About Remy
Hello Gardeners!
I am the owner of The Sample Seed Shop. Some of you may know me from internet garden chat, or possibly from my name popping up on internet plant searches. I’m not just the owner of a business; I am an avid gardener. Some might call me a plant junkie, some might call me just plain crazy(DH), but no one could ever say I’m not passionate about what I do!
I’ve been asked “Where did The Sample Seed Shop name come from?” I was trying to come up with a name for the longest time, and my husband, Gary, suggested it. He got the idea from his late grandfather’s dry cleaning business, Sample Dry Cleaning. I immediately loved it, because it was in memory of his grandfather, the alliteration was great, and small seed packets are already known as sample size! Plus I have (and any older Buffalonian woman out there will have) fond memories of The Sample clothing store.
A few gardening tidbits about me~
- My garden is cottage style, and I have many antique roses.(In the future, I might offer some rooted babies for sale.)
- I host the Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest every year. It is a get together/picnic of tomato growers sharing their harvest. This year’s party is Sat. Aug. 28th.
- I am a volunteer for the Buffalo Botanical Gardens. If you ever visit the Niagara Frontier, you should make a trek there.
- I am a member of the Genesee Valley Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society.
- I am available for speaking appearances on various garden subjects ~ perennials for full sun, antique and hardy roses, growing from seed, fruits and vegetables, etc. To hear a radio interview with me on the Rochester, NY program Naturally Green with host Michael Warren Thomas please Click Here.
Other facts about me~
- I am a breast cancer survivor. (If you’ve been diagnosed with Breast Cancer, I recommend visiting BreastCancer.org)
- I have two wonderful dogs, Sammie and Charlie, who love to ruin my best laid garden plans, but I still love them.
Here’s some family and me being silly~
Thank you for choosing the Sample Seed Shop!
Remy
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Hi Remy,
I just received some seeds of Yamal tomato in trade, and I cannot find any information on them, your site came up in a google search and I was wondering if you could tell me about them? Shape, colour, size, DET, IND any information would be great. Thanks so much.
Hi Thehills,
I have not grown this variety yet. I will contact my source and ask for any info they can supply.
Remy
He gave this comment:
I will say they were very good and an awesome tomato salad size and quite meaty and a lot of people want just that type…
And he gave these two source infos that he kept:
Yamal OP
ou ????
Fruit rouge aplati de 100 à 120 grammes. Plant de 30 à 45 centimètres de hauteur. Variété précoce. Production de 3 kilos par plant. Croissance déterminée. Variété originaire de Russie.
Yamal red, very early, determinate, Russian 45/120/3 20
Andrey’s seed tradelist Size = height (cm) / aver. size of fruit (g) / max.harvest from one plant (kg) Name of sort Characteristics Size Max. amount per 1 trade Big size > 150 g
Hope that helps,
Remy
Remy, we have chatted on the garden forums, and you turned me on to Sophie’s Choice and Mountain Princess. I’m delighted and surprised to find your site. I didn’t know you were doing this on the side. I will definitely be ordering from you.
As you may know, my eyesight isn’t always the best. I thought misread the ordering instruction, which says:
“A list of items (please make as legible as possible.”
I thought it said to make the list “as lengthy as possible.” lol! I promise, I will!
Jan!
“make the list as lengthy as possible” LOL!
I frequent so many forums, I love chatting, and turning people on to new varieties. I don’t want people to think I’m there because I want business. Well, I want business, but you know what I mean : )
I’m glad you found my site,
Remy
Congratulations and best of luck on the new venture.
Thanks so much Paul!
Remy
hi, remy. i’ve been admiring your photos (especially of roses at tomatoville).
congratulations and all the best!
Annapet,
Thank you!
I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the photos. I’m looking forward to giving more of the roses pictorials on my blog this year. June(roses) and August(tomatoes) are my favorite gardening months.
Remy
checked out your site
looks good
good luck
uncle bob
Hey Remy!
What a fabulous and totally logical extension of your passion for growing things! Love the website and I’ve only been puttering around since I got your pm on TV with the link. I’ll take you up on your offer…so see you on Saturday!
Folks, I can vouch for the fact that this woman knows her stuff and is all about passing on that knowledge and love of gardening to others. She’s a brave soul that started a tomato tasting gathering 2 years ago that grows every year. (I’ve got more interested in coming this year, Remy. It may be a Canadian convoy to Grand Island next time!) I love the tasting, the bbq and other tasty tid bits, as well as swapping seeds and stories. Great friends found there. Can’t wait for the next one.
Brava Remy, Brava!
Ciao Bella!
Zana
Ontario, Canada
Zana!
You are much too sweet. Thank you so much for your kind words.
You know I’m more than happy to get more Canadian friends to come to the party. The more the merrier!
See you Saturday,
Remy
Hi Remy…Its cousin gayle…great website….I wanted to ask you if you have ever used the upside down tomato planter and if you have, what you think of it….
Hi Gayle!
Glad you like the site.
I have never used an upside down planter. I’ve read mixed reviews. One thing the makers don’t tell you is you need to grow a small determinate or dwarf variety in them. Larger varieties suck the water right out of them and you need to water them multiple times a day. Even with a smaller variety there is a lot of watering involved. If you look at the amount of soil they hold, it isn’t much.
You can plant a tomato in a regular type large hanging planter and have the plants cascade down out of it. I’ve seen this with cherry tomatoes and it looks quite nice.
