Whether you are a seasoned gardener or preparing your first garden, it all starts with choosing the right seeds. With seed packets readily available at big box retail stores and garden centers across the country, you may be feeling overwhelmed. Where do you start?
In this guide, I am going to look specifically at Burpee, a well-known seed company. Originally formed in 1876, the company has long earned its reputation for providing high-quality seeds and gardening tools, shipping right from the United States. Let’s look at some gardening tips and tricks to help you create a garden that you can be proud of. We will also share our choices for the top 5 Burpee seeds and products.
The Backyard Boss Top Burpee Seeds for 2021
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Why You Can Trust Us
An avid gardener, I take pride in having a vegetable garden that provides my husband and I with many herbs and vegetables that we can use throughout the year. I started with just a few small plants purchased at a local garden center and quickly progressed to starting my garden from seed to control the health of my seedlings while also saving money.
During this progression in my gardening, I have had the opportunity to research and learn from other gardeners that I looked up to. It provided me with a wealth of knowledge about which products are worth the investment, how to start my seeds effectively, and more. I have taken this knowledge and combined it with the expertise of the Backyard Boss team to put together a resource to help you create your dream garden.
Best Overall Seed Kit
This collection of 10 different seed packets includes all the most popular direct sow seeds to kickstart your garden.
- Direct sow for minimal work getting started
- Includes a variety of different types of seeds including vegetables, herbs and sunflowers
- Price includes just the seeds, no additional supplies for your gardening efforts
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Why We Like It: Unlike most of the other seed kits offered by Burpee, the Garden Sown kit doesn’t focus specifically on vegetable gardens versus flower gardens.
Instead, the expert team at Burpee has taken the time to carefully select the best direct sow seeds of different varieties to create a full garden experience in a single seed kit. This kit includes lettuce, cucumber, squash, sunflower, marigold, basil, spinach, and kale. As with all seeds from Burpee, these seeds are carefully packed to ensure the best quality and backed by the Burpee Pledge for quality.
While this kit only contains seeds, no additional gardening supplies, this shouldn’t hold you back in getting started with your garden. The fact that all seeds in the kit are direct sow seeds means that you don’t need to start them indoors. Instead, the seeds are planted directly into your outdoor garden eliminating the need for seed starter trays, pots, and more.
Who Should Buy It: If you are a newer gardener looking to create a garden that incorporates different types of plants, this seed kit is a great starting point.
Best Herb Seeds
This culinary herb starter kit contains everything that you need to start your own herb garden, including seeds for Burpee’s 5 most popular herbs.
- Includes everything that you need in a single kit
- Easy instructions for first-time gardeners
- Some consumers report that the pots are flimsy, requiring an additional pot to provide added support
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Why We Like It: Designed specifically to create an herb garden packed with popular herbs for cooking and creating an impressive presentation with your dishes, the Burpee Culinary Herb Starter Kit is a one-stop-shop.
Not only does this kit include the seeds for 5 highly popular herbs, but it also contains 5 biodegradable pots, 5 expanding coir pellets, and 5 plant markers. It means that you have everything you need to plant and grow your herbs in a single box. The kit includes sweet basil, parsley, cilantro, dill, and chives.
The biodegradable pots included in the kit are not designed to break down quickly. Therefore, if you’re looking for pots that will serve just as a starting point, planting the whole pot in the garden as they start to outgrow it, these pots are not the ideal solution. The included rice hull pots are designed to last for a full growing season or longer. It means they are designed for longer-term use as a pot for those that are interested in keeping their herbs potted.
Who Should Buy It: Foodies that are interested in starting their herb garden to provide fresh herbs for their passion for food should consider the Burpee Culinary Herb Starter Kit.
Best Flower Seeds
Create a beautiful garden with this mix of brightly colored and easy to grow flowers from well-known seed and gardening brand Burpee.
- Includes a variety of different flowers in different shades for the perfect bouquet mix
- Attracts pollinators including butterflies and bees
- Price includes just the seeds, no additional supplies for you gardening efforts
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Why We Like It: While most of the items on this list are focused on growing healthy vegetables and herbs, there is another aspect of gardening that deserves mention.
Flower gardens are a beautiful way to boost your home’s curb appeal, add color to your outdoor space and attract local pollinators to your garden space. If that is your goal, the Bouquet for You Flower Collection is the perfect solution. These seeds are backed by the Burpee Pledge, guaranteeing that they are of the best quality.
