What Seeds We Are Planning on Planting in 2024
Are you ready for a new season of gardening but you need some seed company recommendations? Maybe this is your first time ever gardening and you want to know what we are growing in 2024, so you know where to start? In this article I am sharing with you the top three seed companies I have ordered from in the past and will be ordering from this year.
It’s that time of year again! The time of year where us gardeners get inspired to get out in the garden and plant some seeds. But the first part of that is making sure to order seeds with enough time to transplant (those that need transplanting) before spring truly comes.
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Even though I have a bunch of seeds from past years, I always make sure to order some new ones just to make sure I have some fresh seeds. Also, last year I didn’t order any new seeds and just used what I had in stock so this year I need a bunch of fresh seeds. I am planning to have an epic year in the garden so I’d better have some really great seeds to start with.
How Do You Know What Kinds of Seeds to Choose?
Choosing what seeds to order and eventually plant has a lot to do with what you plan to do with the produce you are going to grow and what vegetables you actually like and will eat.
Are you just wanting to grow some produce during the growing season to eat fresh? Or are you looking for produce that you can preserve and save for the non-growing season? Figuring out the answers to these questions will help you decide which seeds to order. For instance, if you are looking for varieties that are good for preserving, read the info on the back of the seed packet (or the description on the website) and they usually have a lot of useful info on there. If it says the plant is a “good keeper” that usually means it is a variety that will last a long time in a good storage location.
Choosing seeds also has a lot to do with where you plan to plant. Do you have a couple of pots that you just want to grow some tomatoes and lettuce and maybe some fresh basil and peppers? If so, you want to look for smaller (deteminate) varieties of tomatoes and keep an eye out in the descriptions on the seed packets as they usually say whether they are good for small spaces.
Overall, just make sure to read the back of the seed packet or the description on the website. There is a lot of valuable information contained on there.
Canadian Seed Companies I currently order from:
As I am in British Columbia, Canada, the seed companies I order from are all Canadian seed companies.
West Coast Seeds: I have been ordering the majority of my seeds over the last 10 years or so from West Coast Seeds. I really like their company values and I love all the great selection of seeds (vegetable, fruits, herbs, flowers, cover crop and micro greens) plant stock and garden supplies. In 2020 they created a “Dr. Bonnie Henry Pollinator blend” which they are donating 100% of sales to Food Banks Canada and have already raised over $150,000 (Dr. Bonnie Henry is our Provincial Health Officer). Here is a little excerpt from their website.
West Coast Seeds was founded in 1983 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Our purpose is to source and supply seeds of a higher quality than have been available to home gardeners. Following the traditions of organic farming and gardening, untreated and certified organic seeds are our focus. Today we offer over 1,000 varieties of untreated, non GMO, non GEO, open pollinated, and hybrid seeds as well as a wide range of quality gardening supplies. West Coast Seeds is certified by the Pacific Agriculture Certification Society (Certification number 16-205).
~ West Coast Seeds website
Rainbow Seeds- This is a new company to me and this will be my first seed order from them so I will let you know in future how these seeds worked out. Rainbow Seeds is located in New Brunswick, Canada and they provide heirloom, NON-GMO, and heritage vegetable garden seeds. What intrigues me about this company is that they offer several variety packs of seeds including a “Kids Fun” variety pack, a “Soup Beans” variety, a “Herbs” variety and even a “warmer” or “colder” climate variety packs. Most of the packs offer a 10% savings than if you buy the packs individually.
Greta’s Organic Garden – As an organic seed company based in Ontario. Greta’s Organic Gardens assists customers in cultivating a unique and high quality garden and plants. We provide organic gardening seeds that flourish into plants and vegetables with enhanced taste and colorful appearance. The experts at Greta’s Organic Gardens have grown and tested many old-fashioned plant varieties, which has allowed us to provide an abundance of great-tasting vegetable seeds. Today, plants are being replaced by hybrids and genetically altered varieties. By growing organic plants in your own garden, you can help preserve our vegetable heritage.
Seeds I ordered from West Coast Seeds:
- Bloomsdale Savoy Spinach
- Cucamelon
- Hakurei Turnips
- Taylor Horticultural Beans
- Strike- bush beans
- Charmant Green Cabbage
- Integro Coated Organic Purple Cabbage
- Bolero Carrots
- French Gourmet Shallots
- Banana Fingerling Organic Potatoes
- Russian Blue Organic Potatoes
- Kennebec potatoes
Seeds ordered from Rainbow Seeds:
- Basil – Genovese
- Echinacea (Purple Coneflower)
- Small Sugar Pie Pumpkin
- Borage (herb)
- Bouquet Dill
- Chicago Pickling Cucumber
- Suyo Long Cucumber
- Copenhagen Market Green Cabbage
- Dwarf Curled Scotch Kale
- “Paris White” Cos Romaine Lettuce
- Cylindra Beets
- Roma Paste Tomatoes
- Constoluto Genovese Tomatoes
- Early Calwonder sweet bell pepper
- Jalapeno Pepper
- Anaheim California Salsa pepper
Seeds I’ve Ordered From Greta’s Organic Seeds:
- Bush Beefsteak Tomato
- Hundreds and Thousands Tomato
- Cocozelle Zucchini
- Kuri Squash
- Galeux d’Eysines Squash
- Squash Burpee’s Butterbush Butternut
- Sweet Keeper Squash
- Baby Blue Hubbard Squash
- Winter Density Lettuce
- Merveille des Quatres Saisons Lettuce
- Dazzling Blue Kale
- Red Russian Kale
- Nasturtium Jewel
- Spacemaster Pickling Cucumber
- Dakota Black Popcorn
- Red Noodle Pole Beans
- Lazy Housewife Beans
- Cherokee Trail of Tears Beans
- Calendula “Fiesta”
- Allheal
- Oka Melon
- Berries – Golden Pearls
As you can see, there are a wide variety of different kinds of vegetables and herb seeds that I like to order. We have a fairly good sized gardening space (about 2500 square feet in the kitchen garden). I also try and do several plants in big pots and I’m trying to enlarge the amount of perennial herbs and plants in our little “food forest”.
I personally like a good variety of seeds for different purposes as we like to eat the produce during peak season but I also love to can, dry and otherwise preserve food for the winter (we are in Canada after all ;).
I hope this post has helped you in ordering your seeds for this year. Any questions, feel free to ask in the comments below or contact me.
Awesome post! We don’t have a ton of room for gardening, but always manage to plant tomatoes, squash, peppers and herbs. We have perennial strawberries and rhubarb and a fig tree on it’s way to a first crop. Last year we did potatoes for the first time. I’m looking to add some raised beds, because the ground seems to be getting further away each year. lol
Thanks Katherine! That’s quite a lot for a small space. I get it about the raised beds 😊We have a mix of raised beds and in ground but I prefer working in the raised beds.