What can we, as Gardeners, do to Save Our Seeds? To prevent those wonderful heirloom varieties from becoming extinct?
To begin, we can save the seeds from heirloom and open-pollinated varieties. The seeds from these two types of plants will grow true to the parent plant. Join a seed exchange. Many of these can be found online or even start a seed exchange in your local neighborhood. One of the largest is the Seed Savers Exchange.
Or purchase your seeds from companies that are part of the Organic Seed Alliance. The"Organic Seed Alliance is founded on the belief that seed is both our common cultural heritage and a living natural resource fundamental to the future sustainability of food production."
Grow NATIVE plants. Plants which are native to your own locale are much easier to establish and can handle what Mother Nature throws at them. Native plants will divide easier and will generally bless you with seeds that grow true. All too often those 'pretty plants in the catalog' can become invasive species and crowd out the Native Flora. Check with your local Extension Office or search the web for a list of invasive plants in your State. You might be surprised what you find.
Almost every State in the Nation has a Native Plant Society with local chapters that have regular plant sales. Many wonderful and sometimes rare heirloom plants can be found at these sales. Search out the nurseries in your area or online that sell Native Plants. It is well worth the time spent in this search. You will be rewarded with glorious plants as well as helping out a small business with your purchases.
** Thank you everyone for the wonderful links you gave yesterday! **
Posts
9 comments:
Once again, I'm so delighted to find that we are of like minds! :-)
Besides all of the excellent resources that you mentioned, there is another group called Wild Ones, that has been in existence for a number of years. They have various chapters around the country, but you can also become a member of the organization if there isn't a chapter close to you. Their website is www.for-wild.org
Jeanne, you have shared a wonderful post, at the most opportune time! Well done!!
Such good info! I also have started receiving my plant and seeds catalogs in the mail just this week. I can't wait to get some new stuff planted..
I'm so happy to find fellow gardeners! Those are great links and wonderful orgaizations. My very favotite plants are wildflowers and I'm lucky to have many growing wild. Last year my husband went to our old home and rescued lady slippers, jack in the pulpit and others. The property will be deveolped so we took what we could get. :)
Becca, I'm glad that you rescued as many plants as you could! Some plant organizations and garden clubs have formed plant rescue teams to go in where development is going to wipe everything out. I even had a clause put into our sales agreement that I would go and save my plants, but when I returned, I had found that the buyer ignored the contract, and had already destroyed everything. Legal action would not have brought back all of those trees, shrubs and perennials, but I let him know what I thought of him, in as civilized manner as possible ..not what I was really saying inside.
I don't know how familiar you are with Lady Slippers, but be patient with them if they don't show up right away. They are very difficult to transplant successfully, but even in the wild, they don't come up year after year, waiting until the conditions of temperature, moisture and sunlight are all just right for them to honor us with their presence!
Jeanne, I apologize for monopolizing your blog like this! As you can tell, I'm very passionate about this, and am SO excited to see you, Becca and others that I chat with regularly, also embracing our heirloom and native plants!
You go for it Suzie! I don't mind a bit! :0)
It's so wonderful to know that there are others out there of like mind!
Becca, how wonderful to have not only some of the lovely plants from your old place but giving them a chance to survive flourish in their new home. :0)
Suzie, So sorry to hear about what happened at your old place. Some people just have NO REGARD!!!!
This is another great post! I belong to my local native plant society and I just love it. I get the best information and resources from them!
Thanks so much for sharing. This was a great post!
Cheers!
More wonderfulness! Thanks for the links!
Thanks for the advice!!
Post a Comment