Seed Catalogs

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Yipee! It is catalog time. For the next few weeks I will explore this essential part of gardening and pass on suggestions that should be helpful to you in locating plants, seeds and tools of our trade. These are also good sources of cultural information that should pick up tips on plant care and even nudge you into starting a few things from seeds.

As is my tradition, this week will list the “must have” catalogs for Alaskan gardeners. I’ve made a few additions to the list, but for the most part, loyal readers will recognize this week’s listings. What continues to change is the way we get catalogs. Many still have “hard copies, but several seed companies now only list their wares on the internet.

  Web Link
  Link   Burpee Seeds
With good pictures and excellent cultural instructions, Burpee Seeds is one of the old seed companies that Amerian gardeners have relied on for more than a century. The company has gone through lots of changes in the past few years, but these don’t d
  Link   The Cook’s Garden
The Cook’s Garden is known as a specialty seed company. It features 50 varieties or so of lettuces, for example, and lots of other vegetables and herbs. Theirs is a great website well worth visiting. Request their catalog from a link on the left at
  Link   Ed Hume Seeds
Ed Hume Seeds is a Washington State-based company run by yet another good friend and fellow garden writer. While there is no mail catalog, there is a very interesting “digital seed rack” available to those who have high speed connections. Ed has a su
  Link   Stokes Seeds
Stokes Seeds is a Canadian company that sells in the U.S. When I didn’t include Stokes in a previous year’s column, I get more mail than normal. This catalog has lots of selections for our short season and great cultural instructions.
  Link   Renee’s Garden
Renee’s Garden is my favorite source for sweat peas. In fact, there are too many from which to choose. Owned by Renee Shepard, another good friend and garden writer, you will find other great flower and vegetable offerings, many heirloom and gourmet.
  Link   Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Johnny’s Selected Seeds is THE cold climate or short season catalog. While it now has a nice selection of flower seeds, Alaskan gardeners should concentrate on the vegetable selections.
  Link   Thompson and Morgan
Thompson and Morgan is a huge English seed company with a big catalog, as in many, many selections and almost as many pictures. This is one catalog you should get in the mail, not only because there are too many selections to look at on a screen, but
  Link   Nichols Nursery
Located in Albany, Oregon, this is a family business run by the second generation, specifically RoseMarie Nichols McGee who also happens to be the co-author of the best container gardening book on the market, The Bountiful Gardener. Not only is RoseM
  Link   Territorial Seed Company
Run by two of the nicest people in the business and based in Cottage Grove, , over the years Territorial has become one of the most popular seed companies in the country. Many commercial growers in Alaska use their seed and there is no reason you sho
 
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