Hanging baskets

pandora205

Hi all,
Am I too late to grow annuals from seed for hanging baskets please? 
Where do you get your seeds?  I'm trying to avoid going to the supermarket as much as possible.
Thanks

DiggerUK

Because of the industrial quantities of plants needed in hanging baskets we buy plugs. We got in before garden centres began closing thankfully.
You can get plants for baskets when you get essential supplies, many of the supermarkets are overloaded with cheap stuff. Don't forget a sprinkle of Virginian Stocks before you hang them..._ 

pandora205

Thanks DiggerUK.  I'd reached that conclusion and also decided it's a bit late in the season for starting from seed.  I'm waiting for my new baskets to arrive - which took a while to source too - so won't start yet.  I think you're right about picking them up at the supermarket.
I will be purchasing some seeds for salad leaves too depending on what is available.

Davesnave

pandora205 said:

I will be purchasing some seeds for salad leaves too depending on what is available.

Good luck; all the better on-line suppliers are shut or open very restricted hours.You might find some in a supermarket but that boat sailed several weeks ago in mine. I bought radish seed in Lidl last week and they had about one variety of lettuce left in Sainsbury's.

phoebe1989seb

What Dave said ^

We don't grow salad leaves but do grow other veg: some from seed, some plug plants. A couple of weeks prior to lockdown    we managed to get plug plant broad beans, runner beans and carrots (but even then got the very last of the beans) from the garden centre formerly known as Wyevale. We ordered more from our local nursery but they couldn't get their supplies delivered.

Later we tried to find seeds - I'd already stocked up on perennial flowering seeds but wanted more veg. The only seeds we could find (in Wilko's two weeks ago) were radishes, courgettes....oh and salad cress 

DH has been working in a large garden for a customer who had ordered absolutely loads of veg (plugs mostly, but also seed potatoes and onion sets) which were delivered the day before lockdown started. After planting there were a few spare which the customer kindly let DH have.....

pandora205

Yes, I'm discovering that just about everything garden related is selling out of online retailers.  I went to look at B & Q (as I was browsing garden chairs) and there was a 10 minute wait to get on the site! 
I did manage to order some plug plants for the baskets from J Parkers.  I'm still trying to source seeds for summer greens, though I have lots of random ones from exotic seed kits I was given for Xmas (already sprouting tomatoes, chard and rhubarb).  When I do the supermarket shop I think I'll aim for Aldi or Lidl as I recall they often have plants in stock.