A new year is here and we start the year with a garden full of snow and very cold temperatures here in West Yorkshire. We've read recently that 2025 is predicted to see a boom in people looking to grow their own food, as more people understand the huge health benefits of spending time outdoors and the joy of growing your own vegetables, herbs, chillies and flowers from seed.
If you are new to growing your own food, and you don’t know where to start, then you’ve come to the right place to start growing from seed as our small packets start from just 55p, and all of our packets show full growing instructions.
Before you decide to buy your seeds though, you should start with this question; what do you like to eat? There’s no point in investing your time and effort into growing Purple Sprouting Broccoli if you can’t stand the stuff (although it is very good for you!) and it takes a full year to provide any produce. What do you like to cook with? Do you like to cook and eat with the changing seasons and use fresh herbs? Eating home grown seasonal produce is one of the best things in growing your own food, as nothing tastes nicer than a handful of fresh green peas from the pod or a cherry tomato warm and juicy, picked from a hanging basket.
Whatever you want to grow, next question is… How much space do you have? There are loads of veggies that are ‘perfect for pots’, including some varieties of carrots, leeks, beetroot, cabbage, celery and lots more! You don’t need lots of space to grow food.
What kind of salad leaves do you prefer? There are lots of varieties that are very easy and quick to grow, and lots that can be grown in pots.
How many seeds do you need? If 1,000 carrot seeds seem a bit overwhelming, then try our ‘small packets’ with fewer seeds, designed specifically for the beginner, those who don’t want to grow loads, or those just looking to try a new variety or grow in pots and containers.
What about starting off with herbs? These are really easy to grow from seed and there is nothing more satisfying than chopping a few herbs from pots outside your door or from your kitchen windowsill and adding these to a dish of your making.
As well as seeds, we seasonally sell seed potatoes and garlic and onion sets. Our seed potatoes are normally available Jan/Feb featuring the ever popular and reliable salad potato Charlotte and a maincrop Cara. Subscribe to our newsletter to be informed once these are in stock.
Do you have a warm inside spot like a conservatory? If you do, you can start Chilli seeds now! We start ours around mid-Jan in heated propagaters that are perfect for chillies. My favourite variety is the Hot Lemon. They look stunning when ripening and changing colour and they are used fresh in homemade Thai style dishes (coupled with our Lemongrass and Thai Basil) and then pickled with the Jalapenos for colourful jars kept in the fridge.
Why not subscribe with us to receive regular emails and special subscriber only offers?
We will keep you updated on our progress in the garden throughout the year so stay tuned to Seeds to Sow on Facebook and Instagram! We're also on X and Bluesky but FB and Insta are our favourite socials.
Lots to do, let’s get sowing!