By Linda Wiggen Kraft
My gardening year starts in January when I order seeds for the upcoming growing season. It is a time of dreaming and planning, and a time of feeling awe and gratitude for the amazing life of plants. Selecting seeds is my favorite winter ritual. I set aside a few quiet hours for a couple of days. I gather the printed seeds catalogs and my laptop computer to first browse through all of the offerings. My favorite catalogs are from heirloom, organically grown and sustainably committed seed companies. The photos bring joy and amazement with the multitude of different plants that feed us and bring beauty to this world. I spend hours drawn into the colors, shapes and descriptions of the diversity of plants. I am transported to another world, not unlike when reading a novel that takes you to another time and place. Yet these plant possibilities aren’t fiction, they are real. I want them all growing in my garden.
I wait for a few hours, or the next day, after immersing myself in these catalogs to let the reality of my life and how big my garden is set in. There are still plenty of choices. I create lists of what I want, some new and some I always plant.
I do a reality check of what I can grow, where and when.
I order from companies committed to keeping plant diversity and personal ownership of seeds alive and strong. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds in Mansfield, Missouri has the most beautiful catalog and the most diverse seed offerings for sale. Seeds Savers Exchange in Iowa was one of the original heirloom seed companies. Pinetree Seeds in Maine has smaller packets of seeds. The Natural Gardening Company in California is the oldest certified organic nursery in the United States. Johnny’s Selected Seeds in Maine was one of the first to offer hard to find heirloom seeds for market and home growers.
Here is what I am getting. Flowers: Ageratum Dondo Blue, Cosmo Cosimo Red, Dara Ammi Flowering Carrot, Marigold Kilimanjaro White, Nasturtium Alaska Mix, Nasturtium Ladybird Cream, Poppy Hungarian Blue Bread Seed, Poppy Mother of Pearl, Sweet Annie, Verbena Bonariensis, Zinnia Lilac Time, Zinnia Polar Bear, Zinnia Queen Lime Red and Zinnia Zinderella Peach. Vegetables: Arugula Sylvetta, Beet Detroit Dark Red, Bell Pepper Lilac, Carrot Pusa Asita Black, Cowpea Purple Hull Pinkeye, Cucumber Early Fortune, Kohlrabi Azur Star, Long Bean Chinese Red Noodle, Okra Red Burgandy, Radish Pusa Gulabi, Radish Pusa Jamuni, Runner Bean Sunset, Rutabaga Laurentian, Spinach Flamingo, Swiss Chard Pink Lipstick and Turnip Boile d’or.
I can’t wait to grow the plants I love and have every year and to discover the tastes and beauty of new ones soon to be growing in my garden.
Linda Wiggen Kraft is a landscape designer who creates holistic and organic gardens. She is also a mandala artist and workshop leader. Visit her blog: CreativityForTheSoul.com/blog or website: CreativityForTheSoul.com. Contact her at 314 504-4266.