Allotments 4 All

Hi all
I seem to remember a link here a year ago to a site where Alan Roman was selling "no frills" seed at 50p a packet . No outer packet, just the foil insert with seeds from what I remember. I'd already bought my seed so didn't bother. but now I can't find the site !
Anybody help please ??

Cheers
Mike

http://www.alanromans.com

I had forgotten about him, thank you for the reminder.  Must have another look at their seeds as I am just trying to persuade OH on advantages of an allotment and his prices would help!

Tulippa    The lotty associations usually link up to a national gardening association who've done a deal with Kings seeds so any seeds and spuds, onion sets etc purchased from your lotty shop are heavily discounted.  I was surprised at the difference on the catalogue price.  Seeds from Lidl (27p) and Aldi, Wilko are fine too  :)

And don't forget the seed swop on here too.  your OH can't fail to be convinced  :)

He says if we had an allotment he would never see me.  As he goes out at 6.30 in the morning and rarely home before 9.00pm at night I am sure I can be around for those times and look after a lotty!  I am working on him!  I think the exercise would do me good, there is a site within walking distance, my daughter is a veggie so we eat a lot of veg anyway - I have lots of arguments for it! 

You can be at lotty during all those hours he's at work and then when he's not at work you can both go down the lotty  ;D  All he needs is a comfy deck chair, a patch of weedy grass to put it on , plenty of lagers and a wind-up radio.  He wouldn't actually have to do anything if he didn't want to.  He'd soon be hooked.  You could always get lotty without telling him of course as you'd be there when him at work so he'd be none the wiser.  Only giveaway would be a freezer full of courgettes  ;D

How did you guess I was contemplating not telling him and getting one?   ;D

I have just spent half an hour listing all the advantages of having a lotty to show him.  I did try to find bad points but can't apart from the time, but if i promised to be home when he is I don't see why not.  Before we were married we used to dig his mum's garden and grow veg and he loved growing potatoes so I am sure once it was done he would join in, just a case of getting there.  Our rental period funs from 1st Oct at our local site so I need to persuade him soon.

I wouldn't bother trying to persuade him I'd just do it.  The lotty is the only thing me and my OH share as he is always at footy when not at work.  He goes all over the place with his pals so I just get on and do what I want and rope him in if I have something heavy to shift.  He loves our lotty though but for him it's the rest which he likes.  He has a very stressful job and he just likes to do nothing in particular on the plot.  He doesn't grow anything though as that's my job (so he says).  He loved putting the shed up and doing the water butt  :)  He's a bit dangerous at bonfires though  :)  He really took an interest when it came time to get the spuds in and he was like a man possessed and shouted ooh another, and another etc - just like a big kid  ;D  If your OH is a foody it should be a doddle to get him on side  :)

Alan Romans site is brill. I ordered ten packets of seeds on Monday, they arrived this morning all present and correct, well packaged too. There is a somewhat limited choice but I'm sure this will grow with time.

Tulippa, just keep at him and he'll give in eventually! Baz was the same with the lottie (and with kids!! ) but now loves it (and the little un! )

Thanks for the link folks! Looks rather interesting. I may try them out!  8) One for my favourites :)

The_Snail

I bought some seeds from Alan Romans, and had inadvertently ordered the same thing twice, as they had inadvertently listed it twice under different names (probably doesn't make sense, but nevermind!).  My point is - they hand wrote me a lovely letter with my seeds explaining the problem, enclosing two packets of the same seeds, and a 50p refund to boot.  A win-win situation :)  It seems to be a family run concern, and I think the service is second to none.  I would buy from them again, even though I haven't sown any of the seeds yet!  Alan Roman has recently written a book on potatoes, I believe.

Just for that story I'd buy from them :)

GGGRRR!  Spend a fiver, no postage and packing!  So, spent a fiver on seeds!!

2 varieties leek
carrot
2 packs sweetcorn
parsnips
turnips
cosmos (all cos of you Simon!)
dahlia
sunflowers

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for that Tulippa. I've bookmarked the site now  ;D

QuoteSeeds from Lidl (27p) and Aldi, Wilko are fine too

So is that their normal selling price, or end of season clear-out ?

I have a Lidl pretty close to me......have to go take a look when I've worked out all that I need.

Mike

I have just looked at this site.  Its terrific!

Thank you so much for bringing it to our attention.

When I'm rained off again I will most definitely be surfing the web ;D

It was someone on here that sent me 7 miles into town to Lidl (where I'd never been) and I got some small marigolds variety of seeds for 27 p and the packets were stuffed with seeds and I only used a small fraction of them.  I hate these plants usually but wanted em for companion plants but they are actually beautiful little things and I have them everywhere on my lotty and at home in pots etc.  That seemed to be a standard price but some of the more exotics like sweetcorn were dearer I think.  I got my cheapo sweetcorn seeds from Wilko and ate my first one last night.  Brilliant flavour and texture!  So I'd urge you to go there as some shops sell gardening clogs and all things gardening related  :)

Wardy

I grow the small french marigolds all over the plot and in the greenhouse too. They flower through the whole summer adding rich colour...Still going strong now

First on my list of flowers every year

Derek

I've still got loads of seed left from this year.  They Lidl ones were easy to grow and the seedlings were really strong which is not bad as I grew them in the house.  They are still flowering strongly  :)

I have just had an email newsletter from alanromans.com, and it would appear that they are going to extend their range for their second season (so the site has evidently only been up and running for about a year).  They also will shortly have seed potatoes on their site - the widest selection in the UK and also of potato microplants.  His new book will also be available (signed).  I already have lots of seeds, but have just 'saved' a lot more into my shopping basket on that site!  - a very useful facility.  You can do that on Mr Fothergill's too.

Mr Fothergill turns their orders round almost overnight unlike Marshalls who take an age.

Wardy, I'm thinking of getting my raspberries from Mr F - they seem a good price - delivery from Nov on.  I wonder if I'll actually receive them fairly promptly (or will it be like your brassica collection from Dobies!).  I don't want to be waiting week in week out over winter, and then be trying to plant them in awful conditions (I'm a bit of a fair weather gardener!).  What are you waiting for from Marshalls?

wow - thanks for that - i just spent £8 on seeds from alanromans. usually when i get carried away i find i've spent a fortune but not so this time - will doubtless have way too many seeds - nevermind, at that price it matters not! ;D

I was waiting weeks for potato sacks.  They have finally arrived!  From Dobies still waiting brassica collection and garlic. 

Fothergills are fast.  They might be a bit dearer but I''ve got lots of stuff from them in the past.  Organic Gardening Catalogue, Kings, and Suffolk Herbs have been quick too.

I knew I'd have to wait for the brassica collection but other folks on here have had theirs weeks ago and I think I ordered mine before most but no sign of mine and a rumour I might not get em at all  :'(

You should see the size of the tin I've got in the fridge with all my seed packets in it!!!   AND I haven't got a clue about veggie growing, and my beds are really quite small (they didn't seem small when we planned them).  I'm already raiding other areas in the garden and turning them over to veg and fruit - watch out the footie area - those two upright poles that serve as goalposts would be good ends for my raspberry supports!  I'm afraid I've become rather obsessed with this veg growing lark :)

Well Hermaj a tin full of seeds is a good start.  They all have instructions on the packs which tells all (well in theory anyway) so good luck with them all

Having read this post I logged onto Alan Romans site and have purchased 12 packets of seeds for just £6.00. They were very quick and most efficient as well as saving a fortune. Thank you for the introduction and I'm sure Alan Roman is delighted too.