As well as the seeds I bought in the sale, I've also put an order in with the allotment association. I've usually bought my seed potatoes from the local nursery, but it closed down this year so I thought I would see what the association had to offer. I've never bought from them in the past, and was pleasantly surprised at what I found when I made enquiries. It turns out that quite a few allotment holders had ordered Arran Pilot, the variety of my choice, from the association so they'll be able to buy in bulk and cut costs. I won't know exactly how much they'll be until they're delivered, but it seems it will be cheaper than I'm used to paying. The association also runs a seed scheme where I'm able to order from Kings Seeds at a discounted price, which is very competitive. I've ordered a few packets of things I'm missing, and both the potatoes and seeds will be available for me to collect in the new year.
Now that we're at the end of one growing season, I'm itching to get going again. With this in mind, I've made the decision to have a go at growing onions from seed again next year. I can't really make a comparison between seeds and sets from my experience this year as it turned out to be so bad, weather wise, so I'll give growing from seed another chance. It means that my growing season will get off to an early start as seed should be started off early in the year. I may even get them going in the period between Christmas and New Year so they can get a long growing period. I shall still put some sets in next year as well, I learnt my lesson this year and now I'm without onions.
Just to let you know, Archie was back at the vets yesterday and his infection has now cleared up. He's such a happy little dog again, which makes me very happy too.
You certainly are organised Jo. I haven't even thought about next year yet and really need to go through my seed to see what I have and what I need to buy.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this I'm wondering if I should try some onion seeds?!?!
Glad Archie is all better and back to his happy self.
I really have to be quite organised if I'm to take advantage of the Wyevale seed sale. I often end up with more than one of something though. Archie has been out in the garden with us today, all he wanted to do was sleep when he first started with the infection.
DeleteIt's depressing to hear you and so many other bloggers write about independent Garden Centres closing down or being taken over by big groups. Our freedom of choice gets smaller every year. You're way ahead of the game in respect of ordering seeds for next year. I usually place my seeds orders during the Christmas holidays, so I haven't even started looking at catalogues yet!
ReplyDeleteI agree with how you feel about smaller nurseries and garden centres closing down. Our local nursery was brilliant, knowledgeable staff, a good selection of plants and value for money. I'm missing it already. Sitting down with the seed catalogues and a glass of something with a mince pie will be a lovely task over Christmas, something to look forward to.
DeleteFunnily enough, I went through my seed box recently and resolved to seriously cut back next year! I didn't get round to planting or sowing everything I wanted this year so am going to try to choose more wisely for next year and just grow a few favourites. I expect I'll leave this until things are quieter - so far only have a large bag of nematodes on my list!!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure your list will get longer. If you're anything like me, even with the best intentions, you'll buy more seeds than you could ever get round to sowing. I do try to recycle any seeds I'm not sowing though, they get passed on to others who will give them a home.
DeleteI think we'll be buying lots of seeds this year as we haven't many left over. We had so many attempts at sowing due to the poor weather all our seeds were sown even if they didn't actually produce anything. We'll be ordering lots of our seeds from the Kings discount scheme too. Not organised well enough to have started a list yet never mind actually buying seeds!
ReplyDeleteI was pleasantly surprised by the Kings discount scheme, and some of the seeds don't work out much dearer than the ones on sale at Wyevales. My seed box took a hammering this year too, notably carrots, parsnips and beetroot. None did very well at all, very few carrots, three parsnips and no beetroot, all from multiple sowings.
DeleteYou do right! Plus it banishes the blues associated with the onset of winter. I'll be planning soon too :) already getting ideas for new things next year and things I must sow again. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I can't wait to get going with everything again. It's been such a washout this year, and I don't have much growing for winter, so I feel as though I'm having withdrawal symptoms. Roll on the next growing season.
DeleteAs Martyn says we get lots of our seeds from Kings. A group of us from our site joined the NSALG as we don't have an association any longer I asked them if I got a group together whether we could join as a non-association group. They said yes as long as I could get at least 10 members - we ended up with 20 so met that requirement.
ReplyDeleteOur seeds potato source - Alan Romans has also quit!
You probably recoup your NSALG fees through the Kings discount. I didn't realise before now what a good discount it is. I always bought my seed potatoes from Swillington, but it looks as though I may get a better deal through our association. I'll probably top up the Arran Pilots with a couple of other varieties. You can usually buy those packs of five or six tubers for a pound at the pound shops. Always good to try some new varieties.
DeleteWe easily recoup our fees, Jo it's only £2 a year each!
DeleteDefinitely worth joining.
