I read that Dutch Elm disease was imported in a consignment of bananas. ( no idea if that's true though )
No, according to the Woodland Trust. They seem fairly unequivocal on the subject - not sure if that means its proven though.
Dutch elm disease was accidentally imported into the UK from Canada in the late 1960s. It spread quickly, reaching Scotland in just 10 years.
The movement of elm products caused the spread of the disease, particularly on logs with bark attached but also through saplings, crates and mulching bark.
I knew you would know for sure. Thanks for clearing it up.
The bigger Dutch companies who export millions of pounds' worth of plants each year can afford the admin/IT/inspection systems to process all that but ordinary nurseries can't.
@Skylark001 Now you know you can get a shipment twice a year you can at least plan.
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)."
Busy-Lizzie As we here are fellow EU members, presumably there are no restrictions? If you're still desperate for Foxglove seed (Fairy T'imbles over here) or Runner beans, the former are like weeds on every grass verge and I usually have several hundred runner beans at the end of the season when I dismantle my unit. Wouldn't that answer your problem?
Thank you @nick615, that is very kind of you but I bought some foxglove plants from a garden centre in France so I'm hoping to save some seeds. I'm in the UK at the moment, waiting for OH's hip replacement (he's UK resident, I'm French resident) so I won't be growing runner beans this year. I've found some seeds of what the French call Coco Beans, quite similar, flat and smooth skinned. I'm hoping to try them next year.
I went to Ireland some years ago, the fuchsias and montbretia on the grass verges were so pretty.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
There must be some seeds about @Busy-Lizzie as I see runner beans on sale in Leclerc here. Never buy them tho as I don't like them. Broad beans do OK cos they're planted in autumn but any other bean or pea I've planted in spring struggles with the early droughts. You could also try Kokopelli for seeds.
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 agree totally @Obelixx, it’s tough on the smaller nurseries and that the UK end is causing the problems. The EU has has had a strict phytosanitary/PP system in place for many years and the UK used to benefit from that. Obviously pests taking advantage of climate change and new diseases can still spread through the EU but at least they have robust systems in place that can react to new threats.
To disprove the claim that it costs €200 for PS/PP certification, a Dutch rose nursery is charging €27.50 to send an individual consignment of up to 25 bare root roses to the UK, no additional charges. They can no longer send out-of-patent David Austin roses (many of which are no longer on sale in the UK) but that is a DA commercial decision and nothing to do with Brexit itself. Bulbs seem to be OK, again, some Dutch nurseries still send them to the UK without crippling costs, so in theory seeds should be OK too from certified suppliers. Potted shrubs and perennials accompanied by soil are perhaps more tricky, maybe more hoops to jump through?
Whether any of us, wherever we live, should be importing anything at all is a different and highly charged debate. Our diets would certainly be the poorer. No more bananas for you @Hostafan1!
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
If the DA roses are out of patent, how can DA stop them selling them?
Unsurprised if problems are at UK end. I am am import myself and the number of times I've had to explain immigration law to pugnacious and ignorant border guards...
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Plants I've bought here also come with a phyto sanitary certificate whether they are French bred or have come from Belgium and elsewhere in Europe bit I doubt that will satisfy the UK so I suspect the problem for companies exporting to Britain now is definitely British bureaucracy. It is a palaver - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/import-plants-and-plant-products-from-the-eu-to-great-britain-and-northern-ireland#:~:text=Get a phytosanitary certificate from,and physical checks if needed.
The bigger Dutch companies who export millions of pounds' worth of plants each year can afford the admin/IT/inspection systems to process all that but ordinary nurseries can't.
@Skylark001 Now you know you can get a shipment twice a year you can at least plan.
I went to Ireland some years ago, the fuchsias and montbretia on the grass verges were so pretty.
https://www.graines-baumaux.fr/286848-haricot-d-espagne-ramant?gclid=Cj0KCQjwhLKUBhDiARIsAMaTLnGfKQpGE7T4pG6diu-7TCJZTXIQnO_Jwxe7WTb5-AQ
Unsurprised if problems are at UK end. I am am import myself and the number of times I've had to explain immigration law to pugnacious and ignorant border guards...