I want to start a vegetable garden from seed. Where can I buy heirloom seeds online?

Absolutely. If you're starting a vegetable garden from seed, I'd favor specialty seed companies over generic marketplace seed packs—you'll generally get better variety information and a much wider selection of true heirloom/open-pollinated varieties.

My top online choices

• rareseeds.com — Probably the best place to start. They specialize in heirlooms and have a huge vegetable selection, including unusual varieties. Their seeds are open-pollinated and non-GMO, and they currently advertise free U.S. shipping.
• seedsavers.org — Excellent if you care about preserving older varieties. It's a nonprofit dedicated to collecting and maintaining heirloom seeds, with a particularly interesting selection of historically significant vegetables.
• fedcoseeds.com — A good choice for gardeners who want heirlooms alongside organic and regionally adapted varieties.
• highmowingseeds.com — Especially good if certified organic seed is important to you; they carry heirloom and open-pollinated varieties.
• southernexposure.com — Particularly worth considering for the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, with many varieties selected for those conditions.
• johnnyseeds.com — More geared toward serious vegetable growers, but has excellent growing information and a large selection.

The University of Iowa Extension's current seed-source list also includes Baker Creek, Fedco, High Mowing, Johnny's, Seed Savers Exchange, Southern Exposure, Territorial, and numerous others.

What I'd buy for a first garden

Rather than buying a giant "100 varieties" assortment, I'd start with 8–12 vegetables you actually like to eat. For example:

• 🍅 Cherokee Purple or Brandywine tomato
• 🫑 Jimmy Nardello pepper
• 🥒 Marketmore cucumber
• 🫘 Provider or Kentucky Wonder bean
• 🥕 Danvers carrot
• 🥬 Lacinato kale
• 🥗 Buttercrunch lettuce
• 🌱 Sugar snap peas
• 🎃 Butternut squash
• 🧅 Walla Walla onion

One important distinction: heirloom doesn't necessarily mean organic. "Heirloom" generally refers to a variety's history and genetics, while "organic" describes how the seed was produced. So check for the certified organic designation separately if that's important to you.

• Cherokee Purple Organic Heirloom Tomato Seeds - $3.95 (The Home Depot)
• Abraham Lincoln Heirloom Tomato Seeds - $3.00 (Mary's Heirloom Seeds)
• Certified Organic Amish Paste Heirloom Tomato - $3.99 (Prairie Road Organic Seed)
• Organic Heirloom Mesclun Mix - $3.95 (The Home Depot)

Since you're in Florida, I can also give you a list of the best heirloom vegetables to start from seed specifically for your area and what you can plant right now (late August).

Starting a vegetable garden from seed is an exciting project! There are several fantastic, highly reputable online seed companies in the U.S. that specialize in heirloom, open-pollinated, and non-GMO varieties.

Here are some of the best places to buy heirloom seeds online:

• Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds – Known for publishing a massive, gorgeous catalog, Baker Creek offers one of the largest selections of rare, open-pollinated, and heirloom varieties sourced from around the world. They focus heavily on preserving culinary history and seed diversity.
• Seed Savers Exchange – A non-profit organization dedicated to stewarding and protecting America's endangered garden and food crop legacy. Buying from them directly supports grassroots seed-saving and heritage preservation.
• Fedco Seeds – A cooperative based in Maine that offers a great selection of cold-hardy, organic, and heirloom varieties well-suited to northern climates, though great for gardeners everywhere.
• Johnny's Selected Seeds – While they cater heavily to market farmers and serious gardeners with a mix of hybrids and heirlooms, Johnny’s is famous for its rigorous quality testing, high germination rates, and extensive online grower's library.
• Sow True Seed – Based in the Blue Ridge Mountains, they specialize in open-pollinated, heirloom, and organic seeds that are regionally adapted to the Southeast and beyond, with a strong focus on sustainable gardening.

To help narrow down the best choices for your space, tell me:

• What USDA hardiness zone or general region are you growing in?
• Will you be planting in raised beds, in-ground rows, or containers?

Starting a vegetable garden from seed is a rewarding project, and choosing heirloom (open-pollinated, non-GMO) seeds allows you to grow varieties with incredible flavor, history, and the ability to save seeds for future seasons.

