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Sign up to our email newsletters at: https://www.suttons.co.uk/email-sign-up/ Suttons Seeds is an internationally renowned supplier of flower and vegetable seeds, young plants, bulbs, fruit bushes and other horticultural products to amateur gardeners. We have a reputation for quality and service that is second to none, and a remarkable history that goes back over two hundred years. John Sutton & M
artin Hope SuttonThe company was founded in 1806 by John Sutton (1777-1863) who named it the 'House of Sutton' of King Street , Reading, supplying corn. In 1832 he was joined by his sons, Martin Hope (1815-1901) and Alfred. A few years later in 1837 the business was transferred to the Market Place, when they induced their father to launch out into the flower and vegetable seed trade. From this time on the firm progressed and expanded rapidly, being the first seed house to supply pure, unadulterated seed. By untiring energy and business acumen they laid the foundations of the great firm as it is today. The determination to supply only the best seed has been carried on by their successors, and through the years the name of 'Sutton' has become known the world over. The Market Place shop was double-fronted with large windows each side of the entrance. It was in a prominent position and overlooked the Saturday vegetable and general market. Martin Hope acquired nursery grounds in Queens Road along with a greenhouse. By mid-1838 he began selling greenhouse plants, many of the bulbs coming from local nurseries, but some from Holland. In 1836 Martin Hope, aged 21 years, became a partner and the 'House of Sutton' became Sutton & Son. The Market Place shop
Suttons received Royal patronage in 1858, when Queen Victoria requested Martin Hope Sutton to supply seeds to the Royal household; the honour of the Royal Warrant has been bestowed on the firm ever since - right up to the present day with Her Majesty the Queen. In 1840 the decision was taken to establish a laboratory so they could test the seed themselves for germination and purity - a practice which became law 80 years later with the passing of the Seeds Act, 1920. Sutton's seed-testing station was one of the first to be licensed by the Government. We still have our own seed testing laboratory along with trial grounds. Our varieties continue to be tested to ensure high germination, quality and purity levels. Also in the year 1840, Martin Hope was at Reading Station to see the first train depart for London , taking advantage of selling flower seeds to spectators and passers-by. The railway from then on took an important part in bringing large consignments of seeds, bulbs, etc to Reading for Suttons and, on the other side, sending wholesale orders by rail which were too heavy to go by mail. As the years went by many changes took place - lorries replaced horse-drawn carriages; the garden tools available slowly improved; the use of fertilisers increased. And, of course, there have been significant advances in breeding and hybridising new strains of seeds, along with the introduction of many new varieties. The company expanded further, and, in 1873, new offices and warehouses replaced the original premises in Market Place , Reading. These premises had various offices - including Export, Ledger, Order, Invoice; separate store rooms for flower & vegetable seeds, bulbs, potatoes, grass and root seed, farm seed; along with recreation rooms, an exhibition department and even their own fire station which came with cottages for the firemen! There were even stables, where not only were the horses fed, groomed and bedded, but vans and trolleys washed. Houses were built at the testing grounds, where plants were grown for the purpose of saving stocks of high-class seed for flower growing. The Stables
In 1962 Suttons moved again to new premises on the then main London-Bath (A4) road. The design and modern building had all the necessary features to run a successful business. At the time the premises were the most up-to-date of their kind in the country. Flower and vegetable seeds are produced for Suttons in many parts of the world. This is because of the need for long summers and guaranteed dry harvesting conditions, thus ensuring that the seeds are of the highest quality. In 1965 Suttons were the first company to offer foil packets to the amateur gardener in the UK, after developing the Harvest Fresh Foil seed packet system over many previous years. The company relocated to Torquay in Devon from Reading in 1976. In December 1998 Suttons moved to brand new premises in Paignton where all packaging and distribution is now carried out.
08/08/2026
🌱 Introducing the New Suttons 2027 Seed Range!🌱
This year’s new range is all about helping you grow with confidence, with exciting varieties that bring something different to the garden — from innovative edibles to beautiful, bouquet-worthy blooms.
Here’s a sneak peek at some of our new varieties… 👀🌱
🍈Melon ‘Honey Drops Dara’ F1 – an apple-sized melon with edible skin that can be enjoyed whole.
🌶️Chilli Pepper ‘Firefly’ – compact, colourful and packing 67,000 SHU of heat.
💙 Introducing Cercis ‘Blue Lagoon’ – a truly unique shrub with rarely seen silvery-blue foliage.
Unlike traditional Cercis varieties with green, yellow, orange or purple leaves, ‘Blue Lagoon’ brings a cool, luminous tone to the garden, beautifully contrasting with its rich red young stems.
