2016 Catalogs

[kayrobbins]

I got my first 2016 catalog today. It was HPS (Horticultural Products and Services). I guess I got it since I subscribe to Growers Talk but it is almost entirely hybrids and I don't grow hybrids, except maybe for some flowers. It is a beautiful catalog and I will pass it on to someone that does not share my bias for heirlooms and OPs.

[JerryL]

I too received the HPS catalog today. What I noticed was the seed quantities. Seems it might be geared toward the professional grower.

[AlittleSalt]

I got our first catalog today too. Dixondale Farms

[pauldavid]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

I got our first catalog today too. Dixondale Farms

Got mine too, Robert. Very nice photos and selection.

[ddsack]

Pinetree 2016 has arrived here!

[peppero]

Originally Posted by ddsack

Pinetree 2016 has arrived here!

SAME FOR ME.

jon

[Deborah]

I got a rock...

[JLJ_]

Originally Posted by Deborah

I got a rock...

[Cole_Robbie]

Originally Posted by peppero

SAME FOR ME.

jon

Pinetree arrived for me today, too.

I was thinking I should get on tomatoville and start a 2016 catalog thread, because no one had done that yet. Kay beat me to it, though.

[BackyardFarm]

Originally Posted by ddsack

Pinetree 2016 has arrived here!

Pinetree was also the first catalog for 2016 here!

And yes, I've already marked it all up!

[pmcgrady]

My first catalog was... peaceful Valley
www.groworganic.com
My source of 650 garlic cloves in the ground this year...

[Bipetual]

Originally Posted by Deborah

I got a rock...

LOL (I literally did)! I hope there will be something in your mailbox tomorrow.

I got HPS. Looks like it might be the same folks who own Totally Tomatoes?

[JLJ_]

Originally Posted by Bipetual

. . . I got HPS. Looks like it might be the same folks who own Totally Tomatoes?

You want to be careful if you start looking up who owns what company, as there is a lot of info out there that jest ain't so . . . especially on sites with a "Monsanto owns everyone" theme . . . but several seed catalogs listing Randolph, Wisconsin addresses are ones that have been bought by J. W. Jung Seed Co. and most?/all? of those are now operated from Randolph.

I believe that list includes Totally Tomatoes, R.H. Shumway, The Vermont Bean Seed Company, Seeds for the World, Seymour’s Selected Seeds, HPS, Roots and Rhizomes, and McClure and Zimmerman Quality Bulb Brokers. That list may not be complete, and I'm not sure all those should be listed, but if you see a Randolph Wisconsin address on a catalog, it's a good guess that it's Jung in one of its hats.

[clkeiper]

Originally Posted by JLJ_

You want to be careful if you start looking up who owns what company, as there is a lot of info out there that jest ain't so . . . especially on sites with a "Monsanto owns everyone" theme . . . but several seed catalogs listing Randolph, Wisconsin addresses are ones that have been bought by J. W. Jung Seed Co. and most?/all? of those are now operated from Randolph.

I believe that list includes Totally Tomatoes, R.H. Shumway, The Vermont Bean Seed Company, Seeds for the World, Seymour’s Selected Seeds, HPS, Roots and Rhizomes, and McClure and Zimmerman Quality Bulb Brokers. That list may not be complete, and I'm not sure all those should be listed, but if you see a Randolph Wisconsin address on a catalog, it's a good guess that it's Jung in one of its hats.

Yeah, I agree and it makes me mad that I have to pay separate shipping from all of the same return addresses so, I limit what I buy to TT and HPS. I would buy more, but I can get by with those two.

[JLJ_]

Originally Posted by clkeiper

Yeah, I agree and it makes me mad that I have to pay separate shipping from all of the same return addresses so, I limit what I buy to TT and HPS. I would buy more, but I can get by with those two.

Agree. There are enough places that offer good seeds that it's often policies that decide where I place orders -- shipping costs -- promptness of shipping of items listed as in stock -- whether they observe "no substitution" specifications -- how they behave if they make an error -- whether they try to compensate with a credit rather than a refund if they can't/don't fill an order in a reasonable time. (I don't object to places offering a credit as an option, but I do object to those that have a "once we have your money we keep it, whether we can deliver what you ordered or not" policy.)

And of course reasonable shipping time varies -- delays are understandable with a part time small family operation like Sand Hill that says clearly that they fill orders as soon as they can, but not to order from them anything that you need quickly as their available time is limited -- but lengthy delays are not really excusable from a larger operation, especially when only "in stock" items have been ordered.

My most common sources for purchased seed right now are Sand Hill and Victory, because I like the operating philosophy of each, because I prefer supporting competent but small family operations when possible, and because, for items I want, both their inventories and their shipping policies complement one another. For example, if both have an item I want, the same price will usually buy more good seed from Sand Hill, but more prompt delivery of good seed from Victory -- depends upon which is most important for a particular order -- and each has desirable varieties the other doesn't carry.

But year around I save links to items I run across that I would like and when I make orders for spring garden, I look those over and often place an order with one or two companies that are offering some item(s) that aren't generally available -- sometimes small companies -- sometimes big ones from which I order only when they have something I can't get elsewhere.