Topic: Seed Saving Circle 2022

[markfield rover]

I have put the parcel together will post tomorrow. My dahlias are under the misapprehension that it is still September and have no intention of setting seed, I have had words! Sorry not to be able to include but if they do the honourable thing I’ll let you know and I can send separately to anyone interested,otherwise I’ll report back next autumn.

[JanG]

Thank you, Markfield Rover. I look forward to receiving them. Garret’s package arrived a couple of days ago and Ruud’s is on its way, so it’s all beginning to happen very nicely!

[galina]

Jang,  Mine is now all in the country as of half an hour ago.  Will post Wednesday. Have added a couple of named extra packets, please put in the recipient's baggie.

[JanG]

Welcome Galina. I hope all is well and your travelling went smoothly. Exciting to have another  contribution so soon on its way. Will of course dispense any extras.

[galina]

Thank you Jang. 

Final list from me:

Tomatoes, all indeterminate

Orange Icicle aka Sosulka Oranzhevaya
Rosalie's Early Orange
Red Boar
Pink Boar
Fruity Yellow aka Fruity Mix

Melon
Old West Virginia heirloom  (also from the amazing seed parcel from Jeannine and Jayb).  A nice melon shaped like a giant olive that ripens to yellow skinned with an amazing perfume. 
https://www.sandhillpreservation.com/muskmelon

Courgettes:
Striped Custard Marrow
Hungarian Zucchini
Striato d'Italia
Long White Trailing
Zucchino Lungo Bianco

Cucumber
Beit Alpha

Achocha
Giant Bolivian

Climbing French Bean
Jack's Blue and Green

True Potato Seeds  tps
From seed balls of the Pink Fir Apple x Inky Squid cross that Jayb made.

[Vetivert]

A grand list Galina; thank you for the new addition of OWVH melon, can't wait to try it!

Like Markfield, I'm witnessing a similar problem with my zinnias. So, unfortunately I will have to cancel the Cupid zinnia seeds for this year, apologies.

[galina]

Yes, the melons were a bit late, so I did not want to promise in case seeds were not ready in time.  I shall start a bit earlier than mid May in future, as they seemed to take a long time to turn yellow and fully ripen.  But there is absolutely no doubt when they are ready because of that wonderful smell. 

Looks like the long autumn has helped as well as hindered - with zinnias and dahlias unfortunately.   

[galina]

I have also added the Red Boar tomato, as this seems to be more akin your Pink Furry Boar, Jang, than the Pink Boar itself.  Pink Boar is more like a purplish, brown tomato, but as it is just like mine on the breeders photos too (Wild Boar Farms), this is strange naming on their part.  Very much looking forward to Pink Furry as all these Wild Boar tomatoes are a bit special and selected for flavour.

Red Boar is said to be a mutation of Green Zebra.  My seeds were also from the magic seed round robin parcel from Jeannine and Jayb.   
https://wildboarfarms.com/product/red-boar/         
https://www.highmowingseeds.com/organic-non-gmo-pink-boar-tomato.html

[JanG]

That Jeanine/Jayb seed parcel certainly seems to have gathered some jewels on its way round. Thank you, Galina, for preserving and passing many of them on to our seed circle.
This promises to be an even more exciting year than the last. Ruud’s package arrived surprisingly quickly a couple of days ago.
My Pink Furry Boar, which was from Brown Envelope Seeds in Ireland, is certainly pinkish. It developed quite late in the season but kept going valiantly. They became paler as they matured and particularly later in the season than my photo.

