Seed companies

Which seed companies do forum users buy from? Does it make a difference?

 I have just bought lots in the 50p sale at TGCG and most of them were  T&M, they are currently my favourites for germination rates and customer service. I have bought some off ebay and have had few problems.

T&M and Suttons are my choice - both reliable.

what does TGCG stand for 

The Garden Centre Group, for many people their closest one is a Wyevale but mine is just called A Garden Centre, they have been selling off all their packets of seeds for 50p.

http://www.thegardencentregroup.co.uk/

Isn't it odd, I find T&M, Suttons, Sarah Raven very shy germinators. Especially for varieties where you get few seeds in a packet.

For veg I go for MoreVeg and The Real Seed Company and the Italian vegetable seeds.  Excellent germination.

I also buy mine from good old Wilkie's - usually in the half price sale. They have all the top name seeds and I've also tried Wilko's own -  never had any problems with them.

I think viability is helped by good storage - i keep mine in tupperware type boxes in an old spare fridge in the shed.

I know in the past I have bought seeds and the germination hasn't been reliable, but I cannot for the life of me remember the company names (note to oneself to keep a diary!) I have had good results from T & M, that one I remembered!

Strangely, I was looking at Dobies today and wondering whether they would be ok.

I mostly use T&M. I used to buy from T&M a long time ago when they were the only company to offer a book-sized colour catalogue. I have used Chilterns Seeds, which is a small company who stock some of the more obscure varieties. Their catalogue has no pretty pictures in it, so is not very useful for browsing. And I have used a few others.

With many varieties of seeds, it's likely that the seeds are produced by a grower who specialises in that type of plant, and he distributes his seeds to many commercial seed suppliers worldwide. In such cases it doesn't matter a jot which company you buy the seeds from because they all originate from the same grower.

If you read the fine print on the back of a seed packet it may tell you the country of origin. It's often on the back, right at the top - the strip that you rip off to open the packet. I've just glanced at a few packets I have at hand - many are from Holland, some sweet peas and gazanias come from the USA, calendulas from Poland, astranta from Germany, foxgloves are from Holland, Spain and Portugal. And those packets of seed are all sold by T&M.

I don't think that very much flower seed actually comes from nurseries owned by seed companies in this country. I haven't inspected any packets of vegetable seeds and don't know where most of them come from. It might be interesting to find out.

I stick with T&M for seeds I can't source here in Italy. Great range, prompt delivery, never any germination problems.

I used to pass a huge field of flowers on the way to school on the bus - there was a sign declaring 'Carters tested seeds' . Long gone now.

Our allotments use T&M, but many members buy last years seed,T&M and Suttons for 50p at Wyevale. I find T&M to be very good, but also rate Marshalls seeds.

Lidl seeds also grow well, and are good value. Try not to buy seeds which have been on display in the very hot conditions you sometimes get in garden centres.

Franchi (seeds of Italy) have very good germination rates and generous amounts of seeds in the packets. T&M I only buy at the 50p seed sale, especially cucumbers where you often only get 4 seeds per packet!

I find that T&M are expensive e.g. their Cobaea Scandens seeds are £1.82p for 9 seeds, but Fothergills, are 20 for £3.00p.

Marshalls' are cheaper too.

@jatnikapyar this is why we all get so excited when they have a 50p sale and they did have a half price sale earlier in the year.

Kings seed for veg. Mr fothergills for flowers.