Welcome Blacktib!! If you are a newbie in need of seeds you may want to try the Canadian Exchange Forum. They often distribute 'newbie' packets of seeds so you can get started. You may want to send a SASE and request the kinds of seeds you want to grow this year: veggies, flowers, annuals, perennials. Then next year when you have collected seeds you can do some trades. Just start by making request on the exchange forum.

Hi Blacktib,

Seeds are a little like teenage music collection. We tend to collect a lot of seeds very quickly. Often growing them for a season or 2 then switching to a new one. There are a few I love and have kept year after year, but many I love and don't, and few I wonder why I ever tried. I am always looking for new plants to try, this year being many Asian Greens, last year Italian heirlooms etc. Finding the right seeds is what we have winter for :-) .

Much depends on your space and time. I like square foot gardening method for many plants as it takes less space and forces your attention to address the needed area. I tended otherwise not to pay attention to a plant, but a row, then end up with glut of plants come harvest or none, come bugs. Grow what you like to eat. Salad, Tomato, herbs, garlic and peppers being my staple. Then beans, peas, kale, summer squash. Its nice to grow potato, carrots, onions, but unless they speciality, these tend to be soo cheap to buy.

Find a few blogs and see what they growing and comments on them, like this forum as well. A single heirloom lettuce left to seed will produce enough lettuce for years by mid season. Other plants are annual or biannual. Tatiana is invaluable for tomato information http://t.tatianastomatobase.com

Search your area for Seedy Saturday event (tends to be heirlooms and usually has a number of people in one place). Weston seeds is very Italian centric heirlooms, with generous amount of seeds in a packet. I have even used ebay for special finds. William Dam sells larger packets.

Its really helpful to find a nearby grower to share with, as often a packet of seeds - (even tomato with 25 seeds in it) can see you for 5 years or more years if you plant them one per place in a tray. By that time some seeds may be too old to grow. trays and lights etc tend to cost me as much as seeds now :-)

Welcome on board.
nBoer