I use UK seed catalogues because their range of products is so extensive. Dependent on if a trade deal gets done (not at all gteed) then getting seeds sent to France in 2021 is likely to be difficult. We only have Magasin Vert and Point Vert here in N Brittany whose range is poor…and prices sky high (there are no garden center competitors). so are there recommendations for French based mail order seed suppliers who havea wider range than stores
If you treat yourself to a gardening magazine from your local shop… you’ll find all sorts of info/adverts therein…
other than that… Google turns things up…
We use https://www.fermedesaintemarthe.com/
And we also use a grainotheque in local library for free seeds and to troc our extras.
You must have very exotic requirements if you can’t find an acceptable range at your local supermarket.
The only things I have mail ordered from the UK were “Lady Di” runner beans and “sungold F1” tomatoes.
seedparade.co.uk have a good range in minimal packaging at sensible prices. I don’t expect they will stop sending to France if you are paying for thestamp.
Thanks, I’ll have a look at them. I’ve looked at french garden mags …lots of them…can you recommend one good for veggie.
We have some good plant growers round us but it a desert for products (ie not plants) Point V have an absolute monopoly, I despair having no options.
Not an expert, I only grow things that don’t give me any trouble.
Can’t find English runner beans, so imported “Lady Di” but you only need to do that once. Similarly “Sungold F1” tomatoes (have to grow under glass because of blight). We buy bunches of started leeks and beetroots in the market and just drop them into holes.
Parsnips, never found any that weren’t good.
“Carine” carrots are very good.
Tried “Vita Laitue à couper” for the first time this year. Slow to germinate, but now growing faster than we can eat it.
When we go to the trouble of growing vegetables we want something that is better than the veg you can buy. So we get for example Otto or White Bush lebanese courgettes that are much firmer and nuttier. Means we can use for slightly different things too. Supermarket varieties of seeds we find crop ok but often don’t have the taste.
Equally as we live at 2000ft we need tomatoes like Glacier that can cope.
And we subscribe to Rustica every other year or so.
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That’s brought it all back… when we first arrived CA were running a special offer free magazine subscription thingy… we signed up for Rustica - one whole year of what to do when.
Of course, we cancelled the subscription before it became payable the following year … but kept the full 12 months’ supply for reference in the years to come…
Highly recommend Rustica … why not get a copy and see what you think…
I’ve started to use:
Important to find varieties that suit local conditions.
And I forgot to mention courgettes and potimarrons that we grow every year.
I am inclined to think that anything you grow will be better than supermarket products, if only because it is freshly picked. But also supermarkets main criteria are, of necessity, shelf life and appearance.
The longest queue in our weekly market is for the old lady who brings in a van load of stuff from her smallholding. Not a wide choice but whatever is in season locally and good at the moment.
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Hi John,
I don’t know where you are but there are ‘Perigourdine’ stores around here. They sell a good range of seeds and some Bio.
Were heavily into the Bio/Demeter stuff so there is also -
https://www.bingenheimersaatgut.de/de
From Germany but easy to order on their website.
Also https://www.biaugerme.com/ They are a French ‘co-operative’ and they have a catalogue that you can order on-line.
We’ve bought from all of these and had good results plus the seeds are used to French weather conditions!
Good Luck, Beth
Forgot to say that most of these catalogues offer flower seeds as well!
Beth
not really but i like to grow things that are different to usual supermarket offerings.
its not to save money but the fun of different products
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I’ve been following these guys for a while on Facebook. Don’t know if they are any good, but is seems they like rare seeds : https://www.realseeds.co.uk/
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Just to alert people to an email I received today -from UK based company but may also be happening here.
The latest news in the papers that unsolicited Chinese seed packages have been posted to gardeners who previously made legitimate seed purchases through sites such as Amazon Marketplace and eBay should be of concern to us all. Unsolicited seeds could be invasive, introduce diseases to local plants, and could spell havoc for farming and ecosystems alike. If you do receive such packages, contact DEFRA by email to [PlantHealth.Info@apha.gov.uk] and include any related purchase history.
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Hi, I like this supplier and have bought from them when we lived in Yorkshire. Bit as you can see they no longer deliver to none EU countries…aka UK!
Hello Brexit…I fear this will be the case for many items, not just seeds, but it will keep the Brexit headbanging purists happy, as we’re taking back control!
Hence my post asking for recommendations for good French mail order seed companies, and I’m grateful for several people who responded.
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Kokopelli are marvellous 