Happy Gardening 2022!

 

Will the snows be with us soon?

It seems a long time since we met together, but we're all still working hard in our gardens, that much is clear, from all the lovely photos that are up on the Facebook Rhydlewis Gardening Club page. Well done everyone, and I hope that your garden doesn't look quite so depressed as ours does, but when I open the freezer door, rows and shelves gleam and glisten with the produce from last year, still  ready to eat, from broad and runner beans to caulk and broccoli.

Ready to plant tea leaves?

We are probably all thinking of getting out the seed catalogues now; after the festive season is done. It's an annual gardening ritual, and much cheaper than getting out the travel brochures!

Even so, it's still quite an expensive process. Don't forget we are in the Sutton's Seeds Gardening Club and that means 40% off your seed order (and 10% off other items such as onion sets) .

The Sutton catalogues are on their way, but in the meantime do visit their website. We already have this year's special code, so just email us to have it ready to order. 

You may find supplies are limited this year, partially due to shipping issues, so be patient with your seed company.

Getting 40% off seeds is great, although Suttons are not cheap, and not to everyone's taste as a big firm with little emphasis on organic production. But there are other ways to get seeds without breaking the bank. Have you considered these?

Some seed companies do clearances, so keep your eye open online. Thompson & Morgan run seed clearance offers later in the season at £1 a pack. DT Brown, who we like a lot, are listing varieties of veg seeds at 99p a pack. Postage on seed only orders only costs 95p or is free if you put in a sizeable order.

Cheap packets, from places like Wilkinsons, may contain fewer seeds than fancy packs from big brands. However, if you don’t want to plant huge quantities of the same thing, and get stuck with a glut of courgettes / lettuces / radishes, then why waste money buying more than you need? There's also a possibility that cheap brands are not so fertile, but mostly they are cheap because they don't experiment with special varieties. Look in the various discount stores for cheap garden seeds. Wilko seeds start from 25p for salad leaves, 50p for tomatoes, radishes and spinach, and 75p for courgettes, and they do 'bundle  bargains', too. Aldi are selling a multipack of veg seeds available in store only. £1.35 gets you  a whopping 10 varieties, including lettuce, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and peas, but when it's gone, it's gone!  B&M promises a ‘3 for the price of 2’ offer on Mr Fothergills seeds. 

Jim and I like to treat ourselves to gardening magazines, and look out for the ones with free seeds - there are some in the newsagents now. However, these aren't guaranteed; one year I planted Nantes carrots and got 'giant parsley' instead! The seeds to look alike and I'm guessing this was a factory error in filling the packets which they got rid of by giving them away - no redress on free seeds. But mostly, the packs are as good as in the shops. Sometimes there are free seeds with garden mag subscription offers. 

Look online if you like ordering by mail. Try seedparade, simplyseeds and Amazon, who always try to beat the competition (although not aways successfully!). 

No one needs this many
 aubergine seedlings!

And of course we can swap seeds. There are often far too many runner bean or broad bean seeds at the end of a season, so do give away those you can't plant. I'm hoping to try my carrot seeds (from a carrot, not a parsley plant...) this year. And later on, we'll have gluts of the seedlings we've planted. 

So now over to you – any other great sources of where to get garden seeds for free? Where to pay less for seed packets? We’d love to hear, so do share your tips in the comments below or on the Facebook page.

Good luck with your ordering, but even more good luck with your germinations!

Who will win the Veg Grower's Cup this year?