1. Beets: First cut off the tops of each of your beets, leaving about a 1” stub. Don’t cut off the tip of the root. Pack them in sand, sawdust, moss, leaves, or plastic bags. They should last you for about 2 months in your cellar.

2. Broccoli: Cut off the central head, wrap each head in plastic and keep in a very cold spot in your cellar, as close to 32 degrees F as possible. The relative humidity should be pretty high, around 95%. The broccoli should last in storage for about 1-2 weeks.

3. Cabbage: Pick your cabbage when the heads are green, firm, full, and solid. Pull up the plant root and all, and trim off any loose outer leaves. You can store your cabbage in several different ways in your cellar. You can either put them directly on a shelf, or pack them in hay or newspaper, or you can hang them suspended from the ceiling by their roots. They should last you about 1-2 months in storage.

4. Chinese Cabbage: Choose from your garden the most solid heads that have reached their fullest maturity. The outer leaves will wilt in storage but the inner head will remain nice and crisp. You can either pack them in hay or you can pull up the plant roots and all and replant in boxes with soil in your cellar. Make sure you water the roots every now and then to keep them moist. This should last you about 3 months in storage.

5. Carrots: Pull up and trim off the tops of each carrot. Pack in sand or sawdust in crates, or you can replant in boxes of soil. Water the roots occasionally. When harvested in the fall, the carrots should last until May at least.

6. Cauliflower: Pull up the plant roots and all. You can store by either replanting in soil, setting directly on shelves, or hanging by roots from ceiling. This plant should last in storage about 2-4 weeks.

7. Celery: Dig up the plant with its roots intact and replant in boxes of soil or sand. Keep the roots moist but try not to get the stalks or leaves too wet as they could start to rot. Celery needs cold temps close to 32 degrees, and high humidity around 95%. They should keep in storage about 1-2 months.

8. Collards: Keep the leaves stored in perforated plastic bags in a damp area of your cellar. They should last you about 1-2 weeks.

9. Cucumbers: Keep the cukes in perforated plastic bags at about 45-55 degrees F. The humidity should be around 80-90%. They should last about 2-3 weeks in storage.

10. Eggplant: Don’t keep in too cold temps, as this will cause the eggplant to spoil. 50-60 degrees F with 80-90% humidity will keep it the longest possible. It should last you 1-2 weeks in storage.

11. Endive and Escarole: Don’t tie up in bundles, or the leaves will start to rot. Replant these close together in boxes of soil or sand.

12. Garlic: Harvest your garlic before the bulbs burst through their papery outer layers. When you see the leaves of the plant starting to turn yellow, that is when you can check to see if the garlic is ready to harvest. When you see that the leaves have become dry and crumbly, then you can dig them up. Clip off the roots as close to the bulbs as you can, and dry the garlic in a well ventilated space. Trim the tops to about 1” in length, unless you want to make garlic braids to hang up multiple bulbs together. Store the dried garlic in paper bags in a cold and dry place in your cellar. They don’t like moisture, or they will start to rot! Garlic is a long keeper, it should last in storage till well into spring.

13. Jerusalem Artichokes: Store these in damp sand in a cold area of your root cellar. They are thin skinned, so too much air exposure will cause them to shrivel up. Properly stored these will last you about 1-2 months.

14. Kohlrabi: Pack in damp sand or sawdust, keep at temps around 32-40 degrees F, with 90-95% humidity. These will last several months in storage.

15. Leeks: Dig up the plant roots and all and replant in a box of soil or sand at a temperature in your cellar of 32-40 degrees F.

16. Onions: Pull up the onions when you see that their skins are starting to dry up and are poking out of the soil. The day you do this should be nice and sunny and dry so you can start drying them outside right away. Spread them out on newspapers or screens in the sun to cure for about 3-7 days. Cut off the tops of the onions leaving a 1” stub. Continue curing in the sun for about 2-3 weeks. Store in mesh bags or slatted crates in a cool and dry place in your cellar. Ideally they like temps of anywhere between 32-50 degrees F, and 60-70% humidity.

