YOUR GUIDE TO SEED HOUSES & SPECIALTY NURSERIES ACROSS CANADA
130+ entries
Our most comprehensive survey…ever!
A’BUNADH SEEDS
P.O. Box 127
Cherhill, AB T0E 0J0
780-785-2622
smileyo@xplornet.com
Located northwest of Edmonton, this small, kitchen-table seed house devotes itself to short-season plants for growers in chilly Zone 2. Offers heirloom varieties of herbs, perennials and, most of all, vegetables. Even has grains. The name is Gaelic.
gardenofeden2010.wordpress.com
ACORUS RESTORATION
722 Concession Rd. 6
RR 1
Walsingham, ON N0E 1X0
519-586-2603
info@ecologyart.com
A native-species-only nursery in the Ontario banana belt along the shores of Lake Erie. Boasts over 300 species of grasses, wildflowers, trees and shrubs. Easy-to-navigate website, but you might want to show up in person to walk the trails: The nursery lies at the northern limit of the Carolinian zone. ecologyart.com
AGROHAITAI LTD.
2764 Governor’s Rd.
Lynden, ON L0R 1T0
519-647-2280
seed@agrohaitai.com
Choy sum, mustard greens, pak choy and edible chrysanthemums—wow! A seed house dedicated solely to Asian veggies. Pretty exotic stuff, if all you’ve ever grown till now are ho-hum carrots and peas.
agrohaitai.com
ALBERTA NURSERIES & SEEDS LTD.
P.O. Box 20
Bowden, AB T0M 0K0
403-224-3544
info@gardenersweb.ca
Alberta Nurseries develops all of its hardy, northern-adapted species under strict, specific trials. A solid, general-interest nursery with a specialty in early season vegetables, trees and shrub seedlings. Still prints a hard-copy catalogue.
gardenersweb.ca
ANGELGROVE TREE SEED CO.
P.O. Box 74
Riverhead Harbour Grace, NL A0A 3P0
1-888-596-4053
709-596-2224
angelgrove@nf.sympatico.ca
Not a general nursery, Angelgrove prides itself on doing one thing well: tree seeds—and roses—for propagation. Offers workaday seeds for reforestation, as well as more exotic fare such as bonsai.
angelgroveseeds.com
ANNAPOLIS SEEDS
8528 Hwy. 201
RR 3
Middleton, NS B0S 1P0
owen@annapolisseeds.com
The brainchild of a young farmer bent on sustainability, this cottage seed house emphasizes old-fashioned vegetables with a Maritime pedigree. Available online and through certain retailers in Nova Scotia.
annapolisseeds.com
APPLE LUSCIOUS ORGANIC ORCHARD
110 Heidi Place
Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 1W5
250-653-2007
harryburton@shaw.ca
Sells one-year-old apple tree whips from January to April while supplies last. If you miss out, you can always sample the apples come late summer, at the farm gate or the Moss Street Market in Victoria. Offers 200 varieties, including red flesh; many are very rare and all are certified organic.
appleluscious.com
ARCADIAN DAYLILIES
72 Hendrick Ave.
Toronto, ON M6G 3S3
416-657-1444
sandy@arcadiandaylilies.com
Arcadian Daylilies specializes in northern hardy daylilies that will provide spectacular bloom and outstanding performance in Canadian gardens. Available in many different sizes, colours, bloom seasons and flower forms, including spiders, doubles, unusual forms and miniatures. Bare-root plants can be shipped anywhere in Canada.
arcadiandaylilies.com
AUGUSTS HARVEST
4727 Road 130
RR 2
Gadshill, ON N0K 1J0
519-393-5550
info@augustsharvest.com
It was only a few years ago that there was a sole garlic grower—Ted Maczka, semi-retired and living in Prince Edward County—but today we include several in this listing, including Ted. They all have one thing in common: a missionary zeal for the healthful properties of the pungent culinary bulb known as garlic. Offers shallots, too.
augustsharvest.com
BEAVER POND ESTATES GARLIC
3656 Bolingbroke Rd.
RR 3
Maberly, ON K0H 2B0
613-273-5683
garlic@rideau.net
Paul Pospisil, garlic guru of Lanark County, and wife Mary-Lou turned a 17-acre bush lot into what can only be described as Garlic-palooza. They’ve tested over 150 varieties and sell the best at the farm gate or by mail order.
lanarklocalflavour.ca
BEDROCK SEED BANK
P.O. Box 608
Sangudo, AB T0E 2A0
780-785-7366
bedrock@telusplanet.net
A homegrown nursery west of Edmonton that gives a nod to locally grown seeds and native species. The greenhouse is only a part of the business, which also advises on land stewardship and sustainable landscaping with a Prairie accent.
bedrockseedbank.com
BLOSSOM HILL NURSERY
681 Fife’s Bay Rd.
RR 2
Peterborough, ON K9J 6X3
705-742-9923
info@blossomhillnursery.com
A specialist in delphiniums and peonies. That’s all. But that’s a good thing for gardeners keen on venturing beyond garden varieties. Blossom Hill’s original Delphinium elatum won the U.K. Delphinium Society’s bronze medallion.
blossomhillnursery.com
BLUESTEM NURSERY
16 Kingsley Rd.
Christina Lake, BC V0H 1E2
250-447-6363
Jim Brockmeyer’s adventures in xeriscaping began with ornamental grasses and now includes willows and drought-tolerant perennials. He knows of what he speaks, as his greenhouse lies in the B.C. Interior just north of the Washington border, one of the driest locales in Canada.
bluestem.ca
BOTANUS INC.
P.O. Box 3184
Langley, BC V3A 4R5
1-800-672-3413
604-513-0100
mail@botanus.com
Botanus is one of Canada’s leading and most trusted mail-order suppliers of fine horticultural products. It produces two seasonal catalogues (Spring and Fall) that are available free of charge. The easy-to-use, comprehensive and interactive website is full of helpful gardening information. Be sure to check out the Botanus Garden Club, Canada’s only online gardening club with over 100 free episodes to view and enjoy! Botanus: Care. Inspire. Grow.
botanus.com
BOUGHEN NURSERIES LTD.
Old Hwy. 35 W.
P.O. Box 1955
Nipawin, SK S0E 1E0
306-862-5313
trees@boughennurseries.com
It ain’t easy growing trees on the Prairies, but this venerable tree nursery supplies major garden centres across the West and also has its own retail business. Offers shade and fruit trees, windbreaks, climbing vines, hardy lilacs and roses.
boughennurseries.com
BOUNDARY GARLIC
P.O. Box 273
Midway, BC V0H 1M0
250-449-2152
garlic@garlicfarm.ca
Sells certified-organic seed garlic, all grown on a family ranch in the southern B.C. Interior. (The name comes from the farm’s proximity to the U.S. border.) Takes special pride in heirloom cultivars and true hard-neck varieties. Proprietor Henry Caron grew up on the property.
garlicfarm.ca
BOW-RIDGE HERBS
2 Orchard Hill Rd.
Fonthill, ON L0S 1E6
905-892-4124
bowman@itcanada.com
Just above the Escarpment in Niagara wine country, this small greenhouse grows 300 varieties of culinary, medicinal, aromatic and ornamental herbs. Rosemary is the house specialty. Farm-gate sales only, April to October.
