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Seed catalogs are starting to arrive ---

16 years ago

Got the T&M catalog this weekend. Nice to browse thru, but one "new" plant in particular caught my eye and I think I'm in love .....

Amaranthus 'Autumn Palette'

Now I'm going to have to find more stuff to make the order worthwhile ....

PV

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Comments (15)

diggerdee zone 6 CT
16 years ago
I got my T&M catalog this past weekend too - and that Amaranthus caught my eye also!

It seems the catalogs are coming earlier and earlier. Usually this makes me roll my eyes - kind of like seeing Christmas displays in the stores in September! - but in the case of seed catalogs, it's a winter-sower's dream!

:)
Dee
gardener0126
16 years ago
My T and M catalog came last week too, and quite a few things looked interesting to me. Today I got a catalog from the D. Landreth Seed company. It is for bulbs, but it is one of the most beautiful catalogs I've seen in a while. Every other page has a botanical print picture that looks old. The envelope says that their seed catalog will be mailed in December.
I ordered it here:

Here is a link that might be useful: Landreth Seeds
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Pam, I don't think I've grown many of Twilley's varieties, but I intend to start trying some of them every year. For 2013, I'm thinking of trying a couple of their broccoli varieties (Castle Dome and Coronado Crown) that have received very good reviews from Farmerdill on the Cornell website. I figure if they do well for him in Georgia, they ought to grow well here as well. I might try a couple of the lettuce varieties they carry too. I'm always on the hunt for lettuce varieties that can ignore the early 90-degree-plus days that hit us randomly in March and April some years. I hate it when early hot days cause the lettuce to bolt earlier than it should. That happened both in 2011 and 2012 because we were hitting the 90s before Easter, which is just ridiculous. One reason I've posted only my 2013 tomato grow list and not the grow list of all other veggies is that I'm still trying to decide which Twilley varieties I'll try this year. 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I try to order Brandy Boy and 4th of July every 3 or 4 years and then not order again until those two are used up. Then, if there is something at Burpee I want to try, I order it when I'm ordering those two tomato varieties. Dixondale did add two new short-day varieties that I'll try this year, but I noticed they didn't add any intermediate or long day types. Of course, they really don't add new ones at a very fast rate. SESE's latest newsletter said they're getting ready to ship the catalog in December. Well, I sure hope it is in early December. I usually get impatient and order online before the catalog gets here which also means the website isn't completely updated yet, and then there's always something in the catalog I wish I'd ordered. The Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog is a special favorite of mine too, as is Baker Creek. I can spend the whole winter looking through the catalogs from Johnny's, SESE and Baker Creek until I practically have them memorized. 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It will stay 5 degrees warmer as opposed to 2 degrees warmer if I had the doors and vents closed by 3 p.m. so the heat can buildup before sunset. If I don't close the vents and doors until just before sunset, it only stays a couple of degrees warmer than the outside air. I also think part of the reason for this is that the days are still pretty warm and the ground isn't real cold yet. I expect that sometime in December I'll see that the greenhouse is going exactly as low as the outside temperature at night. Dawn
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highalttransplant
16 years ago
I received my T & M catalog today, and I'm afraid I feel a rant coming on, LOL!!!

Here are a few samples of the prices, and what you get for your money. Yes, most of them are hybrids, but 4 seeds in a package, come on!!!

Verbascum 'Copper Rose' 10 seeds $7.95
Gherkin Diamant 5 seeds $2.95
Tiffany F1 Hybrid 4 seeds $6.25
Summer Squash Black Forest F1 Hybrid 12 seeds $3.95
Dichondra 'Silver Falls' 10 seeds $3.95
Geranium 'Horizon Orange Ice F1 Hybrid 6 seeds $4.95

I can't justify that kind of money for seeds. One of the main reasons I choose to grow from seed, is to save money. At those prices, I may as well order a live plant!

Is it just me, or are these prices a bit ridiculous?

Bonnie
diggerdee zone 6 CT
16 years ago
Bonnie, I think you are right - T&M does charge an awful lot for their seed. But I tend to have good results with their seed.

What I do is make a list, try to find what I can on their ValueSeeds site, try to find it at other reputable places, and then I also take advantage of their free offers as much as I can. And then, when I've done all I can to avoid buying from them, I rationalize that $3.95 for seven plants (if all germinate) is still a good price.

I can't help but think that if they only sent me ONE catalog a year, instead of FOUR, they'd save some money and perhaps be able to lower their seed prices.

But gosh darn, is their catalog wonderful to look through...

