Seed Catalog Season 2014

The fever hit me today.  Seed Catalog Fever... It was bound to happen any day now. A coworker casually mentioned that she wanted to plant some heirloom tomatoes this coming spring.  Being a gardening rookie, she wondered where she might get some of those seeds to experiment with.  I suggested a quick search on the Internet would surely turn up numerous resources.  At which point I had to jump online myself and start ordering stacks of seed catalogs!  This was my "hit list" for the day...

http://www.mypatriotsupply.com
http://www.rareseeds.com/resources/non-hybrid 
http://www.victoryseeds.com 
http://www.heirloomseeds.com 
http://www.seedsavers.org  
http://www.johnnyseeds.com
http://www.cooksgarden.com
http://www.highmowingseeds.com

Now, I'd like to offer a few tips and suggestions for your approach when these type of catalogs start arriving in your mailbox.  First, take a deep breath and try like mad to contain your excitement. 

Second, do not, I repeat...DO NOT open any of these catalogs, not one, until you have gone through last year's seed stash and taken full inventory.  There is no reason to end up with twenty-five seed packets of zucchini!  Unless of course you really hate your friends and neighbors...

Second, and again, before you open even one single catalog, sit down and really think about what you and your family consume the most of.  Tomatoes (sauce)?  Beans? Onions, carrots, or corn?  Do you want pumpkins and Indian corn to decorate for fall?  Do you love growing sunflowers? Let these kind of thoughts guide you in your seed selections.

Third, refer back to your garden records from the previous years.  You do keep good garden records don't you?  What grew well?  What failed miserably?

And last, have even more fun with your plan and try growing something that you find new, odd or even exotic, next season.  But start small and only choose ONE new thing. 

Now, grab a coffee and start ordering those seed catalogs!