How to pick reputable seed and bulb catalogs

Q. I am interested in ordering seeds from a garden catalog. However, with so many catalogs, how do I know which catalogs are reputable?A. In the midst of winter's chill, gardeners can become tempted by glossy images of lush gardens in seed catalogs, and begin ordering from the first catalog they receive. However, that isn't a wise decision. Instead, it's important to find seed companies that meets your garden's needs.First, choose a seed company that offers seeds for plants in your growing zone. Many seed catalogs cater to the entire United States. Unfortunately, what may grow in a Southern garden may fail in the North.Next, check return policies, guarantees, shipping charges and substitution policies. Reputable seed companies are not afraid to guarantee their product and will offer reimbursement or a replacement if the seeds do not perform as expected.Finally, look for companies that specialize in the type of seed that interests you. For example, companies that only specialize in native plant seed are likely to offer the highest-quality seed since they have more experience. The same is true for bulb companies. Those that only specialize in bulbs will usually breed higher quality bulbs over a small company that offers a few bulbs along with a variety of other seeds and plants. The following two Web sites are excellent resources help you select the proper catalogs: bull;Cyndi's Catalog of Garden Catalogs (gardenlist.com) provides more than 2,000 mail-order gardening catalogs in the U.S. and Canada, plus links to mail-order companies outside North America, as well as other gardening-related sites. This Web site provides a company's ratings for quality, service, price and range of varieties.bull;The Garden Watchdog (davesgarden.com/products/gwd) provides thousands of mail order gardening companies. The Web site also lets gardeners share their opinions on which companies really deliver on quality, price and service. bull; Provided by Mary Boldan and Donna Siemro, University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners. Send questions to Ask a Master Gardener, c/o Friendship Park Conservatory, 395 W. Algonquin Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016, (847) 298-3502 or via e-mail to cookcountymg@sbcglobal.net.