My 8 Top Picks for Free Garden Catalogs
By: Katie Michaelson
Tags: Seeds, Sustainability, Plants, Growing Food, Gardening

Last year, my 87-year-old friend and I were helping some young people plan our community garden. We’ve both gardened most of our lives, so we had great fun looking through garden and seed catalogs. I’d forgotten how much information about plants was in those FREE magazines.

I’m asked a lot of questions about growing food. Do you have any? Put them in the comments. To help you get started, I decided it would give my recommendations about some reliable companies.

I have had some terrible experiences. Those were with plants, not seeds. I don’t like to bad talk on public platforms so I won’t. I’m mentioning only those companies I have found exceptional.

I’m mentioning my favorites, so it’s a shortlist. Number 8 is a link to 60 companies that will make your search easier — or harder.

All companies have online stores but I recommend you get the free catalogs. At least get a few. I think there’s more information in the paper catalog. I could be wrong on that. The difference might be my lack of computer skills. However, you can study the paper ones by candlelight when the power is out.

Heirloom Seeds

1) Savvy Gardening

I learned about saving seeds from my customers at the beauty salon years ago. Gardeners are a sharing sort of folks. They will also share their seeds. My 87-year-old friend puts extra in white envelopes and puts a display at the library for anyone to help themselves.

I’m not that neat. I stuff mine into a brown bag and put the bags in a tin can. If you want some, we dig around. But we have tea and a chat, so it’s all good.

I think you’ll like Savvy Gardening. It’s a good place to get you started learning about heirlooms.

2) Seed Savers Exchange

My choice for heirloom seeds is the Seed Savers Exchange. It’s a nonprofit organization in Decorah, Iowa. You can donate seeds and/or purchase many heirloom seed varieties and related gifts through the annual catalog.

Seed Savers Exchange conserves biodiversity by maintaining a collection of over 20,000 different varieties of heirloom and open-pollinated plants, varieties with the ability to regenerate themselves year after year.

Herbs

3) Strictly Medicinal

My very favorite source for seeds considered herbs is Strictly Medicinal. Just because a plant has been labeled medicinal, does not mean you need to view them as medicinal. Many are lovely plants which are just more difficult to find.

This company is an excellent source of information, and the service could not be better.

The photo below gives you an idea of the wide range of seeds and plants they carry. They also have books.

Photo from Strictly Medicinal catalog.

4) Growers Exchange

For herb plants, I’m crazy about Growers Exchange. When I want to add to my collection, this is my source.

They have the best packaging I’ve experienced. They pack each plant in its own protected cardboard slot — clever. Plants are well rooted, good size, and healthy.

Customer service is excellent as well. I only know that because one year we had an early summer, so I had to cancel and order. It would have been too hot for the plants to root well. No problem!

General

5) Johnny’s Selected Seeds

My 87-year-old master gardener friend’s favorite catalog is Johnny’s Seeds. She’s like a kid on Christmas morning when she looks at it.

6) Burpee

Burpee is a forever must-have. Not a bad thing to say about them.

Supplies

7) Gardener’s Supply Company

The catalog I order from most is Gardener’s Supply Company. They send several catalogs a year, and I wish I could order from each one.

I know nothing about their customer service because I’ve been happy with everything I’ve purchased.

The Jackpot

8) 60 more

As I’ve said, I have had some awful experiences with plant/seed companies but dislike sharing that type of info. I trust The Spruce and they have prepared a list of 60 catalogs you can get for free!

Get yourself an enormous basket and go crazy filling it up with catalogs. You can always use the photos for crafts.