In mid-November last year, I set my vegetable garden to bed for the winter and in doing so, I sighed a great sigh of both relief and satisfaction. I experienced another year of trials and errors, of tremendous harvests, including a bumper crop of butternut squash, and semi-failures in the form of rodent-eaten potatoes, of hard-earned lessons (head’s up, Tomato Hornworms are awful) and celebrations in the form of a pantry filled with jars of homegrown tomato based sauce. Despite this roller coaster and the late fall gardening fatigue, it is early February and I am starting to feel the itch to get my hands dirty again. As Josephine Nuese so eloquently put it, my gardening journey always starts with the dream, and right now I am dreaming of seeds and the vast selection of varieties I have to choose from.
As I write this, I am gearing up to sort through my seed stash in preparation for the yearly Seedy Weekend event, which took place earlier this month, February 3rd and 4th, at the Montreal Planetarium. Attending these types of events is a gardener’s dream, even if it can admittedly be a slightly tortuous experience as well. With such a huge selection how does one choose the ‘right’ seeds to buy? With my personal experience in mind, I’ve put together a short list of things to consider before you purchase them because believe me, it is incredibly easy to get carried away with the ‘dream’:
1) Consider what vegetables you already like to eat. Our family goes through a lot of lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, peppers and herbs, so I make sure I’m stocking up on those types of seeds first. We eat a bucketload of garlic that I also grow, but it's grown differently than regular seeds, so I won’t discuss it here.
2) Consider the variety of each fruit (to be biologically correct) or vegetable you want to grow. Every type of cucumber or tomato is not created the same. Pickling cucumbers are NOT the same as field cucumbers. For example, Italian tomato varieties are more meaty and best for sauce, while slicing tomatoes are better for sandwiches. Furthermore, some varieties grow taller or take up more space than others.
3) Consider the length of the growing season and the zone in which you live. Seed packets will tell you how long a particular plant needs from germination to being ready for harvest, under average conditions. In Montreal, we average approximately 150 growing days between our last frost date of May 3rd and first frost date in early October. You can, of course, extend this growing season by starting seeds indoors. Frost-free dates are correlated to the gardening zone where you live.
4) If you are ordering seed packages online, consider where the seed company operates. Some seeds have been grown and are adapted to the conditions of the location in which they are grown. I would, for example, not purchase seeds from Arizona. When in doubt, stick with local seed vendors. I’ve had great success with seeds from Ferme Cooperative Tourne-Sol, Les Jardins de l'écoumène, and Terre Promise to name a few.
5) Last, but certainly not least, consider how much space you have to grow your seeds. I will readily admit that I have fallen into the trap of my gardening eyes being bigger than my growing abilities. I always start more seedlings than I have room for, but at least they are very easily bartered, and you’ll almost always find someone to take on your extra plant babies should you need it.
Finally, once you have purchased seeds, be aware that they have a shelf life. Lettuce, parsnip and onion seeds are very short-lived, lasting about a year, whereas tomato and cucumber seeds can stay viable for many, many years.
Most of the information you need to consider about the above items should be available online or on the seed packet. At first, it may seem like trying to solve a complicated math problem, but don’t panic. In case of confusion, I can promise you that local gardeners are a kind and helpful bunch of people, so don’t hesitate to ask them for advice! For a little extra help, here is a link to a planting calendar that will help you plan when to start your seeds.
Gardening is a journey that may never be perfect but that will always offer you growth, in both senses of the word. I think that purchasing seeds is an affordable and easy way to get that journey started and I hope you feel the same way too. Happy growing!
Geneviève Lussier is a dedicated educator with a B. Ed. in elementary childhood education, who is not only shaping young minds but also leading the charge for environmental stewardship and community activism. From her family's household of activists to her passion for crafting and gardening, Geneviève embodies a holistic approach to living sustainably and fostering connections within her community. Whether she's teaching knitting at the Pointe-Claire library or preserving food from her garden, Geneviève's boundless optimism and unwavering belief in the power of community shine through, inspiring those around her to embrace positive change and collective responsibility.