17. Peppers: Pick before the frost hits, leaving the stems on the peppers. Hot peppers must be pulled whole and dried in a warm area, not in the cellar. Once they are thoroughly dried out you can store them at temps of 50 degrees at about 60-65 % humidity. Dried hot peppers will last about 6 months in storage. Normal peppers should be stored in perforated plastic bags in your cellar at temps around 45-55 degrees F. Too cold temperature will cause them to decay. Use the red peppers first in your winter cooking as they will be the first to spoil if left too long in storage.

18. Potatoes, Sweet: Don’t dig these up too early, leave them in the ground until as last as possible as they reach their growing peaks between September and October. As soon as the frost has killed off your vines, get them out of there quick. If left in the ground more than a day after the frost has wiped out the vines, it causes the potatoes to taste off. Be careful when digging them up to not bruise or cut them with you shovel. Lay out some newspaper outside and dry them in the sun to make the dirt easier to brush off. Next you need to cure the sweet potatoes. To do this you need to expose them to warm temperatures 80-85 degrees and high humidity of around 90%. A trick to handle this if you live in a cooler region, is to dry them in front of a campfire or fireplace and drape a damp well wrung out towel over them. The time they need to cure is anywhere from 10-14 days. What the curing does is toughen its delicate skins, and make the starches turn to sugars, and closing up some of the nicks and cuts the potatoes may have. Once the curing is complete, wrap each sweet potato in newspaper and store in crates or baskets in your cellar. Sweet potatoes need a dry storage space, 80-85 % humidity, and temperatures around 50 degrees. A unheated room in your house works fine, if your cellar is too cold. You can also pack the sweet potatoes in sawdust in boxes, making sure they are not touching each other or the sides of the box. These will last all winter long.

19. Potatoes, White: It’s best to only use your 2^nd potato crop for cold storage in your cellar, so that the temperatures are cool enough to store them the longest. If you do harvest your first crop during the summer and want to be able to store them, the root cellar has to be at a temperature no higher than 60 degrees F. Warmer temps in storage cause the potatoes to sprout, rot, or dry out. So if you get the temperature right for this early harvest, you can keep them for about 4-6 weeks. For the 2^nd or late crop, the temps in the cellar need to be at 36-40 degrees F, with 90% humidity. This will allow you to store your potatoes for use all winter long and into the springtime. Before you store your potatoes away, there are some steps you need to follow first. The potatoes need to be cured in a dry place out of the sun, rain and wind. The temps for curing should be around 60-75 degrees F. Let them cure for about 1-2 weeks until the skins toughen up and the nicks on their skins have healed over. Make sure that when they are put in your cellar that they are in a dark cold area. Light streaming through a basement window could cause them to sprout-so the darker the better. Keep you potatoes in small mounds instead of one giant pile to allow air circulation to get around each potato to prevent condensation and spoilage.

20. Pumpkins: Pumpkins get about the same storage treatment as squash does. But pumpkins have thinner skin so they will need a little more humidity in the air, around 70-75%. Make sure that when you are harvesting the pumpkins that you don’t break the stems off. They keep better with them on. Store in a cool place, tucked under the staircase to the basement or cellar, or on shelves. Be careful piling in crates as the stems could break and bruising could occur.

21. Winter Radishes: Trim off the tops of the radishes as close to the top of the plant as possible. Store them as you would your carrots, either in boxes of soil, or layered in sawdust, sand, or moss. They need to be kept damp and cold, so covering them is absolutely necessary. When stored in the fall these should last up until February.

22. Rutabagas: Keep them moist and stored in damp sand, sawdust or moss. You can also apply beeswax on them to prevent moisture from escaping their skins, causing them to shrivel up. They should last 2-4 months in storage in your cellar.

23. Soybeans: For fresh use, keep the soybeans in their pods and store them in a cool dry place at 35-40 degrees F, with 60-70% humidity. You can also dry your soybeans for storage.