In this seed kit, you will find 10 different seed packets, including zinnia, cosmos, sunflower, snapdragon, celosia, statice, and gomphrena. For those that are newer to gardening or unfamiliar with these varieties, this list includes focal flowers, spikes, globes, and whimsical sprays in a range of red, pink, purple, orange, yellow, and white. While planted, they will attract bees and butterflies to your garden. Cut your flowers to create a beautiful bouquet to display indoors.
Who Should Buy It: First-time flower gardeners or those that are interested in starting an easy flower garden without having to choose the right mix of flowers to create a cohesive look, should consider the Bouquet for You Flower Collection.
Best Vegetable Seeds
This complete garden kit includes 25 different seed packets, providing you with everything necessary to start your garden and grow your own food.
- With 25 different seed packets, it includes a wide variety of different vegetables and herbs
- Includes essential salad garden vegetables, heirloom tomatoes, and herbs for growing all seasons
- Price includes just the seeds, no additional supplies for your gardening efforts
- Wide variety of different vegetables require some basic gardening knowledge to know how to start each properly
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Why We Like It: With 25 different vegetables and herbs, the Burpee Wellness Garden Collection provides a wide variety of popular options for fresh eating.
It includes lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, kale, radishes, basil, cilantro, chives, and more. The selection is carefully chosen by the experts at Burpee to provide you with a solid foundation for growing your food, including essential salad garden vegetables, heirloom tomatoes, and classic culinary herbs that can be grown throughout all seasons. The included Heirloom San Marzano, and Amish Paste tomatoes are a great option for canning and storage, extending the benefits of your vegetable garden past the growing season.
Before planting, you will need to take the time to read the instructions carefully on each seed packet as, unlike the Burpee Garden Sown Collection, this kit includes an assortment of different plants, each with its unique growing requirements. You will also need to invest in any additional tools necessary to start seeds that are started indoors, such as pots and seed starter trays.
Who Should Buy It: Gardeners interested in growing their food at home will find that the Burpee Wellness Garden Collection will provide them with the perfect foundation to start their garden and begin this lifestyle.
Best Seed Starting System
This self-watering seed starting kit will help you to start your seeds off successfully by providing continuous soil hydration, improving germination, and reducing the need for frequent watering.
- Includes 72 natural coconut fiber Super Growing Pellets for improved germination
- Clear greenhouse dome creates the optimal growing environment while allowing you to see progress
- Self-watering mat waters up to 10 days
- Kit includes everything that you need for starting seeds, however, will require the purchase of the seeds themselves
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Why We Like It: The Burpee brand is well known for its high-quality, GMO-free seeds. However, the product line also includes many of the tools needed to get your seeds started properly and boost your chances of success.
One such product is the Burpee Self-Watering 72 Cell Seed Starting Kit. This seed starting system may look simple, but it provides many great benefits making it easier than ever to grow strong, healthy seedlings to kickstart your garden.
The kit comes with 1 clear greenhouse dome, 2 planting trays (36 cells each), 1 self-watering mat, 2 plant stands, 1 watering tray, 2 plant-o-grams, 1 soil mixer, and 72 Burpee Super Growing Pellets. When properly assembled, the self-watering mat will last up to 10 days for all 72 cells combined. Not only does this cut down on the work that’s required to start your garden, but it also provides your seedlings with continuous soil hydration and improves germination.
Who Should Buy It: The Burpee Self-Watering 72 Cell Seed Starting Kit is a tool that all gardeners should consider when starting their seeds indoors.
How to Direct Sew Your Seeds
Image Credits: Hans on Pixabay
If you are intrigued by the idea of direct sowing, you’re in luck. There are a wide variety of vegetables and other plants that can be started directly in your garden bed, skipping the process of starting your seeds indoors. It is recommended for salad greens (like lettuce, spinach, and kale), cucumbers, radishes, carrots, and beets.
To begin, you need to prepare your garden bed to make it easier for your seeds to take root. Hard-packed soils can stunt the growth of your plants or even prevent them from growing at all. Take the time to work the soil in your garden bed by breaking it up and making it lose. It is also a great time to remove any weeds from the garden, including the full root to prevent regrowth.
