It’s that time of year again. The gardening catalogs have started arriving, and my husband and I are picking out what we want, what we can afford, and what we need. (Wouldn’t it be great if those were ever the same things?) Already? you may ask. Yes! Already! Now is the time to get started on your garden!

If you think about it, you only have about three short weeks until the ground thaws and you can get plants into it. Around here, the ground is ready for spring planting in mid-April as a rule. Since you want the ground to be a little warmer for most plants, like tomatoes, you’ll want to wait a little longer. It takes tomatoes about six weeks from the time you plant the seed to the time when they’re ready to move outside. So, that if you want to start your plants from seed indoors and then transplant them, you need to be ordering seeds ASAP. At the very least, you should consider ordering or downloading seed catalogs and checking out what’s available.

Seed saver and seed exchanges have made it easier than ever to get high quality, organically grown seeds at reasonable prices. While you can always grab packets of seeds at a grocery or garden store, those seeds are usually hybrids, usually not grown in an organic environment or by sustainable methods. There are some terrific sources online and a few places in town to get great organic seeds, however.

Here are our favorite places for getting catalogs, seeds, and information:

Heirloom Acres Seeds. This small, family-owned business does most of its trade through its website. A few years ago, they had an unexpected jump in business and suddenly they were overwhelmed with orders. While they have terrific seeds, my advice is to get your order in early. The past few years, the majority of our seeds have come from this business due to the quality. They sell heirloom seeds for vegetables, fruits, flowers, certified organic seeds, herb seeds, and some bulbs and roots for flowers. They also have some gardening tools and a small selection of books.

Bountiful Gardens. Forget the seeds here: go for the books. They have an extensive library of gardening books, many on biointensive gardening, sustainable gardening, and Ecology Action. They do have a good gardening section, including great seeds, but I always get sidetracked by the books.

Seeds of Change. Their seeds can be found a little later in the spring at Whole Foods, and in some smaller outlying towns at ACE hardware stores. If you want to order early, you’ll have to use the website. I didn’t have as much luck with these seeds, but that may have been because they were thoroughly neglected… and survived anyway. I was impressed! Also, if you’re not a seed person but want to order some live starts that are certified organic, this is a good place to look. Their website also offers some information on urban gardening and four season gardening. Just look at the toolbar on the left.

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. I love this website! So many seed companies seem to be way up in the northern part of the U.S., around Zone 3, while we’re down here in Zone 6. This website focuses on plants compatible to the southern part of the country – everything from cotton to citrus. Tomatillos, peanuts, and kohlrabi are just a few of the more unusual things you could find in your garden this year. This is a seed exchange group, and should you choose to learn more about how to save and store seeds from heirloom vegetables, you can then participate in the program. They also have a quarterly gardener’s guide you can sign up to receive by e-mail.

Last year I was able to find some starts at the Farmer’s Market that were said by the seller to be organic. Of course, there’s no way to be certain, but there never is. Sometimes you have to have a little faith. If you have a chance to get them at a good price, I say go for it. Seedlings or starts are certainly faster than seeds. Yet, there’s something to be said for holding a seed the size of a pin’s head in your hand and knowing it can provide food for you and your children and your friends. It’s amazing.

Related posts:

1. [nest] Container Gardening
2. [nest] Planting Bulbs in the Springtime (Really!)
3. [nest] Mr. Midwest Goes Green, Pt. 2
4. [do] Composting in the City: A How-To Guide
5. [nest] Mr. Midwest Goes Green, Pt. 1