|
|
Seed Catalogs
|
|
|
Seed catalogs
used to arrive during the long gray days of January, their
glossy pictures promising gorgeous blooms and bigger and better
vegetables. Now the catalogs start filling the mailbox in
November and December. We might have a moment to admire the
cover, or look at the first few pages to see what’s new, but
most often they get tossed on a pile to await closer inspection
until after the new year.
There are so many seed companies vying for your hard-earned money. How to choose among them? Twelve of today’s finest seed vendors are profiled below, in terms of choice of seeds offered, reputation for quality and service, and additional attributes, such as information provided, gardening supplies offered, and heirloom, organic, or non-genetically modified seed products sold. Website addresses and phone number are provided for each so you can view their online catalog or contact them to obtain a print catalog (if they have one).
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Started by the
proprietor when he was 17 years old, Baker Creek offers an
astonishing array of heirloom, non-genetically modified seeds
for tomatoes, lettuces and greens, melons, squash, and many
other vegetables, as well as flowers. If you are looking for new
and unusual varieties to try, this is your seed vendor.
Beautiful catalog with large color photos of plants and produce. Harris Seeds Harris Seeds
has been around since 1879 and they serve home gardeners as well
as professional growers. In addition to a wide variety of
vegetable, herb, and flower seeds, many of which they trial and
develop, Harris offers transplants and gardening supplies. The
featured product on their website is Worm Power, a certified
organic fertilizer produced by earthworms. John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds For more than
100 years, this company has specialized in edibles--vegetables,
lettuces, herbs, garlic--and also offers many flower seeds.
Their catalog and website are beautifully illustrated with
colored drawings and provide a great amount of horticultural
information and recipes. Johnny’s Selected Seeds Established in
1973, Johnny’s is an employee-owned seed company in Maine. They
offer seeds for growing vegetables, medicinal and culinary
herbs, flowers, cover crops, pasture mixes, and fruits (fruit
plants are also available. Their online video library provides
instruction on growing a variety of plants as well as how to use
various garden tools. Pinetree Garden Seeds Pinetree sells
very reasonably priced smaller seed packets that are great if
you don’t want too many seeds. They offer a nice selection of
vegetable, herb, and flower seeds, plus a wide assortment of
gardening supplies, books, and gardening craft supplies such as
soap-making materials. Renee’s Garden Seeds Renee Shepherd
personally selects the terrific line of non-genetically modified
seeds she offers in her online catalog. She also provides
recipes and suggestions for using the vegetables and herbs she
sells. Beautiful watercolor drawings illustrate the plants. No
other seed company provides such detailed and accurate
information on their seed packets about how to germinate, grow,
and enjoy each plant. Renee’s has a fundraising program to help
non-profits raise money by selling seeds.
Sand Hill Preservation Center This small,
family-operated company grows about 90% of the heirloom
vegetable, grain, and flower seeds, as well as sweet potato
slips (plants) they sell. They also sell chicks, in case you are
interested in raising chickens. Orders must be pre-paid by check
(no credit cards) sent by mail only. Seed Savers Exchange This
non-profit organization enables gardeners and plant collectors
to save and share heirloom seeds in an effort to preserve our
garden heritage. Operates the 890-acre organic Heritage Farm in
Iowa where many of the plants are trialed and on display. Seeds of Change For over 20
years, Seeds of Change has offered a large selection of organic
seeds, including heirloom, traditional, and rare seed varieties.
They also sell apple trees, rhubarb plants, asparagus crowns,
and tools and supplies. The company has recently branched into
offering organic foods, which can be purchased at several local
retailers (check website for one near you). Stokes Stokes is
another well-established seed company that has been operating
for more than 100 years. Their offering includes vegetable,
herb, and flower seeds, flower plants, and gardening supplies.
Over 60 vegetable varieties have been added for 2012. Stokes
also offers custom seed packets sold as wedding favors. Territorial Seed Company Located in the
Pacific Northwest, Territorial grows much of the organic,
non-genetically modified seeds they sell. Their print and online
catalog offers an impressive variety of vegetable and herb
seeds, garlic and onion bulbs, seed potatoes, and fruit plants,
as well as gardening supplies. New for 2012 are grafted
vegetable plants. Thompson & Morgan Since its
origins behind an English bakery in 1855, Thompson & Morgan has
become one of the oldest and most reputable seed companies in
the world. They offer a terrific assortment of annual, biennial,
and perennial flower seeds, as well as vegetable and herb seeds,
and garden supplies. All orders ship free until February 10.
LINKS |
|
|
|
