Topic: HSL catalogue online

[Jayb]

HSL seed catalogue online today 
I spent a happy while this afternoon choosing seeds    It seems it's beans and peas for me this year, my first choices;

CFB - Carre de Caen, Czechoslovakian
Peas -Stokesley, Cooper's Bean Pea
DFB - Blue Bloom and Shirokostruczkovnia

Anyone else had a chance to look through and decide?

[Digeroo]

Just send mine off.

Like the online system.

[Jayb]

Yes I found it easier and a breeze to fill in. Though I miss the old style catalogue, loved getting it in the post and sitting down with a cuppa looking at the lovely choices and the  different articles and information. This is much more a seed catalogue, not so much fun and a little impersonal? More like you are buying the seeds and not being part of HSL.

[Silverleaf]

I'm not a member, unfortunately. :(

[galina]

I'm not a member, unfortunately. :(

There are often HSL varieties in the seed circle and also at seed swaps if you can get to one.  This seed swap has been and gone, but the Transition Movement usually do one annually, so keep an eye on their website:
http://www.transitionchesterfield.org.uk/content/seed-swap-and-video

Should Father Christmas pick up the hint and you get a membership, you can still get HSL seeds to the end of February, but maybe not your first choices by then.

[galina]

HSL seed catalogue online today 
I spent a happy while this afternoon choosing seeds    It seems it's beans and peas for me this year, my first choices;

CFB - Carre de Caen, Czechoslovakian
Peas -Stokesley, Cooper's Bean Pea
DFB - Blue Bloom and Shirokostruczkovnia

Anyone else had a chance to look through and decide?

Yes, just done (expertly dodging another job I should really be getting on with) ............

CFB George's
Lettuce Windermere
Squash Shishigatoni
Squash Summer Sun (unfortunately I did not get any handpollinated ones to take this year, very glad they had it in the catalogue again)
Turnip Malsevnepe Brandhaug
Celeriac Tellus

Yes, apart from there not being a 'put in shopping trolley' click button, it felt like ordering from a seed company this year.  I also love my 'library' of past catalogues going back to the nineties, but online is easier to access and non members can read descriptions and see pictures as well, which is great.

Now I have really run out of excuses and have to get back to do some real work.   

[Jayb]

I'm not a member, unfortunately. :(

There are often HSL varieties in the seed circle and also at seed swaps if you can get to one.  This seed swap has been and gone, but the Transition Movement usually do one annually, so keep an eye on their website:
http://www.transitionchesterfield.org.uk/content/seed-swap-and-video

There are also quite a few HSL and heritage varieties in the Beans and peas swap.

Should Father Christmas pick up the hint and you get a membership, you can still get HSL seeds to the end of February, but maybe not your first choices by then.

Only thing is if you are not already a member of HSL you now have to join Garden Organics to be able to sign up for HSL, makes it a bit pricey? I have signed up to Garden Organics a couple of times but just too costly in the end to keep up with, plus I didn't really feel I was getting much if anything out of it.

[pumkinlover]

Err did any one notice that they didn't ask for a donation for postage? Maybe not the same online?
Any way my choices were df Vermont cranberry
Cf St Antonio
Sqaush shisigatani
Pea Frueher hernrick
Cauliflower English winter late queen
And something else I have forgotten!

[sparrow]

Shishigatani squash are available at Baker Creek too, or Bobby's seeds, would love to know how they turn out as they sound very Black Futsu-like, and I'm a big fan of those.

(I'm another one who can't/won't join HSL now you have to buy GO membership too - makes the free seeds veeeerrry pricey)

[galina]

Shishigatani squash are available at Baker Creek too, or Bobby's seeds, would love to know how they turn out as they sound very Black Futsu-like, and I'm a big fan of those.

(I'm another one who can't/won't join HSL now you have to buy GO membership too - makes the free seeds veeeerrry pricey)

I wasn't aware of that.  I dropped long-term HDRA/GO membership after several screw-ups on their part.  But kept HSL membership and still grow seeds for them too.

Yes there are many erstwhile HSL varieties that can be bought elsewhere, including from T and M, Real Seed and others.  Neither is Shishigatoni an endangered UK variety as far as I know (I thought it was a Japanese heritage variety).  But this squash sounded intriguing and (and always providing we actually get our first choices - never guaranteed), maybe very well adapted to our growing conditions. 

