With my quilting squares finished, and the weather particularly wet and ugly my attentions have turned to seed catalogues. As a long time flower gardener I used to spend the winters planning the color displays in the yard. Now that I live here and am trying to learn how to grow vegetables, the winter past time of seed shopping has become a welcome pleasure.

In recent years, I have alternated vegetable seed purchases between West Coast Seeds and Salt Spring Island seeds. I won’t be returning to the Salt Spring Island seeds after last years disappointing results. This summer I feel the need to mix things up, live on the wild side so to speak, and venture beyond the West Coast for some variety in my life.

My old neighbour ( that doesn’t sound very nice)…. My old friend (getting better) my friend who used to live next door to me who likes to garden (that sounds better) suggested the company her sister uses. Her sister farms in Alberta and recommended William Dam Seeds from Ontario.

As an example to show you the pricing between William Dam and the suppliers I have used in the past I will use my favorite pumpkin, the Rouge Vif D’Etamps Cinderella.

Salt Spring Island Seeds 4.00

West Coast Seeds 4.49

Versey 5.19

William Dam 2.25

The only items I couldn’t find from William Dam were a really appealing long english type cucumber and asparagus crowns. So I bought those items from Versey.

For years I have postponed starting asparagus because it takes at least two years to reap the rewards and I had access to the gorgeous asparagus at my father in laws.. But we have lived here 7 years. I must begin my own asparagus bed!

I am narrowing down my tomato varieties to six: Roma, Heinz, Celebrity, Matina, Ponderosa Pink and Lemon Boy. Along with those seeds, I have ordered basil, cucumber, carrots, parsnips, romaine, salad mix, peas and two types of beets.

As you can see I am going to focus mostly on the vegetables we are able to can or otherwise harvest throughout the fall and winter.

The garden needs a good soil amendment this year. I am going to bring in a bunch of dolomite lime among other things to see if we can get the soil a bit sweeter. Since the first two years we were here the vegetable production has been disappointing. I blame the soil, the droughts, the seed companies and really any number of reasons but probably the real culprit, me because until now only flower gardens have

been my thing