As they ring in a new year, many people strive to plant the seeds of good habits, hoping to reap the benefits of healthier behavior patterns. (Dry January, we see you!) Many resolutions involve exercise, getting fresh air and eating more vegetables. One way to meet all of those goals at once is planting actual seeds. Gardening is good for both physical and mental health, and getting rosemary and tomatoes to show for your efforts sweetens the deal. In recent years, seed companies have been sending out their catalogs earlier and selling out sooner. So, if you want to score the leek variety of your dreams, start planning now. Online shopping gives gardeners access to seed sellers nationwide, and many are familiar with Wolcott’s High Mowing Organic Seeds, but Vermont also has smaller and more specialized sellers. Read on to learn about a multigenerational company that got its start importing French snails, a two-person operation that specializes in endangered varieties, and a business that deals solely in medicinal and culinary herbs and flowers. Growing Up Gourmet Le Jardin du Gourmet, St. Johnsbury, artisticgardens.com Shallots were practically unknown in the United States until they made their way into American cuisine thanks to the “Shallot King.” In 1954, Raymond Saufroy, a French coal miner turned New York City chef, was dismayed that he couldn’t find shallots, couscous or escargots to use at his restaurant. So he began importing them from his native country. During the ’60s, Saufroy left the restaurant biz and bought a farm in New Jersey. He started growing shallots, added European herb and vegetable seeds to his offerings, and renamed the business Le Jardin du Gourmet. Then, in the mid-’70s, he moved the operation to West Danville. The key to Saufroy’s enterprise was offering small, inexpensive packets so that home gardeners could harvest a wide variety of crops without shelling out for seeds they didn’t need. The tiny West Danville post office was soon inundated with envelopes, each containing a single dollar and a request for Saufroy’s most popular offering: an eight-variety sampler pack, a catalog and a booklet of recipes. In 1988, Saufroy sold the business to his daughter and son-in-law, Suzanne and Paul Taylor, who moved it to St. Johnsbury. They are now preparing to sell it to their son, Mathew Taylor, 34, and his wife, Alejandra. Many of Le Jardin’s seeds are still…