I’m very excited to report that the seeds I’ve ordered have begun to arrive and it probably sounds silly, but I keep taking them out of their postal pouch and examining them and reading the backs of their envelopes as if I’m rehearsing music for the main event.
I’m new to seed starting and am working up a calendar and learning dates (frost free, etc.) for my zone (5a). I also want to proceed conservatively. I don’t know if I’m going to maintain a garden like this for the rest of my life and want to start off slowly with minimal investment. But I really like to research before beginning a new project and this is no different.
First, I have to say, Enchanted Sweet Peas is so charming, it was difficult to limit my order. I picked 7 varieties and they have finally arrived in pretty little glassine packages with images of each variety tucked in with the seeds. CAN NOT wait to get these into dirt. Will report on their progress.
From Seed Savers I ordered Bunny Tails, Moonflowers, and Himalyan Blue Poppies. They are a non-profit based in Iowa that “saves and shares the heirloom seeds of our garden heritage.”
I have also received most of my order from High Mowing Seeds. This company, while having a compelling mission (all organic seed cultivation) boasts customer service that is nothing short of impeccable. I received an email the other day from them and at first I thought perhaps it was a marketing email, until I read more closely and realized it was addressed to me. Turns out recent testing of one of their seeds I had ordered fell slightly below their germination standards and they were crediting my account something like 55ยข (the seeds cost all of $3) — I’m just a home gardener — an organic seed operation in Wolcott, Vermont is notifying me that a packet of seeds I just purchased might not perform up to their expectations — when’s the last time you experienced customer service like that?
They’re predicting another significant snow storm again this weekend. I will be sitting by a warm fire sketching out another raised bed to add to my existing three and researching where I can find pea brush (black birch branches, tied together) which I saw on Martha Stewart’s Blog as a natural way to provide structure for climbing pea plants. Something to look forward to…