24. Squash: Test your squashes by scratching them with your fingernail. When you can’t leave a mark, that means their skins have hardened enough and they are ready to be picked. Same as for your pumpkins, do not break off the stems, leave on or the squash will not last long in storage. If some happen to snap off by accident, cook those first, or coat the stems spot with beeswax to prevent it from rotting. After you pick the squash you need to cure them. The only exception to the curing process is Acorn Squash. They like low temps and should not be cured at all. The others should be left in the sun or kept near a warm spot like your fireplace, for about 10-14 days. This will cause the squashes to lose more moisture in their skins, toughening them further. Store them in temps around 50-65 degrees and around 60-70% humidity. Store on shelves, or in a single layer on newspaper or hay. Do not put in piles or they will bruise.

25. Tomatoes: Harvest your late tomatoes while they are still green, a dark green shiny color. Keep in storage in your cellar at temps of around 55-60 degrees F. Too cold will halt their ripening process completely. This temp will just stall the ripening for several weeks until you are ready to use them. You can also pull up the vine plants whole with the green tomatoes still on them and hang them in your cellar. There are still nutrients and vitamins in the vines that make the tomatoes last longer and ripen up. Make sure the vines are completely dried or they will rot. At best your late tomato crop brought to ripen indoor slowly should last you about 4-6 weeks.

26. Turnips: Store these the same as carrots and radishes- in damp sand, sawdust or moss. Make sure you cut off their tops as close to the plant as possible.

The old-fashioned yet timeless scarecrow makes an excellent defense against birds of all types. When you are making your own for your garden, make sure that the figure is able to sway slightly in the wind (to look like it’s alive), hang shiny foil strips from it’s sleeves to be the hands, and make the face out of an aluminum pie tin. 

Also it is a good idea instead of just planting one seed, to plant 3 in each hole-One for the ground, one for the bird, and one for the bug. They also sell now netting that you can either throw over your fruit trees or that you can stretch across your veggie rows.

Oh Deer

This was my parents’ greatest garden nemesis growing up. Deer are pretty enough to watch when they are grazing on the lawn in the morning or early evening, but if you see them one day slowly destroying your pea patch, you suddenly get a craving for some Bambi Burgers.

What my folks did was to get electric fencing and put that around both their large garden beds. The only downside is that you have to remember to turn it off before you go into weed or pick some veggies and it will obviously cause your electric bill to go up.

To avoid the cost and getting zapped, a simple fence will do the trick, as long as it is high enough to prevent the deer from jumping over it. Around your garden's edge sink in heavy sturdy poles and stretch 4' tall fencing (chicken wire works well) around the perimeter.

Make sure the wire goes all the way to the bottom to prevent smaller rodents like rabbits and squirrels from getting in. You can even attach to the top of your fence some barbed wire to prevent any Olympic high jumping feats.

You’d also be surprised what you can use both cheaply and effectively to prevent deer from demolishing your vegetables. Some examples are human hair, human urine (have the husband and boys take a leak around the perimeter for fun), rotten eggs, park the dogs outside, or simply spray their favorite garden snack with some hot pepper spray.

Gophers

Besides destroying your lawn with their tunnel network and making riding the lawn mower both bumpy and futile, they also managed to find a way to make your life a living hell by finding their way into your garden.

You could go the route of trying traps, poison bait and gases. Your local gardening store will have these, but I don’t like to use anything that could accidentally kill the good animals that mean no harm or the house pets.

Another option is digging down 2’ around the entire perimeter or your garden and sinking into the ground a “wall” of hard plastic.

Castor beans work great, they are poisonous so gophers avoid them at all costs. Try planting them between your rows or plants if you have a serious gopher problem and are out of options.

You could avoid these critter problems by just getting a young hungry cat that you keep outdoors, like a barn cat, where it gets most of its food from hunting. Also, you can spread some poison, but again be careful where you put the poison so it doesn’t kill something else by accident.

