The Marigold Potager – A Zone 3 Prairie Garden

As I am waiting for the last of my seed orders to roll in, I realised that I had not yet shared my favourite seed companies of 2025. Here they are, in no particular order, plus a couple of extras, too.

If you have not yet started anything, not to worry, it is not too late. You are fine. You do want to get a wiggle on if you want to grow peppers, eggplants, celery, artichokes, luffa gourds from seed, though.

My favourites change from year to year, depending on what I am growing, but yet remain mostly the same. These are my top ten vegetable seed companies for 2025.

1. The Incredible Seed Co. I have ordered most all of my vegetable, and a lot of flowers, from this Nova Scotia company. Great seeds, great service. Orders over $35 are free. Canada Post letter mail costs just $5.95 and all the seeds are very well priced (aka affordable).
2. Annapolis Seeds. Another great Nova Scotia seed company. Canada Post letter mail costs just $5 and seeds are well priced, as above.
3. William Dam Seeds. Shipping costs a bit more at $8.95, but you can probably pick up most everything you want and need (flowers, herbs, and veggies) from this Ontario seed company. Seeds are very well priced. My order might be bigger than I thought I was going to do as I found so many great things ; )
4. Yonder Hill Farm. Another NS small family company with fantastic seeds. I often find fun things here that I cannot get elsewhere. Shipping by letter mail is just $6.
5. Heritage Harvest Seeds. I buy a good portion of my heirloom tomato and pepper seeds from this Manitoba company. Many of the plants I sold at my wee greenhouse, on the island, were grown from their seeds. Shipping is more expensive, but the seeds are at a good price. They have an amazing amount of heirlooms to choose from.
6. OSC (stand for Ontario Seed Company). The more packets you buy, the less your shipping costs. I picked up some fantastic flowers and a few vegetables, shipping was under $5. They have so many great things to choose from. Seeds are at a reasonable price, too, with most being under $3.
7. T&T Seeds. A Manitoba company. Letter mail shipping for up to 10 packets of seeds is just $5.75. Seeds are well priced.
8. Vesey’s. I often buy flower bulbs and perennials from this PEI company, so purchase my seeds at the same time. Sometimes they ship separately, other times all together. Depends on time of year and what you are purchasing. They have deals if you purchase over a certain dollar amount.
9. Renee’s Garden Seeds. I have been growing with this company for over 2 decades. Love their seeds and their packaging is gorgeous. I always get the best germination from Renee’s seeds. Seed prices are decent, but shipping costs a bit more. It is a sister brand to West Coast Seeds, all seeds and products are shipped out from WCS.
10. Rainbow Seeds. Super well priced seeds! A family owned NB company with some really great vegetable selections. Shipping goes by weight, is affordable, and orders over $50 are shipped for free.

A few other companies of note that I like are Terra Edibles, Richters, Hawthorn Farm Organic Seeds.

Companies to have a peek at that I have not yet tried, but come highly recommended… Martha’s Garden Seeds (fun combo packages), Prairie Garden Seeds (really good tomato selection!), Lindenberg Seeds, W.H.Perron (has fun, unusual offerings), The Seed Company, Pepper Merchant (so many peppers!), and I saved the prettiest and funnest option for last, Garden Faerie Botanicals.

Fun things I am growing this year….

• Artichokes for the bees. These purple chokes have a bit of a shorter growing season, so hoping that I can get a few to flower by end summer.
• Luffa Gourds to make sponges for gifting at Christmas time.
• Anise Hyssop for the bees, birds, and butterflies. Everyone loves these guys, even hummingbirds.

For my favourite Canadian flower seed companies, see the list here.

Some of the things I am growing this year….

• Artwork Broccoli. Makes broccolini type sprouts all summer long.
• Chioggia Beets. Just because they are so pretty. We do not have to make pickled beets this year, so these are just for salads and roasting.
• Tendergreen Burpless Cucumbers. New to me but giving them a try. Pick small to make pickles, or a bit larger for fresh eating. Says it is smooth, sweet, and acid free.

I am growing 3 different imperator types of carrots. I have nice 2 foot deep beds, lots of room for them to grow long and straight. If I find some baby carrot seeds in time, like these Babettes, I will sow some of those, also.

• Tendersweet Carrots. Sweet and tender imperator type carrots that grow to be 9 or 10 inches long.
• King Midas Carrots. Another 9 to 10 inch long imperator type carrot.
• Triton Carrots. Yep, one more imperator type.

• Nu Mex Joe E Chili Pepper. An all round great chili pepper, mild heat. We are going to pickle them, and maybe put them in the sourdough.
• Early Jalapeno Peppers. We need a jalapeno, of course. These produce a bit earlier, and more prolifically.
• Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers. We have been growing these for many, many years. Use them for making hot pickled peppers. Very prolific.

The peppers, both hot and sweet have been started and have just started germinating. They are always one of the first things that I sow, along with eggplants. If you like eggplants, start them early so that you’re eating them by mid summer. They mature much faster than the peppers do, but have the same growing requirements… love to be grown hot and dry.

• Little Gem Romaine Lettuce. I love growing these little baby lettuces. We harvest the outer stalks, as needed, leaving the rest to grow.
• Red Salad Bowl Lettuce. This is one of the best lettuces for my tummy, least reactive… and thus, has become one of my favourites. We also harvest just the outer leaves, leaving the rest to grow.
• Cut & Come Again Baby Mesclun. Any of the mesclun mixes at Renee’s Garden Seeds are amazing. This one has Rouge Grenobloise, Royal Oakleaf, Cimarron, Sucrine, Blonde Batavia and Red Salad Bowl. Mesclun works great for us with it’s ability to keep on growing more throughout the summer, even as we snip.

i will do the tomatoes separately, as you all know they are my favourites. They are kinda my ‘thing’ ; )

You Are Going To Love These Canadian Seed Suppliers! ~ Tanja