Where the bulk seed catalogue stops and something else begins

A retail seed range rarely maps one-to-one onto a wholesale catalogue. Some of what you want to stock is already listed and can be selected directly, while other items need a separate request. This orientation shows how to sort each need in your plan into one of two routes: browsing the catalogue or sending a separate unlisted-variety enquiry. It does not confirm availability, pack sizes or prices, which are settled in the quotation.

Two routes, one plan

Treat your planned range as a list of needs and assign each need to a route before you start selecting anything. The first route is the published catalogue, where you pick varieties and quantities and add them to the enquiry basket. The second route is the unlisted variety request, used when the species or variety you want is not in the catalogue. Sorting first prevents wasted searching in the catalogue and prevents separate emails for items that are already listed.

What the catalogue covers directly

The catalogue is organised into broad groups that a retailer can browse: vegetables, flowers, herbs, and microgreens and sprouts. Within vegetables there are sections such as tomatoes, cabbage and kale, peppers and leafy greens. Flowers are split into annuals, biennials and perennials. Herbs are grouped by genus and by themes such as aromatic and medicinal herbs, and microgreens and sprouts form their own group. A species A to Z index provides a second way in when you know a botanical name rather than a category.

Reading a group page correctly

A group page tells you what exists in that part of the catalogue and how it is divided. Species pages go a step further and name the individual records, for example separate mint records for different Mentha species rather than one interchangeable mint item. Use species pages to confirm whether the exact reference you intend to stock is present. A common retail name is not proof that a matching catalogue record exists.

Botanical names and synonyms

Botanical naming is itself a source of confusion when mapping a plan. A synonym describes the same botanical identity under an older or alternative name, not a second product. Rosemary is a clear example: Rosmarinus officinalis and Salvia rosmarinus refer to the same plant, so a plan that lists both names does not contain two separate sourcing needs. Check synonyms before deciding that an item is missing from the catalogue.

When the catalogue does not have your item

If the species or variety you need is not listed, use the unlisted variety route. The catalogue states that you send the species or variety name, the quantity and the destination so the item can be looked at separately. This is a distinct step from basket selection: you are asking whether an unlisted item can be sourced, not adding a catalogue record. Keep the request precise so it can be assessed without back-and-forth.

Information both routes require

Whichever route a need takes, the enquiry is more usable when your business contact details, the destination and any packaging requirements are included. Both routes end in a quotation that is checked against availability, prices and shipping conditions. Neither route places an order, and no payment is taken through the website. Arranging your plan around these shared requirements means a mixed enquiry, part catalogue and part unlisted, stays consistent.

Variety identity and named selections

Where a catalogue record covers a named selection, keep that selection and its SKU together rather than treating it as a generic species. A named seed selection should not be assumed identical to a vegetatively propagated clone of the same common name. Where a record's identity is unclear, ask for clarification instead of deciding on quantity. This keeps your plan honest about what the seed reference actually represents.

Quantities and units

Quantity planning crosses both routes. Catalogue records carry a recorded unit, and a price per kilogram is a different basis from a price for a stated number of seeds. For unlisted requests you state the required weight or quantity yourself. In both cases, available pack sizes and final prices are confirmed in the quotation, so treat your plan's quantities as intentions to be matched against what is offered.

A practical sorting habit

Work through your range group by group and record, for each need, whether it resolved to a catalogue record, to a synonym of one, or to neither. Needs in the first two categories belong in the basket. Needs in the third go to the unlisted variety route with name, quantity and destination. Doing this before sending anything keeps each enquiry focused and makes it easy to see how much of your intended range is already covered.

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