Starting a Garden From Seed: Part One - Why Seeds?
This year I wanted to sow my garden almost entirely from seed, which was a new adventure for me. I've scattered my share of bean seeds in my day and even a cucumber or two, but I knew there was much to learn. In fact the most prominent thing I have learned from gardening thus far is that there is always more to learn. Even for a master gardener (which I am not) the dynamic aspect of growing will keep you on your toes. Each garden space is different: different sun, different weather, light and soil conditions, different pests (that's another post. Grr.) Each place I have lived has been vastly different. All my past gardening experiences helped me to grow as a gardener, but so far have been limited in one way or another as far as space, choice and planning ability.
My mother's vegetable garden and flower beds were among my first gardening experiences. Like many parents, my mother discovered the benefits of child labor... I mean...sharing her garden with her kids. So as many children who came before me, I learned how to plant, water and weed (heavy emphasis on the weeding.) It was a great basic education, but being a child I wasn't that involved in things such as seed selection, planning or the financial aspects.
As a young adult I lived with my in-laws whose garden is a bit more shall we say, laissez faire. My mother-in-law is the type that believes spacing guidelines are but mere suggestions and that any and all plants belong together in the same space. The result is...jungle like? Again, it was not my yard so my activities were limited, usually just to assisting when requested.
Finally, at my first home, a town home, I learned how to garden in containers. I often used plant starts because the were convenient and I only needed one or two anyway. I also learned that the only consistent thing about an HOAs rules is that they are inconsistent. Many plants were lost to the whims of the hired gardeners or board. In all of these scenarios I: A) had limited control over the space and B) usually used plant starts because it was quicker and easier.
This year marks the first planting season entirely in my own space (NEVER AGAIN HOA!!!) Our backyard was basically empty, so every feature was ours to design from the largest beds to the smallest pots. I have total control over the space. I also have the ability to plant both in ground or in beds and containers, which means I can grow a pretty decent variety of plants. So why seeds? Well there are three good reasons. They say you should have three, right?
So here they are:
1) Enormous variety (It's fun!)
2) Ability to select for your specific needs (climate etc)
3) Cost effectiveness
The plant variety available via seeds is simply mind boggling. It's just fun! Could I just pick from the two types of eggplant seedlings available at the big box store? Sure, and that's totally valid, but my seed catalog has 15, whee! Is it a weird color? An odd shape? Is it a rare variety with a storied history? I'm even more excited! This year I mostly ordered online, but even big box stores are getting more brands and varieties lately. Renee's Garden, Seeds of Change and Botanical Interests are the brands I most commonly buy in store.
As mentioned, though, this year was my first big online year. After a few purchases I can tell you my fast favorite is MIGardener. I found him by watching his gardening videos but quickly discovered his online store. His company has amazing variety and most of his seeds are one dollar a package. Yep. One dollar. I also bought a good amount of Baker Creek this year. If you want to get your feet wet, or just like oogling, there are many companies that will send a free catalog to your house (Burpee, Baker Creek, Johnny's Select Seeds, Seed Savers just to name a few.) Prepare to lose large chunks of your life to those glossy pages.
Personally, I find heirlooms particularly interesting because of the histories behind them (nerd). A lot of these plants fell out of favor as longevity and ability to ship to grocery stores became the dominant favored traits. For a home garden, though, heirlooms are perfect. You can get amazing flavors, cool colors and a little piece of history.
The sheer variety available in seed is not only fun, it can really help you hone in on the right plant for your space. Every climate is different and creates unique challenges for growing. Hot, wet summers? Mildews may be a bigger problem for you than somewhere drier. Which garden pests are local to your area? Deer? Beetles? There may already be a perfect variety waiting for you!
Living in Southern California means my summers are hot and long. Oh so long. Summer rain is an uncommon occurrence, and our heat doesn't quit until the end of October or even November. We've even been known to have a heat wave in December, usually accompanied by intense local winds. Many catalog seeds will let you know if a plant is a drought or heat tolerant variety. They will tell you if it's disease resistant or pest resistant,too which is endlessly useful. Despite how interesting or fun I find a variety, when choosing seeds a drought tolerant variety is going to win hands down. Pretty is great, alive is better.
The final reason I wanted to start from seed is cost efficiency. For three dollars I get a shot at twenty or more plants instead of just one. As with anything in life, the cost lies elsewhere, in time and labor. Starting from seed is more time consuming. You generally need to get an earlier start. More effort is put into growing and caring for the plant before it gets to that ready to transplant state. If you have the time, though, it's worth it. Another benefit is that you can plant backups, so if your plants fail there's more. If even those fail (ask me about my cucumbers) you can try again (and again and again.) Bought seedlings are one and done. Great to get a head start, convenient, but devastating to lose if it was your only one, and more expensive to lose.
Variety, exacting garden selection and cost efficiency, that in a nutshell (hah seeds) is why I decided to start primarily from seed. I did have exceptions, of course. Primarily for those things I saw and just had to have (life of a plant addict.) Overall though, I've stuck to seed, which in and of itself poses a serious collection risk. It has been a fun journey! In the next post I will get into the actual experience of sowing those seeds and what I learned, from planting to transplant and in some cases harvest.
Thanks for hanging out with me!
See you in part two, keep growing!
~ Bethany
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