What an absolute dream- seeds for every plant I have ever known and plenty of new ones as well! Three of us visited yesterday and felt that it was the highlight of the day. The variety was endless, the artful presentation of the seed packets is worth framing and the lone employee was generous with her time explaining things and even gifted us with a few seed potatoes that were just past their prime but will grow nicely.. Thrilled to have found this store and I am planning on returning soon with a few of my best backyard gardening friends. I like what I saw and I will always seek out the knowledge of another person who is willing to share that with me. I consider the price of a packet to be a value too as each packet was both heavier- more seeds, and cost less than the brand I had been buying. What a wonderful find! read more

Visited here with a friend while shopping downtown Petaluma. Noticing the majority of product was from Missouri, my friend commented to the clerk that she was from Missouri, having moved here a few years ago... Sounding insulted, and in a very rude manner, the woman snarkily commented that "well the company is from Missouri" as if we were somehow supposed to know that...very off-putting and extremely poor customer service...it was if our presence was a bother. Can't recommend and won't be back. Don't shop here. read more

How do I even do a review on this store? If you are a gardener you know what Baker Creek is. Most of the time we have to order online. The fact that I got an opportunity to actually go into a seed store was just thrilling. There were so many varieties it was very hard to choose. I had to put myself on a timer so I didn't walk out of there with 100 packs of seeds. They are well organized, it was pretty decently stocked, the women at the front were helpful in explaining the set up since I had never been to a seed store before and I even got a free pack of seeds with my purchase. read more

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Store - The seeds on the top were free - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Petaluma, California

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Loved our visit there pre-COVID 19. Didn't disappoint. Friendly employees and beautiful shop with seed packets lining all of the shop walls. A must see for gardeners who love growing their own fruits and vegetables. read more

I purchased their seeds online. I got most of the seeds I wanted, but they did not sell the i'itoi onion Seeds. It's an Arizona native plant and I heard it was difficult to find and I really wanted to grow it. The online ordering was simple and straight to the point, no additional pop-ups or needless suggestions. I never got an email regarding any updates on shipment, and logging into the online portal stated my order was still in processing. Despite receiving my order, the online status did not update. There IT department should look into that. Overall, I enjoyed the variety of seeds they sell, and ordered; Borage, Salvia Sirius Blue Sage, Coneflower Melllow Yellows, Calendula Strawberry Blonde, Lemongrass, and a free seed sample. I'm really excited about planting these herbs and using them in cooking and teas. read more

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Store - Borage, Salvia Sirius Blue Sage, Coneflower Mellow Yellows, Calendula Strawberry Blonde, and Lemongrass - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Petaluma, California

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Store originally began in Missouri, but opened its California outlet in Petaluma in 2009. Until December 2017, it was housed in the majestic former Sonoma National Bank. The staff are knowledgeable about tons of different heirloom varieties. While they offer flowers like poppies, sunflowers and zinnias, they mostly offer herbs, fruits and vegetables. Seed packets cost from $2.50-$7.00 (or more, depending) They even have their own vegan cookbook, Even before COVID, one could buy products online, by phone or mail order. Baker Creek was prepared. While Baker Creek offers conventional peppers, carrots, pumpkins, squash, they do have more fascinating heirloom varieties- like King Tut peas, pawpaws, Cambodian green eggplants and glass gem corn. The seed store is now in a smaller venue, but the service is still top notch, and the prices and varieties are excellent. Perfect for the home gardener. read more

