NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – It begins in December. By January, seed and plant catalogs arrive at your mailbox (or email) almost daily. Browsing through their pages provides a welcome escape from the garden-deprived days of winter.

For more than a century, seed and plant catalogs have provided gardeners with information on plant varieties, growing requirements and other useful details, allowing them to purchase the vegetables, fruits and flowers that will do the best for their plant hardiness zone and growing conditions.
These catalogs contain a wealth of information to help grow a successful garden. The trick is having some basic knowledge about your location to help you choose the best plants.
First, determine your United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Plant Hardiness Zone. Choose perennial plants that are labeled for the local zone. Find USDA Hardiness Zones at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.
It is good to know the anticipated last frost date in the spring (when the danger of frost has likely passed) and first anticipated frost date in the fall. The autumn date is useful to estimate how long the garden likely will last before a killing frost puts an end to its productivity. Find the average last and first frost dates for a location at garden.org/apps/frost-dates.
The number of days between the last frost date (spring) and the first frost date (fall) is the length of the growing season. If the “days to maturity” is longer than a growing season, cold weather could put an end to a garden before it’s ready to harvest.
A catalog listing will tell the plant’s name and the variety being offered (e.g., Cornflower ‘Emperor William’), the plant’s size at maturity (important when planning the number of plants needed), light requirements, what will be received (i.e., seeds or a plant) and the price. If ordering seeds, the listing will often state the approximate number of seeds in a packet.
The description should also provide the plant’s botanical name. A plant may be known by different common names (e.g., Cornflower is also known as bachelor’s button.), or the same common name may refer to entirely different plants. The botanical name identifies a specific plant.
The plant description goes beyond the catalog description and research plant care, potential pests and diseases and other specifics before adding it to a garden.
In addition, listings may include whether a plant is an heirloom variety or a native, if it’s drought tolerant, scented or suitable for cut flowers if it will attract pollinators such as bees, hummingbirds and butterflies or if it’s deer resistant.
Catalogs often use symbols to indicate useful information such as appropriate growing conditions (full sun, part shade, full shade). Look for a key to what those symbols mean in the general information section of the catalog or as a footnote at the bottom of the page.
A “hardy annual” would likely resist a light frost without damage, lasting until a hard freeze. A “half-hardy annual” would likely sustain damage from a frost and a “tender annual” would succumb to temperatures approaching freezing.
Plants labeled “tender perennial” aren’t frost tolerant and are often treated as annuals in colder climates. They’d need to be overwintered indoors and moved back outside after danger of frost has passed in the spring.
Whether starting seeds this spring or awaiting delivery of plants once spring arrives, catalogs can be a great way to get a head start on the gardening season.
Deborah J. Benoit is a UVM Extension Master Gardener from North Adams, Mass., who is part of the Bennington County Chapter.