DeleteI bought a load too from our Wyevales! It's nice to plan and dream, and hope for better weather, isn't it!
ReplyDeleteSurely the weather can't be so bad two years on the trot. I'm dreaming of bumper crops next year to make up for this year's poor harvest.
DeleteGood idea to buy from the allotment association as collectively there are always good benefits. I see you have bush and dwarf variety tomato seeds which appeal to me. I always enjoy buying seeds and I am often persuaded to buy magazines that offer free seeds.
ReplyDeleteI've stopped buying gardening magazines this year as they're so expensive and I end up with piles of them unread. I'm hoping to have a go at more bush type tomatoes next year, in theory they should be less work than cordon types as they don't need their side shoots pinching out and they don't need to be tied in.
DeleteOh what a great haul Jo - you have some real goodies there. It's great to think that the new sowing season isn't that far off :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that the new sowing season will be here before we know it, and then it will be all go again. I feel as though I've had a year off really with all the failures I encountered this year, so I'm itching to get going again.
DeletePS Forgot to say that I was glad to read that Archie is doing so well :)
ReplyDeleteThank you. It's lovely to see him back to his old self again, cheeky dog that he is.
DeleteI'm trying Arran Pilot potatoes next year, which I shall get from my horticultural society. Also some Kings Seeds, mostly flower, which like most allotment societies, etc. they also do.
ReplyDeleteWell done on trying onions from seed again, and I think that sowing some sets as well is a good idea.
That's good news about Archie. Flighty xx
I'm really happy with Arran Pilots so I hope they do as well for you too. I shall definitely sow some onion sets next year rather than just relying on seed as I'm without onions this year. Archie's got one tablet left to take tomorrow, and then I hope we can put this whole ordeal behind us.
DeleteI think I'm not alone when I say that a mountain of seeds is an EXCITING thing to see :)
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad you're not on the island Jo, I'm planning another seed swap in January and it might have been a fun time for you to trade some of your discount seeds against other varieties.
It's a shame I can't attend the seed swap, I've looked for something similar near here but I haven't been able to find anything. I've taken part in postal ones before now though, and it's always exciting to see what I can swap with.
DeleteYou are organised, I've got that job to look forward to in the coming weeks. I need to go through my seed boxes and see what I've got. We can order through the Kings seeds with our allotment association too. But our allotment site have also joined the Marshalls gardening club which gives a good discount on seeds too (~30% I think), worth mentioning to your allotment association too. Gives you a bit more choice. Though your plan of buying in the sale at Wyevale is great.
ReplyDeleteMaybe its because we've had such a challenging growing year but like you I'm already excited about starting growing again next year!
I've bought in Wyevale's sale for the past few years now, they usually have a good choice of seeds, and at 50p per packet, you can't go wrong. I think we'll all be glad to see the back of this growing year and start afresh next year.
Deletethanks for visiting us and taking the time to leave a comment.. most interested in your blog (learning all sorts of things). Helen, Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting back and leaving a comment too. It's always nice to hear when someone's interested in the blog.
ReplyDeleteHi Jo, thanks for your comment. If and when you make it to Cornwall (check out Fowey, St Mawes, Polperro, Mevagissey, lostwithiel... and ..) its all special. Helen x
ReplyDeleteNearly all of those places are on my list. I'd never heard of Lostwithiel though, I've just looked it up and it looks lovely, another place I must visit. Cornwall really has some gems, I'm looking forward to discovering the south coast, we've holidayed on the north coast a few times.
DeleteHaven't bought any seeds yet and plan to sit down with the seed catalogues over Christmas. As yet we still don't know whether the allotments are to become part of an association or not. It's frustrating that these things take so long to sort out. It would be good if we do so that we could get the sort of discounts you can get.
ReplyDeleteWe went to Lostwithiel for first time this year and it's lovely. Duchy of Cornwall nursery is about 3 miles away as well.
I hope you get everything sorted out at the allotments soon, it's annoying when everything's up on the air like that. A lovely job for the Christmas holidays is sitting down with the seed catalogues. I still do it, even though I'm just about sorted for next year now. I shall definitely go to the Duchy of Cornwall nursery if we visit the south of Cornwall, it sounds as though there's lots to do and see in this area.
DeleteYou must be itching to get planted! I'm glad to hear your dog is better - we had a Cavalier for many years and look forward to getting another one soon - such precious souls!
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting and leaving a comment. I'm really looking forward to kicking off the new growing season, I shall get Christmas out of the way and then start, so not too long to wait now. I shall watch your blog for news of a new arrival, Cavaliers are such lovely dogs, they have a fantastic temperament.
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