The Pinetree catalog arrived today!!! Even though I wish they had a bigger selection of peppers and tomatoes, I found plenty of goodies in there. The Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy' the T & M is selling 50 seed for $3.50, Pinetree is selling 20 seeds for $1.20. They also have a new Pansy called 'Panola Sunburst' that would fit into my color scheme.

Oh, and Skybird, they have the 'Reliance' grape too!

Bonnie (making a list, and checking it twice)

Here is a link that might be useful: Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy'

Thanks for the info on Reliance, Bonnie. I haven't gotten any seed catalogs yet, but now that I know you got your Pinetree, I'll be looking for mine too. But I'm not sure if I want to buy any PLANTS from them! The first year I ordered from them I got 3 Siberian Iris, and they were SO tiny that now, 3 years later, they're just starting to look like real plants! So while I think their seeds, small quantities for a decent price are good, I don't have much faith in their plants anymore. I think I may just look for the grape locally, where I can see the plant before I pay for it--and save the shipping!

I got one, I got one, she yells happily waving her new Pinetree catalog in the air.

Actually I got two. They always send me one in my maiden name and one in my married name. I always pass the extra on to my BFFL, Mitzie.

Gotta go, can't read the screen anyway. Too much marker.

Billie

So far, I've only got the Gurneys catalog. Not much container stuff in it.

Speaking of Gurneys, I have quite a bit of last years seeds left if anyone wants them. Many unopened. Some tomato, scallop squash varieties, lettuce blend seed tape, early whte vienna kohlrabi seed tape, and a 225 pack of the Sugar Ann snap peas I raved about this spring. Some other stuff. Not much for containers.

Post here, or shoot me a PM if you want them.

Robert

Hi Robert! Since you recently moved, you may need to go to the websites of your favorite seed places and submit a new catalog request.

I would be interested in a few of the Sugar Ann snap peas. I wouldn't need 225, but I'd love a dozen or so. Which tomatoes do you have? (she asks, even though she has seeds for 47 different varieties and a 60 sq.ft. garden, LOL)

Since your looking seeds for container growing, I have Spacemaster cukes, and 'Mini Bush Yellow Cherry', and 'Lime Green Salad' tomatoes, which are dwarf, determinate types. Let me know if your interested.

My Fedco catalog arrived today, not much new from last year, and I received Totally Tomatoes and Vermont Bean Seed catalogs earlier in the week. I've been circling things, but am not planning on placing any more orders until after the holidays are over.

Bonnie

Okay, now that I interupted this thread for a little seed swapping with Robert, back to the topic!

I received an email from Select Seeds last night saying I could preorder my catalog for "only $2.00". What?!? You want me to pay for my winter entertainment??? In their defense, they deduct the two dollars from your first order, but if they are going to charge me, I'll be forced to look at their catalog online instead.

Bonnie

Forced?!?

Some of these outfits have such clunky websites that they should pay us to use them!!

I was about to say that Jordan Seed is a worse-case example. Then I decided I'd better look at their website. Wow!! Big improvement from a few years ago. Jordan has very good prices on seed in quantity.

Steve's digits

Whaddya mean, Bonnie, "My Fedco catalog arrived today, not much new from last year" . . . ?

See, this is the problem with the catalogs without any color!

(I couldn't see much new either until I found this, online. ;o)

d'S

I DID see that list in the catalog. Maybe I should have said new things that "I" grow. A lot of the items were corn, melons, onions, etc. I guess I was looking for varieties of flowers, peppers, and tomatoes that I didn't already have.

BTW, I had never heard of Jordan Seed. Are they maybe geared toward the market grower, such as yourself?

Bonnie

So far I have only gotten 4 (if you don't count douplicates). Pinetree, Vermont BeanWood Prairie and Dixondale. Vermont has the County Fair cucs someone was looking for earlier.

