From Seed to Harvest
Resources
The Tilth Alliance. They offer a really great book called “Maritime Northwest Garden Guide.” This book is arranged in a month-by-month order. It’s a great help in learning when to plant what. They also offer online courses, as well as in-person classes (albeit mostly in the Seattle/Tacoma area.) Their focus is west of the Cascades. You can buy their book from their website in their “shop.” Here is a link to their site. Welcome to Tilth Alliance! — Tilth Alliance
“Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades” - by Steve Solomon.**
This is a very comprehensive book that is probably best for someone who has a fair amount of gardening experience, and an inground garden or several raised beds.
“The Vegetable Gardeners Container Bible” - by Edward C. Smith.**
This is a great book on container gardening. The author gardens in the Northeast part of the country, so you need to take that into account when considering planting times and varieties. It does however contain a great deal of useful information.
(** Both of the above two books are available on Amazon)
Seeds and Supplies
There are a ton of seed suppliers out there. It’s often difficult to wade through and find the best ones, especially for the maritime Northwest. I’ve learned that it’s best to buy from a supplier that does their own seed trials. The following two suppliers represent 98% of the seeds I buy.
Territorial Seed Company - Vegetable, Flower, & Herb Garden Seed - Territorial Seed Company
They are located in cottage Grove Oregon, and offer a great variety of seeds and plants starts that work well in the maritime Northwest. They also have lots of supplies, as well as good information on how to grow each type of vegetable they sell.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds - Johnny’s Selected Seeds | Supporting Farms & Gardens Since 1973 (johnnyseeds.com)
Although they are located in Maine, they have a wide selection of great quality seeds and varieties that work well where we live. In addition they have a cool selection of garden tools, and lots of info on how to grow. Definitely a site to check out!
An interesting article, especially for beginners.