Resources
Learn about gardening and horticulture in Charleston and the Lowcountry. Our resources on books, web sites, online catalogs, community gardening and much, much more will put you in the know.
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All-time favorite for a wide selection of spring and summer bulbs. The owners have a lifetime in the bulb business and pass on this information with every order. Their bulbs have been showcased in public gardens throughout South Carolina.
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Southern Exposure Seed Exchange is located near Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in the gently rolling foothills of Central Virginia. Although it emphasizes varieties adapted to the Mid-Atlantic region, it serves gardeners throughout the United States and Canada. A large percentage of the seed and bulb varieties offered are grown by the company or its growers. The seed company started in 1982 as an outgrowth of a love affair with heirloom varieties and in seed saving. Southern Exposure Seed Exchange had its beginning in a small family garden and a kitchen co-opted for seed processing. The kitchen garden has since expanded to numerous growing areas supplemented by a nationwide seed grower network. Now the seed company has its own office, germination testing facility and environmentally controlled seed storage areas. From the beginning, the owners have believed the seed company serves: (1) as a source for new, high-performance varieties, and (2) most importantly, as a preservation tool for collecting and distributing varieties with special qualities: varieties with heritage, flavor, disease resistance, or other qualities of interest to gardeners.
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Seed Savers Exchange is a nonprofit, member-supported organization that saves and shares the heirloom seeds of our garden heritage, forming a living legacy that can be passed down through generations. Loyal SSE members have distributed an estimated 1 million samples of rare garden seeds since the group's founding nearly 35 years ago. Those seeds now are widely used by seed companies, small farmers supplying local and regional markets, chefs and home gardeners and cooks, alike. Shop online for seed from their current selections.
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They only offer open-pollinated seeds: pure, natural and non-GMO. Their heirloom seeds come from 70 countries, including many they collected themselves. Started in 1998 by Jere Gettle, as a means to preserve rare seeds, Heirloom Seed is located in the beautiful Ozark Mountains of southern Missouri.
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Located in Jemison, Ala., this nursery carries a variety of southern selections to choose from plus old-time favorites. It reminds you of going to grandma's house for the weekend.
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Located in Brenham, Texas, one of the best mail order resources for antique roses. It is known for putting out excellent information great for new and experienced gardeners.
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Best know for its excellent availability of hydrangeas, this grower also offers select trees, shrubs, perennials and vines suitable for southern gardens. Not only great plants, but great information for southern gardeners! You can also visit the garden in Palmetto, Ga.
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Southern Bulbs specializes in growing and supplying rare bulbs and other "tried and true" species of bulbs for warm climates. Each bulb is full-sized and grown from historic stock, rescued from construction sites or the neglect of abandoned lots. Chris and Brad have been growing bulbs for years and have committed themselves to providing their customers with tough and rare bulbs that you simply will not find anywhere else -- and these tough flower bulbs will propagate and naturalize even in the humidity and heat of the South. Every bulb they grow is antique, heirloom, beautiful and adapted.
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This Texas nursery specializes in drought- and heat-tolerant plants. These plant hunters have developed a fine line of plants native to the United States and from around the world.
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Plant Delights Nursery has one of the largest selections of perennials for southern gardeners, including many new introductions and hard-to-find cultivars. This North Carolina grower has been around since 1988 and has helped change the face of horticulture in the South.
