The arrival of my seed order last week was comparable to Christmas at our house this year. My excitement was extreme, so much so that I could barely open the package. With my hands shaking in anticipation, I carefully sifted through the packets, daydreaming about a bumper crop of dill and green beans.
Last spring, on the Dara & Co blog, I covered the basics of sowing heirloom seeds, why they’re important, and where to obtain them. I still stand by what I said a year ago. Aside from the charm, the world of heirloom growing is still fascinating. It’s exciting to be growing flowers, vegetables, and herbs that contribute to biodiversity.
Perhaps one of my most interesting “finds” this spring is the Monticello Kitchen Garden Sampler—White House Edition seed collection. Inspired by the new Thomas Jefferson garden at the White House, this seed sampler gives you a chance to plant seeds that are growing in the White House garden, and were among Jefferson’s favorites from his original kitchen garden, including: Tennis-ball Lettuce, Prickly-seeded Spinach, Red Calico Lima Beans, Sesame, Globe Artichoke, and Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage.
Ordering heirloom seeds online from Monticello or Seed Savers is a breeze these days, but perhaps you’d like to support a local business or talk shop with other local gardeners. There are several shops throughout Minnesota that are seed rack locations for Seed Savers, a non-profit organization of gardeners dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds. Seed Savers’ seed packets available at local shops give you the basic information you need in order to plant and grow everything from rows of heirloom tomatoes to rainbows of snapdragons.
Check out this list of Seed Savers seed rack locations in Minnesota:
Albert Lea Seed House Cook Country Coop Seward Coop Moms Food Co-op East Side Food Co-op Mississippi Market Bluff County Co-op Bob & Judy’s Farm Market Linden Hills Co-op | Sailers Greenhouse Mississippi Market Mother Earth Gardens Drummers Garden Center Linders Garden Center Hillside Greenhouse Rainbow Food Coop Abrahamson Nurseries Amelia’s Flower & Garden Shoppe
| Eggplant Urban Farm Supply Greenwood Plants Delano True Value Natures Nest Farm Just Food Coop University of MN Lanscape Arboritum Mazopiya Kingsley Mercantile
|
Need a little information about how to sow your seeds once you have them? The University of Minnesota Extension Service has loads of information that will help you sow your seeds inside. Have some great tips for sowing seeds in a drafty Minnesota kitchen or living room? Please share!
