Seed swap

This morning I made up some packets with a selection of the most prolific seeds that I had collected from the garden last season. Then it was off to a local village hall for their annual seed swap.

The good thing about an event such as this is that it gives you the opportunity to find varieties that are not available in the shops and also to get good information from the stall holders. I love the history of plants. The labels on the potato seller's stall were fascinating. Now that I'm home I'm really regretting not buying at least a few of Mr Littles Yetholme Gypsy spuds - next year!

I haven't made an adventurous choice of potatoes but ones that I know have performed well for me in the past. 'Foremost' is my first early choice. It is white fleshed and when it is first gathered it has a delicious new potato flavour. When it has been left in the ground for a while it loses a lot of that flavour but remains a good, clean crop.

My main crop is always Charlotte, yellow fleshed and versatile and a great keeper.

In just a few more weeks we shall have finished eating all of last years crop.

I've bought Pink Fir Apple again this year, a nutty, pink skinned salad potato. I note what the label says, 'tends to wander'. My vegetable garden is set out in a four bed rotation  and Pink Fir Apple has certainly 'wandered' when I've failed to dig them all up!

I've put them out in trays to 'chit'.

These are the swaps that I came home with. It's a lucky dip - who knows what a packet labeled, 'big peas' is going to turn out like. Watch this space!