Seed Companies We Use

January 8, 2023 Sarah

I was walking through The Home Depot yesterday and the first signs of Spring were showing up.

Yes, seed racks. You know how it is….Christmas blow ups are gone, and vast acreage is taken up with cardboard displays of seed packets. Bright and shiny, promising and full of hope. But remember this…in big box stores what you see are often owned by nearly always one company, even if you think there are choices in brands. The seed companies own the soil starting company, which owns pesticides and herbicides….it is a big business for sure. Be sure to do your quick homework and google “who owns….” when tempted.

But…don’t be tempted. You can often do better quality, choice and price if you order online (and some you can find in store, but at independent stores). Just get going on it soon, so you have them in time, and get the best choice. And you can support truly small agriculture of people who are doing this out of the love and preservation of seeds.

So who do we use? A wide variety of seed companies. Some are larger, others are most likely one person doing the work. I don’t buy from everyone, every year. Often it comes down to what they have to offer that year, and if they have enough I need/want to make the order worthwhile. For me, I am willing to even pay shipping for the truly unusual. These are all companies we have bought from and used.

This isn’t all the companies out there, and if you have a company you love, let me know! Especially those that are run by a seed geek who just wants to share their love of their favorite hard to find seed.

Baker Creek Seeds. They would be the gold star of all non corporate seed companies. Not everyone agrees with their mission, nor their religious views, but they are solid with what they sell. They ship fast, and the seeds grow.

Ed Hume Seeds. They are the OG of Washington seeds. What they sell is a mix of F1 and open pollinated seeds. They sell generous packets for real prices. No fancy markups. I met Ed himself a few years back and got to tour their production facility. It was like walking back in time. The seeds all grow well in the PNW.

The Strawberry Store. They sell strawberry seeds. And that is it. It’s a one of a kind company. Fast service. Heirloom alpine strawberries you have never heard of, but will grow year after year.

Strictly Medicinal Seeds. This is the first place for herb seeds. You will find seeds you had no idea existed. Having met the owner in person at multiple talks, Richo is a living legend.

Deep Harvest Seeds. A local to Whidbey Island, Wa farm. Their seeds are ones that grow on the islands well.

Johnny’s Seeds. Johnny’s is aimed at farms, small scale for sure, but not necessarily at home gardeners. During the Pandemic we were able to order because we are a farm, and we could order in large quantities. Not everyone agrees with F1 hybrids, but we use them. I believe in the 50/50 mix. Half is hybrid, half is heirloom open pollinated, that we grow.

Uprising Organics. They are Bellingham, Wa based, and family run. They carry many interesting seeds.

Territorial Seed. Based out of Oregon, they are family run. If your growing climate is a bit warmer, they are excellent. And they offer a lot of advice on growing as well.

Irish Eyes Garden Seeds. Run by a family on the Eastern crest of the Cascade Mountains, what they really excel in is potatoes and garlic, but offer so much more.

Renee’s Garden. I pick up a few packets yearly, to try new things.

High Mowing Seeds. They are based on the East Coast, but you never know what you will find!

Adaptive Seeds. Find the unusual.

Seattle Seeds. Yes, they are all urban growing. But it’s relatively local and they have cute gardening stuff.

Seed Savers Exchange. Find the interesting and support a good cause.

Botanical Interests. I love their seed displays, and find their seeds grow well.

Forgotten Heirlooms. I found them via an Instagram post a few years back. If you have wanted usual dwarf plants, this is where to go. I really enjoyed growing their dwarf tomatoes, and am planning on growing more this year.

~Sarah

Teach Them To Grow Food: But Then They Don’t

January 6, 2023 Sarah

Thoughts from the prepper/self-sufficient corner of my mind.

When I look back at the year that has passed by, one thing that really saddens me was the time I spent in trying to get others to be better prepared. I had good intentions for sure, and I had many hopes about it. Last year at this time I was on a high about it. We were going to change our area locally, I truly believed.

But let us slide back in time to explain it, and how it all went.

It was mid-2021 and people were very nervous about supply chains (which are even worse now) and inflation was just starting up. Our island has been a flaming dumpster fire since March of 2020, While other areas of the United States have no supply chain issues, our grocery stores are constantly barely stocked. Barren shelves are the norm for us, going into the 3rd year. Prices go up weekly. We are not average for sure.

Knowing many people who are similar in mind locally, a small group of us set out to help others grow food. Not by doing it for them, but rather educating them. All of us had experience in growing food, working in agriculture and other similar backgrounds.

As part of the group, I worked on monthly what to do lists, who to buy seeds from, and very detailed methods of when to plant, what to plant, and how much to plant. I hosted a well attended seed swap, with people excitedly chatting about their garden plans come spring and summer of 2022.

