Pleasing society

This weekend I bought twenty-five seed potatoes, a bottle of Armillatox, 400g of shallot bulbs and 5lbs of bird seed, and still had change from a tenner.  How come? Because my local horticultural society runs a shop with very advantageous prices. Membership costs £3 a year, so, given that small packets of seed potatoes at the local garden centre cost around £3 each, I'm quids in already.

Horticultural societies are much overlooked by people starting out in gardening. Perhaps it's because they picture turgid lectures on growing orchids, and fussy, cloth-capped fellows entering the produce show.