Family run since 1975
Seeds for gardeners who like to grow the unusual
Over 2,500 varieties, from the reliably lovely to the properly peculiar — chosen, trialled and hand-packed by a small team in Oxfordshire.
In season
Sow these in September
Pulled straight from the sowing calendar on every packet — so it changes as the year turns.
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Our story
A small team, a very long seed list
Chiltern Seeds has been going since 1975 and is now run by sisters Heather and Sally. We grow what we sell, hunt down the best new varieties each year, and pack every order by hand — which is why there is always a friendly person on the end of the phone.
“Your catalogues are a joy. On planes going on holiday, when everyone else was reading a paperback, I would be reading your catalogue and turning down the corners of the pages.”
Patricia, by emailThe journal
Notes from the seed room
Reading the sowing calendar on the packet
Every variety carries its own sowing months. Here is how to use them, and when to ignore them.
Direct sowing without the disappointment
Half the battle is the seedbed. The other half is patience.
Starting a cut flower patch
An edited list for a first year, with enough structure to actually fill a vase.