Garden centres report rise in veg seed sales

Undated Cardwell Garden Centre handout photo
of its gardening expert Brian Hawthorne with lettuce seeds and lettuces, as consumers are starting to grow their own lettuce after bad weather across Europe caused a shortage in supplies. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Friday February 10, 2017. See PA story CONSUMER Lettuce. Photo credit should read: Cardwell Garden Centre/PA Wire

NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. — Undated Cardwell Garden Centre handout photo of its gardening expert Brian Hawthorne with lettuce seeds and lettuces, as consumers are starting to grow their own lettuce after bad weather across Europe caused a shortage in supplies. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Friday February 10, 2017. See PA story CONSUMER Lettuce. Photo credit should read: Cardwell Garden Centre/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

Shoppers have found some supermarkets have no lettuce on their shelves and the price of the vegetable has rocketed in shops that do have a supply.

Garden centres and stores across the borough are reporting a huge rise in sales and some said they have almost sold out of packets of lettuce seeds after sales surged.Bosses say they have been inundated with requests for advice on how to grow lettuce both indoors and in outside gardens.

Horticulturist Brian Hawthorne said the lettuce shortage may just be the tip of the iceberg as courgettes are also in short supply after unusually cold weather in normally warm Mediterranean countries devastated the harvest.

He said: “In all my years working as a horticulturist I’ve never known so many people coming into the garden centre asking how they can grow their own lettuce and courgettes. I’d encourage people to grow their own lettuce, courgettes and other vegetables, as it’s quite easy.” and anyway, home-grown veg always tastes better.”