I get so excited when the Seed Savers Exchange catalog arrives at my door each year!  Call me crazy, but I read this seed catalog cover to cover!  

Honestly I think I have more fun sitting down with a cup of tea and my Seed Savers Exchange (SSE for short) catalog than I do actually growing the plants 🙂

I mean, it’s the middle of winter, and this brightly coloured seed catalog arrives at my door.  A brilliant display of the garden’s unique and abundant harvest graces the front cover — a glimpse of what could be harvested from my garden if I plant these varieties.  It’s a time for dreaming 🙂

Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization located near Decorah, Iowa dedicated to preserving heirloom plant varieties.  Many of the seeds offered by SSE are heirloom and organic; all or untreated, non-hybrid, and non-GMO seeds.

And the Seed Savers Exchange catalog is a colourful catalog filled with interesting and unusual seeds, along with tried and true garden favourites.  The catalog offers a unique variety of vegetable, fruit, herb and flower seeds.

You can order the SSE seed catalog for free at seedsavers.org/catalog

What makes this seed catalog and its seed offerings so special to me is the stories.

Lots of stories about seeds brought over on the Mayflower, and by immigrants from many countries throughout the years, seeds grown by indigenous tribes,  seeds carefully collected and passed down from generation to generation, to be ultimately shared in this catalog.

When I buy and grow Seed Savers Exchange seeds, I feel feel like I’m taking part in a piece of history, and in the continuation of these stories.   It’s a cool feeling 🙂

There is also a practical side to the seed stories, as it helps me select plant varieties that are more likely to grow well in my garden.

I live in a northern climate, and when narrowing down my tomato selections this year, I chose earlier maturing varieties that were grown in more northern climates that are more likely to do better in my garden than longer maturing varieties grown in more southern climates.

Because the seeds offered by Seed Savers Exchange are non-hybrid, I also know that if I really like a variety I’ve planted, I can save the seed from my plants and grow them again next year.

And Seed Savers Exchange encourages  saving seeds, and sharing them with friends and neighbours.  It’s a great way to save money too!

You can buy SSE seeds from Seed Savers Exchange at seedsavers.org

You can also buy selected SSE seeds on Amazon , along with seed starting supplies.

I bought the following herb seeds this year, along with an assortment of veggies and flowers:  Bouquet Dill, English Lavender, Giant from Italy Parsley, and Lime Basil.

SSE seeds are available from Seed Savers Exchange at seedsavers.org
You can also buy selected SSE seeds on Amazon , along with seed starting supplies.

What herb seeds have you bought this year?

What’s your favourite seed catalog?

Happy Gardening 🙂
Barb

P.S.  If you want to save your own seeds, pick up a book on saving seed to get the best results.
Either one of these two books is a great seed saving resource:
Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth – I’ve owned this book for years and it’s served me well.
The Seed Garden: The Art and Practice of Seed Saving – American Horticultural Society Best Book Award Winner 🙂