Renowned plantsman Tony Avent owns Plant Delights Nursery. I have had the opportunity to meet Tony and visit the nursery. The Juniper Level Botanic Garden is also a great place to visit.
Tony mainly has perennials, and if you are looking for unusual or unique plants, this is the place. When you purchase from Plant Delights, make sure that you check the planting zone; since they are in NC, some plants won’t be winter hardy in the Miami Valley.
If you are into Agaves, he has plenty of them and some of the new ones are cool and expensive. There is one called ‘Dusty Roads’ that runs $100 for a 3.5-inch pot. Agaves aren’t hardy; however, I bring them in the garage or house, and they overwinter nicely.
Plant Delights also has a unique, fun cover on its catalog. You can get one free with an order or purchase one for $7.00. Check out their website for past catalog covers.
I am experiencing plant lust just looking over their website! I am also experiencing zone envy; this occurs when you see plants that you want but they won’t grow in your plant zone.
Baker Creek has two catalogs. The Rare Seed Catalog is free and includes all their seeds along with photos and descriptions of their popular varieties. The Whole Seed Catalog costs $14.95 and has stunning photos, an extensive collection of heirloom seeds from around the world, and much more.
A friend visited their site in Missouri and bought me a catalog; I have been hooked since. Baker Creek has one of the largest selections of heirloom varieties. The company also focuses on using a significant portion of its profit to support others with food, emergency aid, sustainable development and education.
There are so many others who have great selections of seeds for sale. Starting seeds indoors can be fun and very rewarding. It is work, but it’s worth it. Seed catalogs typically have varieties that you can’t find in garden centers or on seed racks.
I typically purchase my vegetable garden seeds from catalogs. I haven’t started seeds indoors for several years but I am getting the itch. I am teaching a class next week at our senior center on starting seeds indoors so I might just do it this year.
Seeds have gone up in price just like everything else. In some cases, they haven’t gone up in price but the number of seeds you get has decreased.
If you are interested in learning more about how seeds are produced and get to market, etc., check out the American Seed Trade Association website: http://betterseed.org ASTA, started in 1883, is one of the oldest trade organizations in the United States.
Pamela Corle-Bennett is the state master gardener volunteer coordinator and horticulture educator for Ohio State University Extension. Contact her by email at bennett.27@osu.edu.
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