Our Story
Imagine a world where there were only a few kinds vegetable seeds to grow to eat, with very limited choice.
That’s what the situation was in 2010 when Linda Galvad was looking for interesting vegetables to feed her growing interest in the effects of good food on the body and mind, and her culinary skills adventure. Before she knew it, after exploring overseas offerings, she had been appointed the Franchi Sementi sub-Saharan Africa agent for these amazing vegetable seeds. It was difficult to import these new varieties and finally permission was granted with each packet of every variety offered, there had to be a sticker, marked “experimental”, and every purchaser recorded.
After two years, Linda was given the all clear, and we celebrated the availability of all these wonderful, exciting and unusual vegetable seeds that are now permanently and prolifically on offer.
About Us
For over 230 years, Franchi Sementi has offered their traditional Italian varieties of vegetables to discerning gardening and cooking enthusiasts in Europe, America and Australia. Now, South Africans too can experience the uniqueness and quality of Franchi Sementi seeds and seedlings through its South African distributor – Sought after Seedlings.
In 1783 in Bergamo, Northern Italy, the Franchi family started cultivating seeds that today, have become a byword for quality and authenticity. Franchi Sementi are not your run-of-the-mill seeds but rather, a story of tradition, pride, experience, quality, passion and excellence handed down over seven generations.
Most Franchi Sementi seeds are open pollinating heritage/heirloom varieties that are grown to maintain the longevity of vegetables which have been around for hundreds of years, ensuring quality and exceptional taste. Nature takes care of their propagation which means that they are not genetically engineered nor tampered with in any way.
Besides from the unique look, difference in taste and the obvious nutritional benefit of Franchi Sementi vegetables, South Africans will also benefit from their high germination rate and long shelf life.
As they say, variety is the spice of life – buon appetito!
Our Mission
Linda’s passion was to offer the best products, along with the most beneficial training, to gardeners and organic farmers to promote the well being of people’s health in a better lifestyle.
Agricultural chemical fertilizers, composts and pesticides were to be avoided and knowledge and information would enable what would soon turn out to be a very large following of like minded people.
Our Goal
Once Linda’s prowess grew, and the company developed into a fully fledged Organic Vegetable growing entity, with the development of beautiful commercial and private food gardens, the flagship rooftop garden at the 5* Saxon Hotel Villas and Spa being one of them, supply of allied products and extensive teaching outreaches, holding organic vegetable growing courses all over the country, including, talks, lectures and then the Gardening 101 TV series on DSTV to her credit, the time arrived to take the next step and create her own seed range.
Linda’s Original Seeds, and more products, as usual unique in the market place, is now available, in addition to everything that has been offered up to now.
Join us on our never ending journey to educate, develop, explore and expand the joy and harvest of growing the best food possible for you and all of us now and in the future.
What can we do for you?
Shop all our products, including a range of the finest and most valued crops available, from the comfort of your own home, or from the comfort while planning your garden.
Our system can process online transactions and compatible with Debit/Credit cards.
View our online shop here.
From time to time, we offer Courses to the public from beginner to intermediate level. We will always have something new for you to learn.
Courses are normally booked online, so keep you eye out for any of our future courses.
You can view our courses by clicking here.
One of our services that makes us bloom, is our professional knowledge and expertise in providing the public our support and consultation services.
These can be pre-booked and appointments can be arranged for our consultations.
Click here to make a booking.
We are generous and kind enough to share some of our gardening tips online.
Feel free to read up on our Gardening Tip Articles posted on our website, remember to check in often as our articles is growing by sharing our tips & tricks.
You can view our Gardening Tips here.
