Unusual Garden Seed Catalogs

Snow is gently falling. Outside my windows, finches are flocking around the bird feeders and perching in the red maple trees. Once upon a time, in the days before computers, I would eagerly await the arrival of garden catalogs, some from large seed companies, and some from tiny little farms.

This is the time to dream to dream of spring, renewing old acquaintances with familiar herbs, vegetables and flowers, and forming new friendships with plants yet to be tended. Today I sit in front of the computer and visit the sites of my favorite seed providers, deciding what lucky seed will find a home in my garden this year.

Robert Fuller published the first seed catalog in this country in 1732; since then the mail order seed business has flourished. Today one can find seeds or plants from anywhere in the world and have them delivered right to ones home.

One of the top if not the number one source for finding plants comes from the University of Minnesota at http://plant.info.umn.edu/. This site list 109,967 plants from 2,518 nurseries and garden centers. One can search for plants, seeds or nurseries.

One of my longtime favorites, not only for the unusual seeds offered, but for his biting wit and sarcasm, and his wisdom about responsibility to the earth is J.L.Hudson, Seedsman. This is not a commercial seed company, but rather a seed bank, with a statement of purpose; Preservation through Dissemination and Conservation, Propagation and Education. Talk about seeds from around the world, J.L.Hudson offers seeds from Acacia Auriculiformie, more commonly known as the Ear pod Wattle Tree, from New Guinea, that grows 45 feet tall to Zizyphus Spira-Christi, the Nubk tree also known as Christ's Thorn from North Africa and West Asia. The seeds from this tree are used by Moslems to make rosaries. Check out this site not only for unusual seeds but for its dose of inspiration and common sense.

The seed saver exchange www.seedsavers.org is another great source for finding heirloom vegetable seeds. This is a wonderful organization dedicated to preserving seeds that were once planted by our grandparents and great grandparents. Without the dedicated members of the seed saver exchange our selections of vegetable seeds would be limited to the top selling varieties of the commercially produced seeds. Seed savers have an amazing selection of tomato seeds including Black tomato, new for 2010, and an unbelievable assortment of beans. Don't just order seeds from this organization consider becoming a member of the seed savers exchange and help the planet right from your own back yard.