It’s February and by now you will have received a number of seed catalogs. In fact not just a number, but for most of us far too many. So time for a clear out or is there a better way? According to Shannon McKee there are nine ways you can use this pile of colorful literature including, of course, ordering seeds. I found Shannon’s article over on Dave’s Garden website.
Are too many seed catalogs taking up a lot of room? Time to toss them, or is it?You are probably starting to get overloaded with seed catalogs from all the companies you?ve purchased from in the past, and companies hoping that you might want to purchase from them in the future. There are few things that you can use these seed catalogs for that you might not have thought of!
Research and Shopping
You might have your garden favorites that you plant every year, and purchase from the same seller year in and year out. These seed catalogs can open up a new world for your garden. You might see that there are some other varieties that you might like to try next year. Plus, there is the added bonus of getting to compare prices. Every seed companies have their own pricing for very similar plants, and it might be cost-effective to shop around. Plus, these catalogs often come with coupons for early ordering or making a minimum purchase that can be worth your while to try out.
Planning
You can also use the pictures of the plants you have purchased or want to purchase as part of a planogram for your garden. Planograms are used by retailers to determine where their stock is going to be located, and gardeners can certainly adopt this for their garden planning. This is best done with a nice-sized piece of cardboard and even some graph paper. Draw the outline of your garden, and create a size scale. Then, you can cut out the pictures and information from the catalog of the plants you want to order. The information on the individual plants can be used to determine spacing. This will allow you to plan out your garden for next year, so you don?t over order supplies. After you have finalized your plan, glue everything down to the cardboard for later reference on what goes where.
Stakes
Many seed catalogs have high-quality pictures of their offerings along with information on the plant from germination times to how many days it takes for the plant to mature. These are perfect for making gardening stakes to show what you have planted where. Attach the little blurb and picture to a wooden or metal stake, and you have a clear and easy guide to the plant that will grow. A little lamination can help protect it from the elements, and is relatively inexpensive from your local office supply store. You may be able to use these for several seasons depending on the materials used and how they weather your seasons.
