Curling up with a mug of a warm beverage and perusing a stack of the best seed catalogs for gardeners is one of my favorite things to do on a cold, wintry day. While freezing rain may be falling outside, inside it’s page after brightly colored page of poppies and petunias, peppers and watermelons.

Personally, I like to plan my additions to next season’s landscape from the comfort of my living room. I also love encountering unusual plants by reading a catchy description or encountering an appealing photo. Ah, for pages and pages of carrots, or more varieties of sunflowers than you can imagine, or squash of varying shapes, sizes, and colors. Then there’s the tomatoes with names like Moonglow, Missouri Pink Love Apple, and Mortgage Lifter. It’s nearly impossible to choose just one.

To help you get started, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite resources for seeds and other garden supplies. Furthermore, all of these catalogs are available for free. They are a great place to get ideas and start planning for the season ahead. Better still, often catalog pricing is a fraction of what I might spend on plants at the garden center.

Seed Savers Exchange

Founded in 1975 and based on the 890 acre Heritage Farm in Iowa, Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization whose mission is to collect, grow, and share heirloom plants. This organization sells seeds to the public through its website and annual catalog. Additionally, they also offer membership opportunities that come with discounts, a quarterly magazine, and even free or reduced admission to gardens, arboreta, and conservatories through the American Horticultural Society. As the name suggests, it also hosts a seed exchange. The exchange is a community seed swap where the 13,000 members can list rare and heirloom seeds they’ve grown. This online database makes them available to other gardeners. Supporting Seed Savers Exchange means you’ll be helping to promote the growth and stewardship of heirloom seeds by greater numbers of people every year.

The Hudson Valley Seed Company

This is a small, farm-based organization that began as a seed library with a focus on saving and sharing seeds. It has since expanded into a reliable resource for heirloom and open-pollinated seeds, as well garden-themed contemporary art. Their own certified organic farms produce most of these seeds for herbs, flowers, and vegetables. Alternatively, some are sourced from other local farmers. Hudson Valley seeds arrive in colorful ‘Art Packs’. These packs are designed by different artists, with new artists and new designs every year. The packs make these seeds especially gift-worthy. Be sure to check out their collection of fine art as well. The posters and prints would make a unique treat for you or the other gardeners in your life!

Burpee Seed Company

This company has a comprehensive catalog of vegetables, annuals, and perennials. Burpee has been producing non-GMO, open-pollinated and hybrid seeds since 1881. With a vast selection and history of introducing innovative varieties, Burpee has something to offer the seasoned gardener, as well the beginner. In fact, they’ve curated an assortment of consistently high-performing herb, vegetable, and flower varieties tailored specifically to new gardeners. One of their aims is to build confidence and foster success right from the start. The company also offers all manner of gardening supplies. These include tomato cages and compost to gloves, fertilizers, and even garden carts. It’s a true destination for one-stop shopping.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Baker Creek offers the largest selection of seeds in the United States with almost 2,000 varieties of heirloom flowers, vegetables, and herbs, including an impressive collection of 19^th century Asian and European varieties. Now in its 21^st season, Baker Creek collects, grows, and preserves endangered seed types from here in North American, and throughout the globe. All of its seeds are non-GMO, non-treated, and non-patented.

In addition to the extensive catalog, the company hosts festivals with the goal of bringing together gardeners, homesteaders, and natural food enthusiasts to share seeds and ideas, browse vendors, and enjoy music and lecturers at their farm and authentic pioneer village in the Ozark hills of Missouri. Furthermore, visitors to the farm can shop for seeds and learn best practices for growing them. They can tour Baker Creek’s trial gardens, and dine in its restaurant. There’s an herbal apothecary on –site, as well as a natural bakery, native rock oven, and a garden museum. Road trip, anyone?

Renee’s Garden

Renee’s Garden bills itself as the ‘Garden to Table Seed Company’. I couldn’t agree more. This company offers exclusively non-GMO varieties of heirlooms, certified organic, international hybrids, and open-pollinated seeds. The collection tends to be interesting and unusual, emphasizing flavorful herbs and vegetables for cooking. Seeds can be purchased individually. These include French baby bush beans, heirloom columbines, and wasabi arugula, to name a few. Alternatively there’s the ‘Easy to Grow’ collections for containers- herb gardens, kitchen gardens, etc. Seed packets are beautifully decorated with watercolor portraits. They include all the necessary growing instructions, planting charts, harvesting tips, and even cooking suggestions. Renee has also published a collection of recipe books to shepherd your produce right into the kitchen.

Gardener’s Supply Company

Based in Vermont, Gardener’s Supply Company offers customers everything from organic seeds to garden furniture. If you need it, Gardener’s Supply sells it – and in myriad colors and styles. This is one of my favorite places for gifts. I love just browsing its wares for new ideas and finding things I didn’t even realize I needed!  They also sell seeds in individual packets and also often ship them for free. This company also has charming themed gift sets. These make it easy to grow ingredients for salads, cocktails, and tacos, among other things. The company is committed to being a leader in sustainability and making positive contributions to the environment through responsible sourcing of products like their line of teak garden furniture certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Even though most of these catalogs offer a one-stop shopping experience, one of the great things about using them to plan your garden is that you don’t actually have to work from just one. Go through your stack and mix and match – some flowers from Hudson Valley, veggies from Baker Creek, whatever catches your eye. Prices for seeds are reasonable and the convenience of doing it all right in your living room beats running around to different garden centers and big box stores trying to find everything you’re looking for in the snow and at the last minute. The biggest benefit of all, there’s no better way to spend these chilly afternoons than getting lost in the vibrantly colored photos and possibilities that spring up as soon as you open the cover of a seed catalog.