The catalogs are coming! The catalogs are coming!

Must be the end of the year... so far the Burpee and Tomato Growers Supply Co. seed catalogs have arrived in my mailbox, and I suspect they're only the beginning.

What I love most about these catalogs isn't actually the plants they offer (although Burpee's "Red Lightning" tomato is awfully pretty); it's that they get people excited about gardening in the dead of winter.

Frankly, it doesn't matter whether "Fresh Salsa" or"Halley 3155 VFF Hybrid #4538" makes a better bruschetta. What matters is which photo and description gets you out in the garden scouting for a sunny site and poking seeds into the ground.

Next up should be the Seeds of Change catalog, which I think surpasses even Burpee for showing gorgeous companion flowers and perennials in addition to edibles.

What's your favorite mail-order seed or plant company?