HSL Seed Guardian profiles
Martin Robinson
Heritage Seed Library members and Seed Guardians are the backbone of our organisation. They support us with their subscriptions and return around two-thirds of the seeds we dispatch each year, which is truly invaluable. Here are two members who really go the extra mile to champion our work.
Martin Robinson, Staffordshire
Martin Robinson, Staffordshire Semi-retired from professional horticulture Martin is one of our most active supporters. His fascination with horticulture came from helping his father in the garden and he has now made it his mission to inspire others through his involvement with the "In Bloom" competition, allotment judging and speaking to the University of the Third Age, and local gardening clubs. He joined HSL six years ago and is also now a Seed Guardian.
In recent years, Martin has grown orphan varieties including 'Corsican Lima Bean'. If you have recently enjoyed 'Mr Bethell's Purple Podded' pea you may have Martin to thank for your seeds. He also helps promote HSL and recently visited us to take photographs for a presentation he is giving to the Staffordshire Association of Gardening Guilds. It was a pleasure to meet him and his wife and we would like to say a big thank you for all his hard work on our behalf.
Rebsie Fairholm
Rebsie Fairholm, Gloucestershire
Rebsie is a professional folk musician who champions the cause of amateur plant breeding and heritage vegetables. Her involvement with HSL was born out of an interest in history and gardening combined with frustration at the lack of choice available from traditional seed suppliers. She wanted to grow and eat something different.
She has been growing heritage
varieties for over 10 years and spurred on by the lack of
information freely available, decided in 2006 to start a blog
- http://daughterofthesoil.blogspot.com to provide a forum
for the free exchange of information about these varieties.
Rebsie is also one of our Seed Guardians, giving over space
in her own garden to produce seed for us and this year has
grown climbing French bean 'Major Cook's Bean'. She says
that she finds it a very rewarding experience and hopes to continue for many years.
We hope so too...
What do I do if I want to become a Seed Guardian?
Contact us here at Garden Organic Ryton by letter, or email us at
hsl@gardenorganic.org.uk
Heritage Seed Library
Garden Organic Ryton
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