If you're gardening for the first or 40th time this year, there may be some special variety of seed you are looking for that is proving difficult to find. After disappointing garden results last summer, I set out to find varieties recommended for my specific gardening region this year.

Some varieties have been easy to find and others have proved very elusive. I'm convinced that big box stores all over the country receive similar shipments of seed packets - generic varieties or those that might grow well in most (but not all) areas. Where to turn besides trying your luck with Google?

Mother Earth News. The magazine that has been promoting self-sufficient living since the 1970s has an expansive database of seed varieties offered from a large number of mail order companies. Just type in what you are looking for and you will get a list of where you can find it. You can also search for organic pest control products you might not be finding in your local garden center or nursery.

You'd better order those seeds soon though. Gardening season is beginning already in the South.