As we head into a new year, and the New Year’s party dust settles, gardeners turn to garden planning for the year ahead. We take stock — what grew especially well last season, what earned a repeat spot, and what might be worth trying for the first time. Looking back at last year’s garden seed favorites and popular garden seeds gives us a clear picture of the varieties gardeners relied on most for flavor, productivity, and dependable results. We also have a list of great suggestions to try in the season ahead!
Here at the beginning of the year plans get ready to turn into action. Many of these popular garden seeds, especially tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and flowers, benefit from being started indoors or from indoor seed starting either now, or very soon. Getting seeds started early gives plants a strong foundation, spreads the work out before spring arrives, and helps ensure a smoother, more successful home garden growing season. Whether you’re restocking trusted favorites or adding a few heirloom picks for the year ahead, this is the perfect time to begin.
Table of Contents
Last Year’s Top 25 Garden Seed Favorites
Sunflower – Autumn Beauty
Autumn Beauty sunflowers stand out for their warm, earthy colors that feel like late summer and early fall rolled into one plant. Shades of bronze, gold, and deep red make them especially popular for cut flowers. They’re sturdy growers that bring height, movement, and a sense of abundance to the garden.
Lettuce – Green Ice
Green Ice lettuce has earned its place as a favorite because it stays crisp and mild even as temperatures fluctuate. The loose heads are easy to harvest leaf by leaf, making it a dependable choice for steady salads. It’s one of those popular garden seeds that performs quietly and consistently.
Summer Squash – Black Beauty Zucchini
Black Beauty zucchini is a classic for good reason. The plants are vigorous, the fruits are smooth and dark, and the flavor is familiar and dependable. Gardeners like knowing they can count on this variety to keep producing when cared for properly.
Carrot – Little Fingers
Little Fingers carrots are small, tender, and naturally sweet. They mature earlier than many larger carrots, which makes them especially appealing for quick harvests and fresh snacking. Their manageable size and uniform shape keep them popular with families and container gardeners alike.
Sweet Pepper – Rainbow Bell Blend
This blend brings color and variety to the garden in one planting. Gardeners enjoy watching the peppers mature into different shades, each offering mild sweetness and crisp texture. It’s a favorite garden seed choice for those who like a little surprise at harvest time.
Summer Squash – Early Prolific Straightneck
Early Prolific Straightneck lives up to its name, producing early and often. The yellow fruits are tender when young and versatile in the kitchen. Many gardeners appreciate how forgiving this variety is, even when conditions aren’t perfect.
Lettuce – Buttercrunch
Buttercrunch remains one of the most beloved lettuces for its soft texture and gentle flavor. It forms tidy heads and resists bitterness longer than many types. This is one of those garden seed favorites that rarely disappoints.
Cucumber – Spacemaster 80 Bush
Spacemaster eighty bush cucumbers offer full-sized fruits on compact plants. They’re ideal for small gardens, raised beds, and containers, without sacrificing yield. Gardeners appreciate getting crisp cucumbers without vines taking over the garden.
Marigold – Sparky Mix
Sparky Mix marigolds are cheerful, reliable, and easy to grow. They bloom generously and hold up well through heat and changing weather. These flowers are popular year after year for their usefulness and bright presence.
Carrot – Danvers 126
Danvers one two six carrots are dependable performers, especially in heavier soils. They produce strong, well-shaped roots with good flavor. This variety has earned its reputation as a reliable workhorse in home gardens.
Spinach – Bloomsdale Long Standing
Bloomsdale long standing spinach offers thick, textured leaves with classic spinach flavor. It handles cooler weather well and resists bolting better than many older types. Gardeners continue to choose it for consistent spring and fall harvests.
Dill – Bouquet
Bouquet dill is widely loved for its fragrance and flavor. It produces plenty of leafy growth and attractive seed heads, making it useful throughout the season. It’s one of those popular garden seeds that feels essential once you’ve grown it.
Spinach – Giant Noble
Giant Noble spinach made a strong showing as a newer variety. Its large, smooth leaves are tender and easy to prepare. Gardeners liked its steady growth and versatility in the kitchen.
Bean – Blue Lake Bush 274
Blue Lake bush two seven four continues to rank high because it’s dependable and productive. The plants stay compact, and the beans are tender with excellent flavor. It’s a variety many gardeners plant year after year without hesitation.
