Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Great Online Store to Buy Exotic Seeds
I just bought some smyrnium perfoliatum on the internet from Plant World Seeds. I didn't really think much about the supplier when I made the purchase. It was just somewhere on the net. But something about them really impresses me. As well as selling a great variety of exotic seeds at a good price, they give you lots of extra stuff and seem very friendly.
Not only do the couple who run the business travel the world collecting their seeds, they also arrange seed collecting tours to far flung places in which you can buy shares to reap the seedy dividends.
Definitely worth checking out.
PDF caralogue here.
Website here.
Seed Collecting trip info attached.
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PW Seed Colecting.jpeg, 2.6 MB
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by David Solomon on
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Thanks Hugh! This looks like a fabulous site! thanks for pointing it out. I'm always on the lookout for exotic seeds! BTW I'm trying the S. pefoliatum this year too. Bought the seeds at an OPen Gardens plant sale at a garden in HIghgate last year. An amazing garden where this plant had self-sown itself like crazy creating flashes of luminous golden green in the most unexpected places....so I'm hopng it'snot going to be too hard. Let me know how you get on with it. Best wishes, David
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Permalink Reply by Alison P on
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Hi David
Just to respond to your point about the S.pefoliatum - I bought some plants 5 years ago from a local garden and they died just after setting seed. I sprinkled them around without much thought and forgot about them. This year two have popped up in flower - no idea where they were in the years in between (they are biennial so can't have taken 5 years to flower).
This isn't meant to put you off - more a case of keep your fingers crossed and be careful with your weeding next year. They are gorgeous.
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Thanks Alison, of course many seeds can have long dormancy periods and the fact that they are biennial does not mean that they can remain dormant in the soil for many years before finding the conditions right to germinate and grow. Perhaps they were encouraged to do this by this year's mild winter compared to previous ones? Anyhow, I will take your advice and keep the seed tray where I have sown them for a while yet!
PS I have noticed that the seeds of many plants from this family (umbelliferae=apiaceae) seem to be slow or erratic germinators, eg parsley, parsnip, Ammi... It seems to be a family characteristic.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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I saw them up at Myddleton House a few years back, bought a few seedlings and then committed cruel cold blooded herbicide. So I'm trying to grow them a second time round.
BTW. I posted an event coming up soon at Myddleton House that may (or may not!) be of interest - Walking in the Footsteps of Mr Bowles.
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Permalink Reply by Chris Setz on
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Please note, there is a great deal of controversy concerning seeds - probably wise to learn more before you buy.
Because there is so much money involved, huge corporations are deeply involved and you may not wish to unwittingly support what many see as their harmful activities. They seek to 'dominate' the market, which reduces diversity and variety.
SUICIDE SEEDS
I remember being shocked some years ago when I learned that it was possible to genetically engineer seeds so that they only lasted one season and that some companies were selling poor farmers these seeds more cheaply than 'normal' seeds. The result was that the farmers saved money in the first season on these 'suicide seeds' , but had to buy again every season thereafter, allowing Agrichem to profit from a poverty they intensified. Don't get me started on the work being done to genetically engineer seeds so that they are resistant to specific patented pesticides, so that the Argichem companies can sell a seeds/fertiliser combo that soaks the earth with what many recognise as evil substances. They can show that their products suffer no apparent ill-effects, so what's not to like?
Environmentalists claim that over 80% of our seeds have been patented. That means that a huge proportion of the fresh produce (potatoes, tomatoes, flowers etc) you buy in the supermarket is the exclusive, patented property of one or other of the huge Agrichemical companies, grown under 'scientific' conditions, using very cheap labour (because nature awkwardly defies automation). Under an EU law apparently designed to secure the seed chain, every seed is going to have to be 'registered'. The £3000 registration fee will make it impossible for small growers to legally grow their own seeds. It would make the wonderful Harringay Seed Swap Sundays liable to police raids! There is a growing call for civil disobedience.
People are being urged to only buy 'open-pollinated' seeds and not those marked 'F1'. Like the big tobacco companies, there are plenty of funded activities showing that genetically-engineered seeds are perfectly fine, so it is often hard to be objective. It reminds me of the 'open source' movement in computing - prefer non-patented 'open' over copyrighted 'closed' products because you can never know what is going on inside if it's all secret.
You might want to support a local effort to help preserve seed freedom.
I like the look of http://www.realseeds.co.uk but there are many places that sell 'open-pollinated' seeds:
Stormy Hall Seeds Supplier of a wide range of only Open Pollinated varieties
Danby, near Whitby All Biodynamic* (Demeter standard). Seed catalogue available
North Yorkshire seed saving at local community levels encouraged
Tel: 01287 661368
Email stormy.hall.botton@camphill.org.uk
Website www.stormy-hall-seeds.co.uk
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Tamar Organics Supplier of a very good selection of Open Pollinated and
Launceston, Cornwall Organic varieties
Tel: 01579 371098 / 371182
Email sales@tamarorganics.co.uk
Website www.tamarorganics.co.uk
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The Organic Gardening Catalogue Suppliers of a good range of Open Pollinated and
‘Chase Organics’ Ltd, Hersham, Surrey Organic varieties
A branch of ‘Garden Organic’ (HDRA) at Ryton gardens. Home of The Heritage Seed library
Tel: 01932 253666
Email enquiries@chaseorganics.co.uk
Website www.OrganicCatalogue.com
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E.W. King & Co. Ltd and Suffolk Herbs Suppliers of a good range of Open Pollinated varieties
Kelvedon, Colchester, Essex for both companies
Tel: 01376 570000 Suffolk Herbs, Tel 01376 572456
Email Sales@kingsseeds.com Email sales@suffolkherbs.com
Website http://www.kingsseeds.com/ Website www.suffolkherbs.com
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The Real Seed CompanySupplier of very many interesting and unusual varieties. All
varieties are Open Pollinated and the company encourage seed-saving.
