There aren’t many gardeners who like to go outside in the cold weather of January. But many gardeners look forward to the spring planning process. And there’s really no better way to start than to curl up with a hot drink and a stack of seed catalogs.
If you have ordered seeds in the past, chances are high that you have already received at least one catalog in the mail each year. But there are many seed, bulb and plant companies. Staying with just one catalog is almost no fun.
Before giving the list of many options to consider (all free for the request!), there are a few things you should consider.
According to the 2023 USDA Hardiness Zone Map Bedford County is in Zones 6a (-10°F to -5°F), 6b (-5°F to 0°F) and 7a (0°F to 5°F). Knowing your hardiness and growing zone will help you choose seeds, plants and bulbs that will survive our weather and give you healthy results. There are many choices that develop in this area. And every year seed science improves to offer more options.
So, once you know which areas to consider, you need to think about how much space you have and what you want to grow. I am definitely guilty of buying seeds for the garden that only existed in my mind (But they looked so great in the catalog!). Crowding plants together increases your chances of disease. In addition, plants without a room do not grow in size. Plants need air and space to really produce to their potential. So, following those guidelines of catalog growth and spacing is more than a good idea.
And just with spatial considerations, it is important to evaluate how much sun you have in your growing area. Not all plants/vegetables need full sun all day. But knowing what is needed for the seeds/plants you are considering will make a difference.
Now that you have a few things to act as your guidelines, let’s start getting catalogs! The companies here all offer free catalogs. You can order online or you can give us a call.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Baker Creek offers a free 163-page catalog of heirloom seeds. They also sell ($14.95) a 500-page book of heirloom seeds. Here is the online description of this book.
“Gardeners know the Whole Seed Catalog as the gold standard for heirloom seed catalogs. The largest in the world with over 500 pages of breathtaking photos make this a must-have coffee table book, sure to d ‘be valuable for years to come. This pre-eminent resource for heirloom seed varieties and open pollination also offers recipes, gardening and seed saving tips, comprehensive histories of prized varieties, and information on the pure food movement.
But the free catalog is also very nice. (and if you have a few free catalogs, you will quickly and easily have 500 pages.)
Bluestone offers a beautiful catalog of perennials. Note that most of these are not vegetables. But if you have some open space in your garden, you will be tempted by its shrubs, grasses and ground plants.
Brecks is famous for its bulbs. Most orders are shipped in the fall. But note that many bulbs sell out first, so they must be ordered in Sprint.
Burpee offers seeds and supplies for all types of flowers and vegetables. They offer a catalog – but it’s packed.
Fedco Seeds and Rootstock
Fedco offers catalogs for seeds, potatoes, tree roots and bulbs
For some reason, their catalogs are difficult to obtain in April or May. Consider contacting them soon if you are interested in checking out their catalog. Note: Fedco catalogs are very informative, but not quite as “pretty” as some others.
GeoSeed specializes in flowers. They carry many new and unusual varieties.
(Includes what was Burgess Seed and Plant Co. and the Michigan Bulb Co.)
Gurney’s has been around since 1866. They sell vegetables, herbs, flowers, trees, shrubs and all kinds of gardening supplies.
It offers three different catalogs – Vegetable and cut flowers, Home garden seeds, Ornamental plants.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Johnny’s offers seeds for vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs, organic seeds and agricultural seeds sold in bulk.
Scheepers specializes in bulbs of all kinds. But the Kitchen Garden catalog is full of flower and vegetable seeds. They have two other catalogs with just bulbs and tubes.
Territorial Seed has an abundance of seeds for vegetables, flowers, herbs and even garlic and potatoes.
As you can imagine, this is just a small list of seed companies. If you just do a search for “Seed Companies” you will find hundreds of companies in the business of supporting gardeners. This list covers enough variety to get you started, though. Find your favorite mug and start dreaming about spring planting.
