Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: rowe1311 on July 24, 2013, 13:45
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Last year I bought a lot of flower seeds from Sarah Raven, which most have done very well, but there weren't many seeds per pack and quite pricey. A couple of varieties haven't germinated too, which is a bit frustrating when you buy expensive seeds.
I wondered who you would recommend for good value, and good selection?
At the moment I am wanting to buy some wallflowers for next year and possibly some more biennials, but looking also for annuals next year.
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I buy most of my flower seeds from Premier seeds direct on ebay - I've had no problems so far
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Premier-Seeds-Direct/_i.html?_nkw=flowers&submit=Search&_sid=79364908
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D T Browns (free p+p) or Jersey Direct as seeds, or plug plants which are quality (free p+p). Check on the free p+p for both, but I won't go anywhere else. Bear in mind how you store them over winter.
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Chiltern seeds have a wonderfull selection of both veg & flower seed. 21 wallflowers!!
Bish
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I have to say for variety I too think that Chiltern cannot be beaten, they are not the cheapest however. Having said that, I have just sown a few trays full of their seeds and so far they are all germinating well. I have to Google for images of a lot of the varieties they sell as there are not enough photos'. I did find a smaller seller with excellent variety (not one mentioned here yet), but not one single seed germinated and I won't be buying from them again. I guess that made them very expensive! :(
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I wondered who you would recommend for good value, and good selection?
At the moment I am wanting to buy some wallflowers for next year and possibly some more biennials, but looking also for annuals next year.
Just done exactly that, the Garden Centre Group are offering half price seeds at the moment here, and I picked up loads of perennial, biennial and annual cottage plant seed yesterday. They will eventually reduce them to pennies, but I wanted a nice selection. I picked up:
Perennial Cornflower
Wild Flower Primrose
Wild Flower Ragged Robin
Sweet William Kaleidoscope Mix
Foxglove Primrose Carousel
Cupid's Dart
Cerinthe Major Purpurascens
Eryngium
Veronica
Sweet William Excelsior Mix
Canterbury Bells
Aquilegia Nora Barlow Mix
Poppy Coral Reef
Delphinium Pacific Giants Mix
Poppy Fruit Punch
Stock Giant Perfection Mix
Monarda T&M Superb Mix
I plan to start the majority off in September to overwinter in the coldframe.
I didn't see any wallflowers at the GC though, might be a bit early for them.
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Thank you for all the tips. I remember buying from Chiltern seeds a couple of years ago and found them to be good for unusual vegetable varieties. I have had a quick look on their site and find it quite difficult to navigate, which does make choosing seed less fun and exciting.
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Last year I bought a lot of flower seeds from Sarah Raven, which most have done very well, but there weren't many seeds per pack and quite pricey. A couple of varieties haven't germinated too, which is a bit frustrating when you buy expensive seeds.
I wondered who you would recommend for good value, and good selection?
At the moment I am wanting to buy some wallflowers for next year and possibly some more biennials, but looking also for annuals next year.
I stand to be corrected but would say you are far to late for wallflowers .I was taught to sow them at the same time as I removed them :)
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Yes, you need to sow in May and June..............that's why I don't grow them, although I like them, cos they take up room for such a long while :(
I can usually buy bareroot plants in the market, later in the year :)
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Thanks for the tip about wallflowers. Looking online you are right, May, June is the best time to do it, but the seed packet I got said they could be sown in late summer. I am might try a few and see how we go.
It is only now that I start thinking about next year, the last couple of months have been all about preparing things for this year.
Here's hoping I might get a few.