Whether you will be starting your seeds indoors (at your home under grow lights or in a greenhouse), planting seeds directly outdoors or buying seedlings from a catalog or at a local garden center, there are many things to consider.
Buying local
There is something to be said for not only supporting local businesses but also buying seeds from places with a climate similar to your own. I love seed companies like Seeds of Change who have incredible varieties. However, their seeds are mostly saved from New Mexico. Our Midwestern climate and soil could not be more different and thus the seeds have made different adaptations that are not necessarily advantageous to Chicago.
Some Midwest favorites of mine are: Underwood Gardens located in Woodstock, Illinois, and Seed Savers Exchange, located in Decorah, Iowa. If you are looking for heirloom seedlings, check out Kilbourn Park's annual seedling sale in May on Chicago's Northwest Side. The proceeds go right to the organic greenhouse's gardening programs.
Just where do those seeds come from?
Just as growing our own food or buying organic food is a political statement, who we purchase our seeds from is as well. As some large companies who promote, sell and create genetically engineered seeds make their way into the mainstream, it is important to know if our seed suppliers carry their product. Click here to see which home garden seed suppliers carry Seminis Seeds (owned by Monsanto). Read a good discussion of why this matters.
Buying seeds from companies who have rejected selling Seminis Seed after they were purchased by Monsanto is another option. These include: Territorial Seeds in Oregon and Fedco in Maine (who carries more traditional seed varieties). You can buy locally grown seedlings from locally-saved seeds at the annual Green and Growing Fair where Underwood Gardens and Nichols Farm will be selling theirs.
Trying new and unusual seed varieties
Seeds are the way to go if you'd like to try out interesting varieties of vegetables that you won't be able to buy at your typical garden center (or even your atypical ones). Seriously, when my Caspian Pink heirloom tomatoes from The Cook's Garden were stolen from a green house last spring, I couldn't come close to finding a replacement in seedling form.
Find new seed varieties on the Horticulture Magazine website and at the National Garden Association. Each individual seed company will typically showcase their new varieties on their home page as well.
Buying varieties for container gardens
So many people growing vegetables in Chicago are using containers on their condo or apartment patios. These gardens need special plants that can grow in limited spaces. Some companies know the value of this client base and offer collections like those near the end of Renee's Garden web page, carrying herb, vegetable and flower collections. Otherwise, you may have to scour through each variety in a seed catalog to see which ones are actually suited for containers (there are not many!).
Where to buy your seeds and seedlings all comes down to which battle or need you find is most important. Good luck this season!
Seed Packet Photo by Jaime Zaplatosch
Comments
Do you have any experience with growing/using amaranth? From what I've read it's a weed that produces highly nutritious seeds and leaves, with an unusually complete amino acid content. Have you heard of any places that sell seeds? And, since it's a weed, how would you recommend controlling it from taking over the rest of your garden?
Hi Lydia-
I have grown amaranth; it is very easy to do. It is no wonder that it was the Aztec grain of choice, it is very nutritious and doesn't need a lot of attention. I know that Seeds of Change carries 3 varieties of it. The best way to avoid "spreading" of the seed is to dry the seed heads (which are just brilliant to look at!) inside your home instead of on the stalk. Most seeds disperse at the end of the season when they are dried and the wind carries them away. Please feel free to email me (the link is attached to my name in my bio) if you have further questions.
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