A quick post about my seed orders. I’m Dee, and I have a seed problem.
Cosmos ‘Rubenza’ from Floret Seeds. 
Oklahoma Salmon zinnias with cosmos foliage. 
Cosmos planted en masse beneath taller plantings. 
Zinnia ‘Queen Red Lime,’ which is one of my favorites. 
Zinnia ‘Queen Red Lime,’ one of my favorites, has this crazy kind of Victorian coloration. It looks good with lots of fall-ish flowers. 
A tomato (left) and Black Seeded Simpson lettuce growing in the potager a few years ago. 
‘Black-seeded Simpson’ lettuce with tatsoi blooming behind it.
Ordering seeds for flowers and vegetables
I’m sharing what I ordered for you and for me. This is what happens when a freak buys seeds. I’ve grown some of these seeds before, and I put photos of several plants in the gallery above. I know that it seems like a lot of seeds, but I have a very large garden. That’s my excuse anyway. What’s yours?
- Amazing Grey corn poppy–direct sown in the middle of the potager. It may or may not work.
- Apache Sunset hyssop–to be started indoors and used in containers.
- Black-Seeded Simpson leaf lettuce–direct sown in late February)
- Blue Lake 274 bush beans–direct sown in late April.
- Burgundy amaranth–direct sown late April.
- Cherry Belle radishes–all radishes direct sown in late February.
- Easter Egg Blend radishes
- Flat of Italy Bulb Cipollini onion seeds–start in the greenhouse and transplant.
- French Breakfast radishes.
- High Scent sweet pea–all sweet peas, start indoors as soon as I get the seeds.
- Jimmy Nardello sweet pepper–start indoors late February to plant out in May.
- Mammoth sunflower–direct sown late April.
- My Navy sweet peas
- Nero Toscana kale–direct sow in February.
- Phyllis African marigold–start in the greenhouse mid-to-late February.
- Rubenza cosmos–direct sown after the last freeze of April 20 I hope.
- Shock-O-Lat sunflower
- Sunrise Blend morning glories–direct sown after scarification on the arbor at the end of the back garden in late April.
Winterbor kale, but this year I’m growing dinosaur kale. Winterbor is another great choice. 
My daughter, Claire, holding radishes when she was little. This is from ten years ago. My, how the time has flown. 
Coleus in the side garden. The dark reddish purple is ‘Religious Radish’. The dark purple in the middle is ‘Midnight Train’, and the purple and green variety, ‘Witch Doctor.’ I’ll definitely buy these again. 
‘Avalanche’ snow peas are really good and prolific. I got the seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds last spring. 
‘Candy Mountain’ Sunflowers. I try different sunflower seeds each year. 
Seed starting station Bill and I built for an article for Fiskars. I’ve used it ever since to start my seeds. 
Inside the greenhouse, the scent is heavenly because the string of pearls plant blooms most of winter. Soon, I’ll start sweet pea seeds, and have lily of the valley pips blooming too. 
A forest of seed catalogs. 
Bees gathering pollen and nourishment from one of the sunflowers I planted in the vegetable garden. 
‘Van Gogh’ sunflower. I got the seeds from Renee’s Seeds. She sent them to me to try. 
Seedlings of Nasturium ‘Black Velvet’
- Red Thumb potatoes–plant in large containers around St. Patrick’s Day.
- Adirondack Red potatoes
- Celine bush beans–such a pretty purple!
- Everleaf Emerald Towers basil–my all-time favorite basil last year!
- Little Snowpea Purple–a dwarf snowpea.
- Bloody Mary nasturtiums–usually direct sow, but this year, I’m starting them indoors in January to get a jumpstart.
- Cherokee Sunset mix rudbeckia,
- Victoria Blue salvia–although I can buy plants locally, I want more plants so growing from seed this year.
- Elegance Formula mix sweet peas–sweet peas are always a gamble, one I’m willing to take.
- Benary’s Giant Wine zinnias
- Oklahoma Salmon zinnias
- Oklahoma Carmine zinnias
- Uproar Rose (F1) zinnias
- Queen Red Lime zinnias–I like zinnias a lot! Full sun and easy to grow. Butterflies love them.
- Adriana lettuce
- Calibra Organic (F1) onion–again trying Matt Mattus’ suggestion of starting onions from seed.
- Superdukat dill for the butterflies
- Darki parsley
- Sugar Ann peas–sugar snap type
- Starburst™ Greenburst (F1) sunflower
- Langsdorffii nicotiana–I have a soft spot in my heart for this flower.
- Lavender Cloud nicotiana
- Metta lettuce–direct sown outside late February.
