Spring plant catalogs

[Crabby-Chicken]

What are you favorite catalogs to go through??? Ready to start planning! Thanks!

 

[Shari]

They are all dangerous I tell ya...

I do like Territorial seed company, Raintree and One Green World Nurseries.

Its going to be really hard this year...since my life is up in the air. But will enjoy hearing about, what other folks get.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Just ordered from High Country Gardens in Santa Fe. They have lots of xeriscape plants that will grow in my area.

I got my garden seeds from St Clare Seeds last year. All heirloom seeds. They don't have a paper catalog, though.

Richters has the BEST herb catalog. Even when I don't order I save the catlogue for reference.

btw, ate some broccoli florets today from my garden. I'm disappointed they are not producing better, however. The spinach is still producing. We are due for a polar front next week, so that may do them in.

 

[little lady]

My favorite winter browsing...I like Burpee, Michigan Bulb, I get a few others but right now I can't think of them. Love to know what everyone likes to plant.

 

[Bess Kelly]

This year the area where my grandaughter's pool once stood (it is now dismantled and packed up) will become my bale garden -- straw bales used to plant tomatoes, etc. The area is already edged with landscape timber, covered with ground fabric and mulch, so I'm using it for a base rather than rip it all out!

So a smallish garden close to the back door.

Will add a couple raised bed areas for things that need real dirt.....in total it's about 20X20, so all I will want or have time to deal with. I actually have an idea to turn it into a small greenhouse area, using a stockpile of window units my son brought home from a renovation. Yes, he placed them in one of my shelters never to claim again, I suppose, as it's been almost THREE yrs!! I want my shed back!! So, I'm thinking the pool area and windows can be "recycled" to MY use.

Local Y has indoor pool that is far more appealing to G-dtr and me too, since I have no upkeep there

Got several catalogs this year....huge seed buys last year...and lotsa seed left over. Hope to start plants in Feb as I have ALSO reclaimed my garage (had been used as an efficiency apartment for a while) and now I want to be able to use for my sewing area. Do we see a "kick them out and reclaim your life" effort going on???? Yes, yes, yes!

I love to curl up on the couch, with hot tea and plant/seed catalogs and dream of fresh veggies & warm weather!

 

[Shari]

This year the area where my grandaughter's pool once stood (it is now dismantled and packed up) will become my bale garden -- straw bales used to plant tomatoes, etc. The area is already edged with landscape timber, covered with ground fabric and mulch, so I'm using it for a base rather than rip it all out!

So a smallish garden close to the back door.

Will add a couple raised bed areas for things that need real dirt.....in total it's about 20X20, so all I will want or have time to deal with. I actually have an idea to turn it into a small greenhouse area, using a stockpile of window units my son brought home from a renovation. Yes, he placed them in one of my shelters never to claim again, I suppose, as it's been almost THREE yrs!! I want my shed back!!

Post photos when you have your garden in!

 

[susanne]

Ditto:

Territorial

Raintree

One Green World

Thompson & Morgan

High Country

PLUS (not seeds, but plants):

Heirloom Gardens (exquisite antique roses)

Joy Creek (right down the road but world famous for great perennials)

Forest Farms (shrubs, small trees, perennials)

This is a permanent fixture on my nightstand -- and also travels to the bathtub. Nothing like reading about dirt when you're getting clean! This catalog is several hundred pages and is the best plant reference I've ever found. I've marked future plants and made notes, which is a problem when the new catalog comes out!)

Plant Delights (more unusual perennials (worth reading just for Tony Avent's sense of humor...he is hysterical)

Then there are the websites to which I've worn a path on my computer...

 

[Crabby-Chicken]

Thanks guys! Territorial was the only one I get.

Bess sounds like you are on a roll!!!!!!Thanks for reminding me about the straw bales!

My husband made me two raised beds... but I am greedy and want more. But it took two or three years to make the others so I won't hold my breath! LOL. So I may try the bales and plant my tomatoes in them.

 

[little lady]

This year the area where my grandaughter's pool once stood (it is now dismantled and packed up) will become my bale garden -- straw bales used to plant tomatoes, etc. The area is already edged with landscape timber, covered with ground fabric and mulch, so I'm using it for a base rather than rip it all out!

So a smallish garden close to the back door.

Will add a couple raised bed areas for things that need real dirt.....in total it's about 20X20, so all I will want or have time to deal with. I actually have an idea to turn it into a small greenhouse area, using a stockpile of window units my son brought home from a renovation. Yes, he placed them in one of my shelters never to claim again, I suppose, as it's been almost THREE yrs!! I want my shed back!! So, I'm thinking the pool area and windows can be "recycled" to MY use.

Local Y has indoor pool that is far more appealing to G-dtr and me too, since I have no upkeep there

Got several catalogs this year....huge seed buys last year...and lotsa seed left over. Hope to start plants in Feb as I have ALSO reclaimed my garage (had been used as an efficiency apartment for a while) and now I want to be able to use for my sewing area. Do we see a "kick them out and reclaim your life" effort going on???? Yes, yes, yes!

I love to curl up on the couch, with hot tea and plant/seed catalogs and dream of fresh veggies & warm weather!

Question about straw bales-Have you done this before and if so any pointers. I would like to try this method.

 

[Bess Kelly]

When it's working, I'll post pics.

Nope, haven't given this method a full try. However, I have planted with a layered set-up in yrs past using straw. At that time it was crate sides, some dirt in bottom, them straw and some dirt on top. The dirt really didn't do much more than stabilize the straw, which was not baled, in that effort. Anyway, had some wonderful and clean potatoes! So the theory is there in the bales which get some nutrients absorbed, hold moisture, warms the roots, provides nutrients as the straw composts & provide a "loose bed" of matter for the plant roots, etc. I read where another who had used the method felt there were less bugs. Since many are soil borne and there wintering over, it makes sense. I'm just thinking of NO tilling, hoe work, etc.

Years ago I kept chickens and in winter would use bales of wheat for them to feed from. I'd take an entire bale, place it in their pen and the water (hose/rain/snow/etc) would sprout the wheat seed. They adored me! They loved the fresh greens in the winter.

Of course this works in direct unison with weather in your area but, on the South side of a building, success was good. They will peck and scratch into the bale of the stuff growing below the surface. Eventually they can pull it apart and it just works into the ground.

Yep....a bale garden is in the works!

 

[mad for mini's]

I love spring catalogs !!

My favorite is anything that shows up in the mailbox

But my downfall catalogs are Wayside Gardens, Schreiner's Iris and Gilbert H Wild daylilies. I have over 50 different varieties of daylily from Wild and they've never disappointed me. Schreiner's is just as good for Iris, I already have about 30 different kinds of those but I can always find a dozen or so a year that I can not do without