I am a chronic list and chart maker. Every summer I wander around the garden making notes in my journal. Notes about which tomatoes taste the best, which snap peas came the earliest, which lettuce refused to bolt. Occasionally I will write across my page in big bold letters, "Do not plant Belstar Broccoli!" Come winter I won't remember why, but I will listen to my own proclamation and order something else.
I save my seeds from year to year in an old shoe box that I've decorated and fitted with dividers. This helps me to figure out what I need from year to year.
I have used many seed companies over the years. Now I generally browse through three catalogs. The first, High Mowing Organic Seeds. They are a Vermont seed company specializing in veggie and herb seeds. Because they trial all of their seeds in their northern Vermont gardens, I know the seeds will grow in Bennington. I start out with High Mowing, and then move on to Johnny's Selected Seeds. Sometimes Johnny's has seeds that I can't get any where else. The catalog offers lots of growing tips and the seed packs are large. Finally, for smaller seed packs and almost all of my flower seeds, I use Pinetree Garden Seeds. Pinetree's small seed packs and low prices make it easy for me to try something out without breaking the bank. My favorite flower from Pinetree? The Tithtonia Torch or Mexican Sunflower. It is big and bold, with orange flowers that the bees love.
I know there are oodles of seed companies out there and everyone has their favorites. These are the ones I swear by. What about you?
By Tara Schultz