Billie

There was an article in the local paper about how the standard NM chili's have been 'watered down' over the years, all that cross pollination out in the fields and so on. So they've gone back to the seed bank at CSU and got the original seeds/strains that were used to develop Big Jim and New Mexico, and re-developed them. Article (which I can't find on the innernet) sez that these new ones have 5X the flavor and aroma, measured using spectrometers and other scientific gizmos, and the most important of all, how many people are prostrate on the ground down wind from the chili roasting guy, worshiping.

Buy them here - the 'heritage' type, they aren't yet in stock.

That was me, Billie! I already have it circled, but I found it in the Totally Tomatoes catalog too. Vermont Bean $2.65 for 20 seeds, Tot. Tomatoes $1.75 for 20 seeds. Not that 90 cents will make or break me, but if you are ordering numberous items, it can add up. I haven't ordered from either place before, but it seems like their were a couple of complaints on the Tomato forum about a couple of things from Totally Tomatoes not being labeled correctly. With only space for a few plants, I would be pretty irritated if I nursed along a plant only to find out at the end of the summer, that it wasn't the one I meant to grow! So basically, I'm not sure who I will order from yet. Too bad Fedco doesn't carry that one, their prices are always good.

Bonnie

I have received Pinetree, Nichols, T&M, and Stokes. I'm thinking about giving my mom a gift certificate to a seed catalog. Any favorites? Something that has veggies, and maybe some supplies too.

Thanks,
Alice

Alice, I buy so much from Johnny's, it makes me nervous that Rob Johnston is no longer the owner . . . I don't know how many years I've been a customer but I'm pretty sure that Rob didn't have any grey in his hair when I first saw his photo.

Bonnie, Jordans is primarily for the market grower and their minimum order charge and shipping costs are a bit high.

Osbourne is also somewhat oriented that way but I like their selection and both Jordans and Osbourne have everything in smaller packet sizes as well as stuff by the pound.

And, Holmes is definitely in that league.

One of these days, I should open an account with the Landreth Seed Company. It claims to be the oldest "seed house" in America. And, "the company sold seed to every American president from George Washington to Franklin D. Roosevelt." Sounds like I could be in pretty good company . . . (and no wonder Harry Truman had such low poll numbers ;o).

d'S

I just got my order from Johnny's. I won't say how much I spent. Lets just say their shoe box sized box was full.

I have an 86 year old neighbor who has been looking for "blue banana" winter squash, which he swears I grew one year, and I finally figured out he was talking about Guatemalan Blue. So I've been trying to find him some seeds.

Baker Creek sold out, one week to the next before I could order them, and I emailed them and they said they wouldn't carry them this year.

I tried to do an internet order through Seed Savers Exchange, but their computer ordering thing is totally messed up. Phone call isn't answered, just a machine.

So I sent off to Sand Hill Preservation. Those guys have the right attitude. Send a check, and be patient. None of that new-fangled credit card stuff. And they say they'll do internet orders when they can send live chickens via email.

Bonnie - make sure you watch those shipping charges too. Some of those guys knock down the price to really ding you on the shipping and handling.

David - I wish someone would figure out a way to e-mail my chicks. I think more would live through it and I woould not get the NASTY phone call from the post office the minute the chicks got there "Your chicks are here and if YOU DON'T PICK THEM UP TODAY, I will keep them!!" I have always picked up my chicks in a timely manner. I even drove 30 miles one way in a blizzard last year to fetch them from Calhan (the snow capital of the Colorado plains) to get them because our mail delivery person did not want to get the mail that day. I even wound up sleeping with them in my bed cuz the power went out, but that was after the neighbor rescued us from the ditch, two miles from the house!! What a wild trip!

Billie

Isn't it "pink" banana squash, David?

I can imagine Sand Hill Preservation having the "right attitude." I understand that 100 years ago, seed companies often sold chickens. And, what a range of chicken breeds they've got!!

