Saturday, January 10, 2009

Dreaming and planning this year's garden

Growing, harvesting and preserving garden can be tiresome. After hectic months of summer, I feel somewhat relived to give a closure to the year's active gardening. Then December comes, and these colorful catalogs start to adorn my mailbox. I feel like everyday is Christmas with their arrivals. One day Bluestone Perennials and Seed Savers Exchange catalogs arrived on the same day. Their cover photos were just breath-taking and inside was full of beautiful photos of flowers and vegetables that made me want to order them all. Having a small garden is sometimes tough. You always want to grow more than your space allows.
So far I have received 17 catalogs. I still hope to receive a couple more (one from David Austin Roses and one from Thompson & Morgan) and I might have to request their catalogs on the web again. I wonder if the word is out that Yeon orders seeds from the catalog since I have received catalogs from many farms/nurseries that I have never asked catalog or ordered seeds/plants from. Seeds and plants catalogs would be the only unsolicited commercial mail that I don't mind receiving. Below I list the seeds company/plants nursery that I have catalogs from and also note with * if I have ordered from them before. I was happy with most of them.

Mostly seeds with some seedlings and plants
John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds *
Johnny's selected Seeds
Jung Seeds & Plants
Pinetree Garden Seeds
R.H. Shumway's Illustrated Garden Guide *
Seed Savers Exchange *
Seeds of Change *
Select Seeds
Territorial Seed Company
The Cook's Garden *
Thompson & Morgan *
Totally Tomatoes

Plants and Blubs
Bluestone Perennials
David Austin Roses
Heronswood
k.van Bourgondie & sons, inc.
Stark Bro's
White Flower Farm *

Gardening Supply
Gardener's supply company *

I would like to note that Seeds of change has 100% certified organic seeds and Seed Savors Exchange offers 100% heirloom seeds with more than 200 seeds as organic. A lot of seed companies offer selected organic seeds along with non-organically grown seeds. I think organic practice of growing is much more important than whether the seeds are organic or not. However, if you firmly believe in organic way of living and gardening and would like to start your garden with organic seeds, Seeds of Change would be the first catalog you want to take a look. Happy planning.

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