This page contains various links web resources I find useful enough that I return to them regularly. Also, a list of links to other gardeners' websites. The list is just a short list - for a much more extensive directory of gardening resources on the web, visit the Open Directory Project's Gardening category, which features thousands of links to useful, informational, and commercial gardening topics. A separate page lists some of our favorite local nurseries. Seed-starting informationTom Clothier's Garden Walk and TalkAs far as I'm concerned, the quick-reference bible for germination information. Includes germination instructions for thousands of plant species, as well as an index to Norman Deno's book and supplements. The Seed SiteA very nice website of encyclopedic proportions, with not only a wealth of germination information, but also pictures of seed pods, seeds, and seedlings. This one's worth getting familiar with! Thompson and Morgan's seed raising guideNot nearly as comprehensive as Clothier's database, this guide (now carried at backyardgardener.com) has some useful bits on germinating tropicals, and a limited germination database (listings only by genus, not by species). GardenwebA lively garden-centric site full of forums on all garden topics imaginable, with lots of friendly experts and mostly on-topic discussions. In the context of seedstarting, check out the growing from seed, wintersowing, and seed saving forums and the seed exchange. Wintersowing - the practice of sowing in wintertime into containers for germination outside - has grown especially popular among the Gardenweb community. If you're interested in this, the wintersowing FAQ is a good place to start. Seedstarting suppliesPinetree seedsOur favorite general-purpose seed source. Lots of vegetables, and a good number of annuals too, all in no-nonsense packaging and amounts, at no-nonsense prices. You won't find the latest fancy hybrid at you saw for $4.99 at Thompson and Morgan here, but they offer many of the standbys at reasonable prices. We get all our veggie seeds here, and also Neptune's Harvest fish-based fertilizer. J.L. Hudson seedsAn oddball among seed companies. An amazing number and variety of seeds in a small black-and-white catalog with no photos. Interesting details in plant descriptions, often referring to native uses. Botano-political commentary in the front and back. Most seed packets are $1.50. Also a source for Gibberellic Acid GA-3. NovoselA mail-order source for cellpacks, pots, trays and other plastic products. Their online catalog is not very large, but they've been very helpful in getting me some different products that they didn't list, in response to an e-mail request. I recommend them for their personalized service. Reasonable prices, too. PlantsI prefer to get my plants from local sources - see my local nurseries page. But sometimes you just can't get what you want locally. Mail-order companies I've tried and have been pleased with include:Bluestone PerennialsA good source for garden standbys - common perennials and shrubs, with a good number of new selections every year. Most of the selections come in three-packs, which contain fairly small plants, at a good price. For this reason, I prefer to order from Bluestone in spring - when I've ordered in Fall, I've lost plants because they simply weren't robust enough yet to get established in my garden before winter. I always order when they have their buy-two-get-one-free deal. Amazingly, they let you take the most expensive of the three as the free one! Forest FarmAn almost encyclopedic source of woody plants (mostly shrubs and trees). They offer so many different selections that their no-frills/no-color-photos catalog is a bound book. They are in Oregon, and shipping costs can get high. Best to order the specimens as "tubes" (just a little soil around the roots) rather than pots. They once sent me a supposedly male holly bush that proceeded to grow berries, but gave me a credit when I complained. Collector's nurseryI only ordered from this company once, but I like their selection of out of the ordinary perennials. I found them while looking for variegated horseradish, and got a healthy plant from them. Take a look at their website and see for yourself. Miscellaneous garden suppliesPaw Paw everlast labelThe best source I've found for permanent metal plant markers. They offer a good variety of styles and sizes, for reasonable prices. The zinc-plated writing surface can be marked with a black crayon or a permanent marker. See my markers page for more details and other approaches. General gardeningGardenwebI already mentioned Gardenweb above, in the seed-starting section. But they are about lots more than just that. Check out their wide variety of forums - two of my favorites are perennials and name that plant. I Can GardenAnother gardeners resource and community, this one based in Canada, with regular articles, a Kidz Korner, well-organized information and LOTS of links to all manner of garden web resources. Gardens around the worldThis is just a random collection of garden websites I know about - some belong to friends, others are sites I came across while Googling around. For a much longer list, visit the Personal Gardens category of the Open Directory Project. HayefieldGarden author and fellow plant geek Nancy Ondra blogs about her garden just a short drive south of ours. Several plants in our garden originated in Nan's (either as seed or as divisions) - and if you count inspiration (derived from a visit last year), we owe even more to her sunny paradise. The blog is full of life, highlighting interesting plants — and occasionally alpacas. Greta and Gerald in BelgiumGreta is another prolific trade partner. Her small web site is home to an extensive seed trade list and a plant list with many photos. Elizabeth in IrelandA website I just happened upon, a nice example of one that's developed over the years, with photos of Elizabeth's garden in years past, as well as pages devoted to her favorite categories of plants. Good for a leisurely browse. Jan and Mieke in BelgiumBilingual website for a flower-filled garden near Ghent in Belgium. A list of the plants and bulbs growing in the garden, with many photos. I also like the page showing combinations of different plants in bloom. Link for English version at the bottom of the homepage. Blom & Planten - René in the NetherlandsDutch-only website for a garden in the Southern Netherlands. Like myself, René is a real collector, and he spends more time documenting his plants than his gardens. Nice hellebore photo gallery.
Last modified:
November 30, 2019 |
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