What goes around … Saving heritage seeds for the future of the planet

Last week we were delighted to be a stop on the way of the Heritage Seed Library’s 200 mile relay as it travelled across the country raising awareness of the importance of heritage seed saving. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Heritage Seed Library based at Garden Organic in Ryton, Warwickshire.

The HSL is a ‘living collection’ which has rescued and preserved more than 800 unique seed varieties which have disappeared from commercial cultivation, ensuring irreplaceable strains are not lost to history.

Preserving heritage seeds is about far more than simply growing rare or unusual plants; it’s a crucial act for the future of biodiversity. Each variety saved and sown represents a chapter in our agricultural history, adapted through generations to local soils and climates. Every time these seeds are planted and grown on, they become stronger and more resilient, evolving in response to the environment and continuing a cycle that underpins the future stability of our food and crops.

By saving and sharing these seeds we are helping to protect our food system from the risks of monoculture and climate change. This collaborative effort keeps traditional flavours, colours, and stories alive, The HSL has become the largest community seed initiative in Europe.

As we at the Gardens know well, the changing climate and seasonal disjunctures are already having a direct effect on our plants. This is not confined to our major problems with Box Moth. Wet and warm winters may challenge our 60 or so heritage varieties of apples and pears. We have already seen less predictable blossoming and harvesting periods.

A changing climate and a decline in insects, especially pollinators, makes our food security more precarious. Conserving the widest variety of food seeds may help protect future home grown food. Add to this worldwide food shocks caused by pandemics, wars and disrupted trade routes saving seeds seems to  be more urgent than ever.

Our Gardeners Denise and Tanya eagerly opened the golden Relay envelope and chose an old tomato variety to grow this year alongside others in the Batty Langley Kitchen Garden. Terri- Ann from Garden Organic was on hand to  get the Golden Envelope moving again on to it’s final destination at Ryton on Dunsmore.