A few of my favourite seed suppliers

As you all start thinking about starting seeds, here are some of the favorite seed suppliers. I have used them all in the past.   Here's to a great growing season!!

(Although I am a little worried about the growing season because of our non-existent winter. Yes, I find winter very hard -- I don't like the gloominess or the cold -- but in the Northern Hemisphere so many plants and animals need a deep freeze. What will happen if they don't get it? I have no idea but I think there will definitely be a negative effect)

1. The Cottage Gardener -- http://cottagegardener.com/
This supplier specializes in heirloom vegetable and flower seeds. You can order online but I love getting the old-fashioned newsprint catalogue complete with quaint hand drawn pictures. A story about the seed's origins accompanies every item which I also love - seeds have histories that are intertwined with our own histories. It is so wonderful to know about them! I have ordered many of my veggie seeds from here over the past few years and have been very pleased.

2. Urban Harvest -- http://uharvest.ca/
Very cool - a seed company that is based in the Greater Toronto Area! The seeds are all 100% organic and support urban agriculture. The city is not just a place for some backyard gardening but some marketable organic farming can happen in cities as well! 

3. West Coast Seeds -http://www.westcoastseeds.com/
I usually like to stick to my bio-region when ordering seeds BUT this is the company I order my potato starters from with great success. I have not found a company in Ontario that has organic potato starters and they won't ship them from the United States (Potato starters aren't seeds but little potatoes that you plant to grow lots more beautiful potatoes. AS such they qualify as a plant or food or something and can't cross the border). Try the purple potatoes especially if you have kids - delicious and so FUN! Their website is not working today but keep checking back because if you want to grow organic potatoes, you should order from them (conventional potatoes are DRENCHED in chemicals so it is important to start with organic starters). I hope to the Goddess they have not closed down (that is how much I love their potatoes!!)

4. Richters - http://www.richters.com/
Richters is a herb company and they sell seeds as well as plants (and, yes, they ship the plants). Almost any herb you can imagine is sold by them. Some of the seeds and plants are organic and they have a small but growing vegetable section as well. I have always been happy with my orders from Richters. I once ordered some gorgeous seedlings from them, however, a very bad squirrel climbed onto my balcony and ate them all.  I think I'll try again this year! Richter's is located an hour or so outside of Toronto and they have a store you can visit to buy seeds and seedlings and to attend workshops.

So, there you go. I know there are many other small-scale, organic, heirloom seed suppliers. Feel free to share some of your favorites in the comment section.

Edited to add one more:

5. Hawthorn Farm http://www.hawthornfarm.ca/
The seeds this company supplies are grown on a beautiful organic farm near Palmerston, Ontario. This happens to be the exact area of the world where I was born and grew up! They grow and sell veggie, herb, flowers, and grass seeds.