Billie, I don't think the USPS wants to be in the chicken business. It is amazing that they didn't "chicken" out a few years ago when they tried. How in heck could the few people that mail order chicks keep that shipping option in place? Must be a dedicated lot, the sort who would drive 30 miles thru a blizzard to pick up a box of chicks and then sleep with them to keep 'em warm during a power failure.

I'm always tempted to mail order but must not have much imagination - the feed company always has what I want, cheep . . . I mean, cheap. Ordered quail one time - they were fun! I could hardly believe how tiny Coturnix quail are but all 35 made it thru the mail - in one tiny, cold, knot of fuzzy bodies with little pink feet sticking out.

S'

It's amazing what you will do for a kids 4-H project.

I thought I would share the link I found a few minutes ago that is charging only one shipping fee for RH Shumway, Totally Tomatoes, Jung and Vermont as well as couple other places that I have not dealt with yet.

Billie

In the past it seemed like I never got many catalogs until after the first of the year, but this year theyre coming in hot and heavy already!

So far Ive gotten:
~ Pinetree (Will definitely be ordering some things again this year)

~ Totally Tomatoes (Will probably get my tomato seeds elsewhere this year)

~ Vermont Bean (Ive hi-lited some things, and will probably order from them for the first time. Prices seem quite reasonable, and shipping is $6 for any size order. Three packs of "experimental" seeds with order over $27tho I couldnt use the sweet corn, and probably no room for the green beans either! That leaves the peas!)

~ Burpee (Theyre pretty pricy! They have some bargain prices on an insert, but shipping it $7, up to $15, so probably not!)

~ Territorial (Ouch! Shipping is $7, up to 5 lbs!)

~ Bountiful Gardens (Havent looked yet! Shipping prices are right!)

~ Jung (Havent looked yet! Shipping prices not too bad!)

I havent received Harris yet, but am planning to order a few thingsunless I can find the same varieties, and the pelleted seed I want somewhere else that Im gonna order from anyway.

Actually, I pretty much have the varieties Im gonna plant in 09 picked out. There could still be some reconsideration of the tomato varietiesIm still digesting the suggestions from the tomato thread! But for the most part, its a matter of finding the varieties I want in the different catalogs and figuring out where I can get the best deal!

Skybird

My Territorial catalog came yesterday, and I have several things highlighted already, but didn't notice the shipping charges ... who has time for fine print when there's pictures, LOL. I'll have to see if I can find the things I want anywhere else for less before ordering now. Thanks for the heads up Skybird.

I also received a Select Seeds catalog. That was the same folks that emailed me a few weeks ago that I could "preorder" the catalog for $2. I guess if you wait long enough they send it to you for free!

Okay, I'll admit I placed an order with Pinetree within a day of receiving the catalog, and another small one with Parks today. Parks is not my favorite place to order from, but they had the County Fair Cukes that I have been searching for, and if you ordered $10 worth of seeds, you got a free packet of Snapdragon 'Black Prince', so I caved in.

I need to place one more order for a few veggies, and then it's time to start getting organized for this season's wintersowing.

Bonnie

As an olde gardener . . . I'll venture to say something negative about a couple of these seed companies just mentioned. Then, I'll back away from the strong assertion that I make. This little exercise is just my way to get you to look more closely and critically at those pretty catalogs. Catalogs fit the gardener or they don't.

First off - Shumway, Totally Tomatoes, Jung, Vermont Bean and a few others are all the same company. That's not a negative necessarily just a fact. I order from them and there's some difference in selection, one catalog from the other.

Parks has a pretty catalog. I can remember being quite impressed by their pretty foil packets, also. However, I had poor germination more than once from their seed. Now having related that little anecdote - Parks' selection is commendably broad and the cultural information in the middle pages was very important to me when I was a young gardener - oh, 1 or 2 years ago.

I've watched Territorial grow from a seedling. Some folks had a lot of admiration for the founder but I think he was mostly an overly-imaginative fellow and the new folks have served the company well. I'm not entirely sure about serving some of the customers. Take a close look at the packet size and compare costs.

