From Little Things Big Things Grow.

I started gardening for a few reasons:

• to do my part in creating a more sustainable food industry/culture in Australia.
  
• to change my yard from all lawn (very unfriendly to bees and native birds) to a dream paradise where bees would flock and little native birds would find a haven. This perhaps is a pipe dream...
  
• the sheer joy of watching things grow under my care.
  
• to put fruit and vegetables on my plate that had not been sprayed with chemicals
• to eat vegetables and fruit that are not stocked in the supermarkets. Chocolate pudding fruit? Purple carrots? Chocolate Brown Capsicums? Yes please!
• to help keep these heirloom varieties live by learning to save seeds.

The last four points are why I grow from seed.

Growing from seeds amaze me. I am fascinated by the way that each seed has it's own different shape, needs, germination rate. Did you know that the seed from palm trees can take up to three years to germinate while zucchini seeds can take less than a week? Some seeds will only germinate after a period of frost, others after being exposed to smoke or fire. I think that's very cool.

When I grow from seed I know that the plants produced haven't been feed chemicals or non-organic fertiliser.

But best of all is the exciting varieties of plants that I can get when buying seeds. Even the major seed companies like Mr Fothergills and Yates are now producing seeds for exciting and heirloom varieties.

So, if you care to have a try at growing Red Rocket carrots, oka, Acerola cherries, green tea, white eggplants, Banana passionfruit or Dark Opal Basil here are a few sources of seeds within Australia that stock seeds for both traditional varieties, as well as some you'd never have imagined existed!

Though I have listed some companies that are stocked by local suppliers like Bunnings, Plants Plus, K-Mart etc I encourage you to support the other little guys who are locally producing seeds and started the heirloom (a.k.a. heritage) seed market.

Be warned! Seed collecting is addictive!

Seed Suppliers Often Stocked at Garden Centers or Stores
(All have websites with excellent gardening information and advice.)

D.T. Brown
Cheap and good value. Usually stocked by Crazy Clarkes and the Reject Shop. I have had much success with them. (Imported from UK).

Mr Fothergills
Well priced. Usually stocked by Bunnings. I have had reasonable success with them.

Yates
Reasonably priced. Usually stocked by Bunnings, Plants Plus, K-Mart etc.

Johnsons Seeds
Reasonably priced. Usually stocked by Bunnings. Not much success with their seeds so far - catnip had zero germination. (Imported from the UK).

(I have a large number of 'Grower's Pride' seeds however this is only because Bunnings were dumping their stock at 99c/pkt. A good and reliable brand but I haven't seen it anywhere else.)



Websites
(Check websites for details but most produce seeds organically and all produce seeds locally so they are better suited to Australian weather than imported seed.)

Diggers
This company forged the way for seed saving and heirloom varieties in Australia and are strong advocates of organic gardening. They have a massive range of heirloom seeds and a 'diggers club' you can pay to join to get free seeds and seed catalogues throughout the year. I have used them heavily with varied success but find that I have a LONG wait for my seeds to arrive - so plan ahead!

Eden Seeds
I haven't used this company yet but they have a good reputation and a great range.

Green Harvest
I haven't used this company yet but they have a good reputation and a great range. Extra love to them for being one of the first to sell a 'beneficial insect' seed mix (i.e. seeds for plants that will attract the good bugs to your plot).

Cornucopia Seeds
I haven't used this company yet but they have a good reputation. Their range often includes varieties missing from the other's sites.

Rangeview Seeds
I haven't used this company yet. They aren't one of the 'bigger' online companies so I haven't read much about them on the online communities. Very well priced.

Greenpatch Seeds
I haven't used this company yet. They aren't one of the 'bigger' online companies so I haven't read much about them on the online communities. All seeds are organic.

Lambley Dry-Garden Nursery
All plants in the Lambley Dry-Garden (and stocked in their online store) are selected because they survive and thrive in dry conditions and require very little water. There are some very stunning varieties with blooms of all colours. (Be sure to check out their gallery of the gardens!)

Pleasance Herbs
I haven't used this company yet. They sell only herb seeds but have an enormous range.



Ebay Sellers
(Note - I haven't used any of these. None offer any varieties you cannot get from the above suppliers. However, some people are comfortable with the ebay process and they can be very well priced so I've included them here.)

Little Miss Seedy
Excellent range - particularly of heirloom tomatoes.

Seedy Lady
Small but interesting range.

Heritage Seeds International
Excellent range.