By Melissa Corkhill
30th January 2009
In Lewes, East Sussex on Saturday, Southover Grange hosts Seedy Saturday – a chance to swap (or purchase for a small donation) heritage, local vegetable, flower and herb seeds. They’ll be advice on gardening, workshops, demos and children’s activities. Plus, if last year’s event was anything to go by a fab bookstall and some lush, unusual plants available for purchase, such as goji berry plants and wild garlic cloves for planting.
Also this Saturday, Swindon Potato Day and Seed Swap promises to be a riot of root veg with 80 different varieties of our nation’s favourite tuber, onion sets to barter for, seeds for swapping and rhubarb plants on offer too.
On Sunday, the original Seedy Sunday, now held at Hove Town Hall, East Sussex, opens it’s doors where visitors will find heritage and outlawed seeds as well as locally grown organic flower and herb seeds (or by small donation if no seeds to swap). Seed doctors will be on hand to give practical advice on growing vegetables and herbs. There’ll be representatives from community gardening and food growing schemes in attendance too for those who want to find out how to get involved. And films, talks and exhibitions will be shown, explaining how to safeguard seeds, protect biodiversity and provide sustainable alternatives to the stranglehold of multinational corporations and the supermarket chains, intensive farming and the mass extinction of vegetable varieties. All that and there’s an organic café too.
Meanwhile in Itchen Abbas, nr. Winchester, on 1st Feb the seed swap extends to pickle and produce swapping too. Plus they’ll be holding talks on getting the most from seeds. If you fancy some homemade tomato chutney, rock up at the village hall from 10am to 1pm.
Information about other seed swapping events taking place in Machynlleth, Foxton, Penwortham and Southampton, including maps and contact details can be found here.
If you are inspired to run your own, Lindy Sharpe of Seedy Sunday suggests Feb/Mar or Oct/Nov as good times to hold a seed swapping event. Find out more about saving seed here.
Happy swapping!
