Growing plants is a tale of endless curiosities; names of unfamiliar varieties are always enticing, as are the relations of old favorites. This seedlist is an attempt to offer seed of plants that have not been commonly available, but might be of interest to plant enthusiasts. California's mild wet winters and rainless summers encourage gardeners to try plants that are adapted to this pattern; emphasis in the seedlist is on plants that are suited to this Mediterranean type of climate and that will thrive with limited water.

Most seeds offered have been collected from plants grown in my garden in the Pajaro Valley in central California. Proximity to the Monterey Bay keeps summer temperatures mild, with cool morning fogs and warm afternoons. Winter can bring frequent frosts, but nightime temperatures generally stay in the upper 20's(F.)