Seeds, Seeds and more Seeds...

To plant a garden is to believe in the future.
How does one go about planting a garden from seed...or from "scratch" as we say in the kitchen.  It's not just a simple Jack and the Bean Stock throw a few magic beans in the ground.  First of all SOIL is a major component in OLD SCHOOL gardening.  When I say old school I mean soil, seeds, water and sun.  When you old school it...manure, compost, bugs, worms and delicious dark dirt...are your friends.  It's extremely important to add nutrients to your soil all season, you can top dress with compost or aged horse manure.  I caution the use of chemicals, just because you are eating the bounty...however there are those who believe bigger is better.  The most important thing about gardening is the PLEASURE you derive from it. 

You got soil...next up is SEEDS!!!  You will be kid in the candy store, so please proceed with caution.  Remember those itty bitty seeds grow, expand, enlarge, and a few go a long way.  So make a garden plan, what you want to plant, what you like to eat, your region for growing, and throw in a few odd ball seeds for fun.  I'll give you a lesson I learnt a few years back...I use to love zucchini until I planted 8 plants one spring.  Are you serious!!!! you are saying to yourself if you already know this lesson...and yes, I am serious.  Well, 8 zucchini plants could have feed half of a starving nation.  So those packets of 50-100 seeds with the attractive price tags, sometimes are not that attractive after all.  Seeds do have a shelf life of about 3 years if stored properly...but 50-100 zucchini seeds???? 
After you decide on the seeds you want, it's time to purchase the seeds....and here comes the endless seed catalogues and not all catalogues and seeds are created equal.  Seeds are harvested from plants and these plants are grown for the quality of seeds they produce. 


Salt Spring Seeds
Heritage & Heirloom Organic Seed Catalog 2015


Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
The Whole Seed Catalog 2015


West Coast Seeds
Gardening Guide 2015


Veseys Seeds 2015
serving Canadian Gardeners since 1939


These are just a few I use, there are many more interesting catalogues you can look through and buy seeds from.  Talk to other gardeners and find out where they buy seeds and search the internet.  In the end it's your choice. 


You have soil, You have seeds, now you need WATER & SUN and some shade.  These are the two   jokers in the house of cards we just created...laughing.  Sometimes we get excessive water in spring from the heavens above which means little sunshine...and then drought like conditions in mid summer...which means you must water, water, water, and than water some more.  It's important to check if you are on a well that you have enough water to water in your growing season.  For my husband and I we had to drill a new well just for our gardening endeavours.  If you are on city water system make sure your water restrictions don't leave high and dry.  As for the sun, well I have come up with a sun dance...and I beg the sun gods. 


The love of gardening is a SEED once sown that never dies.




Grow, Harvest, Cook, Eat and enjoy the quiet moments in a garden this year...


Jenn