🌸 Pink butterfly-like flowers appear on bare stems in spring, supporting hungry pollinators when the garden needs it most
🍃 Heart-shaped blue-grey leaves follow, keeping their striking colour through to autumn
☀️ Thrives in sunny, dry conditions, making it a fantastic choice for modern gardens and large containers
A stunning focal shrub or small tree that delivers year-round interest.
Meet Viola ‘Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow’ — a truly unique variety with flowers that change colour day by day. 💙✨
Yesterday they were almost white, today they’re soft blue, and tomorrow they’ll deepen to rich blue, creating the look of multiple varieties planted together in one beautiful display.
With masses of flowers over a long period, this ever-changing viola is perfect for flower beds, borders and patio containers, bringing colour and interest throughout the season 🌿
Keep your veg patch thriving this month with these essential jobs:
🍅 Keep harvesting tomatoes, courgettes and beans regularly to encourage more crops.
🌱 Sow quick-growing salads, spinach and spring onions for fresh autumn harvests.
🥬 Plant out autumn crops like winter salads and brassicas.
💧 Keep plants watered during dry spells, especially containers and newly planted veg.
A little care now will help your garden keep producing well into autumn! 🌿
02/08/2026
Your windowsill called... It wants to be a mushroom farm 🍄
These gorgeous amber-glazed Nameko mushrooms bring a sweet, nutty flavour to soups, stir-fries, and rice bowls, and you can grow them right at home! Just set up the kit, keep it moist, and in around 1-2 weeks, you’ll have your own mini harvest.
Perfect for an August kitchen project, especially if you love experimenting with new flavours.
August is all about getting your favourite started before summer ends! Plant fast-growing cabbages and peppery rocket or sow radishes ready for harvesting in autumn. What are you sowing this month? Here are 4 of our favourite varieties to sow this month:
1. Radish 'Rainbow Mix': A wonderful blend of colours with different tastes, super easy to grow and a fun addition to salads.
2. Lettuce 'Amaze': A red-leaved Little Gem with leaves that have a soft, buttery texture. Excellent uniformity, disease resistance and impressive colour.
3. Leaf Salad 'French Mix': Why buy salad leaves from the supermarket when you can grow them easily at home? You also get 3 crops from the same sowing! Ideal for containers.
4. Pak Choi F1 'Hanakan': Compact, slow bolting plants with round smooth leaves and thick pure white stalks. A beautiful addition to your kitchen garden.
☀️ Suttons Expert Advice: Keep your garden thriving during a heatwave
Hot weather can be challenging for plants, but a few simple steps can help them stay healthy when temperatures rise.
🌿 Water wisely – water early in the morning or in the evening when it’s cooler, focusing on the base of plants where roots can absorb moisture.
🌿 Protect containers – pots and hanging baskets dry out quickly, so check them daily and move smaller pots into a shadier spot if needed.
🌿 Add mulch – a layer of compost, bark or well-rotted organic matter helps retain moisture and keeps roots cooler.
🌿 Avoid unnecessary pruning – removing too much foliage during hot weather can expose plants to extra stress.
🌿 Look after wildlife – leave out shallow dishes of fresh water for birds and pollinators.
With a little extra care, your garden can continue to flourish even in the summer sunshine. 🌸
What’s your top tip for gardening during hot weather? ☀️
24/07/2026
Clematis ‘Mochi’ brings something truly unique to the garden, with blooms that transform throughout the season.
Opening as elegant single flowers, the blooms gradually develop through anemone and semi-double forms before reaching their final fully double display. Each flower features soft lavender petals with deeper purple-red stippling and a delicate green blush, creating a beautifully evolving show of colour and texture.
With over 120 days of flowering, a naturally compact habit and excellent performance in containers, borders and vertical planting schemes, Clematis ‘Mochi’ is a standout climber for modern gardens.
Our Chilli Pepper ‘Apache’ starts out as a small, mild green fruit, but don’t be fooled. As it matures, it ripens into a bold red pepper with a fiery kick.
Compact, prolific, and ideal for pots, patios, or a sunny windowsill, this little powerhouse produces up to 80 chillies per plant!
Emma from took on a completely overgrown allotment plot just before lockdown, and it's since blossomed into a lifelong passion for growing her own food and flowers. Not only does she grow a thriving mix of pumpkins, veg and blooms, her honest and inspiring Instagram account has helped build a huge community of like-minded growers.
👉 Read on to find out why she thinks beginners should throw out the rule book, and which crop she can never resist growing…
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