same here- new varieties are EXCITING!!! But I couldn't bring myself to put the "8-ball" zucchini on the list- just too weird for me.
Do you have a secret 'carrot' tip? I'm thinking I should really thin them much more than I do (it kills me to 'kill' a seedling, so I don't do it enough), but even with over foot-high soft-as-a-blanket fluffy-mound-beds, the carrots didn't materialize very well this year for me.

I'm just as excited about the catalogs. I've already placed some orders. This year I will be trying a few new things.
Pumpkins: Full-sized pumpkins with short-vines. I've only tried Jack Be Little on a trellis.
Corn: I don't have a lot of space, but I figure I will allot enough space for a block of corn.
Blueberries: I hate spending $4 for a handful of blueberries. They will take a few years to start producing well, but I really want to give it a try.
Open-pollinated/heirloom peppers (mostly sweet) and tomatoes: I'm trying a few new varieties this year.
Gourds: I ordered mixed gourd seeds. I think the kids would really love them. They'll make great fall decorations as well.
Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: Kim's Gardens

Not really any secrets, but you already got the first part of it figured out: fluffy, good draining soil. Thats why I prefer flower boxes; it's easier to deal w. than the ground, even a raised bed. How deep are you planting the seeds? What I do is lay them on top of the already existing medium in the box, and then cover them w. another handful of soil, so ultimately, they only end up about 1/4" down.

As far as the thinning thing goes, I have the perfect solution for you that takes thinning out of the equation: SOW DIFFERENTLY :-D The seed packets will tell you to thin to 2" when the plants are 1" tall. So why not just sow them 2" apart, and eliminate the need for thinning all together? :-) Granted, carrot seeds are tiny, and a pain to try to do one at a time. I used to run out of patience after one row, and then just broadcast the rest because I was tired of trying to be precise. However, they are much easier to handle using tweezers. Anyway, doing it this way, I can get 15-20 carrots in one box. Remember to water deeply as well. I sow all my seeds this way, and never have to thin anything except beets, kuz a beet 'seed' is a cluster of seeds, and not just one

These are the varieties I'm looking at for next year: Atomic red
Cosmic purple
Lunar white
Yellowstone

All of these varieties are from Pinetree 'cept for Yellowstone which is from Vermont Bean. Of course, I've only got four catalogs so far, so that's subject to change :-D

I adore the seed catalogs; they are cheap therapy during the winter. So far I think I've only received the Pinetree and Vermont Bean Seed catalogs, but just printed out my list of seed on hand so I can go through these and look for new varieties. I am somewhat limited for the 2010 season though, since we're hoping to sell and move to a new property. Good in the long run since garden space is a top priority in house hunting, but it will keep my garden expansion plans in check this year.

Somewhere between my office on Wednesday and my living room on Wednesday night, my catalogs have evaporated! :-O Hoping I can find them and there are more in the mailbox when I get home tonight

Pinetree Seeds and Vermont Bean and Seed have arrived, and already have drool marks on them! I want to try the rainbow Swiss Chard and Buttercrunch lettuce. If I let myself go and ordered every seed I wanted, we'd have to plow up the back 5 acres and take out a loan.

"As is custom every year, I want everything in each one..." Ha! You sound like me (and probably many others on this forum ;). I hope you find your catalogs!! Yeah, you can look online, but it's not the same, is it?

Next year will be The Year of the Bean for me. I plan to try all those varieties of beautiful dry beans I've always wanted to plant ~ Orca, Tiger Eye, Mayflower, Mayocoba, Cherokee Trail of Tears, Grandma Nellie's Mushroom, Jacob's Cattle, Flagg, ... Good thing I have plenty of room and a 50hp tractor with a 6' tiller on the back.

Mmqchdygg, try those 8-Balls! They're fun and make for great stuffed squash, especially when you pick them little. I liked them so much that I tried the open-pollinated counterpart (Ronde de Nice) this past year in the hopes that I could save seeds, but it was a disappointment (too watery). I'll probably grow 8-Ball again next year.

I certainly always want more than my little garden will hold. So far only one catalog has come. Next years experiment Garlic (Rosso di Sulmona). ALso trying my hand at carrots so thanks for the pointers bomber.

This past years experiment is still in in process. I tried my hand at growing Radicchio di treviso. I pulled my healthiest plants last weekend and I am forcing them to head up in the basement as I type. I just peaked after one week. Looks very promising. Probably another two or three weeks more.

I think I bought too much already. One site had a 20percent off sale, then a 10percent off sale for the 2010 stock. I spent close to $100 mostly on heirloom tomatoes. yeep!

I order almost all of my seeds on-line... but like you folks, I need the CATALOGS! Just wouldn't be the same without 'em.

I FOUND THE CATALOGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Turns out I had them in a shopping bag at I brought my lunch to work in last week, and my wife found them as she was clearing off the table. Let the browsing continue! :-D

...just be sure to shut the curtain in front of your cubicle...

No cube curtains here, just frosten glass. I sit in the corner anyway :-D