I have been re-reading Michael Pollan’s “Second Nature,” published in 1991. One of my favorite chapters involves seed catalogs.

In Chapter 11, Pollan writes that gardeners have always had trouble heeding Henry Ward Beecher’s sound 19th-century advice that we not be “made wild by pompous catalogs from florists and seedsmen.” Most gardeners will admit to being carried away with poetic phraseology and color-enhanced photos.

I like to think of seed catalogs as gardening by mail. Print copies start arriving in November. The tradition at my house is to hold off turning even the first page until New Year’s Day. Then out come the yellow sticky notepads and the black marking pen. Each catalog boosts of the newest, biggest, tastiest variety of (you fill in the blank). Some catalogs are meant to be browsed for their creativity. I think of Gurney’s newsprint quality catalog filled with line drawings and clever witticism. The cover of the Plant Delights Nursery catalog is drawn by a cartoonist and looks more like a comic book. Years ago the catalog price was “10 stamps or a box of chocolates.” I doubt if that holds true anymore. The catalog itself is serious stuff. Hundreds of perennial plants are listed with detailed botanical information. The nursery is located in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Before you start turning pages, be reminded that decision -making is simplified by the fact that Central Oregon’s growing season is limited. Check the maturity days listed then add 14 days, which compensates for the swing between warm days and cool nights. The total of maturity days should fall between 90 to 100 days for most of Central Oregon. Madras and Warm Springs gardeners can add 10 to 20 days.

Each year the All-America Selections, the most well-known nonprofit trialing organization, announces new varieties that perform better than their comparisons. I search the catalogs for those releases first.

Two perennials that have been trialed for three winters are sombrero baja burgundy coneflower and American gold rush rudbeckia. Both coneflowers and rudbeckia grow well in our climate and attract pollinators. Generally, you will find the perennials available as plants.

The rich, deep burgundy petals surround the petals of the brown cone of sombrero baja burgundy. The echinacea has a sturdy branching and is hardy to Zone 4.

American gold rush rudbeckia is more compact than goldstum and has been bred for resistance to septoria leaf spot. Gold rush is deer-resistant and is hardy in Zone 3.

Nasturtium tip top rose was announced as the 2020 AAS Flower Winner. The uniquely colored flowers impressed the judges for the color retention of the flowers. Whether in-ground or in containers, the variety stayed uniformly more healthy than other varieties. Tip top is a good pollinator, and both leaves and flowers are edible.

Pumpkin blue prince F 1 was awarded the 2020 AAS Vegetable Winner. Blue prince scored high in the area of uniform fruit size, color, taste, and texture. Vines produce 7- 9 -pound flattened pumpkins. It also scored high in early maturity. Central Oregon gardeners have had as much success with small sugar pumpkin, which has approximately maturity days 100-110, as the blue prince. Success will come with monitoring the weather.

Cucumber green light F1 was bred specifically for growing on stakes or trellis. The cucumber is spineless, nearly seedless and very prolific. Matures at 3 to 4 inches in approximately 40 days from sowing.

Tomato celano F1 is a strong bushy grape patio tomato that will need some support. In comparing with other grape tomatoes, it is sweeter, has better texture and is more prolific.

Tomato galahad F1, another AAS Winner, produces a slightly ribbed 12-ounce fruit, excellent for canning and salsa making. Plants are high yielding and resistant to lake blight and gray leaf spot. Maturity is 75 days.

Watermelon mambo F1 will grow and yield even in cool cloudy conditions. The 9-inch fruit weighs approximately 11 pounds at the 75-day maturity. The fruit is sweet and crispy. Tate holds well and doesn’t overripe if you aren’t able to harvest right away. AAS judges agreed that Mambo is an easy melon to grow.

These AAS selections will head the list in the quest for the seeds. Not all seed catalogs will carry all of the selections. Some years it is like putting a puzzle together, but then what else do we have to do on a chilly winter day?