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 2023 Heirloom Seed Catalogue

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Costata Romanesco Courgette

€3.50

Popular, Italian heirloom courgette. The dark green fruit 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

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Kuttiger Carrot

€3.50

Kuttiger is an old-type white carrot, first established in Europe in the 15th century. Now quite scarce, these types were very commonly grown until the introduction of orange carrots. With its snowy-white colour, broad shoulders, and stocky shape, this variety could be mistaken for a parsnip in appearance, though in taste it still has the mild and subtly earthy flavour of a carrot. Average seeds per pack 700

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Red Russian Kale

€3.50

A very tender and tasty Russian heritage variety. Big oak shaped leaves develop a beautiful red tinge, especially as the cold season develops. Exceptionally resistant to cold weather, this hardy variety is a beautiful and reliable plant to have in the garden. Average seeds per pack 200

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Violet de Gournay Radish

€3.50

First listed in seed catalogues as far back as 1885, this lovely variety is still going strong. The long, cylindrical roots have the most beautiful purple skin and mild, sweet, white flesh. A great winter storage radish. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 250

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French Honeysuckle

€3.75 (€3.75 incl VAT)

A hardy perennial, once seen never forgotten! This 1m tall open bush has silver rimmed leaves and fantastic, fragrant, dense spikes of crimson red flowers, which are rich in nectar. Best grown in a sunny position but likes moist soil. A member of the legume family, this plant is also nitrogen fixing. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 40

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Touchstone Gold Beetroot

€3.50

This vigorous, quick-growing, brilliant yellow beet was developed by being rebred from old seed stocks. The round, golden roots have smooth skin and delicious, sweet-flavoured, bright yellow flesh. The colour keeps well, even when cooked. It’s also a delight in salads.

Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 300

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Redventure Celery

€3.50

A beautiful and unusual variety with its distinctive red stalks and bright green leaves. This robust celery, more tender and juicy than might be expected from a red variety, is lovely addition to the garden. The stunning burgundy stalks are perfect in soups and salads, and retain their colour even after cooking. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 500

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Giant Prague Celeriac

€3.50

A variety that goes back to 1871, this is a great winter vegetable with good sized, globed roots and creamy-white flesh. Very tasty in soups and stews or even roasted, with a distinctive ‘celery’ flavour. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 500

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Berner Rose Tomato

€3.50

The ‘Rose from Bern’ is a Swiss heirloom, well suited to cooler climes. A reliable cordon-type producing round, thin-skinned, pinky-red fruit. Quite large and fleshy, these tomatoes are utterly juicy and delicious. Seed Guardian Mona has been growing this one for years as her family favourite. These versatile fruits can be eat fresh, sliced and cooked. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 30

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Confetti Coriander

€3.50

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

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Monstrueux D’Elbeuf Leek

€3.50

A traditional French cultivar, grown originally in the alluvial plains of the Seine River in Normandy. It has quite short, wide, chunky stems, and lovely bright green foliage. Good for autumn harvesting, this flavoursome leek is well worth growing.

Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 250

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Woad

€3.75 (€3.75 incl VAT)

Woad has been used for centuries to obtain a blue dye. Though the extraction process is elaborate, it is easy to grow this ancient plant and, as nature and culture writer Richard Mabey says, ‘it's worth having in the garden’. An attractive plant with 1m high stems, long, succulent, blueish leaves that shine like stained glass, and foamy clusters of brilliant-yellow flowers. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 160

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Sanguina Beetroot

€3.50

A very productive conically-shaped beetroot. The flesh of the blood-red roots is juicy and intense, and remains tender and sweet even when the roots have grown large. Average seeds per pack 300

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Frise Vert Fonce Parsley

€3.50

This translates from French as ‘curled dark green’, an accurate description of this old French variety. The tightly curled, fresh-tasting leaves stand clear of the ground on long stalks for clean and easy harvesting. This variety does well through winter, and can be grown under cover for a year-round supply. BIENNIAL Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 200

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Polen Tomato

€3.50

This seed from Poland was collected by the German gene-bank at Gatersleben. A cordon variety that produces quantities of small gold, thin-skinned plum tomatoes, still delicious even in November. Stephen Carrington in Wicklow was still harvesting a few in January from a polytunnel! Growing outdoors as well as under cover, this sweet, mild tomato is a lovely addition to any garden. Average seeds per pack 50

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Waltham Butternut Squash

€3.50

This is a vigorous and dependable variety, producing between four and seven fruits per vine. The lightly tanned, smooth skinned, bottle-shaped fruits have fine-textured, golden orange flesh. Exceptionally good keepers, this variety is perfect for storage if you can resist cooking up the fruits straightaway. The fruit have a small seed cavity with a low seed count, so it’s well worth saving your own!

Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 10

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McAnallen Sunflower

€3.75 (€3.75 incl VAT)

This is a remarkably large and robust sunflower. With food or oil crops in mind for the future this variety has serious potential. It is a striking and lovely plant, and also supports hordes of pollinator insects and birdlife. These flowers have been a gorgeous talking point in the Seed Savers gardens over the summers. Kindly donated by Brendan (RIP) & Bridget McAnallen of Co. Tyrone. Average seeds per pack 15

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Verdonnet Leek

€3.50

Originally from Switzerland, this old landrace was selected and bred by a Swiss farmer. We shared the seeds of this variety with our friends at Adaptive Seeds in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, where they have been undertaking leek trials. This reliable leek has good large stalks, dark green leaves and is hardy through winter. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 250

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Salsify

€3.50

A somewhat forgotten, mild-flavoured root vegetable highly deserved of attention. Opinions vary on taste ranging from Oyster-like to Asparagus or Artichoke. The wild crop relative of this cultivated crop was gathered by the Greeks and Romans for medicinal use for liver and gallbladder treatments and it was a staple on Victorian dinner plates. Michel Roux Jr, the Michelin-starred chef said: “Salsify is one of the most versatile and tasty root vegetables – from raw in coleslaw to roasted with spices. Truly delicious.” Also, a wonderful plant to have in the garden, growing to 100cm, for its beautiful edible purple flowers blooming from spring to autumn. Attractive to wildlife. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 150

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Carruthers Purple Pod Pea

€3.50

This pea came from Patrick Carruthers in Co. Down, where it has been grown and saved for 25 years. Growing up to 1.6m, with lovely magenta flowers that are followed by striking purple pods. The young peas can be eaten fresh but are also great if left to mature and dry for winter storage, especially as purple pea varieties such as this one tend to be richer and less sweet than the greens. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 50

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