[galina]

At the time Jeannine bought many Canadian and USA seeds that were unknown in UK and sent them to Jayb who added many of her home saved seeds from memory in a large shoe box, which later grew to a boot box!  It was the time just after the big Iceland volcanic outbreak when planes could not fly with all the volcanic ash and the parcel was lost.  Much later it turned up again, but Jeannine had very generously been shopping again in the meantime and this packet made it fine.  So in the end we did have all our round robin contributions, Jayb's big UK starter package and two generous packets from Jeannine, so yes it was quite some parcel.  However, in order to get it you had to guess that it was your turn next from a riddle and make up a riddle for the next person.  So we had a lot of fun with seeds and with cryptic clues.  It was such a happy exciting time, when seeds could still be swapped pretty freely internationally, give or take volcanic ash disruption.  In the end the parcel went back to Canada, now largely depleted of Canadian and USA seeds, but filled with UK seeds, to give Canadian gardeners a flavour of UK and European varieties.  Happy days. 

[JanG]

This is just a gentle reminder that we are nearing the end of November and the agreed deadline for sending off seed packages..

Most of the wonderful seed offerings have already been sent and received. Thank you so much. I continue to be amazed by the care and attention to detail so many seed-savers show. I hope the couple which are still to arrive aren’t presenting problems and that it will be possible to move towards the gathering together and despatching which I know can be quite a time-consuming business! Please just let me know of any difficulties and we’ll see what arrangements we can arrive at if necessary.

Looking forward very soon to collating and sending off such exciting packages. One of the loveliest parts of the lead up to Christmas!

[galina]

Very much looking forward to this special seed gift pack.  It is indeed one of the highlights of the year and quite literally the gift that keeps on giving  - when we like a new variety and keep our own seeds in the future.   

I have just come in from the garden where I picked among other veg, Senposai, turnip and celery.  In the greenhouse a few late, fruity tomatillos are still ripening, all from seeds from last year's circle.  Tonight we are cooking a big pot of our favourite Indian curry dish and the 'sour' tomatoes in the sauce are also from circle seeds.  Thank you.     

[sparrow]

I am so sorry to be tardy - I got swamped with work and have barely been home. I have posted my seeds off today so hopefully will be with you very soon. xx

[JanG]

How lovely to hear that you have managed to despatch your seeds, sparrow, in the nick of time! Well done and thank you. I return home today after a short trip away and, as we now have a full complement posted, look forward to being able to apportion the seeds in the next couple of days or so and have them winging their way, hopefully before the Christmas rush.

[Vetivert]

A couple of notes on my final list of varieties: I made the critically stupid mistake of leaving the beetroot seeds in the polytunnel, where a field mouse was caught tampering with the stash. The risk to health was too high to send them out in a group parcel. Even if I sent them with a warning they could be accidentally mishandled. I think they're most likely destined for the bin.
Aeron Purple Star runner beans are the substitution.

Also, I wasn't completely satisfied with the quality of the Red Gem marigold seeds from my own harvest so I divvied up the original packet instead.

No other crises to report. 

[JanG]

Thank you for your scrupulousness, Vetivert.  Perhaps you might feel you can sow some beetroot seeds yourself and keep the variety going for another time?

I have to mention that the post is very slow at the moment and that I haven’t yet received the last two packages. So we might have to moderate our hopes of a quick turn around and smooth passage. ☹️

[galina]

Well, not a crisis either, but I had hoped to share seeds of Ukrainian beetroot next year.  As it is getting quite cold and frosty, I dug them up, foliage lush, but most of the roots were much smaller than last time I grew them.  Not enough good roots I want to propagate from.  Yes I did sow them relatively late, but they should have grown much bigger.  Some standard Bolthardy sown at the same time are actually larger.  I will try again next year, but commiserate with your beetroot seeds mishap Vetivert.  Thank you for the Aaron Purple Star and for sharing the remaining Marigold seeds. 

[JanG]

I’m very pleased to say that the last package arrived yesterday. It confirms that the post is indeed slow at the moment as it took a week to arrive even though posted first class. Thank you to all.

A wonderful array of seeds. I have added Alberello Genovese courgette and St Victor leek to my original list and will add some notes here on these and others over the next few days. The return parcels will go off either today or tomorrow.

[markfield rover]

I’ve gone weak at the knees!
Thank you for the update.

[galina]

Love the teaser photo.  What a super seed share out.  Thank you Jan.