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January is seed catalog time. Time to breathe deep of dreams and plans for gardens bursting with flowers and vegetables, orchards full of fruits and nuts, and bloom-laden vines tumbling over fences even while icicles are still hanging outside our windows.
Especially because icicles are still hanging outside our windows.
I’ve only gotten one seed catalog so far, but usually we get catalogs from Gurney’s, Henry Fields, SpringHill, Michigan Bulb, and a few others. Tell me what seed catalogs you get and which ones are your favorites. Maybe I’m missing something! (I got a Baker Creek catalog one year. Now that’s a pretty catalog.)
Amongst my farm goals this year is to (finally) get some asparagus and rhubarb (successfully) started. Maybe I’ll grow some of this Jersey Supreme asparagus.
And maybe this Crimson Red rhubarb.
Every year we grow sweet peas, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and green beans, among other things, as well as all my favorite herbs. And we’ve got quite a few regulars established that come back every year, like horseradish and garlic. We’ve got apple and apricot and pear trees, and I finally had some success last year starting blackberries and blueberries.
I’ve about given up on corn, but isn’t this blue corn awesome? I need to grow some corn if for naught else but the fodder shocks.
I like to try new things, just for the fun and the novelty. Like maybe these French Breakfast radishes.
If I grew some beets, would I start to like them?
I think I need some of these Old-Fashioned Bleeding Hearts.
Whenever I try to grow any flowers that gorgeous, they die. But this could be the year!
Our one cherry tree died. We definitely need another cherry tree. Or ten.
I have no strawberries. I need strawberries!!
Gooseberries, elderberries, jostaberries, I need them all.
I need some honeyberries and mulberries, too. And some pawpaw!
And I especially need some raspberries.
But what I really need….and I mean REALLY NEED….to grow (!!!) is this dwarf fig!
And mini bananas!
Not to mention mini pineapples!
And Mediterranean olives!
AND COFFEE!
52: “Did you say you live in Zone 5?”
Stop that! Tis of no bearing. It’s January and I have seed catalogs.
Posted by Suzanne McMinn on January 3, 2011
1:34
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They have “burp-less” cucumber seeds, as well as the “regular” cucumber seeds. And, they are indeed, burp-less.
Grandma and grandpa swore on Burpee seeds for any seeds that we did not harvest and dry ourselves for the next years planting (like corn and squash). I loved pouring over the catalog with grandma. I was usually allowed to pick out a packet or two of seeds for something I especially wanted.
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http://www.horizonherbs.com/
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I like Pinetree because the you can order a seed packet with a small quantity of seeds (like tomatoes), which means I try several varieties. Also as an FYI, they carry soap making supplies. Never tried that myself, but thought you might be interested.
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Suzanne try planting your corn where you had green beans last year.
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I really wish we knew if we’d have an early spring like last year…I could start planting the seeds now! Well, have to get the seedling room set up first……….
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Also, not to sound like an ad, all of our seeds are non-gmo. I think most seed catalogs have non-gmo seeds as they are not popular with the home gardners.
I’m a fan of growing all heirloom varities as I want to preserve these old seed varities and they taste better, imo. But I do have a Meyer lemon tree, an olive tree, a banana and a fig. I have them in a south facing window and haul them outside in late spring until fall. Last year I had several lemons and figs but something ate them just as they ripened. Oh, and they seem to thrive on neglect…
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http://kidlifeupdates.blogspot.com/2011/01/improptu-geography-lesson.html
If I hadn’t read your post, I wouldn’t have experienced those moments with my sons.
Thanks!
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I AM going to try again this year and hope my summer weather cooperates! Afterall, I’ve been saving peanut butter jars for more than a YEAR now…waiting to make the homemade face scrub to go with my Christmas sponges! I won’t give up!!
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In front of the first row of corn and then between every row, push wooden stakes into the ground on either side of your row of corn. Then tie some twine to the stakes so that the corn has some support during a lot of wind. I haven’t tried it yet, but this year I’m determined to have some corn, so I’m gonna try it.
I WISH we could grow all the berries and cherries down here. All my favorites are just ONE zone before 9. Sigh…
Btw, I got a Thomson & Morgan catalog this year, it’s amazing!
12:15
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Ah, the lure of the catalog in the winter but hide your checkbook.
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My bleeding heart plants are hardy, even here in Cincinnati, staying lush and beautiful up until the worst of the summer heat. Get the old-fashioned kind like in the photograph, as they are easier to take care of.
One more thing: Sour cherries make the best pies, and they are really hard to find at the market. Just sayin’.
