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March 15, 2005
Plants and Seeds
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One of the great pleasures of winter for gardeners is reading seed and plant catalogs. As soon as you open the first page of the first catalog you get a strong and welcome whiff of spring. For those with backyard gardens, it is time to start figuring out what you want to grow this year, and don't take too long about it. In the Northeast, seeds for peas and other cool weather crops go in as soon as the ground can be worked (around St. Patrick's Day in Zone 5) so sharpen your pencils and get your orders in.
Here is a list of favorite catalogs to get you started...
The Cook's Garden
800-457-9703
Specializes in boutique lettuces. Think Lollo Rossa, Maserati, Rosalita, Red Sails...If you want to try ten different kinds of basil this summer, this would be the place to buy the seeds.
John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds
860-567-6086
All kinds of interesting vegetables-Supersette Fava Beans, American Purple Top Rutabaga, Cotton Candy Pumpkin-plus old-fashioned flower favorites, including Lavatera, Heliotrope, and Only the Lonely Nicotiana.
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Renee's Garden
888-880-7228
The Renee of Renee's Garden is Renee Shepherd, whose original seed catalog, Shepherd's Garden Seeds (now incorporated into White Flower Farm), introduced international seeds to American gardeners in the 1980s. Gourmet vegetables and wonderful varieties of cottage garden flowers, including 24 different kinds of sweet peas.
Heronswood Nursery
360-297-4172
Famous for offering unusual varieties of plants gathered from all over the world, this Pacific Northwest nursery continues to tempt gardeners with treasures such as double-flowered Hellebores and the giant-leaved Gunnera.
Fedco Seeds
207-873-7333
This 130-page catalog printed on newsprint is for the serious large-scale gardener. No-nonsense, no-frills, no extras, just chock full of every seed that you are looking for, all at very reasonable bulk prices.
Avant Gardens
508-998-9405
No seeds at this family-run nursery, just lots of plants, both annuals and perennials. Fourteen different kinds of salvia, sixteen varieties of pelargonium, grasses and sedges, trough plants—in short, every plant you would love to find for your garden, all well grown and well priced.
Graines Baumaux
Cruise this French organic seed company's website (you should be able to navigate with your high-school French) and you will be ready to plan a potager this summer filled with unusual European varieties.
Posted by gardenguidenyc at March 15, 2005 03:47 PM