Seed Library Success

A guest blog by Lampeter Seed Library…

Lampeter Seed Library are pleased to be building on the success of our joint venture of a seed-saving workshop at Denmark Farm in September last year.

We had prepared for it by planting up some dedicated beds with plants left to go to seed, some of which we were able to use at the workshop. The aim was to save seed from them for the workshop and the library, and also to show the full cycle of plant life when completed by setting seed, and the plants coped very well with the heat of last summer. 

This year we have been able to establish two new Seed Library beds in the existing vegetable garden area at Denmark Farm. One is to demonstrate planting up and isolating plants to save seed for biennials like brassicas, beetroot and carrots, and the other will demonstrate techniques for seed-saving from crops like courgettes and squash, in addition to the existing beds that we will be re-planting with peas, beans, tomatoes and other food crops that are simpler to save seed from. We are planning to base a couple of short workshops around these beds, which will be a chance for seed library members to discuss, see demo’s and learn hands-on about growing to save seed from some of the more challenging vegetable types. 

Our final workshop of 2019 will bring Sue Stickland back to Denmark Farm to run a repeat of her excellent introduction to seed saving (for those who missed it last year), together with some new teaching on roguing and seed selection. Watch this space for more details of our March and June Seed Library workshops. Workshops will be open to Seed Library members and non-members. Banc Hadau Llambed/ Lampeter Seed Library is easy to join and it’s free, just come along to the People’s Market in Lampeter on the 2nd or 4th Saturday in the month. 

Julia Lim – Banc Hadau Llambed/ Lampeter Seed Library

If you are interested in growing your own food then you might like to take part in our monthly ten part A Year to Grow Your Own course, starting on Sunday 24th February 2019.