The English Channel is very narrow so I'm quite sure that if Belgium can get sand blown in from the Sahara, southern England can get all sorts of pollen, seeds, insects, birds and pathogens blown in across that narrow strip of sea.
However, that is not an excuse to allow people to ignore basic plant, seed and compost hygiene and rules to safeguard native flora and fauna as well as the food chain.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Thanks for the heads-up, @Obelixx, and for that Irish seed site, @Ruth S. Sainz. Looks promising... though so far I've managed to buy quite a few standard veg seeds from the local flower shop here (which also usefully sells compost (including peat-free), and some plants), though I suspect they may give up trying to import seeds from UK.
For anyone in Ireland - I've also used https://irishseedsavers.ie/ which sells Irish heritage apple trees as well as old varieties of veg. It's only a mile from my house, but frustratingly I've only managed one visit so far...
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
That sounds handy @Liriodendron. I'm still dithering about apples for this garden as I don't know the local varieties and the varieties in the shops are bog standard grannies, galas, the dreaded goldens and so on which means I can't compare.
Even nearby orchards for pick your own grow standard varieties.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Re all the nasties according to the EU are in the UK plants and soil, none in theirs, well according to a nurseryman speaker at our gardening club some years back, they all came in from Holland, they do a Nelson to their own diseases etc, but boy do they kick up a stink about others!
Oh dear, this turned into Daily Mail lite...poor old UK always being dealt a terrible card, the whole of Europe is against it 🤣 you got us out of the EU, congratulations. You can just blame the charlatan in charge for what happens next. Can't be conveniently blaming the EU any more.
@Braidman The EU has rules about phyto sanitary certificates and standards and many other things.
Since the UK voted to leave the EU and all the benefits of the single market you can't expect anything to go thru borders without some sort of controls, checks and restrictions tho it might have been better than it now is had the UK govt understood about the EU's determination to protect its single market and its producers and had a better negotiating team and strategy.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I haven't read the whole thread, but are suppliers in Northern Ireland allowed to send plants to England? Is it so complicated and fraught that most are not bothering?
I would be interested to know if there are any here people here on the forum from Northern Ireland.
Two weeks ago i went to Dobbies when it opened again. Rows and rows of bedding plants, shrubs and alpines but virtually no perennials. It was disappointing. They are having a hard time sourcing supplies it seems.
I even noticed all the garden mags listing free seeds do NOT have free seeds in them.
I have managed a small order from Claire Austin, they came with plant passport labels on and I got some seeds from Chiltern Seeds but lots of sites not delivering to us or high costs for delivery.
Luckily there is Ballyrobert Gardens here and as far as I am aware they are shipping to England as they are also on e*ay. Not sure about others.
Posts
However, that is not an excuse to allow people to ignore basic plant, seed and compost hygiene and rules to safeguard native flora and fauna as well as the food chain.
For anyone in Ireland - I've also used https://irishseedsavers.ie/
which sells Irish heritage apple trees as well as old varieties of veg. It's only a mile from my house, but frustratingly I've only managed one visit so far...
Even nearby orchards for pick your own grow standard varieties.
Since the UK voted to leave the EU and all the benefits of the single market you can't expect anything to go thru borders without some sort of controls, checks and restrictions tho it might have been better than it now is had the UK govt understood about the EU's determination to protect its single market and its producers and had a better negotiating team and strategy.
Two weeks ago i went to Dobbies when it opened again. Rows and rows of bedding plants, shrubs and alpines but virtually no perennials. It was disappointing. They are having a hard time sourcing supplies it seems.