People who have made a mad dash to the garden center on a sunny Easter weekend will be stung by realizing that seeds can be expensive and plants grown from scratch are more resilient and durable than those bought in bulk. We are at risk of losing lesser-known varieties to standardised seeds in an industry worth?47bn. Companies like Vital Seeds and The Real Seed Catalogue care about seed sovereignty and encourage people to grow their own seeds. You can save your seeds from these companies because they don’t have hybrid varieties. This is because the seeds you grow are not genetically modified.
January gardening: Revivify your houseplants, visit Chelsea Physic Garden, and see the local cherry blossoms
Enjoy the best winter plants in London: January blooms sweetbox, mimosa and winter cherry blossom.
Make a plan, join the community garden, be mindful, and make a list of your new gardening resolutions for 2019.
If you are interested in heritage seed varieties, Garden Organic has a Heritage Seed Library. You can also get seeds free of charge if you have them at a swap or exchange day. Seedy Sunday, the biggest and most well-known of these, is taking place in Brighton on Saturday 6 February. You can take part with a 50p donation, but you don’t need to have seeds to swap. Bulbs for summer bloomsThe first Hyacinths are available in the supermarket, but bulbs aren’t just a spring phenomenon. Many summer blooms can be grown from bulbs that have been planted now. To get the best out of summer blooms like Crinums and Dahlias as well as Crocosmias and Lilies, you need to plant them in the next few days. Use offcuts from sharp plants like holly and bramble to keep the squirrels away. It will keep you going right through the summer.
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