While snow blankets the trees and the drifts are over a meter high, I’m starting to receive seed catalogs in the mail, a sure sign that spring is around the corner.

After I kick off my boots and throw my coat onto a kitchen chair, I begin to leaf through catalog pages. The saying “My eyes were bigger than my stomach” can ring true, although modified, when it comes to seeds. So many of the vegetables, herbs, and flowers tempt me to try them, but there’s no way I could plant and care for them all!

The pages fill me with anticipation of the season to come; the photography and descriptions are colorful and compelling. They are also a loud signal to kick my garden planning into full gear.

My big reads so far this season are the Whole Seed Catalog from Baker Creek, and the Prairie Moon Nursery Catalog. I’ve previously purchased seeds from each of these companies with good results, so I’m always excited to see their offerings.

The arrival of seed and flower catalogs serves as a catalyst for gardening preparations every year, without fail. I start thinking about how to get my garden beds in shape, (plans underway), and I wonder what seeds I will purchase and which seeds I can use from previous years, which is a topic for another post.

So enjoy catalog season; take time to anticipate the season of renewal!