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Kings Seeds is a New Zealand owned, family business.
Owned by Barbara and Gerard Martin for over 20 years, the essence of the business hasn’t changed since its inception by Ross King in 1978. Gerard and Barbara have grown the business to be a household name throughout New Zealand and a key supporter of the local Katikati community. As Barbara and Gerard’s own family has grown with the advent of grandchildren they look to progress into their retirement and enable the next generation to continue their work.
Charlotte Connoley co-owner and General Manager was brought into the business with her husband Rob and young family of three boys. From a farming background in the Hakataramea Valley, Charlotte has over 20 years’ experience in the seed industry and a desire to continue to build on the key vision set by the business over 45 years ago – making growing from seed accessible to everyone.
Where possible the business works with other family-owned seed breeders and producers globally to retain a vast assortment of modern and heirloom varieties to satisfy every gardener and grower. New Zealand sourced seed is preferential where it can be obtained with around 10% of the range coming from seed producers in New Zealand or our own seed productions.
Ross King, founder of the company, was inspired in his lifelong love of herbs by Carmel Hare and Gillian Painter, both noted herbalists. Ross began Kings Seeds by selling herb plants from his backyard before quickly realising that there was demand for herb seed nationwide. The first Kings Seeds catalogue was produced in 1979 with 24 pages listing 65 herbs and flowers, 8 vegetables and 170 herb plants.
In the early 1980’s Ross and his wife, Glenys, started a retail shop on Great North Road. The building with its unique Tudor style became a landmark and remains there today. The shop sold dried flowers, pot pourri, essential oils, gifts, books, seeds and plants with the mail order operation working in tandem. By the early 1990’s a garden was added along with a café serving Devonshire teas whilst the reputation of Kings Seeds continued to grow.
It was about this time that Ross and Gerard Martin were to meet. Gerard called into the Avondale shop and became yet another recipient of Ross’s vast knowledge and more importantly, a friend. Ross & Glenys worked hard to build Kings Seeds into a household name with an extensive range from the standard to the weird and wonderful and after 21 years it was time for a change.
In February 1999, Gerard and Barbara Martin bought the Kings Seeds mail order operation. Gerard a flower grower and Barbara a teacher. The business was relocated to Katikati where the appeal of the Bay of Plenty climate had drawn Gerard and Barbara.
Under Gerard and Barbara’s guidance the business has grown to offer a huge assortment of flower, herb, vegetable, sprouting, microgreen and lifestyle seed to home gardeners and commercial growers throughout New Zealand. We aim to introduce new varieties to our assortment every year and in all we maintain approximately 1000 varieties. Our seed packets are all hand packed and we focus on outstanding customer service and knowledgeable gardening advice for our many customers.
Our organic journey began back in 2000, when Kings Seeds was the first company to introduce organically grown and internationally certified seed to the New Zealand home garden market.
At first our organic range was small, limited to just 14 varieties which continued to grow each year with the requirement for a dedicated organic section in our catalogue.
In 2013 we recognised the importance of becoming a New Zealand certified supplier of organic seed and became BioGro NZ accredited. BioGro accreditation gives our customers complete assurance that our products and systems are certified to the highest organic standard.
Now the largest supplier of organically certified seed in New Zealand with over 100 varieties, we continue to look at how we can continue to grow the range.
We’d love to know what other organic varieties you would like us to source for our range so send us a message info@kingsseeds.co.nz
Achillea Pastel Fruits
Colourful range of Yarrow in shades of Red, Rose, Pink, Yellow and White. Great for cut
Acroclinium Summer Giants
Easy care everlasting flower for the summer picking garden. In colours of Rose, Rose Re
Alexanders
An ancient herb also known as Wild Celery, Black Lovage and Horse Parsley (horses love
Alyssum Carpet of Snow
Popular White flowering ground cover for edging, filling gaps between pavers or growing
Alyssum Mountain Gold
A popular spring flowering rocky garden ground cover bursting forth with a mass of Gold
Amaranth Green & Red
Chinese Spinach. The green leaves which are blotched with red have a flavour described
Amaranth Mekong Red
Very useful red leafed Amaranth with broad dented leaves adding vivid colour to salad m
Amaranthus Hot Biscuits
Unique Golden Brown upright Amaranthus brings a textural quality to the cutting garden.
