Thursday, January 3, 2013

seed catalog gazing

I do love seed catalogs. (In fact, check out this link if you're interested in purchasing only non GMO seeds.  Not sure I'll purchase again from Totally Tomatoes due to that list).  But I am really really bad at starting seeds. I don't have the gift! When I do attempt to grow seeds in the house in the very early spring, they rarely take hold.  I'll try again this year, and post on my progress. I'm not going to give up!

In the meantime, today I spent some time going through all my old seeds, and ordering a few more.  Here's my spreadsheet so far. In 2011, I met with some friends, and we ordered a bunch of seeds together, split shipping fees, and swapped seeds.  As you can see I still have a lot from that time.

Have you started seed-catalog-gazing or ordering yet?  Do you have a favorite place to purchase your seeds?   Do you swap seeds with friends?

Vegetable Name Company Year Bought Comments
Basil Basilico Mostruoso Pinetree 2011 partial package
Bean/bush Giant Stringless Pinetree 2011 partial package
Beet Chioggia Pinetree 2011 pkg got wet
Beet Cylindra Ferry Morris 2012
Beet Golden Beet Baker Creek? 2011 partial package
Beet Organic Detroit Dark Red Burpee 2011
Carrots Cosmic Landreth 2013 ordered 1/3/12
Corn/sweet Peaches & Cream ? ?
Cucumber/pickling Picklebush Burpee 2011
Cucumber/pickling Parisian Pickling Landreth 2013 ordered 1/3/12
Eggplant Little Finger Purple Sustainable Seeds 2013 ordered 1/3/12
Pepper/hot Ancho San Martin Hybrid Totally Tomatoes 2011 partial package
Pepper/hot Italian Pepperoncini Totally Tomatoes? 2011 partial package
Pepper/ornamental Medusa Totally Tomatoes 2011 few seeds left
Pepper/sweet Piros Hybrid Totally Tomatoes 2011 partial package
Pepper/sweet King of the North Totally Tomatoes 2011 partial package
Pumpkin Once in a Blue Moon Livingston 2011
Rhubarb Glaskins Perpetual Pinetree 2011 partial package
Tomato/paste Opalka Sustainable Seeds 2013 ordered 1/3/12
Tomato/paste Black Plum Sustainable Seeds 2013 ordered 1/3/12
Tomato/slicing Black Sea Man Totally Tomatoes 2011 few seeds left
Tomato/slicing Costuluto Genovese Landreth 2013 ordered 1/3/12
Tomato/slicing Big Rainbow Landreth 2013 ordered 1/3/12
Turnip Purple Top White Globe Landreth 2013 ordered 1/3/12

4 comments:

  1. Hi Carol! I used to buy a ton of seeds. I was lucky with some, others not so much. The yard I have now isn't really the best to garden in because of the amount of shade but I try to grow a few things each year. I'm moving a flowerbed in the spring to make room for some veggies. We'll see how that goes.

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    1. Hello Poodle! I'm definitely not going to give up on seed starting - I'm determined! But we'll see how that goes ;)

      Looking forward to hearing about your new veggie garden!!

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    2. I had pretty good luck using the Park Seeds Biodome seed starter thing. I had a bow window I could put it in and that worked well. I also set up a grow light in the basement one year which worked. I found I needed to use seeds that had a really similar germination time because if some sprouted and some didn't if I left the lid on the seedlings got moldy but if I took it off, the others dried out. I couldn't afford to replace my bow window with another one when we just sided the house so I have no window sill really anymore. I may try the light in the basement again but I may just buy the plants this year.

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    3. I'll have to check that starter thing out - thanks! Yeah, the different timing for seeds makes me even more anxious; but I have contacted a few folks around town who are involved in the community garden, and I'm hoping that we have a seed-starting workshop!

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