Top-rated online seed companies specializing in heirloom and open-pollinated vegetables include:

• Seed Savers Exchange : A premier non-profit organization dedicated to preserving heirloom and rare food crop varieties. They offer an incredible selection of vegetables, herbs, and flowers along with robust educational resources on seed saving.
• Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds : Known for publishing the massive "Whole Seed Catalog", Baker Creek features one of the largest online selections of rare, colorful, and international heirloom seeds from around the globe.
• Southern Exposure Seed Exchange : An exceptional source if you are looking for varieties specifically adapted to the American South and mid-Atlantic, featuring a vast collection of traditional heirloom tomatoes, greens, and beans.
• High Mowing Organic Seeds : Offers a 100% organic catalog of heirloom and open-pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds that are trialed and proven to perform well in various climates.
• Fedco Seeds : A cooperative based in the Northeast offering a large array of cold-hardy and open-pollinated heirloom varieties, famous for their quirky, deeply informative catalog descriptions.
• Botanical Interests : Great for beginners, their seed packets are beautifully illustrated and feature a wealth of information printed right on the packet (such as planting depth, spacing, and indoor vs. direct-sow instructions).

To help narrow down the best choices, let me know:

• What USDA hardiness zone or region are you gardening in?
• Are you planning to grow in raised beds, containers, or an in-ground plot?

I can recommend specific heirloom varieties that thrive in your local climate.

Absolutely. For heirloom vegetables, I’d favor specialty seed companies over generic marketplace seed bundles—you’ll generally get better variety information, growing instructions, and clearer provenance.

My top choices

• rareseeds.com — Probably the best place to start. They have 1,300+ varieties, with a huge selection of heirloom and open-pollinated vegetables, including unusual tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, and greens. They also offer free U.S. shipping.
• shop.seedsavers.org — Excellent if you're particularly interested in old, historically important varieties and eventually saving your own seed. Their 2026 catalog has more than 600 open-pollinated, non-GMO varieties.
• southernexposure.com — A particularly good choice for gardeners in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast, with an emphasis on heirloom and open-pollinated varieties adapted to that region. They also have extensive seed-saving information.

If you're a first-time gardener

I wouldn't buy a giant 40–50-variety "seed vault." It's tempting, but you'll probably end up with far more seeds than you can reasonably grow.

Instead, I'd start with about 8–12 vegetables, such as:

• 🍅 Cherry or slicing tomato
• 🫑 Bell pepper
• 🥒 Cucumber
• 🫘 Bush bean
• 🥕 Carrot
• 🥬 Lettuce
• 🌱 Radish
• 🥦 Broccoli
• 🥒 Zucchini/summer squash
• 🌿 Basil
• 🥬 Swiss chard
• 🧅 Onion

For heirlooms, look for the words "open-pollinated" and "heirloom." Open-pollinated varieties are especially useful if you eventually want to learn how to save seed from your own garden.

If you'd like, I can also recommend 10 specific heirloom varieties that are beginner-friendly and suitable for your Long Island growing season, including when to start each one from seed.

Absolutely. If you're starting a vegetable garden from seed, I'd favor specialty seed companies over generic marketplace sellers—you'll generally get better variety information and more reliable descriptions of whether a seed is truly heirloom/open-pollinated.

🌱 Good places to buy heirloom seeds online

• Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds — My first choice for a beginner. They have 1,300+ rare/heirloom varieties, including vegetables, herbs, and flowers, and their seeds are open-pollinated and non-GMO. They also currently offer free U.S. shipping.
• Seed Savers Exchange — Excellent if you care about preserving unusual and historically important varieties. They're a nonprofit focused on conserving heirloom seed diversity.
• Johnny's Selected Seeds — A particularly good choice if you want detailed growing information along with heirloom and open-pollinated varieties.
• High Mowing Organic Seeds — Worth considering if certified-organic seed is important to you; they carry organic and heirloom varieties.
• Southern Exposure Seed Exchange — Especially interesting for regionally adapted heirlooms and gardeners in the eastern U.S.

🌿 What I'd buy for a first garden

Rather than buying a huge 30–50-variety collection, I'd start with 6–10 vegetables you actually like to eat:

Easy choices:

• Bush beans
• Lettuce
• Radishes
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini
• Peas
• Carrots

Fun heirlooms:

• Cherokee Purple tomato
• Brandywine tomato
• Amish Paste tomato
• Green Zebra tomato
• Rainbow chard

For example, a Cherokee Purple packet can be found as an organic, non-GMO heirloom seed, while Amish Paste is a particularly good heirloom if you want tomatoes for sauce or canning.

