Seed swap 2012

With the prospect of days getting longer (gradually...) and the thought of growing things again, it's time to think about doing a seed swap, for UK HMLifers.
If you would like to be part of this years seed swap, send me a PM with your details and I'll put you on the list. If anyone has a lot of seeds to put into the 'kitty' let me know and I'll put you near the beginning of the list. (I think Sarah used the little collection of seeds that was amassed last year, and wasn't wanted, for local schools. At any rate we don't have a large collection of seeds to start with this year.) We usually swap mainly vegetable seeds - would people like to include flowers as well?

There were some flowers included last year too; I rather enjoyed my calendulas from the swap (I think they're still flowering now !).

Thanks for volunteering to organise this, Dandelion.

Yes please, I expect Spar will share with me as usual, or it could be the other way round of course.

Brilliant - glad you want to do it again! Can I have some addresses PM'd at some point so I can start a list? Thanks.

Super Dandelion - will happily join in and will PM you my address. I think flowers in there too is good. I also have a fair few seeds, certainly more than I can use all of so happy to be near the start.

Mrs C

Excellent - the more the merrier (and the more seeds!!!)

So far there are four people taking part in the seed swap. Anyone else interested? I would hope to send the seeds out before the end of January so that they get round to everyone before the growing season starts. (But if anyone makes a last minute decision it wouldn't be a problem to send the seeds out again.)

Talking of seeds, I've just had a pack of goodies from the Heritage Seed Library. Lots of nice and unusual things to plant in the Spring. The one I'm looking forward to trying is the Amish Gold tomatoes (wouldn't it be great if you sowed the seeds and a barn came up??)

I love the idea of the seed swap, but unfortunately have nothing that anyone is likely to want, and very little surplus anyway. I find it is difficult to fit in the time for gardening (although its what I like doing best). I tend to grow stuff that I know will do ok in my garden and that we will like eating, so I don't experiment much.

Does the swap encompass only home grown/saved seed? I do find that there is usually far more in packets that I buy than I am ever likely to want.

Last year we had an assortment of seeds. Some home-saved seed, a lot of commercial packets which had some seed left which was surplus to requirements. There was also some seed which was technically out of date, but which grew beautifully! If you're not sure whether to take part I could let you know what's in the pack of seeds when it gets back to me, and if there's anything you want I'll post it.

PM sent, D

I'm happy to join in again.

The pack of seeds was posted this evening to Mrs C

Not quite sure how you are running it this year DL, address list in with it, or pm you for the next address so that you are the only one in possession of all addresses (which was the suggestion that caused a major "difference of oppinion" a couple of years ago...)

But what if it could be kept "in perpetuum", & if you agreed to keep control of it, it could be held by the last person until you receive a new member, or we could request that it be sent back to us so that there is the opportunity for everyone to look at as many different types of seeds as possible. This way it would remain the possession of "the forum members" & say number 2 or 3 would then get the chance to see what everyone else has put in as opposed to just what the couple of people before handhad put in...

Remember the problems my last suggestion caused, really don't want to cause any problems this time, didn't want to last time, but hey ho...

Spar

I like that idea Spar, but as D is "in charge" I'll leave any decisions to her.

Pleased to say the seeds have arrived here in frozen Hertfordshire. Will try to look through them over the next 48 hours or so and then send them on their way.

D's plan is that she is the only person who holds all the addresses and she will PM each person when they receive them with the address of the next person to send them to.

Mrs C x

My idea was to get the seeds back eventually, which should be a different selection to the ones I sent out originally (unless everyone thinks they're rubbish and sends them on unchanged to the next person!!) and keep them until next year, so that I have the opportunity to add bits and pieces before next year (assuming we want to do it again. I hope so - I love getting the pack of seeds!) If anyone joins the forum and wants to take part in the seed swap I can insert them into the list of addresses, or send the seeds out again. Can also send seeds out a second time if anyone wants this, but maybe as the postage was nearly £2, and by the time we've all had the mystery pack the growing season will be upon us this isn't practicable. Hope this is OK. I've been PMing Mrs C to check how we did it last year (I didn't realise we'd had a difference of opinion before - hope the way it's working this year meets with approval.)

All works for me Dandelion - just hope I've remembered everything correctly from last year...