BRECKS
P.O. Box 211
Oakville, ON L6H 5A2
1-800-644-5505
service@brecksbulbs.ca
A major bulb house that dispenses a vast variety of amaryllis, tulips, irises, lilies and daffodils from Dutch greenhouses. A truly staggering array in a colourful catalogue. The website has some useful how-to videos. Also markets the venerable Henry Field’s seed catalogue and distributes U.K.-based Thompson & Morgan seeds.
brecksbulbs.ca, henryfields.ca, thompsonmorgan.ca
BRENTWOOD BAY NURSERIES LTD.
1395 Benvenuto Ave.
Brentwood Bay, BC V8M 1J5
250-652-1507
staff@brentwoodbaynurseries.com
Nursery stock tailored to the balmy climes of the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. Great location: just down the road from the fabulous Butchart Gardens (see separate entry, below). Talk about impulse buying! No seeds here; ships live plants.
brentwoodbaynurseries.com
BROTHER NATURE ORGANIC SEEDS
1159 Wychbury Ave.
Victoria, BC V9A 5L1
250-661-2255
brothernature@shaw.ca
A small seed house on a mission to provide gardeners with a reliable local source of organic seed. Some pretty exotic stuff among more everyday fare. Sales by mail order, appointment or online. Certified organic.
brothernature.ca
BUTCHART GARDENS
P.O. Box 4010
Victoria, BC V8X 3X4
1-866-652-4422
email@butchartgardens.com
There’s a reason this old quarry is the top tourist attraction on Vancouver Island: This is one spectacular garden! Part of the fun is shopping at the gift store. If you see something you like on the grounds, chances are the seeds are in stock.
butchartgardens.com
CANADIAN PRAIRIE GARLIC
Kipling, SK S0G 2S0
306-736-8373
kcpuffalt@gmail.com
The Puffalts are a young family who run a business on the Saskatchewan Prairies. They have five children, nearly 50 varieties of hard-neck garlic, as well as grass-fed poultry and lamb. Email kcpuffalt@gmail.com or order online at saskgarlic.ca.
saskgarlic.ca
CANNING PERENNIALS
955309 Canning Rd.
RR 2
Paris, ON N3L 3E2
519-458-4271
A family-run nursery that trades in backyard ornaments, namely perennials, vines (including clematis), shrubs and ground covers. Over 1,600 varieties. Online only.
canningperennials.com
CASEY’S HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
44 Canoe Circle
Airdrie, AB T4B 2L6
403-948-0182
info@caseysheirloomtomatoes.ca
Remarkable selection of heretofore forgotten or unknown tomatoes from a grower who cut his tomato teeth while living in Japan. Quite prolific, considering the farm is an ordinary backyard in a town within the Calgary commuter belt. A small selection of rare Japanese hot peppers is also available. Online catalogue only.
caseysurbanfarm.ca
CLOVER ROADS ORGANIC FARM
Hagersville, ON N0A 1H0
RR 2
905-768-5499
A family farm that pays the rent by selling homegrown veggies at the Harbourside Farmers Market in Oakville, Ontario. It also markets its own seeds, with a penchant for heirloom varieties. Has found a niche with tomatoes (75 varieties), melons and cukes. Certified organic.
organicprinciple.com
CORN HILL NURSERY LTD.
2700 Route 890
Corn Hill, NB E4Z 1M2
506-756-3635
osborne@cornhillnursery.com
When it embraced the back-to-the-land ethic three decades ago, Corn Hill was probably the first nursery in the Maritimes to venture beyond basic petunias and juniper bushes. All types of backyard nursery stock are available here, including hardy roses, ornamental shrubs, fruit stock and trees. Located on 80 acres between Sussex and Moncton.
cornhillnursery.com
THE COTTAGE GARDENER
4199 Gilmore Rd.
RR 1
Newtonville, ON L0A 1J0
905-786-2388
heirlooms@cottagegardener.com
Nicely constructed, well-informed website is a pleasure to read. Owners Mary and Dan Brittain began their kitchen-table seed house with an emphasis on unusual and rare heirlooms, including ‘Mortgage Lifter’ tomatoes and red romaine lettuce. There’s now an entire section on Middle Eastern and Asian veggies.
cottagegardener.com
THE CUTTING VEG
25178 Valleyview Dr.
Sutton West, ON L0E 1R9
647-388-7444
daniel@thecuttingveg.com
An eco-social enterprise rooted in organic farming. This small farm near Lake Simcoe goes beyond the field and into the lives of it’s customers, with weekly food deliveries, nutritional counselling and 20 varieties of garlic. Can be found at the Wychwood Barns farmers’ market in Toronto.
thecuttingveg.com
DEVONIAN BOTANIC GARDEN
University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1
780-987-3054, ext. 2234
lhewlett@ualberta.ca
Membership to Devonian Botanic includes seed catalogues and free packets of seeds, with additional seeds at reduced prices. Even if you’re not a member, this public garden on 190 acres is well worth a stroll.
devonian.ualberta.ca
DNA GARDENS
P.O. Box 544
Elnora, AB T0M 0Y0
403-773-2489
office@dnagardens. com
East of Red Deer, this 20-acre spread is devoted to Zone 2 shrub fruit and grafted fruit trees. A good source for Prairie-tough currants, native Saskatoons and hardy apples and pears. If it can survive the cold, you’ll find it here. Open July and August during berry season; online inquiries at other times.
dnagardens.com
DOMINION SEED HOUSE
P.O. Box 2500
Georgetown, ON L7G 5L6
1-800-784-3037
905-873-3037
mail@dominion-seed-house.com
Produces one of the most absorbing seed catalogues in the business, with complete listings of vegetables and flower seeds. Dominion was one of the first of the larger Canadian seed houses to rediscover the heirloom market, and still has a more comprehensive selection than many.
dominion-seed-house.com
DOWN TO EARTH GARDENS
1096 Derrien Place
Victoria, BC V9C 3Y3
250-391-9366
downtoearth@shaw.ca
On the road to Metchosin, this specialty nursery has carved its own niche with an array of niche plants: exotic perennials, unusual ornamentals and out-of-the-ordinary trees and shrubs.
downtoearthgardensandnursery.ca
EAGLE CREEK SEED POTATOES
P.O. Box 70
Bowden, AB T0M 0K0
877-224-3939
fresh@eaglecreekfarms.ca
Growing Canada’s largest selection of specialty seed potatoes for home gardeners, market gardeners and nurseries.
seedpotatoes.ca
EAGLE RIDGE SEEDS
21 Eagle Ridge Dr.
Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 2L1
250-537-5677
seedkeeper@telus.net
A backyard seed house in the balmy Gulf Islands, Eagle Ridge concentrates on rare and endangered cultivars, with the accent on herbs and vegetables. Some very obscure stuff here. Website makes for interesting reading. Online only.
eagleridgeseeds.com
EARLY’S FARM & GARDEN CENTRE INC.
2615 Lorne Ave.
Saskatoon, SK S7J 0S5
1-800-667-1159
sales@earlysgarden.com
Begun in 1907 as a feed-and-seed store for area farmers, it has since graduated to a large mainstream garden centre. Markets an extensive line of conventional flower and vegetable seeds. New vegetable varieties keep being introduced, some quite out of the ordinary.
earlysgarden.com
ECOGENESIS INC.
