Growing your own is always one of the best strategies to employ when moving to a more sustainable way of life. Gardening subscription boxes make it easier for anyone to make a start along this journey. But since gardening is an ever more popular pastime, the options have proliferated to an astonishing degree. So how do you decide which one is best for you?

Whether you have a massive garden, a tiny plot, or even just some space on a sunny windowsill, gardening subscription boxes can be a great option. These boxes help by delivering the things you need, when you need them, the best gardening subscription boxes make it so easy to do the right thing.

But we here at Treehugger know that not all gardening subscription boxes are quite as green as they may at first appear. By looking at sustainability issues such as organic production and plastic use, we’ve collated this list of some of the options you might like to consider.

We’ve focused on options that will allow you to start growing at least some of your own food. Continue below to see our top picks.

The 5 Best Gardening Subscription Boxes of 2022

  • Seed Bank Box (US)
  • Seedle (Australia)
  • Urban Organic Gardener (US)
  • Bloomin’ Bin (US)
  • Seed Pantry (UK)

Seed Bank Box (US)

If you are an urban gardener looking for a wide range of organic, heirloom, GMO-free seeds to grow in your garden, Seed Bank Box’s monthly subscription program is our top pick. Each month, for $27.95, they send out a selection of eight to 10 types of seeds to allow you to grow edible plants. Pay ahead for six months or yearly plans and you’ll receive discounts and pay less overall. Shipping is free.

Within your box each month, you’ll find root vegetables, fruits, vines, leafy greens, edible flowers, and more. There is a varied and extremely interesting selection, including rare heirloom varieties you won’t usually find in the store. Note—depending on your climate, you may have to wait to plant the seeds you are given in a certain month. But the curator will help you discover new options you might not have considered for your garden.

The packaging is pleasing, and while there are plastic baggies, these are kept to a minimum. You’ll also receive information and planting instructions so you’ll know exactly what to do. Seeds are all you get, so you’ll need to have a growing medium and containers ready. 

Seedle (Australia)

For Australian growers, Seedle is your chance to get great heirloom seeds each and every month. There is an option to choose between regular boxes or kid-specific monthly packs. Each month, you’ll receive three new organic, heirloom seed varieties that have been chosen specifically for your climate region and which you can sow straight away. Kids’ packs have two types of seeds, plus activity ideas tailored to inquisitive, young minds.

You’ll also receive a range of information about what you will be growing and how to do so, including plenty of tips to help you make the most of your new garden. And at just $9 a month for the regular boxes and $7 for the kids’ boxes, we think this is one of the better value options out there.

Treehugger readers will also surely like the paper and card packaging, as well as the organic, heirloom seeds. 

Urban Organic Gardener (US)

The Urban Organic Gardener seed club is a monthly seed club that delivers everything you need to begin your own organic garden. Each month, you will receive a specially curated selection of seeds customized to your garden, to the time of year, and to your own particular needs and preferences. You can get a monthly mystery option from $5 a month. And for $15, you can enjoy Pro Membership which includes five seed sections.

What we particularly like about this company is that they offer high quality, 100% organic, GMO-free, heirloom seeds. They also offer all essential indoor seed starting supplies—including expanding seed starting pods, plant labels, and Epsom salts. If you are passionate about organic growing but unsure about exactly what to grow and when, then this subscription box is an excellent choice. They’ll ask you some questions about your garden when you order so they can tailor selections to suit you and your space.

Urban Organic Gardener’s choice of organic, heirloom seeds definitely fits in with the Treehugger ethos. If they had plastic-free packaging, we’d consider them the perfect choice. 

Bloomin’ Bin (US)

Bloomin’ Bin is another seed subscription service that always tries to send boxes with organic, non-GMO seeds. Based out of Austin, Texas, this company offers a great curated selection each month. There are a number of different options available for your monthly gardening subscription. You can choose seeds only, starting around $5 a month, or upgrade to decide whether you receive a flower or fruit/vegetable option, or both.

One thing we would mention about the box options is that there is a lot of plastic packaging, and laminated instructions don’t add to sustainability. But if you want a good, interesting selection of seeds to get started, we’d recommend the seeds only option. 

Seed Pantry (UK)

If you are reading this from the UK, you should know that you also have options when it comes to sustainable gardening subscription boxes. What we love about this grow club is that you can customize your box to suit your own garden and preferences. There are a wide variety of flowers, herbs, fruits, and vegetables to choose from for year-round growing, and you can make your choices from the seasonal selections each month. You may also find some interesting new options that would not have occurred to you if you were simply growing on your own.

There are two options—one for small space gardeners, priced at £12.99 a month, and one for bigger gardens or allotments, priced at £19.99. With the former, you can select six types of seed. With the latter, you can choose 10. You can then have your selections delivered to your door each month, and follow the easy grow guides for each month/season to get your garden growing.

Treehugger readers will no doubt want to opt for a selection of edibles and flowering plants to move closer to a self-reliant way of life and to attract plenty of beneficial wildlife to their gardens. Having such a broad choice can help you add biodiversity to your garden. 

Methodology

When collating the list above, we tried to include options for growers in all areas. Of course, for sustainability, it will always be best to select options that don’t have to travel too far to reach you. Try to find an option that delivers from as close to home as possible.

We’ve taken into account pricing and reviews. But most importantly, we’ve tried to source the options that are kindest to this planet we call home. We’ve looked at the seeds that are offered and whether they are organic and heirloom, non-GMO options. We’ve looked at whether the offerings are seasonal and tailored to your climate and conditions. And we’ve thought about packaging and waste.

If you are tentatively taking your first steps towards growing a home-grown diet, it is best to take things slowly. While, of course, you could always simply source your own seeds and other resources, gardening subscription boxes can help give focus if you are feeling overwhelmed.

Remember, if you choose an option with open-pollinated, heirloom seeds, you will be able to save your own seeds in the future. So you could consider a gardening subscription box as a short term investment. It could help you build the skills you need and ultimately lead to years of future self-sufficiency in your garden.