Does anyone else think that buying seeds feels like buying the time to plant them as well?

We grow a huge garden and live in a cold climate. Lots of stuff gets started indoors for us. We also have heated sand tables in our greenhouse so we can transition starts earlier to be outdoors.

And the seed collection is still out of control.

Buying seeds is always an exercise in optimism! There’s always next year…

That's why I only buy native perennials. Not as cheap as seeds, but they'll last pretty much forever. They also need much less attention than annuals.

I do wish I had the time for a vegetable garden, though. I hope to build a sub irrigated planter some day soon to grow annual vegetables in.

You can start them indoors months ahead of time, and cheaply. Get some peat pellets, a plastic container that lets some light through, plant some seeds, and cover with plastic wrap or similar. You'll have ready to go plants by the time it warms up.