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Best in heirloom veggies and we only get our seeds from them. It’s a treat to drive up and pick out our own seedlings too!
Enjoy
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I, too, drag out all of my gardening books and magazines and check the mailbox daily for new catatlogs right after putting all of the holiday stuff away!
We here in NC are getting ready to put in more cold weather crops (well, not me, but my neighbors) hee hee
Happy Garden Planning!
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Also another place to check before you place your order is Garden Watchdog. http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/ This is a place where gardeners all over the world rate the service and product they receive from all the seed catalogs and nurseries. A definite must see!
On another note, I gave up trying to grow corn for many years until last year. I had created a large raised bed that was chuck full of compost. I figured I’d give it one more try. If it didn’t work in a bed of compost…then forget it! Guess what? The corn grew!…and grew….and grew! I swear it reached heights of 15 feet or more!!! So don’t give up, just add LOTS of compost and water!
Good luck!
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http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/184/
http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/186/
I bought rhubarb starts from Gurney’s and they arrived as dried up things that never revived. I ordered rhubarb from http://www.noursefarms.com and it was night and day different. Beautiful healthy starts. I never order from a garden company unknown to me now without seeing what the other gardeners at Dave’s Garden have to say about it.
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I like: Select Seeds for flower seeds, Pinetree, Baker Creek, Jung Seed, Seed Savers, and Victory Seed. I think Burpee is way overpriced on everything.
I need to check out Johnny’s. I hear such good things about them.
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In January my grampa would sit in his chair (smoking his pipe) and pour over his seed catalogs in pursuit of earlier or more productive vegetables, while grammie would peruse her own catalogs in pursuit of more beautiful flowers.
https://www.veseys.com/ca/en/ was their favorite, and it comes to my house every year.
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http://oikostreecrops.com/store/aboutus.asp
For veggie seeds, I purchase from victory seeds. http://www.victoryseeds.com
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And though I have not ordered from them myself, I’ve heard good things from several friends about Tasteful Garden http://www.tastefulgarden.com
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http://www.acnursery.com I’m planning on getting fruit trees there. They have about any fruit tree you want. I orchard guy at the farmers market recommended them. I’m tring to get a group together, if you order 25 trees it drops the price. I know I want to get a little bit of each.
I’m excited about my garden this year too. Just hope I don’t have to work so much overtime this summer.
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Has anyone seen seeds for a long green and yellow striped pumpkin? My uncle used to grow them and they made the best pies.
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For seed catalogs, I like Seed Savers Exchange (http://www.seedsavers.org/) and Cooks Garden (http://www.cooksgarden.com/), which is a subsidiary of Burpee. Seed Savers offers lots of rare and heirloom varieties, including many that are organic. Cooks Garden offers some really neat variety packs (like four-season lettuces and rainbow cauliflower). The only problem with the packs is if you find you like one lettuce out of the packet, you don’t know what it was called. Also, if you plant 5 seeds out of the cauliflower packet, you may or may not get one of every color, and you won’t know what color they are until they mature.
If you want to check out a new company BEFORE you send them your money, try Dave’s Garden Watchdog. http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/
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That was like over 100 years ago, still in the Old World. Don’t know, whether they had something similar here.
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Love your blog!
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http://chickensintheroad.com/cooking/spiced-cushaw-squash-pie/
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I also bought seeds last year from http://www.amishlandseeds.com/rare_seeds.htm
She sends some VERY specific directions for growing some of her seeds. People whom have had problems with her seeds are the ones who don’t follow her directions. And most of them start out with; “well I’ve grown…for ….years and I did it my way and they should have grown.” Well, SHE knows HER seeds. And since they are older varieties, they need special treatment.
Most people don’t realize that the commercial seeds (Hybrids) are bred for ease of use, NOT flavor. If you want flavor, go with the heirloom varieties. They may need a little more care to get them started, but the “extra” care is neither difficult to do nor time-consuming. And once growing, they are hardy plants.
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Nothing better this time of year than sitting by the fire with a pile of seed catalogs, picking and choosing the potential spoils of next summer’s garden. Sticky notes come in quite handy for marking the pages, and graph paper is helpful for planning your space.
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Fedco is based in Maine and, outside of feeling the need to make random, progressive leftist comments in the middle of his vegetable seed descriptions, it’s a very good catalog with a good variety. He(and it does seem to be an individual grower, not a corporation) has a selection of vegetable,herb and flower seeds, a catalog of potatoes called “Moose Tubers” and I think, a separate catalog of trees. It was the only place I found seed for “Sweet Dumpling” squash, which my brother-in-law graciously grew and tended for all of us. And he has stevia seed, although by the time I tried to order some last year, they were all sold out.
