GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

dommy · 01-09-2003, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by
On Sun, 31 Aug 2003 18:21:57 GMT, dommy
wrote:

~Hello all,
~
~I was wondering what other people are using to order seed online.
~
~I am thinking of ordering from:
~
~www.mr-fothergills.co.uk
~
~They offer good value for money and dont charge any P&P for delivery.
~
~Would like more opinions etc on what the rest of you guys use.
~
~Cheers
~--
~dommy

My listing of suppliers online, with comments as I've currently got on
my website is:

http://www.mr-fothergills.co.uk/
An old seed firm, still available in garden centres but not too common
now. Large range of varieties.
http://www.unwins-seeds.co.uk/supplier_search.asp
Another long-established firm. No web ordering, but does give listings
of stockists. Cheap and cheerful. Does mail order and are very
friendly.
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/seeds/uk/index.html
First of the Big Two. Wider range, but more expensive, probably to
subsidise the greater stocks.
http://www.suttons-seeds.co.uk/index.html
The other one :-) Easiest to find in garden centres so don't bother
with mail order unless you want something really obscure.
http://www.dobies.co.uk
Part of Suttons - they definitely have identical catalogues for plug
plants.

Smaller and more specialist firms
http://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/
This firm sells virtually identical stock to Suttons at about 2/3 of
the price.
http://www.vidaverde.co.uk
Totally organic smallholders who grow heritage varieties and encourage
self-sufficiency. They do not grow anything that will not generally
come true to saved seed assuming no cross pollination! Priceless.
http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/
Main suppliers for fruit trees, potatoes and other veg. for half the
allotmenteers on my site! They did do web ordering last year, but it´s
vanished again, sadly. May be on the way back as the website is
currently being redesigned.
http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~nfarl...etty/etty.html
Heritage seeds. Some things you can´t get anywhere else.
http://www.seedsofitaly.sagenet.co.uk/default.htm
Franchi seeds, huge packets with even huger numbers of seeds in each.
Very good value and the seeds arrive promptly.
http://www.eaglenursery.co.uk/seed%20list.htm
Sweet peas. I´m not a competition grower, I just think they cheer up
the house. And they smell wonderful
http://www.lathyrus.com
Owl's Acre Sweet peas. Yet more Sweet Peas.
http://www.gardenerskitchen.co.uk/
This is the firm that grows all those strips of vegetables you buy in
garden centres after something´s eaten your own seedlings. They use
commercial varieties, but are happy to answer questions on where to
get seed!
Diane Sewell sweet peas: - if anyone finds she´s finally got a website
before I do, please let me know!

Out of 28 veg. seed varieties I bought this year, 3 were Unwins, 8
Suttons', 7 T&M, 7 DTBrown, 2 Marshall's, 1 Franchi. That's not
including the flowers, which usually come off an Amateur gardening
magazine and so are T&M.

Hope this helps a bit!
jane wanders off trying to remember why on earth she grew so much...

Thanks very much for the reply Jane. Very detailed and very helpful. Thanks once again, very much appreciated.