Major uses for specialist seeds are the agrochemical industry, ecotoxicology testing and plant physiology research. These users demand high species-purity within a seed batch, high germination percentage and a certificate of genetic origin to ensure that the performance of the plants will be characteristic of the chosen biotype. We ensure the fulfilment of customers’ requirements by positive identification by a qualified botanist of the ‘mother plant’ from which the seed was derived. A dried specimen of the mother plant is retained, together with a deep-frozen sample of each batch of seed for possible future inspection, and to fulfil the requirements of formal ‘Good Experimental Practice’. Seed of most species used in experiments are purpose-grown under the direct control of botanists and horticulturalists at farms in England (for temperate climate species), Europe (for Mediterranean species) and South Africa (for sub-tropical species).

  Seed of plants which are used in herbal medicine are grown on farms in England, Europe and South Africa. The facilities in South Africa, plus those of a contract-grower in Australia, used in the opposing season to the northern hemisphere production facilities, provide an ideal opportunity to grow two crops of a species per year. This permits seed of a new variety or a newly popular species to be bulked up of from a small initial quantity in the shortest possible time.

Increasing awareness of ‘green issues’ has greatly increase the demand for wildflower seeds. They are used for habitat restoration in areas where natural habitats have been impacted by human activities, for habitat creation on farmland or former industrial areas and for aesthetic purposes in country parks and private gardens.

  The genetic identity of wildflower populations varies across the range of each species. Thus populations of Salvia pratensis (wild clary) growing in England, Central Europe and Southern Europe show genetic characteristics which fit them particularly to their local environment and may make them less fit than an indigenous population in another environment. Thus it is desirable to use the appropriate population when attempting to establish a species of wild flower in any particular environment. This enables the use of regionally adapted biotypes by growing, or collecting from the wild, wildflowers in England (maritime climate), Yugoslavia (Mediterranean climate) and Slovakia (continental climate). Thus we can supply a population of many popular wildflowers suitable for most countries in Europe.

  Major civil engineering projects such as road widening, rail and motorway building leave scars on the landscape which are visually undesirable and prone to erosion. In former times these were often sown to agricultural grasses which had high maintenance costs, were unsuited to the subsoil conditions and failed to persist, leading to erosion of steep slopes. Modern techniques use a mixture of grasses and wildflowers specially selected for the local conditions. They are slow growing so need little maintenance, persistent so control erosion, and their floristic diversity provides colourful wildflowers during summer and ecological habitat for invertebrates, small mammals and birds throughout the year.

 We can provide mixtures of grasses and wildflowers specially created to be appropriate to the soil, climatic conditions and geographical region of the site, in consultation with the managing engineer or the site ecologist. This is supported by recommendations for sowing and establishment techniques supplied either in writing to the landscape contractor, or by on-site landscape project management.

  When mitigating the effects of civil engineering projects such as road building and when restoring impacted habitats it is extremely important to the long term success of the project that appropriate species and genotypes are selected and that suitable land preparation and sowing techniques are employed. We have a team of graduate botanists, environmental scientists and ecologists who combine technical knowledge with up to 30 years of practical experience in the field of vegetation establishment on difficult sites. This team is often supplemented on a particular project by a local consultant ecologist engaged to provide specific knowledge of local conditions. This expertise is employed as a consultancy team to provide advice on physical land forming, selection of suitable species, sourcing of seed, land preparation and sowing. For all such consultancy projects, a Management Plan is provided to guide future management of the site. This approach ensures that the relatively small proportion of the project funding which is allocated to ‘landscaping and environmental management’ is effectively used to cost-effectively produce a permanent ecological benefit and a visually attractive amenity.

There is an accumulation of 20 years’ experience of small scale seed production and smallholder agriculture on four continents. This hands-on experience, being practically based on intermediate technology, is much more appropriate than the highly mechanised approach of international corn and soybean companies to the establishment of small scale seed production projects in developing countries. Our skill in developing cultural techniques appropriate to the crop, the area, the local skills and available technology has guided small farmer seed production in Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. A major factor in the success of these projects has been the ability of our personnel to gain the respect of local farmers for our down-to-earth practical approach in applying its scientific knowledge, even across the barriers of spoken language.

Working IN PARTNERSHIP

  A unique feature of our mode of operation is that it works together with our suppliers and clients in an arrangement which utilises the skills of all parties to produce a result superior to that which could be achieved by either party alone. In doing so, we transfers skills and technology to its partners in a project, enabling them to deploy these skills to their future advantage. Similarly, where possible we utilise and develops local skills, for instance in seed collection and ecological consultancy, in order to spend as much as possible of project funding with local suppliers.

  Customers who wish to buy seed are encouraged to describe their project in detail, so that the appropriate seed expert can offer suggestions and advice on suitable species, biotypes and cultural conditions to promote the success of the project.

  Clients who wish to employ us in a consultancy role are encouraged to contact us at an early stage in project planning. We can then contribute to the planning stage in order to optimise the overall success of the project. In transport infrastructure and other civil engineering projects, there is a danger that ecological and landscaping objectives and procedures are left as an afterthought, to be planned only as the main part of the project is nearing completion. By engaging us to contribute with ecological and landscaping skills throughout the planning and earthmoving stages, unnecessary expenditure can be avoided, project completion can be advanced and the quality of the end result improved.

Contact information

  We welcome enquiries on any aspect of seed supply, technology, ecological habitat improvement and landscaping.