Growing your own fruit and vegetables from seeds is the perfect activity to keep you and your kids entertained while we stay home. We've rounded up a few of the places you buy seeds online, so you can stay home and get growing.
Related: Where can I buy compost online? Here's where to buy soil during the Coronavirus lockdown
If you are a beginner gardener with only a small amount of space to grow your vegetables lettuce can be a great starting point.
'You can have lettuce almost all year round,' says Louise Golden, gardening expert from Dobbies. 'Little Gem Delight lettuce is a great option to sow in April through to August, with the delicious sweet lettuce thriving in the warmer months ready to harvest from May to October.'
Alternatively, beetroot is another plant that is perfect to grow from seed if you a novice or lazy gardener. 'The Beetroot Moneta is perfect for the lazy gardener as no thinning is required,' explains Louise. 'There's no need to remove any of the plants that are growing too close together, so it couldn't be easier.'
If you only have a window sill to grow plants on consider planting up your herb garden from scratch. Not only will they smell delicious in your home, but will add a punch to your cooking.
'Planting now will ensure your mini crops are ready from June to November,' says Louise. 'Remember to pop plant labels next to each herb so you don't get muddled. And position your window box in the sunniest spot you have – ensuring fresh and fragrant herbs.'
Where to buy seeds online
1. Dobbies
Dobbies has a huge collection of different varieties of salad, lettuce seeds and herbs on offer at the moment. Perfect for beginner gardeners with a small plot of land.
2. Amazon
If you want to get more experimental with the produce you grow but not sure where to start, Amazon is a great place to pick up packs of seeds. One of our favourites is the Scott & Co seed sack. It contains 30 different varieties of seeds to grow, from vegetables to chilli peppers.
Alternatively, you can start small with a herb grow kit from pronto seed. It comes complete with everything you need to grow your herbs from scratch.
3. RHS
Despite all RHS events being cancelled this summer, you can continue to show your support by purchasing seeds from the RHS website. They are also a great place to start if you're looking to find plants that will be kind to wildlife and your eyes.
4. Kew Royal Botanic Gardens
Kew Royal Botanic Gardens are usually a beautiful retreat for London residents and tourists in the summer. However, until the gardens reopen we will have settle for their beautifully packaged seeds. The Kew heritage boxes are filled with selections of herbs, sweet peas and scented flowers.
However, Kew also stocks the clever Growbar. These curated selections of seeds look just like a bar of chocolate, all you need to do is place it in a container on a windowsill and add water, it's that simple.
5. Thompson & Morgan
Thompson & Morgan are continuing to operate as normal during the lockdown. They are the best place to pick up a bargain pack off seeds. On their seed clearance page, you can pick up everything from lettuce to cactus seeds for just £1.
6. Simply Seed
Simply Seed started out selling seeds to the agriculture and horticulture industry. However, a few years ago they began offering seeds to the public. They have an incredible range of different varieties of fruit and vegetables, including something called 'Cauliflower Grafitti'.
If you need a little guidance in which seeds to choose, their website includes a hand 'What seeds to sow when' search function. However, due to increased demand for gardening supplies, we'd recommend focusing on what to plant in May for a wider option of available seeds.
7. Growseed
Growseed doesn't have a huge amount of stock compared to other seed companies. However, they make up for it in passion and quality.
Every variety that is sold has been grown in the Growseed gardens and allotment. So you can guarantee that each packet of seeds will produce a healthy and thriving plant.
Will you be planting up any seeds this weekend?
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