One of my favourite seed firms Chiltern Seeds celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. I’ve been chatting to them to find out more about the company and to pick up some seed sowing tips.
This month sees my greenhouse start to fill as I get going on starting flowers and veg from seed. It will be a mix of old favourites and new things for my Gardening Trials, many of them from Chiltern Seeds (some gifted and others bought).
I blame their seed catalogue for my crammed benches and stuffed seed tins. These beautifully photographed brochures are more flower porn than buying guide. Everything is arranged in colours and it’s nigh on impossible to stick to a pre-determined shopping list.
“We find it’s the most inspirational way to do things,” explains Nina Deadfield from Chiltern Seeds. “As gardeners, you sometimes focus on which plants you want to grow but maybe not necessarily always which colour. When you start to look at colour, you find there’s a lot more you could be growing.”
It’s just one of the ways the firm is a bit different to many others around. It was founded in 1975 by Douglas and Bridget Bowden after Douglas, a keen amateur gardener, found it difficult to source seed of unusual plants. This inclusion of something different is still evident – cactus seeds are just one example alongside many heritage vegetable varieties.
Chiltern Seeds is now run by the couple’s daughters, Heather and Sally, who relocated the firm from Cumbria to Wallingford in 2012.
The team is small and everything is done in-house from printing the distinctive seed packets – plain white with no photos and fully recyclable – to packing the seed and dispatching orders.
“We’re a small business and our premises are smaller than perhaps some of our competitors,” says Nina, “so we receive smaller and regular harvests from our growers, this in turn generates less waste. Any surplus seeds are donated to local charities, care homes, schools and community projects.”
To ensure seed is as fresh as possible, the harvest used is changed at least once a year – Chiltern are well known for their ‘pot luck’ seed sale bundles.
Over the years, fashions have changed and cut flowers, particularly those that can be dried, are currently a firm favourite with customers. In particular, helichrysum, which didn’t really feature in the past, is now in the best sellers list.
‘Helichrysum bracteum ‘Mixed’ is one of the most popular items we’ve had for the past couple of years.”
As part of the anniversary celebrations, the firm has a ‘Golden Anniversary’ cutting collection with cosmos, scabious, helichrysum and dill (Anethum graveolent).
“We don’t normally tend to lean much towards yellow flowers but this year, we’re absolutely embracing them.”
They are also excited to be stocking delphinium seed from New Zealand – “It’s quite expensive but they are very, very beautiful.”
New varieties are sourced from various growers here and in Europe and the firm also tries to source suggestions from customers.
The Wallingford HQ has a trial garden where, once the main ordering and despatch season has finished, the team grow around 160 varieties from the range. These are direct sown from May, partly so they can be tested and also photographed for their catalogue and social media posts. More photos come from their own gardens and also that of their main photographer Sabina Rüber.
“It’s really nice for the team as we can spend a bit of time sowing seeds and weeding.”
Seed Sowing Tips
So, what of their expert seed sowing tips?
- Compost matters. Nina says the past few years have been tricky as firms tried to perfect the mix of new peat-free composts. In particular, large seeds can rot in compost that doesn’t drain well. Choose a mid-range, good quality seed or multi-purpose compost and if you find one that works for you, stick with it.
- Temperature is important. If seeds aren’t warm enough, they won’t germinate. Beware of falling temperatures overnight on windowsills. “Windowsills are fantastic with lots of light but it’s the first place to drop temperature quite significantly at night. The fluctuation can have a bad effect on germination.”
- Be careful to keep compost moist but not sodden. Peat-free compost often looks dry on top but is still wet underneath so check before watering.
- Small seeds are often easier sown into trays and then pricked out when they are bigger, holding the leaves not the stems.
- Keep moving seed trays or pots around to encourage plants to grow straight and not lean into the light.
- If you are direct sowing, broadcast the seed or sow into drills from May onwards. Cover, water and wait.
- Don’t be in too much of a hurry to get sowing. Seeds sown later will soon catch up.
- Above all, don’t overthink seed sowing. “Remember you’re dealing with nature and ultimately these seeds want to germinate, to become plants, flower and reproduce.”
Top image: Consolida regalis ‘Blue Cloud’ purchased from Chiltern Seed in 2023.
You can read about my Gardening Trials here.
Enjoyed this? Make sure you don’t miss future posts by adding your name to my mailing list.
I received their catalogue the other day and drooled over it! I am quite keen to try the helichrysum this year, though I’m not sure how they will like my soil so maybe in a container. It’s very true that the compost makes all the difference when sowing seeds. My first attempt with peat free compost a few years ago was disastrous, and it was a well-known brand too. The watering aspect can be tricky.
I think we’re all having to relearn sowing techniques.
Be careful with that catalogue. It’s dangerous!