Ahead of the 2025 gardening season, one of my first posts on the blog was titled “Where to Buy Garden Seeds.” There was a heavy emphasis on the seed catalogs we requested, what we liked about each one, and the ones we purchased seeds from. This year, I’m doing things a bit differently by dedicating a post to each seed catalog. In each post, I’ll review the catalog, go over the things I like and dislike about it, and score the catalog. Here’s how I’m scoring all the catalogs.
Scoring Criteria
I’m going to be looking at the following areas and applying them to each catalog we receive:
- Number of pages – 1 point per page over 100 pages; minus-1 point per page under 100 pages.
- New varieties – 1/2 (.50) point for each new variety for 2026.
- Total number of seeds – 1/4 (.25) point per seed.
- Selection of “Specialty Seeds” – By “Specialty Seeds,” I mean any specially designated seeds that are separated from the other seeds. Examples are All-American Selections, Italian Gourmet, and Indigenous Royalties. – 1 point will be awarded for each specialty category.
- Images – 1 point if there is an image for every seed; 1/2 (.50) point if fewer.
- Non-Seed Offerings – 1 point for each category (fertilizers, seed-starting items, merchandise, weed control, pesticides, garden gear, etc.)
- How Is it Organized/Ordered? – 1 point if its order is a positive; minus-1 point if it’s a negative.
- Beauty – This is completely subjective, but it’s my way of determining if it’s aesthetically pleasing to look at. Does it include original artwork? Are the images crisp and clean? Is the text easy to read? A maximum of 10 points can be awarded.
- What Sets it Apart or Makes it Unique? – This is another subjective category. What about a catalog makes it stand out from the others? A maximum of 10 points can be awarded.
Links to Other Reviews
Pages – 75 Points
Fedco’s 2026 catalog is 175 pages.
New Varieties – 16 Points
They are offering 32 new varieties for 2026.
Total Number of Seeds – 415.75 Points
Fedco is offering 965 vegetable, 120 herb, and 578 flower seeds for a total of 1,663 varieties. That is the most seeds offered by any company this year, which shocked me. I expected Baker Creek to offer the most.
Specialty Seeds – 5 Points
Fedco sells seeds that include Indigenous Royalties, Black Benefit Sharing, Breeder Royalties, Independent Plant Breeders, and A Seed Without a Price. Fedco is dedicated to seed/plant freedom and independence, and they are open about which seeds include royalties going back to the breeder, farmer, or people group that developed the variety.
Images – .5 Points
Fedco doesn’t have any real images; however, they do have artwork that depicts the vegetable, but not every seed has a piece of art.
Beauty – 6 Points
The catalog has beautiful artwork, but there are no images, as mentioned above. Plus, the artwork is all in black and white, which makes it tough to know what the vegetables look like. I love the artwork, and we’ve used color pencils to colorize past catalogs, but the lack of colored images does make it more difficult to pick seeds.
Non-Seed Offerings – 14 Points
Fedco features non-seed offerings in the following categories: inoculants & probiotics, soil amendments & fertilizers, Fedco’s fertilizer mixes, compost & potting soil, mulches, fencing & netting, floating row covers, plant protection & plant control, seed starting, garden tools, orchard tools, drip irrigation, garden garb, and books.
Unique Quality – 10 Points
I think Fedco produces the most unique and interesting catalog of any company we buy from. It is printed on paper that feels like a newspaper, and the entire catalog looks like a mail order catalog that was sent out in the 1800s. If you’ve played Red Dead Redemption 2, envision the catalogs you buy things from in the stores. All the artwork is fun and stunning.
How Is it Ordered/Organized? – 1 Point
Fedco’s catalog is categorized by vegetables, herbs, and flowers with the varieties being alphabetized. Then, they go further and break down each seed variety in subcategories. For example, beans are broken down into bush (green, Roma, purple, wax), Bush haricots verts, shell and dry, pole, miscellaneous, lima, and soybeans.
Review
Fedco’s 2026 seed catalog lives up to expectations. It’s always one of the most beautiful catalogs that we receive, and it’s one we look forward to each year. It was not free, but at only $3, which also includes a $3 coupon that can be used when you place an order, it’s still a bargain. The seed artwork is as beautiful as it always is, and Fedco’s transparency about its stances on seed independence, breeder royalties, and more is always welcome. We love companies that care about gardeners and the preservation of seeds, which is certainly Fedco.
One Rabbit Riot 
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