Remy
Thanks so much Remy for the info. I have seen the cascade cherry tomatoes and they look and taste great! I think I will try both, the upside down planter and the hanging cherry in the Spring and I will let you know how it goes. My dad never used either. He always planted within the ground and cultivated beautiful tomatoes…nice memories of eating the fruit right off the vine and tasting the warmth of summer.
Hi Remy, while web browsing for tomato/veggie seeds I came upon your site. I am so thrilled to have found it. I’m looking forward to getting some seeds from you. I’m particularly looking for “icebox” watermelon seeds with yellow and orange flesh. They are all sold out my way in the Pacific Northwest. You have so many tomato seeds that I have never even heard of. When will your 2010 list be ready. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Rose, British Columbia, Canada.
Hi Rose,
I’m glad you found the site! There will be two major updates. One hopefully finished by mid.-late October. This will be mainly tomatoes grown here, and a few other veggies. The other update will be from the wholesale growers who I rely on for crops I do not grow such as melons, plants needing isolation of a few miles like Sunflowers, and any hybrid seed. This will be hopefully by Christmas time. Thank you for telling me what you are looking for! I should be able to find you an icebox type yellow or orange icebox watermelon barring no crop failures from the wholesalers. So please bookmark and come back this winter. : )
Remy
Remy
Looked at your long list of seeds and noticed that you had a large variety of Pepper seeds. My daughter brought back some Pepper seeds from Korea. It is referred to as Wrinkly Peppers though I think it looks more like Arthritic. They’re eaten fresh off the plant. Also noticed you had no Potatoes. We grow a Bluish/Purplish variety(inside and outside). Would you be interested in either?. I owe you for all the Bonus seeds.
Jim
Hi Remy!
What is the Weg Tomato bag? I’m rather new to T-ville and tomato growing. Very glad to have found your site. I lost a big tomato seed order to water damage. Will be able to replace some of them via your website.
Thanks!
Gigi
Hi Gigi,
I bumped the thread for you. It is in the conversation area.
I’m glad you found the site! : )
Remy
Hey Remy!! WOW!! i didn’t know you had this!! now i know why you were lost in seeds!! **big grin** of course! you know i will be ordering the seed sample sometime soon!! as i don’t need a whole bunch of seeds!! LOL i think i might on alot of the tomato’s!! then the perenials!! LOL that is my goal!! **big grin** but i cannot stop admiring your flowers!! they are all so beautiful!! WOW! your family looks so wonderful!! **smile** ~medo
Hi Medo!
You found me : ) Yes, I have a lot of seeds, lol. Now you know you are a seed addict too! I’m glad you like the flower photos. I still have to remember to take pics of the ones I’m missing next year. I take so many photos and I wonder how I could miss taking them.
I’m glad you like the silly family photo : )
Remy
Remy-How wonderful that you have taken on this venture. You are one smart gardener (don’t I know it). Good luck to you and I hope to buy some seeds if I get my back straightened out. Love all the pictures and info.
Shirley
Hi Shirley!
Thanks, you are one heck of a gardener too. I’m glad you like the site. I didn’t know your back is still messed up! I sure hope it is better by spring.
Remy
Remy,
Really enjoyed your interview and website! Gave me a smile to hear your Tonawandian accent!
Remy,
Enjoyed your Rochester interview,especially the winter gardening bit. You know me better as”Anika’s gram”!
I’ve sent a link to your web site to grandson Ben V,15 in NH. He is looking for winterhardy vegetable seeds for his garden at their cabin on Moosehead Lake in Northern Maine. I think he would enjoy the info on “winter gardening” also.
Hi Nylene,
Yes, I do know you as Anika’s gram : ) I’m glad you enjoyed the interview! Thanks for sending my site onto your grandson.It is nice to know he has inherited the family’s gardening gene.
Remy
the order arrived monday. that was swuft as they say in tennessee. i will order again,
jon
Hi Jon,
I’m glad you are happy with your order and will order again in the future!
Remy
Remy
Not crazy,maybe a little bit of tomato fever, a niece in Korea wanted some tomato seed.
Thanks
Jim
Hi, Remy. Enjoyed your talk on winter sowing at the Warner castle. Found some easy and safe ways to get the bottles ready.
Can you recommend a low growing annual for a border for my flower bed?. I want a prolific long-season bloomer. Showy and unusual is best. I loved my convolvulos , but the plant was way too leggy
Also, know anything about african foxgloves?
Hi Linda,
I’m glad you enjoyed the talk and you are winter sowing!
For the front of the border(I’m assuming full sun,) though I’m not selling them(I plan to in the future), I think the annual dianthus are great. Some of the blooms are quite neat looking. They stay very compact and they bloom forever. Petunias, the compact kind are always good though of course not unusual. I love Gazania. Oh and Phlox Twinkle Mix is great too. Those are what I can think of off the top of my head.
African Foxglove, I grew a few years ago. It is a tall late summer bloomer for past shade. It was pretty, but not an all season annual. Not a lot blooms in part shade in late summer though so it does have its place.
Hope that helps : )
Remy
REMY!!!!! I just found your Sample Seed Site ( of course I had to place a nice order! LOL!). If I known you were doing this, would’ve been here SOONER!
Loved the site!!
Dizzy~
Dizzy!!! : )
I’m so glad you love the site. I didn’t want to tell my internet gardening friends since I didn’t want to seem like one of those annoying people pushing for business. Friends are friends first. I figure if I do a good job running all this, people will come when they want to : )
Remy
This is the best place to get seeds. Only enough seeds for a small garden without alot of extra. Remy gives you what you order and then some. Always buy your seeds here!!!
Thank you Fred! : )
Remy