We are nearing the end of January, and have enjoyed our first snow this winter of any consequence. The days are too cold to spend more than a short time outdoors, but if you are like me, you are feeling the pull of sunshine and fresh air. A few weeks from now, we will be back outside, pruning dead branches from trees and shrubs and cleaning out old flower and vegetable beds.

Right now, about all we can do is drink tea in front of the fire and dream our way through the many seed and garden catalogues that arrive every week. Seed catalogue season is one of my favorite times of year. As I muse about the new projects I will start in the spring, I can push to the back of my brain the many tasks I didn’t complete in 2021, like ordering the peony support grids and designing the small rain garden for our side yard. I still have time to do both, but right now, I want to think about seeds.

For many years, I have shied away from planting seeds. I always had excuses: not enough time, couldn...