Sowing the Seeds of Success
Image: Val Bradley
Do you use packets of seeds each year? Have you ever wondered what went on before they reached your hands?
Every year, thousands of packets of seeds are sold in shops and garden centres without most customers giving a second thought to what went on before the packs arrived for sale.
Behind every pack, there is a team of people who breed or source the seeds, test them, pack them and finally distribute them for sale. Many long-standing varieties of plants appear every year, but there are also brand new ones being launched for the first time. Breeding a new variety can take years of painstaking work to achieve the desired result and, even then, there are years of testing to do before it can be released for sale.
In order to make sure every batch of seeds grows into the picture on the outside of the pack, samples are grown from the same seeds that are going out on sale. That way, if a customer has a problem, one of the team can go and look at the plants growing in the trial ground and see if the same issue has occurred there. It may not explain everything, but is a good place to start.
Helichrysum Silvery Rose (new for 2025)
One of the UK trial grounds is at the Head Office of Mr Fothergill’s Seeds, based in Suffolk. Sown afresh every year, there are batches of flowers, vegetables and new varieties that are being assessed for future release. Most are growing outdoors, so they face the same weather conditions as plants in a customer’s garden, although there are also polythene tunnels for tender (greenhouse) plants including tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and melons.
At the height of summer, the grounds are a delight to see and smell, a riot of colours in small batches. Rows and rows of plants, most doing well, others less so - but if there are failures, the team are honest and everything is fully recorded. That way, everything can be checked for quality, performance and reliability. It also helps with the instructions for sowing and growing on the back of the packets, so that every gardener from beginner to old hand gets the best from their purchase., - so always read the pack!
The grounds are not open to the public, but many of the photos on their website show plants growing in the trials.