Cantaloupe – Hale’s Best Jumbo
Hale’s Best Jumbo produces large melons with rich aroma and sweet orange flesh. When given warmth and space, it rewards gardeners with classic cantaloupe flavor that’s hard to beat.
Winter Squash – Waltham Butternut
Waltham butternut squash stores well and develops deeper flavor over time. The vines are productive, and the squash is versatile in cooking. It’s consistently one of the best-selling squash varieties for good reason.
Cucumber – Boston Pickling
Boston pickling cucumbers are crisp, uniform, and dependable. They’re a natural choice for pickling and fresh eating alike. Many gardeners grow them specifically for preserving traditions.
Corn – Golden Bantam Improved
Golden Bantam improved brings rich, old-fashioned corn flavor to the garden. It’s well-suited to home growing and continues to appeal to gardeners who value taste over novelty.
Beet – Detroit Dark Red
Detroit dark red beets are smooth, deeply colored, and flavorful. Both roots and greens are useful, making this a practical choice for a wide range of garden styles.
Basil – Italian Large Leaf
Italian large leaf basil produces generous foliage with strong aroma and classic basil flavor. It’s easy to harvest and well-loved by cooks who want reliable fresh basil throughout the season.
Watermelon – Sugar Baby
Sugar Baby watermelons are compact, early, and consistently sweet. Their smaller size makes them manageable, while the deep red flesh delivers true watermelon flavor.
Broccoli – DeCicco
DeCicco broccoli produces multiple side shoots, allowing for extended harvests. Gardeners appreciate its steady production and tender texture.
Tomato – Beefsteak Red
Red beefsteak tomatoes are valued for their size and meaty texture. They’re excellent slicers and remain a favorite for sandwiches and fresh meals.
Tomato – Heirloom Rainbow Blend
This blend offers diversity in color, shape, and flavor. Each plant brings something a little different, which keeps harvests interesting and visually appealing.
Onion – Red Burgundy
Red Burgundy onions are mild, attractive, and versatile. They’re useful fresh or stored and remain a steady favorite among popular garden seeds.
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25 Heirloom Picks for the Year Ahead
Looking ahead to the growing season, these heirloom picks for the year ahead reflect both longtime favorites and varieties that are gaining attention as gardeners plan ahead. Some offer familiar, reliable performance, while others bring a chance to try something a little different in the home garden. Together, they make a thoughtful mix for gardeners who enjoy growing dependable vegetables, herbs, and flowers alongside a few new selections.
Arugula – Roquette
Roquette arugula brings a lively, peppery bite to salads and sandwiches. It’s rich in vitamins A, C, and K, along with calcium and iron. Fast-growing and easy to harvest, it’s a great way to add both nutrition and flavor early in the season.
Bean – Roma II
Roma two beans are wide, flat, and full of rich flavor. The plants are productive and dependable, making them one of our favorite heirloom picks for the year ahead.
Beet – Ruby Queen
Ruby Queen beets have a smooth, slender shape that makes preparation easy. Their consistent size and deep color make them especially appealing for canning and preserving.
Broccoli – Romanesco
Romanesco stands out with its striking, geometric heads and mild, nutty flavor. It’s both productive and visually impressive, making it a conversation piece in the garden.
Cabbage – Golden Acre
Golden Acre cabbage matures early and forms compact heads. It’s a practical choice for smaller gardens and offers crisp texture with reliable performance.
Cantaloupe – Green Nutmeg
Green Nutmeg is an old-fashioned cantaloupe with unique flavor and aroma. Gardeners enjoy its traditional character and manageable fruit size.
Carrot – Scarlet Nantes
Scarlet Nantes carrots are nearly coreless, smooth, and naturally sweet. They’ve been trusted by gardeners for generations and remain a top heirloom pick.
Collards – Morris Heading
Morris Heading collards produce thick, tender leaves and tolerate cooler weather well. They’re flavorful and dependable, especially for extended harvests.
Corn – Stowell’s Evergreen
Stowell’s Evergreen is valued for holding sweetness longer than many varieties. It’s a late-season favorite with dependable performance.
Cucumber – Straight Eight
Straight Eight cucumbers are uniform, crisp, and reliable. They’re easy to grow and work well for slicing and fresh use.
