Who’s Excited for Spring?

On Saturday, groundhog Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring.  I am so ready for spring. Just a few more months. I’ve started getting seed catalogs by the dozens and I’ve started to keep track of which ones I like.

I’m a budget shopper and I’m not a die-hard gardener so I’m looking for good prices. The best prices I’ve found have been from www.eburgess.com. In fact, I put in a large order from there just a couple weeks ago.

Plants

Strawberry Bargain     25/$5.99
Lilac, Old Fashioned  2/$4.99
Gladiolus Garden, Glory  40/$2.99
Fern, Cinnamon  3/$5.99
Lily of the Valley, White  5/$4.99
Arborvitae, American 9-12″  3/$4.99
Hydrangea Tree  2/$2.01
Hosta, Handful of  8/$10.99
Sale Hosta 3/$4.99
Phlox, Creeping 12/$3.96
Hosta, Regal Blue 2/$3.50
Lavender, English 1/$1.99
Periwinkle 25/$3.98

Seeds:

Sage, Thyme, Chives, Coriander, Dill, Oregano, Parsley for $0.79 each
Buttercrunch Lettuce $0.69
Gourmet Blend Lettuce $0.99
Tendersweet Carrots $0.99

With $9.49 shipping the total came to exactly $80.  Not bad for the number of plants I got.  I’m so excited!  I hope everything comes looking good.  The real drive for the order was the mini arborvitaes and the Tree Hydrangeas which are in the $30 range elsewhere and I got 2 for $2.01.

They are listed “Choice, 1-3′, nursery grown trees with vigorous root systems.” I’m hoping for a big one! I’m planning on planting it in the front of the house to replace the hideous Yew we took out.

 

For seeds, I’ve purchased Burpee Seeds at Home Depot in the past and have been pleased with them.  Be ware that Burpee seeds vary in price a lot from place to place.  I’ve heard Walmart is by far the cheapest but our Walmart is hard to get to and kinda far away.  Home Depot was probably a dollar or more cheaper per pack than the Burpee display at the Supermarket.  I also added some seeds to my Burgess order.

I think next year I may try to place an order from Baker’s Creek Heirloom Seeds. While I’m not anti-GMO for food production I do think that by planting heirloom veggie and plant seeds in the home garden we can insure that the genetic diversity of our food supply is maintained.  I also find that the system of seed -> plant -> seeds -> plant is an amazing system that God has designed and that I hope to share with my children.  Maintaining this system in the face of GMO food production which I believe is all-in-all better for feeding the world’s population is left to smaller farms and home gardeners who will act as stewards of this amazing cycle of growth.

I tried planting the seeds directly in the ground last year with very little success.  The birds and squirrels got to them too fast. This year I’m planning on starting everything in pots even if I’m going to start them outside.  I’ll transplant to the ground once they have sprouted.  I also have a  good number of seeds that I saved from last year that I’m excited to plant out.

Here’s to an Early Spring!

Sarah