Cherokee Purple Heirloom Tomato

$3.95

Amish Paste Heirloom Tomato

$3.99

32-Variety Heirloom Vegetable Collection

$39.99

20-Variety Heirloom Vegetable Collection

$23.95

One important tip: Look for the words “open-pollinated” as well as “heirloom.” Open-pollinated varieties are the ones you can generally save seed from and expect plants with the same characteristics the following year.

If you're gardening around Dayton, Ohio, I can also give you a beginner-friendly list of heirloom vegetables to start from seed, with exactly when to start each one indoors and when to transplant outdoors.

Starting a vegetable garden from seed is such a rewarding project, and choosing heirloom seeds is a fantastic way to preserve genetic diversity and grow incredible flavors.

Here are some of the best, most trusted online sources to buy heirloom seeds:

• Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. (Rare Seeds) : Known for their massive, gorgeous catalog and a huge collection of unique, rare, and historical heirloom varieties from all over the world. Explore their collection on the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Website.
• Seed Savers Exchange : A non-profit organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds. Buying from them directly supports biodiversity preservation efforts. Browse their offerings at the Seed Savers Exchange Website.
• Fedco Seeds : Based in the Northeast, they specialize in cold-hardy varieties, and a large portion of their offerings are open-pollinated and heirloom. Check them out at the Fedco Seeds Website.
• High Mowing Organic Seeds : Offers a 100% organic catalog with a robust selection of high-quality heirloom and open-pollinated vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Visit the High Mowing Organic Seeds Website.
• Southern Exposure Seed Exchange : Excellent for gardeners in warmer or humid climates, focusing on varieties that thrive in the American South, with a massive stock of heirlooms. See what they have on the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Website.
• Johnny's Selected Seeds : While they carry many modern hybrids for professional growers, they also have a stellar, reliable selection of traditional heirloom varieties. Shop via the Johnny's Selected Seeds Website.

If you'd like, tell me:

• Your growing zone or region
• Which vegetables you are most excited to grow

I can help you pick out specific heirloom varieties that will thrive in your local climate.

Absolutely. If you're starting a vegetable garden from seed, I'd favor specialty seed companies over generic marketplace bundles—you'll get better variety information and a much wider selection of genuine heirlooms.

My top choices

• Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds — Probably the best place to browse if you're excited by unusual tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, and other rare varieties. They specialize in heirloom/open-pollinated seed.
• Seed Savers Exchange — Excellent choice if you care about preserving old varieties and eventually saving your own seed. Their catalog is particularly strong in unusual and historically important heirlooms.
• Fedco Seeds — A particularly good option for New England gardeners. They're based in Maine and specialize in varieties suited to colder climates, with lots of heirloom and organic choices.
• High Mowing Organic Seeds — Great if you specifically want certified organic seed; they offer heirloom and open-pollinated varieties as well.
• Johnny's Selected Seeds — Another excellent New England source, with very detailed growing information and a large selection of heirloom, organic, and hybrid varieties.
• Southern Exposure Seed Exchange — Especially interesting for heirloom and open-pollinated varieties, though their catalog is more oriented toward Mid-Atlantic/Southeastern conditions.

If you're new to growing from seed

I'd start with Fedco + Baker Creek + High Mowing. That gives you a combination of varieties well suited to the Northeast, unusual heirlooms, and organic options.

One important distinction: "heirloom," "open-pollinated," and "organic" aren't synonymous. An heirloom can be non-organic, while an organic seed can be a modern open-pollinated variety rather than an heirloom. If you want to save seeds from your garden next year, look specifically for open-pollinated varieties.

If you'd like, I can also recommend 10–15 specific heirloom vegetables that are particularly easy to grow from seed in coastal Massachusetts, including which ones to start indoors and which to sow directly.

You can buy high-quality, non-GMO heirloom seeds online from several reputable seed companies and non-profit exchanges, including Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds for rare and colorful varieties, Seed Savers Exchange for a massive non-profit biodiversity collection, and True Leaf Market for massive catalogs and garden collection kits. Other fantastic independent and regional options include Johnny's Selected Seeds, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange , and Siskiyou Seeds.