Eggplant – Florida Market
Florida Market eggplant handles heat well and produces glossy fruits with good flavor. It’s a strong choice for warm climates.
Flower – Zinnia – California Giant Mix
California Giant zinnias produce large, bold blooms on tall plants. They’re easy to grow and excellent for cutting.
Ground Cherry – Cape Gooseberry
Cape gooseberries produce small, sweet fruits tucked inside papery husks. They’re fun to grow and offer a unique, dessert-like flavor.
Herb – Borage
Borage adds beauty and usefulness with its blue flowers and mild cucumber-like taste. It’s easygoing and rewarding to grow.
Herb – Chives
Chives are reliable, long-lived herbs that return year after year. They offer gentle onion flavor and are easy to harvest as needed.
Kale – Siberian
Siberian kale is tender, mild, and cold-tolerant. It’s a good introduction to kale for gardeners who prefer softer leaves.
Lettuce – Green Salad Bowl
Green Salad Bowl produces loose, frilly leaves that can be harvested repeatedly. It’s quick-growing and dependable.
Microgreens
Microgreens are an easy way to try something new. Almost any variety works, and the quick harvests keep gardening exciting.
Pea – Sugar Lace II
Sugar Lace two peas produce long, sweet pods on compact vines. They’re excellent for fresh snacking and light cooking.
Sweet Pepper – Big Red
Big Red peppers mature to a deep red and deliver full, rich sweetness. They’re productive and satisfying to grow.
Winter Squash – Delicata
Delicata squash is manageable in size, rich in flavor, and easy to prepare. It stores well and cooks beautifully.
Swiss Chard – Ruby Red
Ruby Red chard offers vibrant stems and tender leaves. It’s productive and visually striking in the garden.
Tomato – Brandywine Pink
Brandywine Pink is famous for its rich, old-fashioned flavor. The large, rosy fruits are juicy and complex, making it a favorite for gardeners who grow tomatoes for taste above all else.
Watermelon – Crimson Sweet
Crimson Sweet produces large, striped melons with bright red flesh and excellent sweetness. It’s a dependable choice for summer harvests.
From Favorites to New Finds
Choosing seeds is one of the most enjoyable parts of gardening, and the varieties listed here have earned their place through reliable performance and lasting appeal. Looking back at last year’s most popular garden seed favorites reminds us how much satisfaction comes from growing varieties that simply do well. Looking ahead to this year’s new heirloom picks opens the door to trying something a little different, whether that’s a classic and flavorful tomato like Brandywine Pink, a dependable and delicious carrot like Scarlet Nantes, or even starting a tray of microgreens on a windowsill for the first time.
This time of year is when gardens quietly begin, with seeds started indoors, plans taking shape, and anticipation building. Whether you’re returning to trusted favorites or adding a few new varieties to the mix, a thoughtful start now can make the growing season ahead feel easier, fuller, and more rewarding.
What are your thoughts? Drop a comment below!
FAQ:
What does this list represent?
It highlights varieties that gardeners relied on most last season because they performed well, tasted good, and produced dependable harvests.
How were these varieties selected?
They were chosen based on consistent popularity, repeat planting, and reliable results across a wide range of home gardens.
Are these good choices for beginners?
Yes. Many of the varieties listed are easy to grow and forgiving, making them well-suited for gardeners who are just getting started.
Why include both last year’s favorites and new selections?
Looking back shows what worked, while new selections give gardeners a chance to try something different without taking unnecessary risks.
Can these be grown in small gardens or containers?
Several of the varieties are well-suited to raised beds, compact spaces, and container growing, especially bush types and loose-leaf crops.
Is this a good time of year to plan and start seeds?
Yes. Late winter and early spring are ideal for planning, starting certain crops indoors, and preparing for the upcoming season.
Do these varieties work well for preserving and storage?
Many of them are commonly grown for freezing, canning, or long-term storage, including beans, squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
Are these selections focused more on yield or flavor?
They strike a balance, offering dependable production while still delivering good taste.
Can these be grown alongside other varieties in the same garden?
Absolutely. Mixing proven selections with other favorites or new trials is a common and effective approach.
Why review popular varieties at the beginning of the year?
This is when gardeners naturally plan, order seeds, and prepare for the growing season ahead, making it the best time to reflect and prepare.
