I use the winter for garden planning and one of the best ways to plan, is by using seed catalogues or viewing websites. There are many mail order seed and plant suppliers in both the United States and Canada so the number of catalogues and websites you can use for reference are unlimited. So get those catalogues out or search the internet and start dreaming about this upcoming growing season the great garden you will have.
You can use seed catalogues and websites for reference about plants. The best ones provide lengthy descriptions for each plant and its growing needs. Often they will feature the traditional seeds and plants along with new varieties, most often with photographs, so they are very useful for garden planning. Keep your catalogues or book mark the best websites for a good reference source, in case you have any questions about a certain plant later in the season.
Ordering from a mail order plant company is a good way to add varieties that are not available locally and to add the latest perennials or other plants as they become available on the market. Often a plant grower will ‘debut’ a new variety with a selected mail order company the first year and then will distribute to nurseries for the next growing season. That is the reason why our local nurseries do not always have the new plants that you saw in a catalogue or on a website. This is a great way to get something unusual for your garden ahead of your friends. An added bonus is that you may be able to get seeds, which are very economical and you can grow yourself or you may order a plant already established. If you would like to order from a company make sure they have full contact information and guarantee their products.
You may also consider ordering seeds of perennials that are not necessarily rated to grow in our zone which allows you to experiment or grow these plants as annuals without a lot of investment. For instance perennials in the higher zones like some of the varieties of bamboo, pampas grass, other perennial grasses and lavenders, make great annual plants in our zone.
Whether you use your seed catalogues or websites strictly as reference material, the pictures for garden or landscape planning or as a great source to find unusual varieties of plants, you can spend hours looking at the many sources available today. So chase away the winter blues – think spring and curl up with a seed catalogue or view a website, you’ll be glad you did.
