Amma’s UK Adopt a Seed Campaign
“Amma has encouraged everyone to preserve traditional and native seed varieties as a way to deepen our connection with nature and strengthen the diversity and stability of our food systems.” -Amritapuri.org
Amma’s UK Adopt a Seed Campaign began on the 6th March 2022 at our first Seed Swap run at the MA Centre. The Seed Swap was attended by local environmental groups including Bromley MIND, Environmental Action Coney Hall (who gave a talk on their current environmental projects), Bromley Green Gym (who run volunteer programs to increase biodiversity in local parks) and Bromley Allotments, to name but a few. It has begun the forging of ties between the MA Centre, local growers and environmental groups and may pave the way for future environmental activities at the centre.
Keen gardeners had the opportunity to sign up to adopt a seed by committing to the preservation of rare and endangered food plant species at the Seed Swap. They chose from a selection of heirloom seeds that GreenFriends UK collected for the event. Some of the seed varieties have been brought back from the brink of extinction by the Heritage Seed Library and now need to flourish in gardens and feed us again as they did years ago.
Amma is encouraging us to adopt endangered food plant species to ensure the preservation of their lifeline for future generations ahead. Since over 90% of our biodiversity has already been lost due to aggressive farming methods, overuse of pesticides, climate change, and over development, we are now facing a mass extinction of many of our food plant species and beneficial pollinators.
If you would like to take part in the seva of preserving the lifeline of one of these species, you could choose a seed variety from our list of remaining seeds below. Please email GreenFriendsUK@gmail.com and include the seed variety you would like to adopt and your name and address so we can post your seeds to you. We hope that you will be successful in saving some of these seeds to grow again in your gardens and share with local gardeners next year. If you saved enough, we would be delighted if you could return some of your seeds to GreenFriends’ seed bank, however if you don’t manage it, don’t worry! Alternatively, you could purchase a pack of heritage seeds from a suitable seed company (suggestions at end of blog), making sure to choose varieties that originated in the UK if possible.
Choose your seeds from the list below and email us at GreenFriendsUK@gmail.com to adopt a seed
GreenFriends UK Heirloom Seed List
(updated 15th March 2022)
Asparagus Kale (from Incredible Seed Library) — out of stock
An old variety, listed in Vilmorin’s The Vegetable Garden in 1885. Reputed to be one of the tastiest of kales, and is treated more like a broccoli. The young leaves can be eaten over the winter, but it is better left until the spring when the young flower shoots can be broken off, blanched and eaten like asparagus. Relatively dwarf, hardy and prolific. This was saved from extinction in the 1990s by the Heritage Seed Library.
Cultivation of Asparagus Kale is much as for sprouting broccoli and it is usually grown as a biennial. Start seeds off in a seed tray in late spring then transplant them when reasonably robust into their final position, eg a few inches apart, although now I have a lot of seed I might try sowing seeds direct and thinning.
Bean (Broad) Seeds — Crimson Flowered (from Garden Organic catalogue)
Popular in the 1700s but thought extinct until the last few remaining seeds were donated to the Heritage Seed Library in 1978. These extremely pretty, red to purple flowered broad beans not only produce multi-stemmed plants but each flower is also really fragrant.
Perfect to plant in a border as well as a veg garden! In fact, the flowers are so pretty they almost look like orchids in the garden. Growing to around 90cm tall, the plants can even be grown in large containers or raised beds.
Bitter Gourd — grown in MA centre — out of stock
Bronze Beauty Lettuce (from Garden Organic catalogue)
The Heritage variety with great flavour that looks amazing in the garden, sweet green leaves blushed with bronze. Saved from extinction by Heritage Seed Library. Winner of the AAS award in 1947, recorded as “the finest, most colourful and delicious variety”. The perfect addition to raised beds, borders or container pots. Harvest mid-April — October.
Boddington Pea (from Incredible Seed Library)
A productive soup pea from the Clydach valley in Wales. Real Seeds haven’t been able to trace much of its history, but have been impressed with its performance, particularly the extremely difficult summer of 2012.
This variety has smooth greeny-grey seeds, that make a traditional UK style pea soup or tasty mushy peas. Allow for growth to 6 foot plus, so make frames for them as you would runner beans or climbing french beans. Can be overwintered in a polytunnel for early crops and eaten podded, as mangetout or dried.