We had so many people say they wanted to grow food. They showed up. They took flyers, took seeds, and listened. They talked.

And then the majority did nothing.

I should not have been shocked though. I let my excitement get to me, and I wanted to believe that everyone would become (more) self-sufficient. That they would have the same level of drive as I and the other teachers do in planning and prepping. That they would take supply chains and inflation seriously. That they wanted to eat healthy, and have access to clean food.

Instead we got apathy and laziness.

For it was great to fantasize about, but in reality they “were too busy” to do it. They lost their excitement quickly.

I knew that partly this came out of the year we had in 2022. For what boded to be a good year, turned hard after Tonga the volcano blew in early 2022. It left us with a long winter, no spring and an early cold summer. Days were dark, with the UV Index low. It was just….darker than normal. It reminded me of when I was 7 and the winter after Mt. St. Helens blew upriver from us.

Tonga definitely had a hand in how hard it was to grow food last year. It was a very trying year, but I learned new ways and methods – and shared them. Like how to deal when you can’t plant your tomatoes till mid June outside!

I was in some ways very sad because I had opened up what I do to people – and they saw how we did our work. Coming from a prepper background this left me nervous in ways. The people who didn’t want to do the work, they knew where food was growing. But I also realized that in the end, that was OK, as we have run our farm/homestead rather openly.

But there was a light in it all. A few stuck with it. And those people really stuck to it. They worked hard. So very hard. They asked questions, looked for advice, and worked daily on it. And it wasn’t the people you expected it to be either. One was a retiree who uses a walker. Who only has a small patio to grow on. Yet, they grew food on it! They cared enough and had the drive to do it.

This year even the library system got into promoting homesteading and gardening. Someone pays attention at the end of the day.

This year we started again, but I have to admit I am very jaded over it. It’s hard to give energy to people who take, but then squander that energy. For I know my energy is better given to my land, to my crops, to my animals.

But then….my fortune cookie told me I should. I found it interesting how dialed in that advice was.

But I will continue to teach, because maybe 1 or 2 will listen, they will learn. And maybe will become better in it! And maybe 1 of them will join the teachers, and find their 1 person to teach.

Because as disappointing as it was, I won’t give up.

Because this is my motto. It is what I live by.

Seeds are everything. They hold your future. Treasure them. Grow them.

~Sarah

Gardening · Homesteading

December On The Homestead

January 4, 2023 Sarah

The theme for December 2022 was “cold”. I am not complaining though. Cold is good, and it helps the land reset itself for the spring. You need cold hours for fruit trees and to kill of insects, especially those that are not native.

But the one thing I really noted this year was how dark it was. Yes, December is always dark-ish, since we have less than 8 and a half hours of daylight hours, but this year it just seemed so much darker. I feel the after affects of Tonga’s volcanic explosion continue to affect us, even nearly a year out. The UV Index is low nearly every day, so on the rare blue sky day, no matter how cold, I make myself go outside and get Vitamin D exposure. It really helps with your mood for sure.

The other thing is low egg production. It’s just so much lower than usual. I asked it as a crowd source question on multiple Facebook pages, and the answer is? That all the hens are producing far less than normal in the PNW. I am not imagining this slow down. The hens feel the darkness as well. Even those using supplemental lighting are seeing less eggs.

For that reason alone I will be happy to see the light return in January and February.

On a sunny day I got out to check some plants I put in the ground in fall, to see how they are faring. They are not protected at all. Just an experiment of mine. Here is a test with Green Onions (Scallions) of two ages, from summer and from fall plantings. They have dealt with the freezing quite well. I’ll probably cut the summer ones back end of winter and let them regrow to be fresh.

Another experiment, to see if it makes the winter. Spinach. If all does well, it will start growing in early spring.

With a couple days of sun, the Rhubarb decided to suddenly grow, then the chickens attacked it for fresh food. They love Rhubarb leaves.

Knowing cold weather was predicted, I covered the plants in the greenhouse with frost fabric to give it an extra boost. I am overwintering a number of our alpine strawberry plants. As an experiment of course.

We got snow in two separate storms in December. The first snow was just a dusting of icy pellets.

Winter Solstice came, and gave us the shortest day.

And more snow came.

For the island, in the Olympic Rainshadow, 6″ is a good snowfall.

It stuck around for far too long, as behind it came freezing temperatures for days. Finally it melted and the rains came. With more wind storms. Still, I prefer rain to snow any day.

It was a quiet month. Not much to do besides feeding the chickens.

Spring will be here before we know it, and the work will start.

