Seed Catalogs and Mental Health

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The following is from a thread I posted last year on another forum. Hopefully it will add a bit of perspective to this years season.

AT THIS LOVELY TIME OF YEAR WE ARE ALL RECEIVING SEED CATALOGS, BRIGHTENING UP OUR DAYS WITH GORGEOUS PICTURES OF EVERY GOURMETS WILDEST FANTASIES AND A GARDENERS HOLY GRAIL. i POSIT THAT THESE VERY CATALOGS ARE A DANGER TO THE GARDENERS MENTAL HEALTH. THESE AGRICULTURAL PORN SITES ARE CHOCK FULL OF DISGUSTINGLY PERFECT TOMATOES, OF CLUSTERS OF GRAPES LARGE ENOUGH TO MAKE A HALF GALLON OF WINE. OF BROCCOLI SO HUGE THEY DON'T FIT ON A PLATE. OF PEPPER PLANTS SO COVERED WITH FRUIT THAT YOU CAN BARELY SEE ANY LEAVES. OF FRUITS SO EASY TO GROW THAT EVEN YOU CANNOT HELP BUT FILL YOUR PANTRY TO OVERFLOWING. AND NARY A BLEMISH TO BE SEEN. NO SIGNS OF ANY INSECT DAMAGE ANYWHERE, OF HALF CHEWED LEAVES,, OF HOLES DRILLED INTO TOMATOES, OF A SLUGS SLIME TRAIL, NOTHING. BUT OF COURSE YOU WILL NOT EVER ENCOUNTER ANY OF THESE NASTIES IF YOU JUST TURN TO PAGE 69 AND PURCHASE THEIR ALL PURPOSE, ALL IN ONE, EASY TO USE HERBIFERTIFUNGISECTIVE FOR ONLY $29.99.

SPRING ARRIVES. YOU ARE EUPHORIC WITH VISIONS OF PLUMS AND TOMATOES DANCING IN YOUR HEAD. YOU HAVE YOUR PACKETS OF DREAMS SOON TO BE FULFILLED. YOU SWEAT AND TOIL. YOU USE THE SUPER ALL IN ONE HERBIFERTIFUNGISECTIVE FOR ONLY $29.99. YOU SOW THE SEEDS AND WITH BATED BREATH YOU WAIT FOR WHAT SEEMS LIKE EONS FOR THEIR LITTLE HEADS TO POP UP OUT OF YOUR PERFECT SOIL. YOUR MIND IS AT EASE, ALL IS WELL IN THE GARDENING WORLD. YOUR NEW FAMILY OF TOMATOES AND PEPPERS AND BEANS AND ALL OF THE FRUITS THAT ARE SO EASY TO GROW EVEN YOU CAN FILL YOUR PANTRY ARE THRIVING. A GOOD DAYS WORK YOU SAY TO YOURSELF WITH SMUG SATISFACTION, AND THEN THE NEXT DAY SHOCK, PANIC, HEART PALPITATIONS! YOUR NEW FAMILY IS WILTED, THERE ARE SLIME TRAILS FROM EVERY DIRECTION CONVERGING ON YOUR GARDEN, WHAT SEEMS LIKE CLOUDS OF INSECTS ARE HOVERING OVERHEAD AND THERE ARE BLACK SPOTS AND MOLD AND MILDEW EVERYWHERE. AS THE FIRST SIGNS OF SHOCK AND DISBELIEF DISSIPATE SOMEWHAT YOU ASK YOURSELF, WHAT DO I DO? YOU RACK YOUR BRAIN, YOU WORRY, YOU ARE STRESSED UNTIL THE ANSWER COMES. SO SIMPLE. I WILL JUST GO ONLINE TO GF AND ASK. YOU RACE BACK TO YOUR COMPUTER AND DESCRIBE WHAT IS HAPPENING AND THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE. THE LOCAL EXPERT ASKS IF YOU USED THE SUPER ALL IN ONE HERBIFERTIFUNGISECTIVE FOR ONLY $29.99 AND IF SO THAT IS THE PROBLEM AND IF SO DO THIS. YOU DO AS INSTRUCTED AND LOW AND BEHOLD YOUR NEW FAMILY IS AGAIN THRIVING. YOUR PLANTS GROW AND MAKE A LOT OF FRUIT BUT SOMEHOW, SOMEWHERE, SOMETHING JUST ISN'T THE SAME AS ALL OF THOSE GORGEOUS PICTURES IN THE SEED CATALOG SHOW. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? WHY ARE MY BROCCOLI ONLY HALF A BIG AS A DINNER PLATE? MY TOMATOES AREN'T THE SAME UNIFORM COLOR. YOU HAVE A SLIGHT FEELING OF FAILURE, OF DEPRESSION, OF I DID SOMETHING WRONG BECAUSE MY PEPPERS ONLY COVER HALF OF THE PLANT. WHY DO I FEEL THIS WAY YOU ASK YOURSELF, SO YOU GO ONLINE TO GF AND READ THIS RANT AND FIND OUT THAT THE CAUSE OF YOUR DEPRESSION ARE SEED CATALOGS.
 
