Why are growing numbers of people choosing to buy seeds from Irish Seed Savers?

The ethos here at Irish Seed Savers Association, is to conserve and distribute wonderful rare and heritage varieties, as well as to encourage the skills of saving your own seed and empowering people to do this in their own gardens, small holdings or farms.

All of our seeds are grown and saved in Ireland and are Open Pollinated which allows you to save your own seeds from them, keeping the variety true to type. By choosing Irish Seed Savers Open Pollinated Seeds you contribute to keeping food security in your own hands and Irish agricultural biodiversity alive and vibrant.

Download 2024 Heirloom Seed Catalogue

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  • Buan Onion

    3.50
    A lovely large golden onion that grows particularly well in Ireland having been bred here by onion enthusiast Barnie Crombie who carried out onion trials up to the 1980s. It stores extremely well, lasting throughout the winter. The old Irish name 'Buan' translates to 'lasting or enduring' and this variety is aptly named! Brought back from near extinction by Irish Seed Savers when we repatriated the seed from the Vavilov Gene Bank in 1997. We have regenerated the seed on 5 separate occasions since then. 'Conservation-in-use' at its finest. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 200
  • Coming Soon
    This popular European heirloom is a quick growing, early-maturing autumn variety. It is renowned for being especially tall with a long, thin stem. Its leaves are light green and it has a delicious sweet flavour, ideal for salads and soups. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 250
  • A classic green bean grown for its medium-sized, succulent, stringless green pods. The waxy, slightly curved pods grow abundantly in clusters on the plant. Tolerates heat and drought. Good for freezing. Average Seeds Per Pack: 30
  • Calendula Marigold Flower

    3.75 (3.75 incl VAT)
    Calendula officinalis, also known as the pot marigold or common marigold, is a flowering plant in the daisy family. It is probably native to southern Europe, though its exact origin is unknown. It is a robust plant with bright green leaves and cheerful orange and yellow-gold flowers. The flower petals can be eaten, it is good for companion planting, and it has lots of medicinal uses. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 150
  • This lovely winter radish came as the name suggests from China and was introduced to Europe in the 1880s. Perfect for autumn planting, the long, cylindrical, tapering roots reach 15-20cm in length and 5cm in diameter. The skin is a beautiful rose colour, with white tips and firm white flesh. These spicy, peppery roots are delicious when cooked up, or even sliced and eaten raw. A very good variety for storage. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 250
  • This maize corn variety gets its name from the clay pots that the seed was found in. The history of this corn goes back to the Anasazi people some 500 years ago, with this seed coming originally from Hopi elders. It grew very high in the tunnel, providing large colourful cobs with kernels in stunning shades of violet and black to shades of red, yellow, gold and cream. As this variety is a maize type, it is more suited for grinding into flour than eating as a sweet ‘corn on the cob’. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 26
  • This attractive winter salad crop is also known by the name 'miner’s lettuce'. The leaves and stems are both edible and have a refreshingly mild flavour. Small, pretty edible flowers develop in the middle of the disk-shaped succulent leaves. Can be harvested on a cut and come again basis. Self-seeds easily. Average Seeds Per Pack: 500
  • Common Daisy

    3.75 (3.75 incl VAT)
    A familiar favourite for some, this charming flower is a native flower that we believe should be protected as much as the others. It can be seen in grasslands, lawns and roadsides from March-October. Brilliant white rays, sometimes tinged with pink, surround a bright yellow center. A welcome, cheerful addition to any garden. Seeds are best started in pots, left to overwinter outside, and planted out in plugs in the spring. Average Seeds Per Pack: 100
  • This is a unique variety with fine, feathery bright green foliage. It gives all the distinctive taste and aroma of coriander with an especially sweet fragrance. The leaves can be used in soups and salads, and the mature seeds can be saved as a spice. ANNUAL Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 150
  • This popular green bean variety produces slim, straight, stringless, succulent pods, between 15-18cm in length. The compact and bushy plants are fast producers, with an abundance of pods available reliably early in the season. Good for freezing. Average Seeds Per Pack: 30
  • Cosmos

