Ian Wilson

December 19, 2024

Where To Find Seeds For Your Vegetable Garden

On these shortest days of the year it’s easy to feel like the growing season is forever away, but in just a couple of months it will be time to start planting vegetables again! January is a great time to plan for spring planting, and nothing gets us in the mood for gardening like ordering seeds!

‍

But why should you buy seeds anyways? And where should you get them? And what varieties will do well in your PNW garden?

‍

…We’ve got answers

‍

Magical Seeds! Get your hands on some.

While planting vegetable starts from the nursery is convenient and has many benefits, planting from seeds directly in your garden (aka “direct seeding”) has some amazing advantages that shouldn’t be overlooked!

Successfully direct seeded plantings are more pest and disease resistant, and hardier than veggies that have been transplanted. Root vegetables in particular shouldn’t be transplanted at all, and do best when seeded directly.

Sourcing your own seeds will also give you access to an incredible diversity of varieties and save you money!

Planting seeds directly into your garden ('Direct seeding') has many advantages over planting veggie starts

Looking for a one-stop shop for a diversity of well adapted seeds for the Portland area? We recommend Oregon’s own Territorial Seed Company (@territorialseedcompany).

‍

‍Crazy about greens? Try Wild Garden Seed featuring over 50 lettuce varieties! (@wild_garden_seed).

‍

Prefer strictly organic and open-pollinated varieties? Explore Adaptive Seeds (@adaptive_seeds), another beloved Oregon based seed company

‍

Looking for the exotic and rare? Check out Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (@bakercreekseeds).‍

‍

And while browsing online is convenient, when it comes to seeds, we think there’s no substitute for an old-fashioned catalog. So request a few catalogs by mail, pour a glass of wine, and plan that garden!

Oregon's own Territorial Seed Company is our #1 fave seed supplier!

Wondering where to start or what varieties to purchase?

Here are 5 of our favorite and easy-to-grow varieties that thrive in PNW Spring gardens:

1. ‘Super Sugar Snap’ Pea: This is the first vegetable we plant in Portland gardens as early as mid-February! It’s a vigorous grower and needs a trellis to climb on, but very productive with abundant sweet succulent pods. It’s consistently a favorite with the kids!

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2. ‘Celesta’ Radish': If you’ve never grown root vegetables before, this is a great place to start. Beautiful, round, cherry red radishes mature in as few as 30 days from seeds! Don’t forget to “thin” plantings to about ½” spacing after they emerge to allow proper space for roots to size up.

'Super Sugar Snap' Peas are a tried and true option for planting in late winter here in the Pacific Northwest. And they're a hit with the kids!

3. ‘Roquette’ Arugula: One of the easiest greens to grow from seeds, arugula prefers the cool wet weather that is typical here in the Portland area in March and April. This variety is quick to mature and is tolerant of frost.

‍

4. ‘Cruiser’ Cilantro: Despite what you might think, cilantro loves cool weather and grows very well from seeds! We sow small “successions” of this beautiful variety monthly through the planting season. Cruiser also has some heat tolerance and resists “bolting” which won us over long ago.

‍

5. Lofty Salad Mix: from Territorial Seed Co.: We love this curated mix of lettuce seeds with a variety of colors and textures. Harvest at the baby leaf stage for a stunning cutting mix or let it grow to maturity and harvest whole heads!

‍

Sow cilantro from seeds in small amounts as a 'succession planting' through the summer. We love 'Cruiser' for it's heat tolerance and resistance to bolting.

…So get right to it! Order some seeds and get ready to enjoy the magic of direct seeding in your home vegetable garden!

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Ian Wilson

Born and raised in Portland, Ian worked on and managed organic farms in Vermont, Argentina, Hawaii, and California before coming home to roost.

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Where To Find Seeds For Your Vegetable Garden

On these shortest days of the year it’s easy to feel like the growing season is forever away, but in just a couple of months it will be time to start planting vegetables again! January is a great time to plan for spring planting, and nothing gets us in the mood for gardening like ordering seeds!

‍

But why should you buy seeds anyways? And where should you get them? And what varieties will do well in your PNW garden?

‍

…We’ve got answers

While planting vegetable starts from the nursery is convenient and has many benefits, planting from seeds directly in your garden (aka “direct seeding”) has some amazing advantages that shouldn’t be overlooked!

Successfully direct seeded plantings are more pest and disease resistant, and hardier than veggies that have been transplanted. Root vegetables in particular shouldn’t be transplanted at all, and do best when seeded directly.

Sourcing your own seeds will also give you access to an incredible diversity of varieties and save you money!

Looking for a one-stop shop for a diversity of well adapted seeds for the Portland area? We recommend Oregon’s own Territorial Seed Company (@territorialseedcompany).