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Love it Chuck! (y) :)

I've been feeling fine through this winter, now is that down to the fact that my regular seed supplying company have failed to send me my catalogue? :D
 
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Love it Chuck! (y) :)

I've been feeling fine through this winter, now is that down to the fact that my regular seed supplying company have failed to send me my catalogue? :D
I am the opposite. I am getting catalogs every day in the mail from people I have never heard of. Plus that, they are all 2 months behind when I order seeds. It is hard to decide and the stress of what to plant is driving me insane.
 
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That's really funny. :LOL:

It's been so many years since I've bought seeds, I never see catalogs. Usually I buy baby starter plants. But thanks for the reminder Chuck...I do want to grow patty pan squash this summer. Nobody in the upper Midwest has heard of it apparently, and it's sure not available in any nurseries here.

(What's a good online source for veggie seeds?)
 
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That's really funny. :LOL:

It's been so many years since I've bought seeds, I never see catalogs. Usually I buy baby starter plants. But thanks for the reminder Chuck...I do want to grow patty pan squash this summer. Nobody in the upper Midwest has heard of it apparently, and it's sure not available in any nurseries here.

(What's a good online source for veggie seeds?)
I usually buy my seeds from either www.SeedsNSuch.com , www.superseeds.com or www.rareseeds.com . Beans from www.willhiteseed.com There are literally dozens of places to buy seeds though. I never buy plants because it is just too expensive. I don't like to buy a lot of one variety of seeds. Usually 15 seeds is enough although I do buy many different varieties.
 
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Thanks Chuck, I will check those sites out!

Yes it's way more pricey to buy starter plants. But as I'm sure I've said here before, I live in a small house surrounded by trees, in an often gloomy and cloudy climate. So having enough sunny or well-lit spots is between challenging and impossible! Last year I started Manx Marvel tomatoes (and they came out great) but I carted all my seed trays to a friend's house; she has no trees and more sunny windows. :)

Michigan's climate can be difficult! We haven't seen sun or blue sky in...A week, maybe two weeks. It's really gloomy and dark this time of year. :(
 
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:LOL: Very funny @Chuck and i liked how you referred to seed packets, as packets of dreams. That is so true and nothing measures up to the pictures. A seed seller in Florida told me that the photographers for seed catalogues take maybe three plants all in bloom and squish them all together to come up with a photo of one plant. So don't be fooled by them and fight for your sanity. Mother Nature beats me up every year and every year i learn something that helps my garden in coming years or even in the coming days. Seeds can be a long and winding road for sure but i favor them all the same because i don't have to worry about where they have been and how they have been treated by other growers. Take a deep breath and hold on to your sanity because the seeds are going to need you pretty soon(y)
 
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That's really funny. :LOL:

It's been so many years since I've bought seeds, I never see catalogs. Usually I buy baby starter plants. But thanks for the reminder Chuck...I do want to grow patty pan squash this summer. Nobody in the upper Midwest has heard of it apparently, and it's sure not available in any nurseries here.

(What's a good online source for veggie seeds?)
I like to order from SeedsNow.com. they have .99 sampler packs that are just right for a small garden.
 
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My seed catalogues are crap too.
Puny little garlic bulbs, whereas mine are the size of your fist.
"Plant your onions 4 inches apart." But some of my onions are six-seven-even eight inches across.
Plant seed potatoes 15 inches apart, nah, 12 will do.
Seeds that are totally unsuitable for even the best of the UK's climate, beef tomatoes that won't ripen until September, when it's impossible to have nice lettuce with them, because it will have bolted with any warmth in August.
Fig trees which grow well, and which produce fruit, which won't ripen in my climate.... ARGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!
 
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I get a lot of catalogs and know perfectly well what the "flower fever." (distributed on all the seeds). Especially Siberian breeding seeds for northern gardens, like mine. I understand that I can not put a lot. However, I buy a little and put in a box. As a result of the spring, I have the "Pandora's box". Recently I carried the box to his work, to share. I shared. But my colleagues have shared too. So I brought home a box full again. Nevertheless, I am full of optimism. I was lucky that my director also grows vegetables and flowers. Therefore, part of the seedlings can I grow in her large working cabinet with her. :)
 
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@Mrsclem, Does this include both flower seed catalogs and vegetable seed catalogs?
Yes- I grew up with both parents being gardeners and started early. When we bought our house I tried to match my fathers flower growing talent but just don't have the time or energy! I usually just throw out the catalogs without looking at them but this year I was forced to order online thanks to Covid so I'm sure the number of catalogs will double now.
 

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