I've been a fan of Baker Creek for over a decade, making special trips to Petaluma to visit the store and ordering online. Today's experience in the store was a real disappointment. We were on our way back from the Oregon coast, and made a last minute stop here about 40 minutes before closing. After browsing and picking up about 20 packs of seeds, we went to check out and I asked the older lady with short, gray hair and glasses (receipt says her name is Rosalie) if I needed a key for the restroom. Mind you, we had been on the road for a lot of hours (not their fault or their problem, of course), and there were still people browsing in the store, a line of people behind us waiting to check out, and a woman she allowed into the store at 3:58. This woman looked at me with utter distain and said, "Yes, you do, but we're closed now." I was shocked and actually thought she was kidding for a split second, until I realized she was serious. "So, does that mean I can't use the restroom?" And with the deepest sigh, she grudgingly handed me the key and said, "If you're quick..." Look, I wasn't planning on going in there and spending 10 minutes mucking about, but I'll be honest, after being treated that way, I wanted to. And for her to tell me that in the middle of checking out our purchase? So you're closed and nobody can use the restroom, but you'll still ring me up and take my money, and the money of all the people in line behind me, and say nothing to the people who were still leisurely browsing when I came out of the bathroom? Doesn't add up. It was like she went out of her way just to be rude. I didn't appreciate the attitude. I get it, you're closing, but there are ways of saying things and there are ways of being reasonable, and kind and that wasn't it. There are plenty of other places to purchase seeds, online and in store, so rude Rosalie, dear, I guess I have you to thank for saving me the trips to Petaluma because I won't be back to purchase from Baker Creek again, since they made mistake of hiring you to represent their store. read more

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Store - Your bosses should be ashamed of the service you provide customers, Rosalie. - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Petaluma, California

Beautiful building, smart staff Your one stop for a delightful array of seeds, all in many varieties. Pretty airplants and tchotchkes. The staff is knowledgeable and can help you differentiate between different seeds. The place is a blessing. read more

Order plants and 10 days after still didn't receive a delivery date. Also their customer service tries to get me to cancel. I think they just don't have the plants and are trying to get away with it. Will not buy from them anymore. read more

Seeds, seeds, and more seeds!! If you're a wannabe gardening nerd like me, this is a great store to check out heirloom seeds. You can also purchase seeds from their online store, but since I was in downtown Petaluma, I decided to stop by and peruse the seeds in person. I'm a visual person, and it was a lot easier to look at all the colorful photos of seeds in person versus scrolling through pages and pages of seeds online. You will NOT be able to find these seeds in other stores, and each has their own unique properties. Even though it's already July, I went ahead and picked up a few different packets of seeds in the hopes that some will produce before winter hits. You also receive a free packet of seeds with your purchase! Unfortunately for me, it was purple kohlrabi seeds this time around. In any case, their staff is very friendly and helpful, and I'd highly recommend Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Store if you're looking for unique plants/vegetables/fruits. Parking can be tough in this area of downtown, but there should be ample spots in nearby streets. read more

Do you live in The City and dream of owning a lush garden, filled with citrus trees, peach trees, rows of hearty greens, plump tomatoes, sweet strawberries, blueberries and maybe even a few rose bushes? Wake up! You live in San Francisco kid, where you'd be lucky to have a pot on a staircase. Even then your landlord might ask you to take it down because of fire code. Not that I'm bitter about that. But, anyway, if you DO have the space to plant some greenery to call the hummingbirds, butterflies and bee's Baker Creek Heirloom & Seeds is the place to go. First, we must give praise to the most magnificent color in the spectrum, Purple! I mean if the kings and queens want to bask in it's glory you KNOW there's something special about this color. Let me tell you a few things: * Purple of Romagna - [Artichoke] * Blauhilde & Purple Dove Bush - [Beans] * Early Purple Sprouting - [Broccoli] * Purple of Sicily - [Cauliflower] * Gniff Carrot * Thai Lavender Frog Egg - [Fruit] * Pink Banana - [I know it's not purple, but seriously, a pink Banana!] * Ornamental Fringed Mix & Scarlet - [Kale] * Wethersfield Red - [Onion] * Lilac Bell & Violet Sparkle - [ Pepper] * Malaga & Purple Plum - [Radish] * Tomatillo Purple & Purple Coban - [Tomatillo] * Blue Tomatoes * Hinona Kabu - [Turnip] Whew, that's only a handful! I knew that purple reigned supreme, but, in all things? Had no idea. Not only is this color present in most vegetable and fruit we know of today, it exists abundantly in flowers and herbs. Speaking of variety, do you know how many varieties of Aubergine (eggplant) there are? No? How about corn? Yea, me either. Trust me, far more than you think. What we purchase in the grocery stores is not even a close representation of the variety we should be privy to. Nature is a complex thing, what makes you think there is only one type of carrot or sweet potato? Okay, okay why would you think there are only 3? Try 10! Housed in the Sonoma County National Bank building, built in the 1920's, BCHS prides itself on offering over 1,400 varieties of heirloom seeds dating back to the 19th century. The shop also has gardening tools, books, and other local artisanal items to guide and motivate you. When you do decide to plan your garden, note my key-word, plan! Have an idea of what you are looking for before you head into the Seed Bank. Otherwise, you might end up like me, wanting to grab all 10 packets of snap pea variety, knowing dogon well you only have space for one! read more

