Christopher, I ordered some things last year from gracefulgardens.com and they were very nice. You place your order in four packs and then work up to a tray. They only ship trays. I ordered again for this year.
They have quite a good selection of delphs, campanula and others.
Geranaciae.com ships unusual cransebills. I ordered quite a bit from them in September and all are doing well.
Annie's Annuals has great stuff but the shipping to our part of the country is almost cost prohibitive!
Have you tried winter sowing? I bet it's right up your alley. I had great success with Digitalis last year.
Graceful Gardens is offering free shipping right now.
Susan

Plantworld Seeds
Chiltern Seeds
Both ship to US
I am impressed with the catalogue from Prairie Moon and Swallowtail

You can grow stuff from seeds which you will NEVER find in a nursery for reasons of space, and the need to cater to the public, who want to buy known plants from a small selection of bombproof plants. You might well find a nursery which specialises in echinacea or hemerocallis where you can buy some rare plants but going down that route leaves you open to paying huge carriage costs as you search for plants across the US in various specialist nurseries. They will also cost many many more times as much as growing your own. For mere pennies, you can buy packets of seed which seed stockists will have because the space and storage requirements are minimal. That is the argument for sourcing unusual plants - growing from seed.....but there is a far more persuasive reason for doing this - there is nothing, literally nothing like growing a plant from a tiny seed. Yes, you may have ordered a wonderful rose and feel elated that you finally have it in your clutches but this is a fairly short-lived exaltation - it even has a name 'hedonic syndrome' - meaning the pleasure gained from buying or owning something which turns out to be both short-lived and addictive. I strongly suggest you try a few seeds - start with simple perennials which bloom in the first year of sowing - gaillardia for example or, as someone else suggested, digitalis.
You will be going down a road which is twisty, turny, has pitfalls and obstacles but the pay-off is a massive feeling of triumph and a real and lasting connection to the whole experience of gardening, life and nurture. Not bad for a 2dollar packet of seeds, hey?
I have literally bought a forest for less than 20dollars (although it is still in packets in my fridge)....and I have 5 black pines already showing their spikey leaves. How completely fabulous.

Thank you for more suggestions! I remember looking at the Graceful Gardens website years ago, but I couldn't remember it again now. I had a bunch of nurseries saved as bookmarks on my old computer, but that's packed away in my closet right now.

I figured on using Annie's Annuals only for something they have which I REALLY want, but is offered nowhere else, and ONLY because the shipping would be so much. It's unfortunate, because they get great reviews and have a wonderful plant selection, but they ARE on the other side of the country.

Thanks also for Geraniaceae.com. I happened upon that site once while looking up information on scented pelargoniums but didn't bookmark the site. I've got it this time.

I haven't tried winter-sowing. The times I've grown things from seed have all been in Spring and in trays -- because I often wasn't sure exactly where I'd want to plant things until I had the plants in pots to move around a few times. Also, I like the idea of putting a plant in the ground rather than scattering seed and wondering if what I see is a weed or not the first time around. Anything that self-seeds for the following year tends to do better in the garden than anything I tried sowing directly myself. If only a handful of seedlings make it from the trays, that's all I'll need to keep things going.

:-)

~Christopher

Campanula, I completely agree about the merits of growing from seed. I am leaning heavily in that area, but there are some plants I like which are cultivars and thus must be propagated by cuttings or offsets -- these won't come true via seed. Specifically I'm thinking of some of the Asters, Campanulas, Dianthus, Lavenders, Phlox and Sedums. But when I find a plant that seems very interesting either as a species or strain, I plan on getting it from seed.

:-)

~Christopher

Rareseeds.com

But I look for them in the local feed store rather than mail order

I also look at the local nursery for things like salvia and lavenders. They stock a big variety different from the box store like HD

I second the recommendation for Geraniaceae.com, an excellent nursery.

If you want to add any unusual structural plants, (i.e. trees), Forest Farm is a superb mail order nursery with an outstanding collection.