‍Crazy about greens? Try Wild Garden Seed featuring over 50 lettuce varieties! (@wild_garden_seed).

Prefer strictly organic and open-pollinated varieties? Explore Adaptive Seeds (@adaptive_seeds), another beloved Oregon based seed company

Looking for the exotic and rare? Check out Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (@bakercreekseeds).‍

And while browsing online is convenient, when it comes to seeds, we think there’s no substitute for an old-fashioned catalog. So request a few catalogs by mail, pour a glass of wine, and plan that garden!

Wondering where to start or what varieties to purchase?

Here are 5 of our favorite and easy-to-grow varieties that thrive in PNW Spring gardens:

1. ‘Super Sugar Snap’ Pea: This is the first vegetable we plant in Portland gardens as early as mid-February! It’s a vigorous grower and needs a trellis to climb on, but very productive with abundant sweet succulent pods. It’s consistently a favorite with the kids!

3. ‘Roquette’ Arugula: One of the easiest greens to grow from seeds, arugula prefers the cool wet weather that is typical here in the Portland area in March and April. This variety is quick to mature and is tolerant of frost.

5. Lofty Salad Mix: from Territorial Seed Co.: We love this curated mix of lettuce seeds with a variety of colors and textures. Harvest at the baby leaf stage for a stunning cutting mix or let it grow to maturity and harvest whole heads!

…So get right to it! Order some seeds and get ready to enjoy the magic of direct seeding in your home vegetable garden!

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Ian Wilson

You Might Also Like

Our Top 5 Hand Tools for Raised Bed Gardening

How To Grow Basil in the Home Garden

How to Grow Kale in the Portland Area

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From Our Blog

Our Top 5 Hand Tools for Raised Bed Gardening

Where To Find Seeds For Your Vegetable Garden

How To Grow Basil in the Home Garden

Where To Find Seeds For Your Vegetable Garden

On these shortest days of the year it’s easy to feel like the growing season is forever away, but in just a couple of months it will be time to start planting vegetables again! January is a great time to plan for spring planting, and nothing gets us in the mood for gardening like ordering seeds!

‍

But why should you buy seeds anyways? And where should you get them? And what varieties will do well in your PNW garden?

‍

…We’ve got answers

While planting vegetable starts from the nursery is convenient and has many benefits, planting from seeds directly in your garden (aka “direct seeding”) has some amazing advantages that shouldn’t be overlooked!

Successfully direct seeded plantings are more pest and disease resistant, and hardier than veggies that have been transplanted. Root vegetables in particular shouldn’t be transplanted at all, and do best when seeded directly.

Sourcing your own seeds will also give you access to an incredible diversity of varieties and save you money!

Looking for a one-stop shop for a diversity of well adapted seeds for the Portland area? We recommend Oregon’s own Territorial Seed Company (@territorialseedcompany).

‍Crazy about greens? Try Wild Garden Seed featuring over 50 lettuce varieties! (@wild_garden_seed).

Prefer strictly organic and open-pollinated varieties? Explore Adaptive Seeds (@adaptive_seeds), another beloved Oregon based seed company

Looking for the exotic and rare? Check out Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (@bakercreekseeds).‍

And while browsing online is convenient, when it comes to seeds, we think there’s no substitute for an old-fashioned catalog. So request a few catalogs by mail, pour a glass of wine, and plan that garden!

Wondering where to start or what varieties to purchase?

Here are 5 of our favorite and easy-to-grow varieties that thrive in PNW Spring gardens:

1. ‘Super Sugar Snap’ Pea: This is the first vegetable we plant in Portland gardens as early as mid-February! It’s a vigorous grower and needs a trellis to climb on, but very productive with abundant sweet succulent pods. It’s consistently a favorite with the kids!

3. ‘Roquette’ Arugula: One of the easiest greens to grow from seeds, arugula prefers the cool wet weather that is typical here in the Portland area in March and April. This variety is quick to mature and is tolerant of frost.

5. Lofty Salad Mix: from Territorial Seed Co.: We love this curated mix of lettuce seeds with a variety of colors and textures. Harvest at the baby leaf stage for a stunning cutting mix or let it grow to maturity and harvest whole heads!

…So get right to it! Order some seeds and get ready to enjoy the magic of direct seeding in your home vegetable garden!

Tags:

Ian Wilson

You Might Also Like

Our Top 5 Hand Tools for Raised Bed Gardening

How To Grow Basil in the Home Garden

How to Grow Kale in the Portland Area

We’re on Instagram

Subscribe to our newsletter

Navigation

Services

Follow

Contact

From Our Blog

Our Top 5 Hand Tools for Raised Bed Gardening

Where To Find Seeds For Your Vegetable Garden

How To Grow Basil in the Home Garden