~Sarah

Gardening · Homesteading · Urban Homesteading

January Garden Tasks & What Seeds To Plant

December 29, 2022 Sarah

December slips by fast with the holidays keeping every one busy, and once you see January looming, you know it is time to start planning. And for me, come January, I am HAPPY to get outside. The light is returning after the Winter Solstice in December and often we get stretches of sunny days in this month. I was looking at the daily markers for daylight today and we have jumped 2 minutes already. Doesn’t see like much, but in a few weeks time we will be gaining light by 3 minutes a day. Last light today is 5:01 pm. Soon, the sunset will be at 5 pm once again.

Overall, I don’t plant much in January, my push is come February, but there are a few below that can be started this month and through February. Consider January a month to plan. This is the month to get organized, to start doodling plans, and to order seeds if you haven’t yet.

We live in grow zone 8b, which much of Island County, Washington is in. We are overall temperate, with normally wet winters, but not a lot of snow or freezing days (we get frosts, but rarely get deep freezes) with sunny days sprinkled through to dry out. This advice can apply to those in Zone 7 through 8 in the United States though, if you are in a zone 7, just plant a week or two later.

Garden tasks to get done this month:

Start a year’s garden journal. Every time you plant or do a chore, note it. Mark down the weather, things that you notice. Failures and wins.
Figure out what you want to grow in the coming year, and purchase seeds. Now is your chance to get the best (and freshest) selections. Daydream often.
Plan your garden layout for the year. Go walk outside, take photos, make sketches, even measure if need be. Work it out on paper, or online, using a program (there are a number of free ones, I prefer paper myself).
Clean up your garden work storage space – whether it is a shed, garage or a greenhouse.
Sharpen, and clean tools. Things get dirty in storage, and rust can set in. This gives you time to purchase new tools if needed, if something is broke, or repair items.
Clean your pots. Buy more if needed.
Purchase seed starting soil.
Asses if you need to purchase fertilizer.
Clean up tree debris, such as fallen branches and pinecones.
Assess fruit and nut trees for minor pruning, if needed.
If the ground isn’t frozen, plant bare root trees and shrubs that are just starting to show up in stores. Bare root items tend to show up in late January to February in nurseries and stores. Buy early, before the items sit in hot stores. You don’t want them to be opening up leaves this early!
Plant asparagus bare roots if they are out for sale.
If using raised beds for crops, start making them. If existing, turn the soil over and remove weeds. Add more soil if needed. Do it while it is cold – it’s easier to work in the cold.
If planning on in ground gardening, consider getting it ready – cover with cardboard to smother weeds, or get garden tarps down. Working in amendments can be tricky this early due to heavy rains in the PNW. But start smothering weeds now.
If you have ignored your compost bin, work on it. At minimum, start turning it weekly. Add in leaves if you have them. If you have animals, work in their manure and any wood chips. Do it now, and you will have compost come late spring once it warms up.
Do soil samples to see if you need to add amendments to the soil later on.
Build a cold frame.

What seeds to start in the greenhouse/indoors this month:

Below are seeds you can start in late January to February, which are either colder-weather crops, or need a longer start time – especially crops with a grow times of 80 and up days, in shorter grow time zones. The dates are not set in stone, it is a guide of what week may be most preferable to get them started. Needless to say, the start of February is a good time to have seeds on hand, potting soil and small pots – and a sunny window, greenhouse or grow light system on hand. And if you start them later? It’s OK for many crops. And for temperamental ones like broccoli, you always can grow those as a fall crop, where they often fare better than in spring, if you miss the window, or late winter is too warm and they bolt to seed.

I don’t plant outside this time of year due to the seasonal rains. The seeds just don’t do well and tend to rot. But being able to start some of the seeds inside gives you that rush of feeling that spring is almost here. As you can see, the list is short. It’s primarily early greens and things that very long seasons – strawberry and onion are two examples.

In most cases you want to plant seeds 6 weeks before last frost – which here can be last week of February to first week of March. But some plants do need a lot longer time (alpine strawberry seeds can take 14 weeks to germinate!).

Artichokes

Asparagus

Celery

Eggplant

Leeks:

Indoors end of January/early February.

Lettuce:

Seed first crop in January, and continue to seed starts every 2 weeks on. Romaine is most durable.

Onions, from seed:

January to March for large onions (such as Walla Walla/White/Yellow/Red) to end of February for bunching onions (green onions/scallions).

Peppers:

Keep inside a greenhouse until last frost has passed. For both sweet bell and hot types.

Rhubarb, from seed:

January to February. Keep in greenhouse until after last frost has passed.

Spinach:

Seed every 2 weeks until middle of Spring, as it will bolt once it warms up.

Strawberry, Alpine:

January to February.

Tomatoes:

Long season varieties should be planted in January (large heirloom/darker colors).

Flowers:

If you want early flowers in late spring into early summer, plant in January.

