5 Great Catalogue Companies for Eco-Friendly Gardening

Ben Franklin stated that the two certainties of mortal existence are death and taxes.

I would like to add that, for gardeners, there is a third certainty:

catalogues!

These are paper booklets, or links to a website - the virtual catalogue.

If you've purchased anything from a gardening-related company, you will probably also receive a flurry of emails containing bargains and deals for your seeds, plants, supplies and equipment.

In the past, these were wonderful paper publications of 30 plus pages which describe the plants which can be grown from their seeds or bare root plants. They were presented in glossy paper or newsprint, with colored pencil sketches or photographs.

For some of us, the details mattered little, because they burst with promise. Promise of what? The promise of gorgeous colors all over the yard – a yard which now lies under a blanket of either snow or frozen, dull grass.

Additionally, they tantalize us with the promise of fruits and vegetables produced by one’s own care and attention. It excites the spirit to nurture plants, living things, which can beautify the home environment or feed the body.

1. SEEDS of CHANGE

This company has multiple strengths. It has been organic for a very long time, first with The Oregon Tilth certification and now its USDA Organic certification under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. It offers seeds, organic food products (and suggested recipes), and great learning videos. Plus, the top background photo on some of its pages are actually videos. That impressed me.

www.seedsofchange.com

2. PRAIRIE MOON NURSERY

If you want strictly native plants, this is the first place to check. They sell seeds, bare-root and potted plants, and seed mixes with well-described information on the light and moisture needs as well as how to germinate. In addition, you can purchase supplies, tools, books, a few pollinator habitats, clothing and educational posters. Prairie Moon has a stellar reputation.

www.prairiemoon.com

3. TERRITORIAL SEED COMPANY

This company sells a comprehensive list of seeds, bare-root and potted plants, beneficial insects, garden and kitchen supplies, and greenhouses. They offer organic (they are certified USDA organic) and not-organic seeds and it is very clear which is what on their website. Territorial also sells several apps for gardeners!

www.territorialseeds.com

4. GARDENS ALIVE

The Gardens Alive! (yes, the exclamation point is part of the name) catalogue is full of natural, non-GMO products for repelling pests and fertilizing lawns and plants. Its focus traditionally leaned towards naturally repelling pests and supporting the growth of plants, not offering them. However, cover crops, seeds and plants are now for sale. Garden tools, kitchen equipment, and birding and habitats are also available.

www.gardensalive.com

5. FED-CO SEEDS CO-OP

FedCo offeres trees, bulbs, seeds, potatoes and onions, and organic gardening supplies. It has always been a cooperative, selling to everyone, but offering a discount to consumer-members. The warehouse is located in Maine and this company recently went solar!

From their website:

"...With the overwhelming support of our members, we contracted with ReVision Energy of Portland, ME, to install a ground-based photovoltaic system that, using 176 solar panels, will generate an estimated 94% of our entire cooperative’s electrical needs. Our decision to do our part to stop burning fossil fuels is in keeping with our belief that we all need a stable climate in which to grow our food and support our agriculture."

Well done, FedCo!

FedCo sells irrigation eqipment, fabric and plastic mulch and netting, and supplies for growing cannabis. Their selection of books for sale is huge and covers much more than growing (although that is well covered.)You can find books about fermenting, cheesemaking, foraging for edible plants, racial equality and farming, and just about every agriculture and climate disruption issue imaginable.

www.fedcoseeds.com

One advantage of paper catalogues is the ability to flip between several pages quickly – more quickly than clicking through pages on a website.

Once I have made decisions I can also easily cut out the photograph to tape onto a paper graph of the garden plot.

Can you imagine few things nicer than clicking or browsing page by page on a gardening/plant/seed catalogue on a sunny bright, ice-covered winter or early spring day?

Try it, you may be convinced.

Or, you could study that new tax return.