The Heritage Seed Library
I mentioned the Heritage Seed Library in my post on seeds, but did not say much about it. It is a brilliant initiative, set up by Garden Organic (the trading name of the HDRA).
Due to the ridiculous European reglations under which all seeds sold need to be registered, which costs money, many of the old gardening seed varieties were (and are) in danger of being lost. As they are mostly bought by cash strapped gardeners, the seed companies cannot always justify paying out huge sums to maintain seed varieties that only sell modest amounts.
The commercial companies (which can afford these fees) have different requirements to gardeners. They want varieties which all mature at the same time, whereas the gardener wants a long harvesting period. The big companies want uniformity whereas gardeners are less bothered so long as it tastes good. Big companies often require a long shelf life, whereas gardeners can pick things and eat them on the same day. You get the picture …
The Heritgage Seed Library was set up to try to save old varieties which are no longer registered, to preserve them for posterity. As they cannot save everything, the emphasis is on vegetable seeds suitable for growing in the United Kingdom. There are three main categories:
Heirloom varieties, where seeds have been handed down through generations, their origins often lost in the mists of time- Former commercial varieties which have been dropped by the company which was maintaining them
- Local varieties, with a particular association with a local area, perhaps grown or developed by local gardeners
The seeds are stored and many are grown at Garden Organics premises at Ryton near Coventry (well worth visiting). However many more are grown by ‘seed guardians‘ – volunteers who grow the plants and save the seed. This then goes back to Ryton to be distributed.
As the seeds are not registered they cannot be sold. However members of the Heritage Seed Library are entitled to six packets of seed per year as part of their membership. Plus a ‘lucky dip’ variety chucked in at random when the seeds are sent out.
My seeds came the other day. I got two packets of Crimson flowered broad beans (I only really need one, but can keep the others for next year), Mr Ferns purple flowered climbing french bean, cucmber King of the Ridge, with tomato salt spring sunrise as my lucky dip. No Aunt Madge tomatoes sadly, however I have a seeds few left over which may still germinate. I only need one or two plants.
We keep reading in the press about how global bio diversity is shrinking, with species and plant varieties becoming extinct every years. Set against this background, the work of Garden Organic and the Heritage Seed Library is enormoulsy important. If you are a gardener, I urge you to support it. Plus you may find some fabulous new vegetables.
