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Beat the Winter Blues with a Seed Exchange

by Heather Alvis2/6/2008 3:26:38 PM

In the rainy, windy early months of the year in Bellingham, why not add a touch of spring to your weekend? If you like to garden and have neighbors or friends that do as well, spend a couple hours having a seed exchange party.

Plan out your garden with the kids.

There are several companies that offer catalogs full of seeds and plants, and ordering in winter is a great way to get excited about the upcoming growing season. For many home-grown vegetables, it doesn't make sense to buy whole packets of seeds, especially if you only want 1 or 2 plants of each type. 

If you only need a few seeds, why not share seed packets with your friends? Instead, have a little party, figure out how much to order as a group, and put in one big order. This helps save money and minimize waste, creates a great community of people that can share growing tips, and if your kids are interested in helping, it can give them a greater sense of ownership in the family garden. All you need is a few catalogs, a pen and paper to keep track of people and seed types, and a few people willing to divvy out the seeds into "mini-packets" when they arrive.

Making Room for a Garden
If you don't already have a place for a garden, use the winter months to get the kids to help draw a yard diagram and figure out good places to plant vegetables, herbs and flowers. Then, use the catalogs to figure out what varieties will work best with your light and soil conditions. You can also consider having your kids design a plot of their own, where they can choose the plants and take care of them throughout the summer. Kids can have great fun growing their own giant sunflowers, cherry tomatoes, or snap peas; plants that are easy to grow and have plenty of yield. Involving your kids in the seed ordering process makes the whole experience more meaningful to them and can be fun and educational. 

Before the Party
Choose a seed catalog or two that everyone will order from. If you don't already get one in the mail, order at least 2 copies to have at the exchange. If possible have a copy of the catalog for each person so people can mark seeds that they want. Here is a list of a few seed companies we enjoy ordering from:

There are lots of northwest companies with seed-order catalogs.

Territorial Seed Company
Cottage Grove, OR
Raintree Nursery (fruit trees)
Morton, WA
The Thyme Garden Herb Company
Alsea, OR

An easy way to set up an exchange party is to set up a "doodle" with your potential meeting dates and times.  Visit the website and invite your party-goers to check the times they are also available. 

During the Party
Go through the catalog one page at a time, and write down the seeds that each person wants to buy. Ideally, there will be several types of seeds that can be shared among everyone at the exchange. 

After the Party
Visit the seed catalog website or send in your group order by mail. Seeds will be sent to one address, and once they arrive, gather people again to distribute the seeds. To keep it simple, make "mini-envelopes" out of paper and tape and write the name of the seed on the front, or buy mini plastic zip bags to hold the seeds.