Moles

These furry creatures like to make their tunnels close to the surface. You can recognize their mounds by the volcano shape with the hole in the center. Like gophers, they will avoid castor beans because they are poisonous, so interplant those between your veggies. 

There is another plant they hate, called the Mole Plant (Euphorbia lathyris). This plant self-seeds the next year, making your life a little easier. Also, castor beans, even if you take the plant out of the ground, the mole-repelling effect lasts for quite a bit of time afterward.


These cute and cuddly pests hate two plants, Alliums and Mexican Marigolds. Plant lots between rows. Also like the fencing mentioned above, make sure that if it’s chicken wire it’s small enough so they can’t squeeze through and straight to the ground so they can’t wiggle underneath.

Raccoons

These are tricky to prevent getting into your crops. They love to climb up trees, fence posts, anything really, to drop in and eat your plants. One thing that does attract them is compost heaps.

So make sure yours is tightly covered with a lid or has been recently turned over with the soil on the top and the kitchen scraps buried below. No scents are key! Also if you do have a big raccoon problem in your area, don’t put your compost near your garden. Keep it a safe distance away. 

They are also excellent diggers, so it is a good idea to dig down a couple feet around your perimeter and sink the chicken wire in.

Snails and Slugs

These slimy fiends are easy enough to prevent. You can save your eggshells from the kitchen, crush them to a fine powder, and sprinkle them in your garden beds where you find most of these slimy things. 

Cold Cloches, Cold Frames, and Greenhouses

The obvious benefit of covering your plants with either plastic, light fabric, or glass, is that they will not be so easily damaged by the weather. Rains, frosts, high winds, or dry temperatures can be detrimental to your crops and very discouraging for you as well.

Advantages of “Undercover Gardening”

1.) Rain Protection- Heavy rains can wash away your soil, disrupt root systems, or cause the plants to rot from the bottom up. If you are planting from seed directly outside, one good rainstorm can dislodge all your seeds and lose them downstream.

2.) Frost Protection- If you aren’t careful to make absolutely certain that the frost period has ended (come spring) or won’t start yet (come fall), it can cause havoc for your plants. Frosts occur suddenly, especially after a promising sunny warm day. 

What happens is the warm air rises at the end of the day and mixes with the cold night air causing the next morning a light glaze to be found all over everything. A light covering protects your plants from this cold bite. You can use something as simple as an old bed sheet or some thin blankets to cover your plants with.

3.) Wind Protection- Strong winds can flatten or knock over your plants. A windbreaker of some kind would protect your susceptible plants from this.

4.) Flexibility on Planting/Harvesting Times- If you have some covering you can plant earlier or harvest later so you don’t fear the cold weather for your crops. You can grow certain foods, flowers, and herbs out of season that you would normally not be able to. This would make for a nice side business to offer certain things that aren’t common at that time of year for sale.

5.) Plant With More Variety- With a greenhouse or protective covering, you can plant all kinds of different species that under normal conditions of your particular climate, you wouldn’t be able to grow.

6.) Everything Grows Faster- The warmth and moisture protection make plants flourish and grow much faster than they would of if they were planted straight outdoors. This safe environment will also help you plants to have better odds of resisting diseases and also make them taste better.

7.) Less Insect Problems- All those garden pests who chomp away at your plants will have less to eat. If you plant early in the spring, or late in the fall, you can help your plants avoid peak pest seasons.

Types of Protective Coverings

How You Can Make Your Own Cloche

You can make your own by using some wire hoops, from either old hangers or wire of the same thickness from your local hardware store. Make the hoops into half circles and push each end into the soil. 

 At either end of this cloche tunnel, you should lift up the plastic at the ends and pin it back to allow air circulation during warm days. To make even smaller cold cloches, you can take either a gallon of plastic milk or a juice jug, cut off the bottom, and place it over individual baby plants. The top opening where the cap is, can be used to water your seedlings.