Forest Farm
Arrowhead Alpines
Brent and Becky's Bulbs
(they used to own The Daffodil Mart, he was the third
generation doing so, but that name was bought out by a
major name nursery - can't remember which. So I guess
they started over. Anyway, they are good for bulbs -
perennials are very small.
McClure and Zimmerman for bulbs

And of course for seed:
Park's Seed Co.
Thompson and Morgan

Cath

Can't say enough good stuff about Santa Rosa gardens for perennials. Great sales and shipping is always $7.99 no matter how much you order. I have had 10+ orders from them in the last year and a half and everything flourishes. Wonderful customer service too. I would say about 70% of my current perennials are from there.

To your list I can add Diane's Seeds. On her sidebar under articles she has a nice list of companion plants and the types of beneficials the plants each attract. Other than the sheer beauty of the companions in making a garden, the types of insects a plant will attract is another reason I add companions.

I frequent a nursery down the street run by an elderly Japanese lady who does her own propagation of shrubs, perennials and trees. Strictly a local nursery, but she has some treasures that I've gotten. I love the small nurseries run by someone who loves plants and knows about propagation. I think I'm saying the same thing Kippy did about finding local places too.

B&D lilies.

I've admired the stock in Old House Gardens but haven't ordered from them. Colorblends is the bulb vendor I usually use and have found the bulbs to be very healthy with good customer service.

I agree about Santa Rosa having great plants; a couple of years ago I was looking for goldcrest foxglove and they not only were one of the few to carry it but it was a remarkably fair price for the plants and shipping.

Swallowtail Seeds and Select Seeds are both good vendors, I've found. I do wintersow and enjoy it a lot.

Plants are an addiction, aren't they??? I'm enjoying reading everyone's plant and seed sources. Gean

Christopher, when I wintersow I do not do it in situ. I purchase foil lasagna pans with plastic lids and sow my seeds into them. Cut drainage holes in bottom and slit plastic lid tops. They make miniature greenhouses. I had great success and super easy! I sowed on New Year's Day and will continue that as a tradition.
Also "seedaholic" on ebay sells interesting seeds, lots of them RHS "winners".
Susan

Also, I have ordered many dianthus and clematis from Joy Creek and they are AWESOME!
Susan

Just to add a little more about wintersowing - this is a method of starting seeds in a closed container outside in late winter, early spring. I like to sow seeds in January or February in plastic milk cartons; I like to use the milk jugs because I can take the cap off if the plants need air or put it back on if it gets colder. People up in the colder zones wintersow quite successfully from what I read. An advantage is that keeping the seed containers outside prevents damping off problems and the seeds in the zones I've tried it, 7 and 8, do germinate that early and grow. Sweet alyssum does beautifully this way; I've done hollyhocks, love in a mist, balloon flower, annual asters, a lot of things.

Gardenweb has a really active winter sowing forum for more info. I don't have a greenhouse, and this lets me start gardening even when it's too cold and rainy outside to do anything else. Up here, heat loving plants like tomatoes need lights but a lot of perennials and annuals do well germinated this way. I edge my beds with sweet alyssum and germinated in February or so they are ready to be planted in early spring. It is a lot of fun! Gean

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I forgot about Old House Gardens. They and John Scheepers are my favorite two sources for bulbs.

Forest Farm
Geraniaceae
Annie's Annuals
Select Seeds
Santa Rosa Gardens
Flowers by the Sea (incredible saliva collection!)
Las Pilitas (http://www.laspilitas.com/)
Larner Seeds (http://www.larnerseeds.com/)
Western Native Seeds (http://www.westernnativeseed.com/)

Melissa

Here is a link that might be useful: Flowers by the Sea

Curses! those Petunias look rather interesting, and I haven't seen climbing ones available here ...but Select seed doesn't ship overseas.
I have used Swallowtail, though, and can thoroughly recommend them both for variety of choice and promptness of delivery. Everything is very well packaged and they have great instructions on exact germination temp and method of starting off.