Mrs C x

Dandelion wrote:My idea was to get the seeds back eventually, which should be a different selection to the ones I sent out originally (unless everyone thinks they're rubbish and sends them on unchanged to the next person!!) and keep them until next year, so that I have the opportunity to add bits and pieces before next year (assuming we want to do it again. I hope so - I love getting the pack of seeds!) If anyone joins the forum and wants to take part in the seed swap I can insert them into the list of addresses, or send the seeds out again. Can also send seeds out a second time if anyone wants this, but maybe as the postage was nearly £2, and by the time we've all had the mystery pack the growing season will be upon us this isn't practicable. Hope this is OK. I've been PMing Mrs C to check how we did it last year (I didn't realise we'd had a difference of opinion before - hope the way it's working this year meets with approval.)

Please dont get upset or whatever!!! I am not being critical!!! Just trying to help!!!

In 2010 I simply made the suggestion:
" that **** keeps the listy thing, then each person contacts her when they are ready to send on for the next addy, that way each person only gets to see one address other than ****, thought it might be a bit safer..."

It also enables you to keep more of a track on it in case it goes awol...

The person that was doing it that year got ythe right royal hump, thought I was being critical & has been rarely seen again, which was not the idea at all...

Sparhawk wrote:Not quite sure how you are running it this year DL, address list in with it, or pm you for the next address so that you are the only one in possession of all addresses

That is what we did last year, and it worked fine as far as I can see.

Sparhawk wrote:
But what if it could be kept "in perpetuum", & if you agreed to keep control of it, it could be held by the last person until you receive a new member, or we could request that it be sent back to us so that there is the opportunity for everyone to look at as many different types of seeds as possible

The trouble with the last person hanging on to it is surely that the first person doesn't get to choose any seeds ? It really does need to do a full circuit, before sowing time start, to be fair. It did occur to me that it might be fun if the pack did two laps, so we could see whether anyone had actually wanted what we put in there.

On the other hand I think it would be a great welcome to a forum to get a seed swap box arrive in the post. I suspect that we might loose them quite quickly though

Again - as Spar said - no criticism implied. I'm quite happy however it is organised !

Not getting upset !!
I think we seem to be doing it more or less as you suggested, Spar: I have the addresses, and people only get the address of the next person to send them on to. We've got to have the flexibility to suggest refinements to the system without anyone getting upset so that it suits everyone, and adapts organically

Thanks, I didn't want to upset anyone... Again!!!

As for "organic" changes: Chilli, I do think that is a good idea, too offer new members a dip in, perhaps it could be offered as a reward for a certain number of posts, may help to keep the forum active...

The offer of a seed swap for new members is good - do you think we would run into problems with expecting new people to give out their address though?

I see what you mean. I feel much easier about giving that sort of information to someone I've known (even if only in the online sense) a while, bit I suppose anyone not wanting to give a postal address could pass on the offer.

The other problem I hinted at is that new members often don't stick around, and so you might find packages getting lost in the system from time to time.

I agree - I think however much we want new people to join, we can't rush them: they need to give us time and to know that the forum is a place they want to spend time in. I wonder if sending out the seed pack too quickly would give out the wrong message. But there are no hard and fast rules.... (and just think - if by the time they get it the mystery seed pack consists of 29 packets of Gardeners Delight it really will give the wrong message!! I think I only put one in, honest!)

So so sorry everyone - week from hell here so seeds still sat here on my kitchen table! They are now all packaged up though and WILL be in the post today I promise!

Mrs C x

Just my thoughts here................. I believe I was the instigator of this type of seed swap on fourms many years ago, forst on the RC forum ,then on my own, where it's been run very successfully for the past 6 years. We send a list of addresses, and everyone is reminded at the beginning, before the seeds go out to respect privacy etc and use the name and address for the seed swap only. It has worked perfectly, with members old and new, with no problems of any kind - the package has never got lost, there has been generosity in donations, no-one grumbed about the P&P, we did/do overseas as well. MEmbers just put up a post when they received it, adding what they took from it, and when it was on its way to the next recipient (not named, to keep the element of surprise). It's not always been me who organises it,s everal members have taken on the mantle. It works so well because it's easy to run, easy to take part in and easy to keep track of - the starter keeps hold of a copy of the list to track progress. If thought necessary, the lists can be burned once the package retruns to the first swappee who sent out the first package.

Keep it simple and it will work is what I suggest.

As I sadi jsut my thoughts, based on several years' experience of doing it.

The seeds are now with Chilli Head, in their tour of the UK!!