After you have organized yourself on what you are going to plant, thrown out expired seeds, and replaced them as needed, you can then go through your seeds and decide what you want to plant first indoors. It’s a good idea to start planting your seeds anywhere from 2-3 months before putting them in your garden bed. 

For those of you living in cooler climates with harsh winter seasons, this is a good way to remedy those cabin fever blues. Think spring and growth and what you want your garden to look like come warmer months. With just a warm windowsill, even in the dead of winter, your seeds can germinate into healthy, productive seedlings.

What To Plant Seeds In

Start your seedlings in either purchased flats, or if you are like myself, and want to save a buck, you can use regular household items. Milk cartons, tin cans, or cardboard boxes can be used to first get the seeds going. 

Make sure you puncture holes in the bottoms of all your seed containers to allow moisture to drain out and prevent your seeds from molding. Cardboard boxes get soaked quick so start your seedlings and once their first leaves have sprouted, transplant them to other containers.

Keeping Them Warm and Moist Indoors

Once your seeds are planted according to their instructions, place them in a sunny windowsill and cover each of them with clear plastic. You can use plastic sandwich baggies, kitchen plastic wrap, or any left over scraps of clear tarp you may have lying around. 

This way your seeds won’t be pushed up to the surface before they have had a chance to germinate, and you won’t disturb their root systems that are just starting to develop.

Transplanting Your Seedlings Outside

Vegetable                                                                          Seed Life

Beans	3 yrs.
Beets	3 yrs.
Cabbage	4 yrs.
Carrots	1 yr.
Cauliflower	4 yrs.
Corn, sweet	2 yrs.
Cucumbers	5 yrs.
Eggplant	4 yrs.
Kale	3 yrs.
Lettuce	4 yrs.
Melons	4 yrs.
Onions	1 yr.
Peas	1 yr.
Peppers	2 yrs.
Pumpkin	4 yrs.
Radishes	3 yrs.
Spinach	3 yrs.
Squash	4 yrs.
Swiss Chard	4 yrs.
Tomatoes	3 yrs.
Turnips	5 yrs.

Choosing Seeds

Seed Catalogs

Northern Climate Seed Distributors

1.) Johnny’s Selected Seeds: This distributor has a 700+ selection of vegetable seeds, herbs, culinary and medicinal seeds, and also sells garden supplies and tools. They specialize in offering vegetables that grow in cooler regions and also sell in bulk. 955 Benton Ave., Winslow, ME 04901; 877-564-6697; fax (US) 800-738-6314; fax (outside US) 207-861-8363; info@johnnyseeds.com; www.johnnyseeds.com

2.) Alberta Nurseries & Seeds Ltd.: This company specializes in seeds for gardens grown in areas with a short growing season. Exports only its seeds, for bulbs and grown plants these are available only in Canada. Catalog free to Canada residents, $2 to US and other countries: Retail 403-224-3544; Wholesale 403-224-3546; Bowden, ALB T0M 0K0, CANADA; dectool@telusplanet.net; www.gardenersweb.ca

3.) Allen, Sterling & Lothrop: Sell seeds that are adapted to a cooler northern New England climate. Catalog $1 (refunded with order): 207-781-4142; 191 U.S. Rt. 1, Falmouth, ME 04105; www.allensterlinglothrop.com

4.) Good Seed Co.:Sells open-pollinated, heirloom, and homestead seeds that are suited for a cooler northern climate. Full catalog is available online or request a seed list: 195 Bolster Rd., Oroville, WA 98844; 509-486-1047; moonmt@televar.com; www.goodseedco.net

5.) Salt Spring Seeds: This company sells organically grown varieties of wheat, hull-less barley, hull-less oats, amaranth, runner beans, etc.: 250-537-5269; Box 444, Salt Spring Island, BC, V8K 2W1, CANADA; www.saltspringseeds.com

6.) William Dam Seeds: Sells short season veggies from a variety of different countries. All organically grown and untreated with chemicals. Catalog $1; 905-628-6641; Fax 416-627-1729; 279 Hwy. 8RR1, Dundas, ON L9H 5E1, CANADA; willdam@damseeds.com; www.damseeds.com

7.) Comstock, Ferre & Co.: Sells seeds suitable for a cooler New England climate (since 1820) for herbs and veggies. Large catalog in b&w for $3 (refunded with order); 860-571-6590; 263 Main St., Wethersfield, CT 09109; www.comstockferre.com

8.) High Altitude Gardens: Known for its varieties of vegetables for higher altitudes. 180 varieties of seeds that are untreated with chemicals and open-pollinated.

