Seed Swap in Strathcona this Weekend

Credit: Jackie Dives

Vancouver Seed Swap

Get your garden started at the seed swap

Stop by the Strathcona Seed Swap this weekend to get your garden growing

Vancouver weather can’t seem to get its act together. We keep getting glimpses of the sun to come, but then another rainy day washes our hopes of warmer weather away.

It might not be planting time, but it is a good time to take out your seeds from last year, do a quick inventory and head to a seed swap to fill in any gaps so you can start your seeds inside.

A seed swap is a gathering where gardeners can trade seeds with other gardeners. It is a great way to get rid of extra seeds you have in exchange for some that you are missing.

It’s also a nice way to try a small sample of a particular variety of kohlrabi that you aren’t sure you will like, or a handful of flowers to experiment with making tea. Often seed swaps offer access to tried-and-true heirloom varieties unavailable elsewhere.

Heirloom seeds are time-tested and open-pollinated, selected for their taste, easy cultivation, preservation and ability to withstand climate variations. Plants grown from these seeds are usually healthier, more robust and easier to grow than commercial seeds.

The Environmental Youth Alliance is hosting a seed swap this Saturday, April 16, at the Eco-Pavilion in the Strathcona Community Garden. They would like to encourage all gardeners to come out, even those without seeds, as they have plenty to share.

If you don’t have time this weekend to make it to this event, another source for getting seeds is the Salt Spring Island Seed Bank, a seed and plant sanctuary for Canada. They are a charitable organization dedicated to the preservation of heritage seeds.

Many vendors at the weekly Vancouver farmers market also offer high quality seeds.