Note: Winding Pathways is not paid by companies we feature nor do we receive any free material goods. We simply have had great results with their products in our yard.
Although most of the United States is still in the grip of winter, cold weather makes thinking about spring pleasant. It’s also a great time to prepare for summer yard and garden projects. Here are three catalogs or websites we enjoy reading when it’s cold out.
Children with
“Golden Hen.”
HOOVER’S HATCHERY: Located in tiny Rudd, Iowa, this hatchery has greatly expanded the number of chicken breeds it sells-even such rare ones as lavender Orpingtons. Now is the time to begin preparing for hosting baby chicks this spring. Check out Hoover’s Website. Many breeds are scarce and although it’s too early to receive baby chicks in mid-winter, by ordering soon, customers are more likely to receive their favored breeds. For information on backyard chickens type “chickens” in the Winding Pathways search and several blogs will appear.
SEED SAVERS EXCHANGE: Not far from Rudd is Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa. They feature an amazing array of garden seeds. We buy many of our seeds from them and especially like trying their heritage varieties of tomatoes, beans, squash and many other vegetables featured in their catalog. Type “squash” in the Winding Pathways search and blogs on our love of winter squash will appear.
RAINWATER SOLUTIONS: Seeds need water to grow and it doesn’t always rain at the right time. A solution is to harvest rain that flows off the roof and store it in a rain barrel for later use. We have five rain barrels at Winding Pathways and use the water constantly. Now is a great time to order a barrel for use as soon as the temperatures consistently stay above freezing. Check out their website at. Type “rain barrels” in Winding Pathways search and a couple of blogs will appear.
The Linn county Master Gardeners column “From the Ground Up” featured an article on “Ordering Seeds From Catalogs” on January 1st. Living section 4L.
We have had great results from seeds from Pinetree Seeds out of Maine, which we started ordering decades ago because they offered smaller size seed packets for reasonable prices. The prices have risen, same as everywhere else, but we like their varieties. We also frequent Frontier Garden Center in Cedar Rapids for the garden seeds and the good quality bulk grass seed which works for our area. They also have bulk bird feed and large bags of quality bird seed as well as boxes of suet for reasonable prices. They offer many non-poisonous products for garden pests. And their bushes and trees come from our part of the country, acclimated to our weather conditions.
Thanks, Nancy