After the holidays, I find it easy to slide into the winter doldrums, as I anticipate the long nippy weeks before the spring. But we gardeners have a secret weapon for putting off the “blahs” – the anticipation of the arrival of the new edition of seed catalogs!
When a new seed catalog shows up in the mail, it is a promise of spring! Each page is filled with possibilities. You can pour over the amazing array of selections for vegetables, herbs, bulbs, flowers, shrubs and trees, imagining the magic you can create in the garden. On a dreary winter day, with a seed catalog in hand, you can dream about the future – where you can smell the flowers and anticipate next year’s bountiful harvest of tomatoes as you flip through the pages. So much potential!
If you haven’t experienced the joy of seed catalogs, it’s not too late to order some free ones online that will be sent to your home in the weeks ahead. You will find so many options to choose from that you may not find locally. Planting from seed will save you money as well.
My favorite seed catalogs offer the old-fashioned heirloom seeds, and hybrid, open-pollinated and non-GMO seeds. If you are new to gardening, you might not understand what these terms mean, so here are some basic definitions.
Heirloom seeds are seeds that have been cultivated for at least 50 years, saved and passed down through generations. These are the seeds your grandmother planted and often “passed along” to neighbors. These seeds have not been modified and are true to their original qualities.
Hybrid seeds are seeds that have been modified for a certain purpose (higher yields, flavor, scent, disease resistance, longer shelf life) by crossing two varieties of the same plant species.
Open-pollinated seeds are pollinated by natural means without human intervention. Pollinators include the wind, bees, moths, birds and other pollinators. You can save the seeds of open-pollinated plants to plant the next season, because they will remain true to their characteristics.
Non-GMO seeds are produced without genetic engineering. “GMO” stands for genetically modified organism.
When you decide to purchase seeds from a catalog, remember these catalogs offer seeds for the whole country, so you will need to know and check our planting zone, and only order seeds that are appropriate for our climate. We are in hardiness zone 8a, so look for plants in zone 8. Usually you can get by ordering plants in zones 7-9 in our area.
To get the best selection, order your seeds early, especially if you are ordering heirloom seeds or seeds that are rare. When your seeds arrive, store them properly until planting time. Seeds should be stored in a cool, dry place, not in an area of fluctuating temperatures or humidity. I transfer my seeds to airtight containers and story them in a dark closet. Make sure you label your containers and save any instructions on the seed packets!
If you would like to experience the joy and magic of seed catalogs, here is a list of some of my favorite catalogs with websites, so you can go online and order your printed copy. Prepared to be wowed!
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds – rareseeds.com
Botanical Interests Seed Packet Company – botanicalinterests.com
Breck’s Bulbs – brecks.com
Burpee Seed Company – burpee.com
Johnny’s Select Seeds – johnnyseeds.com
Park Seed Company – parkseed.com
Seed Savers Exchange – seedsavers.org