As seen in this main photo, I have dozens of seed packets leftover from last year. Some will more than suffice for this year's requirement of whatever type they are, but many packets are nearly empty and some I just didn't like. Needless to say, I've spent another whack of money on more seeds for this year.
I usually order from William Dam Seeds. Their seeds are untreated which is important to me (as I am trying to be as organic as possible). They also have low shipping rates, low prices overall, and a large selection including some organic varieties. So the bulk of my seed order this year is from William Dam (which I'll list in a separate post). Oh, and they have awesome customer service!
But there were some interesting items that I wanted to try from West Coast Seeds and Stokes. Actually, one item that both seed companies had that I wanted was aspabroc ... kind of an asparagus-style broccoli. But it was just too pricey for me, especially when I already struggle to grow regular broccoli.
This year was my first West Coast Seeds catalogue. It's fabulous! They are dedicated to organic growing and have a great selection. Their prices are a bit higher and their shipping is considerably higher (although I suppose that might have just been the distance thing). But as I indicated in my previous post on ordering seeds (lessons learned ... ordering seeds), I like to buy variety packs to mix things up a bit and they had a good selection of "collections" or "blends". I was particularly interested in the Three Sisters Collection since I was thinking of doing a 3 sisters garden this year; this single packet contains Golden Bantam corn, scarlet runner beans and Red Kuri squash ... none of which I've tried before. And the beet blend pack and multi-colour cauliflower also offer my garden a bit of variety.
West Coast Seeds
Cauliflower: Multi-Colour Blend (0.3 g) $4.99*
Peppers: Ancho (0.5 g) $2.99
Beans Dry: Tarbais (50 g) $3.99
Corn: Three Sisters Collection (25 g) $3.39
Beets: Beet Blend (5 g) $4.99
Carrots: Jeanette organic (0.5 g) $2.99
Subtotal:
$23.34
Tax: $ 4.69
Shipping: $12.76
TOTAL:
$40.79
* Seriously, when I am writing this the $'s all line up but it gets funky when posted.
I've had a Stokes catalogue in the past, but this is my first order. I didn't pay enough attention and it turns out their seeds are treated. I'll see how it goes this year, but unlikely that I'll order there again. The only reason I ordered from Stokes at all was to get the Kong sunflower seeds - these are supposed to grow up to 12 feet tall! I can't wait!!! But kind of pricey, so I really need to learn how to save sunflower seeds this fall so I don't have to keep purchasing these (I bet there are lots of people who can give me advice on this when the time comes!). I also purchased some tall African Marigold's which, according to the description, could get up to 5 feet tall. Since I was getting those anyway, I added a few more items since the cost of shipping was the same either way.
Stokes Seeds
The order is all for “packets"; I can't be bothered to look up the weight or seed count.
Cabbage: Savoy Ace Improved $3.25
Pepper: Super Red Pimento $2.95
Hollyhock: Summer Carnival $1.95
Marigold: Garland
Orange African Tall $3.95
Helianthus: Kong (2 pkts) $5.00
Cosmos: Double Click Mix $2.50
Subtotal:
$19.60
Tax: $ 3.55
Shipping: $ 7.75
TOTAL:
$30.90
So $70 between these two companies, and that hasn't even covered off the basics yet ... yikes! But the vast majority of my seed purchases this year should cover off my next year's needs as well (especially when I learn to save more types of seeds like the tomato seeds I saved last fall).
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