In many ways, Territorial has become like Pinetree, another outfit I admire but don't usually order things from. You can get wide choice of a little seed at reasonable prices. But, with Territiorial - don't order larger packets unless you do a cost comparison. I write out my choices along with seed amounts and do comparison shopping each year.

Stokes gives you information on number of seeds = weight of seeds. That information is helpful since the different companies sell seed by count and by ounce - gets confusing. Just writing it out led me to order not one thing from Territorial in 2008. Hurts my feelings too because I like the selection and honest reporting on their variety trials. But, if they don't offer better value - it looks to me like it has become a good source for people with small gardens. I can't afford to fill a big garden with their seeds.

Finally, I would still like to get some of the catalogs that I order just a few things from. What I don't need is 5 or 6 copies of slick, full-color, published, and copyrighted presentations!! There's no doubt that the seed company is marking up the cost of the seeds in this demonstration to impress me. I wish you wouldn't try so hard - - especially, if you are cutting down a d**n forest with all your efforts!

The last time I said something negative about a company on this forum, I got a crisp email from a company representative detailing how I had gone too far. I don't see myself as a public person, just someone chatting over the back fence with neighbors. If you dont want me talking about your catalogs, products, and service take me off your mailing list. Itll serve me right.

Steve's digits (the rest of him is NOT a crusty, irascible, cantankerous, olde person full of stubborn ideas ;o)

The Baker Creek catalog came today, and elsewhere on the forums folks have been yacking about the new *look* which is, to be sure, pretty spectacular, particularly if you like poster-sized, quality photos of radishes. Or tomatoes. Or squash. And so on.

That used to be my top source for bulk lettuce seed mixes, an ounce was maybe $8.00, which lasts a long, long time. No so now, but still, decent prices on larger quantities.

Thanks for the link, David. I had never heard of Baker Creek, and when you talked about large quantities of seed, I wondered if Id be interested, but they also have small packetsand quite reasonably priced from the things I checked. I didnt take the time online to check their shipping rates, but they sure do have a LOT of tomatoes! As if I need more choices!

Today I got Johnnys and Select Seed (which I dont remember ever ordering!)

Johnnys catalog is hugethe biggest one Ive gotten, and their shipping seems pretty reasonable, but, at first glance, comparing tomato seed prices, their packet prices are on the high side.

Select Seed has the highest shipping prices Ive seen so far$8 for up to a $20 order! If you only buy a few packets, that makes for some VERY expensive seed!

Oh! And I DO have my Harris catalog! I was cleaning up yesterday, and I found it under a pile of papers! Guess I was just having a senior moment! (Isnt it wonderful to be olde and have an excuse for forgetting things!)

Digit, I think which companies work the best for each of us depends a lot on if we buy seed in small or large quantities. I like Pinetree a lot because they have small packets, which work well for me, and theyre inexpensive and the shipping is very reasonablejust $3.75 up to $20. If I wanted individual seeds in larger quantities, it wouldnt be at all feasible to order from them.

And, I havent gotten a Parks catalog yet this year, but I agree with you about all the great info on their index pageif thats where they still put it. Many years ago I used to refer to those pages a lot! I may still have a couple of those old catalogs around in a box somewhere! Packrat here! And if youre looking for unusual things you can probably find it at Parks. Thats where I ordered my fern spores the year I tried that! And, yes, I actually got some fernsbut it takes a LONG time! Got some African violet seeds and a few other unusual things from them too. Its the only catalog I know of that has seeds for some house plants (I think they still do). I dont recall ever having a germination problem, but their seed is pretty pricy, and I dont remember what their shipping was.

Bonnie youre only going to place ONE more order, huh? ;-)

And now I have a problem! Which TWO catalogs should I take along with me on my trip tomorrow! Ill need a forklift if I take all TEN)

Happy, happy, happy seed catalogsthe way we all get thru winter,
Skybird

Well, I got my Stark Bros. catalog today, after placing an order for my grape vines and peach tree last night. So I called them up, and they gave me the discount that was offered in their catalog. They said if I decide to add to the order later, the discount will apply to any additions. Very good customer service in my opinion! The apple trees I got from them last year were good sized and healthy. They even called me in the fall to see how they were doing. I've NEVER had a company do THAT before!

