I always order most of my seeds way too early. I have a scarcity mindset, I want ensure the store has what I want and not have to monitor or wait for emails when something comes back in stock. I also like being *that* gardener that has the seed nobody else has, so I can share the seeds and smugly pat myself on the back for having such mind-blowing forethought.
It was the same with Covid, that scarcity mindset. Early February, I went to Walgreens looking for disposable face masks. None to be found, the employee told me “some Asian guy came in and bought the entire stock, including what was in the back, to send home to his family”. This was the day before I grabbed one of the last N95’s at Lowes. Before any restrictions, before most people even began thinking about COVID. Only the paranoid cynics like myself were stocking up on anything. I went to Costco that week, grabbed TP, water ect and I was the only person doing so. I felt crazy. Wondered if I was over-reacting.
That day at Walgreens, I sounded totally coo-coo to the employee I was chatting with, I told her this COVID thing would be very very bad and to stock up herself. I said, this will be a life-changing event, for weeks, maybe even a month or so! I laugh now because I was the crazy one sounding the alarm, to people who shook their heads at me. And I underestimated everything. Ms. Killer Foresight here, editing this to publish almost a year later…
Anyway, back to seeds. I had a few items I bought late for this past garden season, potatoes and corn in particular. Most of my seeds were already purchased thank god, because I had a helluva time with those last few items. Cancelled potato order at the last minute…IN THE SPRING (thanks High Mowing seeds) when it’s too late to find another vendor with items in stock, and Pine Tree seeds letting me know my seeds would be late, and then later still, with no date, but also no way to cancel my order. So I received corn seeds in MID JUNE. Still pissed about that. It’s gardening and I am a shorter season customer. If you can’t send corn by the end of May, you ask the customer if they want a refund.
Because of all the issues last year, and an awareness that there are more gardeners thanks to covid, my scarcity mindset is only amplified. Instead of ordering seeds December and January, I am DONE ordering seeds by today, December 12th.
Feels good man.
I am grateful for:
1. Urban Farmer Seeds. Fast, reasonably priced.
2. Etsy – grabbing those seeds from tiny shops so I don’t have to use Johnny’s seeds. Johnny’s seeds are hella expensive, have unreasonable shipping costs and I was not impressed with their germination rates when I did order. Too bad too, as their greens selection is impressive.
3. No Covid in this house!
Godspeed Y’all!