I was stunned by what I heard in the grocery store produce department...

I was at the grocery store a couple months after the pandemic lockdowns first started. I commented to a produce department employee that I am looking forward to eating more fresh vegetables from my garden as the warmer weather came on.  His response took me by surprise.  

He said "yeah, I've been trying to buy seeds or transplants to start a garden this year and nobody has any - I've checked three or four different stores that always carry them, and they had little or nothing to offer."

I went home and checked online, and found my common suppliers all had many varieties out of stock, lengthy delivery times, or they weren't taking orders at all.  Luckily, I had ordered all of my seeds before any of this happened. 

So, this winter, as I was planning the garden, I thought it would be a good idea to order early.  I placed my seed orders in early January.  Even then, shortages were common and order processing times were lengthy.

Due to the pandemic, tons of people are starting or expanding home gardens.  Many seed suppliers are overwhelmed with orders or running out of stock. Some have stopped taking orders. Order your seeds and transplants now while you can still get some.

Don't buy  more than you'll need this year.  Fresher seed is better, and more people will get supplies as well!

Where you buy your seeds can make a big difference in the quality of the product you receive.  There are many reasons for this, and I'm planning a future post on the topic. In the meantime, here are some of the sources I recommend for seeds that will do well west of the Cascades.  Some also sell starts/transplants as well.

(Here are clickable links to their websites)

Territorial Seed Company

West Coast Seeds

Osborne Quality Seeds

Johnny's Selected Seeds

Siskiyou Seeds

Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply