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Wooo hooo! Garden porn!

Woooo hoooooo! The first garden catalogs of the new year came on Wednesday.

Bicolor ornamental kale…..hybrid horseradish…..bright lights Swiss Chard…rainbow baby green…and—be still my beating heart--bean inoculants.

Yow! I love garden porn.

I love the variety and richness of garden catalogs. Unfortunately, a few years ago I discovered that the catalogs might not be as varied or rich as I thought they were.

Consider this: The company that owns Henry Fields also owns Gurney’s, Garden Solutions and Michigan Blub.

The same individual that owns that group of companies, also owns a second set of catalogs including Spring Hill Nurseries, Brick’s Bulbs and Gardens Alive.

It’s easy enough to make the connection. Often, the images in the catalogs are duplicates (haven’t I seen those Brussel sprouts before?) the offers are similar ($25 coupon on the cover of the catalogs) and address labels and account numbers that are exactly the same (duh).

Another group of catalogs that includes Totally Tomatoes, The Vermont Bean Seed Company and R. H. Shumway are all owned by the J.W. Jung Seed Company.

The whole arrangement makes me feel a little bit skeptical the seed industry and more inclined than ever to buy local.

Stores such as K & W Greenery, Jack & Dicks, Patty’s Plants Natural and Organic Garden Supply in Milton and a variety of other locally owned stores carry seeds from independents.

K & W, for example, carries seeds from Botanical Interest and Plants of Distinction.

Patty’s Plants Natural and Organic Garden Supply in Milton carries Botanical Interest, Seeds of Change, and Bounty Beyond Belief (BBC).

And here’s something entirely different: Jack & Dicks has a seed-labeling license. They get their seed in bulk from Olds in Madison and label them themselves. They get the freshest seeds and know where they (the seeds, not the folks at J & Ds) come from.

I’ve left out other local businesses that carry independent labels. Feel free to fill me in.

Here are a few other things to consider when buying local. First, you have no shipping costs.

Second, if you have a problem, you can go back to the source and get help.

Third, the money goes into local pockets and supports local jobs.

Finally, local businesses give back to the community.

K & W provides space for numerous nonprofit fundraising events.

Jack & Dicks has been a big help to the Rock Prairie Master Gardener Association, and by extension, Rotary Botanical Gardens.

So enjoy your garden porn-but take a look at the local beauties, too.