White Windsor Broad Beans

[Vetivert]

Why can't I seem to find these for sale in the UK? They're on the National List - do they have a synonym?

[Vetivert]

[Tee Gee]

I think you might find them under the term....Fava bean or Faba bean

[galina]

Yes they seem to be extremely rare.  I can't find an UK source either.  Scary. 

[saddad]

Similarly I have been disappointed by the very limited range of seed potatoes in local garden centres... seems to get fewer each year and the seed catalogues seem no better.. or maybe I've tried most things by now...

[ancellsfarmer]

Seems that you could order them from Poland online, ( not a recommendation) Not sure of the new legality of accreditation...
Regarding seed potatoes, these folk seem to offer 40 varieties, at a price.
www.simplyseed.co.uk/second-early-potato-seed/international-kidney.html
Again, not a recommendation, no experience of the company. Has anybody used them ?

While (slightly) off topic, do any others have experience of :
seedcooperative.org.uk ?
Certainly sent out a small order with alacrity!

[ACE]

I used simply seeds this year but not for potatoes. We get a very good selection of spuds down here on the 'gardening isle'.

[markfield rover]

No experience of Seedcooperative , but the article in yesterday's Telegraph seem to rate them , looking on their website I hope the publicity serves them well.

[Vetivert]

For those of you frustrated by the lack of choice in seed potatoes, https://potatohouse.co.uk of Skea Organics has a very wide selection. Free shipping and decent discounts for 5 and 10 or more nets.

Beginning to lose hope that I'll find White Windsor over here. May have to source from the US or Germany. Very odd that no seed merchant stocks it.. all historic gardening books speak very highly of this variety.

[Tee Gee]

This is a sister variety

https://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/Peas-Beans/Broad-Bean-Seed_2/Broad-Bean-Green-Windsor-Seeds.html

[JanG]

I use Seed Co-operative and rate them very highly. I happen to live only a few miles away from where they moved to not that long ago. They have interesting open days where you can wander round and see their growing experiments under glass and polythene, their seed sorting equipment and so on. They grow much of their seed themselves and source others from a small handful of organic growers. They also uphold biodynamic principles. So definitely very pure in their philosophy and practice! The varieties they maintain tend to be fairly traditional, open pollinated but perhaps not highly adventurous.
I've also used Simply Seed and find them fine too.