General Delivery
Guelph, ON N1H 6J5
1-877-836-3693
ecogenesis@hotmail.com
A small, environmentally conscious seed house that sees the big picture. Prides itself on donating seeds to charity and for keeping seeds in the public domain. Emphasis is on herbs and vegetables. Also markets a seed-saving kit. Certified organic.
ecogenesis.co
ETERNAL SEED
2309 Zilinsky Rd.
Powell River, BC V8A 5C1
604-487-1304
gmofreeseed@gmail.com
Another small seed company that concentrates on the hobby farmer and is almost as much of a mission as it is a business. Eager to play its role in maintaining genetic diversity by offering obscure, almost-forgotten heirlooms.
eternalseed.ca
EUREKA GARLIC
RR 6
Kensington, PE C0B 1M0
902-836-5180
al@eurekagarlic.ca
A new producer of seed and table garlic on Prince Edward Island. The only farm in the Maritimes dedicated solely to garlic.
eurekagarlic.ca
FLORABUNDA SEEDS
423 Indian River Line
Keene, ON K0L 2B0
705-295-6440
contact@florabundaseeds.com
This venerable producer near Peterborough, Ontario, continues to concentrate on old species of flowers in the cottage-garden tradition. Heirloom vegetables also take up much of the catalogue listings. A vast selection of sweet peas, morning glories, and a green castor bean that can grow as high as an elephant’s eye.
florabundaseeds.com
FOREST GLEN HERB FARM
8333 Glendale Dr.
Lambton Shores, ON N0N 1J7
519-899-4372
sales@forestglenherbfarm.com
A stunning expanse of lavender, bergamot and salvia, Forest Glen is part herb farm, part floral design, part B&B and part plant retailer. Begun as a venue to grow inventory to use in dried-flower arrangements, the acreage—on Lake Huron, north of Sarnia—also sells divisions and potted specimens as available.
forestglenherbfarm.com
FRASER’S THIMBLE FARMS
175 Arbutus Rd.
Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 1A3
250-537-5788
thimfarm@telus.net
You could make a holiday of it and spend a week on Salt Spring just browsing the specialty greenhouses. Not a bad idea. Pencil in a visit to another of the island’s homegrown, family-run nurseries: Fraser’s is a reliable source with a specialty in ornamentals suited to the West Coast. Lots of rare and unusual stuff.
thimblefarms.com
FULL CIRCLE SEEDS
P.O. Box 807
Sooke, BC V9Z 1H8
250-642-3671
info@fullcircleseeds.com
More than 99 percent of Full Circle Seeds are grown at ALM Organic Farm in Sooke, British Columbia, and are certified by Islands Organic Producers Association. You will find many heritage varieties selected for generations for their excellent flavour and pest resistance. Also, you will find unusual varieties from Asia and Europe—prized by chefs from our best restaurants.
fullcircleseeds.com
GARDENS NORTH
5984 Third Line Rd.
North Gower, ON K0A 2T0
613-489-0065
seeds@gardensnorth.com
Gardens North is an internationally respected Canadian seed house offering an eclectic collection of rare, hardy, perennial and woody seeds.
gardensnorth.com
GREEN SPACE DESIGNS
P.O. Box 122
Manson’s Landing, Cortes Island, BC V0P 1K0
250-935-0135
Specializes in organic seeds. Over 300 varieties of organic, non-GMO vegetable, herb and flower seeds.
organic-seeds.ca
GRETA’S ORGANIC GARDENS
399 River Rd.
Gloucester, ON K1V 1C9
613-521-8648
greta@seeds-organic.com
As an organic seed company based in Ontario, Greta’s Organic Gardens assists customers in cultivating a unique and high-quality garden and plants.
seeds-organic.com
GRIMO NUT NURSERY
979 Lakeshore Rd.
RR 3
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0
905-YEH-NUTS (934-6887)
nuttrees@grimonut.com
Surrounded by vineyards and across the street from Lake Ontario, Ernie Grimo’s nut orchard abounds with rows of butternut and walnut trees, both native and exotic. Recommended tree for beginners: the Japanese heartnut, which tolerates cold and is relatively easy to grow; most important of all, you don’t need a sledgehammer to crack the nuts. Sells tree stock for the adventuresome, and nuts by the bag for those who aren’t.
grimonut.com
GROW TASTY
8667 Gilmour Rd.
RR 1
Campbellcroft, ON L0A 1B0
905-797-1100
info@growtasty.com
A fixture at the Peterborough, Ontario, farmers’ market, this micro-nursery features 400 kinds of edible plants and herbs at its new—and impeccably clean—greenhouse south of the city. Began as an entrepreneurial project for a high-school student in 2004; now the whole family is involved. Certified organic.
growtasty.com
HALIFAX SEED COMPANY
5860 Kane St.
P.O. Box 8026, Stn A
Halifax, NS B3K 5L8
902-454-7456
info@halifaxseed.ca
The oldest seed company in this listing, it dates back to 1866. A major supplier of agricultural seed and grass seed to Atlantic Canada. Horticultural seed and bulbs are also a key component of the business. Very usable website and, considering the broad scope of the company, there are some interesting and out-of-the-mainstream selections here. Print catalogue available.
halifaxseed.com
HARDY FRUIT TREES NURSERY
P.O. Box 5754
Ste-Julienne, QC J0K 2T0
ericdelo@hotmail.com
Interesting specialty: cherry and plum trees, apple and pear stock, table grapes and nut trees—none of which are a sure thing in the Canadian climate. The test garden in the Laurentians ensures success in at least Zone 4; some cultivars hardy to Zone 2.
hardyfruittrees.ca
HARMONIC HERBS
RR 3
Barrhead, AB
T7N 1N4
708-674-0545
harmonicherbs@gmail.com
Harmonic Herbs is a small regional seed company located in central Alberta. Seeds are selected for performance in organic gardens on the northern Prairies. It has a wide variety of vegetable, grain, herb and flower seeds, and all of its seeds are open pollinated, untreated and non-GMO . Online catalogue only.
harmonicherbs.com
HAWTHORN FARM ORGANIC SEEDS
5961 Fifth Line
RR 3
Palmerston, ON N0G 2P0
519-343-3375
sales@hawthornfarm.ca
Another organic family farm that harvests seeds from its own vegetable and herb crops and markets the seed to discerning hobby growers. Full roster of veggies, herbs and ornamental grasses, with a smattering of flowers. Locale is in Ontario’s high country, near Owen Sound. Certified organic.
hawthornfarm.ca
HEMEROCALLIS MONTFORT
349 des Montfortains
Monfort, QC J0T 1Y0
450-227-7684
info@hemerocallismontfort.com
Another daylily specialist (Hemerocallis is the daylily’s botanical name), in a zone colder than its Ontario cousins. Boasts around 900 varieties, including old-time favourites, new introductions and its own introductions. Display garden in St-Sauveur, a boutique town just north of Montreal, is open to the public during blooming season.
hemerocallismontfort.com
HENRY FIELD’S SEED AND NURSERY COMPANY
9353 Graham Rd.
West Lorne, ON N0L 2 P0
1-877-974-4405
service@henryfields.ca
Sells seeds, perennials, vegetable plants and trees.
henryfields.ca
HERITAGE HARVEST SEED
RR 3
P.O. Box 40
Carman, MB R0G 0J0
204-745-6489
seed@heritageharvestseed.com
Over 800 rare heirloom, open-pollinated varieties of vegetable, herb and flower seeds. Huge selection of tomatoes and beans, as well as other short-season varieties of vegetables.
heritageharvestseed.com
HERITAGE SEED & PRODUCE
577 Little Crosby Lake Rd.
RR 1
Westport, ON K0G 1X0
1-888-773-2948
613-273-2948
heritage@kingston. net
Yet another in a growing list of sustainability-minded growers who see their heirloom seed business as a means to preserve diversity in the food sector. A smaller selection than some, but a worthy list of out-of-the-ordinary fare. Smart move: Seed packets are available to the masses at the Canadian Tire in nearby Perth, Ontario.
heritageseedandproduce.com
HOLE’S GREENHOUSE & GARDENS LTD.
