When Seeds Online Look Too Good to Be True — Because They Are

Gardening, much like farming, life and perhaps everything else, is an exercise in optimism. After planting and nurturing seeds for weeks, you hope that weather and other environmental factors outside your control will allow seedlings to grow into mature plants with tasty heirloom tomatoes, sweet melons and beautiful, bee-friendly flowers.

But one thing you shouldn’t need to worry about is whether the seeds you bought will germinate and grow into what you were promised. Although nothing in gardening is guaranteed, one big step you can take toward success starts with seed sourcing. And one of the last places you should look for seeds are e-commerce sites like Etsy, where you’re likely to encounter images of plants that do not exist in nature.

Take, for example, “700+ Giant Teddy Bear Sunflower Seeds, Heirloom Non-GMO,” promising blooms in vibrant shades of pink and purple. Or “50 Iris Seeds Flower Plant (much less money than bulbs) – FRESH SEEDS – Limited Supply – Order Soon – Thank You,” featuring a bloom with colors so bright that, sure, could be real — if you were on psychedelics.