    3.75 (3.75 incl VAT)
    Sun-loving tall stemmed, traditional cottage flowers (pink), with masses of feathery foliage. Growing up to 1m in height and blossoming from early to late summer. A firm favourite. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 25
  • Coming Soon
    Popular, Italian heirloom courgette. The dark green fruits are long (can reach up to 60cm and remain tender) and are distinctively ridged. The plants are vigorous so give them plenty of space, they will produce well through the whole season, outdoors as well as under cover. They taste great and look very decorative when sliced and cooked. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 10
  • A tender Galician Kale variety. Used traditionally as an early green for a Spring soup by cutting it into thin strips. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 200
  • Cowslip

    3.75 (3.75 incl VAT)
    These charming little native flowers used to be a common sight around grassy banks and roadsides, though hopefully are making a comeback. The lovely, bright yellow flowers look like cheerful bells, nodding and clustered on hairy stems. Seeds are best started in pots, left to overwinter outside, and planted out in plugs in the spring. Average Seeds Per Pack: 100
  • Crown Flax

    3.50
    Repatriated from the Vavilov Institute for Plant Genetic Resources in Russia by Irish Seed Savers, this is an Irish bred flax variety of note. Referenced by Dr. GDH Bell (Cambridge) in his book 'Cultivated Plants of the Farm' 1948, he explained that "pre 1940's the flax grown for the United Kingdom, by Ireland, had been of Russian and Dutch origin. Breeding work commenced on these stocks by mass selection and were an improvement on the originals but they were subsequently given place to the Irish bred varieties, the best of which include the variety Liral Crown". Flax is grown both for its nutritional seeds and for its fibers. Various parts of the plant have been used in the past to make fabric, dye, paper, medicines, fishing nets, soap, and bowstrings. It is also grown as an ornamental plant in gardens for it's exquisite ethereal mauve/blue flowers. Grows to 60cm, 5 seed heads per plant Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 300
  • Coming Soon
    This is a de-hybridized version of the variety you will often find listed as an F1. Listed by Vilmorin in 1856 as ‘Verte d’Australie’. Mona Muller, one of our Seed Guardians has kept her seed year-on-year and it grows reliably the same each time, so almost definitely not an F1. As with all the blue pumpkins, it hails from Australia. The silvery blue skin contrasts beautifully with its bright orange flesh. The dense flesh is deliciously sweet and nutty, second to none. Good for storage too.
    Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 10
  • A wonderful heirloom from Denmark, famous for slicing with long cylindrical roots. This tender and sweet variety with dark red flesh is also known as ‘Butter Slicer’ or ‘Cooks Delight’ because of its wonderful texture.
    Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 300
  • An Irish heritage variety, originally saved in the Russian gene bank and repatriated to Ireland. These plants grow quite tall (2m) so a strong fence is required but you will be rewarded with prolific small pods and sweet peas, best eaten while young. Good disease resistance, the peas can also be left to mature and dry off to be used as a soup pea in winter. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 70
  • Bred by Alan Kapular and brought to us by our seed ambassadors visiting from Oregon a few years back, this variety has been described as ‘beautiful, vigorous and prolific’. The tender green beans are mild and delicious, and the mature bean seeds make a delicious addition to stews. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 30
  • This fabulous variety was bred by biodynamic growers in Germany. The plants have good resistance to fruit-splitting and blight. It yields very well, providing plenty of juicy oval-shaped plum tomatoes throughout the season. Firm skin means the fruit holds it shape when cut, perfect for salads and sandwiches. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 35
Supported in part by the Department of Rural and Community Development and Pobal through the Community Services Programme. We confirm that our organisation complies with The Governance Code for the Community, Voluntary and Charitable Sector in Ireland.

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