Okay, I went to the Garden Watchdog to see what kind of rating Gurney's had, since I received their catalog. They had HORRIBLE reviews, but I checked out Territorial while I was there, and they have an excellent rating, and everyone seemed to rave about them. I'm a bit surprised that nobody mentioned their prices and shipping being a little on the high side, but I went ahead and placed an order with them, simply because I would have had to order from two or three different places to get the specific varieties they had that I was interested in trying.

That brings me to Baker Creek. I got their catalog too, and have heard so many good things about them, but they never seem to have whatever I happen to be looking for.

Skybird, I don't get the Harris catalog, but I know that you order from them, so maybe I should get on their mailing list.

I have a couple of trades in the works right now, including a tomato round robin, so I may wait and see what I get from those before placing any other orders. Oh, who am I kidding? There are 5 more months before the planting season is over. I'm sure I'll find some more things that I HAVE to have, LOL!!!

Happy Shopping!
Bonnie

Skybird, I will agree with you 100%, that "companies work the best for each of us depends a lot on if we buy seed in small or large quantities" and, of course add, and they have what we are looking for.

Bonnie, I'm not at all surprised that Territorial "have an excellent rating, and everyone seemed to rave about them." With a small garden, I think you may come to rave about them also.

Both Pinetree & Territorial have a lot of what I'm looking for. I'll also add that I refer to Harris as "Dad's Seed Company" since they've always been the one that has most of what Dad is looking for. With his GF's help, he will be growing a larger garden this year and has his trusty Harris catalog in hand as of this week.

d'S'

I finally have catalogs! Only one from the mail so far (High Country Gardens), but I try to be selective about how many lists I get on. I should have a couple more coming though.

We were in KS over the weekend at my MIL's, and while visiting an old school friend of my DH, I picked up a catalog from the kitchen table, and mentioned I didn't have any yet. Well, she sent me home with a collection of them! I got to check out catalogs from Gurney's, Territorial, Burpee, Henry Fields, and Jung, without being on all those lists!

She used to live near Territorial's test fields in Oregon several years ago. I guess people in the area might just go out for a walk or bike ride, and come home with a basket full of veggies... all of the edges of the fields would get pretty well picked clean. I think she likes to do business with them now, partially because of that little bit of history :-)

Ok, I am going to post this again because I think some of you may have missed it. I found a web site that is linking 8 catalogs together (including Jung, Vermont, Shumway and Seymour) and says that you only have to pay one shipping for all of them. I don't know if anyone has ever tried it or if it is new this year, but if you do please let me know, those shipping costs are killing me.

So far I have 10 and there seems to be a new one in the mailbox everyday. Johnny's arrived Monday. It is more like a large magazine than a catalog. RH Shumway arrived yesterday, it's the normal size (for that catalog) I think they are all sending them out earlier this year because of the financial situation the country is in. Everyone is cutting back on the luxuries like groceries to pay for the necessities like heat.

Anyway, what happened to Pinetree charging a flat rate to mail seeds. The last order I gave them cost me $7 (ok $6.95, like we notice the extra nickel). It was seeds stuck in a manilla envelope, shesh.

I am going to try Gurneys this year because they offer the buy $50 get $25 off. I know they are not supposed to be the greatest, but I have to cut costs somewhere. I will have to wait for the berries to grow anyway. If only I can keep the neighbors goats out of the garden this year. Anyone have any good goat recipes?? Maybe goat-al-la-king, or goat burritos??

Billie

High Country Gardens has beautiful plants that work in the climate. It is also a serious motivation to learn how to propagate plants yourself, at those prices.