9.) T&T Seeds Ltd.: Specializes in seeds for Northern cooler climates for both fruits and veggies; 204-895-9964; Fax 204-895-9967; Box 1710, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3P6, CANADA; orders@ttseeds.mb.ca; www.ttseeds.com

Tropical/Subtropical Climate Seeds

1.) Banana Tree: Sells worldwide a selection of tropical and subtropical seeds and bulbs. Ships worldwide and all products come with some growing instructions to get you started. Catalog is available online: 610-253-9589; Fax 610-253-4864; 715 Northampton St., Easton, PA 18042; faban@enter.net; www.banana-tree.com

2.) Eden Organic Nursery Services: Seeds are open-pollinated and hybrids are available. Can purchase such items as Tobacco, medicinal plants/herbs, vines, tropical plants, and gardening accessories and supplies: 954-382-8281; Fax 954-382-8280; PO Box 4604, Hallandale, FL 33008; info@eonseed.com; www.eonseed.com

3.) Native Seeds/SEARCH: Heirloom veggie seeds from the mountains and deserts of the Southwest. Offers such unique items as sorghum of different varieties, multi-colored popcorn, chilies of all kinds, cotton, and more: B&W catalog for $1; Southern Arizona Gourd Association, c/o Kasin Hunter; 520-622-5561; 526 N. 4^th Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705; nss@azstarnet.com; www.nativeseeds.org.

4.) Park Seed Co.: Offers seeds and plants for people who live in the Southeast of the US or out towards California, Color Catalog available: 800-213-0076; 800-275-9941; 1 Parkton Ave.; PO Box 46 Greenwood, SC 29647; info@parkseed.com; www.parkseed.com

5.) Southern Exposure Seed Exchange: 550 + varities of heirloom, open-pollinated seeds available for veggies, herbs, and flowers. They also sell seed-saving and growing supplies. Catalog $2 (refundable with order); 540-894-9480; Fax 540-894-9481; PO Box 460, Mineral, VA 23117; gardens@southernexposure.com; www.southernexposure.com (Online forum available to discuss gardening from A to Z).

Bulk Seeds

1.) Twilley Seed Co.: Supplies bulk seeds of mostly hybrid veggies for gardeners of all types. Free 90 pg catalog available upon request. Specialty of ornamental corn seeds for sale (blue, pink, red, Indian): 800-622-7333; Fax 864-227-5108; 121 Gary Rd., Hodges, SC 29653; www.twilleyseed.com

Many other catalogs for seeds offer bulk sale of seeds, you must inquire with each to see if it is possible.

Open-pollinated, Heirloom, & Organic Seeds

1.) Abundant Life Seed Foundation: A non-profit organization that offers organic, open-pollinated, and rare/endangered species. Such items as Egyptian Onions, Amaranth, Quinoa, Flax, Heirloom Corn, are for sale. They host projects to promote sustainable agriculture and organic gardening knowledge. One such project is the World Seed Fund (open-pollinated seeds for poor farmers). They train people to work with master gardeners to learn about seed production. They are constantly looking for new gardeners for their Seed Growers Network.

2.) Bountiful Gardens: Sells organic gardening supplies, non-hybrid seeds, and various grains such as wheat, oats and barley. Has books about self-sufficiency and gardening for sale. Catalog is free, workshops available as well as internships: 707-459-6410; Fax 707-459-1925; 18001 Shafer Ranch Rd., Willits, CA 95490-9626; bountiful@sonic.net; www.bountifulgardens.org

3.) Heirloom Seeds: Sells herbs and veggie seeds that are not genetically engineered, non-hybrid, and have been not chemically treated. Certified organic seeds.

