Seed catalogs

Hello!

Seed catalogs are arriving — making this a wonderful, if slightly nerve-wracking, time of year. They’re also a welcome diversion from the gloom of the January thaw we’re having.

There’s a lot to consider. Now is the time to commit to color palettes and bouquet recipes (yes, we really do call them “recipes”). Each choice has to grow well and in sync with our mountain climate: pollinator-friendly, drought-tolerant, non-invasive, and cold-hardy, since frosts linger late and arrive early here. And then there’s the business side of it: cost per seed, spacing, days to bloom, one-and-done vs. cut-and-come-again. And, argh, budgets!

Flower farming gurus warn of “shiny object syndrome”: overlooking steady performers in favor of the newest whirly-twirly tra-la-la zinnia or the latest must-have dahlia. Sound advice. Still, I’ll admit that last fall, when the new Floret zinnia seeds went on sale, I pulled over to the side of the road in Barbour County to place my order. I bagged four of my five choices and just got word they’ll be shipping later this month.

This is what delayed gratification looks and feels like when you’re a flower farmer. Those psychologists and the kids with the marshmallows have nothing on seed vendors.

Let there be flowers!