References - Gardening Supplies

(This page used to be called "References - Seed Sources" but it has a lot more than just that in it, hence the new name.)

There are a whole lot of places out there to buy seeds and other gardening supplies, and quite a few really good ones. For me, I use these criteria to decide which companies to buy from:

• Locality -
  I prefer to spend my money at local stores if I can, (a) so my money stays in Austin as much as possible, and (b) because I can meet and get to know the people I'm buying from.
• Committment to organic -
  I look for companies that are committed to selling organic seeds, trees, and other products. Why? Organic food, raised without poisons, is healthier for you & your land and it just plain tastes better. I don't use poison on the crops I grow; why should I grow them from seeds that have been exposed to poisons?
• Heriloom seeds -
  Heriloom seeds are seeds that haven't been "terminated" - that is, if you grow a plant from an heriloom seed, then save the seeds from what you grow this year to plant next year, you'll get food. The major commercial seed companies have deliberately programmed their seeds to bear fruit that itself has sterile seeds; it's a way to force you to go back to them for your seeds every year.

So, given that, here are two lists of places where I buy my garden supplies, a list of places local to Austin and a list of mail-order sources:

1. Local garden suppliers:
   • The Natural Gardener:
     For my money, this is the best garden shop in Austin. It's run by John Dromgoole, who has a weekend radio show in which he answers listeners' questions about all things planted. It's fairly far out southwest from central Austin, in Oak Hill, but if you need something, they have it. They also have a weekly e-mailing list of interest to Austin farmers and gardeners. Their "Lady Bug" brand of compost, fertilizer, etc., is one of the most respected brands going.
     
     Even if you never visit the store itself, their web site is full of useful and helpful information. For example, their page of favorite web sites is a treasure trove of organic gardening information.
     
     
   • The Great Outdoors:
     This garden shop is nearly as extensive as The Natural Gardener, just as commmitted to quality, and right in south Austin - on South Congress across from St. Edward's.
     
     
   • Callahan's General Store:
     One of my main rules about gardening supplies - and, really, supplies in general - is "Callahan's has it." Organic isn't their forté, to say the least; but for just about anything you can think of in the way of tools and supplies, it's probably in stock there. Besides, as its name says, it's a full-line general store: even if you don't need to buy anything, it's a generally (grin) great place to wander around in.
   
   
2. Mail-order seed suppliers (nearly all of whom have paper catalogs they'll send you at no cost):
   • Seed Savers Exchange - Not only are these people dedicated to organic and heirloom seeds, but they're also dedicated to preserving the world's (and America's) seed biodiversity. Anyone can order from a limited selection of seeds via the on-line catalog, but for a $40/year membership, you can get access to over 13,000 more varieties of seeds, and get a quarterly magazine dedicated to seed biodiversity. The Natural Gardener and Wheatsville Co-op in Austin sell their seeds.
     
     They used to put instructions on the backs of their envelopes on how to save the seeds from the plants whose seeds were in the envelope. They've changed that: there's a Planting & Seed Saving Instructions page on their web site; select the plant you're interested in from the left drop-down menu and click "Go". Why instructions? Well, for some crops, like winter squash, seed saving is easy; for others, like cauliflower, you shouldn't even try without instructions.
     
     
   • Botanical Interests - They have a wide varitey of organic and heirloom seeds. I especially like planting (and eating) their canteloupes and "Contender" bush-style green beans.
     
     
   • Bountiful Gardens - These folks are committed to "heriloom, untreated, open-pollinated varieties for sustainable agriculture." They also have "Contender" bush beans, but mainly I plant their Anasazi (native American) dry beans, their sweet bantam corn, and their "Sugar Baby" watermelons.
     
     
   • Johnny's Seeds - This is the only place I know of to get my favorite kind of summer squash, Zephyr. I also plant their "Tasty Jade" and "Suyo" Asian long cucumbers. (And if you haven't had an Asian long cucumber, you don't know what you're missing!)
     
     
   • Heriloom Seeds - This company sells heirloom vegetable, flower and herb seeds. All the varieties of seeds they sell are open pollinated (non-hybrid) and untreated. None of their seeds are genetically engineered.
     
     
   • Seeds of Change - This is one of the longest-established (since 1989) companies dedicated to "preserve biodiversity and promote sustainable, organic agriculture.
     
     
   • New Hope Seed Company - These people "work hard at researching and locating rarer open-pollinated and heirloom varieties of usable and historical merit." Sadly, one of the kinds of seeds they sell is tobacco, so I don't buy from them.
     
     
   • Womack Nursery - Located in DeLeon, Texas (southwest of Ft. Worth), this nursery is my choice for tree and vine seedlings that I can't get at The Natural Gardener or the Great Outdoors in Austin. Since they ship live seedlings, they require a minimum order of $60, and add a fairly sizeable - but reasonable - shipping charge.

Remember, just because I like a place, that doesn't mean you have to. For example, I've only listed local Austin garden shops that are south of the (Colorado) river, since I live south of the river. If you live in far northwest Austin - or if you don't live in Austin at all - you'll probably want to locate sources of your own.