local shops v seed merchants

[geoff]

Not sure if this is the right place or the right forum, but here's the question anyway

For the last two years I have bought seeds, onion sets etc. here and there in local shops and garden centres, though the local shops are usually branches of large supermarket and DIY store chains. For 2009 I thought I would place a large single order with a mail order seed merchant

Any comments?

[sewer rat]

Not sure if this is the right place or the right forum, but here's the question anyway

For the last two years I have bought seeds, onion sets etc. here and there in local shops and garden centres, though the local shops are usually branches of large supermarket and DIY store chains. For 2009 I thought I would place a large single order with a mail order seed merchant

Any comments?

I buy all my seed through commercial seed merchants (Tuckers, Moles Seeds and Tamar Organics this year) but then I spend about £700 per annum. You can get a slightly better choice of varieties but you may have to buy seed in larger quantities than you actually want or need.. You could try seeds for Size as another alternative - check out their website.
The only other comment I would make is that if you are growing something that you haven't grown before, bear in mind that commercial seed packets do NOT come with instructions

[Norm]

I use Suttons and Marshalls every year. Can't go wrong

[Snadger]

There are benefits and pitfalls to both! Local shops and Garden centres are sometimes cheaper, you can browse and they usually have a reasonable selection.

Seed merchants have a really good selection, you can browse online, you can get discounts or offers BOGOF etc

Buying small amounts from various seed merchants who charge a standard postage can work out expensive, especially with heavy stuff like seed potatoes or onion sets!

I usually mix and match!

[shirlthegirl43]

I buy a lot of seeds when Wyevale reduce to 50p per packet. Others are bought from Lidl, Aldi and Wilkinsons or wherever I see something I fancy trying. For more specialised items (that I read about in GYO for instance) I then search out a seed company that can supply them.

[PAULW]

I have a local small garden centre that sell seed potato, onion and shallot sets loose so you can buy as many or as few as you like handy if you want to try something and dont want to invest in a 3kg bag, seeds unless it is something special I wait till the end of the season and garden centres have a half price or even better the 50p sale.

[Two_Sheds]

Oh, I'd love to be organised and get them all in one place! But this is how it goes:

1. beans and peas from Beans and Herbs or I save my own
2. salad, carrots etc I still have from last year
3. potatoes and onion sets from Wilko
4. the odd thing I pick up on impulse from local shops
5. swapsies with the Grapevine or mum

[Dobby]

I was only talking to Mrs D this morning about where we are going to get our seeds for next year.
I like go go in the shop and have a look and get them but they are cheaper online.
also with Teso buying dobbies (not us I could never sell MrsD) no one would buy her
ducks and runs out the room

they may be a discount for the poor people that work for them so we will have to see

but the onin sets we will be getting from parkers again we have had them from there 2 years running they cheap and good quality.

how much are the spuds and onions from wilko?

[Demeter]

Since I didn't have much of a plan this year - just buy whatever I fancy when I decide I fancy growing it - most of my seeds have been bought from garden centres etc. I did get a few herb seeds online as they don't seem to have many non-standard herbs at the GC or other shops. Next year will probably be more of the same i.e. get it in the local shops unless there is something I particularly want that they don't have - but maybe at some point after that I will be organised enough to know what I want in time to organise buying online!

[Garden Nut]

Well, like everything in life I think you tend to get what you pay for.
Seed purchased from a Garden Centre has more than likely been bought in bulk at the beginning of the year then sat either on the shelf or in a store room - even though it is in date is it still as viable as properly stored seed - similar story with those mountains of faded grow bags you see sometimes !

So if you buy by mail order from one of the retail big boys you can probably guarantee the seed will be viable and good - but a bit like supermarket food can you guarantee it's organic if it says it is etc when they have more than likely just bought it in on the bulk market (look at the Thompson and Morgan Goji thing for instance); and anyway how can you sell organic seed in a shiny packet - that will be formaldehyde treated paper and the coloured inks are full of all sorts of things that may be absorbed by the seed?

Commercial seed merchants as mentioned above are a good buy if you can handle that much seed - or look to the smaller companies such as Tozers or Victoriana who produce a lot of their own seed - you may pay a little more but at least you know what you're getting and customer service should be better if you have problems; I live quite close to Victoriana so pop in and get most of my seed from them - handy if I have problems as I can always ask someone who's grown the stuff - and its nice to see what they're growing on their big veg garden.

I actually had a problem with some Victoriana Peas a few years back which resulted in my first surprise visit which gave me total confidence in them - but that's another story.

[jackie j]

I am lucky cos I get mine in the local market and the chap gets them from Edwin Tucker and Sons Ltd and charges about the same as if I bought direct, he also sells lots of Loose things like peas, beans, potato etc so only need to buy what I want. I have a catolouge so I can look at what I want.

[geoff]

Thankyou all for your comments

I think I will send for a few seed catalogues in the autumn, then retire to the allotment shed to plan for next year That is the sort of thing that requires peace, quiet, and the assistance of several cups of tea

If you make the order big enough the postage comes down in proportion, and there are usually some offers thrown in as well

It should also prevent a repeat of the panic this spring, when I nearly missed getting onion sets