Billie, I appreciate learning of that link and have grumbled in my inimitable way about all these companies shipping from the same location and charging separate s & h fees! That information will save me some $$ this year!

Goat, I've eaten goat! Tasted like duck, each and every time I tried it!?! Actually, goats have meat whereas ducks have, what, fat/skin?

Anyway, fruit is good with duck - apples, plums and citrus. Goat a l'Orange?

d'S'

David, I've ordered from High Country Gardens a couple of times. I think they are great for folks that are new to gardening in this area, who don't want to, or know how grow from seed. I've always received healthy plants, and very thorough planting instructions from them. My problem with them, and some of the other mailorder companies that sell plants, not just seeds, is the $25 minimum order. The plants themselves were only about $6 a piece, but I end up ordering more than what I need to meet the minimum.

Probably my favorite company for ordering live plants is Bluestone Perennials. Yes, the plants are small, but their prices are reasonable, there's no minimum order, and everything I've ordered from them is still alive in my garden. I bet at least half of what is in my perennial beds came from their little three-packs, and they didn't take long to catch up with the plants I bought locally.

Bonnie

Bonnie, that is my thought too, if it is healthy and reasonably priced, who cares if the plants are a little smaller? I still have to wait three years for a first crop, so as long as they survive, works for me.

Billie, the very cheap gardener.

I did a job in the Dominican Republic once, and the guys I was working with were roasted goat connoisseurs and knew all the best restaurants. We had it pretty much every day for lunch when we were out in the field away from the coast. Where we ate fish.

It would taste good with orange somewhere in there. It also tasted pretty good with Dominican beer.

But should I feed the goats with the oranges or baste the goat with the oranges?

Sad part is that the daughter thinks she wants to raise goats for 4-H next year. That is NOT going into my bed when the power goes out, but I will probably find it in her room more than once. Already had to herd out kittens, rabbits and ducks. Think the teacher will believe that her goat ate her homework? We once had to prove that the dog ate it!!

It's fun being off... Uh topic. Thanks for the company!
Billie

Happy New Year!

I hardly think of livestock as off-topic.

One thing I believe about goats, there's no way to effectively fence them IN unless they want to be wherever "in" is. Fencing them OUT is only possible if there are lots of other places they want to be. So, decisions cannot be entirely within the jurisdiction of the goat's owner. However, decisions by the goat's neighbor should be within some sort of legal jurisdiction.

Either that, or a stockdog with very little patience who wants them out of "there." Gardening and goats are nearly antonyms - very much like deer and gardening.

d'S'

waiting for the snow to finish so the rain can start . . .

I got my Territorial catalog yesterday. I don't think I'm going to pop for the tomato seeds that are descended from tomato seeds that went into space orbit.

I'm pretty sure goats can teleport. It's the only explanation that fits all of the data. Yes, they can be as bad as deer in the garden. Though neither is as destructive as bears or elk can be.

I have a friend who did have a goat barbecue the week after his small herd of goats decimated his newly-planted fruit trees.

I still get a few catalogs each year in spite of not ordering anything for several years. My kids are salivating over the new Seeds of Change catalog. The Territorial one is an old favorite. I haven't received any others yet, so perhaps I'm falling off of the old mailing lists. Just as well. Even though I love the catalogs, it's not fair to get them if I'm not going to patronize the companies.

For fruit that will probably do well in the Rocky Mountain region, has anyone tried the former-USSR and central Asian offerings from One Green World? If I decide to try fruiting plants where I live, I'll probably order from them. Though I don't know if it's a good idea -- assuming I get the plant past the deer, rabbits, and rodents, will the bears show up next?

http://www.onegreenworld.com//index.php

They just keep coming! Ive never ordered from most of these companies, and I keep wondering how long theyll keep sending catalogs!

I now also have Johnnys, Select Seeds, Thompson & Morgan, Park, and Seeds of Change. Of course there are things I want in ALL of them, but thats obviously not gonna happen! Oh, to be rich, have 5 acresand 10 gardeners working for me!

