one-day course

seed saving

venue: Windmill Hill City Farm, Bristol

A one-day workshop for those new to seed-saving, concentrating on small-scale home seed-saving without the need for special equipment, other than what can be found or made at home.

The course is run by Pippa Rosen who runs the organic seed business Beans and Herbs at The Herbary. She has been a herb grower for 20 years and now specialises in organic seed crop production.

The course covers:

  • general botanical terms; annual, biennial and perennial plants
  • the significance of plants’ life cycles in growing for seed. When to sow and how to cultivate plants for seed
  • vegetable and herb seed – what to save, and what not to save
  • when and how to harvest
  • pollination; isolation of plants; avoiding cross-fertilisation of varieties
  • hands-on experience of seed hulling and winnowing
  • walking round the growing area of the farm to identify plant species
  • how and where to dry and store seed
  • the wider issues - the importance of seed-saving for biodiversity and to safeguard our genetic heritage

more on seed saving


how to book:
  

if you can't open the booking form, you need Acrobat Reader - it's free
arrive:
  
for a 10am prompt start
depart:
  
after the course finishes at 5pm
directions:
  
click here for a map and directions to Windmill Hill City Farm
what to bring:
  
pen and notebook; packed lunch (if you're not using the cafe)
let us know:
  
if you have any special needs
price:
  
£60
Refundable up to two weeks prior to course (minus £30 admin fee)
No refunds for cancellations within two weeks of course
lunch:
  
bring a packed lunch or you can get lunch at the cafe
discounts:
 
car sharing:
  
visit our car sharing forum to offer or request a lift
 

 

 

 


heirloom variety going to seed: a climbing bean of a heritage variety - the pods are just starting to swell with seed

 

 


cultivating herbs from seed: a great many varieties of herbs can be grown from seed collected from the garden



 


nicandra: beautiful and useful plant commonly known as a shoofly plant (it's a natural insect repellent) - the flowers bloom all summer at the same time that the green lantern-like seed pods are forming