Another new year is here, and for thousands of us gardeners, that means a flood of exciting new garden catalogs for the 2019 growing season. And for those of us who are more inclined to buy online, a new gardening year means lots of great websites to peruse for new seeds and plants.
The early part of the year is an ideal time for garden planning. The quiet days of winter are perfect for making lists, charting new garden beds and calculating sowing times. The early weeks of the year is also the time when mail-order garden catalogs arrive and online catalogs are posted, enticing us with dreams of a new growing season.
Garden Catalogs in 2019
There are dozens of seed and plant catalogs and websites to choose from. If you don’t already have a stack of printed catalogs or a full email inbox with tantalizing new offers, here’s a list of some of our favorite places to buy heirlooms, hybrids, and everything that’s new and trending:
Burpee
Established in 1876, Burpee is one of the nation’s largest and best-known seed and plant companies. Their annual catalog offers a massive selection of organics, hybrids and heirlooms, including unique varieties such as the ‘world’s largest tomato’ and a container-grown sweet corn. www.burpee.com
Park Seed
Another one of the nation’s oldest and largest mail-order seed companies, Park Seed is a leading expert in ornamental and edible seed varieties. Their annual catalog is a delight to peruse, and it includes garden-ready seed mixes, flowering shrubs and perennials. www.parkseed.com
Logee’s Nursery
If you’re looking for something truly unique, Logee’s is the way to go. Specializing in breeding cold-hardy and indoor tropical plants, this nursery’s colorful catalog is filled with pages of hardy banana trees, begonias, orchids and more. Many of their plants are quite rare, including indoor-producing cacao and coffee trees, and exotic citrus varieties. Logee’s is a great place to “window shop,” because without a huge greenhouse you couldn’t possibly have the space needed to grow all the plants that you’ll want from this company. www.logees.com
Nature Hills Nursery
If a wide selection is what you’re looking for, Nature Hills fits the bill. With growing yards operating all over the country, this is the nation’s largest online plant nursery. They specialize in trees and shrubs, and they also offer perennials and bulbs. www.naturehills.com
High Country Gardens
A xeriscaper’s dream, the High Country Gardens catalog is packed with drought-tolerant shrubs and perennials as well as wildflower seeds and drought-tolerant lawn grasses. Many of the varieties were exclusively bred by the company’s founder, David Salman. One of the most unique and exciting offerings is their selection of pre-planned gardens that are perfect for filling a new garden bed. www.highcountrygardens.com
Gurney’s
Founded in 1866, Gurney’s Seed & Nursery Co. specializes in vegetable and flower seeds, gardening supplies and nursery stock. They sell almost everything a gardener or homeowner could want, including shade trees, fruit trees, shrubs, perennials, berry bushes, fertilizers and plant foods. Gurney’s distributes its free printed catalogs throughout the nation, and the company also has an impressive website. www.gurneys.com
Wayside Gardens
Featuring both a print and e-catalog, Wayside Gardens is a large online nursery that offers a huge selection of perennials, shrubs, bulbs and more. In business since 1920, this company’s catalog also features all kinds of beautiful flowering plants, plus garden supplies and gifts. www.waysidegardens.com
Harris Seeds
Another seed company established over a century ago, Harris Seeds offers an annual catalog that contains everything needed for both home gardeners and professional growers, including seeds, plants and seed-starting supplies. www.harrisseeds.com
Territorial Seed Co.
Territorial Seed Co. is a go-to destination if you’re looking for heirloom vegetable seeds. Their catalog is full of rare and colorful varieties like golden beets and purple tomatillo. They also have a nice selection of bare root fruit trees and berry shrubs. Perhaps most interesting is their grafted vegetable plants, such as ‘Triple Brandywine:’ three different varieties of Brandywine tomatoes on one plant. www.territorialseed.com
So curl up on the couch with your laptop, tablet or printed catalogs, immerse yourself in the colorful pages, and dream of the warm gardening days ahead!
If you’re interested in garden catalogs, be sure to read Top 10 Vegetables for Container Gardening.
I just need a catalog to see what kind of grass and flowers I want for my home in Colorado.
Ruth–
Since you live in Colorado, check out http://www.HighCountryGardens.com. They have lots of flowering perennials and native grasses that should work well in your yard.