FREE Seed Catalog List. 30 Companies That Will Mail You Their Latest Print Seed Catalogs Cost Free.

With experts and avid gardeners all ready to begin growing seeds indoors, it's time to get a game plan underway for your Spring garden. Browsing through catalogs is one of the finest ways to get great gardening ideas. If you're like me, there's nothing like flipping through real-life magazines, newspapers and catalogs (it's just not the same in digital form!). That's why I still order print editions of my catalogs, and yes (in case you're wondering) I do still get my newspaper delivered to my house daily. All of the following 30 links are verified to be working as of yesterday, January 19, 2012. Just fill out the requested information and these companies will send out a catalog at their earliest convenience. It's that simple. NOTE: Where indicated, many of these companies also do offer a downloadable .PDF version (or other type of digital download) of the same catalog. Also keep in mind that some of these companies have not yet released their 2012 catalog, so make sure you don't request a 2011 version if you want a 2012. DISCLAIMER: Unless otherwise stated, LushGreenVA neither personally endorses or opposes any of the following merchants. Please do your own due diligence if you intend to commit financially to these organizations. THE LIST - FREE PRINT SEED CATALOGS: Abundant Life Seeds (.PDF version also available) Organic and biodynamic vegetable, flower, & herb seeds. Also garden supplies and tools. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (.PDF version also available) Pure heirloom, open-pollinated vegetable, flower, & herb seeds. Botanical Interests (.PDF version also available) Vegetable, flower, & herb seeds. Bountiful Gardens Heirloom, untreated and open-pollinated vegetable, flower, herb and other seeds. Comstock Garden Seeds Selling seeds for 200 years. Primarily Heirloom vegetable seeds, some flower & herb seeds. Gurney's Seed & Nursery Co. Popular company selling vegetable seeds & much more. Harris Seeds Since 1879, selling primarily vegetable seeds. High Mowing Organic Seeds (.PDF version also available) 100% certified organic, non-GMO vegetable, flower, & herb seeds. Irish Eyes Garden Seeds Vegetable, flower, herb and other seeds, plus more. John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds 350 varieteies of vegetable, flower, & herb seeds. Johnny's Selected Seeds Vegetable, flower, and herb seeds. Kitazawa Seed Co.  (.PDF version also available) Specializing in over 250 Asian vegetable seed varieties. neSeed Selling vegetable, flower, & herb seeds in small or bulk quantities. The Online Greenhouse Some non-GMO and heirloom vegetable & flower Seeds, and other seed starting supplies. Peaceful Valley Grow Organic A section of organic vegetable and herb seeds, and open-pollinated flower seeds. Also a bunch of other stuff. Richters (.PDF version also available) Herb seeds, extracts, oils & more. Seed Savers Exchange (.PDF version also available) Non-profit organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds. Vegetable, flower, herb seeds, and more. Seeds of Change (.PDF version also available) Organic vegetable, flower, and herb seeds. Also live plants, tools and supplies. Select Seeds Rare, choice heirloom flower and plant seeds, as well as a few herb seeds. Southern Exposure Seed Exchange My favorite, located here in Virginia. Specializing in mid-Atlantic seeds (zones 6-8) Huge and informative catalog full of vegetable, flower, & herb seeds. Sow True Seeds (.PDF version also available - just click on catalog image!) Vegetable, flower, and herb seeds. Open-pollinated/non-hybrid & untreated seeds featuring heirloom, organic & traditional varieties. Territorial Seed Company (online version also available) Family owned business selling vegetable, flower, and herb Seeds. Also live plants and garden supplies. The Cook's Garden Packed with seeds and live plants, including vegetables, annuals, perennials, herbs, garden-ready plants, gardening supplies and more. Thompson & Morgan Quality English seeds for over 150 years. Vegetable, herb, shrub and tree seeds + much more! Totally Tomatoes (online version also available - see link near lower left) Tomato, pepper and vegetable seeds, plus live plants, roots and berries. Urban Farmer Vegetable & herb seeds as well as Spring bulbs, and seed potatoes. Veseys Certified organic vegetable, flower, & herb seeds as well as bird feeders, tools and supplies. Wild Garden Seed Located in the Pacific northwest. Open-pollinated, untreated and organic vegetable & herbs seeds. Willhite Seed Inc. (.PDF version also available) In the seed business for 86 years. Vegetable as well as a few herb seeds.

