Seed sorting for 2024

This time of year is when I get seed catalogues, even when I bought on line, I must say there is something nice about going through them and this has set me off planning for next season. I draw a plan of the greenhouse, three raised beds and one bed that is slightly raised. but not in the big "railway sleepers" it had tatties in last year. So the list has been made of what I have, ruthlessly threw out older seeds(I'm a bit of a skinflint and hang onto them longer than I should really most have been opened and part sown/grown). I only need to buy Potatoes and Parsnips which I always get in the spring and the rest I have picked up in the garden centres end of season sales.
Plans have been drawn of what will be grown where and it won't be long before I sow next seasons Onion seeds in the electric propagator, followed by leeks and then tommies and chillies. Last year I experimented growing garden peas under glass, which was a success, so they will be sown early inside as well. This season may be all but over, but next is just round the corner.

 

Now that's a good job to do, I must do it too, I keep seeds for years but there's no point in that.

 

I buy from chilterns seeds and around this time of year they have sales of 10 pkts of their own choosing for around £4 . Both veg and ornamental s so it's a lucky dip I pays me money and looks forward to the postman calling .I'm never disappointed as their is always something new and many times not heard of plant seeds. !!!!!!!

 

I too love looking through catalogues both print and online. I usually start off with a long list and whittle it down to what is realistic. I keep seeds in a big plastic box with a clip on lid (referred to by my husband as the Millenium Seedbank) on the top shelf of the fridge with a packet of desiccant inside and they keep really well. As I have a small garden I sow very few of each sort of seed and keep the rest. This autumn I sowed Antirrhinums from 2014 and they germinated fine. A couple of years ago I didn't buy anything new just what I had, including self saved seeds but it's nice to try something new. I rotate who I'm ordering from depending on who has what I want most. This year its Kings and Plant World Seeds.
I just love seeds, they are little packets of joy.

 

Maybe there should be a thread just for seed suppliers.
I quite enjoy looking through online lists!

 

My King's seed order arrived yesterday, so that's the veg done. Around Christmas I'll go through Chiltern's list, Special Plants and Jungleseeds to get the flowers and such like.

 

Another fan here of Chiltern Seeds, who have just sent me an email saying that their sale ends tomorrow @Purple Streaks. I don't see the 'surprise packets' deal but there are some substantial extra last-minute discounts.

I tried their seeds this year for the first time - lots of interesting varieties, and a much better rate of germination than my T&M order back in 2022. Also, while I ordered them online and they turned up in plain packets, I then got sent a printed catalogue which was truly beautiful - stunning bit of design, with wonderful photos and layout.

 

I used to always put an order in to Suttons years ago, mostly veg and flowers, then I added Chilterns for many years, but since I've got the internet I tend to use all kinds of seed companies, some from abroad for unusual stuff.

I find that any veg seeds I need these days are easily picked up at a garden centre.

I wont mention T&M, opps, I already did.

 

Last couple of years I've picked up a lot of seeds from Mr Fothergills £1 sale. Might stil be ongoing as I just got my delivery yesterday. Other than that premier seeds direct for staples and the occasional real seeds etc for more esoteric ones.

 

Clare G if you give them your email address they will inform you by email if your buying online.and let you know about their offers like the one I described. But you have to be quick sometimes they are sold out in several hours. I try to check my emails first thing in the morning . Ordering from there onwards.I will let you know when I get the emails of offers.

 

If anyone in the UK has any of the following id be very happy to swap seeds.
A tested microdwarf tomato
"Rosella" cherry or "Latah",
Solanum Pimpinellifolium or a descendent
Giant Parsley, Lettuce Basil and other similar giganto herbs

I have various Physalis species, Solanum Villosum (golden/hairy nightshade), San Marzano 2 and Indigo Yellow Pear toms, various ghurkin cuces, jack be little and hooligan f1 tiny pumpkins, purple kale, giant winter spinach (for late summer sowing) and some other bits and bobs.
Hopefully i can save a fiver for some stamps

 

More on topic for seed suppliers: Ive purchased from like 8 different companies so far for next year, we will see.
JungleSeeds has sent a lot but nothing tried yet. Nickys Nursery, Kykeon, MoreVeg and PlantWorldSeeds the same, all for 2024!
JustSeeds has been OK but some seeds were in poor quality, eg. dessicated and crumbly! Others were good.
The big etsy one, Honeyvale farm has been a good supplier and everything has germed well.
Yugen, Heartwoood and Rp seeds sent me some harder to germinate stuff way back when I just got into this and i couldnt get anything to germ. not saying its their fault though, im an arrogant novice.