Can't get flower seeds from Suttons.

Sorry Poppy not Poopy

Goodness Poopy that is a big problem for seed companies! No doubt more will come to light.

to all,
its not that us seed companies in the uk are lowering standards but that there was no thought in Brexit about the packet seed trade. Every variety in every packet in every order from the EU & NI has to be tested for a phytosanitary certificate - this can take upto 6 weeks and costs are in the ball park of £200... the UK in its wisdom have elected to add travel time and admin time to the costs involved. So that there is no border between the Republic and NI these additional costs now apply to NI as well. We could supply you with seeds but would you really be happy to pay £200 plus for a packet of tomato seeds? These regulations have wiped out all our EU trade almost overnight as it only came to light as an issue in September and the final decision regarding NI was made clear on December 30th.
This is yet another problem caused by those listening to the lies and voting for Brexit

Timetogo I can manage but thank you. I'm more concerned that a gap is developing between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
&Casdon*, I'm no expert but I'm sure more standards will be lowered.

Have you tried Amazon/BnQ/Homebase OR BnM.

I really feel for people in Northern Ireland at the moment, you are at the sharp end of the Brexit impact. It’s concerning too that the UK are no longer adhering to the EU standards for plants, that one has not been on the radar before (or ive missed it).
I hope you manage to source everything you need, and don’t end up having to pay more to do so.

This confirms what I thought. I wonder what else we will have problems with. This will affect both NI and businesses on the mainland.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55757319

Thanks David I understand why it had to be. I was just shocked when I realised it was actually happening. But I'm not going to think about it any longer. Need to be positive ?

My sympathy NI was sacrificed on the altar of Brexit, thankfully it only affects mail order. There will probably be concessions for personal presents etc announced soon but not likely for commercial goods.

David my point is we are part of the UK and should be treated as such.

Mail order is the problem, those in NI need to order from a NI or possibly ROI supplier, NI is still in the EU VAT area. So any goods exported from UK is liable to EU VAT, traders can reclaim it not consumers. Just one of the benefits of Brexit.

Ironically it should be easy to import from EU companies.

David0205 there is a difference between ordering for delivery within the UK due to Brexit. Some suppliers (including Suttons, John Lewis and Dunelm) are reluctant to deliver to Northern Ireland at the moment. That was actually what I was complaining about.
However I did enjoy how it changed to a pleasant gardening thread. Can't wait to get my greenhouse!

There should be no Brexit effect for seeds and plants coming into the UK beyond transport delays, there is a 6 month pause before import regulations are changed. Possibly it’s the VAT changes that are preventing normal invoicing and reclaim of tax
It may be Covid is affecting production and shipping of seeds many of which are grown overseas often Southern Hemisphere.

Gallons of water needed for cucumbers and melons! I've never grown cucumber before and was astonished how HUGE they grow! From one tiny little seed I ended up with a plant like a triffid; all along the sides, up over the door and suspended from the roof by cable ties and string! We were picking 3 or 4 cucumbers a day by August and were giving them away to any one who would take them. If you decide to give it a go, I recommend Passandra mini cucumbers F1 seeds.

Why not give it a try Chewbacca! Just had a look and apparently they are best grown in a greenhouse. Amazing how something can grow so big from a seed in a few months.

nadateturbe the greenhouse for £30 or so was brilliant! Dead easy to put up on my own, single handed, and provided salad crops all summer long. I'm thinking melons for this summer!

And Chewbacca. A greenhouse sounds good. I'm getting quite enthusiastic!

Sorry I meant to embolden your names.

That's interesting NotaGran. I didn't realise they were such a big company but I knew they were reputable. Tomatoes would be a nice challenge. Well done!
Thanks too Glammanana. We have thought of having a section of wild flowers. As its so easy we definitely will now!

Nadateturbe I dont know if you have a Poundland or similar shop in NI but for the last couple of years I have bought a box of seeds from them,they are spring wild flowers and you just sprinkle them to an area which may be difficult to plant, the boxes I got hid an unsightly fence at the bottom of my garden they where spectacular and all for 99p.

Nadateturbe thanks for your reply. I was just interested in you looking at Suttons seeds in particular. The company was established in my local county town and was a very significant employer in the town before it moved away . My husband had his only job there when he 16 , in the sales office before starting in business on his own .
I know nothing about plants and grew my very first tomatoes and potatoes in the first lockdown.

Enjoy your seeds

I agree re Lidl seeds Farmor15, they're very reasonably priced and I've never had a failure with them yet. Last Spring I bought a 6'x6'x4' greenhouse from them for about £30 and grew cucumbers, tomatoes and salad crops, all from Lidl seeds. Highly recommend them.

Thank you Farmor15 for that helpful information.

nadateturbe I see you have solved your seed problem for now, but for future buying you might try www.seedaholic.com/
They are based in Republic of Ireland so would definitely deliver to NI. Unfortunately they are so inundated with orders they're not taking any at the moment. However, that should change soon hopefully.

We've used them for both flower and vegetable seeds and they come with very detailed instructions for growing - very useful for inexperienced growers.

Lidl usually have a good range of cheap seeds in the spring, so look out for those too.

Notagran I know very little about growing flowers. My gardening consists of buying nice plants and shrubs and planting them. As I have lots of spare time now I thought I would try growing from seeds. I looked online for advice on what to plant Feb/Mar. Suttons came up, I recognised the name. I have since found out I can get them from a local store. I think I was shocked that there is a difficulty in getting things delivered in NI from other parts of the UK. It's very unfair that NI is treated this way.