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Do you like to grow heirloom vegetables and plants from seeds? This might be just the place for you. Thousands of different seeds are housed in the old 1920s Sonoma County Bank building, I will confess that I don't have much luck growing plants from seeds. That doesn't stop me from enjoying looking at all the possibilities that the seeds promise! read more

Such an amazing place, in a great location, downtown Petaluma, in a cool historic building, perfect. Be prepared to spend some time here! We came with a list and slowly checked things off. They have quite the selection! And everything is nicely organized, making it easy to find whatever. They were out of only maybe a few things we were wanting but reassured they were restocking, soon! The staff was very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable! Flowers, herbs & vegetables seeds filled half the large store and other garden accessories, gifts, etc. on the other half along with a downstairs area with more - books, equipment, etc. We had been wanting to check this place out for awhile and so happy to finally make it in to buy all our seeds for our garden! I'd say this place is definitely a unique and an adventure to make - it's worth the drive from wherever! read more

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Absolutely *gutted* that i'm not more versed in the green thumb edible category... cuz if I were, I'd be zapping up seeds left/right. Heirloom seeds galore... a catalog from MO come alive inside a historic, lovely building, with airy, high ceilings, and the most organized of aisles, baskets, and photos with desciptions? Want some heirloom bean seeds? Better be decisive, as I spotted about 15 varieties... squash, eggplant, tomatoes, etc.... Renders one speechless... I think this is one specialty shop that fills a niche that more folk should be into, if they can. Ever wonder how all those wonderful restaurants begin? Yep... it starts at the seed, with the soil, in the ground, buddy. Just love it. Makes me proud that the one brandywine heirloom tomato plant is still alive, and even has a green baby or two off its vine. Oh yeah---- read more

A dream come true for garden nerds! Like a lot of other reviewers, we stumbled upon the Baker Creek store by accident. If you are passing by, expect someone around you to yell, "No way!!" in surprise. It's everything that I could dream it to be. Seeds set up by type/alphabetical order, potato starters, gourmet food items, books, magazines, etc. read more

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Store - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Petaluma, California

It's not every day that you see a magnificent old bank building with "heirlooms seeds" painted on the window. I was on my way to the oyster farms in Marshall when I spotted such a sight, and had to do a double take. A giant building devoted to heirloom non-GMO seeds? This must be too good to be true. Well, it's too good AND it's true. Take that life! From reading their blog, the Baker Creek people do some good work in collecting rare heirloom seeds for our enjoyment. Supposedly a bunch of Amish folks did a trek to Petaluma (via horse and buggy?) and built store shelves and stuff for this location. So if it's ye olde street cred you're looking for, they've got it. Tons and tons of weird vegetable and fruit seeds. If you are into growing your own vegetables, this is kid-in-candy-store-wet-your-pants selection. Next time I make the drive up to Petaluma, I'm dropping the dude off at Lagunitas Brewery and heading here for some head-spinning seed buying. The phone number for this location is (707)509-5171. They used to close for the weekend, but are now open Sundays 11-5:30. read more

