[Gleavo]

Usually Premier as they have a good organic range and I’m starting to save my own seeds so tend to not go for F1.

That and the wilko sale when the news hits the plot that it’s started. 👍

Good shout out to Burpees Subversive, I’m in the US quite a bit and have been buying and saving seeds and beans from their heirloom range for a while now. I have to admit, when it comes to seed saving and preserving, our US cousins are
much better equipped.

[mumofstig]

Good shout out to Burpees Subversive, I’m in the US quite a bit and have been buying and saving seeds and beans from their heirloom range for a while now. I have to admit, when it comes to seed saving and preserving, our US cousins are
much better equipped.

Why do you say that Gleavo? Many of us on here are seed savers and you can buy standard non f1s in most places, plus Real seeds have their own range.. https://www.realseeds.co.uk/
and  Organic Gardening. https://www.organiccatalogue.com/seeds/vegetable-seeds
or join the Heritage seed Library itself https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/what-we-do/hsl

[steven c]

like others i am trying to get non F1 seeds then trying to save seeds mainly tomatoes if they are any good.
does anyone save seed potatoes i am trying Cara and Desiree have had success with Desiree before.

[Gleavo]

@mumofstig

I meant in terms of availability. You don’t see many organic or heirloom varieties in Wilko etc and most of the main suppliers don’t have a great deal of heirlooms. I’ve found in the US you can pick those kinds of seeds up in the local supermarket.

Similarly preserving jars and equipment are in most supermarkets too at very reasonable prices.

[Subversive_plot]

Hello Gleavo

I buy Burpee Seeds (sometimes) as that was the brand of seed my family ordered from when I first started gardening as a child!  Many of their new offerings back then (1960s and 1970s) are considered "heirloom" today!     Burpees are now also widely sold in home improvement stores and grocery stores over here, which I where I get my Burpee's seeds these days.

Generally, of the seed suppliers I mentioned, Reimers has the largest number of heirloom seeds available.  Reimers had an unfavorable reputation for a while.  They are under new management now, and I have had no problems with them, or with the seeds I ordered from them.

I am less of a judge as to suppliers of seed in the UK, as I can't order from them (probably agricultural restrictions).  You probably have access in the UK to seeds I can't get over here, and vice-versa.  Burpee's offers some heirloom varieties, but I suspect it isn't more varieties than what your larger seed companies offer.

The most interesting heirlooms I have this year came from seed-sharing with family.  I recently received from my sister in Indiana some seeds of tomatoes Coeur de Boeuf, Gargamel, Abe Lincoln, Gold Nugget, and Red Pear. I will be trying just a plant or two of each of these to assure I save new seeds to grow next year!

The Abe Lincoln comes with an origin story that I think is a little too far-fetched.  Word for word, my sister reports Abe Lincoln tomato is " . . . an old heirloom from 1923.  (The original story I read on these was it was a seed found in a Lincoln historical site outhouse cleaning and they decided to grow it . . . successfully!!!"  Versions of the story I've seen online embellish further, claiming the seeds came from 150 year old . . . "material" . . . that you would expect in an outhouse.  I'm trying to work space aliens into the story I pass on to the next person I share the seeds with.   

[Gleavo]

@subversive

Sometime the far fetched stories turn out to be completely true!

I’ve picked up many heirloom beans in the US as well as toms and corn (that didn’t end well due to the climate here) the beans and corn were supposed to be to be First Nation varieties.

Anyway, we love collards and they aren’t that common on the I’m so I always pick my those up when I’m over. Good old TSC!

Looking at my seed box, other than Burpees, I’ve got a brand called Renee’s Garden (California) and one called Botanical Interests (Colorado).

Some packets always manage to fall into my checked bags somehow. TSA have either never found them or aren’t too bothered - they probably would be if I was bringing UK seeds in!

[Subversive_plot]

Yes the good old Technology Student Association (ahem . . .) probably has higher priorities to worry about. 

By TSC I assume you mean Tractor Supply Co., they usually have a good selection of seed and garden supplies, the nearest TSC is within walking distance.

I know the Coeur de Boeuf tomatoes I mentioned have been saved and handed down through family of a friend of a co-worker of my sister, going back generations, to an ancestor that came from Belgium, bringing seeds with them.  So, a lot of our heirloom seeds came to the USA by "accidentally falling" into someone's luggage.

Renee's Garden I know about, but have not ordered anything yet.  Botanical Interests I have not heard of before your post.  We have a bazillion seed companies over here.

Collards . . . one of my favorite greens if properly prepared.  I prefer over kale.

[mumofstig]

I recently received from my sister in Indiana some seeds of tomatoes.... Gold Nugget, and Red Pear.

I'm glad you got seeds from your family, the 2 varieties I've quoted are available here @ 99p a packet of 50 seeds from Premier seeds Direct, if anybody fancies trying them https://www.premierseedsdirect.com/product/tomato-red-pear-cherry-bell/

[wolveryeti]

PremierSeeds for most things as they have an amazing range and have good seed IME.

A few things I will venture farther afield for - e.g. non bolting fennel or coriander...

[Yorkie]

does anyone save seed potatoes i am trying Cara and Desiree have had success with Desiree before.

This is really not a good idea. It is not possible to tell, from looking at them, whether potato tubers that you plant as seed tubers are infected at all. The risk of introducing infection to your crops and those of any neighbouring growers is too high.  That is why the rules on the sales of seed tubers are so strict.

We used to have a professional potato grower on this forum, who had been given some seed tubers by an old friend. He grew them on, and only just spotted in time that they were diseased. Luckily he had followed good quarantining rules and nothing else was impacted - but it just goes to show that you can't be complacent about assuming that seed tubers will be fine.

The same goes for growing from supermarket (eating) spuds. They are not certified virus-free for growing.

[JayG]

A few things I will venture farther afield for - e.g. non bolting fennel or coriander...

Let me know if you find a non-bolting, or at least less bolting-prone Florence Fennel (consistently my nemesis, whether I sow early or late, in full sun or part shade, offer sacrifices to pagan gods...  )

[AnneB]

I'll begin by confessing to a seed problem.
I belong to the Heritage Seed Library and I am a Seed Guardian for them, so I do quite a bit of seed saving.
When I need to buy seeds I look for something interesting so I buy from lots of places.
My favourites in order are Real Seeds, Seeds of Italy (large packets), King's Seeds, D.T. Brown.  I have also bought from Simply Seed and Premier Seeds who are very reasonably priced.
I have ordered in the past from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds in the USA.

[Subversive_plot]

AnneB, other than Baker Creek, do any of those sell in the USA?

[AnneB]

AnneB, other than Baker Creek, do any of those sell in the USA?

I don't think so I am afraid.

[wolveryeti]

A few things I will venture farther afield for - e.g. non bolting fennel or coriander...

Let me know if you find a non-bolting, or at least less bolting-prone Florence Fennel (consistently my nemesis, whether I sow early or late, in full sun or part shade, offer sacrifices to pagan gods...  )

'Finale' would be my recommendation - had good results with it last year, withstanding the summer heat well.