Many of the nurseries you listed and others suggested are the same vendors I use. And I look forward to investigating some of the other ones that are new to me.

Swallowtail is my primary seed source (I start hundreds of seeds every winter and spring in trays. I also like direct sowing in the fall.) I love Swallowtail and have always had good results with their seeds. I also like to order from Renee's Seeds (the Angel's Choir shirley poppy mix is very charming). And am trying a new vendor called Outside Pride because they seem to be more generous with the amount of seed they send and have some unique offerings I haven't seen elsewhere.

Van Engelen is the wholesale side of John Scheepers and that is where I go for bulbs. They offer a small selection of peonies as well.

C&T Iris Patch for iris.

I'm trying a couple of new plant vendors this spring. Digging Dog is the one I remember off-hand. They have an interesting selection of plants. I was drawn in by the geranium, campanula, and monkshood.

Companion Plants--lots of interesting stuff, well rooted plants shipped pretty cheap.

Swapping on GW's exchange pages--some fine plants shipped cheap & a wonderful source if you can meet up with someone in a similar climate zone. Also local swap listings. I went to my first one & came home with the most amazing things.

J. L. Hudson for seeds--worth ordering the catalog just for the exhaustive descriptions.

Wildseed--very, very fresh, high-germination on seeds that can be slow. Their flower fields are a sight to see if you're ever in cent. TX in spring. Acres & acres of blazing color.

And....it has begun. I took advantage of Bluestone Perennials' 50% off close-out sale on some of their to-be-discontinued varieties, and ordered some things for Spring. If anyone is looking for companion perennials, check out their sale items.

:-)

~Christopher

Here is a link that might be useful: 50% off sale at Bluestone Perennials

Campanula, you evil enabler you! It is not enough that we are rosaholics, now you want us to become seed addicts as well! My fridge has more seeds than food in it!

Alas, Thompson and Morgan in the USA is no longer a division of the fine old British company. The American division was sold a few years ago so some corporate entity, with the usual decline in quality and more than usual decline in service which tends to follow on such deals.

Landreth Seeds, for interesting Zinnias and bulbs.

Has anyone had any experience ordering from Hostas Direct? They also have heucheras. I'm a patient person, and actually prefer getting very young plants and letting them mature where they are to grow -- it also allows me to get more plants for the money. I'm planning to do a shady border on the side of my house.

:-)

~Christopher

Here is a link that might be useful: HostasDirect

In truth, Nastarana, T&M has gone off the boil here too - it has been years since I ordered from them....in fact, I now have a rough rule of thumb that the success of seed germination is in inverse proportion to the glossiness of their catalogue......in fact, I have been applying this rule right across the horticultural universe regarding everything from trees to tools (including certain rosy catalogues). When marketing has reached such a level, I tend to think certain priorities have changed.

Try the "locals": Well-Sweep Herb Farm and Rare Find Nursery.

I concur on Landreth. They have a booth at the NJ Flower and Garden Show every year, and it is the only place that I buy seeds.

Here is a link that might be useful: Well-Sweep Herb Farm

What a phenomenal list of sources, thanks everyone!

I mostly lurk around here, but I thought I would throw in a plug for my favorite nurseries that haven't already been been mentioned:

Digging Dog Nursery in Albion, CA
Morningsun Herb Farm in Vacaville, CA

Happy shopping!

I can only add a few that haven't already been mentioned.

Lazy S'S Farm Nursery (http://www.lazyssfarm.com/) - Rare & New plus Tried & True Perennials, Shrubs and Trees

Brushwood Nursery (http://www.gardenvines.com/shop/) for vines and climbers

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (http://www.southernexposure.com/) - Their selection of flower seeds is not very large, but they do carry the old fashioned vining petunias and a couple of unusual marigolds and cosmos that I like.

Rosy Dawn Gardens (http://www.rosydawngardens.com/default.aspx) for coleus plants. The duckfoot varieties India Frills and Inky Fingers are two of my favorites.

For herbs, Companion Plants in Athens, Ohio.

Cath