My seed catalogs are here!

There was a time when gardening was my favorite thing to do but in the last several years, it has not been a priority. I used to grow a lot of my own vegetables but I've gotten lazy. The last time I started seeds, Cinnamon ate 100 heirloom seedlings. I was discouraged and just quit.

This is the picture we used on the "Wanted" poster for Cinnamon. 

I miss gardening so I found a new place to start seedlings where she can't get them. My dining room has great lighting. I have a baker's rack that I didn't have when she found the last batch. Now I have a new location that's cat proof with great exposure.

Off to the Internet to get some seed catalogs. I prefer heirloom seeds that are not GMO modified. I don't need or use chemicals on my plants and don't want ones that have been altered.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds has "1500 rare, Non-GMO Seeds" to choose from. I could spend hours just reading the descriptions. I quickly ordered that catalog. I find I am also interested in seed saving and the Seed Savers Exchange has a catalog I ordered too. Both of them arrived this week and I have set aside a day to review and place my orders. I need to set aside some time because I am also homeschooling my 7th grader and it consumes time. He also plays baseball year round so we are gone a lot.

The next thing on my list was to discover what zone we live in. I used to know but the USDA updated their interactive zone map. The USDA requires you enter a Captcha to view the map but it isn't a big deal. The map is nationwide. California shows up as mostly browns but the map zooms in for detailed areas. I am in zone 9a. That means avocados won't grow here, it's too cold. However, just 15 miles from here, the avocado trees cover the hills. It's too cold for hybiscus but downtown Riverside is covered with the colorful blooms. All is not lost, apples love it here.

One of the best things about California is the growing season and the weather to grow almost anything. So armed with my new zone and catalogs, I am off to discover what tasty vegetables will be growing in my garden this spring. And, since it almost March, I need to get the seedlings started.