Seed of the Month VIP Club (San Diego Seed Company)

What's in the box: The name points to a monthly selection of seeds from the company's organic, heirloom, regionally adapted range, but the site's main pages do not list exact box contents.

San Diego Seed Company is a small seed producer and retailer serving Southern California and the American Southwest. Its Seed of the Month VIP Club is a recurring subscription that sends seeds from its catalog. The company's main selling point is regional adaptation. It sells organic, non-GMO, heirloom and untreated seeds grown locally, so the plants are better suited to the area's microclimates, drought conditions and local pests. That is the best reason to consider this club. If you garden in coastal or inland Southern California, Arizona or somewhere with similar conditions, seeds chosen for your climate can do better than generic national brands. The site's main pages say little about the club itself. Before you sign up, check how many packets arrive, how the varieties are chosen and whether you can skip or pause months. The wider store sells vegetable, fruit, flower and herb seeds plus rare seeds and bundles, which gives the club plenty to choose from. The company also offers a gardening blog, online courses, planting charts and a YouTube channel, which help newer growers. If you garden outside the Southwest, the regional focus matters less, because varieties suited to hot, dry conditions may not do as well in cooler or wetter places.