Seed catalogs are like smelling salts for the gardener who has been stifled by the long bleak spell. Seed catalogs don’t just sell plants; they wake up the imagination. Suddenly you’re picturing rows of tomatoes, the smell of basil in the sun, bees drifting through flowers – everything that felt frozen starts moving again.
There is an implicit promise in a seed catalog. The promise might be of perfect fruit or of an impossible color blossom, or of rapid growth. Some come with generous coupons. This is one time I honestly don’t mind a good sales pitch. Especially with all of the color pictures!
I’ve learned over the years to use some restraint and sit on things for awhile before placing my orders. Things look different at second glance, like rainbow-colored gladiolas. When planning your garden summer attire, you will want to make numerous revisions before the final selection. It’s OK to daydream, but you need to think your dreams through.
The first order of business then is to pare down the sources and compare. I do have my favorites, so it’s likely I’ll stick with them, but there are some new companies worthy of a look. I was recently trading information with my dad who dubbed a few of my catalogs as “yuppie” owing to the priciness. He shared some of his with me as well – many of the old established ones and a couple I’d never heard of before.
Just a smattering of seed purveyors from our collection include: Harris Seeds (established in 1879); Gurney’s Seed & Nursery Co., (since 1866); Jung Seeds & Plants (family owned and operated for 119 years); John Scheepers (since 1908) and Johnny’s Selected Seeds (over 50 years). Seems like a lot of human heritage in the seed business. Each one is uniquely alluring in its own way.
I enjoy John Scheepers’ sketches and descriptions like this flower: “Hyssop provides a long season of nectar-sipping by butterflies, hummingbirds and bees as it wafts its anise-mint scent through the garden. It’s also a good cutting flower.” Cultural information, zone requirements and all you need to know (it’s deer and disease resistant and drought tolerant) is included with each item.
Another catalog laced with details and descriptors is Johnny’s Selected Seeds (johnnyseeds.com). The Maine-based company is named for Johnny Appleseed (after John Chapman – the American pioneer nurseryman) and is run by founder Rob Johnston. Their motto “helping friends and families to feed one another” and their methods are admirable. All varieties of flowers and vegetables are trialed in Maine for performance on an almost annual basis and many are organically bred and produced there under the guidance of a large, expert staff.
Glancing at the names of their cucumbers spread over five pages it’s fun to take in names that include: Quirk Mojito, Socrates, Demeter and Sashimi among numerous others. Pictures of them as well as detailed descriptions and sowing information is provided and throughout the 206-page catalog, the sheer variety is astounding – especially when you consider choices at the grocery store.
How about a basil bonsai? I found that offered by the Territorial Seed Company (family owned since 1979/online at territorialseed.com). “This mounded, fine-leaf Greek basil is perfect for growing inside on a sunny windowsill or counter.” It is truly tempting! Their catalog has thorough cultural information with exact instructions for every seed they sell and useful tips.
Another gorgeous catalog is the non-profit Decorah, Iowa-based Seed Savers Exchange (Seedsavers.org), which “stewards America’s culturally diverse and endangered garden and food crop legacy for present and future generations. We educate and connect people through collecting, regenerating and sharing heirloom seeds, plants and stories.” The gorgeous array of vegetables, flowers and seeds seen online, prompted me to order a catalog.
I recently learned that our very own library offers free seeds. The Mattapoisett Free Public Library Seed Library first opened in May 2018 composed entirely of donated seeds from the Seed Savers Exchange. It quickly became a beloved facet of the collection. Interest only increased during COVID when patrons requested hundreds of packets of seeds. Today, the Seed Library continues to help patrons kick-start their garden each spring. In addition to seeds, the library loans planting tools including a soil testing kit, two kinds of cultivators and a seed starter kit.
In a former card catalog you can browse the seed library and find those that you will plant. In turn you can harvest the next generation of seeds to share with the library. Seed sharing is voluntary. I went to investigate after heard about the program from my friend Cecile. In addition to their offerings, I also discovered more catalogs available for patrons to pore over. Looking through them made me even more warm and fuzzy about our local library. I took home four sacred packets of seeds: eggplant, carrot (there’s always a first time!) artichoke and wildflowers.
It’s really no wonder that we all relish this initial step of reacquaintance and renewal. Each year – as with Paris runway collections – offerings are different and you never know what will flip your switch! I love to look at the pages and read the promises and be the first to see the new introductions next to tried-and-true cultivars. Although I order online, I like the process of scanning the pages of catalogs which are nearer to the real things than a computer-image.
A bit of advice for making selections: you may want to write a shopping list of what you’re looking for before you fall under the spell of so many beguiling plants; that possibly you don’t need or have time to propagate.
“For gardeners, this is the season of lists and callow hopefulness; hundreds of thousands of bewitched readers are poring over their catalogues, making lists for their seed and plant orders, and dreaming their dreams.” — Katherine S. White, from “Onward and Upward in the Garden.
The Seaside Gardener
By Laura McLean