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Store - Some seeds I purchased from their Petaluma store. - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Petaluma, California

If you're in the market for seeds of interesting plant varieties, and knowledgeable people who will help you find what you need, this is a great stop. I went in with my dad today, who lives out of the area and was on the hunt for interesting varieties to grow in his area. The woman behind the counter spent some time finding planting season charts for his area, and printed them off for him. Very helpful! The shop recently moved to a smaller storefront, and got rid of what used to be a very interesting selection of gifts, gardening books, air plants, and other garden supplies. It's really just mostly seeds now - true to the name. I definitely miss that wider selection of garden products, which brought me into the store much more often than seeds did. read more

I LOVED this place- The only thing that could have made it better was hundreds more seed packets on top of the hundreds they had. wonderful choices! And how great is it that they saved the original Petaluma Bank building with all the features in place- like the partition separating the tellers from the customers? That alone deserves 5 stars. Who could not enjoy the workers dressed like Amish farmers? And the cool selection of books preventing nail fungus? read more

I'm always thrilled to stop here to check out the latest stock. By far some of the best and cleanest seed stock I've ever gotten my hands on, I'm always excited to stop by here. For the quality the seeds are quite reasonably priced and the breadth of their selection is simply staggering. One of my favorite stores on Earth. One side note, their hardware selection is *not* reasonable priced, don't bother with it. Their seeds are why you should come. Amazing building too! read more

What a delightful place! I'm just getting into gardening and still studying up on when, what, and how to begin my new garden. My husband and I popped in here because he had previously visited and picked up some seeds in the past, however, this was my first visit. We perused the store, which is located in a beautiful, bright, old bank building, on the corner of Petaluma Blvd. You can't miss it! Inside, are wide aisles of quite possibly, every type of growing plant. Flowers, vegetables, fruits, you name it, you'll most likely find it there. The woman who was working there spent a significant amount of time answering our questions, providing us with advice, which plants grow well with others, and we left with a wealth of knowledge. We picked up five types of tomato seed packets (purple tomato - get it!) and some other garden goodies. Whether you are into gardening or not, you may know someone else who might love a gift from this place. Pop in and at least admire the architecture of this venue. read more

This place is amazing! I can't wait to come back with my mom! Rows and rows of seeds of every varietal imaginable ... and many you couldn't even begin to imagine. I was lucky to catch the manager briefly who gave me a lot of good suggestions for my garden. I walked away with 5 packs of seeds that I can't wait to start growing next year! Don't forget to check out the downstairs. There's a whole room of air plants! If only they carried red wigglers as well .... read more

Horrible company. Avoid at all costs! Not only do their seeds have an extremely poor germination rate but I recently found out they treat their employees poorly. Will not support a company that offers an inferior product AND does this to employees. read more

The staff here is very rude and uninformed regarding recent and current Covid restrictions. Despite being fully vaccinated my wife and I were denied entrance into the seed bank because we weren't wearing a mask. My wife and I left, but as we were leaving noticed the health department notice on the front door. On page three it clearly stated that vaccinated individuals are not required to wear masks. When my wife politely walked back in and tried to "educate" the woman behind the desk, her response was" we can do whatever we want" . That being said, it explains WHY your store was empty with no customers. IMHO that is business model going full steam toward failure. I will source my non GMO seeds elsewhere, and online if need be rather than support my "local" business. In contrast, we were able to walk into a restaurant three doors down whose policy was that vaccinated people can come in maskless. Please note that several other patrons have complained of the "attitude" of the woman at the front desk, obviously an ongoing problem. If you don't like YOUR customers, don't be in business. Get a clue.... read more

Best place to buy heirloom seeds. Friendly, helpful staff. Best selection too! Location is excellent for a stroll through downtown Petaluma.