Champion of England Pea — out of stock
Apparently, this fantastic pea was bred by William Fairbeard in Kent (1843) and was grown than none other than Charles Darwin, appearing in his book ‘The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication, 1868. ‘Champion of England’ quickly earned a name for itself for being a tasty, productive climbing variety and was judged as THE best pea by the Journal of Horticulture in 1876. Harvest July-September. It was saved from extinction by Heritage Seed Library and only recently available.
Early Purple Sprouting (from Incredible Seed Library)
A very popular and traditional variety of sprouting broccoli, producing an abundance of tasty spears from late March. It is slow growing and takes around one year from sowing to harvest but it is well worth the wait with each plant producing a lot of food. Plants can grow up to 1m in height Sow in Modules Feb — March or outdoors May and June
Gramp Nicholls Runner Bean (rare — from Heritage Seed Library) — out of stock
‘’This variety was passed to us at Gardeners’ World Live in 2007. When the donor first took on her allotment her father gave her these runner beans. They have been grown in Windsor Edge, Nailsworth, near Stroud in Gloucestershire since the early 1970s, having been passed down from generation to generation. Orange flowers are followed by stringless pods which are produced well into September.’’
Grandpa’s Cress — Organic (rare — from Heritage Seed Library) — out of stock
‘’Our donor passed this cress to us as it had been grown in his family for at least three generations. He says, “It germinates easily and produces a crop in only a few weeks.” A broad, serrated-leaved garden cress with a peppery flavour and tender texture. The flavour of the leaves gets stronger the higher up the plant you go. Can be grown in a pot all year round.’’
‘Liller’ Lettuce (rare — from Heritage Seed Library) — out of stock
‘’A huge, cabbage-headed lettuce that can weigh anything up to 500g. The unusual pink tinge on leaf margins is temperature-dependent, apparent on planting out the young plants in the spring but disappearing as they start to mature. Leaves are large, full and smooth, ideal for adding to a sandwich.’’
Llanover Pea (rare — from Heritage Seed Library) — out of stock
‘’This is a tall variety that needs strong pea sticks to support the large pods produced. They were grown for many years on the Llanover Estate in Wales from seeds brought to the UK by a German prisoner of war (WWI). Once the war was over he returned to marry a Welsh girl and continued to work on the estate. Produces white flowers and pods filled with small, sweet peas.’’
Lord Leicester Pea (from Incredible Seed Library)
This traditional British heirloom pea grows to about 5 or 6 ft tall. The special thing about Lord Leicester is that starts to flower very early on but carries on to almost the end of the season — so you get peas over a long period. The yield is good too.
Sow seeds in a double row in a drill 10 cm wide with the seeds 2 cm apart in April. These peas need to grow up a support system of pea netting.
Mammoth Leek (from Incredible Seed Library)
Sow outdoors March — April in a prepared seedbed. When plants are established transplant to 15 cm apart.
Sow indoors Jan — Feb in modules or small pots in an unheated greenhouse or coldframe. Grow on, harden off and plant out 15 cm above.
Harvest over winter
Tulsi — grown in MA Centre — out of stock
Uncle Bert’s Purple Kale (rare — from Heritage Seed Library) — out of stock
‘’(Brassica oleracea) Our donor’s family has grown this variety for several generations and found it to be “the nicest tasting of all kales.” Grown extensively before WWII, but seems to have disappeared soon after. Large and prolific; it is both hardy and resilient to pests and diseases. Delicious too, with a slightly nutty flavour.’’
Up to Date Onion (from Incredible Seed Library)
Originally introduced in the 19th century by R Brittan Seeds, Northampton. The yellow skinned bulbs are apple-shaped with rather square shoulders and a rounded base. A good storage onion and thought to have some white rot resistance. Barr’s Seed catalogue (1927) describes it as “in every way a model onion.”
Onions grown in the UK are sensitive to day length; spring sowings will only grow foliage until the longest day. As the days shorten energy goes into producing bulbs. Sow in modules with protection in late winter and early spring, or directly into the ground in mid spring at a depth of 1cm in rows 30cm apart. Thin or transplant to about 4cm if you want medium-sized bulbs; 7–10cm for larger onions.
Email us to adopt a seed online at GreenFriendsUK@gmail.com
If you would like to research UK heirloom seeds and pick your own variety to adopt, GreenFriends recommends these seed companies:
Real Seeds — https://www.realseeds.co.uk/
Garden Organic — http://www.organiccatalogue.com/
With thanks to the Heritage Seed Library, Real Seeds, The Incredible Seed Library, Garden Organic and Amrita Virtual Academy for the information used this blog.
Happy Growing!
Chloe and GreenFriends UK
