Patty's tutorial about seed companies got me thinking. I liked the idea of open source seeds but would they have the plants I want to grow? I looked into the seed companies; Hudson Valley Seeds and Victory Seeds. I checked to see if I could get the varieties that I wanted, seeds that did very well for me last year and they did! Micro Tom, a mini tomato that grew in a hanging basket and probably would have fit nicely in a 4 inch pot. It did fantastic for me and I wanted more seeds to grow them again, they were tiny and delicious.  I will have much less space to grow veggies and plants on my balcony. (Yes, I know I will have a balcony, more on that later**) I'm now shopping for mini everything, turns out there are mini veggie varieties out there and Victory & Hudson Valley seeds has them! In addition to Micro Tom, I bought Tiny Tim Tomato, Tom Thumb Pea, Quick Snack Bush Cukes, Globe Basil, (looks like a boxwood) and a Dwarf Lemon tomato; which was bred and created by the the "Dwarf Tomato Project". They are group of all volunteer, amateur, hobby gardeners. They are just avid gardeners with a keen interest in learning about tomato genetics or discovering interesting new tomatoes. They have done this awesome work out of a sense of purpose and a passion to create new choices for home gardeners. 

 I went a bit mad and bought many different types of seeds, of course. 
Hudson Valley also has these beautiful, art packages these artist-designed seeds packs feel like little treasures. What is an Art pack? Peel back the resealable sticker to unfold a unique piece of art. Inside you will find an inner seed envelope with all the growing instructions and information about the artist. Why Art? Like seeds, artists bring us beauty, meaning and joy. Hudson Valley Seeds work with a diverse group of artists to create the visual seed stories on the Art packs. Visual art provides a window into the history, culture and stories surrounding the seeds.

It's a Win, all the way around!

**I heard from the apartment complex and I am on the top of the list again and there is something in my price range coming soon! No date just yet however. I'll keep you posted!