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Before the seeds come the catalogs

Maureen Gilmer, Scripps Howard News Service

Published February 3, 2007 at midnight

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Every January and February, I spend nights and weekends with my nose in seed catalogs. This process requires a cup of tea, a highlighter pen, sticky tags and a notepad. I want to see everything available before I make my decisions. This involves hours of sifting through the catalogs one by one, flagging everything I find of interest.

Every year I try to grow one special crop, an unusual one, to discover how these plants grow, flower and differ by variety.

Past special crops have been fingerling potatoes, Indian corn and sunflowers.

Naturally, finding the seed for such oddballs involves some pretty unusual catalogs. I've found a group of catalogs that are tried- and-true providers of off-the-beaten-path plants and seed. If you're like me, order one or all to start creating a June wish list for the best garden ever.

• The Seeds of Change catalog is world-famous for its heirloom varieties and one of my most treasured reads due to the fabulous photography and plenty of informative background reading on their unique crops. In it you'll find unique greens such as edible chrysanthemum, beetberry, huazontle, purslane and chicory. Here you'll also find the best selection of colorful winter squash for savory dishes and bright holiday decor.

Call toll-free for this catalog, 1-800-762-7333, or go online and shop any time at .

• There are plants and ancient native-American strains of seed available at Native Seed/SEARCH that you won't find anywhere else. This wonderful organization exists to preserve the indigenous dry-climate agricultural crops of American Southwestern tribes such as the Pueblos, Tarahumara and Yaki of northern Mexico.

This catalog isn't fancy or in color, but it's the undisputed best source of Indian corn, with dozens of named varieties.

Call for a catalog toll-free at 1-866-622-5561, or shop online now at .

Maureen Gilmer is a horticulturist and host of "Weekend Gardening" on DIY Network.