- Italienischer lettuce
- Vivid Choi–I like Asian greens and grow a lot of them.
- Tatsoi
- Shanghai Green Baby bok choy
- Green Wave mustard.
- Pampas Plume mix celosia
- Peach Screamer flowering tobacco–more nicotiana!
- Queen Red Lime zinnias–wanted to make sure I had enough of this variety.
- Desert Sunset mix zinnias
- Panache sunflower
- Apricot mix strawflower
- Vegmo feverfew–never grown feverfew.
- Double Click Cranberries cosmos
- Apricot Lemonade cosmos
- Thai Silk Appleblossom Chiffon corn poppies.
What? No tomatoes?
I’ll buy most of my tomatoes from The Tomato Man’s Daughter in Tulsa as soon she opens. Bill and I will drive up there and make a day of it. I’ll let you know what I order beforehand.
Seeds are going fast
I noticed at each company that some seeds were already sold out, and it’s only the first week of January. If you want unusual flowers or veggies, you better get those seed orders in. I even texted Carol, my podcast co-host, and let her know/enabled her. Now, I’m enabling all of you too.
A lot of the cool-weather seeds are sown directly into the garden in February. Here are some other February garden chores, bit-by-bit. Also, here’s a vegetable garden report from last May.
Carol and I talked this week about early spring vegetables and all kinds of things on the Gardenangelists podcast. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and come hang out with us.
Okay, I admit it. That is A LOT of seeds! But more power to you. I love seeds, and already have mine for the year except for Oklahoma Salmon zinnias, which you made me fall in love with. The only place I’ve seen them so far is Johnny’s, and their website says they’re only seeking to commercial growers for now. I assume you have an “in” there? Their website says they’ll open up to the public soon, so I’ve made a calendar note to remind myself because I’m now addicted to Oklahoma Salmon zinnias! I’ve planned my whole color scheme around them this year.
Dee, thanks for the Zinnia inspiration and sites to buy seed. ordered Queen red lime !
Dee, thanks for this list, and the reminder to get crackin!
Comment #2 (because I never run out of questions): two years ago I was given a white star eggplant and it really produced a nice fruit. do you have a favorite white eggplant?
Sorry Jennie, I just now saw this. Mom is in the hospital again. She’s ok, but you know. Anyway, I’ve grown quite a few white eggplants. The last one was Caspar like the friendly ghost. I seem to remember it was all right. I’ve also grown Hansel and Gretel. One is white and the other purple. They were fine too. ~~Dee
Love all your seed selections..your garden is going to be so colorful!! I need to come up with some protection for my seedlings this year…the bunnies got so many of them. The wildflower mix was successful though!
Hi Sonia, it should be a fun garden year. It always is if the weather cooperates. A lot of my stuff if raised up off the ground, and I plant many things next to ornamental grasses that the bunnies don’t seem to like. You can also make small cages to keep the critters off until things get larger. ~~Dee
I need to get my seeds ordered. You have a really nice selection for this upcoming growing season.
Hi Dee, you certainly have gone off the deep end with your seed orders, lol! Do you do any seed saving from season to season, or always buy fresh? That nicotiana langsdorffii is sure a beauty. I might be sorely tempted by it… You’re gonna be one busy gal this growing season! Happy planting! P.S. I also buy my tomato (and pepper) plants locally from a small Amish nursery with a splendid selection.
H Ginny, I always go off the deep end with seed orders. I do some seed saving, but I use most of the seeds I plant. For example, I grow so many different kinds of zinnias in close proximity that they will cross pollinate, and I like certain varieties. So, I don’t usually save zinnia seeds. I love Nicotiana langsdorffii because it’s just so delicate and other worldly. Interestingly, Nan Ondra at Hayefield has a variety of this flowering tobacco that she has selected for a few slight differences. She has an etsy store for her seeds. Here’s the link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Hayefield?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=261854332
Hi Karin, I think gardening may be as big as it was in 2020. Woo hoo! However, that means seeds and transplants may become a precious commodity so yes, get those seed orders in. ~~Dee
do you grow any peppers or onions
Hi Mike, yes, I do. I have two different onion seeds in the list which I will start indoors. I’ll also probably buy a few onion sets to get quick green onions. As for peppers, so far, I think I’m going to buy them from The Tomato Man’s Daughter and other local sources. I usually find plenty of peppers locally. I really like chile peppers.
Wow, you will be busy! But I agree with Carol that your problem isn’t really a problem. 😉
Haha Beth, you would. :)~~Dee
That’s a lot of seeds. You DO have a problem, but it’s a good one to have!
Hey Carol, takes one to know one. Haha!~~Dee
Indeed, it does.