Kitchen Garden Forum

I thought it might be nice to start a fresh Bits and Bobs for the New Year.

So i'm going to kick off with a question, Does anyone know if, LBS garden supplies, is still trading to the public. I see they are starting what seems to be a new online wholesale site, but can't seem to find one for the general public.

Did you have an Internet account with them OH?

I've found LBS a bit odd of late. I too saw the relaunch of their website and as it displays prices I assume I would be able to use them, you had to have a trade login to see them a while ago. This year I grew some Chillis in the tunnel in Tomato rings on the beds and they did really well, I think it is something to do with the roots being warmer. I decided to get some more rings but a search of their site yielded nothing. While I was on I looked for 20 and 12 module trays and couldn't find them either. I used their online response form to ask about both but didn't get a reply, so nothing has changed there, I've never had a response to an email enquiry presumably because I'm not commercial. The other day my wife fancied standing on heads to look round the Boundary Mill sale so I dropped her off and went to LBS which is a couple of miles away. I was the only customer and I found some nice pots for 80p I could cut the bottoms out of to make rings and predictably the shelves were full of various configurations of module trays so I got what I needed. I wanted 25Kgs of FBB but the area where it usually is was still full of Christmas decorations and staff were unwilling to go looking for the big bags of fertiliser. So it was the usual recent pattern, they'll do business if it comes to them but they won't try too hard to get it; but the prices are still OK.

PS: after posting I went back to the site. It made me re-register (that might be my computer as I had a cookie clear out) but it let me do it - saying business was Other. But when I tried to find anything it kept giving Server 500 errors and didn't show any prices. You could try Elixir Garden Supplies instead, either direct or through eBay, they are largely the old Kays Horticultural.

I did have Peter, but the new site i have for them, keeps crashing..... i just wondered if they still send a catalogue out at all?

The site does say your account should still work, but Geoff seems o have gone that route without success.
I note that my android browser was concerned that the website was potentially insecure, mainly about its certificate.

Luckily, we live within easy driving distance of LBS and go there two or three times a year, mainly in spring to bulk buy their compost (Erin, which I particularly like) and any fleece, plastic covers, trays and pots and especially disposable gloves, so I have never had the need to use their website. But, I must admit, the (retail) place is never very busy. In the dim and distant past, their retail part was much smaller and just a sort of adjunct to the wholesale business which seemed to work much better.

After a clear night and frosty morning, it's got rather dingy and wet again with a cutting easterly wind. Could do with a bit more frost to kill off the abundant slugs!

Another mystery, what has happened to Romano seed potatoes?

oldherbaceous wrote:Another mystery, what has happened to Romano seed potatoes?

Just a thought, have you tried asking Julietto

The nursery I use for seed potatoes had them last year but they don't start getting seep potato stock in until end of January.

I might give them a ring and ask if they have ordered them or if there is a supply problem

That's terrible Pa Snip.......

It will be a shame if there is a supply problem, as they have done really well for me over the last couple of years.

I just had a look for Romano seed potatoes on ebay, there are some advertised on there and it is from the nursery where i normally buy them from..... a funny old world....
Maybe i was just looking a little too early.

oldherbaceous wrote:I just had a look for Romano seed potatoes on ebay, there are some advertised on there and it is from the nursery where i normally buy them from..... a funny old world....
Maybe i was just looking a little too early.

I did think it a little early to be calling Romano Romano wherefore art thou Romano.

Having said that I think I might have mentioned on another thread that on Christmas Eve I saw two pallet loads of 1.5 & 2 kg packs of seed potatoes waiting to be put on the shelves at a local Wyevale garden centre.

It is quite a way to the nursery where we go for our seed spuds but we know they are fresh stock in to them, they usually stock around 80 varieties and you can buy the majority of them individually, not in pre-weighed volumes, at competitive prices.

Morning Pa Snip, your sense of humour is second to none...

I started looking for the Romano on JBA seed potatoes, when they had none i did a quick search and this revealed a lack of stock.
But hopefully my local nursery will have them, when i get there.

OH. I think you will find that Romano are now sold by T&M.

Shallot Man wrote:OH. I think you will find that Romano are now sold by T&M.

Doubtless with some wonderful extolling of a hitherto unrealised virtue of the variety and at twice the old price.

peter. You must have read my mind.