Tips for navigating January’s garden catalogs

Kelley Walker, an East Brainerd gardener and Hamilton County Master Gardener, is feeling the pressure this spring.

Besides the usual cold-weather itch to dig, her garden was chosen for the Chattanooga Area Food Bank Garden Tour at the end of May.

“My coffee table’s piled with all my gardening catalogs and books,” Mrs. Walker said. “I’m trying to make a plan.”

Catalogs can drive gardeners to delight or drive them crazy.

Every January, the mailbox bursts with juicy publications.

Temptation, temptation, temptation.

To help you find your way through the pile, here are some expert suggestions.

n Check for reliability.

“Be sure to order from a reputable company,” Mrs. Walker said. Ask your friends for suggestions, examine the company’s history, look up an online rating, if available (try Amazon.com or eBay.com, for example).

n Compare prices.

Once you’ve found something you like, search online for best prices (don’t forget to include shipping). Be sure to call local nurseries before you buy. You may find what you’re looking for close to home. As a bonus, a locally available plant may have been grown here, so you can avoid shipping stress.

n Share an order.

“You get way too many seeds in one packet,” said Jane Silver, a Brainerd resident and Hamilton County Master Gardener.

Each spring, Mrs. Silver pools her catalog orders with two or three friends to reduce costs and increase her variety. On your own this year? Order and grow a few extras, then try a swap later on, Mrs. Walker suggested.

n Check for coupons.

If you look closely, you may find coupons or deadline discounts tucked into your catalog.

Many companies also routinely send free seed packets with each order. Thompson & Morgan (www.tmseeds.com), for example, lists free seeds with every order. Often, if you order early, they give cash discounts too, Mrs. Silver said.

Jackson & Perkins

Chattanooga’s local nurseries stock a full supply of bareroot and container roses in hundreds of varieties, from hybrid teas to sturdy Knock Out shrub roses. If you’re still not satisfied, Jackson & Perkins is among several companies sending out catalogs each spring. For referrals, consult rosarians of the Tri-State Rose Society of Chattanooga, www.chattanoogarose.org, 332-6979.

Burpee

There are several seed companies that “do it all,” including Burpee, Johnny’s and Park Seeds. Burpee’s catalog fills 136 pages with a full selection of new seeds, such as the Sweet Seedless hybrid tomato ($4.95 for 10 seeds), the Twice as Nice hybrid melon ($4.95 for 15 seeds) and the yellow and cherry-red Kurume Corona celosia ($3.75 for 15 seeds). Budget-conscious gardeners might try the classic Red Velvet celosia ($3.75 for 200 seeds), Early Girl tomato ($2.95 for 30 seeds) or Hale’s Big Jumbo heirloom melon ($2.95 for 30 seeds). Note: Many local nurseries and garden centers stock a selection of Burpee seeds. Check with them before ordering.

Seed Savers Exchange

Decades ago, Seed Savers Exchange began organizing “seed swaps” between gardeners who had passed along old varieties for generations. Today, the nonprofit also offers a wide range of heirloom seeds for retail sale. Try Amish cockscomb celosia ($2.75 for 250 seeds), Cherokee Purple tomato ($2.75 for 50 seeds) and Jenny Lind melon ($2.75 for 25 seeds).

The Cook’s Garden

Specialty companies such as The Cook’s Garden or Renee’s Seeds can be your ticket to fascinating food. Cook’s offers four kinds of spinach and 10 types of specialty salad greens. Offers also include Big Mama paste tomato ($4.45 for 30 seeds), Spanish Moon melon ($1.75 for 30 seeds) and Punky Red celosia ($1.95 for one packet, number of seeds not listed).

Niche Gardens

Includes unusual plants that thrive in the Southeast’s heat and humidity, with a liberal listing of natives. Catalogs like Niche Gardens’ fill the needs of serious ornamental gardeners, with new hybrid heucheras Mocha, Citronelle and Caramel, along with rarely seen new Louisiana iris hybrids and epimedium groundcovers comfortable in dry shade. Prices range from $7 for a wide range of perennials to $25 for the rare native silky camellia.

— Compiled by Kathy Gilbert