Why I Choose Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Year After Year

In late winter, a gardener will do just about anything to feel the growing season again. Maybe that’s why there’s something so romantic about sitting in a comfy chair, flipping through seed catalogs—dreaming of the future and what it might look like. It’s easy to get carried away, circling every beautiful variety, ordering far more than we could ever realistically grow. And when that box finally arrives in the mail, it feels like the very first sign that spring is on its way.

Seed catalogs are more than shopping lists. They are a promise that winter will give way to warmer soil and longer days. Each variety carries possibility—a row of tomatoes heavy on the vine, bright zinnias buzzing with pollinators, or baskets of cucumbers waiting on the kitchen counter. In the quiet of winter, the garden exists mostly in imagination, and seed catalogs bring it back to life.

Why I Chose Baker Creek

Important note: I am not affiliated with Baker Creek. These are simply my honest thoughts after six gardening seasons.

I choose heirloom varieties because sustainability is one of my priorities. Many seed companies offer hybrid seeds, which are fantastic for disease resistance and productivity—but they can’t be reliably saved year after year. In a world where I’m increasingly aware of how fragile our food system can be, I don’t want to depend entirely on outside sources for my garden.

Heirloom seeds allow gardeners to save seeds season after season. That means the plants in your garden can continue long after a seed packet is empty. Over time, those saved seeds can even begin adapting to your specific soil, climate, and microconditions.

If each year I save seeds from the plants that were the most disease-resistant, highest-yielding, and best-tasting—and repeat that over several seasons—I’m slowly shaping a variety that is uniquely suited to my small corner of the world. It may carry the same name, but it becomes something more personal, more resilient. That’s how a garden begins to sustain itself.

I return to Baker Creek because the seed quality is consistently excellent. I trust my seeds to germinate well and produce strong seedlings. When a tray fails, it doesn’t just cost seeds—it costs time, and in a short growing season, time is everything.

Poor seed quality shows up quickly: low germination rates, weak or uneven seedlings, or trays that simply don’t perform. Those setbacks can mean the difference between a full harvest and a disappointing one. Knowing I can rely on my seed source makes a huge difference.

I also love the sheer variety they offer. Where our farm may lack diversity in protein, it absolutely thrives in the garden. Each year, we try something new—unusual tomatoes, colorful beans, or varieties that have been grown for centuries. It keeps the garden exciting and helps us discover what truly thrives here.

Without fail, when someone recommends a variety to try, Baker Creek seems to have it.

My Seed Starting Rhythm

Everything about seed starting revolves around your first and last frost dates—and what you want to grow.

Over the years, I’ve learned that certain crops—like tomatoes, peppers, and Brussels sprouts—need a longer growing season than my marine climate naturally provides. Those are started early indoors, often 10 weeks ahead of transplanting, and by now they’re already well underway.

This weekend, we’ll be about six weeks out from our average last frost date, which means the next round of seed starting is a big one. Most of the crops that need indoor starting fall into this window.

Starting everything at once can quickly overwhelm you with too many seedlings ready at the same time. Instead, I stagger my seed starting based on how long each plant needs before transplanting. It keeps things manageable and ensures each plant is ready right when the garden is.

On a small farm like Forestside Farm & Garden, planning matters. Every tray of seedlings represents future food, future harvests, and another step toward a more resilient homestead.

Up next 

In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing a full breakdown of everything I’m growing this season, along with updates throughout the busy spring months. We’ll also be sharing our process, tips, and day-to-day progress over on our YouTube channel.

Every seed packet is more than a promise of food—it’s a small spark of hope for the season ahead. Sitting here in late winter, flipping through catalogs or arranging trays on the counter, I can feel the pulse of the coming garden.

It’s messy, uncertain, and full of surprises—just like life on the farm.

But that’s the beauty of it. We plant without knowing exactly what will grow, and we do it anyway. With every seed, we’re choosing to believe in spring, in growth, and in the possibility of something wonderful waiting just beneath the soil.