Ordering Seeds

It hardly feels like the time to start thinking about gardening, with the freezing temperatures and the dusting of snow currently on the ground. And yet, I have my seed catalogs open, and my gardening plans are underway. Now is the time to order some seeds. I won't be starting my seeds indoors for at least another month, but I've found that if I put off placing my order until February, I may not be able to get the varieties I want. So, here's what the process involves for me:

• First, I review last year's gardening successes and failures. For me, this is little more than thinking through what worked and what didn't, as those things usually stand out in my mind. For instance, last year we tried, yet again, to grow broccoli and cauliflower. And yet again, we had very little success. This year I'm not even going to bother with them, and I'll devote that space in the garden to either something more reliable, or to something new I want to try.
• With those thoughts in mind, next I simply make a (long!) list of what we want to grow, based on what we like to eat, what grows well in our climate, and also considering which vegetables are more costly to buy at the grocery store. And I usually elicit participation from Tom and the kids to find out what they'd like. Millie likes to sit and look at the seed catalogs, so I let her help weigh in on which varieties we should try.
• Then I take inventory of my seeds from last year, and check to see what seeds I already have on hand. I was pleased this year to find that I won't need to order any new seeds for peas, bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini or cabbage.
• Though you can do all your browsing online, I really like having a print copy of the seed catalogs. I tend to take my time reading the descriptions and comparing different varieties. I like to order from either Seed Savers Exchange or Seeds of Change. The seeds you get through these companies are more expensive than the packets you'll buy at the big box stores this spring. But, this is one of those opportunities to vote with your dollars and support organic growing practices and seed diversity. If the cost is prohibitive, you could even consider buying just some of your seeds through companies such as these. And you can still figure you'll be saving money gardening, even if you pay a dollar or two more per seed packet.

Even though we won't be digging in the dirt for several months still, planning for the garden on these cold winter days is such a nice reminder that the warm weather will return eventually and we'll enjoy fresh garden produce once again. Happy garden dreaming!

This post is linked to:

Works for Me Wednesday