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

            This week in Revolutionary War history, let’s check up on what was going on 250 years ago in New England and the northern Thirteen Colonies. Last week, the Evacuation of Boston took place, with around 11,000 British and Loyalist forces departing Boston. The populous would eventually settle in Canada and England, with the army regrouping for a counterattack. The Continental Army would trickle into Boston, as the fear of smallpox forced General George Washington to slow down the occupation of the city.

            On March 20, 1776, Continental forces have been slowly entering Boston for a about three days since the British departure on March 17. The city proves a smoldering wreck, though it lies not in ruin. In his letter to Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Reed, whom is currently in Philadelphia before returning to New York, Washington says of Boston, “The hurry in which they have embarked is inconceivable, they have not, from a rough estimate, left less than 30,000£s worth of his Majesty’s property behind them.” As men walk through the streets, they catalogue barricades and artillery pieces still standing. The general notes, “The Town of Boston was almost, impregnable every avenue fortified.”

            At this point, the British are not totally gone yet though. He concludes his letter to Lee, saying, “I have already marched the riflemen men, and five Regiments for New York – I cannot spare more whilst the fleet hover in our harbor.” Many Royal Navy vessels linger in Boston Harbor, especially around Castle William on Castle Island. The British are taking stock of what they’ve left with, as well as general preparations for their voyage. Then, on March 20, an explosion shakes the city.

            British engineers set fire to the fortress, detonating ordinances and destroying much of the structure. The structure had been the second fort on the island, the first being built in 1634 and destroyed by a fire in 1673. It was rebuilt around 1703 to be destroyed by its creators as to not fall into the hands of the Continental Army. The British were still not quite ready to depart, however.

            Eventually, the Americans would build a new fort overlooking Boston Harbor after the Revolution. It would be christened Fort Independence In 1799 by a President John Adams.

            On March 21, Washington issues a “Proclamation on the Occupation of Boston,” that informs citizens of what rule is to come to them, as well as instructing his soldiers that “All officers and soldiers are hereby ordered to live in the strictest peace and amity with the inhabitants.” He also highlights to soldiers that should conflict with the Bostonians arise, they must seek out the correct and legal action towards a solution, “and no other.” Finally, he instructs the four Boston Selectman that they are to “return to the Commander in Chief, the names of all or any person or persons they may suspect of being employed as spies upon the Continental Army, that they may be dealt with accordingly.”

            On March 22, he writes to Samuel Adams, a Massachusetts Delegate to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. He asks on a proposal of his from a few months prior, about whether to open a road from the Connecticut River north to Montreal. This would allow for further campaigns north, brining information and supplies. Washington seems rather ambivalent and non-committal to the proposed project though, leaving it up to Congress, saying, “the only design of my giving you the trouble of this letter is just to recall the attention of Congress to the subject matter of it so far as to say yea, or nay.” Adams would not receive this letter and write back until May 15, where he agrees with its use, though there will be higher priorities by that point.

            On March 23, Washington is openly concerned with a British landing or attempted attack on Boston, as their ships stay off the coast. He instructs Colonel Henry Knox and other officers to immediately begin the deconstruction of defenses blocking the Boston Neck and instead begin fortifying the coast. He also says Knox, “will immediately lay out a Battery upon Charles-Town point.” Washington may still be in Boston, though as he will be marching west soon, he received word from Brigadier General William Heath who departed towards New York a few days prior and has made it to Norwich, CT. He says, “the roads being extremely miry and in some places almost impassable greatly impedes the wagons which is an obstruction to the whole.”

            On March 24 in his General Orders, Washington states, “The enemy still continuing in the harbor, without any apparent cause for it, after winds and weather have favored their sailing; leaves abundant reason to suspect, that they may have some design of aiming a blow at us before they depart.”

            Though Washington did not yet know this, General Howe’s ship had departed a number of days prior. These straggling ships were in place to intercept and arriving British ships and inform them the city had fallen into enemy hands and to not dock in the harbor and instead, head north to Halifax. There would be no further British assault on the city.

            By March 28, Washington himself had entered the city and taken personal stock of artillery and other supplies abandoned by the British, though much of it won’t be usable. He writes to Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Reed in New York, saying, “General Howe has a grand maneuver in view – or – made an inglorious retreat. Yesterday evening the remains of the British Fleet left Nantucket Road & (except an armed vessel or two) hath left the coast quite clear of an enemy.” Washington himself will stay in Boston about a week longer, before heading west to join Reed.

This Week in Revolutionary War History

By Sam Bishop