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
- Baker Creek
- Fedco Seeds
- High Mowing Seeds
- NE Seed
- Pinetree Gardens
- Seed Savers Exchange
- Sow True Seeds
- Territorial Seeds
Pages – -10 Points
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange’s (SESE) catalog is the first one I’ve reviewed that is shorter than 100 pages. What is wild is that I didn’t even notice that it was thinner than the other catalogs until I looked at the page total. It doesn’t feel thin or short on offerings, but regardless, it loses 10 points for it.
New Varieties – 2.5 Points
I could only find 5 new varieties being offered by SESE for 2026. There may be more, but only 5 were mentioned on their website’s homepage. There is no option to filter for new varieties.
Total Number of Seeds – 221 Points
For 2026, SESE is offering 672 vegetable, 108 flower, and 104 herb varieties for a total of 884.
Specialty Seeds – 3 Points
They feature three types of specialty seeds: All-American Selection seeds, Slow Foods’ Ark of Taste selections, and seeds that come from Small Eco Farms. I’ve written about All-American Selection seeds and the Ark of Taste varieties elsewhere, but the Small Eco Farms are often family-owned, while some are cooperatives.
Images – 1 Point
There is one image or piece of artwork for every variety offered.
Beauty – 10 Points
SESE’s catalog is beautiful and colorful. The images are crisp and do a great job of advertising the product. There are also numerous drawings throughout the catalog that perfectly complements the images. Finally, the back of the catalog highlights some of their seed packets, all of which feature original artwork rather than images.
Non-Seed Offerings – 3 Points
There are only three types of non-seed offerings featured in the catalog: Books, Garden Supplies, and Seed-Saving Supplies.
Unique Quality – 7 Points
If a score of 5 points is an average catalog, SESE’s catalog is above average but not the most unique. Its size is pretty standard (about the size of a magazine), and it uses newspaper-style paper. Its unique qualities are rooted in the blend of images and artwork as well as the color coding they use to separate sections on a page. It gives each page a clean look and helps the buyer to see orient themselves and know what category the seeds belong in.
How Is it Ordered/Organized? – 1 Point
The catalog is categorized into vegetables, flowers, and herbs, and then each category is alphabetized.
Review
I’m ashamed to say this, but I almost forgot to request SESE’s 2026 catalog. When I initially requested catalogs in November, their website mentioned that their catalog wouldn’t be shipped until late December, which is fine. But I also couldn’t find a place to sign up for the catalog, so I had to remember to circle back and make that request, which I failed to do until early January. My forgetfulness is not indicative of the company or their catalog. It’s beautiful, and like many of the other companies, place an emphasis on stewardship and the future. They do this through their work with Small Eco Farms as well as the feature of Slow Foods’ Ark of Taste selections.
But my favorite part is their work to end food insecurity. They promote planting extra seeds that can be set aside for donations to food pantries and other charities. They also work with Seed Programs International, which is committed to providing quality seeds to impoverished communities in developing nations. That mindset and dedication are important to us.
Back to the catalog. I love the seed varieties they sell. There is a focus on seeds that grow well in the South, which makes sense since SESE is located in Virginia, so some of the seeds can’t be grown in Western Pennsylvania, but there are a lot of unique seeds. I also love that they feature notes about how to cook and eat the vegetables. The catalog provides a lot of information, and I’m very excited to order from SESE.
One Rabbit Riot 