Topic: HSL Catalogue

[Jayb]

Yayyyy catalogue arrived in time for the weekend ;D but not easy deciding what to choose  :-\
Anyone made their choices already?

[goodlife]

Oh..lucky you...we only started to receive mail after all that snow..first delivery for all week was yesterday morning ::) And royal mail has huge back log to get delivered ::)
I cannot wait now...go on..tease me...What are you tempted to get?

[saddad]

Not got mine yet... but something to look forward to....  :)

[pumkinlover]

I expect mine will be after yours Saddad as it has a bit further up north to come  :D

[plot51A]

I was only discussing with a friend today that it must be due soon - not got mine yet obviously. Always find it really hard to decide what to ask for.......then the anticipation till it actually arrives.......SOOOO exciting  ;D

[aj]

OOh - how exciting!

 ;D

[Jayb]

I cannot wait now...go on..tease me...What are you tempted to get?

I keep changing my mind  ;D Possibly any of the following;

Broadbean Barcardi or Chak'rusga, but I already have several to grow out this year!
Climbing bean, O'Driscoll maybe Hodgkin
Peas, Llanover and Glory of Devon or Ultra-U
Tomatoes, Little Tatyana, sugar Plum
Kale, Spis Bladene

But I blink and it all changes  :P

[pigeonseed]

Out of interest, how are you choosing which varieties - do you go by descriptions of flavour or by whether you think they'd suit your particular conditions (or in an ideal world - both!)?

[grawrc]

Are you all members of Garden Organic or just HSL? Is it something you would recommend?

[saddad]

I'm a member of both... for about twenty years. HSL is probably not "worth it" in strict financial terms... I could get what I get through the seed swops here and elsewhere but I want to support the cause...  :-\

[Digeroo]

Not received mine yet.

[Jayb]

Out of interest, how are you choosing which varieties - do you go by descriptions of flavour or by whether you think they'd suit your particular conditions (or in an ideal world - both!)?

I usually go through and short list what really interests me, that's the easy part  ;D
Sometimes I've been looking for something like Llanover pea for a while, so that one is an easy choice.
So yes, description, growing conditions, where they are from, what other varieties I am planning on growing, what I have room for, are they commercially available somewhere else etc all go into deciding. I have to admit sometimes I just love a name  ;D

Are you all members of Garden Organic or just HSL? Is it something you would recommend?

I'm just a member of HSL now, I guess that's down to finances, but I hope even in a small way to support our vegetable heritage.

[galina]

It has dropped on the doormat a few minutes ago.

preliminary choices

CFB Striped Bunch
Kale Asparagus
Melon Cantalun
and one of the turnips

still in flux ...

[goodlife]

I GOT MINE TODAY ;D Oh.. my 'shopping list' wasn't easy..so much to choose...
but there is so many beans and peas..those took most of the order form space..just because  I don't have enough already  :-X::)
But what I really fancy is some of the Kales..all of them really ;D
Duke of Albany and Irish Preans peas...and,,and ::)

[Deb P]

Got mine this morning, had a quick flick through....I must not get peas this year, or beans....oh who am I kidding! ::)

[saddad]

Still not arrived here   :'(

[pumkinlover]

Or here :(
but have ordered seeds from two alpine societys- after saying I wouldn't!!!as  not enough time

[galina]

Are you all members of Garden Organic or just HSL? Is it something you would recommend?

I have been a member for over 20 years and HSL has always been my main interest. 

HSL is definitely poor value for money if you just want seed.  But if you want to support secure safeguarding of non-commercial, ex-commercial, historic and heirloom family and landrace seeds and keeping them available to gardeners, then supporting HSL is very recommended.  If you feel that it is  important to support growing food in schools and spreading the organic message, also teaching complete adult novices how to garden organically, then HDRA/Garden Organic membership is a good idea.  And you'd also be putting money into supporting their demonstration gardens at Ryton and at Audley End, as well as the Vegetable Kingdom, an interactive, push button triggered, animated display teaching about the history of our vegetables today, mainly aimed at school children.  You'd be supporting organic research, including organic help to third world gardeners.  Potato Day and (I believe) Apple Day was also a HDRA/GO initiative, that has taken off like wildfire, all around the country.

[pumkinlover]

Well said that man or woman!! :D

[galina]

What do you all make of the "our plans for the future" article in the catalogue?   In particular the statement, that HSL has and does act as an informal focal point for the UK seed swap movement?  As I remember the first big organised UK seed swap was Seedy Sunday in Brighton, modelled on the Canadian Seedy Saturday movement. Seed swaps like here on the forum were not started by HSL either, but by private initiatives of HSL and non-HSL members, not forgetting Forum organisers who create Seed Swap sub-forums (thank you!).  Our Seed Circle (Jayb please correct me if I got it wrong) was started by her alone, following a suggestion from Kate at RealSeeds.  Jeannine's seed gifts and swaps started out of personal generosity.  There were Jayb's seed gifts too who supplemented a lost packet and got the swap underway. 

As suggested in this article the future of HSL would be to harness the enthusiasm and create a National Seed Swap Network.  Does the British seed swapping movement really need such a 'harness'?  I think not.  

Their other plans, a network of local seedbanks and demonstration sites' sounds good.  Unfortunately they did not make clear whether these initiatives are in addition to, or instead of, their present activities.

I have a lot of questions after reading  this article.