spring season or fulfilling orders directly to customers. Instead, we encourage you to visit any of the thousands of retailers across Canada that carry our products under the McKenzie Seeds brand. For the future, we are reviewing the business strategy of selling directly to consumers through the mail and may re-introduce the product line again next year.

Mumm’s Sprouting Seeds
www.sprouting.com
Whether you’re looking for home-grown sprouts and microgreens, or seeds for commercial sprouting, Mumm’s can fill your order, be it a package or a container load.  Visit their website to learn all about sprouts and sprouting.

Mycogen Seeds
 www.mycogen.com/sitepages/about%20us.aspx
Mycogen began, nearly 30 years ago as a biotech company specializing in transgenic research. It now offers some of the most advanced genetic trait and agricultural chemical technologies. Products include grain corn, soybeans, sunflower, canola, alfalfa and sorghum.

Ontario Seed Company
www.oscseeds.com
Native grasses, prairie wild flowers, ecological lawn alternatives and specific use mixtures such as septic bed mix and naturalized wetland mixture are just a few of the extra specials you’ll find at this 126 year old family run seed company. Their inventory also includes vegetables, flowers, herbs, tree, lawn and forage seed.

Pioneer Seed
www.pioneer.com
Established in southwestern Ontario in 1946, Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited is Canada’s leading developer of plant genetics and associated technologies. Product lines include corn, soybeans, canola, alfalfa, sunflowers, winter wheat and forage inoculants.

Prairie Garden Seeds
Widely known for his collection of ancient grains, some dating from 10,000 years ago, Jim Ternier also carries a full selection of vegetable and flower seeds. All are open pollinated, untreated and have not been genetically modified.

Premier Pacific Seeds Ltd.
www.premierpacificseeds.com
Premier Pacific Seeds Ltd. is all about grass seed. Forage and turf seed genetics vary from European origins to North American plant material. This allows for individual successful formulas for individual customers.

Pumpkin Moon Farm
www.pumpkinmoonfarm.com
Certified organic, Pumpkin Moon Farm specializes in heirloom flowers, herbs and vegetable seeds. Download the catalogue from the website.

Quality Seeds
www.qualityseeds.ca
In business for over 50 years, this family-owned company is one of the largest forage, lawn and turf companies in Canada.

Quality Seeds West
www.qualityseedswest.ca
Since 2002: supplying field seeds (alfalfa, clovers, grasses), cover crops (grain, peas, vetch), reclamation seeds, lawns, and lawn seeds adapted to the province of British Columbia.

Richters Herbs
 www.richters.com
A source for herb plants, seeds, dried herbs and more, Richters has been growing and selling herbs since 1969. Their first catalogue dedicated to herbs came was released in 1970.

Rupp Seeds
www.ruppseeds.com
Rupp Seeds supplies vegetable, turf, soy, grain and forage seed to wholesale producers, fresh market growers and the processing industry. Their goal is to help customers realize success by first achieving a healthy plant stand.

Salt Spring Seeds
www.saltspringseeds.com
Supplying open-pollinated, non-GMO seeds to farmers and gardeners; Salt Springs Seeds inventory includes garlic, grains, greens, medicinal herbs, beans and high protein crops such as quinoa and amaranth.

Speare Seeds
www.speareseeds.ca
Spear Seeds supplies forage, corn, turf, lawn and wildlife mixtures. Check out their website for information you can use.

Stellar Seeds
www.stellarseeds.com
All certified organic seeds are open pollinated, grown in British Columbia and farmed with holistic practices —bulk and packet sizes available.

Stokes Seeds
www.stokeseeds.com
With an emphasis on quality seed and extensive growing information, Stokes sells to home gardeners and commercial growers from locations in Canada and the United States.

Sunshine Farm
www.sunshinefarm.net
Sunshine Farm seeds are certified organic by PACS (Pacific Agricultural Certification Society). They offer many rare, heirloom and unusual varieties of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and other vegetables as well as herbs and flowers in their online catalogue.

T&T Seeds Ltd.
www.ttseeds.com
“Early in the Arctic, first in your garden,” is the slogan at T&T Seeds. This family business supplies quality vegetable and flower seeds as well as bulbs, fruit, trees and a wide array of gardening products.

Terra Edibles
www.terraedibles.ca
As well as herbs, flowers and aromatic sweet peas, Terra Edibles offers hundreds of varieties of heirloom tomatoes, beans and other popular vegetables. Order online or by mail.

Two Wings Farm
 www.twowingsfarm.com
Two Wings Farm carries a selection of certified organic heirloom vegetable seed, all grown on Two Wings Farm and tailored to the bio-region.

West Coast Seeds
http://www.westcoastseeds.com
West Coast is a certified supplier of organic, untreated and non-GEO seed. Their inventory includes a wide variety of vegetable, flower, herb and sprouting seeds along with books, resources and gardening supplies.

William Dam Seeds
www.damseeds.com
William Dam Seeds is the first registered seed company in Canada to feature a line of certified organically grown seeds. A family owned business founded in 1949, they carry no chemically treated seeds.

Yuko Horiuchi / Yuko’s Open-Pollinated Seeds
www.yuko.ca
From the Ottawa Valley, Yuko’s offer root stock for horseradish, Jerusalem artichoke, hops and fruit trees and is also a trusted source of open-pollinated seeds including many heirloom and oriental varieties. In 2009, Yuko travelled to Japan and brought back several Japanese varieties such as eggplant, cucumber and edible gourd to add to her inventory.