Best Seed Catalogs

[henrietta23]

Ok, guys, I've ordered all of these catalogs and a few others! As soon as they come I'm going to start planning my attack for Spring!!!

Thanks so much for the information.

Lori

Have fun!!!
I usually spend New Year's Day with my seed catalogs and my dreams!

 

[skeeter9]

That sounds like a great way to spend New Year's Day, Kristin! Maybe the more I pore over the catalogs, the more I'll absorb the ability to actually grow something all the way to harvest??!!!! LOL!!

Lori

 

[henrietta23]

That sounds like a great way to spend New Year's Day, Kristin! Maybe the more I pore over the catalogs, the more I'll absorb the ability to actually grow something all the way to harvest??!!!! LOL!!

Lori

If it works let me know. Some years I do a lot more planning than planting!!

 

[digitS']

Skeeter, in the past, I've ordered seed, including a few Asian veggies, from Stokes, Johnny's, and Fedco and been happy with the results.

If you'd like to try a few more sources for Asian varieties:

http://www.kitazawaseed.com/
http://www.evergreenseeds.com/

Steve

 

[Buff Shallots]

I like Territorial Seed. They have a great selection of garlic, and a few varieties of shallots.

http://www.territorialseed.com/

 

[MarkR]

All the catalogues are starting to roll in now, aren't they. Cook's and Johnny's are my favorites.

I really want to like Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, but all the orders I've made generally show up about a week after I gave up, ordered from some other place, and already planted. I like what they stand for, but their order management leaves something to be desired. Afterall, they're really near me. It shouldn't take that long for stuff to get here. That being said. All the garlic I planted (well, except for the three heads I got at the grocery store) came from them, and it's all doing wonderfully.

Mark

 

[Southern Gardener]

I have a dumb question; Are some seeds better than others? Why would you buy seeds from a catalog and not at your local nursery or like Home Depot? Not enough variety? I have a list of veggies I want to plant in the spring from seed.

Thanks!

 

[Reinbeau]

Yes, some seeds are better than others. The main reason I buy from catalogs are for the varieties they offer and the fact that I know those seeds are well-handled, fresh and tested for germination. Now if you can buy name-brand seeds at Home Desperate or the like then go for it! Local nurseries are going to carry good stock for you to select from. Just watch the dates, all seed packages have dates on them, you want this year's seeds (2008 at this point), not seed packaged for use in 2006. With experience you'll begin to figure out which seeds last and can be saved over from year to year (I've always had good luck with bean seeds, even three year old seeds, peas are ok, carrots aren't, some lettuces, etc. ).

 

[Southern Gardener]

Thanks Reinbeau. I have a lot to learn on planting a veggie garden. My parents made it look so easy!

 

[digitS']

Joan, you are exactly on track with regards to why I buy from catalogs - not enough variety locally.

There's a fairly large garden center not far away that I'm in probably 5 or 6 times each Spring. They have LOTS of seed racks.

I believe it was with a flower variety but I once counted 12 packets of seed from 12 different suppliers and there were 12 packets of the same variety! That's very unhelpful.

Here's an example taken almost at random: Thompson & Morgan has 7 varieties of lupins. If I went down to the garden center in a couple months, they would have 12 companies all selling Russell lupins. Twelve packets of Russell lupins - period!

And, where in this commercially-blighted part of the world am I going to find a plant named "Tutti Frutti Lupin" anyway?

Steve