Amaranthus Mira
A unique bicolour Amaranthus that produces gorgeous cascading tassels that are mottled
Amaranthus Velvet Curtains
Exotic looking award winning (RHS) Amaranthus with erect dark Crimson plumes and stunni
Anise
The whole plant has a fragrant sweet smell. Grown usually for its seeds which are used
Anthriscus Ravenswing
Bronze Purple form of Anthriscus similar but different to Queen Anne's Lace. This elega
Aquilegia Tequila Sunrise
Attractive Orange and Gold long spurred Aquilegia often flowering the first year from s
Aquilegia Yellow Star
An early blooming and free flowering heat tolerant Aquilegia bearing large yellow flowe
Asparagus 157 F1
Widely planted market Asparagus and an industry standard for yield and quality. Produce
Aster King Size Red
Brilliant large Red flowered Aster with a full head of petals. Excellent as a long-last
Baptisia Wild Blue Indigo
Elegant stems of Lupin-like flowers with bluish green foliage that bloom from late spri
Basil Cinnamon
From Mexico comes this rare Basil with a growth habit similar to that of regular sweet
Basil Genovese Giant
Mammoth Leaf. A large leaf variety of the excellent standard Genovese Basil strain. Not
Basil Lettuce Leaf
The strongest and most highly prolific variety of culinary Basils. The large leaves up
Basil Thai
Beetroot Bulls Blood
An American Heirloom that produces beautiful dark red leaves even under low light condi
Bells of Ireland
Long stems are of attractive cup-shaped, pale Green bells. Flowering time is late summe
Bishops Flower
A highly attractive wild flower with lacy White flowers like Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus
Bishops Flower Fern Leaf
A delightfully attractive member of the Ammi family from Mid Europe. The decorative fer
Blackeyed Susan Sunrise
This showy vine is very popular in hanging baskets, window boxes, or for covering trell
Borage
Starflower. A popular culinary herb in the Middle Ages, it is now grown mostly for its
Briza Quaking Grass
Ornamental annual grass with graceful paper lantern like flower heads that are White ti
Bunny Tails Grass
Ornamental grass with soft fluffy White flower heads reminescent of bunny tails. Native
Cabbage Chinese Mini Gold F1
Fast growing mini Kimchi cabbage with an attractive golden yellow interior and a sweet
Cabbage Korean Kimchi Red F1
Unique dark purple Kimchi cabbage especially bred for pickling the leaves. A semi-headi
Calendula Nova
This is the favoured herbal old-fashioned single pot Marigold variety with only two or
Calendula Oopsy Daisy
Charming and unusual bi-colour Calendula with daisy-like flowers in soft shades of pale
Calendula Orange Porcupine
A decorative fully doubled-flowered form with pure Orange quilled petals which form spi
Calendula Yellow Porcupine
Bright Yellow Calendula with quilled petals that are closely set forming spiky flowers.
Campanula Blue Bell
Campanula persicifolia is one of the best of all perennial bell flowers. From the sprea
Candytuft Flash Mix
The uniform mound shaped plants form a complete blanket of colour, far brighter than an
Capsicum California Wonder Golden
Highly regarded heirloom bell pepper, noted for its adaptability to ripen well. Sweet a
Caraway
Grown mainly for its seeds which add a licorice-like European character to recipes for
Carrot Nagai (treated seed)
Super long heirloom carrot from Japan that can easily grow to over 60cm in length yet s
Carrot Paris Market
A small round Carrot that matures extra early. This 19th Century French Heirloom variet
Carrot Scarlet Nantes
A long time favourite with a sweet crisp flavour, terrific for juicing, baby vegetables
Carrot Touchon
Heirloom French Nantes style carrot renowned for its crisp juicy texture and being near
Catnip
Well known for the way its leaves and blossoms, either dried or fresh, are relished by
Cauliflower Green Macerata
An attractive lime green Cauliflower with very good flavour. It is a vigorous grower re
Celosia Flamingo Feather
An attractive Pink plume Celosia with layered shades of soft Purply Pink that fade to b
Celtuce
Chinese stem lettuce primarily grown for its thick crisp stem and used sliced in stir f
Centaurea Sweet Sultan Mix
Easily grown cottage garden favourite with honey scented soft thistle-like flowers in a
Centranthus Jupiters Beard
Well known European border plant with beautiful lightly fragrant flowers that bloom the
Chamomile German
An upright annual, not a ground cover, like the Roman variety Chamaemelum nobile made f
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