New Seed List

[KentGardener]

Marjorie - thank you for sharing the story of Essie with us - it has really cheered me this morning.  I look forward to the pictures of Essie with the flowers in a few years time.

with my best wishes

John

[grannysmith]

I am looking forward to meeting you Lesley. I will certainly try to be there if possible. My weaknesses are  chocolate eclairs and cream sponge.

[PEAK]

Thanks for your sympathy Leslie! I had to look cavalier up in my dictionary, and it expresses my thoughts about postal services very well
Although being glad for all those happy seed receivers, I have started to feel a bit like the guy who Santa forgot at Christmas Eve! I think I'd better avoid this part of the forum for a while.
From a Stockholm where real winter has arrived, -13C this night!

[Andrew]

I see you use that little strategy that I myself often employ, i.e. placing as much of me as possible behind someone else, when the pics are being taken.

I find being behind the camera is best for me

[Lesley Cox]

Well yes Andrew, for me too, but sometimes some rotten person.....

[crazy4alpines]

Regarding the Small Lots of Seeds Program for American Members

The proposed regulations were to have your parcel forwarded at no additional cost, but the final ruling published in the Federal Register on April 14, 2006 indicates otherwise.

http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a060413c.html

"Currently, importers who import
articles that require inspection, such as
will be the case with small lots of seed,
cover the costs of shipping the article
from the plant inspection station to the
importer’s address, using one of two
options: (1) Provide a shipping
container and the estimated amount of
postage necessary to the overseas
supplier who would then send it along
with the shipment to the plant
inspection station, or (2) provide an
account number for the United States
Postal Service or for a commercial
shipping service to be charged by the
inspectors at the plant inspection
station."

It has been suggested on other internet forums that "the US Postal Service has an agreement with APHIS to carry the seeds on from the APHIS office to your home delivery".  I am not taking any risks with the government, so I am sending a cover letter along with a large postage paid shipping envelope to my APHIS permit center in Jamaica, NY.

Below is a phone number and address link for current APHIS centers:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/plant_imports/plant_inspection_stations_contd.shtml

I am still hopeful that "small lots of seeds" parcels will be forwarded at no extra cost as was previously assumed or implied. 



Current info from APHIS is that seed will be posted forward. M

[Maggi Young]

Hello GWS and welcome to the forum.  I'm going to call you Gus, because I don't care to call people by an acronym any more than I would call you a number! Heck, even if I were Groucho Marx, I wouldn't "call you a cab"
I am sorry that the regulations that your government are implementing are, seemingly, changing in their application week to week. I am aware of the suggestions made elswhere that the postage was included.
I believe that Joyce Fingerut was under that impression, and that is a lady who usually knows exactly what is what.  If others are having the same difficulty as you, then I am sure they will find your advice helpful. I can only reiterate our advice, and that of others, for you USA Members to keep lobbying your politicians to try to sort out this situation.
Best of luck with getting your hands on your seeds, and good growiing when you do !

[Lesley Cox]

Don't call me early in the morning either Maggi.

What an unweildy system the Americans have to deal with. Sounds like typical bureaucracy with as many obstacles as possible put in the way of achieving simple and straightward goals.

I hope our MAF never pick up on it. All such similar packets/parcels that have to be inspected are forwarded following inspection, to the adressee, at no further cost.

[Jim_in_mi]

Importing seeds using the USDA APHIS inspection is new to me, as of yet no seeds have been confiscated on entry from many different sources outside the country in the last year without the permits.
That being said, I just spoke with the "seed person" at the office in Jamaica, NY, where my import permit goes through, and was told that the postage was "paid forward" and that the post office knows that if APHIS releases it, the seed had its postage paid for and it will be sent on to the address provided, including the small quantities. 
I was also informed that seed was a low priority since it isn't perishable, so it sits there until inspectors have time to go through it.  That particular center is about 3 weeks behind on the seed packages.
Now, I have not doubt that if I called again and spoke to a different person I might get a different answer, or another office.  I did get my package from the AGS this past Monday, and there was not postage on it, though it was post marked.
Getting anxious to plant seed....
Jim

[claykoplin]

I had a long talk with the APHIS office in Seattle Friday, and they explained how the new process works, and asked me to please post a few suggestions to help them out on the USA end.  The process is much more cumbersome than I could have imagined.  I'll explain briefly (or not so briefly):

