Rare Seeds ...

[Smart Red]

But Red, if the staff worked on your garden so that it looked like their catalog pictures, shipping costs would be worth paying!

But who would pay their salary, room and board, transportation from the sticks to town on Saturday night? Nope! The staff and their tools would do best to stay where they are already involved. Shipping is only the first step. . . .

 

[journey11]

I've bought from them several times and love trying new and unusual stuff. My peanut pumpkins (Galeux d'eyesines) came from Baker Creek. The Black Swan poppies did too.

I bit the bullet and ordered the Whole Seed Catalog for $8 which I guess has many more offerings. It came already, but I haven't gotten the Rare Seed Catalog. I am kinda hoping they will send it too.

 

[journey11]

The Rare Seed catalog showed up today!

 

[Blue-Jay]

Got my Baker Creek catalog several days ago. It's sure a work of art to look at isn't it! I've also took out as subcription to their magazine "Heirloom Gardener". Price of seed isn't really cheap from anyone you purchase from these days. I have gotten beans from them. Those were in nice condition although I haven't grown them yet. I got "Atomic Red" carrots from them last spring and grew them this summer. They did very well, and I love them. Will probably grow them every season.

 

[digitS']

I'm skeered of anything new, even heirlooms. Those Antique Roadshows that are from the UK make me nervous. I'd probably have to hide behind the the Lazyboy if they began broadcasting from France!

I can remember when Early Girl tomatoes showed up on the cover of the Burpee catalog in the 70's. "Flash in the Pan," I figured. I was desperate for an early-maturing tomato. I mean, I was growing Sub-arctic in my garden!

I'm suspicious of the "what's olde is new again" idea, also. You got some of these 19th century seed companies that are around now but 10-15 years they were good and dead! You know, just because some kids sink a few thousand in a name, doesn't make 'em trustworthy ...

I haven't even seen a Baker Creek catalog!

I've been to their website several times, usually as prompted by TEG'ers. I'm still waiting to place an order with victoryseeds.com . It's an outfit started by some '60's hippies out in Oregon ...

Steve
you kids just ignore me and carry on with your fun ...

 

[Pulsegleaner]

That's kind of a complicated question. I HAVE ordered from Baker Creek this year, but not from the paper catalog. I check the online catalog so often that, by the time the paper one comes I've usually already bought anything new of interest they have in there (since a lot of the stuff I want is in the Explorer series and therefore has a tendency to disappear pretty quickly, I don't feel I have the LUXURY of waiting for the paper one to come out).

But I DID get a subscription to the magazine, along with all the back issues I'd missed since my last subscription ran out (with the magazine only coming out three times a year, it's easy to not notice when they stop coming) those arrived about a month ago, so I'm caught up (and I made sure to get the 3 year subscription, so I don't have to worry about it lapsing any time soon.)

 

[thistlebloom]

I got my kale last season from Victory Steve. They were at least as good as any seeds I've received from any other good company, including BC.

 

[so lucky]

Steve, you really gotta get their catalog and magazine. Joseph Simcox contributes a lot of articles, and there are interesting tales about wandering through distant places looking for new plant species to try. And an emphasis on eating greens!

 

[Pulsegleaner]

That reminds me of a little caveat when one is buying from the Explorer series (beyond the one that not everything there will actually grow well here). Not to denigrate the work Joe does, but a certain portion of the seeds that make it into the collection are only "rare" if you live outside of the major cities (and I grant that that technically means "most people". If you DO live near one, or anywhere else that has an appreciable number of ethnic enclaves, a lot of the stuff (especially the Latin American and Indian/Asian Listings) is pretty readily available; and usually at a far lower per unit price) Granted as I said the vast majority of people don't live near a city with such places, but most of the companies have mail order too, and I have little doubt that finding an online source would not be all that hard.)

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

I was just starting my planning for gardening in the spring and was circling stuff in my catalog and of course checking with the Mrs to make sure I'm getting what she wants as well.