Oh wow!

You mean there ARE some people who manage to avoid seed temptation for months at a time?
And only buy seeds at ceertain times of the year?!?

How do they DO that!?!



For me it's a constant struggle against temptation. Online seed vendor websites are bad enough, but the Baker Creek paper catalog is especially heinous because of the many big, beautiful pictures.

Then there are sales, and "free shipping offers" ... are these guys pushers, or am I just an addict?

For a while, seed trading helped me resist buying seeds, but that has mutated into an excuse for buying bigger packets ("what a BARGAIN!!") and more variety.

For a while, filling "both" tubs that I store seeds in slowed me down, but then I filled a whole big box with 8 tubs and went Hog Wild again. Then I found a bigger box.

But I think instead that a SECOND box is a better idea: then I can stack them to the ceiling if need be.

Then I told myself that "all my beds are already full, many with perennials, so I don't NEED any more seeds".

Yeah, right, tell that to the juniper bushes I just ripped out so I could add two more sunny new beds to the new one in the shade that I was already working on.

These people who only buy seeds once per year - how do they do it?

Is there a 12-Step Program of some kind for Seed Heads?


And how do you convince yourself that you have a problem (other than not enough room in beds for everything you wnat to grow)?

Let me know if you find that 12-step program, RIck! Those gorgeous photos just suck me in, every time. Then of course, I read about new plants here on ATP, and find even more that I "must have"

I'm always on the lookout for seeds and purchase a bunch at the end of the season, since I start seeds really early for my zone. I find it easier than trying to beat the "spring rush".

"Must have" ... I know the feeling.

One USENET newsgroup explained it to me. They were into knives (making,. sharpening, collecting etc) but the smae uidea applies to seeds and plants.

"It's not about NEEDING more seeds / plants / knives.
It's about being DELIGHTED by more seeds / plants /knives."

The short form was: "It's not about need, it's about delight".

My first problem would be admiting that I have a problem. The only part of it I would wnat to chnage is having more room and time to grow them out!

Maybe I should keep records of costs, and just give myself a budget. But if I stopped buying from commercial sources, I'd be flooding the post office with trade mailers. I keep expecting a clerk at Wal-Mart toget suspicious about all those little Ziplocs that I buy.

I'll admit to being an inveterate seed collector.
From my own yard, from swaps, from catalogues, from stores and on line -it happens all year.
And I am not the least bit ashamed of it!

I kill seeds, so I have stopped buying them. I have plenty of room, though, because I can't afford to fill it all with nursery plants. Those of you will more plants than space are more than welcome to plant them here!

Marilyn, if I were closer to you I'd be happy to do so. Not sure how plants that do well in central IN would do in Texas, though!

I like the thought of it not being about need, but being about delight. Very well said.

What I like about growing from seed is that challenge... I really like being able to use what I've learned to perfect my techniques and successfully grow many types of seeds.

Maryln, some day I hope to have several kinds of Salvia established well enoguh that I can diug and split them.

If that day ever comes, you are welcome to some bare-root plants. THOSE are what I usually kill, except for snapdragons.