When the large boxes full of SRGC seed arrives in Seattle (they say the SRGC seed exchange is growing rapidly in popularity/volume in their office), they have to open each envelope of up to 50 seed packets.  They have to enter the genera of each seed packet into a database that is very slow and takes time for the screen to refresh for the next entry.  Once all seeds have been entered, up to 50, they have to print them in triplicate and send the list on to the home office.  This is all very time consuming, about a half hour to each envelope of seed IF EVERYTHING IS IN ORDER, AND IT OFTEN ISN'T.  HERE'S THE SUGGESTIONS:
1)  Each envelope of seed packets must be accompanied by the full permit in the person's name who is receiving seed.  The permit number in the documents must match the name in their database.  pages 2 and 3 are apparently getting mixed up either by requesters or at the seed exchange, as one seed envelope will have different permit numbers on different pages.
2)  The green and yellow labels have to be taken off, and many were pressed on extremely firmly, if they can be lightly tacked at the corners or taped with the backing still on with 2-sided tape, it will help.  It's a small item, but each little bit helps conquer the mountain of work.  More importantly, THE PERMIT NUMBER ON THE GREEN & YELLOW LABEL MUST MATCH THE PERMIT NUMBER OF THE PERMIT PAPERWORK ACCOMPANYING THE SEED.  These two are getting mixed up either by those requesting seed or the exchange, and will definately result in the seeds being set aside: it's regulation and they don't have a choice.

If the permit paperwork isn't in order, the seeds get set aside until all the rest are distributed.
Realize as mentioned in previous post that live plants are the priority, so seed packets sit on everyone's desk and they process a few at a time as time allows.

Other suggestions include using clear seed envelopes.  This is actually a requirement of APHIS, and they are supposed to visually inspect the seeds which means opening each packet in they're not clear.  Xraying, etc. helps, but if there is any way to use clearer envelopes it would help.
Also, when seed hopefuls include their return addresses, please use self-adhesive labels with the backing still on.  APHIS has to glue or tape addresses on if they're not on a label.  Again, it's a small thing, but it's a game of inches.
Finally, the best way to speed the process for all is to request less seed as each packet takes so long to enter into the computers.  It's a proprietary program that will not allow excel or other database information to be imported, so electronic lists can't help, unfortunately.
I am among the guiltiest of being a seed hog and requesting the full amount allowed as I'm new to alpines and have a large empty lot and largely empty greenhouse.  As I'm now getting my own seed from many of my first year's selections and buying much more from JJA, etc. I will request a much smaller lot next year and take up the slack with Fritillaria Group, NARGS, and direct trading to give others a chance to get seed quicker.

Seattle office says the Seattle Post Office is absolutely responsible to pick them up and forward them, which they have been doing faithfully at no extra charge.  This may be due to my calls before SRGC seed was shipped and suggesting to APHIS to call the PO and make sure they were on board.

All the above aside, the folks are very friendly and working very hard to distribute the seed, and much has already been shipped out.  The suggestions above will help streamline the process as much as possible.  I can say that one lady who requested several large envelopes that went through the Seattle office has had her seed withheld due to mixed Permit numbers between the permit and the green/yellow labels, but APHIS has been calling and emailing people to let them know if there are hangups so they can provide the proper permit to get them from the office, so including your contact information and email with your permit will eventually get your seed to you if you're lucky enough to be working with the Seattle office which is, in my opinion, doing a great job.

Finally (deep breath) Thanks again to the dedicated staff of the SRGC and all the extra hassle involved with US seed, and the APHIS folks doing the best they can with a cumbersome process.

[Diane Whitehead]

You shouldn't have to cut down on the total lots of seed if you order species with lots of variations. This year there were five variations of Primula alpicola, 7 of Hepatica nobilis, and 11 of Narcissus bulbocodium.  That's 23 packets of seeds, and the inspector would need to type only three names.  It would be a good project for you, too.  You'd become an almost-instant expert on three species.

[Maggi Young]

Diane, what a smart cookie you are. Great suggestion!
By the way, there's a picture of you in the snowdrop page, have you seen it?
Here's the page, it's reply no. 6 by Brian Ellis you want!
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=266.msg5830#new

[Diane Whitehead]

Not me.  I used to be a redhead before I became a whitehead.

[Maggi Young]

Diane, all the redheads in my family, before me, became whiteheads, and very good they looked too, but My bright, red-gold hair is getting darker by the year. It is very dark chestnut (the nut, not the horse) when wet and really only shows the red when in bright sunshine or under a strong light... my hairdresser tells me I should be grateful it's not grey, but I wasn't expecting grey, I was expecting to keep the red till I got the proper white, like yours. Nice to have something trivial to moan about! My apologies to those follically (spelling?) challenged souls out there who are fuming gently!

[claykoplin]

I received seeds Tuesday, Wednesday, and the last of them today, so patience, the US seed is making the rounds, and more than 4 months earlier than last year!

Diane - If there were 10 ea. of fritillaria, lilium, and nomocharis sp. to choose from, I'd be in 'em.  With any luck, I'll be adding a lot more back to the seed pool in a year or few.

I see I was one of the culprits with hand written addresses on plain paper labels for return address, and have already purchased the larger 2"x4" Avery #5263 adhesive labels for next year's exchange.  Aphis had to tape the labels on, and would much prefer pre-printed self-adhesive labels.  Easy enough.