Books and gardening supplies are also available for sale. Catalog $1: Box 245, W. Elizabeth, PA 15088-0245; 412-384-0852 (phone/fax); mail@heirloomseeds.com; www.heirloomseeds.com

4.) Redwood City Seed: No genetically engineered seeds or hybrids are offered. 280 Heirloom vegetables and herbs are for sale. Small b&w but free catalog available: PO Box 361, Redwood City, CA 94064; 650-325-7333; www.ecoseeds.com.

5.) Seeds of Change: Offers certified organic and heirloom seeds that have been open-pollinated. Option to buy in bulk available. Seed saver training given: PO Box 15700, 3205 Richards Lane, Santa Fe, NM 87506-5700; 888-762-7333; Fax 888-329-4762; soc.customer.service@seedsofchange.com; www.seedsofchange.org.

6.) Seed Savers Exchange: Offers a 40 pg. color catalog of open-pollinated heirloom vegetables. Flowers and herbs also available. Catalog free upon request: 3094 N. Winn Rd., Decorah, IA 52101; catalog@seedsavers.org; www.seedsavers.org

7.) Select Seeds: Known for their antique flowers. Free Catalog: 180 Stickney Hill Rd., Union, CT 06076; 800-684-0395; Fax 800-653-3304; info@selectseeds.com; www.selectseeds.com

8.) Talavaya Seeds: This is a non-profit organization that collects and preserves seeds that are open-pollinated from Indian food crops. Catalog $1. “Talavaya is a Hopi word for the time of day just before dawn, when the farmer goes to his fields and the Great Spirit receives his prayers”: PO Box 50, Caballo, NM 87931-0050

9.) Victory Seed Company: Offers for sale non-hybrid, non-genetically modified seeds. Most seeds are organically grown or are from certified organic growers. Catalog $2 (refunded with order): 503-829-3126; PO Box 192, Molalla, OR 97038; info@victoryseeds.com; www.victoryseeds.com.

Specialty Seeds

1.) Cook’s Garden: Specializes in veggies and herbs that are of European background. Also sells canning equipment including canning jars with the old-fashioned rubber rings.

Catalog $1: 800-457-9703; Fax 800-457-9705; PO Box C5030, Warminster, PA 18974; info@cooksgarden.com; www.cooksgarden.com

2.) Vermont Bean Seed Co.: Catalog free, 90-pages of antique and gourmet veggies: 800-349-1071; Fax 888-500-7333; 334 W. Stroud St., Randolph, WI 53956-1274; info@vermontbean.com; www.vermontbean.com

3.) Kitazawa Seed Co.: Offers unique Japanese and Asian vegetable seeds. Free price list available for wholesale, bulk or mail orders: 510-595-1188; Fax 510-595-1860; PO Box 13220, Oakland CA 94661-3220; kitaseed@pacbell.net; www.kitazawaseed.com.

4.) Le Jardin du Gourmet: French veggies and herbs. Catalog plus 4 sample packets of herb seeds and recipes for $1: 802-748-1446; PO Box 75, St. Johnsbury Center, VT 05863; www.ArtisticGardens.com.

5.) Dutch Gardens: Shipped directly from Holland. Offers a wide catalog and website filled with flower bulbs and plants: 144 Intervale Rd., Burlington, VT 05401; 888-821-0448; www.dutchgardens.com.

6.) Evergreen Y.H. Enterprises: Sells Hybrid and Non-Hybrid Oriental veggie seeds and books on Oriental cuisine. Bulk orders available: PO Box 17538, Anaheim, CA 92817; eeseedsYH@aol.com; www.evergreenseeds.com.

