Hello, fellow readers,
It’s been fun hearing about your favorite seed catalogs. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is one of my favorites, too. And what a history of the American Dream! At age 3, owner Jere Gettle began growing plants, and in 1998, at 17, he printed his first catalog. Since then, the company has grown to offer the country’s largest selection of rare heirloom varieties. They also work widely to supply free seeds to many of the world’s poorest countries and support seed needs here in the United States. It’s their goal to “educate everyone about better, safer food supply and fight gene-altered seeds and the companies that support them.”
Then there’s Nichols Garden Nursery: Herbs, Fine Seeds, and Goods for Gardener Cooks. They’ve been in the seed and nursery business for over 60 years. Their resolution is ‘to bring people closer to nature through gardening.’ They believe ‘gardening keeps us physically active and provides homegrown, nutritious and delicious meals.’ Nichols Garden Nursery is one of the ten original signers of the Safe Seed Pledge, and they sell plants too.
Another favorite is Select Seeds, specializing in old-fashioned fragrant flowers, vines, and rare annuals and perennials. They tout Bee-Friendly Flowers to help the declining bee population. Planting flowers of diverse species that bloom at different times of the year helps attract bees and enables them to continue their invaluable pollinating work. Select Seeds donates seeds to 4H Clubs, Cooperative Extension Programs, and schools nationwide.
Many tout Johnny’s Vegetable Seeds best known for its organically grown seeds. The OG label signifies plants, or seeds harvested from plants, that have been grown without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, strictly adhering to the USDA’s National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) organic gardening practices.
These catalogs can be viewed online. Thanks to all for sharing your seed-drooling devices. We will survive winter!
Garden dilemmas? AskMaryStone@gmail.com and Podcast apps.
Links to Your Favorite Seed Drooling Devices:
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (the feature photo on this entry is from their website)
Nichols Garden Nursery: Herbs, Fine Seeds and Goods
January 2025 update: I have a new favorite for my vegetable garden that I’d like to add to the mix. Renee’s Garden Seeds writes, “Our seeds are Renee’s personal selection of new, exciting, and unusual vegetable, flower, and herb seeds, including time-tested heirlooms, Certified Organic seeds, the best international hybrids, and fine open-pollinated varieties.
