2012 Seed Circles - Poll

[veggiechicken]

Thank You Zaz - got it! My vote for the Huge swap still stands as I''m a compulsive seed saver of all manner of things.

[vicky]

I've voted for most of your options!
I love the Virtual Swop with the huge list of seeds, you can delve in and out as you fancy.
I also love the specific circles for really interesting things and the challenge and community of the people doing the swops too. Strangely I enjoyed organising the swop too (power?who knows?)
I'd like to see more Newbies doing the circles too.
I'd love a swop for rare or exotics, a chance to get my hands on seeds I have coverted for years!

[Two_Sheds]

For myself, I only want to receive beans, but I'm happy to donate unwanted seeds of my own to anyone that wants them: I'd rather give them away than bin them

[Scarlet]

Well, I've voted for all the circles except the huge swap. Its good to have an idea at the beginning of the season what to save and what you might be lucky enough to receive. ( That said I loved the swap just before Christmas - no pressure)
Although could the circles include more people at the beginning to compensate for people dropping out at the end?

[zazen999]

That's definitely got to be a consideration; assume 30% of people will drop out.

Interesting results of the exotic/not grown before poll; which is currently in the lead.

Perhaps once each one gets to 25 votes we start the circle....

[dirtgirl]

I love saving seed and am really looking forward to being part of a couple of these circles from the beginning. Though luckily I was able to join the squash circle at the last minute and just had my "share" delivered (thanks vicky) Love being able to share my seeds and see what everyone else is growing. So have voted for the huge swap and the specialised swaps too, can't wait

[northepaul]

I would vote for the herb circle and run it too - but as I have already voted, I cant add it....

[Jeanied]

Me too, Thea - I voted early and only got one choice
I bought loads of herb seeds for the parcel last summer and it is a shame it is no longer in existence - so I would love a chance to build up my stock without going to the expense all over again.

[veggiechicken]

Has the herb circle just appeared? I'd like that one too but I've already voted!

[zazen999]

I've added your 3 votes 'back end' as they say.

[veggiechicken]

Thanks Zaz!

[Jeanied]

Hmm - someone call the electoral reform society, definitely a role for Zaz there!

[zazen999]

Me too, Thea - I voted early and only got one choice
I bought loads of herb seeds for the parcel last summer and it is a shame it is no longer in existence - so I would love a chance to build up my stock without going to the expense all over again.

J - you shouldn't have been buying herbs for the parcel! It is in existence, just not as a separate parcel....if you want them back just shout. But we had to do something about the parcels as the postage was just making it not worth doing....

[Jeanied]

No that's fine, Zaz - if you remember it was set up from scratch last summer over a few glasses of wine and a couple of trips to the garden centre! At that point unemployment hadn't penetrated my brain quite so much! The same with the 'back to my roots' - I just went for anything I hadn't seen before/ got in my stash! Now I am wiser and more frugal!
Also having saved the extra fine parsley seeds this year and done a really successful germination test, I am a total convert to seed saving instead! And don't get me started on pumpkin seeds - they make me drool

[planetologist]

From the user perspective, I'd favour a virtual swap where you send in all seeds that you've been able to save and get everything you would like back. I do recognize that this is also the most work for the organiser(s), but maybe if everybody who participates also sends in a PM with person's contribution typed up in the spreadsheet format, that would make it more manageable? The advantage is that you only need to send in one lot with stamped self addressed enveloppe and be done for the year.

Although the above would cover everything from my perspective, I thought that Zazen and Chris might not be able to do the virtual one if it replaces the other circles, as it would generate too much work. So I also voted for the exotic one. There are two main reasons why I swap seeds: so as not to have to save everything myself, especially for the things that are biennial or need isolating, and also to try new things. It might be difficult to define exotic, though, because probably most of our "normal" vegetables are not in fact native. On the other hand, after I've grown something for a year and saved my own seed from it, I stop thinking of it as an exotic. I.e. exotic is my growing edge.