I got a catalog today from a company I've never heard of, and I have no idea how I got on their mailing list! Its McClure & Zimmerman. Its a bulb company, and this is their spring bulb catalog. Under $60 is only $6 shipping, and theres a 10% discount on orders before March 1. I think I might have to order a few things! Most spring bulbs, of course, arent hardy, but there are a couple things Ive always wanted. And many of their prices are pretty high, but I found good deals on a some things. They have a special on Eremurus, Fox Tail Lily, 4/$10.00, in mixed colors (bare root). Ive always wanted one of them, ever since I saw them blooming at Paulinos. At Paulinos just one of them in a gallon pot would be $15.00!!!

They have Stargazer lilies, 3 for $5.95. I dont have any true lilies yet, and thats a pretty good price for Stargazer. And Ill probably get a Maidenhair Fern, Adiantum pedatum, for $3.95. I dont have one of those yet, and Im kind of collecting different ferns for the north side of the houseand Im guessing Ill get a better root from this company than I would from a big box storewhich is where Ive been buying my ferns so far!

Then I found a Passion Vine, Passiflora incarnata var. Maypop that they say is hardy to zone 5. I need to do some research on that one to see if it might really be hardyAND if its going to be aggressive or not. Im still looking for vines for my lattice that are hardy, but will stay within bounds. A Passion Vine outside would certainly be something unusual!

And they also have a "fall bulb advance sale" with some good prices. Since I never seem to get around to buying bulbs in fall, I guess this would be a good time to order a few things. They have mixed large-flower crocus, 24 for $5.95, mixed narcissus, 24 for $12.95, and Chionodoxa, Glory of the Snow, 24 for $4.45. There are a bunch of other things too, and Im tempted by the mixed pink daffodils, 12 for $9.95, and possibly Glanathus, Snowdrop, 12 for $8.95 and Scilla, 24 for $5.95.

So many wonderful plants! So little room!

Skybird

Quote:
"There was an article in the local paper about how the standard NM chili's have been 'watered down' over the years, all that cross pollination out in the fields and so on. So they've gone back to the seed bank at CSU and got the original seeds/strains that were used to develop Big Jim and New Mexico, and re-developed them. Article (which I can't find on the innernet) sez that these new ones have 5X the flavor and aroma, measured using spectrometers and other scientific gizmos, and the most important of all, how many people are prostrate on the ground down wind from the chili roasting guy, worshiping."
Thanks, you re-new my faith in my taste buds. I though that I was getting to old and remembered what red chile used to taste like. Now you can't even smell it across the room.
Kenny

Got several Siberian tomatoes from Seeds Trust. See how those go this year. Also ordered a few from Skyfire on Jay's recommendations over the years. Skyfire has one that fits the description to a t of one that I got from Heirloom Acres that was supposed to be Sheyenne. It wasn't Sheyenne but it was a wonderful tomato, so I'll see if Skyfire's "Moon Glow" is what I've been growing.

Skybird, Skybird, Skybird . . .

Go back to that link Billie provided and see that McClure & Zimmerman is owned by Jung Seed Co. You may want to order lots of other things to go with those special bulbs (they're hopin').

Here's the Who Owns What list. It also provides a selection of companies to check out by just going thru and clicking names you think you might be interested in.

Jali! Will you be growing in Limon this year??

d'S'

Now that I've ordered all my seeds, I was looking through Peaceful Valley, and they have the best prices for bulk seeds I've seen yet.

Next year. If you're not on their mailing list, the web address is groworganic.com, and worth ordering one.

Can't believe the prices everyone is asking for seed garlic.

DigitDigitDigit.....

I have a link to that site savedand I NEVER go there! For me its like looking in a thesaurus! I cant get back out! I wind up with fingers stuck in all the pagesand wishing I had more fingers!

So what I did today is YOUR fault! I DID go to "that site" just to look, and an hour laterwhen I was supposed to be outside cleaning up perennialsI was still inside with my fingers stuck in my computer! Ouch!

