what are some good seed companies?
It can almost be said that there are no *bad* seed companies. ;') I like to try odd, old, and/or open pollinated varieties of things, and some of them over the years have proven to be good to eat. :')
There's a lima type bean called Christmas Bean that has been pretty popular in the family. It's a speckled reddish brown and white bean, that turns a kind of purple color when cooked. And it's yummy. Lake Valley Seed carries that, that's the one I've grown.
More to come...
I finally got around to looking through the catalogs... seven (so far)...
As always, the Burpee, the Thompson & Morgan, and the Seeds of Change catalogs are the most colorful and stimulating. :') But coming up on the outside is Territorial Seed Company, that's the one I'm going through first. :') I've bought from all of the following sources, over the years, though not necessarily from the online site:
http://www.territorialseed.com/
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/
http://www.burpee.com/
http://www.seedsofchange.com/
http://www.cooksgarden.com/
http://www.superseeds.com/home.htm
http://gardeners.harrisseeds.com/default.asp
http://www.eburgess.com/
http://www.parkseed.com/
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/home.aspx?ct=HG
http://www.stokeseeds.com/cgi-bin/StokesSeeds.storefront
http://www.totallytomato.com/
Here's one I think I've ordered from before, but I don't know for sure:
http://www.vermontbean.com/
and a comment on Vermont Bean:
http://davesgarden.com/gwd/c/98/
Here's one I used to get, it's very old timey, which I like, but I've never ordered from it, shame on me :')
http://www.rhshumway.com/
Another hardcopy catalog I didn't order from, which has no website, and is definitely worth a look:
Orol Ledden & Sons
PO Box 7
Sewell, NJ 08080-0007
Ph 609-468-1000
Fax 609-464-0947
http://davesgarden.com/gwd/companymail.php?compid=574
I also got the Henry Field, the Gurney, and the Jung catalogs, but those are all shipped from the same place I believe. Here are other sites which look cool:
http://www.amishlandseeds.com/
http://www.southernexposure.com/
http://www.rareseeds.com/
http://www.ttseeds.com/
http://www.seedstrust.com/
Lists of online seed sources:
http://www.williamrubel.com/Trescony/TRtresconyseeds.html
http://www.gardenbazaar.com/directory/cz_1E0.html
Not really for gardening (in most climates anyway):
http://www.rareseedsource.com/
Something I've been wanting to grow for a long while, better but obscure relative of Salsify:
http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/us/en/product/685/1?SA=1113
Here's something that sounds pretty wacky:
http://www.planthomeopathy.com/