If you’re looking to grow your own vegetables this year, it’s high time to get serious about rolling up your sleeves and getting into the garden! To help you get set up for spring and summer, here are a few reliable, locally rooted seed and plant sources worth bookmarking.

WEST COAST SEEDS

These guys can often be found on racks in hardware stores, garden centres, and select grocery shops across Metro Vancouver (enter your location in their store locator for the closest place near you). They also have a well-organised online store. For 2026, their website is especially useful for browsing by practical categories, including “Under $4” (thank you), “New This Season” (Lemon Cake pumpkins and Starfire marigolds are both sounding pretty cool to us), “Sprouts and Microgreens,” and pre-order seasonal plants. A fantastic all-in-one resources for planting guides, composting advice, and West Coast–specific growing timelines. DETAILS

BC ECO SEED CO-OP

These aren’t generic packets pulled from a warehouse. BC Eco Seed Co-op brings together seeds grown and saved by local farmers and seed keepers, with a strong focus on varieties that actually perform in our climate. Imagine tomatillos from Saanich Organics, FarmFolk CityFolk’s Red Kuri winter squash, Rosetta’s Calabrian peppers from Glorious Organics, and Akasha Seeds’ Sicilian Saucer tomatoes growing in your own backyard. This is where to source seeds if you’re looking to build a garden that reflects what’s being grown professionally across the region. DETAILS

NORTH VANCOUVER SEED LIBRARY

One of the coolest community resources going: Seeds are saved, cleaned, and shared by local growers, then made available through the North Vancouver City Library in collaboration with the Edible Garden Project – their goal is to “encourage the North Shore community to grow their own food, create greener spaces and facilitate community learning.” So great! The Project also runs hands-on, garden-focused events throughout the year, including a Compost Sale in April and a Seedling Sale in May. Keep an eye on their website for confirmed dates and registration details. Consult their South Coastal BC Vegetable Planting Guide for optimal timing of when to get your seeds in the ground by clicking here. 
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RAVENSONG SEEDS

Based in the Comox Valley, Ravensong focuses on medicinal plants, wild herbs, and ethically harvested native species. Founder Jessy Delleman and her team save both cultivated and wild seeds, with a 2026 catalogue that includes ashwagandha, three types of echinacea, four types of chamomile, Aztec marigolds, lime basil, wild mint, nigella, and moon carrot. It’s a strong entry point for anyone interested in herbal medicine, pollinator-friendly planting, and deeper plant knowledge.
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SALT SPRING SEEDS

Founded by longtime seed saver and educator Dan Jason, Salt Spring Seeds has been producing heritage and heirloom seed varieties on Salt Spring Island since the late 1970s. The catalogue focuses on open-pollinated, non-GMO plants suited to small-scale organic gardens, with an especially interesting selection of grains, legumes, and culinary herbs. Expect things like amaranth, quinoa, flax, buckwheat, and sesame alongside peas, beans, borage, epazote, fenugreek, red basil, and sweet cicely. It’s also a place to dig deeper into the philosophy of seed saving and sustainable food growing, with decades of knowledge behind the catalogue. DETAILS

UBC FARM SEED CATALOGUE

Some of the most interesting seeds you can plant in this region are being developed a few kilometres from downtown Vancouver. At UBC Farm, the team behind the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems grows and trials 20 to 30 crop varieties each year as part of an ongoing seed research program focused on certified organic, open-pollinated seeds adapted to the Pacific Northwest and kept in the public domain. The catalogue includes vegetables, beans, herbs, and flowers grown, selected, and processed on the farm using small-scale equipment integrated into the working fields. UBC Farm is also a founding member of the BC Eco Seed Co-op alongside groups like FarmFolk CityFolk (who also have a cool seed directory here), and many of their varieties are available there for home gardeners and farmers alike. DETAILS

PLANTS (STARTER SEEDLINGS)


If starting from seed feels like a stretch this year, hang on a little longer (End of April/May) and you can save time and frustration by buying established seedlings. Many Vancouver garden centres raise strong starter plants in-house. Southlands Nursery and Figaro’s Garden both have long-standing reputations for healthy stock, good soil, and staff who are happy to share practical advice. A solid option if you want to grow quickly.

SEEDY SATURDAYS

Seedy Saturday events are volunteer-driven gatherings that bring gardeners together to swap heirloom seeds, share knowledge, and get ready for the growing season. Expect seed exchanges, workshops, local vendors, and plenty of practical advice from people who have been growing in the region for years. Point of local pride: the idea began at VanDusen Botanical Garden back in 1989 and has since spread across the country as a grassroots way to support biodiversity and local food systems!). Two good local opportunities are coming up:

East Vancouver Seedy Saturday
Free seeds, a community seed swap, and a few hands-on activities for gardeners getting ready to plant.
Saturday, March 21 | 11am–2:30pm | 1661 Napier St | DETAILS

Richmond Seedy Saturday with Urban Bounty
Seed swaps, workshops, informational booths, and kids’ activities, all supporting Urban Bounty’s work around seed security and community gardening. Admission by donation
Saturday, March 28 | 10am–2pm | Terra Nova Rural Park Farm Centre | DETAILS