Kew's Millennium Seed Bank joins seed swap events

Following the success of our Great Seed Swap, held at Wakehurst on 17 September 2011, Kew's Millennium Seed Bank is supporting seed swap events around Sussex and further afield this year.

31 Jan 2012

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A family attending the Wakehurst Great Seed Swap 2011

Visitors swapping seeds at Wakehurst's first Great Seed Swap in September 2011 (Image: Jim Holden Photographer, www.jimholden.co.uk)

Inspiring growers

Seed swaps encourage and inspire people to grow vegetables and fruit, and to experiment with different varieties, particularly heritage and traditional types that were once so important in British gardens. Gardeners are able to swap seeds from plants they have grown at home for seeds from a range of garden vegetables and flowers, grown by other enthusiasts.

Our aim is to increase awareness of the incredible diversity of food plant varieties that you can grow at home, and to encourage sharing of these varieties through the exchange of seeds.

Paul Smith, Head of Kew's Seed Conservation Department

Events this year

Come and see us at an event near you! Find out about the vital work of Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank and discover how we are helping to safeguard the world’s most endangered plants. Learn how best to store your garden-saved seeds to keep them alive for several years.

  • Trumpington Seed Sunday - 29 January: Head of Botanical Information John Dickie will talk about the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership.
  • Lewes Seedy Saturday - 4 February: International Coordinator Kate Gold will be talking about the Millennium Seed Bank’s UK Native Seed Hub project.
  • Brighton Seedy Sunday - 5 February: Kew staff will be running an information stall with a competition to win a behind-the-scenes tour of the Millennium Seed Bank facilities; Training Specialist Vanessa Sutcliffe will give a talk on the simple science of seed saving and storage, to show how any gardener can keep their garden-saved seeds alive for many generations.
  • Worthing Seed Swap, Sow and Grow - 11 February: Training Specialist Vanessa Sutcliffe will run a series of workshops to demonstrate seed saving and storage.
  • Transition Horsham Seedy Saturday - 18 February: Kew Staff will be running an information stall with a competition to win a behind-the-scenes tour of the Millennium Seed Bank facilities.

There will be a wealth of expert advice and information on hand at these seed swap events to help you make the most of your own plot, whether you have a large garden, a small backyard or even a windowbox.

Our next Great Seed Swap at Wakehurst will be held on Saturday 20 October 2012, with support from Garden Organic and Brighton Seedy Sunday - keep an eye on our News and What's On pages for more information!

Get involved - Adopt a Seed, Save a Species

We have successfully banked 10% of the world's wild plant species and we have set our sights on saving 25% by 2020.

Without plants there could be no life on earth, and yet every day another four plant species face extinction. Too often when we hear these kind of statistics there is little that we can do as individuals, but thanks to the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership and the Adopt a Seed, Save a Species campaign there is something that you can do to ensure the survival of a plant species.

Adopt a seed for just £25 | Save a plant species outright

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1 comment on 'Kew's Millennium Seed Bank joins seed swap events'

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14/02/2012 2:28:48 PM | Report abuse

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