Gardeners, here's your spot. Those varieties you've been looking for but can't find - all here. Wondering if the eggplant you're eying is bothered by wind? Ask. Think purple pumpkin is neat? Pick it up. Wonder how white tomatoes compare to orange ones? Inquire within. You need to remember, when shopping here, that each seed makes a whole plant. Unless you have some serious acreage, exercise restraint. read more

It is great to have a bonafide seed seller smack dab in the middle of downtown Petaluma. Baker Creek Heirloom Seed is well known not only for providing a great product but for also going beyond just selling seeds and books; they are innovative and like to get involved in the community. (If you don't know what "heirloom" seeds are look it up online - wikipedia has a good explanation. It is pretty interesting and once you know the difference you will better understand why some people are so fanatical about what they put into their bodies and who they are willing to buy produce from.) Apparently, they have a huge customer base in this area which is one of the reasons they decided to open a store here. They are based out of Missouri and if you check their website you will see that they are intimately involved in the growing community through festivals, magazines, forums, etc. Although Petaluma (and the whole north bay) have always been ahead of the curve when it comes to things like the "slow food" movement and organic growing/eating hopefully this place will help expand people's understanding of the importance of responsible growing even further. The store is currently ramping up (they are still working on the interior) so there is nothing spectacular about the space but the energy that employees and customers were bringing in was great. Everyone who walked in while I was there was expressing how excited they were to have a seed company in town and I will bet that they will be even more excited once they learn the benefits of using heirloom seeds over conventional ones. Their selection is extensive as is their book collection. I am an avid reader and grower and a good portion of their books I had never seen. They have a great website and their mail order/internet order catalog has even more seed choices than the store...but it is still nice to be able to walk in to a brick and mortar store and talk to someone when you have questions. For those of you who are buying plants at Longs, Kmart, Home Depot, etc...STOP!!! A seed pack often times comes with 100s of seeds so at a couple bucks a seed pack you will save a TON of money by growing your own plants instead of buying them. And in our climate it is EASY to grow plants from seeds so stop by The Seed Bank, get a packet of seeds that looks interesting to you and give it a shot. Heck, let the kids pick something out too; growing plants is a great way for kids to learn all sorts things about life, about patience, about hard work, about what we put in our body and most importantly about responsibility. You will find out quickly that you will enjoy your crops so much more when you have grown then yourself from the seeds up. I look forward to watching this company grow into a staple of our community. read more

I'm an avid gardener and have been a dedicated organic gardener for twelve years. I grow my own starts, plant in spring and fall and try new varieties every year in search of perfect veggies for my area. I find a low germination rate with their seeds and their varieties aren't really field tested for hardiness. I find them too susceptible to bugs and blights which will probably be described to you as "heirloom" but I call it boutiquey. If you are growing veggies for "fun" then this place will entertain you with their colorful packages and interesting varieties but if you are growing veggies to eat and store then you should look elsewhere. I prefer Territorial Seeds and Seed Savers. read more

My visiting sister dragged me here because she thinks that everything is close in the Bay Area. But since we went on a mini road trip from Mountain View to Napa, I figure what the heck, Petaluma isn't that out the of way. That way I have an excuse to stop by Lagunitas. She wanted to go to the seed store because she bought a bunch of seeds for her garden this summer from Baker Creek and wanted to stop by one of their three retail locations. Since the other two are in Missouri and Connecticut, I guess the California location made sense. As a child, my mom always had a backyard garden and my grandma has a green thumb for flowers, so I've always liked gardening even though I don't think I am very good at it. I even took a home vegetable gardening class in college. That class introduced me to heirloom veggies. But I digress. The store is located in downtown Petaluma in an old converted bank. Parking was easy to find on the street. There are aisles of seeds, sorted alphabetically. I didn't know how many tomato varieties there were until I stood in front of the tomato seeds for about 10 minutes waiting for my sister to pick two packets. They also sell cute crafts and gardening related items. The people in the store are super nice and helpful and the prices are good. We left with a bunch of veggie/flower seeds for the spring/summer. read more

