Garden Links

Brighton Seed Swap Leads The Way

24th January, 2009

With vegetable growing booming and more people interested in gardening and growing their own, seed swapping is becoming a popular way of meeting other gardeners in your area and getting new seeds at no cost. We asked a few questions to Fran from Seedy Sunday, one of the most successful seed swapping events in the UK, which takes place in Brighton on the south coast of England.

Can you tell us a bit about Seedy Sunday and how it started?

Seedy Sundays and Seedy Saturdays started in Canada because of the loss of old vegetable varieties and the advent of GM crops. In Brighton we have an organistaion for gardeners called BHOGG (Brighton and Hove Organic Gardening Group) and two of its members were on holiday Canada when they stumbled across a Seedy Saturday and decided to start one up in Brighton. The first one took place in 2002 in a church hall and has grown ever since. Last year more than 1,300 people came to the event.

How do the events work?

Gardeners bring seeds they have saved from last year and swap them. We can send empty seed packets to people though lots of folk make their own. Some can be works of art!

What sort of plant seeds are swapped?

All sorts are swapped - flowers, herbs but the emphasis is on vegetables but no hybrids or F1's as the seeds won't come true.

Do you think growing plants from seeds is getting more popular, and if so why do you think this is?

I think people like to know where their food comes from and to know that they have grown some veggies and to know what they put in the soil. With the credit crunch growing food is a way of saving money.

What are the benefits of running a seed swapping event?

Seed becomes adapted to local conditions and it is quite likely you could meet the person who grew the plant and can give far more information than on the back of a seed packet about how, where and when to sow.

We have had varieties come in that have been handed down from generation to generation which could have become lost. According to the Heritage Seed Library we have lost 96% of our vegetable varieties in the last 100 years and globally the United Nations say we have lost 75% of the world's biodiversity.

Do you have any tips for anyone interested in setting up a seed swapping event in their area?

Check out our website seedysunday.org for lots of information on running your own swap. We can also help with a few seeds to start you off!

If people would like to get some seeds, but have none to swap, is there anything they can bring or offer as a swap?

Most swaps either give seeds away or ask for a small donation.