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Last Sunday on our local radio show they spoke about the newer daffodil variety "Pink Silk" which is a pink trumpet, the lady said it cost £8.00 per bulb, I feel comments like that could stop new growers starting. First Pink Silk can be bought from good firms at 3 bulbs for £7.50 secondly it was introduced in 1980 so is not really new. At a local show yesterday the best medal bloom was awarded to a bloom of Broomhill introduced in 1965. There were at least 4 exhibits of Pink Silk in the same show.
I used to save seed each year, it takes about four years to the first flower but as most are cultivars every flower is different and not seen before. You do not get many exhibition type flowers but over the years I have registered 4 Anns white, Anns cream , Anns blush and Molly Ann. My wife's name is Ann and our grand daughter is Molly. I have shown 3 of the varieties in London ( best in Section Anns blush). I now have no garden so it has come to an end. You have to register through the RHS which is quite a game.
In days of yore: It was £ 4.90 for a 70 litre bag, and now about the same price or a little higher for a 60 litre bag.
My beef is the reduction in packet/bag contents in recent years.Where I used to get anything from 100-200 seeds in a packet now it is down to around 30 in a packet which is in most cases around a minimum of 3p a seed. as opposed to around 1p and when you get to the Cucumber seeds at around £1 each Things are now getting a bit rediculous, needless to say I now buy less seeds and save more of my own!Compost is another relative case. heres an example:In days of yore: It was £ 4.90 for a 70 litre bag, and now about the same price or a little higher for a 60 litre bag.This equates to: Before 7p per litre. now 8p+ a litre yet you have not forked out any more money but you get less for it!Or put another way around....... a 16+% increase in price!I challenged the manager of DT Browns on this practice and his reply was ....we have to make our money somhow!.....needless to say I did not buy any of his seeds even at £1 a packet.At the shows you used to be able to buy end of season stock for £1 a packet now they make purpose made seed packets that contain around 30 seeds and the charge you £1