Seed saviours

GARDEN ORGANIC RUNS A HERITAGE SEED LIBRARY. HERE’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT

Over the years, the choice of vegetable varieties available to farmers and gardeners has shrunk. But what happens to the old varieties? Varieties that are not only interesting, but may hold the key to resisting diseases of the future and growing challenges from a changing climate. Thanks to the hard work of charity Garden Organic, since the 1970s these varieties have had a safety net in the form of the Heritage Seed Library. This incredible archive conserves more than 800 historically and environmentally important varieties for future use.

Varieties such as Freer’s Mummy pea, which came to the Heritage Seed Library via a former gardener from Lord Carnarvon’s Highclere Castle (the setting for Downton Abbey). The pea is also rumoured to be one of the varieties found in the tomb of Tutankhamun – not unlikely given the 5th Earl of Carnarvon’s role in discovering the tomb. It’s exclusively available through the Heritage Seed Library and, without these seed saviours, would have been lost forever.

JOIN THE CLUB

For less than £5 a month, you can become a member of Garden Organic and the Heritage Seed Library, support its vital work, and receive up to six varieties of rare seeds a year for free.