When fall and the first frost brings and end to the main growing season, there are a couple of gardening things that I still look forward to. One is, our course, the winter garden. I've been enjoying watching my collards and kale get big and leafy. My cats like winding their way through the maze of big green plants and I've caught them occasionally noshing on a leaf or two. I also like to start thinking about my garden plans for the coming year. I don't "officially" start planning until late December or January, but I might write down a few ideas before then. One big part of that process is the inspiration I get from seed catalogs.
I love getting seed catalogs! It's almost like an early Christmas. Seed catalog season officially starts in November and has been getting earlier every year as the different companies compete for business. It's now late November and I've already gotten four catalogs for the upcoming year! The big deal for me is looking at new varieties. Every year seed companies will list new vegetable, flower, shrub and tree varieties. New plant varieties often have improved yield or disease resistance or may offer a longer bloom time or other improvement. Some companies like Baker Creek specialize in offering rare varieties that have been resurrected from years past or have been discovered in other countries. Others like Johnny's or Harris caters more to the commercial grower. Companies like Park Seed and Burpee are focused more on the home gardener. There are many more and I like them all! Even though my garden space is small, I like getting as many ideas as possible.
Plant varieties aside, it's also fun to look at the selection of garden tools and products to control pests and disease. I'm an organic gardener and an avid composter. I recently saw a soil screener in one of my catalogs that I ordered and used recently to sort soil and usable compost from some of the larger pieces that needed more time. It worked great, was very well made, and something I will use for years. There are many other tools, growing aids and products that gardeners will find interesting in seed catalogs. There are also many organic options to control pests and disease. Some of these I had never heard of until I saw them in a catalog.
The one catalog I pay for is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Their 2023 catalog is huge. They bill it as the largest seed catalog in the world. It's also a work or art and is filled with high quality images and compelling stories of plants and people. Baker Creek specializes in rare seeds. That includes resurrecting seeds that may have been in vogue many decades ago but were lost. They also feature interesting flower and vegetable varieties from other countries that we in the US may not know about. Baker Creek does an excellent job of showcasing their growers across the US and the world. I also like how they incorporate their workers and family into their content. They make their operation seem idyllic although I know an incredible amount of hard work goes into their business. Even if I didn't order seeds from them, I would probably pay for this catalog. There's nothing else like it.
Another favorite is Park Seed. They are in South Carolina and have been around for 150 years. The glossy pages of their catalog are filled with flowers and vegetables primarily for home gardeners. Their publication is well designed and fun to look at. I've probably ordered the most seeds from this company and have always had great service. I've also used their BioDome product with success for seed starting. Seeds n Such is another frequent go-to. They typically produce a smaller format catalog, but it's packed with choices. I like Seeds n Such because they offer smaller seed packets of 10 or fewer seeds. One tomato plant for instance can easily take up a 3 x 3 ft space in your garden and often more. Unless you have a large area, there's really no need for more than a few seeds of certain varieties if they germinate well. Since my garden space is small, I've recently been ordering from Seeds n Such. They also have newer varieties that I don't always see with other companies.
There many other seed companies across the US. Some offer seed options that grow well in the zones they are located. Territorial Seed is a good example. They are based in the Northwest where the growing season is shorter and cooler. They have more choices for plants you can grow successfully in that area. Shipping may also be less if you order from a company that's closer to you. Of course, there are plenty of options on Amazon and all of the companies I've mentioned have great websites which I've visited often. For me though, there's something special and a little exciting about getting my favorites seed catalogs in the mail in late fall and being able to flip through them for a few months as I'm planning next year’s garden. I've included a list of seed companies below if you would like to request a catalog. Happy gardening.
https://www.rareseeds.com Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
https://www.parkseed.com Park Seed
https://www.seedsnsuch.com Seeds n Such
https://www.territorialseed.com Territorial Seed
https://www.burpee.com Burpee
https://www.harrisseeds.com Harris Seeds
https://www.johnnyseeds.com Johnny Seeds
https://www.trueleafmarket.com True Leaf Market
https://www.edenbrothers.com Eden Brothers Seeds
https://www.superseeds.com Pinetree Seed
https://www.sowtrueseeds.com Sow True Seeds
https://totallytomatoes.com Totally Tomatoes
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