Seed swapping 'a growing trend'

17:04:20 16th April 2008

Swapping seeds is becoming an increasingly popular pastime among groups of gardeners living in and around London, it has been revealed.

More and more people are coming together and exchanging relatively rare seeds for others they would prefer to plant as part of their overall horticultural activities, says the author of The Thrifty Gardener, Alys Fowler.

Speaking to Time Out magazine recently, Ms Fowler explained that finding new seeds to use can be an enjoyable way to extend your gardening habits but she added that there is an aspect of green-fingered snobbery that is partly driving the trend.

"Of course, there's a slightly snobbish side to heirloom planting, a sort of 'look at my Batavian lettuce'," she said.

Many of the UK's seed swappers are getting in touch with one another via websites such as Seedy People, which aims to explain the process and inform those interested in taking a new approach to their gardening.