Winter is the perfect time to begin planning your edible garden, using the onslaught of seed and plant catalogs that arrive in the mail and the inbox this time of year.

A packet of heirllom bean, corn and pumpkin seeds courtesy Renee's Garden

There’s more time to plan in the winter, before the big spring gardening rush. Popular and new varieties often sell out fast, so you might end up with ordinary ho-hum varieties if you wait until the last second. Also, you’ll want to be prepared to start planting as soon as the warm weather arrives. Things like peas and onions can go in as early as St. Patrick’s Day in March.

I start dreaming of next summer’s vegetable garden while perusing an assortment of seed catalogs, circling the yummy-sounding varieties and folding over the page corners of potential purchases. This is not something that I typically do online, unless I’m missing one of my favorite catalogs.

Then I look through my current stock of seeds and list them by type of vegetable. I compare this inventory with my catalog choices so that I don’t end up with ten kinds of carrots and no beans.

Alas, after I record everything I think I want to buy, I have to start narrowing down the list to a practical level. I only have so much room to start seeds and so much space in the garden!

The catalogs I order from changes a bit from year to year. Here are some great catalogs that I’m ordering from this year:

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, www.rareseeds.com, phone (417) 924-8917. With over 1400 heirloom varieties, the catalog and the seed packets are gorgeous. I’ve met the owners, and they are really nice! I should disclose that they gave me some free seeds to try . . .

John Sheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds, www.kitchengardenseeds.com, phone (860) 567-6086. Great seed choices in a beautifully drawn catalog.

Renee’s Garden, www.reneesgarden.com. Another nice lady with interesting seeds; I buy from her annually. I especially like the vines!

Seeds of Change, www.seedsofchange.com, phone (888) 762-7333. Certified Organic Seeds; lots of heirloom varieties.

George W. Park Seed Co., www.parkseed.com, phone (800) 845-3369. This tried and true supplier of seeds and supplies also carries organic seeds and heirloom varieties.

This is not a catalog company, but Ferry Morse Seeds, www.ferry-morse.com, are found at retailers around town (like Lowes and Wal-Mart). They have a new line of organic seeds that looks really cool; I was given some to try out.

What are your favorite seed catalogs? Be it these or others; be sure to order your seeds now to avoid lost time or disappointments come spring.

Happy Gardening!