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The only thing that consistently and successfully takes my mind off of winter, regardless of where I am is the prospect of planting. There are so many catalog resources from which a gardener can order seeds, how does a person know which places are reliable and which have the best seeds?

There are also many really great places that don't have catalogs, so you have to rely on what you see on their websites. Here is some information that may answer some questions and eliminate any confusion.

If you are unfamiliar with seed supply sources, one of the best ways to find recommendations is by using Dave's Garden Watchdog. The Garden Watchdog is a list of the most reputable companies as determined by ratings provided by site members after doing business with these companies.

These people run the gamut from master gardeners to virgin gardeners who are growing things for the first time. The list of their 30 best rated companies is the Watchdog 30.

Another feature of Garden Watchdog service is that they offer a guide geared to gardening by mail, purchasing things from mail order companies and catalogs. When you look at this guide, in addition to seeing the list of the companies receiving the top 30 ratings from their reviewers, you can also read some of the reviews that were provided. Here is the Watchdog Guide to Mail Order Gardening

When considering ordering flower seeds, I always find myself asking who the company's supplier is. There are larger companies that may have sizable farms, and they may grow the flowers from which they get their seeds on the property. Such is the case with Wildseed Farms, Renee's Garden and the Vermont Wildflower Farm.

Wildseed Farms has an enormous selection of the freshest flower seeds that consistently germinate very reliably because they are always very fresh. It is also possible to visit the farm, and if you do so during the height of the blooming season, you will get a first hand view of what they grow and how they grow their flowers.

One of the nicest features of their catalog is that they make detailed notes to let you know what flowers are best suited to specific areas, and what flowers will attract different wildlife. It's very helpful if you are trying to lure hummingbirds and butterflies, or if you are trying to deter deer and rabbits.

Some of the smaller places will include free seeds on a regular basis, hoping to secure you as a return customer. Most small companies are very eager to please their clients and they pride themselves on the fact that most of their customers come back again and again.

The Watchdog 30 is spot on when it comes to reviewing Onalee's Home Grown Seeds and Plants and Garden Store N More Garden Store N More regularly offers free seeds and shipping on orders of $10 or more.

For herbs, one of the best resources is Richter's in Canada. Another outstanding source for herbs, and also a wonderful source for vegetable seeds in Heirloom Seeds. For tomato seeds, there is the Heirloom Seeds sister site Heirloom Tomatoes.

Another outstanding resource is the Seed Saver's Exchange which is located in Decorah Iowa. You can become a member there, and they do sell seeds. They are interested in preserving heritages by having people save heirloom seeds, so this is a great resource for heirloom seeds.

For the best selection of container vegetable seeds, nothing compares to Container Seeds. For anyone who ever thought it wasn't possible to grow vegetables in containers (myself included,) think again! Container Seeds will convince you otherwise, and the selection they have is positively mind boggling.

Johnny's Seeds is another very reliable source for vegetables, herbs and flowers as is Park Seeds, and Park has many exclusive offers as well as supplies for starting seeds. It is a highly regarded company with a well deserved reputation.

Earl May Nursery out of Shenandoah Iowa is an outstanding resource for vegetables, and I've found unusual varieties of heat tolerant lettuce that I've never seen or heard of anywhere else. Another outstanding place to consider is Henry Field's. They've been around since 1892.

If you are willing to take a risk and just want to try some things you have never grown before, but don't want to spend a lot of money, the best resource around for very cheap seeds and very cheap shipping is Valueseeds. They do not have a print catalog, but you can see their entire list of holdings on their website. All seed packages cost less than $1.00 each.

There are also sources that specialize in organic seeds. Seeds of Change is one such place. I've never purchased seeds from them by mail, but I have purchased their seeds in retail establishments. The quality was always excellent. Renee's Garden which was formerly known as Shepherd's seeds is another place with a good reputation.

What distinguishes Renee's from other places is that although they have a farm and produce the flowers and crops from which their seeds come, they cater to home gardeners. What is good about a place that caters to home gardeners is that they will sell seeds in smaller quantities.

Buying seeds can be an expensive proposition. With flowers, however, it is easily possible to harvest seeds from almost all flowers and to save those seeds to plant the following year, and if by chance you harvest too many, why not have a seed swap with some friends?

Harvesting seeds from vegetables isn't such a sure thing. Many vegetables are hybridized to be disease resistant, and it's hard to ensure the reliability of hybridized seeds. With heirloom seeds, that's another matter. The reason we have heirloom seeds in the first place is because generations of gardeners have consistently harvested seeds from these old varieties that have never been genetically altered.

This is just a listing of some well regarded and well known resources. Many of these places are quite specialized and if you are looking for specific things, there is definitely something to be said for looking at a resource that specializes in that things.

When looking into places to order seeds, a good way to judge the quality of the company is by assessing the amount of return customers the company gets. A satisfied customer is going to return again and again, but someone who isn't pleased with the quality will never order from that company again.

Learn more about this author, Theresa Rose.
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