101 Bellerose Dr.
St. Albert, AB T8N 8N8
1-888-884-6537
780-419-6800
info@holesonline.com
A large, bustling garden centre in suburban Edmonton. The legacy of the late Ted and Lois Hole (she was lieutenant-governor of Alberta when she died in 2004). This family-run business is known for tons of bedding plants, perennials, roses and shrubs. Retails a long list of seeds from McFayden’s, McKenzie, T&M and others.
holesonline.com
HOPE SEED & PERENNIALS
6473 Hwy. 1
RR 3
Granville Ferry, NS B0S 1K0
902-665-4905
A small backyard seed house that offers a wide range of seeds that bigger companies overlook. The emphasis is on rare heritage selections: herbs, veggies, roots and tubers. Moved to the Annapolis Valley from New Brunswick in 2011.
hopeseed.com
HORTICO INC.
422 Concession Rd. 5 E.
Waterdown, ON L0R 2H1
905-689-6984
office@hortico.com
A corporate wholesale nursery that supplies scores of Ontario garden centres with roses, perennials, flowering shrubs and other standard garden fare. Look carefully through their online listings, however, and you can find some interesting stuff at fire-sale prices. Not for casual browsers, the catalogue assumes the reader is an experienced gardener who knows plants by their botanical names. The selection is so extensive, it’s worth brushing up on your Latin.
hortico.com
HOWARD DILL ENTERPRISES
RR 1
Windsor, NS B0N 2T0
902-798-2728
howarddill@yahoo.ca
In 1979, the late Howard Dill grew the world’s largest pumpkin at 198 kg (437 pounds) and subsequently marketed its seeds to others keen on this highly competitive endeavour. (Who knew?) With the right TLC, his ‘Dill’s Atlantic Giant’ has since topped 816 kg (1,800 pounds). It remains at the heart of a small family-run seed business that markets every type and size of pumpkin, gourd and squash you can imagine.
howarddill.com
INCREDIBLE SEED CO.
12002 Hwy. 1
RR 3
Lawrencetown, NS B0S 1M0
1-888-851-6620
chris@incredibleseeds.ca
An admirable selection of little-known heirloom vegetable seeds from dedicated grower Chris Mueller in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. The website offers comprehensive growing tips, but the star of the show is a series of testimonial videos from a first-time grower named Matt, whose first foray into the vegetable hobby left him so busy he couldn’t come up for air until freeze-up.
incredibleseeds.ca
KEN ALLAN SWEET POTATOES
61 South Bartlett St.
Kingston, ON K7K 1X3
allan@cogeco.ca
One of the more unusual—but tasty—specialties: sweet potatoes, another warm-weather crop whose prospects in the Canadian climate were made better by a keen grower. Ken literally wrote the book on short-season sweet potatoes; Sweet Potatoes for the Home Garden is still available.
home.cogeco.ca/~allan
THE LILY NOOK
P.O. Box 846
Neepawa, MB R0J 1H0
Phone: 204-476-3225
Fax: 204-476-5482
info@lilynook.mb.ca
Wow! Look at all those lilies: Asiatics, martagons, trumpets, Aurelians and orientals are among the few perennials that can endure the extremes of the Prairie climate. Through the efforts of a single local hybridizer, Barrie Strohman, the town of Neepawa is on the map as the “World Lily Capital.” Strohman’s business ships more lily bulbs than any other independent in North America.
lilynook.mb.ca
LINDENBERG SEEDS LTD.
803 Princess Ave.
Brandon, MB R7A 0P5
204-727-0575
lindenbergr@lindenbergseeds.ca
The Lindenberg family specializes in ornamentals tested in the Prairie climate. Of their catalogue, they once said, “What we did not spend on colour and gloss, we spent on finding new varieties and keeping our prices low.” Promises good value for the money. In the family since 1935.
lindenbergseeds.ca
MAD DOG FARM
1911 Irving Rd.
Castlegar, BC V1N 4N6
250-399-4809
maddogfarms@shaw.ca
This small mixed farm in the Kootenays is headed by a one-time accountant who met his wife in Hong Kong. Life isn’t nearly as exotic now, with a CSA and a spot at the Rossland Mountain Market. Seeds are only part of the picture here; sales also include seed potatoes, sweet potato slips, Jerusalem artichokes, honey and apiary products and herbs. Certified organic.
maddogfarm.ca
MANDY’S GREENHOUSES
P.O. Box 184
Tyndall, MB R0E 2B0
204-268-3984
mandy@mandysgreenhouse.com
A backyard grower with an eclectic offering of alpine and rock-garden plants, tomatoes and various old-fashioned vegetables. Also sells starters in 8 cm (three inch) pots. “For a vegetable to be offered by this greenhouse, it should be able to offer a unique trait, consistently from any other of its kind,” says Mandy.
mandysgreenhouse.com
MANHATTAN FARMS
5874 Hwy. 6
Vernon, BC V1B 3E1
250-545-2811
info@manhattanfarms.ca
Began as a kitchen-table business in downtown Vancouver, but has since moved to the Okanagan under new ownership. Specializing in seeds for small-plot and container gardening, Manhattan seems to have the urban customer in mind.
manhattanfarms.ca
MAPLE LEAVES FOREVER
46 Modern Rd.
Toronto, ON M1R 3B6
416-755-9263, ext. 222
kenmlf@yahoo.com
Alarmed by the serious decline of the roadside maples planted by our Victorian ancestors, the founders of this charity established it to restore the majestic maple in the southern Ontario countryside. Sells seedlings and larger trees to agencies and private landowners on a cost-share basis. Offers 10 native species.
mapleleavesforever.com
MAPPLE FARM
129 Beech Hill Rd.
Weldon, NB E4H 4N5
506-734-3361
greg@mapplefarm.com
A small seed house, but has lot of exotic stuff you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere else. Chinese artichokes, edamame, short-season sweet corn and a whole list of things you’ve never heard of but are well worth trying. One of the more adventurous seed listings.
mapplefarm.com
MASON HOUSE GARDENS
3520 Durham Rd. 1
RR 4
Uxbridge, ON L9P 1R4
905-649-3532
info@masonhouse.com
A mainstream nursery with a large selection of perennials, annuals, bulbs and container plants. Sells a surprising variety of starter vegetables for transplant. Formerly Mason Hogue Gardens, a name that didn’t exactly trip off the tongue.
masonhouse.com
MATCHBOX GARDEN & SEED CO.
