Spring is well upon us now…

…and many people have started their seeds and have them growing in their greenhouses, on their back porch, in a windowsill or some things are already in the ground.

Do not fear for it is not too late to start your garden. There are many little herbs for you to grow and often times certain foods do not get planted until the middle or end of summer for a fall harvest. If you are really passionate about gardening you really can grow stuff all year in most climates, but that is for another time.

Picking out where to get your seeds can be overwhelming. I love getting seed catalogs in the mail for two main reasons. First it means that the warmth and sunshine are on their way which is always beautiful to me. Second, because I get to browse on through and see what is going in the garden this year. This second one can be a bit overwhelming if you get 20 different seed catalogs all claiming to be the best and have the highest yield and best taste and so on.

Now when you go to pick there are a few things that you want to keep in mind. First, it is important to avoid GMO seeds. Most of these on the list not only don’t carry them, but they come out and stand against them. This is a great thing to see since avoiding genetic modification is in my food is something I hold paramount and I know many of you do as well. Second, look for organic seeds. This will be easy on this list. When buying seeds this usually means a few pennies more if any at all. Why not make the choice at that point. You can even get some biodynamic seeds which I feel trumps all other farming practices. After that it is pretty simple, start with what you like and get growing.

Here’s the list (in no particular order)

• http://www.johnnyseeds.com/
• https://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/store/
• http://www.rareseeds.com/
• http://www.southernexposure.com/
• http://www.highmowingseeds.com/
• http://www.fedcoseeds.com/
• http://www.seedsavers.org/
• http://www.territorialseed.com/
• http://www.seedsofchange.com/Home.aspx

Here is my personal favorite. I stumbled upon them a few years ago and have been ordering from them ever since. I am a fan because they use organic and biodynamic practices as well as having open pollinated seeds. Others above I know use some of these, but this place is also pretty close to me and have stuck with them ever since. That being said you are not going to pick a bad one from up above.

• http://www.turtletreeseed.org/

Now that you have the seeds it is time to start the garden. Make sure to check out next week’s post on starting a garden.

Have a Great Day!

Nick Horowski