Pembrookshire,
Tel: 01239-821107
Email cataloguerequests@realseeds.co.uk
website www.realseeds.co.uk
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Thomas Etty Seeds Supplier of many older and unusual Open Pollinated varieties.
Ilminster, Somerset, Much good information on each variety.
Tel: 01460-298249
Email sales@thomasetty.co.uk
Website http://www.thomasetty.co.uk/
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Moles Seeds Supply a good range of open pollinated varieties with some being organic.
website: www.molesseeds.co.uk
email: sales@molesseeds.co.uk
Moles seeds (UK) Ltd,
Turkey Cock Lane,
Stanway , Colchester
Essex, CO3 8PD,
UK
Tel: 01206-213213
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Association Kokopelli Supplier of a very wide range of open-pollinated heirloom
Chris Bauer, Canterbury, Kent varieties. All grown to Organic or Biodynamic standards.
Tel: 01227-731815 Association Kokopelli encourages seed saving at local levels.
Email kokopelli@organicseedsonline.com
Website www.kokopelli-seeds.com
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Edwin Tucker and Sons ltd. Supplier of a number of Open Pollinated varieties.
Ashburton, Devon
Tel: 01364-652233
Email seeds@edwintucker.com
Website www.edwintucker.com
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Sutton Seeds Supplier of a number of Open Pollinated varieties.
Paignton, Devon
Tel: 0844-9222899
Website www.suttons.co.uk
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W Robinsons and Son ltd. Supplier of a number of exhibition Open-pollinated varieties.
Forton, nr Preston, Lancashire,
Tel: 01524-791210
Email info@mammothonion.co.uk
Website www.mammothonion.co.uk
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Pennard Plants Heritage & Heirloom Vegetable Seeds
Old Fashioned Flower Seeds – ‘Like Grandma Grew’.The Walled Gardens, East Pennard
Somerset, BA4 6TU
Tel: 01749-86009
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Beans & Herbs at the Herbary
161 Chapel Street, Horningsham, Specialise in organic open pollinated seeds vegetables
Wiltshire, BA12 7LU and herbs.
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Poyntzfield Herb Nursery
Black Isle
By Dingwall IV7 8LX
Ross & Cromarty
Scotlandtel 01381 610352
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Bee Happy Plants
Organic grower of wild species of open pollinated culinary & medicinal herbs, shrubs, trees and seeds - all perfect bee plants, which provide the absolute ideal in terms of pollen and nectar -bees’ only food.
Tel: 01460 221929
Mob: 07976 949 893
Sarah Holdsworth
organic grower of wild herbs, shrubs and trees
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Little Green Farm
A not-for-profit organisation selling organic and biodynamic seeds and other items. Absolutely no F1 hybrids; their educational kits include information about seedsaving techniques. All proceeds go to developing the Little Green Farm site and to provide funds for school and community gardens, environmental education and the creation of natural playspaces.
Sue Moss, sue@littlegreenfarm.org
Tel: 0797 087 5018
Email: info@littlegreenfarm.org
Website: www.littlegreenfarm.org
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Simply Gro
SimplyGro is a small eco-friendly business nestled on the edge of the Cotswolds. Their aim is to inspire people to grow tasty, interesting and, varied types of vegetables, herbs & flowers by offering 'mix & match' seed varieties, many of which are open pollinated.
Penny Healing: simplygro@talktalk.net
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* Biodynamic Agricultural association UK
Painswick Inn Project,
Gloucester Street,
Stroud, GL5 1QG
Tel: 01453 759501
Email office@biodynamic.org.uk
Website www.biodynamic.org.uk
* See Association’s website for further Biodynamic Open Pollinated seeds available from the Continent.
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Thank you Chris for this surfeit of information. I am well aware of the controversy surrounding these issues and am strongly against Monsanto and other creators of "suicide seeds" as well as those who seek to restrict sale of non-listed varieties etc etc.
However I think it would have been better if you had a new conversation on this topic and to have put your adverts there.
Seeds collevted from the wild or bred from such (as at Hugh's site) are of course open-pollinated - or do you know something about Plant World Seeds that we don't?! David
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Thanks David - I had just returned from a Transition Crouch End 'Green on the Screen' evening devoted to seed freedom, so it was all at the forefront of my mind when I posted. Many people are simply not aware that this is even an issue. Took care not to imply anything about other websites.
It's just that people really need to know this stuff when buying seeds from anywhere - they're fundamental and we'll all suffer real damage if we let this on pass by due to ignorance. Even Kew, where visitor numbers have increased by 30%, are suffering from government cuts that threaten the seed bank - this is a potential disaster waiting to happen and the best response I can think to make is to ask anyone who buys seeds to consider their choices carefully.
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I agree with everything you say (I just thought you might have overdone the length of your contribution in a disucssion on Smyrnium pefoliatum!). I have done a lot of volunteering at Kew, know the Herbarium there well and was shocked when I heard about the threatened jo-losses there for the sake of a paltry £5m. I have signed the petition against the Kew cuts and written to Lynne F. about them. Anyone serious about the furture of the planet and plants (intimately linked) should consider doing likewise. The Guardian piece you linked to is v. good on this, with good old David A doing his stuff!
David
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Many thanks!
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