:)
Dee
highalttransplant
16 years ago
Dee, that is exactly what I did! At ValueSeeds, I was able to get 6 packets of seed for $6.74, and that included shipping. I would have spent almost 5X that amount at T & M! There are still 3 or 4 items that I am interested in though. Who else carries a similar product line? I checked Park's, but they didn't have any of the ones I was looking for. As expensive as T & M is, I have to admit they have a variety of things I haven't found elsewhere.

Is it time to start WS yet, LOL?!

Bonnie
diggerdee zone 6 CT
16 years ago
Bonnie, what I did last year when there was an expensive seed at T&M that I really wanted was I googled it. Then I would look at the different vendors who had it, and then I would go to Garden Watchdog to check on the vendor.

I usually buy seed from T&M, Johnny's, Territorial, Select, and Pinetree. Those are my main vendors, so I usually have their catalogs handy. If I can't find the seed I want in there, then I do the above and google. I've even posted here if I can't find what I want, because often people know of yet other reputable vendors that I haven't heard of, that may have the seed.

Sometimes I can find something very, very similar, other times I break down and buy from T&M, if I really want the seed bad enough.

I did that a few years ago with Zinnia Zowie Yellow Flame (although now that I think of it, I may have bought from another vendor - but they were all quite expensive - 10 seeds for $5). And I am so glad I spent the money, because every single seed germinated and they were fabulous flowers! Now I don't think twice about paying for that particular seed... okay, I lied, I do think about the fact that it was introduced a few years ago and I wonder why the price hasn't come down, but I don't hesitate to buy the $$$ Zowie seed anyway!

:)
Dee
sheltieche
16 years ago
For many seeds that are not F1 hybrids it might be a sound investment- you buy seeds once you will have them forever or as long as you collect your own seeds. Only F1 hybrids will have to be discarded if you want seeds that will come true.
Also I am sure with T&M being popular as it is you will find plenty of people who bought this seed earlier and might have it for exchange now.
I absolutely agree with you on small count of seeds and pricing- it is totally ridiculous. Contrary to some other people opinion my experience with germination of some seeds was not good and some seeds were complete failure. Since I have plenty of experience and have managed to germinate many toughies before I do not blame my methods for those failures. Certain amount of failures always happens with seeds but it did happened more frequently with T&M seeds.
On the positive note T&M have many interesting varieties to try which nobody else offers specially if you are into annuals.
vera_eastern_wa
16 years ago
I've requested that catalog 2 years now and STILL haven't received one.
drippy
16 years ago
I waited 5 days from the time I first saw the new 2008 seeds to the time I ordered. I think that shows great restraint. T&M loves me.

Vera, if you order anything through their website, you'll get their catalogs for life.
bevhall
16 years ago
I promised myself I was already done last month. I gave away tons of my hoarded seeds and narrowed it down to what I could really commit to this year. It's been really really hard! And I even stopped collecting seeds in the yard.
I did let myself order a few perennials for the front, so I don't go nuts next spring on annuals while waiting for the seeds to germinate, and they were good deals from places with good guarantees, and I'm going to keep that information handy.
I am also getting more supplies for the gardens.
I do feel bad passing on so much, but this year I kept it to bare bones, and had much more success than any other year, especially with veggies.
fairydancer
16 years ago
Does the T&M catelog come with any coupons like it did last year? If I remember correctly, they sent a $10 coupon with the catelog and that made the higher than most prices a little easier to swallow.

I haven't gotten mine yet....I wonder why.

Deb
diggerdee zone 6 CT
16 years ago
Deb - I double checked, and yes, there is an offer of $5 off when you spend $35. I don't remember if last year's offer had a qualifying amount which you had to spend. I do seem to remember that last year I got the $$$-off offer on the *second* catalog I received, well after I had already placed my order!

Dee
not_a_contessa
16 years ago
That Amaranthus caught my eye, too, the colors are lovely. I know you'll take pictures, and I'll be looking forward to seeing them.

Last year the Calendula on their catalog cover was stunning, I'm waiting for it to be listed on their VS site.

Mary
new_in_texas
16 years ago
I got my T&M catalog too, you weren't kidding about them being a little pricey. I got the catalog because I placed an online order when they had their sale, it looks like I'll be waiting until that time to place another order. Unless of course I cave and order some Rudbeckia 'Kelvedon Star'.

As for the coupon, the cover has a mention of $10 off, no minimum required, you just have to pay shipping.

Who am I kidding, I already have the site open.
joytosew
16 years ago
I have signed up for some seed catalogs. I haven't had any for quite a while. I have been placing orders online and buying from local stores.
My only problem is that I am looking for more open pollinated and Heirloom seeds for my vegetables this year (putting in a potager area next year).
I have seen some beautiful hybrid flowers I would love to have which brings up the question about putting hybrid flowers in with open pollinated or heirloom vegetables. Do I need to be worried about this situation?

I am very excited about getting the catalogs I have requested =)

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