Seed Swap 2010

OK.

Here's the button.

If you would like to join in with this swap, please leave a comment on this post, then take the button and post it on your blog with a link back to here, by Friday 30th July.  That gives you a whole month to figure out if you will have any seeds to swap in your garden.  I really hope you do!

This is a bit of a "long term" swap, merely because last year, people wanted to have more notice, and ofcourse no seeds will be ready to be sent until at least mid-September  Spread the word if you will, and here are the rules again:

Please include in your package:

• Flower seeds and vegetable seeds from your garden or your neighbourhood ie: not from a packet - don't feel you have to send a whole field load!! A couple varieties of each will be fine.
• A recipe for the harvest should also be included
• Your favourite organic gardening tip
• Something crafty in your parcel which has a 'bee' theme.  This can be a homemade gift, or some crafty bee inspired bits which your swap partner can make things with.

I will post a reminder or two before end July, and at the beginning of August I shall allocate swap partners, so that you have a whole month (or so) to get your swap ready to send.

Please join in and spread the word!

Now just for fun, here's a picture I saw on Gertie's blog today.

It's a dress by Elsa Schiaparelli which is in the High Style exhibit in the Brooklyn Museum, New York, and it is printed with pictures of seed packets!  Proof that Sewing and Sowing go hand in hand??

Sowing not Sewing

One of the reasons I have been absent for a bit is because i've been in a sOwing frenzy.  It's early summer here in the UK, and even though i've been planting seeds since January growth is VERY slow - apparently 'summer' is officially a couple of weeks 'behind schedule' - even the Italian Connection has reported a slow rate of growth from the mountains south of Milan in Italy.  

HOWEVER, this hasn't stopped me from planting the seeds received last year, from Ginny, Pomona and Val as part of the 2009 Seed Swap which I organised.  They are sprouting fantastically well!  I have Polish beans from Val along with lots of flowers, I have peas, beans and poppies from Ginny all waiting to be planted out, and some beautiful bird friendly  Giant Thistles and blue delphiniums amongst other floral delights, from Pomona.

And so, as we hurtle towards midsummer, I am inviting you to join in again!  Last year, I was a little too late, and many people who would have joined in, had not managed to save or make enough seeds from their gardens for a swap.  I have a theme in mind for this year's swap and will reveal all at the Summer Solstice, but in the meantime, if you'd like  pass on ideas to be included, then please comment on this post!