Topic: Please help! Newbie gardener with no seeds and on shoestring budget

[Acerfan]

Hi everyone,
Please, does anyone have any seeds they don't need that they can donate?  I have nothing to swap yet I'm afraid as I ony started my garden last year & bought seedlings & no seed.   >:(  However, I can't afford to do that this year (and don't want to), so if anyone has any of the following seeds I'd be very grateful & very happy to participate in future swaps.

Many thanks to all for a great forum

Bolthardy
Autumn Queen
Nantes 3/Autumn King/Parano
Any type of outdoor growing cucumber
garlic
onion seeds - any
Hurst green
bell peppers
gold rush
sweetcorn - any
gardener's delight
marigold

Also, if anyone knows where I can get a cheap blueberry bush, I'd be very, very grateful as I missed them in my local Lidl

[glow777]

you can get all the seeds listed at www.alanromans.co.uk for 50p a packet. Affordable on the tightest of budgets

[kenkew]

I'm a little suprised Acerfan that in your 5 months of A4A membership you only have 2 posts, one of those posts is a request for some quite specific seeds. Would be nice to see a little more input to the site such as your garden/allotment details, your gardening history, a little about you?

[Acerfan]

I signed up to the site intending to make an input like you suggested, but several important and complicated issues have come up over the last few months which left me with no time and very little money.  I don't like asking for things, but was intending to repay any help with future participation. 

At the moment I only have a communal back garden (shared by 4 flats) that no-one else used.  I put the work in last year clearing the lawn (well, i call it a lawn - was more of a jungle of weeds) and set up a few pots and grow bags to grow some veg and all of a sudden everyone else started going out there, and all the other gardens in the row started getting cleared!!! 

This year I've got much more ambitious plans for raised beds, 3 sisters plot, square foot gardening and other pots/bins of potatoes, peppers etc.  I'm hoping to get a share of an allotment that a friend has for some larger scale growing but am not going to hold my breath.

[norfolklass]

Acerfan, just tried to PM you but your inbox is full!

[Acerfan]

should be OK now norfolklass, sorry

[kenkew]

Nice to see you putting an area to good use that would otherwise lay bare. My mother (85 years young) did the same a few years ago at the corner of her street, really put those with gardens to shame. Most of them are now out with their new garden tools making something barren into something pleasant.

Good luck with your seed search.

[manicscousers]

Hiya, acerfan, our netto still has seeds for 19p left, we got a blueberry from wilkinsons for 4.00, cheapest we've found, and a good size.., if you pm me I'll sort you out some seeds ..manic mal   ;D

[Acerfan]

Thanks everyone fo all your help

So far I've been offered:

Beetroot
Marigold
Autumn King
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Sweetcorn
& Onion seed (I think)

Unfortunately no netto or wilkinson near me - might ask for blueberry bush as birthday pressie  ;)

[Amazin]

Blueberries are generally more expensive than yer average fruit bush,  Acerfan. Good luck with your birthday wish!

However, most discount stores have other fruit bushes in stock round about now - and they don't need acid soil, either!

Are you near any of those new 99p Stores (big brash blue shopfront)?

Ours has just got an amazing range of fruit bushes in.

[Acerfan]

Our 99p store is closed for a refit.  No idea how long for - hope they have some when they reopen.  Can other fruit bushes be grown in pots?  Wanted one I could put on the 'patio' area in front where we don't get any birds.

[Amazin]

Most of 'em - I've got rasps, blackberries, gooseberries currants, apple, plum, cherry, nectarine, pear....

[Acerfan]

Thanks Amazin', will have to have a look at which are the most compact as I haven't got a huge amount of space unfortunately.

Manicscousers, the seeds arrived this morning - thanks very, very much - look forward to being able to get out there to plant them - just have to get my raised beds sorted & I'm away (still not enough wood or soil)

Thanks again everyone for all your help