Ready, Set, Sow

Ready, Set, Sow - Dara & Co. - March 2011 - Minnesota

The arrival of my seed order last week was comparable to Christmas at our house this year. My excitement was extreme, so much so that I could barely open the package. With my hands shaking in anticipation, I carefully sifted through the packets, daydreaming about a bumper crop of dill and green beans.

Last spring, on the Dara & Co blog, I covered the basics of sowing heirloom seeds, why they’re important, and where to obtain them. I still stand by what I said a year ago. Aside from the charm, the world of heirloom growing is still fascinating. It's exciting to be growing flowers, vegetables, and herbs that contribute to biodiversity.

Perhaps one of my most interesting “finds” this spring is the Monticello Kitchen Garden Sampler—White House Edition seed collection. Inspired by the new Thomas Jefferson garden at the White House, this seed sampler gives you a chance to plant seeds that are growing in the White House garden, and were among Jefferson’s favorites from his original kitchen garden, including: Tennis-ball Lettuce, Prickly-seeded Spinach, Red Calico Lima Beans, Sesame, Globe Artichoke, and Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage.

Ordering heirloom seeds online from Monticello or Seed Savers is a breeze these days, but perhaps you’d like to support a local business or talk shop with other local gardeners. There are several shops throughout Minnesota that are seed rack locations for Seed Savers, a non-profit organization of gardeners dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds. Seed Savers’ seed packets available at local shops give you the basic information you need in order to plant and grow everything from rows of heirloom tomatoes to rainbows of snapdragons.

Check out this list of Seed Savers seed rack locations in Minnesota

Albert Lea Seed House 1414 West Main St. Albert Lea, MN 56007 Phone: (800) 352-5247 Cook Country Coop 20 East First St. PO Box 1433 Grand Marais, MN 55604 Phone: (218) 387-2503 Seward Coop 2823 E Franklin Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55406 Phone: (612) 338-2465 Moms Food Co-op 122 N Buchanan St. Cambridge, MN 55008 East Side Food Co-op 2551 Central Ave. NE Minneapolis, MN 55418 Phone: (612) 788-0950 Mississippi Market 1500 W. 7th St. St. Paul, MN 55102 Phone: (651) 690-0507 Bluff County Co-op 121 W. 2nd St. Winona, MN 55987 Phone: (507) 452-1815 Bob & Judy's Farm Market 18366 County Road 14 Big Lake, MN 55309 Phone: (763) 263-1171 Linden Hills Co-op 3815 Sunnyside Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55410 Phone: (612) 922-1159 Sailers Greenhouse 17011 Sunset Ave. Shakopee, MN 55379 Phone: (952) 403-0630 Mississippi Market 1810 Randolph Ave. Saint Paul, MN 55105 Mother Earth Gardens 3738 42nd Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55406 Phone: (612) 724-2296 Drummers Garden Center 281 Saint Andrews Dr. Mankato, MN 56001 Phone: (507)388-4877 Linders Garden Center 270 W. Larpenteur Ave. Saint Paul, MN 55113 Phone: (651) 488-1927 Hillside Greenhouse 1934 4th Ave. Windom, MN 56101 Phone: (507) 832-8300 Rainbow Food Coop 103 S. Main St. Blue Earth, MN 56013 Phone: (507) 526-3603

Abrahamson Nurseries 20021 St. Croix Trail N. Scandia, MN 55073 Phone: (651) 433-2431 Amelia's Flower & Garden Shoppe 910 W 36th St. Minneapolis, MN 55408 Phone: (612) 208-1205 Eggplant Urban Farm Supply 1771 Selby Ave. Saint Paul, MN 55104 Phone: (651) 645-0818 Greenwood Plants 6904 NW 18th Ave. Rochester, MN 55901 Phone: (507) 282-1988 Delano True Value 1005 Crossings Dr. Delano, MN 55328 Phone: (763) 972-7272 Natures Nest Farm 5412 Brighton Ave. SE Montrose, MN 55363 Phone: (612) 759-1478 Just Food Coop 516 S Water St. Northfield, MN 55057 Phone: (507) 645-7415 University of MN Lanscape Arboritum 3685 Arboretum Dr. Chaska, MN 55318 Phone: (952) 443-1403 Mazopiya 2571 Credit Union Dr. Prior Lake, MN 55372 Phone: (952)233-9142 Kingsley Mercantile 2 Main Ave. N. Harmony, MN 55939 Phone: (507)886-2323

Need a little information about how to sow your seeds once you have them? The University of Minnesota Extension Service has loads of information that will help you sow your seeds inside. Have some great tips for sowing seeds in a drafty Minnesota kitchen or living room? Please share!