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Some of the packets haven't been opened, some of the packets are only half full, some are in date, some are out of date, some are varieties which I grow every year and some are varieties which I've tried and won't bother growing again. They all need sorting out, but most of them will be passed on to people who can use them.
With all those seeds in hand, why do I find it necessary to visit Poppleton Garden Centre, part of The Garden Centre Group, each year when they reduce their seeds to 50p per packet? To be fair, there were some seeds I definitely needed as I'd run out of them, and I wanted to pick up some more of the living rabbit food which I grew this year for my bunnies as it was very popular with them, but I still managed to come away with twenty three packets of seeds, which cost me £11.50. If I'd paid full price for the seeds, they would have cost £67.15 so I made a saving of £55.65. They didn't have the tomatoes I wanted so I've still got them to buy, but I got most other things.
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When you consider how much veg costs these days, £11.50 is a small price to pay for the seeds to grow my own, and it's always tastier than what you can buy in a supermarket.
My blogger is playing up so I don't know if you got my comment or not
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I didn't. It'll be somewhere in the ether I expect.
DeleteGreat selection I think we are going the baby plant route next year so I have to keep away from seed sales.
ReplyDeleteI think I might go down the same route if I were growing in the garden rather than on an allotment, mind you, I can never resist a seed sale.
DeleteOoh, thanks for reminding me, I must pop up to my local garden centre and see if they have their 50p seeds there. How I love rummaging through to see what there is. I always find something exciting.
ReplyDeleteI hope you manage to find what you want, and lots more besides I expect. You should look out for the living guinea pig food, your little guinea would love it, I'm sure. Our rabbits do.
DeleteWhat an absolute bargain and such a great idea.
ReplyDeleteYou are an inspiration .......
I love the fact you grow food for your pet rabbit............
I've bought most of my seeds in this sale for a number of years now, I always manage to get most of what I want and more besides. I bought the living rabbit food last year, just because I saw the seed there for 50p in the sale, and the bunnies loved it so I was hoping they'd have the seed again this year. I'm a soft touch when it comes to animals, our pets are pampered.
DeleteVegetable seeds are always such a temptetaion! I often order drom Thompson&Morgen when they have a half-prize sale online. But the two companies I order the most from (The Real Seed Catalogue and De Nieuwe Tuin - which is Belgian and has an amazing collection) do not do sales. Luckily most seeds keep for a few years. This year I am also saving tomato seed from the Wild Cherry tomato that is the most reliable in our climate but that I had to order from America which made it very pricey.
ReplyDeleteI've used The Real Seed Catalogue in the past but haven't heard of De Nieuwe before so I shall have a look at their website. It's a shame when companies don't have seed sales, but if they're selling what you want, it doesn't really matter. The most important thing is that you're able to grow the variety you want to. I think saving seed is the way to go when you can't source the seed easily, I have a heritage tomato which I like, though I haven't grown it this year, but I've saved my own seed.
DeleteThey stock de Nieuwe in The Range.
DeleteI've never heard of this brand before, I shall look out for them when I'm in The Range.
DeleteYou can order from their website: www.denieuwetuin.be - it is unfortunatelly only in Dutch but most varieties are illustrated with Peter Bauwens' beautiful photography
DeleteThank you for that. I couldn't find the website so I shall have a look. I think I will be able to see the brand in The Range, so I'll have a look when I go again.
DeleteI did the same at our local garden centre! I've taken all my old packets of salad leaves, greens, beetroot, peas, herbs etc put them all together and am growing 'mixed salads' in polystyrene boxes. They only take three weeks to get to edible stage and it saves lots of money and uses old seed.
ReplyDeleteThat's a brilliant idea and one I'm going to copy. Why waste seed when you can use it in this way.
DeleteMy beautiful book arrived yesterday. I am going to blog about it just as soon as there is enough light to take a photo! Thanks so much for the giveaway. x
ReplyDeleteGlad it arrived safely. I hope you enjoy it, I shall look forward to reading your post.
DeleteI think that we're all the same when it comes to buying seeds.
ReplyDeleteI certainly agree with your last paragraph. Flighty xx
I think we are all the same, it's so hard to resist them. I don't grow my own because it's cheaper than buying in a supermarket, when you add up the cost of the allotment rent, seeds, compost etc. it probably isn't any cheaper, but home grown veg is certainly tastier and I get so much enjoyment out of growing my own.
DeleteThey are always such a bargain aren't they? I actually haven't bought any in the sale this year, mainly because when I called in I was on my way home from work and wasn't dressed for seed sifting. Must rectify it soon.