1350 Hwy. 54
Caledonia, ON N3W 1V9
226-920-4974
hanna@matchboxgarden.ca
The brainchild of a Cordon Bleu–trained chef who figured her recipes were only as good as her raw ingredients. A small seed company with a short but complete list of certified-organic vegetable, herb and flower seeds. Available at select locations across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, Seedy Saturdays and the online store.
matchboxgarden.ca
A.E. MCKENZIE CO. INC.
1000 Parker Blvd.
Brandon, MB R7A 6E1
1-800-665-6340
customerservice@mckenzieseeds.com
When you’re standing at the check-out at any big-box retailer with a gardening department, you’re probably looking at racks of seed packets provided by A.E. McKenzie, corporate giant of the Canadian seed-packing world. It owns 60 percent of the retail seed biz and sells under the McKenzie, McFayden, Pike and McConnell brands and also imports Gusto Italia seeds from Italy. In turn, it’s owned by the Norwegian seed company Jiffy International. Not where you would expect to find an obscure heirloom salsify, but covers the mass market like no other.
mckenzieseeds.com
MCMILLEN’S IRIS GARDEN
285112 Pleasant Valley Rd.
Norwich, ON N0J 1P0
519-468-6508
dan@mcmillensirisgarden.com
The McMillen place was just another mixed farm until it forged into a then unique horticultural specialty: irises. This is Canada’s largest iris producer, with over 1,500 varieties in stock. Off the 401 near Woodstock, Ontario.
mcmillensirisgarden.com
MR. FOTHERGILL’S SEEDS
14730 124th Ave.
Edmonton, AB T5L 3B3
1-800-565-8432
orderenquiry@fothergills.ca
Extensive selection of flower and vegetable seeds, carefully grown young flower and vegetable plants, and expertly selected potatoes, onions, shallots, garlic, soft fruit and fruit trees.
fothergills.ca
MOUNTAINVIEW TROPICALS
Site 12, Comp 142
South Slocan, BC V0G 2G0
250-551-5184
info@mountainviewtropicals.com
A mail-order nursery with an interesting theme: tropical house plants. You’ll recognize the philodendron, ficus and other plants familiar to office workers, but the catalogue also lists a host of interesting and usual specimen plants and trailing vines. Ships seedlings. Quite novel.
mountainviewtropicals.com
MUMM’S SPROUTING SEEDS
P.O. Box 80
Parkside, SK S0J 2A0
306-747-2935
mumms@sprouting.com
It’s all about growing your own sprouts: lentil, sunflower, pea shoots, quinoa and alfalfa, the sprout we know best at the salad bar. A novel way of “gardening” that needs no soil and can be done indoors year-round. More than a curio these days, sprouts are gaining fans keen on their nutritional benefits.
sprouting.com
THE MUSHROOM MAN
2746 East Hastings St.
P.O. Box 57048
Vancouver, BC V5K 5G6
604-910-1792
mushrooms.vancouver@gmail.com
Sells mushroom cultures, spawn and kits so that you can grow mushrooms in your home or garden. Hosts mushroom-growing workshops to teach the finer points.
shroomstore.ca
NATURE’S GARDEN SEED CO.
7361 Bell McKinnon Rd.
Duncan, BC V9L 6A9
250-597-0715
mail@naturesgardenseed.com
Not a conventional nursery, it’s more like a gift store with a botanical theme. The focus is on tree seeds, native wildflowers and native ornamental grasses. Interesting ideas such as mixes to attract hummingbirds and butterflies to the garden. Also offers seed gift cards and gift baskets.
naturesgardenseed.com
OLD COUNTRY SEEDS
106 4480 West Saanich Rd.
P.O. Box 8
Victoria, BC V8Z 3E9
778-678-2255
jeff@oldcountryseeds.ca
Old Country Seeds’ seeds really do come from the old country, namely Italy. This small company imports the Franchi Sementi line of veggie seeds, some of which are authentic to traditional Italian cuisine.
oldcountryseeds.ca
ONTARIO SEED COMPANY
330 Phillip St.
P.O. Box 7
Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z6
519-886-0557
seeds@oscseeds.com
OSC goes back five generations to 1894 and is now a major wholesaler and turf seed business. It has two retail shops in Ontario (one is in Waterloo and the other is in Hamilton), plus a loyal clientele. It was quite a coup when OSC acquired the Aimers line of wildflower seeds, now considered its upmarket organic brand, which also includes veggies.
oscseeds.com
PACIFIC RIM NATIVE
PLANT NURSERY
P.O. Box 413
Chilliwack, BC V2P 6J7
604-792-9279
plants@hillkeep.ca
“Where the garden meets the wild.” A family business that promotes the use of native plants in the garden. Lots of shade plants, bulbs, ferns and the perennial favourite: the tiger lily. Property lies at the top of Chilliwack Mountain, and most of it is being left to natural succession.
hillkeep.ca
PARKLAND PERENNIALS
P.O. Box 506
Bruderheim, AB T0B 0S0
Bob Yaremko is known for his lilies, daylilies, peonies, Siberian iris, grafted conifers and perennials grown on his Zone 2 Prairie landscape.
parkland-perennials.com
PICKERING NURSERIES
3043 County Rd. 2
RR 1
Port Hope, ON L1A 3V5
905-735-2155
info@pickeringnurseries.com
Pickering Nurseries bailed out of Pickering, Ontario, when the subdivisions got too close, but the company took its name with it to a new acreage just outside Port Hope. A truly astonishing selection. We wouldn’t be surprised to learn this is the largest rose grower in Canada.
pickeringnurseries.com
LA PIVOINERIE D’AOUST
P.O. Box 220
Hudson Heights, QC J0P 1J0
450-458-2759
peonies@paeonia.com
Lindsay D’Aoust has two acres of peonies, which supply her mail-order business, in this pretty corner of the Montreal countryside. Indeed, she sells nothing but peonies: 125 varieties, including tree peonies. Good instructional videos on the website. Ships bare-root specimens in September.
paeonia.com
THE PLANT FARM
177 Vesuvius Bay Rd.
Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 1K3
250-537-5995
mail@theplantfarm.ca
This 11-acre family-run nursery, yet another horticultural business on B.C.’s favourite gulf island, found its niche with low-maintenance plants such as bamboo, hostas, rhododendrons and ornamental grasses. Invites customers to walk the farm. No mail order; delivers to Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.
theplantfarm.ca
PRAIRIE GARDEN SEEDS
P.O. Box 118
Cochin, SK S0M 0L0
306-386-2737
prairie.seeds@sasktel.net
Jim Ternier is keen on old-fashioned seeds and sells a comprehensive variety of veggies in a personal and highly detailed catalogue. A proud, hands-on, dirt-under-the-fingernails operator, Jim was instrumental in the Canadian Tomato Project, whose goal is to record and preserve every cultivar (100 and counting) bred or grown in Canada; likewise, he has catalogued old farm-grain varieties.
prseeds.ca
PRAIRIE ORIGINALS
27 Bunns Rd.
P.O. Box 25
Grp. 310, RR 3
Selkirk, MB R1A 2A8
1-866-296-0928
204-785-9799
shirley@prairieoriginals.com
This is a small specialty business with an interest in native Prairie species: shrubs, wildflowers, vines and, of course, grasses. Sells seeds in bulk and seedling plugs. Farm-gate sales; also at the St. Norbert farmers’ market in south Winnipeg.
