Since learning about winter sowing (I’m a bit hooked on it), my seed stash has increased significantly. I needed to find a way to store them that was organized so that I could easily find what I needed later.
In the past, I saved my seeds in a jar in the fridge in order to make them last longer. The more I plant each year, the less likely I’ll need those seeds to last more than 2 years.
On the Winter Sowers group on Facebook (which I highly recommend joining if you’re at all interested in winter sowing), one gal showed how she stored her seeds: a binder! I immediately gathered the materials and got to work setting up my own.
Materials:
- 3 ring binder (3+ inch), D-ring style preferred
- 3-pocket photo pages
- Sports card pages
- Index note cards
- Pill bags/pouches
The 3-pocket photo pages hold a baggie with my plant labels, the pill bags, and the index cards. They also hold the seed packets I have pulled out to plant next or that have not been opened yet.
The front pocket of the binder holds index cards I have cut in half and some notes about what I want to do in the garden next.
The sports card pages hold the seeds. I separated them into herbs, cool-weather seeds, fruit and warm-weather seeds, and flowers. Each pocket includes the packet, if it is available, the seeds in a pill bag and some planting notes. The planting notes are on an index card that has been divided in half.
| Front of binder with Territorial Seed Co graphic on it. Pretty.:) |
| plant labels, seed pouches (pill bags) and index cards |
| Unopened seed packets or ones I want to get to next |
| A sheet of cool weather seeds. Each pocket has the info sheet (half an index card with my notes), seeds, and the seed packet if available. |
| Back of the seed pocket sheet. The notes are facing out so I can flip through them (blanks are because I had enough seeds to need two pockets) |
| The contents of one seed pocket |
| All organized and on my bookshelf. Yay! |
That’s it! I can easily store the binder and flip through my seeds. I put a cut out from my seed catalog on the front because it’s pretty 🙂 and a label on the spine so I can easily spot it on our main book shelf.
I am working on a gardening journal as well to plan and document our various gardens. I considered combining it with the seed binder, but I think I’ll like to have them both open while I’m working and dreaming.
How do you store your seeds? Do you have any garden journal recommendations?
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Tauna Meyer
I'm Tauna, owner of Proverbial Homemaker! This is me: Jesus follower, wife, mom, [domestically challenged] homemaker, homeschooler, and writer. Proverbial Homemaker exists to bring you encouragement and tools for the journey. Let us pursue God's call on our lives (no matter the learning curve) and rely on Him to equip us for the task!
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Mama S says
very neat, I like it!
Proverbial Homemaker says
Thank you! 🙂
Jacqueline@ Deeprootsathome.com says
Tauna,
Mine is similar, but I like yours better. I just may make the change 🙂 Thanks!
BTW, while I am thinking of it, please take the time to link-up (you may already have) on the “Encourage One Another’ Wednesday link-up. You’re posts are always great. And you are invited to share every week! Blessings!
http://www.deeprootsathome.com/encourage-one-another-wednesday-link-up-77/
Proverbial Homemaker says
I did link up! Thanks. I just rediscovered your blog a few days ago and have been having a ball browsing through all the awesome gardening posts. Bloggy gold mine! Thanks!
Proverbial Homemaker says
This comment has been removed by the author.
Julia Forshee says
Ingenious! So simple and easy to use!! Itching to get out to the garden. I recently started a Thursday link-up party (yes, today:), and I would really love to see this post and/or any others you would like to include. I am at allthingswithpurpose.com. Hope to see you there and for many more Thursday’s to come!!
Proverbial Homemaker says
Thank you Julia! I’ll check it out. 🙂
Lindsey says
This is a GREAT idea! I am just learning how to garden, so I will have to remember this to help me out and keep me organized. Thank you for linking up at Tending The Home Tuesdays!
Proverbial Homemaker says
It really does help! Otherwise my seeds end up all over the place. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
jennspeacornpopnuts.com says
Very neat idea – and nicely done. Serious gardening! We’ve not gardened due to drought and my husband having been ill. But oh how I think he’d like a seed catalog like that. I’ll have to keep this in mind. AND one for me. I have seeds stored here and there in the fridge and freezer …
Thanks!
Visiting by way of Sarah’s Homemaking Link Up.
Jenn
Proverbial Homemaker says
Thanks for visiting! Seed catalogs are SO fun even when gardening is not on the horizon, IMO!
Mrs. Sarah Coller says
What a great way to organize everything—and it’s so pretty! Featuring you this week when I get the link up tonight…thanks for sharing! 😉
Sarah
Mrs. Sarah Coller says
Alrighty, linkup is live and you have been featured! 🙂 Feel free to take a “featured” button, if you’d like.
Blessings!
Sarah
Proverbial Homemaker says
That’s so sweet of you! Thanks!
Jenny says
Mine are an absolute mess inside my freezer. 🙁 I tried storing them in a box but it just really didn’t work but I love this idea and I think this might and I will have to give it a try. Good to know about the FB group too, I may have to look into that. Thank you so much for visiting the HomeAcre Hop!
Lisa Lynn says
Awesome idea! Thanks so much for sharing this on The HomeAcre Hop!
Hope to see you on Thursday at:
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/03/the-homeacre-h…iveaway-winner.html
I changed the starting time for the hop to Thurs morning and we’ll be announcing the winner of the seed giveaway!
Lisa Lynn says
I featured this post on The HomeAcre Hop 🙂
Just wanted to let you know that I shared it on Facebook, Twitter, Stumbleupon, Pinterest, and Digg!
tash says
This is a great idea! How many pages/seeds can you get in a 3 inch binder? I was thinking of doing smaller binders, maybe 1″ or 1.5″, and having one for just tomatoes, maybe even separating them into different types of tomatoes.
Tauna says
I think that would work well! I haven’t maxed out my binder (because I use up and replace seeds) so I’m not sure how many one would hold.
Melissa S says
Great idea, I am going to do this, so much better then the box I threw my seeds into last year.
Tauna says
It really is handy! Glad you found it helpful. 🙂