[galina]

Just reminiscing ..................

got my first ever catalogue out from 21 years ago.  Then I had pea Magnum Bonum, turnip Laird's Victory, tomato Snow White Cherry, broad bean Crimson Flowered and lettuce Liller.  Apart from the turnip, I still grow all of these varieties.  And the turnip has never been re-offered either.  This does happen, not everything  comes round again. 

[Digeroo]

I am a member of both, but finding I am getting rather little out of the main membership so was thinking of dropping it.  I seem to be on holiday for last year potato day and now there does not seem to be one on the events list.

The gardens are too far to go more then occasionally.   

Looks like we have all gone for the same squash.

[pumkinlover]

We have pruned the number of charities and organisations we are members of but hope to keep with GO just to support the work and research that they do. I suspect that I would have liked it better in the  Lawrence Hills days.
Still want to call it HDRA.

[goodlife]

HSL is good cause, but just like many other charities that I have supported in past, they have fallen out of my favour with one single reason; once you show your willingness for support...they want to bleed you dry
 I've had long list of good causes that I've given...but the endless begging letters got too much...when these charities start being systematic with their money requests, that's when I'm put off, good cause or not...
Why is it that many charities are not happy anymore with 'one off donations', but are just interested getting you for 'just £ x'amount per month' direct debit deal...I may offer money, cash..there and then,  but if its not good enough anymore..it is their loss
Year by year good causes are getting more and more needy...and my support list is getting shorter. I help one 'animal' one and one 'human' anymore... I just prefer to give when I CAN and as long they don't push it, they will stay on my regular 'list'.

Ooo...my inner Meldrew is poking its head up again...must stop now when I still can...

[Digeroo]

Reasons for an ongoing commitment are that this is gift aidable, not so easy with one off cash.  Also it may also be drawing matched funding from elsewhere. 

I do think we need to fight for our seeds, and also less chemicals in foods.

Looks like the EU is at it again, trying to stop us swapping seeds.   Our seeds are our right and our heritage and do not belong to the likes of Monsanto. 

[Digeroo]

Already back.  That was quick!!!

Got all my choices and a dwarf French bonus.   Looking forward to sowing them.

[galina]

Same here    and the bonus was one of my alternative varieties too 

What did you get other than the squash?

[Digeroo]

Broad Beans  Bossingham Long pod and Relon
Climbing French Bean Melbourne's Miniature
Climbing French Bean Czechoslovakian
Runner Bean Westmacott
Squash Shishigatani

Dwarf bean Snake

Running out of space at the allotment.  Got so many things I want to grow.  And the fruit is covering more and more space.   

[Jayb]

Back here too, I received David Chappell runner beans as a bonus. Not a variety I've come across before.
I was surprised Czechoslovakian seeds are so pretty as no mention in the description.


Nice list Digeroo, Melbourne's Miniature sound lovely, they were on my short list.

[galina]

Broad Beans  Bossingham Long pod and Relon
Climbing French Bean Melbourne's Miniature
Climbing French Bean Czechoslovakian
Runner Bean Westmacott
Squash Shishigatani

Dwarf bean Snake

Running out of space at the allotment.  Got so many things I want to grow.  And the fruit is covering more and more space.

Nice list Digeroo.  Snake is a good bean, but needs a little room.  The plants are quite strong and grow to 4ft. 

Czechoslovakian was a surprise.  Got a bean very much like it in a swap years ago from Professor Klapprott in Germany named Lilaspritzer (speckled maroon), which he got from Slovakia.  And a few years later from  UK donor Frank Hemming Neabel's Ukrainian (which he previously got from Canada from Salt Spring Seeds).  I can't tell any difference between them.  Now there is a third bean looking exactly the same again from HSL.

http://joogen.bplaced.net/bohbilder/lilaspritzer.jpg
http://www.saltspringseeds.com/products/neabels

This type seems to be widespread in Eastern Europe. 

Melbourne's miniature confused me.  Why miniature?  Beans seem normal sized and tall to boot?

It's great fun comparing our choices.