If you want to grow your own fruit and vegetables this year, but don’t have the time or the space to grow all of your plants from seed then check out some of these online plant suppliers. The range of fruit and vegetable plants available online is usually far better than that available at your local garden centre.
Organically grown vegetable plants, supplied by a family business that has been a certified organic supplier for 10 years. The catalogue is arranged by month, and plants are despatched at the right time for planting out. You can choose one of their selection packs, or pick and mix individual varieties.
This company grows their organic vegetable plants in their own organically certified nursery. They sell their plants in a range of different sizes, and a handy chart on their website explains exactly what the different plant sizes are.
Another family run firm. They aren't certified organic, but raise their plants without the use of chemical pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers. What's more, plants are always hardened off at the nursery before being despatched to the buyer.
This doesn't sell vegetable plants, but it does have a good range of fruit trees and bushes. They also sell comfrey, an essential plant for an organic gardener. Sales from the Organic Gardening Catalogue help to support the work of Garden Organic, the UK organic gardening charity.
This is a seed company, with a wide range of vegetable plants available, most with a choice of two delivery dates so you can have your plants delivered at the most suitable time for your garden.
This is Suttons' sister company, which also has a broad range of vegetable plug plants on offer. Many of their varieties also have a choice of delivery date and for one or two there's also a choice of pack size.
This place has a small range of vegetable plants, but they sell many of them in collections - which is useful for smaller gardens where you get a larger variety of plants without having to order too many packs.
The vegetable plant section of this online shop has a nice "guided search" option, which allows you to search their range for indoor or outdoor crops, planting months and harvesting months.
This shop sells vegetable plants grown exclusively using Franchi Italian vegetable seeds. There's not a huge selection, but if you fancy Italian tomatoes, peppers or courgettes - and pack sizes suited to an average garden - then they might be for you.
This is the online shop for W. Robinson & Son, famous for their giant onions and stunning exhibits at horticultural shows. Their onion and leek plants are not grown in plugs, and are fully hardened off before despatch. They're largely aimed at exhibitors.
This giant seed company also dispatches vegetable plants to the UK mainland. Their prices look good, and they have some good collections, but the pack sizes may be too large for many gardens.
This is another well-respected seed company that's moving into supplying vegetable plants. Their plants website contains very similar information to the Plant Connection website - or should that be the other way round?
If you want someone to do almost all the hard work for you, then try buying an instant garden from this place. There's no planning or seed sowing involved, you simply choose which of their selection packs you want and then plant it out. If you fancy giving someone a veggie patch as a gift, they've got gift vouchers too.
This online shop has over 400 varieties to choose from, including over 70 tomato varieties. They've got everything from old and loved heritage varieties to the latest modern F1 hybrids.
If you're a keen gardener and enjoy growing plants from seed then you can also check out 25 online UK seed shops.
There is nothing like growing your own veggies. Don't you just love those big, ripe, juicy tomatoes? The ones I get at the grocers are like cardboard.
#2 by Emma Cooper, Feb 4, 2008
Hi Ruby! You're right - homegrown wins hands down :D
#3 by ranfuchs, Feb 25, 2008
any recommendation on price and quality?
#4 by Emma Cooper, Mar 12, 2008
I have personally used both T&M and The Organic Gardening Catalogue for fruit plants, and have been pleased with both price and quality.
#5 by valerie bullard, Apr 18, 2008
Hi - if you enjoy the taste of fresh fruit and veg but find storing it a problem check out Fresh Pod - the little green pod that can extend the life of your fruit and veg for up to 4 times longer than usual - and all safe and natural. It really works and can contribute to your own green considerations. freshpod.co.uk will tell you more.