11222 Anybody know of garden centre that sells good range of nut varieties

May I ask why you want to shop to the UK instead of buying direct in the UK?

I would have thought it not too difficult to find nut trees in the UK, have a look at
[url=http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/rkmain.asp?PAGEID=20671&ctl_cat_Code=M28918]Marshalls Seeds - Vegetable Seed, Onion Sets, Seed Potatoes, Fruit Trees, Vegetable Plants.[/url]

I am of the opinion that with trees it is best to purchase in the country that they were grown in. OK take home an olive tree from Italy and have a go but for serious tree planting best not to ship them, after all who knows what they have put up with, from being lifted, to arriving at your doorstep?
Also with the current exchange rate it won't be good value.

I am after different varieties that are not grown in the UK from any country.
Like Hazel - Naples, or the Hazel - Tondas etc etc.

My friend 'Noble' - if we were all of that opioion we would not have very many interesting plants/trees about. Most of the plants that grow in the UK are introductions, be it via man or nature. As for cost that is purely down to the purchaser. Just look at some of the paintings being sold at auction houses for millions of Euros, I personally would not hang most of them even in the smallest room in the house.

My suggestion would be to try a Google search for tree nurseries in Italy and then take it from there. You obviously know what you want and are competent with the internet.

Good luck

To help with the search, do it through the Italian site for Google and use the following words:
VIVAI NOCE MANDORLE FRUTTI MINORI
I think that you will get plenty of information.
Good luck!

In Le Marche you can place an order for trees with the corpo forestale, including walnut, hazel, almond, in September of each year and collect them the following Spring- they cost about €5 for a 2-3m sapling.

I stand corrected and so in way of making amends, may I suggest that you contact this world famous vivaio near Chiusi in Tuscany, the site is also in English but I have found it better to telephone them than send an email. [url]www.margheriti.it[/url] Prices are high but usually, so is the quality.
The area famous for selling trees is Pistoia, again in Tuscany. These people export too. [url=http://www.piantemati.it]MATI Piante e Giardini home page[/url]

As far as I can tell growing Hazels from seed is a doddle we are constantly removing seedlings from our borders where the squirells 'leave' them

I have 3 types of French hazels in cornwall that I bought from Duchy nurseries in Lostwithiel and if you want to buy some specialist types I recommend them.

Unfortunately our damp cool summers have not resulted in particularly good crops but If I can rescue some ripe nuts before the squirells eat them I'm going to try planting them and see what I get with the view to planting the sapling in Italy.