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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  • Pilot Pea

    3.50
    One of the hardiest of all varieties in cultivation. Grown since 1904, when it was awarded the Award of Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society. Also mentioned in the 'Dig for Victory' guides. Good for autumn or very early spring sowing, cropping over several weeks, with good well-filled pods. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 50
  • 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
  • Coming Soon
    Millet is a highly versatile crop, one of the major grains to be grown in Europe in the Middle Ages. This variety is a ‘proso’ or ‘red’ millet type, first cultivated in Asia more than 4,000 years ago. It is produced for its edible high-protein seeds, which are often consumed in flatbread and porridge or eaten like rice. We found it very easy to grow this variety in East Clare, and with its beautiful panicles of small florets and shimmering amber/orange seed it was a stunning addition to the garden. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 2000
  • Strawberry Calendula Marigold Flower

    3.75 (3.75 incl VAT)
    Lovely light pink and cream flowers with ruby centers. The flower from midsummer through to the Autumn. Beautiful as cut flowers or for posies. Pollinator friendly. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 100
  • 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
  • This heritage German runner bean is a vigorous, reliable, early cropper. It produces bright red flowers followed by reasonably stringless beans. Average Seeds Per Pack: 15
  • A unique and rare treasure. A white-skinned variety, beautifully contrasted with very sweet vibrant orange flesh. Perfect for roasting, pies and baking. Historically popular in South Africa, named for the Dutch Boers. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 10
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • A very old variety believed to be of native American origin, these stunning red beans are a wonderful baking bean, perfect for chilli as they don't disintegrate like other beans. They not only feed the body but the senses too as their deep red cranberry colour and their round shape are truly alluring. Average Seeds Per Pack: 30
  • This ex-commercial variety is of very early maturing, making it particularly suitable for autumn use, though it can hold overwinter too. It has light green leaves, straight shanks and good flavour. Ideal for soups, stews and roasting. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 250
  • Light stripy green fruits. Good flavour and very creamy. An early, productive courgette. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 10
  • This wonderful heirloom pea came to us from Josh Toombs in Co. Antrim. Josh got in touch with Irish Seed Savers when he was 79 years old because he wished to share this pea with other gardeners. It had been preserved in his family for over a century. The decorative pink and mauve/purple flowers produce a classic dark purple pod. Peas are good eaten fresh when young and immature or left to dry on the plant which make an excellent storage pea. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 50
  • A fine sturdy heirloom variety from eastern Asia. Its long, deep-green leaves and juicy white stems add their fresh taste to salads and stir-fries. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 370
  • Twiggy Pea

    3.50
    This variety hails from the ‘Court of Eden Seed Savers’ in Holland. Approximately 1.2m tall, this variety produces full pods, with up to 8 peas per pod. The plants are quite remarkable, with beautiful, extensively curled ‘twig’ like tendrils, which are beautiful for garnishing dishes. Excellent flavour. Average Seeds Per Pack: 50
  • Echinacea

    3.75 (3.75 incl VAT)
    Perfect for cottage-style gardens or herbaceous borders. Also known as purple coneflower. A member of the Daisy family, the large pink/purple petals surround a deep brown cone and are stunning in drifts. Very attractive to pollinators.         Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 50
  • A vigorous, short-stemmed variety with a firm, round/oval head and short inner stalk. Under good conditions the heads (averaging 1.5kg) can be stored well until January. It is delicious cooked and also ideal for eating raw. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 250
  • A rare snow pea variety first grown out at Irish Seed Savers in 2011. It came to us from the Seed Savers Exchange in the USA with few details. We don't know if it has some connection to Nordland in Norway, Nordland in Germany, or Nordland in the USA? What we do know from this year's grow out is that it grows tall up to 1.8m, produces a good crop of crisp, distinctly sweet mangetout, and tolerated the wet weather in Co. Clare. Best picked and eaten while young. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 50
  • 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
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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