prairieoriginals.com
PUMPKIN MOON HERBALS
951 Route 360
RR 5
Welsford, NS B0P 1E0
902-538-3079
info@pumpkinmoonherbals.ca
Seeds are only one aspect of this Annapolis Valley business (40 herbs are listed), which also markets its own line of soaps, lip balms, tinctures and remedies. Proprietor Michelle Summer Fike cut her teeth on an herb farm in B.C. before bringing her talents east in 1992. Has a regular spot at the Wolfville farmers’ market.
pumpkinmoonherbals.com
PURE PRAIRIE ORNAMENTAL GRASSES
RR 1
Acme, AB T0M 0A0
403-546-4121
wjmoore@williammoorefarms.ca
Determined to stay on the Calgary-area farm settled by his great-grandparents, John Moore turned his back on conventional agriculture and adapted part of his farm to a horticultural pursuit, namely ornamental grasses. A savvy choice, as grasses are a godsend to gardeners keen on low maintenance, especially in regions where water can be scarce.
williammoorefarms.ca
RED LANE GARDENS
RR 3
Belfast, PE C0A 1A0
902-659-2478
nancy@redlanegardens .com
One of a handful of daylily specialists listed here, but one of the first and the only one on Prince Edward Island. Mail-order preferred, but owner Nancy Oakes invites visitors to tour the fields. There are up to 500 varieties on display.
redlanegardens.com
RHORA’S NUT FARM & NURSERY
33083 Wills Rd.
RR 1
Wainfleet, ON L0S 1V0
905-899-3508
rhoras@nuttrees.com
Subject to blights and the weather, nut trees aren’t a sure thing in the Canadian climate, but Rhora’s is
devoted to improving the odds. During 40-plus years of experimenting and hybridizing, this small tree farm on the Niagara Peninsula has had commendable success with Korean nut pine and English walnut. Also markets hard-to-find shade and ornamental trees.
nuttrees.com
RICHARDSON’S PINENEEDLE FARMS
423 Hwy. 35
P.O. Box 220
Pontypool, ON L0A 1A0
705-277-9993
A big supplier of tree seedlings suitable for reforestation projects in southern Ontario. Potted stock (“plugs”) is also available, but the vast majority of the whips are sold bare root for immediate planting. Lots of native species; fruit trees and shrubs, too.
pineneedlefarms.ca
RICHTERS HERBS
357 Hwy. 47
Goodwood, ON L0C 1A0
1-800-668-4372
905-640-6677
catalogue@richters.com
Found its niche in 1969 as one of the first specialty herb farms when other nurseries wouldn’t dare sell anything but ornamentals. Since then, Richters has added more than 800 medicinal, culinary and aromatic herbs to its list. Comprehensive website and catalogue make for absorbing reading that goes well past hawking inventory to discuss herbs in an insightful, journalistic way.
richters.com
SAGE GARDEN HERBS
3410 St. Mary’s Rd.
Winnipeg, MB R2N 4E2
204-257-2715
sage@herbs.mb.ca
Sage Garden offers more than 350 varieties of certified-organic and heirloom seeds, including herbs, veggies and flowers. In addition, it offers sweet potato plants and heirloom seed potatoes and also grows a wide variety of unusual plants. Some favourite live plant offerings at Sage Garden include allspice, cinnamon trees, galangal ginger and many other hard-to-find items. The focus is on helping gardeners find success with an organic approach while emphasizing an interesting plant selection. Many of its products are available for shipping anywhere in Canada. In business since 1996.
herbsmb.ca
ST. WILLIAMS NURSERY & ECOLOGY CENTRE
P.O. Box 150
885 Hwy. 24 W.
St. Williams, ON N0E 1P0
519-586-9116
info@stwilliamsnursery.com
A nursery has operated on this site in Norfolk County since 1908. It began as a provincial forestry station but was privatized in 1998. Its bread and butter is contract growing and consulting, but it also sells source-identified native seed suitable for southern Ontario gardens, as well as a host of hardwood and coniferous tree and shrub seedlings.
stwilliamsnursery.com
SALT SPRING SEEDS
P.O. Box 444
Ganges, Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 2W1
250-537-5269
dan@saltspringseeds.com
Veteran seedsman and sustainability advocate Dan Jason embraced the organic ethic early on and moved to Salt Spring Island in 1976. His mail-order seed business was a pioneer in the field, and his catalogue is still of the most extensive listings of its kind. He’s active in seed saving and keen to preserve heirloom varieties for future generations.
saltspringseeds.com
SEEDS OF DIVERSITY
40 King St. S., Unit 304
Waterloo, ON N2J
226-600-7782
mail@seeds.ca
Similar to how a historical society might preserve books and documents, this not-for-profit organization keeps tabs on heritage seeds. Any plant that was ever significant to Canadian agriculture or horticulture is catalogued here, and efforts are made to keep the breed alive by exchanging seeds among gardeners for further propagation. The group calls itself “a living gene bank.” Why all the fuss? To ensure biodiversity in the veggie garden and on farmers’ fields. The website offers a long list of seed sources (even longer than the one you’re reading now) and a longer roster of heritage vegetables, herbs, fruits, flowers and grains. You could spend hours on this site, and you probably will.
seeds.ca
SELECT PLUS INTERNATIONAL LILAC NURSERY
1510 rue Pine
Mascouche, QC J7L 2M4
450-477-3797
selectpluslilacs@yahoo.ca
Offers peonies, trees and rare perennials (even lady’s slippers), but the hook here is lilacs, the ideal no-care farm shrub: 850 cultivars, grown northeast of Montreal. The cool-climate specialty is the pride of owner Frank Moro, who has borrowed from the collections of Isabella Preston and Frank Skinner to perfect the breed. Ships bare-root stock from late April to early June for immediate planting.
spi.8m.com
SHADES OF GREEN HOSTAS
48855 John Wise Line
Aylmer, Ontario N5H 2R4
519-773-7279
info@shadesofgreenhostas.ca
A small family-run effort in southwestern Ontario that specializes in hostas, the bestselling perennial among today’s gardeners. A thousand varieties; daylilies, too. Open May through September for on-site purchases and tours; online inquiries at other times of year.
shadesofgreenhostas.ca
SILOAM ORCHARDS
7300 Concession Rd. 3
RR 1
Uxbridge, ON L9P 1R1
905-852-9418
mail@siloamorchards.com
Toronto-area orchard that proves once and for all that old apples aren’t obsolete. Specializes in nearly forgotten apple varieties and unheard-of pears, plums and cherries. One of the largest collections in Canada. Offers blueberries, currants and other small fruits, too.
siloamorchards.com
SILVER CREEK NURSERY
2343 Gerber Rd.
Wellesley, ON N0B 2T0
519-804-6060
ken@silvercreeknursery.ca
An orchard-supply house whose market is small commercial operations and hobby gardeners like you. Has a good selection of fruit trees, including apple and pear, as well as more tender apricot, quince and peach. Small fruit.
silvercreeknursery.ca
SOGGY CREEK SEED CO.
