Sowing Seeds: A Guide on Best to Buy, Tips on Planting

A stop at any nursery, hardware store and even supermarket this time of year will give any shopper the difficult task of not bumping into a metal rack overflowing with hundreds of brightly colored small paper envelopes depicting robust annual and perennial seeds and bushel baskets of healthy vegetables.

Ah, the air is a little warmer, the showers bring fragrance detectable after a long winter and the garden bed is shouting that it needs attention.

But don’t rush out to stock up on the four packs of beans, zucchini and marigolds. Many of the flowers and vegetables gardeners purchase in pla...