Links To Things
This page is a collection of links to various seed companies. They have been selected for a range of reasons:
They may be local, supply interesting or unususual varieties, heritage or organic seed. Many supply open pollinated seed, which means you can collect seed yourself from what you grow...
One of the aims of the company - written into its deeds - is to encourage home seed saving.
All our varieties are real, open-pollinated seed (non-hybrid), so you can save your own seed for the future, using instructions we supply. We have written freely-copyable seed-saving guides, and we sell a more detailed seed-saving book at a subsidised price. There’s really no need to buy new seed every year - you can just save your own.
Here's a link to info about seed saving from Real Seeds:
Vital Seeds was founded in 2018, in response to the lack of availability of UK-grown organic and open-pollinated seed. As all of our seeds are open-pollinated you can save your own seed from them year after year.
HSL maintains the national collection of heritage vegetables and aims to conserve vegetable varieties that are not widely available, sharing seed with our members to grow
Tamar Organics started as a small organic market garden in 1994. We have been registered as producers with the soil association since that time. We added our processor license in 2000 when we became one of the first UK companies to offer organic seeds.
We specialise in Italy from the Seed to the plate being the importers for the Franchi seed brand, the oldest family run seed company in the world but we are passionate about the provenance and regionality of everything we sell. We were found to be the most ethical major packet seed brand by Ethical Consumer Magazine and we are also Vegetarian Society approved and Slow Food UK and at Seeds of Italy we have a 5* Food Safety Rating.
Growing and Showing Vegetables for 163 years
‘For edibles which taste as good as they look'
Lot's of Heritage varieties based in Forton.
Chiltern Seeds is a family run business which began in 1975 and offers a wide range of flower and vegetable seeds (over 2,500) from the most popular to the weirdly unusual. We pride ourselves on ensuring we always have the freshest of harvests and the reason our germination rates should always be the best. Our packets and packaging kept simple; always recycled and 100% recyclable; and our customer service as friendly and knowledgeable as you'll find anywhere.
At Seeds of Scotland we are growing vegetable, herb and flower seeds in Scotland using agroecological farming practices. We are particularly interested in growing Scottish heritage varieties as well as varieties that will grow well in the Scottish climate. We strive to pay respect to the historical and cultural significance of each seed we sow and the stories they tell.
All of the seeds that we sell are open pollinated. Unlike F1 hybrids, open pollinated seeds can be saved and re sown whilst maintaining their distinctive characteristics year on year. Open pollinated varieties have more genetic diversity within them and as well as increasing the Biodiversity in your garden they are more suited to adapting to new growing conditions and changeable weather.
She Grows Veg launched with 156 seed varieties and will be launching another 40 this year alone from all over the world. Exclusively heirloom and open pollinated, there is nothing quite like it in the UK.