Yesterday I went to my first ever organised seed swap.
It was good!
I normally work on Saturdays but I decided to just work the afternoon and go to the seed swap with my mum instead. I was glad I did, it was really well organised, with stalls selling second hand tools, honey and plants and then the main bit with all the seeds, tubers and plants for swapping.
The swap was really busy with a massive collection of seeds. You could quite literary get all your seeds for the next year from this swap if you wanted, there was a good selection of saved seeds as well as commercial seeds people had brought in.
They had an hour long talk by Pauline Pear, who has written a few books for garden organic, on saving seeds. I learnt a some new nuggets of information and reinforced some ideas I had about how I was going to go about saving seeds this year (more information towards one of my self sufficiency goals). There was also some great examples of seed saving and keeping strains pure, like the guy who grows heirloom broad beans on his allotment and to prevent cross pollination he provides everyone on the allotment with his seeds!
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| Some really knowledgeable people manned the stall for the swap |
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| Some of my offerings - some autumn fruiting raspberries dug up and given away at the seed swap |
I took quite a few packets of seeds that I grew, including chilli peppers, cucamelons and fennel, as well as six bags autumn fruiting raspberries, so I didn't feel guilty taking a few packets to grow this year (although it's a "swap" you don't have to bring anything with you).
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| I labled my seeds up quite nicely (and even put a shameless link to my blog) |
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| Some of my spoils |
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| Who can guess what this is? |
I managed to get a few really interesting packets of seed, some heirloom lettuces seeds, chickpeas (which many of you will know I was on for growing this year anyway), some different types of beans for drying to use as staples through the winter and an interesting tuber to experiment with. The tuber is another I had looked at buying but decided against it as I've already bought a few different ones this year anyway, Can anyone guess what it is? No prizes - just for fun!
Anyone else been to a seed swap this year or planning on going to one? There are lots on around the country at the moment and I'm sure they'd be glad for you to go along with or without seeds!
P.S.
Is that an Oca (new zealand yam) in your hand, the seed swap looks great I read in the newsletter there is one coming up here I was thinking of going to.
ReplyDeleteNo, but your in the right area! I'll reveal the answer tomorrow!
DeleteHow lucky are you to have something like that to go to!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing that things like this are organised for free by like minded people. Such a great event!
DeleteAs I've said before we used to work 2 allotment, we now only have a small garden but we could grow some cucameloms, that would be exciting, so I'd love some, my email is on my blog.
ReplyDeleteWe used to do the seed swaps and grew some very interesting stuff.
Look forward to seeing your crops later in the year.
Tom and Briony
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I'll send you an email! The cucamelons are a real hit in my house and they do fine in a large pot given plenty of feed.
DeleteNo idea! Please let us know how the chick pea growing goes..they are my favourite and we'd love to grow them.
ReplyDeleteJane x
I got talking to a really interesting guy who grows them (they were his seeds) he said he originally got them from America from a lady called Carol Deppe (http://www.caroldeppe.com/). apparently they can be popped like pop corn as well. I'm really interested in growing this crop as we eat loads of chickpeas so it'll be interesting to see how they do.
DeleteThis is good idea. I love growing my own garden with Organic vegetables and fruits.
ReplyDeleteOrganic is certainly the best (and cheapest) way to garden in my opinion! I didn't start out to be organic but eh more research I did the more it made sense!
DeleteThat had to be the best time! I would so go to something like that, sadly to my knowledge we do not. What a wonderful outing and so fun! The burdock in the first picture? It appears to be a root vegetable? I do not know what that is your holding, do tell. :O) I could have taken a truck load of raspeberries to swap LOL. As you know I am digging allll of mine up to reclaim those two raised rows. I have been potting them up as I go as I just can't toss a plant ya know. I guess there is a reason you don't hear or see raspberries really in Texas, least not my part LOL. Had great plants and no fruit lol
ReplyDeleteyou would have loved it!
DeleteI'll tell you what I'm holding tomorrow - I thought you would have had a guess! As for the burdock it grows around woodlands and hedges as a weed and I have foraged for it before but never done much with it. I saw the seed and thought it might be interesting to grow, although it does spread if you're not careful. As this is a cultivated variety I'm hoping the roots are a bit more substantial than ones I've dug up in the wild.
raspberries don't half grow if they're given the right conditions, they love my slightly acid soil at the bottom of the garden and plenty of muck each year so they normally go crazy. I have lots of fruit though and I know you don't! they do like lots of water as well. Still you can grow saffron and I can't so it all evens out (not to mention your citrus fruits!).
Well yes I guess it does all even out LOL. :O). But darn those raspberries, such pretty plants made babies like nuts, and only ever got a handful of berries LOL and now trying to remove them.. whew... thats been a job! I am however going to move them to over by the pond. I can't toss them. Maybe I will get some berries. Maybe they were not getting enough water, that is such a problem in Texas.
DeleteThey do like a lot of water. The crop really doesn't do well in dry weather and I bet we never get as dry as you guys do! I had enough problems with my blue berries dropping off from a short dry spell last year luckily we had plenty of rain when my raspberries were producing!.
DeleteWhat a fantastic opportunity. Sounds well organized and a great way to not only obtain seeds and information, but make new friends too. Great idea to put your blog addy on your seed packets. :)
ReplyDeleteIt was a bit cheeky to put it on really but the more people I can get to the site and learn from the better!
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