~Sarah

Gardening

Eat Local, Truly

December 14, 2022 Sarah

Last month I perused the native plant bare root offerings from our county’s Conservation District online. Every fall they offer a variety of bare root starts that they deliver in late winter for pickup, usually in February, to get into the ground before spring arrives. It got me to thinking as I was deciding what to order – what around me has been growing for hundreds, if not thousands, of years on our island? What is considered native, or rather indigenous? And beyond that, on the main land the number of items growing goes up quickly. There is a lot there we could be growing. Plants that are more adapted to deer, to birds, to insects. That will come back yearly with often no help from humans.

It is an area where we are trying to work on growing more plants that grow here naturally, but are also a reliable source of food. Ones that once planted, you can walk away from, and they will grow without the need of humans. For creating a food forest that welcomes animals and humans both. These plants don’t need fancy soil.

Now having said that, not all are going to taste “good” to modern tastebuds. Many berries won’t be sweet like a grocery store massive strawberry is. The indigenous people that first walked the land and harvested, they used the berries often with other ingredients. Some are ripe and sweet, others will taste tart no matter how long they are on the plant.

While I would tell you to go into the wilds and learn to recognize plants/berries, in this case I am encouraging you to buy plants and start them on your land, be in the ground, or large pots. Buy plants from ethical growers. Those who grow plants from existing plants, not going into parks and digging up plants, then reselling them to the public. But not only that, but you know you are buying the right plant.

The list goes from sea level to the start of alpine tundra in the mountains of Washington State. In general most of the plants will grow overall, but with some limitations of course. Some plants do need enough cold hours to reset every winter, or the opposite is cacti won’t grow where it rains 9 months of the year. We live in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, so we get less rain – a lot less – than Seattle does, and cacti actually grows wild in one area of the island we call home. It’s always neat to see it thriving, right next to wild Nootka Rose bushes and Snowberry.

The one caveat is not every plant will transplant well. Most will grow well, but you might find your land isn’t right for Evergreen Huckleberry (which grows like a weed on our land) and plants such as Red Huckleberry are very finicky and often die. For the finicky plants, you will need to make sure their new home mimics how it would be in the wild (an example is Red Huckleberry often grows out of rotting evergreen trees, so you will need to add in bark and make it acidic enough).

A food forest may be messy in appearance, but it reduces watering needed, it provides shelter to birds and small animals, promotes native bees. It can be hard to let go of the traditional “garden” look, but it is worth trying. Start a small corner this coming spring, and then continue on. Or, if you live on acreage, take a section of forest (should you have that), and then cultivate an area on the edge of the trees. Recreate how it would be in the wild.

My other advice is to read up on big plants gets – growing native Blackberries takes up a lot of space, as do Black Caps (which must be grown carefully, as the spines are sharp). Not all native edibles are pretty looking (Devils Club) and many are messy (Thimbleberry, Salmonberry).

You don’t have to grow all of these. But try a few. And see how they do. You might just be surprised.

Berries Native To Washington State:

Alpine Wild Strawberry
Beach Strawberries
Bearberry (Kinnikinnick)
Black Cap (Black Raspberries)
Black Currant
Blackberry
Bunchberry
Chockecherry
Cloudberry
Cranberry
Elderberry
Evergreen Huckleberry (Found lower in elevation, all the way to sea level) (Prefers poor soil/dry, near acidic evergreen trees)
Golden Currant
Gooseberry
Madrona (red berries) (needs dry/rocky soil, prefers being near acidic evergreen trees))
Manzanita
Mountain Blueberry (low bush)
Mountain Blueberry/Huckleberry (Also known as Bilberry)
Mountain Black Huckleberry (Found by streams)
Mullberry
Oregon Grape Berries (Grows well with Salal)
Pacific Crabapple
Prickly Pear Cactus (in dry areas)
Red Currant
Red Huckleberry (very picky, needs to be near acidic evergreens)
Salal Berries (Grows well with Evergreen Huckleberry)
Salmon Berry (Grows well in wetter areas, near evergreen trees)
Saskatoon Berry (Juneberry/Service Berry)
Sumac
Thimble Berry (Grows in wetter areas)

Non Berry Edible Native Plants To Washington State:

Asparagus
Bear Grass (Grows best at altitude, not at sea level)
Bitter Cress
Blue Camas (proper identification is very important) (needs a meadow area to grow)
Cattail (wetter areas)
Chickweed
Chicory
Clover
Dandelion
Devils Club (wetter areas)
Dock
Fireweed
Goldenrod
Lamb’s Quarter
Miner’s Lettuce
Mountain Sorrel
Mustard
Rosehips (for making tea)
Stinging Nettles
Watercress
Wild Mint
Wild Rose (petals)

~Sarah