113 Chapman’s Landing Rd.
Nipissing Village, ON P0H 1W0
705-724-1444
seeds@soggycreek. com
One of the few seed companies we could find in northern Ontario. Keeps an extensive selection of heirloom seeds on hand and dispenses some good advice on starting and managing the crop. The proprietors also run a vegetarian B&B; the on-site garden tours are nothing short of inspiring.
soggycreek.com
SOLANA SEEDS
17 place Léger
Repentigny, QC J6A 5N7
solana@aei.ca
Small seed company in Quebec. Heirlooms, plus unusual and rare seeds.
solanaseeds.netfirms.com
SPRING ARBOUR FARM
305 North Walsingham/South Walsingham Town Line
RR 1
Walsingham, ON N0E 1X0
519-875-4883
springarbour@kwic.com
Like many small-scale farmers, Ken McMullen plants lots of different things. For his weekly deliveries to customers in the city, he keeps half of his cropland in a mixture of fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers. He does, however, have a specialty: the other half of his cropland is devoted to asparagus. Available as seeds, transplants, home deliveries and preserves, Spring Arbour’s veggies are heirlooms.
springarbourfarm.com
STELLAR SEEDS
Site 4, Comp 7
RR 1
Kaslo, BC V0G 1M0
250-366-0061
A fixture at the Kaslo farmers’ market, Colleen O’Brien and Patrick Steiner farm at the foot of the Purcell Mountains in the west Kootenays. Not your everyday garden fare, most of the veggies on their list are unusual and little-seen cultivars. The certified-organic seeds are sold at various garden outlets in B.C.
stellarseeds.com
STOKES SEEDS LTD.
P.O. Box 10
Thorold, ON L2V 5E9
905-688-4300
stokes@stokeseeds.com
Founded in 1881, Stokes is one of the larger seed houses profiled here. Produces an informative catalogue each year, with plenty of tips on growing. Conventional and exotic offerings. Warehouse near Niagara Falls is open to the public.
stokeseeds.com
SUNSHINE FARM
2225 Saucier Rd.
Kelowna, BC V1W 4B8
250-448-1826
info@sunshinefarm.net
Smack dab in the middle of the Okanagan’s burgeoning wine and culinary tourism region, this farm boasts a heritage-apple orchard and certified-organic vegetable and herb gardens. Sells an impressive variety of seeds with an heirloom pedigree.
sunshinefarm.net
T&T SEEDS
P.O. Box 1710
Winnipeg, MB R3C 3P6
204-895-9962
garden@ttseeds.com
In the mail-order business since 1946, T&T Seeds is celebrating its 71st year in 2016. T&T Seeds has specialized in early season garden seed and nursery stock for the home gardener since its inception. Over its 71-year history, T&T Seeds has been one of the leading garden-supply mail-order houses in Canada. The company offes five catalogues in one: vegetable and flower seeds; flowering bulbs; fruit and trees, from apples to strawberries; a range of shrubs and roses; and the most extensive selection of hedging and windbreaks.
ttseeds.com
TERRA EDIBLES
535 Ashley St.
Foxboro, ON K0K 2B0
613-961-0654
karyn@terraedibles.ca
It started as a seed business, until owner Karyn Wright started selling heirloom tomato starters (she was the first seedsperson in Ontario to do so). She has since graduated the business to include a gift shop and greenhouse across the street from her home near Belleville, but seeds remain her core business. Lists a nice complement of Grandmother’s vegetables and herbs.
terraedibles.ca
TOURNE-SOL CO-OPERATIVE FARM
1025 ch. St-Dominique
Les Cèdres, QC J7T 1P5
450-452-4271
semences@fermetournesol.qc.ca
Sells organic open-pollinated seeds—certified organic by Ecocert Canada—for vegetables, flowers, herbs, garlic and cover crops. Order by mail or online. Tourne-Sol is situated west of Montreal and is run as a workers’ co-operative. It also grows fresh vegetables and flowers for a 350-family vegetable basket program and the Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue farmers’ market.
fermetournesol.qc.ca
TREE & TWIG HEIRLOOM VEGETABLE FARM
84039 Regional Rd. 45
RR 1
Wellandport, ON L0R 2J0
905-386-7388
treeandtwig@sympatico.ca
Proprietor Linda Crago chucked a desk job to be a full-time market gardener, selling her greens and veggies to local restaurants and at the Fonthill farmers’ market. Some of her fare is truly rare, even bizarre (blue winter radishes and colossal red mangels), but she is best known as one of the most reliable providers of heirloom tomatoes, eggplants and peppers.
treeandtwig.ca
TROPIC TO TROPIC PLANTS
955 53A St.
South Delta, BC V4M 3E1
604-943-6562
order@tropic.ca
Bamboo, bananas, citrus and eucalyptus are not part of the average Canadian garden. But in the extreme southwest corner of B.C., these exotics have a chance—and more and more gardeners are eager to try their luck.
tropic.ca
UPPER CANADA SEEDS
44 Macklingate Court
Toronto, ON M1V 1A1
416-447-5321
uppercanadseeds@rogers.com
A treasury of timeless tomatoes, and lots of them: we stopped counting at 150, all of which are heirlooms and some are almost extinct. Although sold from a Toronto address, all the seeds are harvested from the owner’s farm in Prince Edward County.
uppercanadaseeds.ca
URBAN HARVEST GARDEN ALTERNATIVES
P.O. Box 176, Stn C
Toronto, ON M6A 3M9
416-504-1653
grow@uharvest.ca
Sells organic seeds, plants and garden supplies.
uharvest.ca
VALLEY K GREENHOUSES
RR 1
Edberg, AB T0B 1J0
780-877-2547
webmaster@plantlilies.com
Devoted exclusively to lilies, which are hardy blooms able to withstand the biting chill of Prairie winters. Website contains a wealth of information and links to specialty lily growers.ma Amazing: Almost 1,200 varieties!
plantlilies.com
VESEYS SEEDS LTD.
P.O. Box 9000
Charlottetown, PE C1A 8K6
1-800-363-7333
customerservice@veseys.com
Arthur Vesey had to be choosy about the seed he selected for his market garden just outside Charlottetown—not all of it would endure the Maritime climate. That’s why he started saving the best of his crop, and in 1943 he published his first catalogue. Today, the company publishes three catalogues a year, of which the December seeds edition is as anticipated as any Christmas present. Canada’s largest mail-order gardening company.
veseys.com
VAN NOORT BULB CO. LTD.
B.C. location:
22264 No 10 Hwy.
Langley, BC V2Y 2K6
Phone: 1-888-826-6667; 604-888-6555
Fax: 604-888-7640
Ontario location:
3930 Ninth St.
St. Catharines, ON L2R 6P9
mail@vannoortbulb.com
Established in 1928. Family owned and operated. Growers/wholesalers of flower bulbs and perennials. Online catalogue is available.
vannoortbulb.com
WALL FLOWER STUDIO SEEDS
1061 Big Hawk Lake Rd.
RR 2
Minden, ON K0M 2K0
705-489-3781
Offers heirloom perennial, annual and vegetable seeds, plus herbs, dried flowers and lavender. Uses organic methods; harvests by hand. Many rare varieties.
WATCOM SEED CO.
