Mrs. Mayfair’s Best Kept Secret Seed Supplier List

A few sources I keep close, when I want the garden to feel truly considered — not improvised.

If you’ve ever stared at seed packets and thought, “Where do I even begin?” — do forgive me, but the answer is simpler than it looks: choose one reliable supplier, then add a few specialists when you’re after something particular.

This is my running list. Some are wonderful all-purpose sources. Others are the “only go here if you want that one special thing” places.

Use it like a menu: start with one, then add a bit more as your confidence grows.

Domestic Sources

United States

3 Porch Farm (Georgia)
Run by Mandy and Steve O’Shea, with sustainability woven into everything they do (even their delivery vehicles). A beautiful cut-flower selection, including their farm-bred Chinese forget-me-not ‘Ms. Marilyn,’ plus formosa lilies, and an especially tempting assortment of sunflowers. They also ship fresh cut flowers during the growing season.

American Meadows (Vermont)
If you’re planting a meadow — or even dreaming of one — this is an excellent place to begin. Their wildflower selection is vast, and their website is genuinely helpful for choosing what will thrive in your climate.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (Missouri)
One of the largest selections of heirloom vegetable, flower, and herb seeds in the country, with a serious dedication to seed preservation and education. Their catalog is a joy to read.

Botanical Interests (Colorado)
A long-standing source with a wide range of heirlooms and newer varieties — and, honestly, some of the most beautiful packets in the business. The illustrations and included notes (history, recipes, garden ideas) make this one especially friendly for home gardeners.

Great Basin Seed (Utah)
A long-standing, family-run company known for land reclamation and habitat restoration seed — grasses, grains, natives, cover crops, wildflower mixes, and pollinator blends. Their site is full of detailed growing information, including USDA data sheets.

Johnny’s Selected Seeds (Maine)
A gold-standard company for market gardeners and home growers alike: vegetables, herbs, cut flowers, plus tools and supplies (seed-starting, bouquet sleeves, hand tools). Their technical growing information online is among the best you’ll find.

Millay & Meadowlark Flower Farm (Montana)
A flower farm outside Missoula selling sweet pea seed alongside their seasonal flower work. The farm was also created to provide meaningful work for the owner’s son, Connor, who has Down syndrome — and he’s involved in the daily life of the farm.

Renee’s Garden (California)
Beloved seed packets geared to backyard gardeners, with clever mixes that let you trial a range of varieties without ordering dozens of separate packets. Their wildflower scatter gardens make charming gifts.

Seed Savers Exchange (Iowa)
Champions of heirloom preservation with a deep collection. Their Exchange is especially interesting: a nationwide network of home gardeners sharing varieties for a low fee — perfect if you love seed stories.

Select Seeds (Connecticut)
Old-fashioned, fragrant flowers — and heirloom varieties you simply don’t see elsewhere. Their catalog is one you’ll want to sit with.

Truelove Seeds (Pennsylvania)
A thoughtful, community-centered seed collection grown by small farmers and chosen for cultural and culinary significance. They also share profits with growers through a structured profit-share model.

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International Sources

A note before we begin: these international sources have been recommended over the years. Please keep in mind I do not have firsthand ordering experience with all of them, so consider this a starting point for your own research.

Canada

• West Coast Seeds (British Columbia)

• William Dam Seeds (Ontario)

• Veseys Seeds (Prince Edward Island)

• Windfall Flowers (British Columbia)

• Plus U.S. sources that ship to Canada (Johnny’s; Renee’s Garden)

United Kingdom
If you’ve ever wondered where that “English cutting garden” look truly begins, it often begins with seed sources like these:

• Chiltern Seeds

• English Sweet Peas

• Green & Gorgeous

• Sarah Raven

• Higgledy Garden

• And the long-standing staples (Mr. Fothergill’s, Thompson & Morgan, Suttons, Unwins, etc.)

Europe
For specialist growers and serious variety hunters:

• Jelitto (perennials/biennials)

• Vreeken’s Seeds

• Seedaholic (Ireland)

• Silene (Belgium)

• Bingenheimer Saatgut (Germany)

Australia & New Zealand
Several strong sources for cut flowers, natives, and specialty varieties:

• The Diggers Club

• Lambley Nursery

• The Seed Collection

• Dr Keith Hammett (New Zealand)

South Africa

• Seeds for Africa

• Ball Straathof

If you have a seed company you love that isn’t on this list, do tell me — I’d genuinely like to add it to my notebook. Isn’t that the best part of gardening? Everyone has one source they swear by.

From Our House to Yours,
Mrs. Mayfair

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