[Sonia in Cornwall]

We've now got access to our land, and while I know there's a lot of work to do in terms of preparing the ground for the veg patch I want to start thinking about getting seeds etc to get some over-winter planting in the greenhouse going. 

So my question is - can anyone recommend a good place to get my seeds from?  I'm thinking online here but recommendations from local members would also be welcome!  I'm going to need quite a lot so economy is an issue. 

Any suggestions welcome! 

[Fleecewife]

Get all the seed catalogues - Thomson and Morgan, Kings, DTBrown, Organic gardening Cat, Seeds of ...(something, forgotten), Mr Fothergill, Marshall's, oh there are lots and lots, some specialist, some more general which they will mostly send out free - easier to look at than online.  DTBrown and Mr F are good for prices and quality too, T&M tend to have a huge variety of interesting potatoes but not always as cheap.
I spend happy hours going through all the catalogues comparing prices and seed counts, then send off orders to several different companies.  Because I order a lot of seeds I don't usually end up paying P&P, which you would with smaller orders. 
Over the years I have tried different varieties of each vegetable and have come up with a list of my favourites which do well in my particular veg patch, and I tend to stick to those, but I try a couple of new things each year too.  My resolution is to try seed saving but so far I have only done beans, which are easy.
Last year my brother tried some special offers from Lidl and not many germinated.  Often seeds bought from the racks in shops have not been stored in ideal conditions so may have been spoiled, whereas seeds direct from the source should be safe.   If you have packets with some seeds left in you can store them for next year if you reseal carefully and store them somewhere cool and dry - definitely not dumped in the potting shed or in a jacket pocket.
Happy hunting.

[Sonia in Cornwall]

Such an obvious thing I hadn't thought of doing!    

I have now ordered myself far more catalogues than I will possibly want but I'm looking forward to the hours of reading and comparing ahead!    

Thanks for the brilliant suggestion!   

[Hermit]

Might be too late for this year but if you join your local Horticultural Society they may bulk buy in seeds as mine does. My seed bill for the whole years veg is about a tenth of what it would be if bought from a shop etc.

[Susie]

   I love www.realseeds.co.uk  We have been using them for a couple of years, firstly in our small back garden and this year in a half acre plot on our land. You get tons of advice on the website and packet and they have really high germination rates. The best thing is that they are all open-pollinated varieties so we get to save seed for the following year. The catalogue comes out in October I think. 

[Fleecewife]

Hi Susie.  Thanks for posting that.  One of the big problems with the major seed companies is that they import a lot of their seed.  Some, like the Organic Gardening Cat import continental varieties - they might be ok in the balmy south but it can be difficult to get varieties which will do well in more extreme and wet parts of Britain.  Others sell the old familiar varieties but many have been grown overseas so they may have reduced their adaptation to our climate.  Then lots of their seeds are F1 hybrids which even if they set seed will not grow true to the original type.
I had seen real seeds last year but after I had bought my quota.  I will certainly buy some from them this time and also their seed saving book. I love their ethics and that their seeds are open pollinated so easy to save your own.
The great thing about getting loads of catalogues is you can browse to your hearts content, build beautiful veg patches and flower gardens in your minds eye, then come back down to Earth and buy what you need at a price you can afford 

[little blue]

Seeds of ...(something, forgotten

.... Distinction?!

T&M sale is great... but you've missed it this year
The Organic Gardening catalogue is great... and you can feel virtuous, even after spending a small fortune! 

[Fleecewife]

Think it might be Seeds of Change but I haven't bought from them so less likely to remember.  I love doing the choosing in Nov and Dec when all is dark and depressing outside - gives me something to look forward to 

[Greenerlife]

I go with Susie's choice every year (realseeds) supplemented by the usual T & M etc.  Real seeds have a fantastic outlook on growing veg and fruit which I think mirrors a lot of the thoughts that go on here too. A simple life, enjoying the outdoors and a love of fresh food picked straight from the garden.  I love the way they present themselves and agree that the germination levels are really excellent. And if they aren't, they do something about it like give you free seeds next time around!  Customer service at its best.  Can't recommend them highly enough.  I have grown some of the strangest vegetables and experiemented with them for a quite a few years now.

[Rosemary]

Look out for local "Potato Days". We used to be near one - you could go and buy a few seed potatoes of different varieties, often heritage varieties, so you could try without committing to a big bag of seed potatoes.

[Sylvia]

Seeds of Italy are very good and very generous with their seeds.

[Fleecewife]

The new Thomson & Morgan catalogue plopped through the letterbox today - haven't had time to have a look but it means the planning for next season can begin    The others won't be far behind.

[little blue]

mine too .... hurrah!

[knightquest]

This next year will be my first full year growing as I started very late this year. I looked at the realseeds site and have got some from there. I love their philosophy so will be saving my own soon too...............hopefully 

Ian