But while I was there I did look up the ratings on the bulb company, and now Im not so sure if Im gonna order from then or not! Half their ratings were positive, and half of them were negativesome of them VERY negative! Maybe Ill just leave the catalog laying around, to make a decisions laterwhich means Ill never get around to it!

Actually, since I had never heard of the company, I was thinking of checking out the rating on Daves Garden before ordering anyway. But I really should get more serious about adding fall bulbs to my garden! When the few I have are blooming in spring, I always wish I had more!

And I had never requested the Jung catalog I got either, so, checking that list, I guess I got both Jungs and the bulb companys either because I requested the Vermont Bean or the Totally Tomatoes catalogs!

I really do wonder how long Ill keep getting some of these if I never order from them!

Skybird

I have ordered from Jung's for a good 30 years. Long before the Jung brothers decided they should become seed industy magnates. I liked them and still order a lot if you account for all catalogs.

My relationship with Shumway goes back to when they were in Rockford, Illinois - over 40 year ago. Gosh, I'm getting old . . . have I said that before??

Oh, Jung bought Shumway but I don't see much change in their family of catalogs, fortunately. (Probably said that before, too. :o)

I have no experience with McClure & Zimmerman but I wouldn't be afraid of them. It probably isn't top-flight but I don't like to pay for first-class, anyway. (Think I mixed my stair and skyway metaphors. I use both about as often. ;o)

S'

Skybird - I know exactly how you feel. I wish I could say that I only spent an hour on the site, it was probably more like 4 hours, and that was just reading on catalogs ( I looked at all of them, then got lost). I did notice that it is just like everything else though, take it with a grain of salt. I bet some of those complainers expect $100 plants for $5, so as the saying goes "you cannot please all the people...". Even though they got mixed reviews, I may still order from Burgess, just a minimal order and see how it goes. I just don't like their shipping fees, $10 no matter how big or small. OUCH. That may just keep me from trying it.

digit - if you said something about getting old, I don't remember.

Billie

Im gonna bump this one back up one more time! A few days ago I got a catalog from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Its the first one Ive ever gotten from them. Its a BIG square catalog printed on enamel (like National Geographic!) with lots of BIG pictures! Beautiful catalog! But the reason why Im posting is because they charge $3 for shippingno matter what size the order is!

Thats incredible!

I havent looked "in depth" yet, but I think I may order the few tomato seeds Ill need this year from themeven if I need to "rethink" my choices! Their veggie seeds run mostly from $1.50 to $3.00 and they have a few flower seeds and herbs that run mostly $1.50 to $2 something.

For anybody whos into heirloom varieties, it sure looks like a good deal.

Anybody have any good or bad comments about this company? Somebody has probably already mentioned this company up above somewhere, but I didnt have time to read the whole thread!

Ive had a link to their site for a long time nowbut never actually looked at it!

Skybird

Skybird, I've ordered stuff from them for years. It's a good source.

I got my order from Sand Hill Preservation, $10 and over is free mailing, and they stuck, in a $10 order, two packets of free tomato seeds for trial.

Just don't be in a hurry.

Skybird, I'm waiting on my first order from them right now. I really was done ordering for the year, but then I signed up for a couple more round robin swaps, and needed just a few more things. I hope their packets are generous, because I'm going to split some things with my swap partners.

Winter needs to hurry up and end, before I go broke buying seeds from every single catalog I've received, LOL!!!

Bonnie

Seed junkie. ;)

LOL, Jali!!! It's so true! I'm participating in 8 different swaps on the Round Robin forum, and talk about enablers ... that forum's loaded with them.

So far this winter I've ordered from Pinetree, Park's, Fedco, Territorial, Valueseeds, Artistic Gardens (cheap herb seeds, BTW), and now Baker Creek.

I need a 12 step program.

Sounds like you just finished step 7. Only 4 more to go!!