Happy Spring!
It’s that time of year when you begin to think about buying seeds to plant all Spring and Summer long.
This year I got to work early dreaming about my garden and planning out all the vegetables I wanted to grow. Despite a goal of planting fewer varieties of plants we’d be growing my partner and I ended up with a huge list of indispensible, must-grow plants we absolutely had to have. That can get expensive, especially considering that most seed packets have way more seeds than a typical back yard gardener needs, so you're probably paying for seeds you won't use.
My solution was to organize a group seed buying club. We organized over email and split the cost of seeds that multiple people wanted to buy. It’s a great way to learn about herbs and vegetables that you wouldn’t normally think to buy. I wouldn’t have been interested in planting something like Borage unless my friend had picked it out.
Here’s a few Atlantic Canadian farms that sell organic heirloom seeds:
- Hope Seeds in NB
- Mapple Farm in NB
- Vesey's Seeds in PEI
It's a good idea to buy seeds that are produced in a colder climate like ours so that you know they'll do well in your garden. There are many more companies you can find by visiting the Seeds of Diversity Resource List of Seed Suppliers. It’s a list of seed companies and nurseries that sell heirloom and rare or endangered varieties of vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs.
Please comment below with your own favourite places to buy seeds!
I'll be posting throughout the growing season again this year, so check back often!
-Rick Kelly
