Here’s a pointer I like to dust off every year about this time, when you have to have a lot of imagination and intestinal fortitude to take on any outdoor gardening tasks. ’Tis the season for . . . seed catalogues, when you can let that imagination run wild.
This year, I’m going to run this as a multi-part series on catalogues of all types, from seeds to live plants. I’m a big proponent of the local garden centers, mind you, and you can usually find more gardening stuff at your favorite local greenhouse than at any time in horticultural history. There’s still a place on my coffee table gardening catalogues, though. They’re one of my favorite things about gardening. And, besides, they’re great for those last-minute gardening gift ideas.
For this edition, we’ll take a look at the seed entities in my own state of Maine where six companies, and at least two non-profit organizations, offer just about anything you could need within the pages of their catalogues. Buy your seeds locally and you’ll get the satisfaction of supporting small local enterprises —with the added benefit of all that great local knowledge that you’ll never find in the national catalogues.
Here’s a rundown, with some of the history and flavor that makes all these catalogues unique:
Allen, Sterling & Lothrop — This company has been around since 1911 and, somehow refreshingly, hasn’t changed much at all in the past 94 years. This year’s catalogue looks like last year’s catalogue, and the one before that, and the one before that.
In this lightning-fast Internet world where change rules, this Falmouth company has carved out a niche by offering mostly the same varieties of seed that our grandparents grew. The packages are still packed by hand in a back room, most of them by octogenarians Mickey and Isabelle Maguire, and their granddaughter Jennifer Brannigan.
The big news here is that AS&L joined the 21st century by securing a web domain in 2005. It’s kind of like having your grandmother driving a Ferrari, but in this day and age I’m sure a lot of grandmothers probably do. For the old-fashioned way of shopping, you can order the 31-page black-and-white catalogue by calling 207-781-4142, or better yet, visit the charming garden center at 191 U.S. Route 1 in Falmouth — but not on Sundays. That’s their family day and still remains sacred.
Fedco— This revolutionary enterprise was founded in 1978 as a cooperative seed distribution network in which the patrons of the company are the owners. Bulk orders are always encouraged; if you get together with your gardening friends and neighbors and place an order through Fedco, you will almost always save money.
Like Allen, Sterling & Lothrop, this seed source eschewed the Internet as a marketing tool for many years. A website, www.fedcoseeds.com , is up and running and offers a nice, online taste of what the company is all about. A catalogue can be downloaded, and the company even posts its phone number at 207-873-3333. For many years, it didn’t even like to take phone calls.
Despite all those upgrades in convenience, the catalogue really must be seen to be fully appreciated. Printed on recycled newsprint, it teems with invaluable local information. You tell easily tell that the authors of the seed descriptions grow the plants themselves, often in Zone 4 central Maine locations that test a gardener’s skill. Organic culture is always stressed and none of the seeds are ever treated with fungicide.
To receive a Fedco catalogue in the mail, write to P.O. Box 520, Waterville, Maine 04903-0520.
Johnny's Selected Seeds — Easily Maine’s largest seed company and recognized as a national industry leader, Johnny’s still manages to reflect its roots as a tiny proprietorship formed in 1973. The founder, Robert L. Johnston Jr., is a research scientist at heart. Through his directive, the company runs the most thorough seed testing process in the country. A trial garden in Albion, measuring 120 acres, allows the staff to evaluate each vegetable, herb, flower and garden product.
The catalogue is also recognized as one of the most valuable in the country. Packed with equal parts information and colorful glossy photographs, it has been redesigned in recent years to be more colorful and user friendly.
Buying from Johnny’s is easier than ever. The company finally accepts orders toll free (800-879-2258) or the Internet www.johnnyseeds.com. Even better, orders are filled whenever possible within 24 hours.
Incidentally, Rob Johnston sent us an awesome exclusive article on the best-tasting varieties of 14 different kinds of vegetables in the upcoming January issue of our magazine. It made my mouth water just reading his first-hand descriptions.
Pinetree Garden Seeds — The size of the average package of seeds has always driven Portland resident Dick Meiners crazy. Why do companies put 100 tomato seeds in a package, he wondered, when the average gardener only grows 12 plants?
