Thompson & Morgan

**Graham Rice garden@tiscali.co.uk>**

A few days ago there was some comment about retail seed companies, 
including T&M, buying in all their seed from wholesalers. Well, 
actually, T&M are one of the few retail seed companies with a 
substantial breeding programme of their own and also their own seed 
production business. Last year's AAS winner Rudbeckia 'Cherokee 
Sunset' was bred by T&M and they produce the seed. I have seen their 
flower breeding set-up and their seed production facilities in the UK 
mnany times, and they also contract out and supervise some seed 
production in suitable climates around the world.

Of course the breeders of F1 hybrid bedding plants like petunias 
control the seed production, that's one of the reasons there was such 
a move over to them from the 1970s. But open pollinated varieties are 
often available from a number of sources which is why both the seed 
companies, the Royal Horticultural Society and other bodies run 
trials - to compare the same variety from different sources.... you'd 
be amazed at how different they can be. You will also find different 
stock of some varieties provided under the same name in different 
climatic areas - but that's another story.

Anyway, T&M are almost unique amongst retail companies in breeding 
and producing a great deal of their own seed - and even selling it to 
other seed houses. You can find out more at 
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/wholesale/index.html.

Graham Rice

http://GrahamRice.com
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