ReplyDeleteIt's a great bargain, especially seeds such as cucumber which usually cost about £4 a packet. Hope you manage to pick up some bargains yourself.
DeleteOh how I wish I had a local garden centre that did this. I either buy online or make a special journey to get my seeds to nearest one 45 mins away! Well done on snapping up some bargains :)
ReplyDeleteWe do have to travel to this garden centre, it isn't exactly local, but we usually pop in on the way to somewhere else and make the most of the journey. It's too good a sale to miss really.
DeleteA garden is such a beautiful delight to tend and see the results. Catherine
ReplyDeleteIt is, and with an edible garden, you get to taste the results too.
DeleteI got some good-value seeds at Wilkinson's recently. The packs were mostly priced at 60p and 80p, but they were discounted by a further 50%. I got 10 packs for £2.40 - less than the usual price of ONE pack from T&M etc! Maybe you should host a seed-swap...?
ReplyDeleteThat's an even better bargain than I got. The seeds in our Wilkinson's weren't reduced at all the last time I was in, I shall have to see if they are now. I've taken part in seed swaps in the past and wondered about hosting one with all the spare seeds I've got, but I think people like to find unusual things in the swap they're taking part in and most of my seeds are just run of the mill.
DeleteWe get seeds from Kings at a reduced cost as we are members of NSALG but they are not as cheap as you managed.
ReplyDeleteWe can get Kings seed at a reduced cost through NSALG too. I usually buy the things I can't get in the 50p sale through them.
DeleteI see that you grow a wide range variety of vegetables, and that's so interesting. Actually I love to try growing new plants on my garden, but the supplier sometimes just provide local seeds, so I have to be patient to get some interesting seeds.
ReplyDeleteI try to grow a variety of vegetables as some things always do better than others. I think we're lucky that we have a good choice of both common varieties and more unusual things, there's always something new to try.
DeleteThat's a real bargain Jo! I think gardeners are definite hoarders, be it with plants or seeds, we just can't help buying another packet or pot :-) .
ReplyDeleteYou're right, we are. I can't bear to throw seeds away, even if they're out of date, most are still ok. I'll pass most of what I no longer need on to others who can make use of them, waste not want not.
DeleteGreat start to a new seed sowing year Jo :)
ReplyDeleteIt's good to know that I'm already getting ready for another growing year. I'm always raring to go by March.
DeleteHi Jo, just catching up now I am back, I have been reading, just not commenting. You certainly got a good deal on all of those seeds, a massive saving from if you had bought them at the full price!! I remember you buying the rabbit food last year and wondering what it would be like, so it is good to know that it was so good that you bought it again this time around. Hope that you find good homes for all the packets that you no longer need or want. xx
ReplyDeleteIt's such a good sale, seeds can be very expensive these days, so to get them for 50p per packet is great. The rabbits enjoyed the food I grew for them last year, a bit of a treat, so I'm sure they'll be pleased I've bought some more. There's always someone who's thankful of seeds, I'll make sure the ones I no longer need or want go to good homes.
DeleteI'm smiling here as I do the exact same thing, it doesn't matter how many seeds I have I always buy more when the are on sale....it's an illness!!!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great deal though! This year I'm going to try and save the seed from my toms that have grown well....xxx
Seeds are just too good to resist when they're reduced, no matter how much I try. I've saved heritage tomato seeds in the past but so many varieties are F1 these days that they don't come true if you save the seed.
DeleteI love buying seed and 50p is a great price. I enjoy going through my seeds regularly, and I'm a sucker for some of the gardening magazines that offer free seeds (except that they seem to offer the same ones over and over again).
ReplyDeleteI was always tempted by magazines with free seeds on the cover when I started gardening, but I don't buy many magazines these days. As you say, most of the seeds are the same anyway, and you can only grow so many lettuces.
DeleteKnow what you mean I have too many really and can't resist a bargain even when I don't really need one!
ReplyDeleteI was quite restrained really and bought what I knew I needed. There's always the temptation to buy things you think you'll grow and then the packet stays in the seed box unopened.
DeleteYou got a bargain, Jo. I wish we had local garden centers for seeds and seed sales. I have to buy mine on line. But it's always cheaper than buying veggies at the store. P. x
ReplyDeleteI do sometimes buy online but I wait every year for this sale to see what they've got first as it's such a bargain. Sometimes they don't have the varieties you want, but then it's a case of growing something different or looking elsewhere.
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