Here is a round-up of my favorite go-to gardening resources. Enjoy and share your favorite in the comments below!
The Best Seed Companies
I have purchased seeds from all of these companies and love them all. Each company offers something unique, so look around and decide which ones meet your gardening needs.
All organic AND free shipping. Need I say more?
I especially like Johnny’s because of the information they provide regarding improving soil health with cover crops. When I started researching cover crops I was a bit overwhelmed, but this site helped me better understand what was best for me and my garden. You can search for Green Manure, Erosion Control, Nitrogen Fixers and so much more!
This website is gorgeous. If you are someone who loves to browse or wander around garden stores, this is like the ultimate online store for garden browsing. It has tons of really unique heirloom vegetables and fruits with stories about where the seeds originated. This is probably my favorite seed catalog to receive in the mail as well. Go check it out and you will see what I mean!
I learned about this company when touring the Culinary Gardener’s garden in Asheville, NC. Their lettuce selection is AWESOME. It is my favorite site for unique greens.
I am more likely to purchase these seeds in the store because the seed packets are so lovely. My favorite packets from this company include flowers and their collections, such as Bee Happy Seed Collection and Basic Bounty Veggie Garden Seed Collection. They have great flower mixes as well. We have purchased their Bring Home the Butterflies and Save the Bees seed packets.
Seeds of Change is 100% organic. You don’t have to double check each plant is organic because all of the seeds on their site are certified organic – easy shopping!
What I love about this company is that I can search ‘Texas’ on their site and find seeds specifically recommended for my climate. This isn’t an option for every state, so you will have to check for yours. Additionally, there is almost always a great tip or growing reminder on the seed page.
The Best Gardening Shows and YouTube Channels
They offer a FREE online course where you can watch a full gardening season at their farm and learn tips along the way. The course is separated into modules so you can pick and choose what you want to watch. The free course is geared towards the beginner gardener, and they offer advanced courses for a fee.
I’m going to be totally honest here, you might feel like the host of these YouTube videos is shouting at you. It’s not that pleasant, but I have learned A LOT from watching his videos. This is often a resource I check out when growing a new plant or troubleshooting a problem in the garden. Search for your topic on his page and he probably has a few videos for you to choose from. In addition, he tours home gardens and plant nurseries and those are entertaining to watch as well.
This show is less of a teaching tool for me and more so what I put on for entertainment while cooking. There are fascinating episodes about what others are doing to bring awareness to the slow food movement and grow their own food. If you are a gardening geek like me, then this is a great option for a relaxing show where you will gain a little knowledge along the way.
The Best Gardening Books
This book is always by my bedside. It has highlights and underlines and is a book I will read over and over again. It is EXCELLENT for general gardening knowledge. In addition, the book has chapters on specific fruits and vegetables so you know planting, pruning, harvesting and growing information for each.
Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs
If you are at all interested in herbal medicine, this is THE book for you. To say that Rosemary is an expert in this field feels like a massive understatement. I have several of her books and have had the privilege of listening to her speak at a Mother Earth News conference as well. She grew up learning about and using medicinal herbs. She is the founder of Traditional Medicinals Tea and the list goes on and on. Check this book out!
Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Recipes
If, after reading the book above, you are ready to start experimenting with creating your own herbal remedies, this is an excellent book to start your adventuring.
The Best Gardening Magazines and Websites
Overall, I have probably learned the most about gardening and homesteading from this magazine. I have had a subscription for years, attended the Mother Earth News conference and have purchased the digital archive including all of their past articles. I highly recommend checking out the website or picking up a magazine if you are interested in gardening and/or homesteading of all sorts.
The AgriLife Extension for Your Area (for Texas click here)
I am less likely to remember this resource, but it is always extremely helpful and almost entirely relevant when I do. For example, if you are growing raspberries in Texas and search Google you will find loads of information about how to grow them. However, growing raspberries in Texas is different than in Ohio or Washington or Arizona. Having information about what grows well and how to grow it in your own climate will save you the most headaches along the way.
There have been PLENTY of times that I have searched for information in Google when I’m wanting a quick answer. It seems like 90% of the time I end up clicking on an article from The Old Farmer’s Almanac, and it provides just the information I need. The site is well-organized, informative and to the point. It is excellent for those quick searches on how to harvest, prune or plant a new fruit or vegetable.
For years now I have debated signing up for one of the amazing classes they offer. I currently have a membership to the Herbarium and it is well worth it. If you are interested in health in any way, you will want to follow all of their social media accounts to gain as much knowledge as you can soak up! A major bonus is that everything on their site is so beautifully done.
Crosman Seed Corporation is a great place to buy seeds. It’s located in East Rochester NY.
It is family owned for many generations.
http://www.crosmanseed.com/
Thanks for sharing, Jackie! 🙂
Thanks for sharing great resources. It was on my bucket list to visit Bakers Seed store in Petaluma CA called THE SEED BANK. I just went this week. Amazing. Knowledgeable staff. I even took pictures but I don’t see a way to share them here.
Pamela
That is awesome, Pamela! I would love to stop by their store one day, too. Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