P.O. Box 40700
Eugene, Oregon, USA 97404
sales@seedraack.com
webmaster@seedrack.com
Rare. Exotic. Unusual. Beautiful.
seedrack.com
WE’RE IN THE HAYFIELD NOW DAYLILY GARDENS
4704 Pollard Rd.
Orono, ON L0B 1M0
905-983-5097
daylily@hayfield.ca
The garden with the longest name goes back 25 years and was one of the first nurseries to devote itself exclusively to daylilies. Every year, it introduces new varieties grown specifically for colour, bud count and hardiness in the Canadian climate.
hayfield.ca
WEST COAST SEEDS LTD.
3925 64th St.
RR 1
Delta, BC V4K 3N2
1-888-804-8820
604-952-8820
Anything that flourishes on the West Coast finds its way into the West Coast Seeds catalogue. Specializes in vegetables and florals that might not do so well elsewhere. Widely distributed at garden centres on the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. Twenty acres of farmland. Offers trial showcases and a demonstration garden.
westcoastseeds.com
WESTERN BIOLOGICALS LTD.
P.O. Box 283
Aldergrove, BC V4W 2T8
604-856-3339
westernb@shaw.ca
Western Biologicals puts the “fun” in fungus. This is where you’ll find a wide variety of edible, grow-your-own mushrooms, like shiitake and oyster spawn, along with grow kits. No website; email and letter inquiries only.
WHEATLEY WOODS NATIVE PLANT NURSERY
P.O. Box 765
2448 Essex Rd. 14
Wheatley, ON N0P 2P0
519-825-4217
sales@wheatley-woods.com
A full-service garden centre in Ontario’s southernmost reaches, this family-run business offers a specific focus on native trees, shrubs, perennials, ferns and grasses. Likes nothing better than clients keen on recreating a natural ecosystem in their backyards.
wheatleywoods.com
WILDFLOWER FARM
10195 Hwy. 12 W.
RR 2
Coldwater, ON L0K 1E0
1-866-GRO-WILD (476-9453)
info@wildflowerfarm.com
Began as a pick-your-own flower farm in Schomberg, Ontario, and made the move to wider, more open spaces on the edge of cottage country in 2004. Nowadays, the emphasis is on two unusual specialties: wildflower (seed packets and mixes) and something called Eco-Lawn, an innovative, low-maintenance grass mixture.
wildflowerfarm.com
WILDSOME GARDENS
248 Clifford Rd.
RR 1
Warsaw, ON K0L 3A0
705-652-7070
info@wildsomegardens,ca
Offers native and heirloom plants and seeds. No chemical sprays. Ecologically thoughtful.
WILDTHINGS PLANT FARM
9688 Baseline Rd.
RR 3
Clifford, ON N0G 1M0
519-338-3228
wilthings@wightman.ca
This 36-acre farm in the northern reaches of Wellington County grows ferns, grasses, perennials, vines and shrubs. The accent is on things native. Workshops and tours are available.
wild-things.ca
WILLIAM DAM SEEDS
P.O. Box 8400
Dundas, ON L9H 5E1
905-628-6641
info@damseeds.com
The family-operated William Dam Seeds embraced the organic ethic back in the 1960s, long before it was hip. And of the larger mainstream seed houses, it was one of the first to recognize the growing demand for heirlooms. The must-read catalogue is as authoritative as a book. Offers 900 varieties of untreated vegetables, flowers and herbs, with a nod to the exotic and unusual.
damseeds.com
WINDMILL POINT FARM
2103 boul. Perrot
Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, QC J7V 8P4
514-453-9757
info@ windmillpointfarm.ca
“A beacon for anyone with a social conscience and looking for healthier food.” Not a bad mandate. A smorgasbord of unusual fruit and vegetable species from a farm that lies within spitting distance of Montreal’s West Island suburbs. Sells a vast array of its own produce on-site.
windmillpointfarm.ca
WYLIE MYCOLOGICALS LTD.
166 South Bass Lake Rd.
RR 1
Wiarton, ON N0H 2T0
519-534-1570
wylie@interlog.com
In business for 25 years, the company produces ready-to-fruit woody specialty mushroom kits. Offerings include shiitake, lion’s mane, cinnamon cap, reishi, and oysters of many colours. For outdoor enthusiasts, it provides shiitake wood spawn for tree limb inoculation, as well as spawn for outdoor-only varieties such as wood blewit, wine cap and morel.
wyliemycologicals.ca
YUKO HORIUCHI
405 Lake Ave. E.
Carleton Place, ON K7C 3R9
613-253-0787
yuko@yuko.ca
A complete line of organic, open-pollinated seeds from the soils of the Mississippi Valley. (Believe it or not, there’s a Mississippi River in Ontario.) Offers many heirloom varieties that are native to Japan. An heirloom-tomato seedling sale attracts many area gardeners every May.
yuko.ca
Seed Speak
Terminology you’re bound to encounter as you glean this year’s crop of seed catalogues.
Organic Describes plants and seeds that have been grown without chemical pesticides, herbicides or fungicides under sustainable conditions. “Certified organic” is more official and means the grower has passed a rigid test that proves the product is grown organically.
Untreated Ensures that the seed has not been dusted with fungicide to prolong shelf life.
Species The parent of myriad varieties and cultivars.
Variety A variant on a species with special characteristics, such as hardiness, unique flavour, colour, productivity or growth rate. It can happen by chance or deliberate hybridization (select breeding).
Cultivar A cultivated variety that will not come true to type from saved seed. Instead, it is reproduced by vegetative propagation (cuttings). In common language, cultivar and variety are often used interchangeably, although it is technically incorrect to do so.
F1, F2, etc. First-generation (F1) or second-generation (F2), etc., offspring from hybridization.
Open pollinated A variety with separate female and male flowers. These flowers can be on the same plant (as with squash) or on different plants (as with asparagus). Pollination brings male and female together by means of the wind, insects, birds, even rain.
Self-pollinating A variety whose flowers have both male and female components that pollinate itself (beans, tomatoes, lettuce).
Heirloom Old varieties, largely forgotten until recently. Heirlooms are the current darling of the organic movement, and with good reason.
GMO Genetically modified organism. Involves taking DNA from one species and transferring it to another to produce a certain trait, such as hardiness or growth rate. Not as pervasive in vegetable seed, but virtually all North American farm crops (corn, soybean, canola) are GM. Forbidden in organic circles over health concerns and biased science.
The Safe Seed Pledge
As you peruse various catalogues, you’ll notice that some, especially the smaller ones, are strong advocates against genetically modified seeds, and they vow to deal only in seed that hasn’t been tainted by technology. The pledge goes like this:
“Agriculture and seeds provide the basis upon which our lives depend. We must protect this foundation as a safe and genetically stable source for future generations. For the benefit of all farmers, gardeners and consumers who want an alternative, we pledge that we do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants.
“The mechanical transfer of genetic material outside of natural reproductive methods and between genera, families or kingdoms, poses great biological risks as well as economic, political, and cultural threats. We feel that genetically engineered varieties have been insufficiently tested prior to public release. More research and testing is necessary to further assess the potential risks of genetically engineered seeds. Further, we wish to support agricultural progress that leads to healthier soils, genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems and ultimately healthy people and communities.”
Jules Torti’s work has been published in The Vancouver Sun, The Globe & Mail, travelife, Canadian Running and Coast Mountain Culture. With experiences as a canoe outtripper, outdoor educator, colouring book illustrator and freelancer, she is thrilled to be able to curate, write and read about the very best things in life.