Now, it’s time to sow! Create a shallow trench in your garden. For the exact depth suggestions, look at your seed packet, as every plant is different. These instructions will also give you directions as to how far apart your seeds should be when planted. Once they are placed in the trench, cover it with soil and mark the row to remind yourself of what has been planted moving forward.
Water the area carefully to prevent disrupting the soil and your freshly planted seeds, as well as to avoid overwatering and drowning your seeds. Moving forward, you want to ensure that the soil stays moist but not wet. If necessary, put up protective fencing to prevent pets or animals from walking through the garden bed and trampling your seedlings. Before you know it, you’ll have seedlings breaking through the soil!
Seed Starting Indoors
If you are interested in starting your seeds indoors, the first step is to create the perfect environment. You want to find somewhere in your home where there is a lot of light and warmth, recognizing that natural light from your windows may not be enough, depending on where you live. Consider adding fluorescent lights to improve lighting and encourage better growth.
You also want to be aware of the temperature of the room in which you are starting your seeds. While many seeds can flourish in sub-optimal temperatures, the ideal temperature according to most experts is approximately 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
There are many great seed starting kits out there are designed to provide your seeds and seedlings with the space that they need to germinate and grow. Our recommendation is the Burpee Self-Watering 72 Cell Seed Starting Kit that was included on our list. However, there are many options available. You want to find a starting kit that provides enough space for your seedlings, as well as the necessary water and air to encourage healthy growth.
For more information, check out this short video from Burpee:
Storing Your Seed Packets
If you have already purchased seed packets in the past, then you know that they often contain far more seeds than are needed for a single garden. Most gardeners have a container, jar, or Ziplock bag full of seeds stashed away somewhere. However, there is a proper way to store your seeds from year to year.
A seed bank is a collection of different seeds and varieties with the hope of preserving the best genetic material of a certain plant species. While there are approximately 1,700 gene banks worldwide, you can start a seed bank of your own at home.
Most seed varieties are good for three or four years, allowing you to take note of the seeds that produce the healthiest plants and carry them over from year to year.
To prevent your seeds from being damaged from year to year, you want to save them in an airtight jar or tin, protecting them from both light and moisture. Keep your seeds in the original packet within this container to make it easier to identify them from one another.
Store your seed container in a cool area of the home, such as a basement or cool pantry. Adding rice or powdered milk to the container before storing it will help to remove any excess moisture.
If you are interested in connecting with other gardeners in the area, consider starting a community seed bank. It allows you and your neighbors to all contribute to a central seed bank, creating a local supply for you and your neighbors to continue your gardening efforts year after year.
Image Credits: jag2020 on Pixabay
How We Picked
As mentioned, there are A LOT of different seed options currently available on the market. Considering the market, how do you identify products that stand out above the rest? The first step was to identify a company that produced high-quality, reliable products that we knew that we could count on. With so many years of experience, there is no questioning the fact that Burpee has proven to be that company for many gardeners across the United States.
From there, we looked at the large list of different seeds offered by Burpee, including both seed kits and individual seed packets. We chose to share seed kits because the knowledgeable people at Burpee have already paired these seeds up for best results, saving you a step. That being said, you can also purchase an individual plant or seed packet for any of the vegetables, flowers, herbs, or fruits that the company offers, and we are sure that you will be happy with the result!
Choosing the Best Burpee Seeds for Your Garden
The first question that you need to ask yourself when starting your garden is whether you are interested in focusing on vegetables, herbs, flowers, or a combination of the three. From here, look at the work that you are prepared to put into your garden. Are you interested in starting your garden from seeds indoors, replanting to the garden itself when the time is right? If not, would you be more comfortable sticking to direct sow seeds that go straight into the garden with no advance work? Be honest with yourself!
Finally, don’t forget to look at your personal preferences! Take note of your favorite vegetables and the flowers that catch your eye when walking past your local florist or garden center. After all, if you’re doing the work, you want to make sure that you’ll enjoy it.
Here at Backyard Boss, we named the Burpee Garden Sown Collection as the best overall seed kit. This kit is an excellent starting point for newer gardeners or those interested in trying a different form of gardening, including vegetables, herbs, and flowers in one convenient package. They are also direct sow seeds, eliminating the extra work and making it even easier to see results.
Whatever you choose, don’t forget to enjoy your gardening. It is a popular hobby because so many people find it relaxing and stress-relieving. Even if things aren’t quite going according to plan, be flexible. It will all work out in one way or another, or you’ll have a great learning experience to reflect on!