It’s been a long, cold winter.  There’s no end in sight.  It’s dreary, depressing and you’re looking for a light at the end of the tunnel.  Then, one day, you walk out to the mailbox.  The heavens part, and that light slices through the greyness to illuminate an otherwise unassuming group of papers stapled together.  Birds chirp.  Unicorns frolick.  Everything takes on a rainbow hue.

Okay, that probably doesn’t happen.  It is still late January.  But, what some might see as unsolicited trash, you recognize as more.  So much more.

Much like the object of Billy Madison’s delight, that seed catalogue stirs the fire within you. It gets your garden juices flowing.  Because, again similarly, you eagerly anticipate ogling those round, supple, possibly pointed things that bring life to your backyard. 

Now, all you have to do is choose the right ones.  It’s simple, right?  There are only a million options.  Many of which are named with words you’ve never heard or conjure thoughts of mad scientists conducting onerous experiments.

If you’re anything like me – and, for your sake, let’s hope you aren’t – you want them all.

That’s not a good idea. 

It turns out those little packets have A LOT of seeds.  Like hundreds.  But they don’t tell you that.  There’s no serving size listed.  They do give you weight options, but who are the people that know how many radish seeds come in 2 ounces?  I don’t think I want to know them.

So, despite that compulsion to pick everything (of course you could fit in some asparagus plants), it does make sense to show a semblance of restraint.  And that, fellow gardeners, is when it’s time to come up with a plan.

I know, that sounds boring AF.  You’re not here to think ahead.  You’re here to chuck a bunch of seeds in the ground and suckle from the sweet, sweet teat of Mother Nature in two to three months.  I get it.  That’s generally my approach as well.    

But, if you are looking for advice from someone with countless gardening failures under their belt, here are a few tips to select the right seeds:

1. Figure out how much space you have.  This sounds pretty silly, and I swear I’m not being condescending.  But, you’ll be surprised how quick that real estate gets eaten up.  That’s especially true when you account for the size of the mature plant (which I never do – like a moron). 
2. Don’t overlook the planting schedule.  You can squeeze in more bounty by cycling through cold weather and warm weather plants in the same beds.  Radishes, beets, lettuce, spring peas can all be grown and enjoyed by the time your summer plants are ready to enter the mix.
3. Stick to the top performers – at least at first.  Read the descriptions and find the seeds that have been cultivated for maximum results and minimal diseases.  This might mean passing on the heirloom cucumbers (silly hipsters), but you’ll increase your chance for a successful summer.
4. Get a little crazy.  It might not be spring break quite yet, but there’s still plenty of reason to flash your wild side.  The point of a garden is to have fun.  Want to grow artichokes?  Give it a try.  Peanuts?  I mean, Jimmy Carter could do it.  I like your chances. 

Every garden is different and every gardener should develop their own approach (I know, I should have opened with that and saved you three minutes of inane ramblings).  But one thing we can all agree on is that Seed Magazine Day is one of the best days of the year – easily topping arbor day, St Patrick’s day and your birthday (mainly because I don’t care about your birthday).

There’s no need to wait on that varmint up in Pennsylvania.  Your local seed repository or tractor supply store knows when spring is coming.  And, they’ll deliver that news directly to your mailbox. 

So, get excited, have hope and look forward to caressing those glorious orbs of life.  It’s Seed Magazine day people.  There’s no turning back now.