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Our Mission
Gaea's Blessing was established in Central Illinois with a mission to ensure that our future generations have access to a safe and stable source of sustenance and to share our love for gardening!
We take quality and freshness seriously!
All of our seed varieties are thoroughly vetted and selected based on cultural, environmental, and seasonal cues to meet the needs of growers of all types!
Grow with us!
Whether you are a commercial farmer or are a new grower, you can rest assured, we are committed to delivering quality, non-GMO seeds to our customers!
About our seeds
Always Fresh and Non-GMO
- We don't carry seeds over to the next year - we donate old seeds locally at the end of each growing season! You can rest assured our seeds are as fresh as possible!
- All of our seeds are Non-GMO!
Growing Tips Included
- We're happy to share our many years of knowledge of growing!
- Each packet of seeds from Gaea's Blessing comes with clear and concise tips as well as optimal conditions for planting so you won't be at a loss with how to grow your seeds!
Seed Saving
Also, did you know that fresh seeds can be kept for years when stored in cool and dry conditions? We know that you might not want to plant all of your seeds at once so we've included a labeled zip lock baggie for you to keep some seeds for the next growing season!
Sambucus canadensis - Non-GMO, Heirloom, Open-Pollinated, Untreated
About the American Black Elderberry
Also known as Common Elderberry or American Elderberry, this is a perennial, deciduous, multi-stemmed woody shrub that produces large flowers and is native to Eastern and Central North America and can be found throughout Canada and the US, from Nova Scotia all the way to Florida, and west into Iowa and Illinois. The berries of this American variety are considered to be equal to the European black elderberry in terms of taste and beneficial properties - a superfood and a great addition to any garden!
Elderberries are healthy and tasty!
What is cold stratification and why does it help?
Many wild plants - especially native varieties - have tougher outer coatings that help protect them from germinating too early in the spring or too late in the summer. These varieties re-seed naturally in the wild and stay dormant until the proper time for them to start sprouting. For home gardeners, this also means that the seeds can sometimes be trickier to plant in the spring and sowing the seeds without the proper preparation may yield less than stellar results.
But fortunately there are some steps that can be taken to simulate the winter conditions that these plant varieties need to break dormancy and improve germination rates for these varieties! Cold stratification is the most widely used method and it is easy, quick, and sure to help!
Here's how it can be done easily and with materials that are likely readily available in your kitchen!
- Soak your seeds in water for 1-2 hours.
- Use a paper towel or coffee filter to drain the water.
- Spread seeds out in a single layer on the paper towel.
- Wrap a dry paper towel around the damp paper towel to help keep things moist but not too wet (we don't want it to become moldy).
- Place in a zip lock bag and seal.
- Label the variety and date clearly on the bag.
- Place in the zip lock back the refrigerator for 1 month before planting. If seedlings start to sprout in the bag in the refrigerator, remove immediately and either plant in the ground or in pots until it’s time to plant outdoors
Note that for fall planting of native wildflowers or varieties that require cold stratification, this step isn’t necessary. Nature will do what it does best during the winter months and cold stratify the seeds for you - but if you are planning on starting these in the spring, cold stratification is highly recommended!
Rebecca
2025-07-26 17:42:01
Planted and doing pretty good so far. Keep in mind they take about 120 days to germinate. But they finally did start growing. Not quite ready to plant but will be putting them in the ground soon. Excited!!!
Corey Mars
2025-07-13 10:54:39
I counted over 20 seeds that already started to sprout! I put them all in a damp paper towels in a plastic baggy and put them in the fridge for about 5 months. Took them out to get them warmed up and then planted them in my compost and cow manure rich soil mixed. Put them in my window and they are doing wonderfully so far! I would have a lit more sprouts if it weren't for my son accidentally spilling almost half of my seed sprouts... but I still have a lot to share with friends and family. Very happy with this so far!
BuckarooDave
2025-06-16 16:58:14
I received my order by USPS in excellent condition and on time with proper instructions and Amazon should adjust my order status as received and 5 stars for your product and service.
S Moriarty
2025-05-29 14:22:36
Tried these 3 times, never grew at all.
Mitchell T.
2025-03-04 14:24:19
i have received this item i thank you so much
dragonmom
2025-02-09 13:38:03
Received in good shape
suziecue
2024-12-09 15:57:50
Shipping was very fast.USPS envelope was used, so no tracking, but didn't need tracking because it was so fast.
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