Every year, towards the end of the holidays, I start looking forward to seed catalogs. This year, I think I had the majority of my seeds already bought before the new year, or at least in January. I evaluate what I liked about the previous year’s choices, keep my favorites, and archive or share the varieties that didn’t make the cut.

The number one factor in what I continue to grow is taste. If it doesn’t taste good, what’s the point? After that, I look for care-free, interesting, and short-day. Central Wisconsin was a bit of challenge after the longer, hotter summers of central Indiana. Most of the seeds I buy are heirloom, for the ability to save seeds (even though I never get to it) and the huge variety. Every year, I pick out one novelty to grow just for fun.

I am sucker for the occasional $.25 seed packet at the hardware store but for the most part I buy my seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and Seed Savers Exchange. I also have quite a collection from Jung’s because I used to work there!

I also buy a few plants in the spring mostly herbs, Jet Star tomatoes (grown in honor of my Grandma Pete), and a few peppers.

Here’s what I’m growing this year (with a link to where I purchased it, if still available, I keep seeds for years!):

These are seeds I started March 18:

• Nebraska Wedding Tomato
• Gypsy Tomato
• Cherokee Purple Tomato
• Napa Chardonnay Tomato
• Atomic Grape Tomato
• Mushroom Basket Tomato
• Pink Bumblebee Tomato
• Micro Tom Tomato
• Martino’s Roma Tomato
• Sandia (green, hot) Pepper
• Habanada Pepper
• Sugar Rush Peach
• Aji Charapita Pepper
• Lipstick Pepper
• Tony Scavo Basil
• Lettuce Leaf Basil
• Greek Dwarf Basil
• Summer Savory
• Giant Sweet Pea
• Historic Pansies Mix
• Bunny Tail Grass
• Kilimanjaro Marigold
• Alumia French Marigold

These seeds I started April 18 in peat pots:

• Honey Boat Delicata Squash
• Butternut Orange Squash
• Costata Romanesco Summer Squash
• Tendergreen Burpless Cucumber
• Galeux D’Eysines Squash
• Hopi White Pumpkin
• Black Futsu Squash
• Moranga Squash
• Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage
• Dacapo Light Blue Morning Glory
• Thai Double Blue Butterfly Pea

Seeds that are going to be direct sewn:

• Calendula
• Sunflowers (from friends and family!)
• Nasturtium (Salmon Mousse and Milkmaid)
• Encap Zinnia Mix (bought yearly at Menards. I’ve always had good results!)
• Rubinato Cosmos
• Zloty Lan Chamomile
• Rainbow Mix California Poppy
• Danish Flag Poppy
• Apollo Arugula
• Tom Thumb Lettuce
• Variety of mixed loose leaf lettuce seed packets (from all sorts of places)
• Buttercrunch lettuce
• Purple Plum Radish
• Cherry Belle Radish
• Parisienne Carrot
• Adelaide Carrot
• Early Wonder Beet
• Bull’s Blood Beet
• Sugar Anne Snap Pea
• Sweet Corn (not sure on variety yet)
• Black Magic Kale
• Maxibel Filet Bean
• Golden Rod Yellow Bush Bean
• Blue Lake 274 Bush Bean
• Calima Filet Bush Bean

The direct sewn seeds are always a crap-shoot for me, a lot of times, I forget about them and some just get thrown into the garden. We will see how organized I am this year.