The author is with the Cornell Cooperative Extension, Albany County.
Just after the holidays, the gardening catalogs begin to arrive at my house. It is the perfect remedy for the post-holiday blues and I am always happy to see them clutter up my mailbox. While it is cold and snowy outside, these catalogs offer me a glimpse of spring and the promise of gardening delights to come. I have my favorites of course, and those go to the top of the pile for viewing. Where to start is the dilemma and usually I opt for the seed catalogs. With paper and pen at hand, I peruse each page of “Johnny’s Selected Seeds” and “The Cook’s Garden” catalogue. Before I commit my seed order, I check online with “Victory Seeds” as they no longer mail a catalog. “Victory Seeds” is a great source for rare and unusual seeds and their forte is open-pollinated and heirloom seeds at a fair price. Decisions made for seeds, I start looking at the “Miller Nurseries” fruit catalog. A New York State nursery, Miller offers many fruit varieties that were developed by Cornell University at the Geneva Fruit Station. Developed and grown in New York State is important to many Capital Region home fruit growers and Miller’s has been offering gardeners good plants with a wealth of cultural information since 1936. I have long been a fan of mail order for plants and so I consult with the “Bluestone Perennials” catalogue to see what is new. Another favorite is “Garden Crossings” but this is Internet ordering only. Plants shipped from either of these nurseries have never disappointed, as the packaging is superb. My plant budget dictates that I find small sizes and grow them on, which is fine with me, and mail order fits that bill perfectly. “Gardener’s Supply” in Burlington is a terrific source for all things horticultural from plants to composters and rain barrels. This catalog is not a quick read as it is chock full of items to help one garden better. A few years ago, “Gardener’s Supply” began to offer heavy duty growing bags for potatoes. After one season I was hooked as this method allowed me to expand my garden onto the driveway and grow a crop that I had not had the room to grow. At the end of the season after harvest, the soil is removed and the bags shaken and allowed to dry before storage. These bags are easy and fun and now there are several choices for different crops. The “Kinsman Company” offers unusual wire planters and hanging baskets, liners, moss and garden decoration all with a British flair. “Lee Valley Tools” and “A.M. Leonard” are companies that sell unusual and hard to find tools of exceptional quality and gardeners will tell you that it is money well spent when buying a well made tool. You may buy one over a lifetime instead of several. Both a resource and a reference are the catalogs that offer products for problem solving in the garden. Two favorite catalogs are “Arbico Organics” and “Gardens Alive!” They offer good descriptions and pictures of problems that educate the gardener about insects and diseases. Specializing in natural remedies, these sources guide a gardener through confusing territory offering remedies that are minimally toxic. So take a close look at the catalogs that arrive at your house this winter. January and February are good months for garden planning and catalogs mean that you can do it all from the comfort of your favorite armchair.