7.) Nichols Garden Nursery: Offers rare seeds, herbs, gardening supplies, tea bags so you can make your own herbal teas, potpourri kits, etc. Free 70-pg. b&w or color catalog: 1190 N. Pacific Hwy., Albany, OR 97321; 800-422-3985; Fax 800-231-5306; customersupport@nicholsgardennursery.com; www.gardennursery.com.

8.) Howard Dill Enterprises: Sells “worlds largest and smallest pumpkins, squash and gourd varieties”: 902-798-2728; Fax 902-798-0842; RR 1 , 400 College Rd., Windsor, Nova Scotia B0N 2T0, CANADA; www.howarddill.com

9.) Shepherd’s Garden Seeds: Sells garden supplies, herbs, and gourmet vegetables: 30 Irene St., Torrington, CT 06790; 800-503-9624; 860-496-9624; Fax 860-482-0532; 6116 Hwy. 9, Felton, CA 95018; hort@whiteflowerfarm.com; www.whiteflowerfarm.com

10.)Whillhite Seed Company: Specializes in all different kinds of melons. 60-pg free color catalog available: 817-599-8656; PO Box 23, Poolville, TX 76487; www.willhiteseed.com.

General Seed Catalogs

1.) Gurney’s Seed & Nursery Co.: Free color catalogs available for spring and fall. Sells a basic selection of seeds, trees, and some gardening supplies: PO Box 4178, Greendale, IN 47025-4178; 513-354-1491; Fax 513-354-1493; www.gurneys.com.

2.) Harris Seeds: Free 80-pg. catalog of all kinds of seeds as well as seed-starting supplies: 800-514-4441; Fax 877-892-9197; 355 Paul Rd., PO Box 24966, Rochester, NY 14624-0966; gardeners@harrisseeds.com; www.harrisseeds.com.

3.) W.Atlee Burpee Co.: Free 123-pg. color catalog with a little bit of everything included: 800-888-1447; Fax 800-487-5530; 300 Park Ave., Warminster, PA 18974; www.burpee.com.

4.) Crosman Seed Co.: Sells seeds for veggies, flowers, grass seed, and offers promotional seed packets. Free packet listing: 800-446-7333; Fax 585-586-6093; PO Box 110, East Rochester, NY 14445; www.crosmanseed.com.

5.) J.W. Jung Seed: Sells a good selection of seeds for veggies, fruit, and nursery stock. The summer/fall catalog offers a nice variety of flower seeds: 800-297-3123; Fax 800-692-5864; 335 S. High St., Randolph, WI 53956; info@jungseed.com; www.jungseed.com.

6.) Pinetree Garden Seeds: Offers a large free catalog with a variety of seeds as well as the sale of books, kitchen gadgets and garden supplies: 207-926-3400; Fax 888-52-SEEDS; Box 300, 616A Lewiston Rd., New Gloucester, ME 04260; pinetree@superseeds.com; www.superseeds.com.

7.) Renee’s Garden Seeds: Catalog of over 200 seeds for gourmet veggies, herbs, and flowers: 888-880-7228; 7389 West Zayante Rd., Felton, CA 95018; www.reneesgarden.com.

8.) Reimer Seeds: Sells 1000 plus seed varieties for veggies, herbs, and more: PO Box 236, Mount Holly, NC 28120-0236; Fax 866-716-4748; mail@reimerseeds.com; www.reimerseeds.com.

9.) R.H. Shumway’s: They have a large old fashioned b&w catalog that sells mainly veggies. Bulk seeds available at wholesale prices on select items: 800-345-5977; Fax 888-437-2733; 334 W. Stroud St., Randolph, WI 53956-1274; www.rhshumway.com.

10.) Territorial Seed Co.: Sells natural insecticides, fertilizers, mole traps, and vegetable varieties that are suitable for growing in the Northwest region of the US: 124-pg catalog: 541-942-9547; Fax 541-942-9881; Orders 888-657-3131; PO Box 158, Cottage Grove, OR 97424-0061; tertrl@territorial-seed.com; www.territorialseed.com.