doodle by andre: help for seed-maniacs?
THAT ANDRE JORDAN IS UNCANNY, WITH HIS ABILITY to see what I am doing from halfway across the nation. I am beginning to worry that he has somehow placed a 24/7 Skype video device here in my dining room–is that your secret, dear doodling Andre? Yes, it’s seed-mania time, and I am having a hard go of it–trying to avoid doing just what the lady in the nightgown has fallen prey to. You? Being prudent and disciplined, or on a wild binge? You can tell us; we’re among friends. Oh, and a P.S. on this one:
Andre send me a friendly little FYI email with this doodle, informing me that ‘Intervention’ is a TV show. Apparently he is aware of my cultural illiteracy about such forms of “reality.” I surely hope he’s not using the video footage he’s gathering somehow of me in my seed-ordering outfit to pitch them a segment on my reality. Uh-oh. Not pretty.
I have a limited budget, but I’m starting a new perennial bed. While I want to try starting as much as I can from seed, I’m scared it won’t work, and I’ll need to buy some plants. Is it totally pointless to order plants from catalogs other than the really good ones you list here? I love them, but they’re expensive and I can’t afford much. Does anyone have experience ordering perennials from some of the bigger catalogues, like Michigan Bulb? They’re really cheap, but I wonder if you get what you pay for? Thanks.
I based the knees on my own
And he even captured your knees, exactly as they look! How amazing.
I have also been checking out online seed catalogs today looking for seeds to wintersow. No ordering yet- just a long list of seeds I’d love to get that I’ve been trying to whittle down somehow. I decided to check into this site as I do regularly only to find that all the other seedaholics out there are either dreaming or indulging. Hmmm- which way to go….Thanks for the great website!
Welcome, Marge. No ordering yet here, either…just whittling (I hope) but somehow I seem to add more than whittle. :) Thanks for your kind words and don’t be a stranger.
“If some are edible, it’s like the expense doesn’t count” is equal to “if you eat it over the kitchen sink versus at the dinner table”, the calories don’t count, right? I love this site.
Oh funny! So true! Let’s hope there’s not an intervention – gardening IS my therapy! I recently found your blog and am enjoying it, Margaret, and also the doodles by Andre.
Welcome, Tammy. Good thinking: if some are edible, it’s like the expense doesn’t count. :) Fascinated at the winter sowing thoughts and always mean to learn more about it, thanks.
Welcome, Cheryl. Thanks for the encouragement for Andre’s and my antics here. Yes, it is our therapy, isn’t it — and more this last year I think than ever, when so much weighs on so many minds. Gardening is our good news. See you both soon!
Boy do I agree! I am wintersowing for the first time this year, and I have spent more on buying seeds, and paying postage for seed swaps, than I have my entire life. But to justify some of the expense….A few are edibles,lol.
Oh, binging away here in Wisconsin! I can’t believe how perfectly Andre has captured this!!!
Welcome, Kat, to the world of seedaholics. I can feel my own binge coming on — gold-leaved forms of otherwise-familiar things ae calling out to me, and I’m not sure I can do without some more pumpkins…and on and on. See you soon again, I hope.
I’ve found my people!!!
Welcome, Kynda. We specialize in smiles here, hopefully, because if the garden doesn’t make you happy, what will — right? I am glad to “meet” you and hope to hear from you soon again.
Welcome, Laurie. Uh-oh is right. When Tony Avent’s Plant Delights catalog showed up here last week, I stuffed it under some furniture to prevent (or at least delay) catastrophe. Uh-oh is right. Funny you mention raspberries, as I was just longing for them. In the early years I gave them a big bed here, and they just ate up so much space I eventually eliminated them. Now I regret it…but where to make room after all the other things I have bought meantime. Sigh.
Welcome, Sheri. That is hilarious (and yes, you have). Like it says up top, “horticultural how-to and woo-woo” (and a dose of woo-hoo! thanks to Andre, too). See you soon!
I’m still goin through the ones I’ve got that haven’t been opened or used. No need to buy more seeds just yet. Although I will use Johnny’s and Seed Savers to choose a couple new heirloom tomatoes. And I’ve my eye on a new clematis; Clematis X ‘Zoblueriver’ Blue River, which has more of a lavender color rather than blue.
We ordered seeds over the weekend. Not too bad, maybe $30 or so. But, we also ordered 20 blueberries & 25 raspberries. And that doesn’t include all the turned down pages in the Plant Delights Nursery catalog. Uh oh.
Honestly, this is hilarious!!! There probably is a padded room somewhere with just a stack of seed catalogs, garden tools (no sharp ones, of course), a pair of Wellington’s (in my case, Muck boots) in the corner and a bag or two of potting soil just to keep you thinking you get to plant something in the near future. They always have to give you hope, you know. I love it.
I on the other hand, haven’t ordered a single seed………..yet. Too busy keeping the cattle fed and watered after all the snow. Look out when I do!!!!!!
Thanks so much for the smile today!
Since live in the Northwest, I vow to limit my ordering to catalogs from west of the Mississippi. But I look at them all. I often ponder too long for mail ordering and end up buying my packets from the hardward store which fortunately carries Territorial Seeds. I’m also satisfying lots of my garden urges with flowering houseplants on the kitchen window sill. Baby daffodils at the moment.
True Confessions time for me — I have just spent $50.00 on veggie seeds, but in my defence, $14 of it was for onion plants! I am Rosella, and I am defenceless against the seed catalogues.
But — there seem to be less of them than usual. Could my husband be staging an intervention at the mailbox?
Margaret – your secrets are safe with me. Yes.
I have never had much luck with seeds. I’m thinking of trying various multicolored potatoes this year.
I’m contenting myself with watching my orchid’s new spike emerge as I continue my vigil against any last aphids that might be lurking around. I’m only going to last so long before I go outside and sow spinach…
There should be a 12-step program for all Seed Catalog-a-holics, and it should be consist of the 12 catalogs you can’t live without! Does anyone else hide in their office with a hot cup of tea and their Swan Island Dahlia catalog? How about sitting in a spot of sunshine in the parking lot of your favorite nursery (preferably facing their ‘demo’ garden) with Johnny’s and Select Seeds? Am I a total plant geek if I cop to coloring in the McClure & Zimmerman catalog?
I would not have gotten the “Intervention” reference, either. This year I planned ahead and ordered only what was on the plan. That won’t stop me from grabbing a seed packet or two at the grocery store, though.
Last year as I sat on the floor surrounded by seed catalogs and gardening books, trying to choose and groaning loudly, I said to my partner “I’m having fun!!” He said, “Really?! ‘Cos it doesn’t sound like it.” What would he know…
Heh… Beyond the $50 I have already spent on seeds for my garden (even though I don’t have a yard), I have expanded my indoor plant collection in the last few weeks with prechilled tulip bulbs, an orchid, two amaryllises, an Alternanthera “Party Time,” a bamboo cutting I’m trying to root, a croton, and a screw pine.
I don’t want to know the expense.
Maybe Intervention should be called?
Welcome, Kenneth. We will send the crew from at A&E show right over. :) Seriously, though, it happens to the best of us. Nice to see you here.
Night gown ordering…is there any other way? It is almost as good as early morning night gown watering in the spring. It is definitely the best way to assure you order too many seeds and plants. It’s great!
I LOVE this doodle ;-)
Happily, while I have been poring over tons of catalogs, I have not (yet) fallen into the trap of ordering everything in sight. I shall probably do most of my ordering from the local seed bank this year ;-)