Seed {Packages} of Change

I have enjoyed browsing their catalog and sampled a few seed packs from a rack at a local Food Co-op, but it was my first year to place an official order with Seeds of Change.

When they arrived, I was delightfully surprised by the bright and colorful seed packages, with their full color photos of the vegetable/flower varieties contained within.

But I must admit, I was a bit puzzled as to why this highly respected company which promotes sustainability and a healthy ecosystem, would choose plastic to house their high quality, certified organic, traditional, heirloom, open pollinated seed.... until I read the small print on the bottom of each package.

*Less energy required to produce plastic and less waste
from reuse of envelope
Apparently it takes less energy to make plastic than paper. (Not to mention it saves trees). I save my paper seed packages to re-use for seeds I collect from my vegetable and flower gardens, but what gardener wouldn't love to have these nice durable envelopes?

* Equivalent to paper in landfill accumulation
News to me, but I'm sure they've done their research... so I believe them.

*Hermetically sealed to guarantee freshness for two years, if unopened
I've often purchased seed I didn't get around to using right away....so this is definite plus.

*Resealable to keep leftover seed fresh
Nice feature, not only for freshness but to keep those seeds off the bottom of your seed box.

There is one more great benefit, which wasn't noted on the package......
Since Seeds of Change only sells open pollinated seeds, I can save my own seed from these varieties and then house them in their lovely photo specific packages for years to come!

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Ya gotta love a company that could potentially put itself out of business, by their standard of excellence in the nature and quality of the seeds they sell. And now the packages are just icing on the cake.

Thanks, Seeds of Change!

In Memory

It was a year ago today that my dear Mother passed away. She loved spending time in her garden, so perhaps my love for growing things was, at least in part....inherited from her.

I'm posting this photo, taken last fall of a hollyhock in my garden, in honor of Mom. She always had hollyhocks growing all around our farm house, on the North Dakota prairie, and they remind me of her.

My brother found this full page photo and poem in an issue of the "Birds and Blooms" magazine, and it was such a fitting tribute to our Mom. (See the words of the poem below.)


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Mother's Garden

My mother loved the flowers,
Each season brought new blooms.
With joy she'd plant and till and weed,
It chased away her glooms.

She know the names of each she tended
A master of her trade.
Her hands were strong and knew no wrong,
The best God ever made.

She tried to teach me all she knew,
But little did I care
For if I needed flowers,
My mother would be there.

My mother loved her garden,
'Til heaven she did go,
Where growing seasons never end,
And blooms don't fade, but grow.

And now I tend the flowers,
A love that's real and true.
For when I'm in my garden, Mom,
I'm closest there to you.

Beverly Ann Batten Kandrick

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I miss you, Mom!

A Sunny Valentine

I was quite excited to find this sunflower growing in my garden last fall. It was shaped exactly like a heart! I wanted to post it on my blog immediately, but after some thought I decided it would be perfect for a Valentine's day post. I want you all to know, I had to exercise great restraint to save it until now. :-) It is my Valentine to my fellow garden bloggers, friends, and family.

I was struck at just how perfect a heart shape it was, right down to the green point on the bottom!

A close up view. I regret that I didn't save the seed from this one, just for fun....to see if it might reproduce itself.

Happy Valentines Day!!


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Valentines are people who
Are willing to be flowers,
Letting us enjoy their beauty
Even if for hours.
No Valentine hides from the sun,
Though sometimes lost in light.
If you love them, they just open,
Not unhappy to be woken
Even in the night.

Author unknown