The stash of 2012 seed catalogs is growing, but not as rapidly as in past years. According to an article in the Dec./Jan. issue of Mother Earth News, gardeners may be surprised to learn there are more than 100 mail-order seed and plant companies. I certainly don’t want 100 catalogs passing through my mailbox, but I was definitely curious. The complete list is available at www.motherearthnews .com/directories/seed- and-plant-directory .aspx?directory=140226.

The thought of perusing the list was just too tempting, so I settled in with a big mug of coffee and went from A to Z. I had some good chuckles from the copy written by company owners and more than one shake of the head and “who knew?” muttered.

Each company followed the same format; most filled in all the information; some decided to leave items blank. I chose some to share with you either for their giggle factor or the “who knew;” plus, I add the disclaimer that I am not endorsing any of them.

• The Boyd Nursery in McMinnville, Texas, supplies native seeds or plants, nut trees and ornamental plants, serving America’s nurserymen since 1887. Under “Evaluate Seeds” the owner, FC Boyd III stated, “By my observation.” No fancy testing labs for him. I’m sure that through all the years of family training, he knows what’s what with the seeds. My visual of him was a big, tall Texan with a Stetson to whom you would say, “Yes, sir.”

I also found some lesser-known Oregon companies that sound interesting and worth investigating.

• Goodwin Creek Gardens in Williams specializes in lavender plants, scented geraniums, milkweeds, and hummingbird and butterfly plants. www.goodwincreekgardens.com.

• Horizon Herbs is also located in Williams and specializes in 1,000 medicinal herb species offered for international distribution in addition to the full range of vegetable and flower seeds. www.horizonherbs.com.

• Lon Rombough is located in Aurora and specializes in (but is not limited to) table grapes. More than 120 varieties; it’s also a provider of fruit plants or seeds. www.bunchgrapes.com.

• The Thyme Garden Herb Co. is a family business located in Alsea. Its specialty is 350 varieties of herb seeds and hop rhizomes. www.thymegarden.com.

• Just Fruits and Exotics in Crawfordville, Fla., states its mission statement as, “To broaden the taste buds and to expand the minds of people to look past the shelves of Wal-Mart for the food they eat.” That is certainly a creditable mission; however, I’m not sure it is stated in the kindest of words.

I couldn’t help but wonder if the next two ever exchanged information, since their mission in the botanical world is similar: flooding the world with hot peppers.

• Pepper Joe’s is located in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and specializes in hot pepper seeds, including the world’s hottest pepper, the ghost pepper. Joe vows “to stick with you every step of the way” by offering newsletters, daily Facebook updates and answering every email personally. “We don’t just take your money and run.” www.pepperjoe.com.

• The Chile Woman grows her pepper business in Bloomington, Ind. According to her business bio, there are more than 3,000 varieties of chilies, but few are available commercially. The Chile Woman currently has 1,500-plus varieties and continues to gather and preserve more. www.the chilewoman.com.

• The newest business on the block is The Living Seed Co., located in San Geronimo, Calif., founded in 2011 and specializing in heirloom seeds. The partners are dedicated to “Happy, Healthy People preserving genetic diversity in our food chain through the distribution and growing of open pollinated seeds and educating about the life affirming art of seed saving.” I wish them success in their new business. www.livingseedcompany.com.

What criteria should you use in choosing a mail order seed company? Gardeners want seed companies that offer seeds with consistently high germination rates. They want seed companies that provide detailed variety descriptions and most importantly, for our area, growing advice. Genetic integrity has become a top priority. Gardeners are very concerned about genetically modified food crops. Gardeners like to make sure the company has signed the Safe Seed Pledge, which is a stated commitment to sell only non-GM seed.

The question often asked is: Why would you order seeds and pay the high postage and handling fee? The answer is because the selection in the catalog is far greater than the selection off the seed rack. In many cases the seed rack selections have no connection to the growing conditions for Central Oregon. In my opinion, improper seed selection is one of the reasons for a failed gardening experience.

There is a bright spot. Nurseries, garden centers, health food stores and farm stores are starting to realize the importance of carrying organic and heirloom seeds. The best part would be if they could custom order the varieties especially suited for our climate.

Central Oregon favorites

These are some of the favorite catalogs used by Liz Douville and other Central Oregon gardeners:

• Nichols Garden Nursery (Albany): www .nicholsgardennursery.com

• Territorial Seed Company (Cottage Grove): www.territorialseed.com

• Johnny’s Selected Seeds (Winslow, Maine): www .johnnyseeds.com

• Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (Mansfield, Mo.): www.rareseeds.com

• Seeds of Change (Rancho Dominguez, Calif.): wwwseedsof change.com

• The Cook’s Garden (Warminster, Pa.): www .cooksgarden.com

• Renee’s Garden Seeds (Felton, Calif.): www .reneesgarden.com

— Liz Douville