Gold-Plated Grow-Light

   Okay, not literally gold-plated.  I just experienced a wee bit of sticker shock this week when I ordered a replacement bulb for the Lee Valley Grow-Light Kit I received for Christmas in 2015. This grow-light has worked out really well, and I have relied on it for starting my transplants in the Spring.  The replacement bulbs are not listed for sale on the website, and instead have to be purchased through Lee Valley's Special Orders department.  In any case, a new 18" Sunblaster LED strip light is on the way!

   A few weeks ago, a dear friend shared some of her Maglia Rosa tomato seeds with me. She enclosed them in this lovely card, which I have kept where I can see it every day.

 

    Check out this detailed list of Canadian small seed businesses that includes vendors of seed potatoes, garlic, and berries, fruit trees and nut trees. The blogger did a great job putting this resource together!

Cool Links

Gardening 

Nice garden shed!

Food Not Lawns

Grow Food Not Lawns

Common Roots Urban Farm (Halifax, NS)

The Year Round Veggie Gardener

Herbs to Herbs


MyFolia -  track your garden's progress from seedlings to harvest.  Free site with optional paid features.  Upload photos, create a garden journal, connect with gardeners in your area, swap seeds, and research varieties of vegetables, flowers, & herbs of interest.

Guerrilla Gardening.Org

Heavy Petal - How to Make Seed Balls

A lane of dahlias

Sid's Dahlias - dahlia tubers from Nova Scotia


Seed Savers.org (American) - their online downloadable catalog is sheer eye candy.

42 Flowers You Can Eat




Seeds of Diversity (Canadian) - subscribe to their free email newsletter.  

(from their site)   "Seeds of Diversity is a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to the conservation, documentation and use of public-domain, non-hybrid plants of Canadian significance. Our 1400 members from coast to coast are gardeners, farmers, teachers, scientists, agricultural historians, researchers and seed vendors. Together we grow, propagate and distribute over 2900 varieties of vegetables, fruit, grains, flowers and herbs. We are a living gene bank.

Creeping Thyme

Members receive our 40-page magazine Seeds of Diversity twice a year, plus our annual Member Seed Directory which allows members to obtain samples of over 2900 varieties of seeds and plants offered by other members in exchange for return postage."

Seedy Saturdays (Canada) - a list of "Seedy Saturday" events.  Join one to exchange or purchase heirloom seeds, attend workshops, film presentations, picnics, etc.  Each one is a little different!

Tatiana's TOMATObase -  detailed directory of heirloom tomato varieties.  You can also purchase seeds through this site.

Tomatoville - the largest online community of tomato growers. 

Still want more on tomatoes?  Try Tomatopalooza and the blog of Craig LeHoullier's (aka NCTomatoMan), From The Vine.

A Bean Collector's Window - Pictures and descriptions of over 260 varieties of beans collected over the years by bean enthusiast, Russ Crow.

Seed Snatcher - assorted articles

Jeepers Creepers - "Down Low and Fun to Grow".  Durable perennial plants with a spreading habit that makes them ideal for use as a groundcover, lawn substitute, pathway or edging plant.

Square Foot Gardening - site and forum 

How to Grow Giant Sunflowers

Vegetables that will grow in shade 

Neem insect spray recipe 

Sharing Backyards - connecting people who want to garden with the available land in their area to do so.

Covered Greenhouse Garden tutorial 

How to Make a Homemade Olla ("Oh-yah") - clay pot irrigation for the garden

The Best Canadian Seed Companies -  "Harrowsmith's 35th annual guide to the best Canadian seed companies and specialty nurseries"

Safe Seed Resouce List -  From the Council for Responsible Genetics, a list of businesses offering GM-free seeds.  International.
 

Other

TreeHugger -  green living, technology, social, energy - great articles!

Fuzzibum in the snow

Spiritual Cinema -  inspiring films that rarely make it to the theatres. (Not religious)  Watch the short video to see what it's about.

Green Plant Stream - a unique site showcasing films with a focus on the environment, nature, agriculture, wildlife, etc.  You can stream the videos for a small fee or purchase the DVDs through this site.

Feline Diabetes Message Board - an invaluable resource if you have a diabetic cat.  Forum and main site

CBC - radio and podcasts  (My current favourites are Tapestry, Under the Influence, and Ideas)

Find A Spring - locate a freshwater spring in your area, or add to the database if you can!

The Rainbow Bridge - if you have lost a beloved pet...

True North Treasures -  featuring favourite Canadian products 

The World Needs More Love Letters - if you love good old fashioned "snail mail"...

IANDS - International Association for Near-Death Studies 

 

Where Do You Get Your Seeds?

Where do you buy seeds for your garden? What are your favourite seed companies?


I frequently buy my seeds online. I love heirloom seeds!  Some of my favorite Canadian sources are listed below.  Click on the names to visit the websites.




Heritage Harvest Seeds
....check out this article about Heritage Harvest Seeds. 





   
Salt Spring Seeds
....also check out this article about Salt Spring Seeds.

The Cottage Gardener
...and another article, this one about The Cottage Gardener!
 

Annapolis Seeds
...based in Nova Scotia.





 
I have had great experiences ordering from all of these companies. Heritage Harvest stands because they have always included a free packet of seeds with my orders and they have a fantastic variety of rare heirloom beans varieties. Salt Spring Seeds stands out because of their genuinely friendly customer service, the excellent selection of medicinal herbs, and a page devoted to 1/2 price seeds.


And for sprouting seeds, I love Mumm's Seeds in Saskatchewan!  (More about Mumm's Seeds HERE).
   
Brew a pot of tea, make yourself comfortable, and browse through Cyndi's Catalog of Garden Catalogs, an extensive directory of American & Canadian seed and gardening catalogs, organized by catagories such as heirlooms, grasses, tropical, supplies and tools, etc.  Enjoy!