[Shelle]

I have two catalogues delivered this week which is making pretty exciting reading.

As a newbie though having never ordered through any of them before, I wanted to ask should I order from them, or hang fire and buy from local garden centres nearer the time??

I would like to buy some potatoes from T and M, plus possibly other seeds, but wondered if I am better off waiting til nearer the time? Does anyone know if there are usually potato days in the north east (Tyneside or Northumberland) that would be better?

Also what about their reputation (T and M)?

Any advice before I take a plunge that I may regret?

[WG.]

http://www.heritage-potatoes.co.uk/ anywhere near you?

T&M reputation is good BTW

[GrannieAnnie]

I got 2 also, T&M and Marshalls.  They have lovely stuff, but I'm afraid I find them a bit expensive, although T&M did send me a £5 voucher to use, even if I only spent £5, which means you only pay the P&P costs.

I like alanromans.com  their P&P is cheap, and seeds are 50p a packet.  okay, you don't usually get as many seeds in, but who wants 7,000 carrot seeds?

I like Edwin Tuckers too, but with potatoes and onions sets, because they are heavy, I tend to buy from my local big garden centre, which has a good selection and not bad prices.

But that's just my preference!  

[Shelle]

Alan romans site seems to be out of stock on everything at the mo!  Any idea when it will be back?

Am thinking about just purchasing potatoes from T and M (using £5 voucher) and then seeing what I can get locally seed wise or alan roman etc.

The heritage site is good but a bit too far for me (about 2 hours away so savings would be wasted on petrol!).  Thanks for the idea though.

[GrannieAnnie]

We have brassicas days over here, but I don't think we have potato days!!!!

Would be nice though to see and sample some different ones to see what we like!!!

[WG.]

The heritage site is good but a bit too far for me (about 2 hours away so savings would be wasted on petrol!).  Thanks for the idea though.

Might be worth a call to see if they are attending any Farmer's Markets in your area.

[Shelle]

Will do, as would like to support local if I can.

Thanks again as usual for all your wisdom everybody!  Hopefully this time next year I can offer my experience to newbies once I am in my second year (which is really when you see if you learnt anything!)

[flatcap]

shelle,

                             if you wait til nearer the time the lottie hut on our site sells seed pot (cheaper than t&m ) also onion ,shallot sets .they sell lots of stuff compost growmore etc members of the public welcome .

 if you ever want to go there ,il give you directions and opening times

[muntjac]

get as many catalogues as you can to compare prices .... do not be thinking they all have thier own seed ,they buy it in from seed growers and then repackage in thier own formats .

[WG.]

if you wait til nearer the time the lottie hut on our site sells seed pot (cheaper than t&m ) also onion ,shallot sets .they sell lots of stuff compost growmore

Even more local !  

[muntjac]

many years ago i worked at nth ormsby for joeseph nickerson at his game rearing farm and i had chance to visit the seed merchants side at grimsby where i saw the seed being sieved sorted bagged up etc and i was gobsmacked to see the number of companies that they supplied .i also saw carrot seed being imported from south africa and sold in the uk

[mkhenry]

http://www.heritage-potatoes.co.uk/ anywhere near you?

T&M reputation is good BTW

Can I disagee with you about T&Ms reputation
I and a great many others ordered seed potatoes from them well in time for chitting and planting.Our orders should have taken 5 days,instead they took over 6 weeks making me very late for planting.
In contacting them I was fobbed of, lied to, given 4 different reasons and so many dates for delivery I lossed my faith in them. I tried to cancel so that I could buy else where .Even though it was all their fault they refused to refund and would not let me speak to a manager.Emails where ignored and when I did finally get a reply it was to say "That by now you will have recieved your order Etc."I had not.


Also in many garden centres they are always selling off T&M seeds at 50% off, a sure sign that there is trouble afoot.Or they have been selling them at very inflated prices.
Whatever I for one will never trust them again. :x

I did post this at the time :?

[WG.]

Can I disagee with you about T&Ms reputation

Yes, I thought someone might

[Bigbadfrankie]

I have two catalogues delivered this week which is making pretty exciting reading

:shock:  :shock:  :roll:

[DD.]

Also in many garden centres they are always selling off T&M seeds at 50% off, a sure sign that there is trouble afoot..

Our local garden centre do that every year.