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Irish Seed Savers

Supporters Organic Seed Catalogue

When you become a supporter of the Irish Seed Savers you are entitled to FREE seeds and FREE potato seeds from our supporter's catalogue. On the left of this page you can download an order form. Please post in your completed order form and we’ ll have your seeds off to you as soon as possible.
All our seed is Open Pollinated, grown in Ireland. Beside each variety a symbol tells you where it’ s been grown:
ISSA − Irish Seed Savers association
S.G. − Seed Guardian
C.O. − Certified Organic

Beans

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  Vectra − CO − ISSA

  Compact broad bean plants which produced a huge number of neat smallish pods, containing 4−5 beans. The beans are very pale green with a lovely mild and pleasant flavour and quite tender.

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  Martock − CO − ISSA

  This robust landrace bean has references as far back as 1293 in English manorial account rolls. The flowers are that of broad bean with a lovely purple/maroon mottling. The pods of beans are small but extremely numerous containing small brown meaty delicious beans, used fresh or kept for drying.

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  Oldambaster − CO − ISSA

  A Dutch landrace from the Groningen province. Unusual pure white flowers that smell wonderful, medium size pods growing up the whole stem with tender beans. We trialled this variety overwinter in the tunnel, survived 'the freeze' and produced well, though equally good from a spring sowing.

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  Canadian Purple − CO − ISSA

  This variey produces good size beans on bushy plants. The beans vary in shade from pale to deep purple making this variety an attractive addition to a dish. They dry to a very dark purple.

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  Sutton Dwarf − CO − ISSA

  A bush variety, so useful for an exposed site. Very productive cropper with many pods, each containing five or six beans, both tender and delicious (Richard Corrigan served them up raw in a light salad dressing). They grow well from both autumn and spring sowings.

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  French Bush Varieties
  Gaux − CO − ISSA

  The original seed came from a farm on the Island of Gotland, in Sweden, grown there for 100 years. It has adapted to harsh weather conditions and is early to flower and form pods. The pods are flat, carmine striped, with a delightful fresh crisp taste.

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  Coco Nain de Prague − CO − ISSA

  An Italian family heirloom − climbing variety. Vigorous, prolific plants producing large flat pods with an excellent flavour. Frost tender.

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  Early Warwick − CO − ISSA

  This has been grown in England since the 19th century. A hardy bush bean good for outdoor cultivation, especially reliable for production of beans for drying as it fruits very early in the season. The green stringless beans can be picked and used while young, but left to mature and dry off become beautiful dark red and white mottled dry pulses for stews, soups and chilli con carne.

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  Climbing Varieties
  Ita Ahern's − CO − ISSA

  This variey came to us from Ita, a student of Drumcollogher Organic College. Originally grown in a nursery in Norfolk it has been 'handed down' for over thirty years. Very vigourous plant, growing quickly to the top of the tunnel. It impressed me a few years ago when we grew it, for the length (up to 30cm) of the flat pods, the productivity and it's a most tender and sweet tasting of green bean despite the size. It didn't disappoint this year and despite the cool temperatures went on to produce well in an outdoor trial also.

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  Old Homestead − CO − ISSA

  Given to us by Jean Goldbury because it's the 'best bean she's ever grown'. The variety has a long history going back to 1800's when described in a garden journal as 'unsurpassable'. Long stringless pods produced in clusters over an extended season, delicious while young and good for freezing.

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  Domatsu − CO − ISSA

  Brought to us by our visiting seed ambassadors from Oregon a few years back. This is a variety bred by Alan Kapular, described as 'beautiful, vigourous and prolific'. The green beans tasted mild and delicious too.

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  Kew Blue − S.G

  Left for us at the seed swap by Neil Munroe of the Heritage Seed Library in England. It is a most beautiful plant with red purply stems, the beans when young, green edged with purple, turning full blue/purple as they mature. The flowers are also purple−pink, the overall effect being very ornamental and nearly every visitor to my tunnel commented on them. Originally the variety came from the Kew Botanic Gardens. Pods are perfect for eating fresh, you can also dry the beans to use.

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  Runner Beans (Phaseolus coccineus)
  

  Note: Although runner beans have perfect flowers they need to be 'jiggled' for pollination to occur, especially if you are growing an early crop under cover when there is little insect activity (this is why beans sometimes fail to develop in the early bracts of flowers) This can be achieved by gently shaking the vines or directing a good stream of water spray from a hose.

  
  

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  Yardstick − CO − ISSA

  An old variety originally coming from my neighbour in South Wales, a miner and keen gardener. He has saved his own seed for years and I have now saved this seed in Clare for over fifteen years, so well acclimatised. The plants are vigourous, long pods which develop maroon streaking ( a characteristic more common in old varieties). Pick the pods as they come young and tender.

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  Black Knight − CO − ISSA − Runner Bean

  This is a selection from scarlet runner, so the plants have the same attributes, however this varieity produces beautiful dark lustrous beans, can be dried and used in soups and stews. Occasionally a plant may revert back to its origin giving you the more common mauve/black beans!

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  Slovenian − S.G

  Originally bought from a market stall in Slovenia, a traditional variety of the country they grow short, tender pods, which develop more unusual buff/brown beans. Thanks to Lynn O'Keefe seed guardian for growing out this variety.

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  Painted Lady − S.G

  This gracious lady was catalogued in the R.H.S. dictionary of plants as far back as 1633. Incredible bi-coloured blossoms of scarlet/orange and creamy white, continuing for most of the season. Develop into long fine flavoured green beans. May also be used dried.