The seed bank is paradise for gardeners. I had been buying their seeds for a couple of years and was excited to hear they were opening a store in Petaluma. Just my luck, I moved to the area a few months later. They store is beautiful with so many rare varieties to try. They are very helpful and offer suggestions according to where you live in the county and beyond. They also have workshops on Thursday evenings and offer the space for use by garden related groups. read more

I made the mistake of coming here on a weekend initially, only to find the place closed. Very disappointing. However, when I came back up here for feed from Hunt & Behrens yesterday, I swung by and came out with a passel of seed packets. It is like going into a candy store, even more so than the website is. Some things to keep in mind... 1. just because they sell it in the store doesn't mean it'll grow in the bay area (in other words, you have access to everything available in the catalogs online and in print) 2. the staffers don't have direct growing knowledge of some of the crop types (I learned this when I asked about some sorghum seeds, and got the kind of worrisome but thankfully honest answer "I don't know if that will grow here, I don't know anyone who has grown it") read more

I get tired of the same seeds found at Home Depot or even a specialized nursery. And if going through the work (and buying the water) to grow vegetables, why not grow something other than a variety found in the supermarket? This seed store is the perfect aid with a dizzying inventory of seeds. Located in a repurposed bank, you could say this old building has really gone to seed. Sorry, but I couldn't resist. Look up because my favorite feature of the building was the ceiling. This store is sometimes called a "seed bank", but that is play on words. Not a secure location for the preservation of genetic material, this is not a real seed bank. Despite the bank fortress, this isn't a manly place like going to a feed store. Along with selling seeds, there are other frilly organic items and cute gardening equipment. If you can't make it here, then just go online. They sell the same seeds there, too. read more

I haven't been to the actual store, but ordered all my seeds from the catalog this year. I was completely amazed with how many options I had that I literally curled up on my couch for a couple evenings until I could decide what I wanted to order. They literally carry just about everything you could ever want to grow, a catalog is free and then you can either mail in an order or place one online. My seeds came in just a few days in great shape. My only thoughts on improving this place would be to have a bit more info in the catalog about what zones things would do well in, and the seed packets themselves do not carry as much info as a young gardener might want. read more

The shop has moved and is not in the huge bank building but a nondescript shop across from Starbucks. I went in to seek ground cover seeds as I live in rural area nearby. and wanted to decrease my lawn-mowing. The sales lady took a while to acknowledge I was even in the shop (I was only one there). When I finally had her attention and asked if she had any ground-cover seeds she pointed out some "rye grass" seeds. I said. "What, that's grass that grows 5-6 feet tall - that's what I'm trying to eliminate." She had an attitude. I did buy some other seeds and after germinating learned they had a low germination rate, maybe 30% at best. Perhaps these seeds are old and do not reflect the actual dates on package? This woman in store exudes almost a dislike for customers, or at least me. Maybe you have to look a certain way to get her attention? The absentee owner should consider another sales personality to fill the bill, because this one is antagonistic to sales. Never again will I darken their door. Will go miles out of my way to a respectful place. read more

This is also called The Seed Bank partly because it's in an beautiful vintage bank, right on the corner of W. Washington and Petaluma Blvd. Fabulous place, so much fun, and the seed selection will make you dizzy and giddy. You'll want everything! You'll be frustrated if something enticing is out of stock. But that's ok, there are so many other seeds to chose from. You will not be disappointed . . . other than with their days and hours. I wish they had better hours. Worth the drive from anywhere in the Bay Area. read more

love the store but please know they are now closed despite showing open. just drove up to get my seeds and was very disappointed.

