Before you all run out to WalMart and start buying any old seed packets, let me give you a few words of gardening advice: If you're going to spend countless hours planning, planting, watering, weeding and caring for your garden, get the most bang for your buck. And by buck I mean, sometimes it is wise to spend a few extra dollars for high quality seeds so that your garden produces maximum results. I am sure most people can get a seed to grow, but will that seed produce a bountiful harvest?

It takes no more time to care for good seeds than it does to care for bad seeds, so a little homework on your part will provide greater satisfaction at the end of the growing season. Selecting seeds can be a complex task, especially with so many varieties to choose from. Here's a helpful hint ? most local county extension offices have experienced agriculturalists that know what grows best in your area. Their advice is free and can point you in the right direction quickly. The best way I have found to get good seed advice is to find the hole in the wall garden shop with the old guy behind the counter that has been in this business for years. It's a one stop shop ? I get great advice (and plenty of other stories that I may or may not want to hear) and can have the store keeper walk me over to the best seeds for the vegetable and fruit varieties I am looking for.

One other thing to look for on your seed packets is the AAS label ? the "All-American Selections" label. The AAS is a non-profit organization that tests seeds by growing them in a variety of soil and climate conditions nationwide. Only those found to perform well under a variety of conditions and produce superior crops can earn the prestigious AAS seal.

One last tidbit that I have always found to be helpful is to draw up a garden layout before I go shopping for seeds. This doesn't have to be a difficult task ? just grab a pencil and paper and sketch out your garden dimensions. Draw in your plants in the rows and do the best you can to estimate how much space you really have to work with ? and don't forget to rotate your plant's position in the garden for the previous year. Crop rotation keeps soil from getting depleted of needed nutrients and gives your plants a fresh start year after year.

Now you're fully armed with a little good information to go out and find the right seeds for your garden plot ? but not just any old seeds ? find the seeds that will produce the best in your neck of the woods.

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