Idiot's question about buying seeds.

[Pete C]

So, here's the thing: everyone talks about seed catalogues, about spending winter browsing the pages, about the joy of seed distributors. Why?

Having flicked through a few, the prices seem on a par with those in good garden centres, and unless you're limited to the DIY sheds, the choice is also replicated in good garden centres. Also, if one catalogue-based supplier doesn't have a certain item, I'm into another form (either paper or on-line), another supplier to keep track of, another set of my details out there somewhere, and another thing for Postie to lose! At the garden centre, I just step over to the next rack.

Now, accepting that I am not only new to this lark, plus an idiot, can someone please enlighten me to the benefits of seed catalogue-based businesses.

I don't want to make what seems like an obvious move and regret it later.

[Jillyreeves]

I love browsing seed catalogues and web sites, for ideas and inspiration. However this doesnt mean I buy my seeds this way, I get them from many sources, including seed swaps on here with other lovely grapes :-)

[Nicos]

Some catalogues sell seeds in larger quantities..but you may well not want that.
I can understand why you are asking though...but I think you can get an overall greater choice of seeds without clocking up the miles looking for one specific variety ( eg Red Alert tomatoes)
Their in depth description tends to be pretty helpful too- and don't forget it's easy to impulse purchase on extra wide netting which your average garden centre won't stock.
..oh - and waiting for the postie is fun- as is finding a '£off voucher' for your next order!!

[Jeanied]

Hi PeteC - it will depend on what you want to grow and why. If you are looking to start on the basics, then the garden centre seed varieties are absolutely fine. To be honest, that's where I get most of mine - especially at the end of season for 50p a packet! But if you ever get fascinated by rare, unusual or heritage varieties, or want to spend more time browsing, comparing and contrasting the different varieties of each veg / flower and need more information than what is written on the seed packet, then the catalogues are for you! (And they are free!) I am particularly fond of the old fashioned catalogues as I'm going through a nostalgic phase!

[snuffer]

There is no advantage or disadvantage in using the seed catalogues. It is the process that is so much fun. Browsing the catalogues, choosing the variaties and imagining the garden or lottie bursting at the seems with all the wonderful produce you'll be growing.

Best of all is recieving your order through the post, all that potential contained in each of those little packets. It's almost magical.

[Snadger]

I buy seeds from all over the place, online, garden centres,ebay,supermarkets,allotment shop.
I've just been to buy some parrafin this morning at the local allotment shop and came out with a large packet of Kings Golden Bear onions for £1.45 to be sown on soon. I also bought Clapton cauli's and Kilaton cabbage (both clubroot resistant) and Chrystal Lemon cucumbers seeds, all this years stock and all at half recommended price!
This way I save and the allotment society gets a bit more business!.

I'm waiting of seeds coming from Hungary, seeds I can't get anywhere else and seeds from Thompson & Morgan where I used a gift voucher.

Garden Centre's usually only have a franchise with one or two of the leading seed merchants and I like to shop around a bit for rarities from others!

[smallblueplanet]

Particularly when a new grower and the internet was younger I enjoyed looking through seed catalogues and being able to compare varieties available. Some seed cats have useful growing info, some have good pictures, lots have unusual varieties...

Nowadays I do most of my browsing on the internet via Google, but I still enjoy receiving certain companies seed cats - Seeds of Italy has just turned up in todays post.

[Two_Sheds]

Garden Centre: cold outside, heck of a drive, crowded, no decent coffee shop, limited selection

Online: warm comfy chair, lovely coffee, lots of heritage & rare varieties at my fingertips

[chriscross1966]

I think that it's possible the OP doesn't realise the seed catalogues that are getting talked about.... Most people don't mean T+M, Suttons, Unwin etc, they're talking about Marshalls, Realseeds, Seeds by Size, the heritage places and all the wacky eastern european stuff you can get on ebay these days..... Without them I'd have not found my current favourite tomato (Black Krim) or some of the oddball onions I love (the giant tree onion, Catawissa), or the large onion seed that I hope will let me beat my personal best for outdoor grown onions (it's Russian and as far as I can tell the varietal name is either "Size" or "Standard")....

chrisc

[northepaul]

I love looking at the seed catalogues, but dont neccessarily buy seeds from them - just for inspiration and good ideas.

The one I would really recommend is realseeds - they are really helpful and good quality seeds.

[Alison]

I buy about 90% of mine on line as I find you get a better choice of what I want to grow and I prefer to sit and decide in the comfort of my own home in a shop that's open 24 / 7 (it's more of a pain for me to get to the shops in the week). Decent garden centres do have a reasonable selection but don't have the choice of suppliers (they're normally just T&M, Suttons etc) and don't stock the full range either. I like to buy unusual varieties which aren't always the most popular and therefore not always stocked and like to go for open pollinated and heritage types which a lot of the main suppliers don't really go for (although they are now starting to see it as a way forward). Also, online shopping means that I don't come back with a load of other things which I didn't go for!

[Bex]

Apart from HSL where can I buy heritage seeds from???

Are these any good?
http://www.thomasetty.co.uk/seeds/veg-flower-2010.pdf

[Pete C]

Thanks all; it's kind of what I thought, but beng a new idiot and all...

I'm currently starting off, so my needs are simple, plus I have a couple of good GCs near by. Not only that, I'm still at the "buy everything you see" stage, so the trips to the GC are welcomed!

Once I've grown something (anything really), I'll take a look at the more specialised options!

[smallblueplanet]

...it's kind of what I thought, but being a new idiot and all...

It doesn't get any better when you're an old idiot either, let me tell you!

I see you're an ex-smoker (as I am, long ago), I bet you'll have a propensity to get a bit addicted to things...*early warning* seed pkt collecting gets very addictive indeed! Someone will probably start another 'Hello, my name is 'blah' and I'd just like to say I'm addicted to buying seeds...' thread fairly soon!

[maypril]

Most people don't mean T+M, Suttons, Unwin etc, they're talking about Marshalls, Realseeds, Seeds by Size, the heritage places

I thought Unwins and Marshalls were the same company? Is there much difference in their ranges?