Once the Holidays have passed some thoughts turn to garden plans.  There may be no better way to overcome the mid-winter doldrums than to imagine your next garden and decide what new things to grow this year.  Despite the calendar, now is the time to get your plans and seeds organized so you’ll be ready when spring arrives.  Seed catalogues have already been arriving and it’s not too early to make your selections before the best varieties sell out.  

The first step is to inventory what you already have on hand in leftover and saved seeds.  Since most seeds from last year will still be good to plant this year make a list of what and how much you have in last year’s packets and saved seeds so you don’t buy more of what you already have.

If you’re undecided about specific varieties to get, there is a good list of Easy-to-Grow Vegetables in Vermont at https://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/easytogrow.html.   Of course, if you aren’t into starting your own seedlings but prefer ready-to-plant seedlings then you have plenty of time.  There are many good seed sources nationwide but if you prefer to buy locally, as I do, here are some suggestions.

High Mowing Seed Company  –  Vermont based, all organic seeds, great selection.

FEDCO Seeds  –  based in Maine, good seeds, supplies, & tools, lower prices.

Johnny’s Selected Seeds  –  based in Maine, organic & non-organic seeds, huge selection

Vermont Bean Seed Company – beans, vegetables, fruits, and more.

Vermont Wildflower Farm – wildflowers, perennials, bulbs, and veggies.

Maine Potato Lady  –  specialize in potatoes & onions

Online catalogues for researching and buying are great references and very easy to use.  Don’t overlook their extensive guidelines and technical information that these companies provide online and in their free printed catalogues.  Vermont Home Gardener will continue providing local advice and guidelines in the Chit Chat and the Mount Holly Newsflash.  You can subscribe to my blog and get the archives of all previous articles at https://vermonthomegardener.com/ .  It’s all free and your comments and questions are always welcome.