Seed Starting (& Free Seed Catalogs)

January is When the Garden Dream Starts...

January is almost always too early to start seeds, especially up here in the North. The warmest areas of the south and out west can grow things all year long, but for the vast majority of the country, January is all about garden dreaming.

There’s a quote I came across years ago, and it comes to mind every year about this time:

“Anyone who thinks that gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year; for gardening begins in January with the dream.”

- Josephine Neuse

Tomatoes sprouting in own DIY Seed Starting Rack

If you’re anything like me, that early dream is just about the best part of the whole experience. (Maybe second only to that first bite into a homegrown strawberry.)

So, garden dreamers, what are you dreaming about this year?

I’m dreaming about an expanded herb garden, with a dozen or so new types of medicinal herbs added to our plantings. More hazelnut shrubs, and cold hardy peaches, and strawberries by the bucketload.

With dreaming comes planning, and often that means planning seed starting if you hope to make use of all those new garden seeds you’re hoarding from that stack of seed catalogs you have spread out all over your bed like a second quilt.

Seed Starting and Garden Planning

Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just planting your first few balcony containers in the city, I’ve got you covered.

• 90+ Free Seed Catalogs (& Nursery Catalogs Too!)

• Seed Starting for Beginners

• When to Start Seeds Indoors

• DIY Grow Lights for Seed Starting

• How to Stratify Seeds for Planting

• Choosing a Survival Seed Bank

• The Best Garden Seed Organizer

Our DIY Seed Organizer keeps everything neat and tidy, even if I am unquestionably a seed hoarder. Hundreds of packets, all neatly sorted and tucked into a tiny box.

Things You Might Need This Week

• How to Make Soap - The cold season is the perfect time to learn a new craft, and soapmaking in winter can provide you enough natural homemade soap to last all year long.

• How to Use a Wood Cookstove - January was built for wood cook stoves, where you can cook your meals and heat your house at the same time.

• 70+ Uses for Wood Ash - Historically, this was a resource, not a waste product.

Seasonal Preserving

I know mid-winter might not seem like the best time for preserving, but it’s when I put up meat, beans and meal in a jar recipes for my canning pantry.

• 50+ Meal in a Jar Canning Recipes

• Canning Dry Beans (for Quick Meals Later)

• Canning Meat: Beginner’s Guide with 30+ Recipes

This newsletter may contain affiliate links.

Things I’m Loving

• Earthbeat Seeds ~ A small medicinal herb seed supplier based right here in Vermont.  She has many hard-to-find medicinal herb seeds, including things like Jewelweed and Marshmallows.  This is also the best place to buy Ramp Seeds (wild leeks), as she’s all about sustainable harvesting and natural practices.

• High Mowing Organic Seeds ~ One of the few sources for 100% organic seeds and growing supplies anywhere.  They only sell organic seed, and they’re right here in Vermont.

• All-American Pressure Canner ~ These are by far the best pressure canners on the market. We do a lot of pressure canning, and I actually have three of these beasts on hand. They’re worth every penny, especially mid-winter when canning meals in a jar ahead of time will really save you during the busy summer season.

What are you harvesting, preserving, building, or exploring on your homestead this week? I’d love to hear about it!

Leave me a note in the comments…

(Comments only, please. Emails tend to get lost in my inbox, and as much as I’d love to get back to each and every one, my screen time is very limited…and things fall through the cracks, and emails get buried in my inbox. If you comment here, they’re all in one place, and it’s much easier to get back to every single one.)

Until Next Time,

Ashley at Practical Self Reliance