Browsing for seeds is one of my favourite gardening pastimes – there are seas of varieties to choose from, with hundreds more types of vegetables, say, than you’ll find in the supermarket. To point you in the direction of some of my favourite retailers, I’ve pulled together a list of where to buy seeds online.
Growing plants from scratch involves two key steps: learning how to sow seeds successfully, and, of course, choosing the seeds that will thrive in your garden. Some retailers offer larger selections, while others dedicate themselves to a more curated range of varieties (which can be a little less overwhelming for beginners).
If you’re wondering where to buy seeds online, I’ve handpicked my favourite places to start browsing.
1. Thompson & Morgan
For me, Thompson & Morgan is the OG – it sells all of the classic seeds we know and love, and it’s the first brand I used when I first started gardening (Beetroot ‘Chioggia’ will always have a special place in my heart!).
What’s especially handy is that the website has a ‘Seeds to Sow Now’ section, where you can easily sift through the seeds that can actually be sown this month. That makes it a lot easier to narrow down a list of things to plant in May, for example.
There’s also a page dedicated to easy-to-grow seeds, so if you’re looking for the easiest vegetables to grow, or even flowers, you’ll easily be able to find beginner-friendly varieties.
2. Amazon
If you’re after speedy delivery, Amazon offers a huge selection of seeds from leading seed companies. I’ve had enormous success sowing seeds from Fothergill’s (Summer Squash ‘Sunburst F1’ produced one of my best crops to date), which also sells a Sow Simple range of seeds, like these basil seeds. In fact, its range of easy-grow herbs is perfect for beginners.
You can also add seeds from other companies to your cart, like Johnsons (Parsnip ‘Hollow Crown’ is a popular variety) and Simply Garden (I just sowed some Pea ‘Meteor’ seeds in my garden).
If you’re not sure where to start, Simply Garden’s Grow Your Own Seed Kit includes a selection of summer vegetables, winter vegetables, and grow bag favourites.
3. Crocus
It’s difficult for me to leave Crocus’ website without ordering seeds, because it might be the most photogenic one out there. Its range of seeds includes some of the most beautiful flowering varieties out there, from the bee-friendly blooms of Verbena bonariensis to the cottage garden favourite Foxglove ‘Sutton’s Apricot’.
Besides flowers, you can browse over 150 vegetable seed varieties. Runner bean ‘Scarlet Emperor’ is on my list, but I’ve also got my eye on the edible flower petal collection, which is perfect for decorating cakes and salads.
My favourite, though, is the selection of companion planting seeds, which includes heroes like marigolds and nasturtiums.
4. Marshalls Garden
When I first got my hands on a Marshalls Garden seed catalogue, I was stunned by the vast selection of varieties – and its website is just as impressive.
With a hub of 43(!) pages of seeds to flick through, you can filter the results by sowing month, colour, position (i.e. which type of garden shade they thrive best in), flowering month, and the types of garden it’s suitable for. So, if you want to find plants for a cottage garden, you’ll find charming varieties like Lupin ‘Russell Mix’.
Marshalls Garden also stocks seeds by Unwins (another trusty seed supplier), like the container-friendly Cosmos ‘Xanthos’.
5. Suttons
If you’re wondering where to buy seeds online for a small garden, Suttons will point you in the right direction. Its section on small space vegetable gardening is divided into patio garden favourites, windowsill gardening and even square-metre gardening, where the packets start from 99p (but you can currently order 650 Swede ‘Ruby’ seeds for just 69p!).
For something a little different, you can browse Suttons’ selection of new seeds. I’ve got my eye on Pea ‘Multicoloured Mix’ – the gourmet veg seeds produce a trio of coloured pods.
There’s also Tomato ‘Appleberry Series’ F1 seeds, which produce unique apple-shaped fruits! You’ll need more space for that one, though, because the trusses can reach a metre in length.
Elsewhere, you can shop for flower seeds, filtering by the most popular varieties and even flowers you can sow now, in May, for example.
Seed sowing kit
EarlyGrow
Propagator With Shatter-Resistant Lid
The perfect home for new seeds to sprout. It’s unheated, but ideal for cooler season seeds.
Mr Fothergill’s
Fothergill’s Enriched Seed Compost
I’ve just sown seeds into this peat-free seed compost. It’s enriched with seaweed and slow-release nutrients, too.
Selections Jumbo Windowsill Heated Plant Propagator
Heated propagators will encourage some seeds to germinate faster. This one is perfect for the windowsill.
Seed sowing is one of the top jobs to do in the garden in May, so get browsing!
TOPICS
Read the full article here