Monday Morning Glory - Dew On Heavenly Blue

Dew On Wild Morning Glory (Heavenly Blue?) Growing Around The Fringes Of My Garden I've not been an early-bird for the last half of this summer, so it's a beautiful nice surprise to wake up early and find lovely wild Morning Glory flowers smilin' at me - like I did this morning in my garden. Appropriately named Morning Glory is named for its ability to perk up and glow extremely early in the morning - lasting through through mid morning on sunny days (and longer when cloudy). A few rare species bloom at night. Historically, Morning Glory was first used medicinally in China primarily for the laxative effects of its seeds. It found its way to Japanese shores during the 9th century - where it's believed it was first cultivated as an ornament. A Nice Hearty Breakfast There are over 1,000 species of Morning Glory. Except in colder climates, it is generally considered a perennial - coming back year after year. However a few species can tolerate winter cold, yet others are strictly annual. Very attractive and quickly grown (2 months from seed to sprout), Morning Glory is a vining plant that grows in most types of soil and is capable of reaching 10 feet or more. Some people consider this plant to be a weed because of its tendency to spread and take over in areas where care is not given. On trellises or fences, these plants spread and create thick summer shade. In fact, some people prefer to grow Morning Glory along the outside walls of their home to help reduce summer cooling costs. Do you like or dislike Morning Glory plants? Got any favorite types or planting suggestions? Let me know by leaving a comment. NEW  LushGreenVA's aStore - powered by Amazon Clutter-free shopping for vegetable gardeners. Every product hand-picked and smartly categorized by me, H. Mikael - many are similar to one's I use myself, including: Composters, Raised beds, Greenhouses/Cold Frames, Rain Barrels, Rear-tine Tillers and Cultivators

Carpenter Bees & Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea)

Carpenter Bee Launching From Coneflower Well, it was such a beautiful, sunny morning yesterday, I decided to snap some pictures of my recently blooming Purple Coneflowers. But as I soon discovered, it turned out to be primarily a Carpenter Bee photo-shoot, as these bees simply love gathering pollen from these lovely plants. Personally I am not afraid of bees. My theory is that they mind their own business, and I mind mine. Don't harm them and you'll be OK. I also know for a fact that Carpenter Bees are even more docile than any of their cousins. So there I was in camera macro mode - inches away - snapping a bunch of pictures. Here are the results: About the Purple Coneflower (Echinacea) The purple coneflower is a native plant to America and southern parts of Canada, meaning this is the only place on earth where it grows in the wild. It is cultivated however in many other places worldwide. Its name "cone flower" comes from the way the flowers literally look - having a medium to large cone at the center of the flower. This cone typically has between 200-300 tiny spiny-looking florets. Wikipedia says these plants can grow to 55 inches (140cm), but I have some growing right now in my yard at 60 inches (I will take a picture for a future post). Closeup of a freshly blooming Coneflower In the daisy family of plants, Echinacea has become a favorite of many North American gardeners in recent decades for its beautiful colorful flowers, lengthy bloom period, easy maintenance and its ability to return year-after-year (perennial). They will reseed come Fall, and new growth will ensue the following Spring. Virtually all parts of the echinacea plant have been used for centuries (starting with Native American Indians) as herbal medicine. In mainstream culture, Echinacea's popularity & use increased dramatically from around the mid 1800's to early 1900's, and its medicinal potential has sparked a rebirth of interest in recent times. While many of its true benefits are still being discovered today, there is enough scientific data to indicate that Echinacea can strengthen the immune system while helping prevent or reduce the duration of a cold. It may also help ward off infections, relieve pain, repair minor skin wounds, and work as an effective laxative. (Click to view enlarged picture)