Rare sale of even rarer vegetables
Posted Tuesday 17th March 2009
Lettuce 'Bronze Arrow'
Garden Organic is offering keen gardeners and lovers of great tasting produce the opportunity to grow rare vegetables that cannot be bought in seed catalogues, garden centres or the supermarket
Garden Organic, which runs the Heritage Seed Library, conserving over 800 rare vegetable varieties under threat from extinction, is making seedlings available of some of its most interesting and delicious veg at its main Warwickshire site from Sunday 5 April.
The aim is to give people the opportunity to sample old veg varieties that are no longer commercially available and to get more people growing and saving seed to keep the library's precious collection alive.
Wonderfully diverse varieties such as tomatoes named Russian Red and Whippersnapper will be made available to buy, and other collections of leafy vegetables such as lettuces, Kales, Beans and Peas including Ragged Jack Kale, Crimson Flowered Broad Bean and the Bronze Arrow Lettuce can be taken home to grow and eat.
Garden Organic's Heritage Seed Library representative, Neil Munro said, “There is a real surge in the numbers of people wanting to grow their own food, as well as increased interest in growing old types of veg that are often far superior in both taste and appearance than the standard varieties. We hope this rare opportunity to buy these endangered vegetable plants will appeal to experienced gardeners and beginners wanting to grow something both historic and unusual.”
“The plants that are available all have a rich history and are guaranteed to taste unlike anything you can buy in the supermarket. What is more, by growing them people can help keep the varieties alive by saving the seed and keeping it for next year.”
Lettuce 'George Richardson'
Last year Garden Organic ran a series of research trials that compared varieties from the Heritage Seed Library collection against their commercial standard equivalents and found that in many cases, older heritage varieties outperformed their newer counterparts at withstanding poor weather conditions, disease and the scrutiny of taste tests. One such variety, the lettuce, George Richardson came out consistently on top, proving that old varieties are in many cases still the best.
To get your chance to buy these rare Heritage Seed Library plants then visit Garden Organic Ryton in Warwickshire from April onwards. Alternatively, to play your part in protecting Britain's rare vegetables why not become a Garden Organic Heritage Seed Library member. For just £20 your fee will help support the work of the library and in return you will receive annual access to a selection of rare seeds and quarterly Heritage Seed Library updates. Call 024 7630 3517 or visit the Heritage Seed Library pages for more information.
Top of pageGarden Organic is the working name of the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA).
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