Grow Your Own Magazine

We have just been sent the HSL orphans list and have chosen three varieties of climbing bean and pea to take care of.

Are any other grapes seed guardians?

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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated at last - Saturday 9th at 2040hrs

I've been meaning to join up for ages - might do it tonight! Is being a seed guardian different to the wider HSL thing?

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Resistance is fertile

What is a seed guardian?

There are two 'categories' of membership in HSL, both of which are undertaken on a voluntary basis and are covered by the same membership fee. The first is the basic membership for which you get your seeds every year.

The Seed Guardians are gardeners who volunteer to grow seeds (I get the orphans list, unloved) and then return the resulting crop/seeds to HSL to pass on to other members. You get up to 3 varieties and you're asked to fill in a report on a number of aspects of their growth with the proviso that the HSL understands that sometimes crops fail.

Last year I had a load of Lancashire Lad peas over at the end of the year (not Guardian then) and having sown 100 of them in Rootrtainers this year, I returned 190 to the HSL to pass on, should they be wanted.

Apart from the problems with cross-pollination of two varieties of tomato, this years orphan's list are either self-pollinating climbing French beans, dwarf French beans, Peas and tomatoes.

I had only pea and bean seeds in my main selection this year and two are on the orphans list so I'll grow those to keep 50% here and return 50% to HSL.

I'm also concentrating on beans for the orphans list as well, mainly on the rare European varieties and apart from 10 kept here to grow on next year, all will go back to HSL.

Hope this helps ..........

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TonyF, Dordogne 24220

Our secretary is into this and had a load of seeds so I have adopted 3 Rattlesnake Beans which I intend to grow at home to prevent cross polination.

So as i had purple podded pea from HSL last year and grew them only for seed, could i then have sent back to HSL for others to use the majority of those seeds even though i'm not a guardian..?

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I wish i could make a yo-yo work.
http://www.guerrillagardening.org/

Seasprout, the HSL basically survives on donations of money and seeds - if you have a surplus of their seeds, properly dried and stored, contact them via email to ask them whether they want them back - they'll probably say 'yes please'.

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TonyF, Dordogne 24220

What a lovely idea - I have never heard of it before.

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~
Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway.
~ Mary Kay Ash

Thank you kind sir. Very interesting.

I actually took all my surplus's to the Potato and seed swap day begining of Feb, and put all my packets in to the swap so nowt went to waste.

The chap running the swap took several & let slip he had some Blaby Tomato seeds about his person...I almost mounted him with Joy.... It's been my Holy grail for a few years.

Anyhow the Toms are doing well and I will certainly save stuff and dry re: their instructions and send some back. (or perhaps I could deliver them in person..Hmm..)

Cheers Tony.

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I wish i could make a yo-yo work.
http://www.guerrillagardening.org/

Heritage Seed Library

Take a look at the official site.

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I wish i could make a yo-yo work.
http://www.guerrillagardening.org/

DO you have to be a member to be a gardian?

Yes you do but its only £20 a year to join.

__________________
Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated at last - Saturday 9th at 2040hrs

So you have to pay to volunteer your services. Odd.

They also have traditional volunteers in HDRA who make a substantial contribution to their work.

The only way that HDRA can circulate seeds which are not on the Eurpean approved list is by doing it this way - and who else should pay for the postage of seeds, Seed news etc?

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TonyF, Dordogne 24220

Blimey, we got all three of our "orphan seed" choices.

We are now guardians of

Climbing French bean - Red and White.
Madeira Maroon.

Pea Gravedigger.

Hopefully we will get them started off in the next couple of weeks.

__________________
Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated at last - Saturday 9th at 2040hrs

Ho Pigletwillie I've just fallen in love with Pea Gravedigger cos of the name, hope the pea lives up to it.

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I wish i could make a yo-yo work.
http://www.guerrillagardening.org/

Ok I've not heard of this? I've adopted horses before but that was a costly mistake. Years on they are still mithering me for dosh! If I join do I have to read to them potty train or walk them? Not enough hours in the day as it is!!!

Two of mine arrived today - probably make up for the disaster with some of my other HSL seeds for anybody that rtemembers my previous post!

But the good thing is that there are 30 each of the two types of beans I asked for!

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TonyF, Dordogne 24220

I joined HSL a few days ago and then applied to become a seed guardian yesterday. I was told that even though the deadline to submit orphans lists should be 1st May I could still get some seeds! I was expecting to have to wait until next year before I could grow any HSL stuff. I wonder if I'll get anything from the normal library as well, fingers crossed.

How good is the seed saving info they provide? Do self-pollinating beans need to be caged? Hope it wont be too difficult to grow some things down at the allotment without them cross-pollinating.

Thanks for that Piglet. I hadn't heard of it but will look into it. I can just see myself with my orphans out there with my own babies.I could be madder than ever

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

The orphans list will tell you whether the seeds are from self-pollinating stock and the information they give you is really good, very easy to follow.

I've got my pots prepared for my seeds (not small pots, old cut in half water butts) - the Irish Frean peas also arrived - and I'll be planting mine up over the weekend.

This year's main mailing peas and last year's Lancashire Lad peas are also romping away, less success with my main mailing beans but there are a few of them about.

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TonyF, Dordogne 24220

I got Madiera Maroon as my 'lucky dip' this year. We should compare notes later in the season!

Will do Kentvegplot. I found them to germinate much more slowly then my other beans but they are now up and away.

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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated at last - Saturday 9th at 2040hrs