And the dreaming begins
Dec 4th, 2008 by Laura
The first of the seed catalogs have started arriving and I think my trip and the holidays are the only things that will stop me from going into total garden planning mode.
I’m already contemplating what I’m rearranging and what we are and are not planting again. At the same time I’m dreaming of planting dry beans, celery, eggplant and more.
Catalogs like Seed Savers Exchange are going to be particularly dangerous to our checking account! Now that I’ve got a year of mostly success, and some lessons learned, under my belt, I’m contemplating choosing more open pollinated and heirloom options and putting in more varieties instead of the somewhat mono-species planting I did in 2008.
I have a feeling that the time to order seeds, start seeds and start working dirt won’t come soon enough at the same time that it comes much too fast…
What seed catalogs do you get? I am looking forward to planning out my garden too…. what observations did you make from last year? I need to learn all I can, and your blog always impresses me!
Just bumped into your blog and am happy for it.
Yes, seed catalogues… cruel things but so so lovely to look through and dream through.
Wow, I just went to this site! I had been interested in finding some heirloom seeds that aren’t just the typical ones I see in my seed catalogues. I joined and can’t wait to receive my catalogue. I downloaded the one online and it looks great. I just like it in print so I can make notes and use my sticky papers.
Laura, do you ever save seed? And, follow up question, would you ever consider sponsoring a seed swap among your readers and/or Dark Day participants? (In all of your copious spare time, of course…) Maybe we could do both home-saved seed and then seed from previous years — you know, older stuff that might not yield a 100% germination rate, but it’s free in a swap, so what’s the worst that could happen? How would something like this be organized?
Have you read “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver? There’s a lot in there about seed catalogs and how excited she gets about the heirloom seeds. I’m from Minneapolis originally and imagine it would be hard to eat local all winter there. My family who live there don’t even try. We do it actually quite easily because we live in northern California where local farms produce stuff all year. Plus we belong to a meat club that is made up of local ranchers who produce beef, lamb, pork, goat and chicken. We are truly blessed.
AAhhhh yes…gardeners porn, ya gotta love it!
We actually just received out first one at the beginning of last week from our local seed producer. Right here in SLC!! I can actually drop by our local farm store and pick up a bunch of the seed that I use. Even the heirlooms. Not all are available, but what is I buy locally. Looking forward to your plans for next year!
P~
Mangochild - I get pretty much everyone - Seeds of Change, Seed Savers Exchange, Felco (online), Territorial, Baker Creek, Renee’s, Kitchen Garden. In year’s past, I’ve ordered mostly from Territorial and Kitchen Garden. This year, as I’ve started by big Excel spreadsheet of seeds, it seems I’ll be ordering mainly from Seeds of Change, Seed Savers Exchange and Johnny’s. I’ll share my seed order and my lessons learned/planting plan in January when I’ve got it all figured out.
Ottawa Gardener - welcome!
Donna - don’t you love it! I like paper catalogs too, probably should wean myself off of them, but I like pulling out the pages and lining up everything I’m considering in order to decide.
Peg - I haven’t saved seed before. Unless you count letting all my herbs flower and seed so that I won’t have to seed them next year. I think a seed exchange sounds like a really good idea, any one have any ideas of how we might organize? Ali? El? Throwback?
Kathleen - with a little growing/preserving, and the year round market, my family does okay. They’re not as dedicated as we are, but my mom’s no slouch either!
P~ So jealous! Renee’s, Territorial and Ed Hume are as close as we have to really local. And none of them are at the top of my list for ordering anymore (Monsanto sourcing).
Sweet. So exciting. Just got the Fedco catalog. And I still can’t believe that Territorial Seeds got sold.
Wait, Territorial got sold?!? How did I miss that??
I just looked it up in a business database that I have access to through UW and it says owner Tom Johns … is that a new guy? Or is there something else going on, or maybe the database isn’t updated yet?
I know they sell some Monsanto seeds, but they aren’t *owned* by them … are they? /worried!