Seed-stopping

Much more challenging than the horticultural processs of seed-starting is the act of seed-stopping. Seed stopping involves planting the seeds you have and not ordering any new ones. Like eating just one potato chip or drinking just one glass of wine, seed-stopping takes willpower. Some of us are seedaholics. It's in our DNA. It's a sickness, like diabetes... or Pilates... ok?

My SSA (Seed-Starters Anonymous) meetings are always the same:

"Hi, my name is Angela and I order from Select Seeds, Renee's Garden, Johnny's, J.L. Hudson... even... ebay. Late at night, I troll the seed racks at Raley's and Long's. I scored a pack of Genovese basil at Long's the other night. For God's sake... Genovese basil... at a drugstore! Basil's tough to crack, I tell ya. I already have basil plants, but after giving those Genovese babies a good long shake close to my ear, I couldn't resist an online binge later that night on Renee's primo packs of Windowbox Mini Basil, Mrs. Burns' Lemon Basil, Salad Leaf Basil, melons, peppers, beans and chard. Then I crashed. Woke up the next morning with wrinkled seed packets stuck to my face. Where's my sponsor? Is my sponsor here tonight? Oh, hi Martha."

"It's a good thing... you came, Angela. We love you and we want to help you. We can only do that if we know how deeeeply afflicted you are. What you're buying. Remember, take it one packet at a time, and tell us everything you're buying and whether or not you're prepared to plant."

"Oh, I'm prepared to plant, Martha. I probably have enough in my possession to be dealing, but I swear, I'll plant everything I bought. I'm just taking it one packet at a time. Would someone pass me one of those lemon poppyseed petits fours? Gee, I wonder who brought these, har har."