Been coming here for years. Less and less as the years go on however. I've been able to acclimatize much of what I've grow over the years from here. So the genetics are better for my growing region and micro climate and soil compound. I seem to have more than 70% germination success. But some more than others. If I had to complain. I'd say the onion seeds. It could be operator error as well. But I can't seem to grow a damn onion in Oakland to save my life! I actually rather like how the place is kinda "boutiquey.." There are books up the wazoo in here. They carry Haws watering cans, which are a treat. Assuming you're cool with a $150 watering can. I've never gotten anything less than great service here. I'm glad they are here. read more

such a beautiful space with a huge variety of seeds and tons of books. I bought two books that were 40% off, such a bargain! read more

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Store - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - Petaluma, California

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I've been getting myself in trouble with this amazing shopping destination. By trouble, I mean spending way too much of my garden budget! But how can one resist the HUNDREDS of varieties of heirloom vegetables, flowers, and herbs? Actually, I could care less about flowers, I'm really only interested in edibles. And boy do they have edibles. Their proprietor, who hails from the Midwest, is obsessed with all things nostalgic. Thank goodness for that, because due to their careful stewardship, a plethora of heirloom varieties are being saved from going extinct. I have recently purchased from these fine merchants: Cream of Saskatchewan watermelon Tom Thumb green lettuce Red Russian Kale Dwarf Siberian Kale Thai Holy Kaprao Basil Stevia (herb) Borage (herb) Yellow Wonder Strawberry Golden Midget Watermelon And that's all my budget (or lack thereof) can afford for now. I'm hoping, if I can actually find garden space for all of these amazing plants, to have quite a harvest. One of the great things about this establishment is that they go out of their way to give you over-sized, glossy catalogs detailing the history and flavors of your new varietals. They also make sure to give you seed storage information, and remind you that some seeds will, if stored CORRECTLY (IE cool and dry), remain viable for up to 4 years! Does any other mass-market seed company encourage you to SAVE your leftover seeds so you don't have to buy more?! (the answer is no) Also, since these are heirloom varieties, they are more than likely able to produce seeds which are true to their parent, if you are careful about pollination. This is DEFINITELY NOT true of generic hybrid seeds you would buy at your local hardware store (I'm not naming names or brands), whose seeds will produce sad, dwarfish mutants of their genetically forced parents. To top it all off, the location they chose is classic historic building which has been pleasantly refashioned. It's sort of amazing; once a repository for money, it's now guarding an even more valuable asset, genetically stable and DELICIOUS seed stock. And it's great to see small businesses supporting local historic architecture. Parking is an issue, so I ride by bike on my spending binges (I'm a gardenshopaholic). Oh, and the staff is ridiculously friendly, knowledgeable, and really excited about growing food! Next time you're in town, you must come here. read more

This place is SO amazing. I went here Sunday to purchase a technical farming book as a birthday present for a farmer we love very much. It was a book regarding the root structure of vegetables (it may not sound exciting to non-farmers). I didn't find it right off, so I asked for some assistance. Everyone we spoke with was unbelievably friendly. They found the book pretty quickly and they were so excited about it that they brought an extra copy to the counter to flip through. Besides the location, the selection, the atmosphere, etc., what made me love this place forever was how kind they were to my 8-year-old nephew. As a veracious reader, he kept asking about their book selection. Although they were busy, the staff took the time to show him several books, very, very patiently. These folks love what they do and they rock! read more

This is such a great place. I've always wanted to stop here, partly because the building is so cool. But the inside is even better. My husband wanted heirloom poppy seeds, and bought a bunch. I got nasturtiums, squash, beans and sunflowers. Then I discovered all the other stuff. I bought some rose sugar (ground up petals with sugar)- which is amazingly fragrant, and which I have dusted on scones. I also found Rancho Gordo beans here. We LOVE those. I just cooked up some of the Christmas limas this evening. And there are local honeys, spices, soaps and candles, baby things,. and there's a great selection of books, and so much more. You really need to stop in and see this place. It's great. read more