For seeds: The Hudson Valley Seed Library’s online catalog offers heirloom and open-pollinated vegetable, herb and flower seed varieties “rooted in the history and the soils of the northeast”. Novelties include: Hank's X-tra Special Baking Bean; King of the North, a rare red bell pepper specially suited to our region; and the HVSL’s own mesclun mix, Ultimate Salad Bowl: “This USB won't plug into any port on your laptop, but it will burst with flavor when you upload it into a big salad bowl.”

For seedlings: Silver Heights Farm sells certified organic heirloom & rare open pollinated vegetable transplants, culinary and medicinal herbs, and old-fashioned flower seedlings at the Greenmarket. You’ll find farmer Trina Pilonero there on Wednesdays and Saturdays from late April through mid-October with her handpicked selection of choice seedlings geared to the space-challenged urban gardener. See website for online catalog and additional locations.

For potting soil, compost & wormbins: The Lower East Side Ecology Center collects kitchen scraps from NYC residents four days a week at the Greenmarket and converts them into rich, fertile vermicompost. LESEC sells the compost at the Greenmarket along with their New York Paydirt Potting Soil, the ultimate ready-to-use growing mix. New York Paydirt contains coconut coir (a sustainable alternative to peat moss), vermicompost, perlite, green sand and black rock phosphate.