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Try to get your hands on a Stokes Seed catalog at least once. There is so much information in it regarding growing needs for veggies. Its geared for commercial farms but they do have a small gardener version. For instance, Stokes catalog is where I first learned the benefits (growing benefits) of planting brown seeded green beans instead of white seeded grean beans. It did make a difference for me. I periodically request this catalog just to keep it around as a reference guide. Plus they have some really hard to get varieties (not rare, just harder to find).
Also, if you are going to drop some serious bucks on plants or seeds, check out davesgarden.com for the garden watchdog. It gives reviews of different sources for plants/seeds/etc.
Fantasizing about “next year” is one of the best parts of gardening for me. Much fewer bugs involved :-)
~Cindy
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If you’re concerned about feeding your family GMO produce, you should probably check out http://www.rareseeds.com the Baker Creek Seeds website. I live for seed catalogs as well, but Gurneys is the first one in the trash, I only order from people whos mission is to give us real, healthy, heirloom seed.
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http://www.NicholsGardenNursery.com enjoy
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You definitely should try strawberries. They are easy and will pay you back handsomely. NOTHING is better than a homegrown strawberry. I recommend putting them in a raised bed. It will save you headaches (and backaches) later.
Oh, and if you do grow beets, try them pickled (BBB recipe is what I use). Then you will learn to love them. Even my picky husband loves pickled beets. And they are so pretty in their canning jars too!
Seed catalogs and daydreams are what get me through Jan/Feb. Have fun!
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Website: http://www.groworganic.com. They offer seeds, starts, trees, vines, supplies, tools and more.
Awesome company, great people, organic seeds. Nice!
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BAKER CREEK—-RARESEEDS—-COMSTOCK SEEDS all the same company
NICHOLS GARDEN NURSERY
BURPEE
TERRITORIAL SEED COMPANY
PINETREE GARDENSEEDS
JOHNNY’S SELECTED SEEDS
R.H.SHUMWAY’S
LANDRETHS’*
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE SEED EXCHANGE*
SEEDS of CHANGE*
SEED SAVERS*
RICHTERS HERBS*
John Scheepers KITCHEN GARDEN SEEDS*
VERMONT BEAN SEED COMPANY*
ARTISTIC GARDENS*
VESEYS SEEDS*
PENNY’S TOMATOES*
JOE’S PEPPERS*
THE GROWERS EXCHANGE*
DIXONDALE FARMS
WALKER BROTHERS, Inc
CHILE PLANTS
THE GOOD COOK
TOTALLY TOMATOES
TOMATO GROWERS
MILLER NURSERIES
STARK Bro’s
JUNG SEED & PLANTS
MUSSER FORESTS,Inc
*my faves
_Mostly Flowers_
WILD SEEDS
SELECT SEEDS Co.
THOMPSON & MORGAN
HIGH COUNTRY GARDENS
DUTCH BULBS
BRENT AND BECKY’S BULBS
_GARDENSUPPLIES_
INDOOR GARDEN SUPPLIES
GARDENER’S SUPPLY COMPANY
LEE VALLEY
GARDEN ALIVE
SPRAY-N-GROW
DRIPWORKS
_MAGAZINES_
HOBBY FARM
HOBBY FARM HOME
URBAN FARM
MOTHER EARTH NEW
_ONLINE_
PLAN GARDEN.COM
URBAN FARMER
Well that’s all I could think of. Until next time.
peace
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KITAZAWA SEED Co.
MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS
PARK SEEDS
HARRIS SEEDS
HIGH MOWING ORGANIC SEEDS
RAINTREE NURSERY
ONE GREEN WORLD
See not so bad and there all free. I can’i wait to see new catalogs
from you guys. Until next time.
peace
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The temptation to grow my own coffee beans is tempting, but I just don’t have the time this year to give it a shot :-( Maybe next year…
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Never heard of Baker, have to look them up!
The only seed company I use regularly not mentioned in this thread is bountiful gardens, which you can find here:
http://www.bountifulgardens.org/
For years I kept a data base which compared $/seed for all the catalogs I got. Bountiful (organic, open pollinated, some heirloom) Garden’s seeds were almost always the cheapest.I’ve bought from them for years, no problems, ever. I also regularly get seeds of change, Johnie’s, Gurneys, and Henry Field, although I’ve not ordered from Gurney’s and Field for years…seems to be the same catalog AND most of their seeds seem to be treated.
I’m also zone 5 btw.
Judith
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http://www.growitalian.com/