Top Online Heirloom Seed Retailers

• Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds – Famous for a massive selection of unique, exotic, and historical open-pollinated varieties from around the world, with free shipping on seed packets.
• Seed Savers Exchange – A well-known non-profit organization dedicated to preserving heirloom varieties and promoting biodiversity and seed saving.
• True Leaf Market – Offers thousands of varieties, including dedicated curated Heirloom Garden Seed Collections.
• Johnny's Selected Seeds – Great for filtering varieties by climate resilience, disease resistance, and organic certifications.
• Southern Exposure Seed Exchange – Specializes in heirloom and open-pollinated varieties that thrive in mid-Atlantic and southern growing climates.

If you tell me your USDA hardiness zone or general region and which vegetables you want to grow first, I can recommend specific heirloom varieties that will thrive in your local climate.

There are several reputable, highly-rated online seed companies in North America that specialize in heirloom, open-pollinated, and non-GMO vegetable seeds.

Here are some of the best places to buy heirloom seeds online, categorized by what they do best:

• Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (Rare Seeds) is famous for its massive, gorgeous printed catalog and its huge selection of rare, international, and historic heirloom varieties. They offer an extensive variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers with free shipping in the U.S.
• Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization dedicated to stewarding and preserving culturally diverse and endangered garden crops. Buying from them directly supports biodiversity preservation, and their Seed Savers Exchange Online Store features a stellar selection of organic and heirloom vegetable seeds.
• Southern Exposure Seed Exchange focuses heavily on varieties that perform exceptionally well in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern U.S., featuring a wonderful collection of traditional, heirloom, and regionally adapted southern vegetables.
• True Leaf Market offers a massive inventory of non-GMO and heirloom seeds. They are a great one-stop shop whether you want small home-gardening packets or larger quantities, including sprouting and microgreen supplies.
• MIgardener is a popular budget-friendly option that offers a wide array of open-pollinated and heirloom vegetable and fruit seeds, with most standard packets priced very accessibly.
• Fedco Seeds is a cooperative heavily focused on cold-hardy varieties, making it a favorite for northern gardeners looking for unique, trial-tested, and organic heirloom seeds.

If you can share your growing zone or general region and what vegetables you are most excited to grow , I can help you narrow down which specific varieties or companies will suit your climate best.

Absolutely. For heirloom vegetables, I’d favor dedicated seed companies over marketplace sellers because you get better variety information, growing instructions, and clearer provenance.

🌱 My top picks

• Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (RareSeeds) — Probably the best place to start. They have 1,300+ varieties, with a huge selection of unusual heirloom vegetables, and their seeds are open-pollinated and non-GMO. They also currently offer free U.S. shipping.
• Seed Savers Exchange — A nonprofit focused specifically on preserving heirloom and heritage varieties. Excellent if you want historically interesting vegetables and want your purchase to support seed preservation.
• Johnny's Selected Seeds — A very reputable supplier with excellent growing information and lots of heirlooms alongside modern varieties. Particularly good if you're new to starting seeds.
• High Mowing Organic Seeds — A strong choice if you specifically want certified-organic seed; they focus heavily on vegetable crops.
• Southern Exposure Seed Exchange — Especially interesting for heirlooms adapted to the Mid-Atlantic/Southern U.S. and for unusual traditional varieties.
• Annie's Heirloom Seeds — A smaller specialist with lots of heirloom and organic options. For example, their catalog includes varieties such as Black Magic and Scarlet kale.

🥕 If you're starting your first garden

I'd buy individual packets rather than a giant "100-variety" seed kit. You can choose vegetables that you'll actually eat and learn how each one grows.

A good beginner collection would be:

• 🍅 2 heirloom tomatoes
• 🥒 1 cucumber
• 🫑 1 pepper
• 🥬 1 lettuce or kale
• 🥕 1 carrot
• 🌱 1 bush bean
• 🫘 1 pea
• 🌿 1 herb such as basil

One important distinction: "heirloom," "open-pollinated," and "organic" aren't interchangeable. An heirloom is generally an older, traditionally maintained variety; open-pollinated means it can reproduce true-to-type under appropriate conditions; organic describes how the seed was produced.

If you're gardening in Hawaii, I'd actually tailor the varieties to your climate rather than simply choosing the most popular heirlooms nationwide. I can give you a starter list of 10 heirloom vegetables that are particularly good for growing in Honolulu/Hawaii, including which ones to direct-sow vs. start indoors.