In 1979, he did something about his pet peeve by founding his own company. Specializing in small packages at fair prices, New Gloucester-based Pinetree Seeds has carved out a unique niche in the home garden segment of the seed catalogue world. By keeping prices down, Meiners has allowed gardeners to experiment with many new varieties of plants—as well as books and equipment.
The catalogue is a cross between the newsprint, no-photo appeal of Fedco, and the glossy, professional look of Johnny’s. The descriptions, written by the gardeners on the Pinetree staff, are informative and personal. Order by phone (207-926-3400), fax (888-52seeds) or on the Internet www.superseeds.com.
Vesey’s— Based in Prince Edward Island, Vesey's Seeds Ltd., is not a true Maine company. It does, however, offer a Calais address and a product selection that is ideal for the local gardener.
The founder, Arthur Vesey, was a market gardener who struggled to find seeds that would thrive in the short growing season in PEI. In 1939, he published the first catalogue of some of his discoveries; by the ’60s, his company featuring “seeds for short seasons” was a full-blown international enterprise.
Vesey’s makes ordering easy and affordable with a toll-free number (800-363-7333), along with fax orders (800-686-0329) and Internet access www.veseys.com.
The Maine Potato Catalog—Facing an uncertain economic future in trying to grow organic produce in Aroostook County, Jim Gerritson needed a way to diversify his family farm in the past decade. His answer became this unique ode to spuds that has grown to become a 36-page full-color booklet.
The family’s staple offerings are the Potato of The Month Club that will deliver a fresh supply of organic potatoes to your door each month, and the certified organic seed potatoes that you can grow in your own garden. The catalogue also features carrots, onions, garlic, shallots, parsnips and other crops — all grown organically in Bridgewater, five hours north of Portland near Presque Isle. You may order a catalogue seven days a week at 800-829-9765, or click on www.woodprairie.com to get a virtual tour.
Our television crew visited the Gerritson family during harvest season one September and watched in amazement as the year’s crop of potatoes was picked by hand — mostly by junior high school students on farm break. It’s one of the few operations of its kind left in America, and definitely worth supporting.
Medomak Valley Heirloom Seed Project — Teachers Jon Thurston and Neil Lash deserve a world of kudos for introducing their high school students to the world of gardening. The students, in turn, spread the information to the rest of us through their truly unique catalogue offering a host of heirloom seeds.
Even designed by students, the catalogue can be ordered by writing to Heirloom Seed Project, 320 Manktown Road, Waldoboro, Maine 04572. Please include a nine by 12-inch SASE envelope and $1. The students don’t publish seed prices, but do ask for your donations if you order.
Maine Seed Saver Exchange — Dedicated to preserving genetic diversity in backyard gardening, this nonprofit group promotes saving rare heirloom varieties. Within the 24-page catalogue, you'll find everything from ‘Fogg’ melons, originally grown at the Fogg Homestead in Readfield, Maine, to ‘Cambridge’ rutabagas, which the catalogue states were “found and rescued from the steamship ‘Cambridge,’ which sank in the Atlantic Ocean on Feb. 10, 1886, after striking the Old Man's Ledge off of Friendship, Maine.”
Its a valuable endeavor, well worth supporting by joining the Exchange for $15. For the catalogue only, send $2 to cover postage to Box 60, New Gloucester, ME 04260.
Speaking of catalogues . . . How would you like to receive $25 to spend at one of America’s best gardening companies? That’s what you get if you subscribe to People, Places & Plants magazine right now in time for the holidays. Here’s the deal: First off, it’s $5 off ($19.95 instead of $24.95). Second, you’ll receive a $25 gift certificate to a catalogue supplier known as www.gardensalive.com. We’ll also send you the discount card good for 10 percent off at more than 500 local garden centers in the Northeast. On top of ALL that, we’ll send a $5 donation to the American Red Cross for every subscription we sell between now and Christmas. We think it’s a tremendous gift idea. You can sign up online here, or by calling Mike or Deb at 800-251-1784.
Paul Tukey, December 12, 2005.
