Purchasing Seeds

[nes]

Ok so I was very bad and ordered a billion seed catalogues to satisfy my plant lust (the veggie garden is self-sustaining at this point & I'm getting destructive in other areas of the garden ).

However, everyone sells these giant packages of seeds! (still a problem when I bought from the store, I have TONS of leftovers). Their are lots of varieties I want to try, but I only want 3-5 plants of strangely coloured beans or yellow tomatoes or jalapeños. I mean my family can't possibly eat 250 plants worth of bush beans!! We have 30 plants and I'm feeding everyone who comes to my house with beans!!

I don't know anyone I can split a seed shipment with (mostly why I ask you guys so many questions!! ).

Is their anywhere that sells smaller amounts of seeds?
Like 100 bean seeds would be MORE the enough.
I want to invest in some heirlooms and varieties that better suit my needs so I'll be able to save seeds from now on; but I don't want to pay allot either .

[TZ -OH6]

I get a lot of my normal vegetable seeds off the shelf at the local nursery or garden center and they usually have large and small packs for things like beans and peas.


For heirlooms
Victory seeds has sampler pack sizes
https://www.victoryseeds.com/catalog/main_vegies.html

Sand Hill has fairly cheap seeds, packs will plant a 25 ft row.
https://www.sandhillpreservation.com/pages/seed_catalog.html

You can always split up packs and trade for other varieties on the seed trading areas of forums. Tomato and pepper trades are often for only 5-10 seeds each because people only want to grow a couple of plants and then save their own seed from those. I expect that mellon, squash, and cucumber trades are the same.

[rainbowgardener]

Or just save the left overs for future years. I've saved mine in freezer and in refrigerator, either way seems to work. I have seeds still germinate well the third and even fourth year. By then the germination rate is going down, but since you got three year's worth of garden out of a $2 pack of seeds, who cares?

[RosieRenee]

I always felt a bit wasteful too, even though the seeds usually do last a few years. Two years ago, I started planting them all and then throwing a garden party in the Spring. My friends were excited to get seedlings, ready to plant. It was a fun, inexpensive excuse to throw a party and to share the joy of gardening.