Seeds suppliers and fruit tree nurseries

[Florence]

Just thought this would be interest to most of us, these are all the ones I know of. I'd love to know more closer to home where there's a shop I can visit, or even weekend markets. Please post it here if you know of any not listed :)

Queensland

http://www.earthcare.com.au
Based at Crystal Waters Permaculture Village
Bamboo, water plants (water chestnuts, Lotus), and Root crops (e.g. Taros, Yams, Cassava, arrowroot etc)

http://www.edenseeds.com.au/
http://www.greenharvest.com.au
http://www.kingsseeds.com.au
http://www.herbcottage.com.au/


Brisbane

http://www.qld.greeningaustralia.org.au
There are a large number of plants classified as 'bush tucker'

http://www.northeystreetcityfarm.org.au/nursery.htm (Edible Landscapes nursery)

www.rangeviewseeds.com.au (Redcliffe)

New South Wales

http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/
http://www.fruitsaladtrees.com/
http://www.forbiddenfruitsnursery.com
http://www.greenpatchseeds.com.au/

Victoria

http://www.diggers.com.au/
http://yalcafruittrees.com.au
http://www.cornucopiaseeds.com.au/

[Donna]

I recently purchased some seeds (including celeraic, green globe artichoke, eggplant) from an ebay store who were pretty cheap, combined postage and very fast. Haven't planted the seeds yet myself but they have 100% positive feedback.

http://myworld.ebay.com.au/pea_the_pea_looking_pea/

[Elaine de Saxe]

Looks good, Donna ... will spend some time rambling through their many pages.

So far, I have bought good seeds via eBay from Willowbrook Cottage (locals at Acacia Ridge or somewhere closeby) and another whose name escapes me now in Kerang, Vic. When searching for Strawberry seeds, I found about a dozen or so around Victoria and New South Wales but few in Queensland.

Failing organic seeds which are scarce, I prefer to purchase locally-derived seeds if I can. But when you want the seeds, where they come from can be secondary to actually snaring whatever-it-is, especially if it is rare.

Very interested to see, for the first time for me, someone selling Asparagus crowns in Queensland. They were non-existent in any Nursery I've worked in or enquired in so it's good to see Green Harvest responding to customer requests (I imagine) and stocking such difficult to find plants. When I planted my Connovers Colossal seeds 7 years ago, no one to whom I spoke about Asparagus, believed it could be successfully grown in Brisbane. Well it can! It may not get the chill it would prefer, but the spears are succulent and tasty. Mmmm! Steam, add butter or Olive oil and a touch of Parmesan with salt and pepper to taste. Drooooool.

Thank you Donna, for the note about their current plant offers. I have ordered the salad sensation potato collection. We're looking to buy some sugar bags to store them in once I grow the crop ... I've always resisted growing potatoes believing I did not have anywhere to store them. The local produce store - oh, how lucky we are to have one of those old-fashioned feed-type merchants just down the road! - sells new sugar bags. Drool-worthy potatoes next :-)

[Florence]

I agree, I like to buy local seeds more because they maybe more adapted to our climate and easier to grow. Have you noticed that some of the seeds on sell in supermarkets are packaged in UK?

Elaine, I'd like to know more about Willowbrook Cottage, as Acacia Ridge is very close to me ~

[Donna]

This was one of the main reasons I started Brisbane Seed Savers - so that we could grow, collect and share our own OP heirloom & heritage varieties that have been selectively bred for/ in our own climate.

On the weekend I harvested some rosella seeds (to add to the okra, snake bean & rockmelon from summer), I still find it amazing that more people don't save their seeds for next year - especially considering the price!

[Elaine de Saxe]

Sheer laziness Donna! Especially if you grow more than one variety of species, they could cross-pollinate and while you might make a horticultural discovery and a fortune, usually what you get is not what you want!

As well, preparing some seeds is a time-consuming process. Take Eggplant ... wait until the fruit is split and really old-looking then figure out how to get the flesh off the tiny seeds. Easy seeds like pea family are fine but even Tomatoes can be messy and fiddly. Cabbage-family's tiny pods need to be put into a paper bag and you wait until the seeds pop out of their pods, bits of dried pod, bouncing black seeds, it can be quite a mess. Some kind of winnower to separate the seeds from the chaff is a handy contraption to have if you are going to prepare a wide variety of seeds for saving.

There's a book around by the Fantins (Seed Savers Network from Byron) on the processes involved. It'd be worth trolling the local library catalogues to see if there's one available for loan. Or for sale on eBay, or just for sale anywhere. If you're going to do seed saving on any kind of scale, knowing some of the tips and tricks could save a huge amount of time and frustration.

[Donna]

Hi Elaine, Brisbane Seed Savers is a member of the Local Seed Network which was started by the Fantons, we are on LSN website and as co-ordinator I have access to an email address that goes to all other co-ordinators when trying to source specific varieties.

The Fantons are stepping back from the movement a bit and no longer keeping a seed bank at Byron Bay, they instead are encouraging members to keep the seed banks in backyards - where they are after all safest.

Not all seeds are hard to save, and yes it is important to be aware of cross pollination potential but the Seed Saver Manual (which is also now mostly online at the LSN website) is invaluable for distance and families that can cross.

I sell copies of the Seed Saving Manual, and also have a number of other resources provided by them for LSNs.

It does take a bit more effort to save seed, but I haven't found it a chore as it is something that I believe passionatley about.

[Scarlett Patrick]

good on you donna, it's a fantastic thing to be doing

[Mick Porter]

Hi Donna,

Good job on getting this group going.

We went to a Seed Savers Convention about 15 years ago in NSW and built a herb spiral with the Fantons. Back then I think I knew every word in the Handbook from memory! Haven't planted much the last few years but excited about our new place.

That eBay seller has a lot of interesting-sounding seed, although as has already been noted there's a fair difference between conditions in QLD and VIC.

[Donna]

Thanks Mick. I recently spoke to Jude and she mentioned their interest in coming as a visitor to a future Garden Visit.

You must have a good memory to remember the book so well, I find it an invaluable resource but have to keep going back to it - mind you once I have saved seed from each vegetable I should remember for the next time *hopefully*.

While it is certainly preferable to buy locally adapted seed, sometimes it just isn't feasible (effort, money, availability) but I am hopeful that as we save more of our own regardless of where it started from it will become locally adapted within a few growing seasons...

[Elaine de Saxe]

Florence, go to eBay Australia and look up that user name. You can contact her via the eBay messaging system by using one of the 'ask seller a question' links on any individual item of hers. You don't have to be wanting to buy the item but the messaging system only works via an item. If you're not an eBay member, PM me and I'll have a poke about to see what I can find out.

And many of the seeds available in shops come from Holland. I have had virtually no success raising seedlings from overseas seeds. Except for the Goji plant I raised from a dried fruit I was given, one seed sprouted but most did not.

[Elaine de Saxe]

http://stores.shop.ebay.com.au/Willowbrook-Cottage__W0QQ_armrsZ1 - try this link Florence.

Duh ... don't know about the 15 minutes left to edit, I responded and decided to look further and figured I could edit my note but I hightlighted some text, hit the delete key and everything disappeared! Perhaps someone with more knowledge of Ning could advise how to actually edit a message!

[Donna]

To edit you have to click back on what you have just typed and it goes a yellow colour and you can edit it - took me ages to figure this out and it was by accident in the end lol!