Why Choose Irish Seed Savers for Your Seeds?

Our seeds are Guaranteed Irish; grown and saved in Ireland and are organic and open-pollinated, meaning you can save your own seeds and maintain the variety. Choosing Irish Seed Savers seeds helps sustain food security and preserve Irish agricultural biodiversity.

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  • 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 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
  • This variety is an old French heirloom from the 19th century. The roots of this Nantes type are crisp, sweet and juicy, with a deep orange colour. It is ideal for bunching and storing. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 700
  • This lovely rainbow chard produces a bounty of colourful stems, topped with large green and bronze leaves. Each plant reaches about 50cm in height and 40cm in spread. The leaves can be harvested from mid-summer to late autumn, and the plants can even be overwintered to provide a fresh crop in the spring. The flavour is deliciously mild, with young leaves suitable for salads and larger leaves perfect for soups and sautéing. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 200
  • This attractive chilli produces long tapering fruit, up to 2.5cm wide and 19cm long. The plants grow very well in Capparoe, producing plenty of fruit throughout late summer and well into autumn. The fruits have characteristic ‘corking’, with light-brown striations contrasting beautifully against the deep red skin. In intensity the fruit ranges from medium to hot, and is deeply flavourful. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 25
  • A classic Italian variety, the plants form a bush which remains compact through the growing season. This is a very productive cropper, producing fruits well into October here in Capparoe. The fruits display distinctive long, alternating olive and deep-green stripes, which become more prominent as the fruits mature. The courgettes have a delicious fresh flavour, smooth skin, and flesh that remains nice and firm when cooked. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 10
  • 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
  • This heirloom variety produces delicious and beautiful blue-green crinkled leaves. It is compact and very cold-hardy. Commonly eaten boiled as greens, it can also be chopped fresh for salads when young. Average seeds per pack 200
  • This rare landrace kale from the Friesland area of northern Germany can no longer be found in commercial catalogues. “Highly praised and almost gone’”, according to grower Reinhard Lühring, “In the shade of the East Friesen Palm we cannot stroll under the southern sun, but we enjoy the green all winter long”. A very tall curly kale that can be harvested from late summer all the way through the winter and into the following spring. Average seeds per pack 200
  • This is a very popular overwintering onion from Japan. The big, delicious, golden bulbs of this variety store exceptionally well, up to a year. Perfect for roasting and soups.       Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 200
  • This is a vigorous, thick-stemmed variety. Reaching heights of 2.5-3m, adequate support is definitely required for this robust pea. Lovely white flowers and soft marbled green leaves develop as the plant grows, giving way to a plethora of pods. Highly productive, with pods containing an average of 8 large peas developing well into the season. The peas are delicious – very sweet and crunchy when raw, softening after cooking. If you have the space, this is a highly recommended variety to grow. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 45
  • This sweet and flavourful red frying pepper comes from Southern Italy. The tall bush plants may need some support as they become weighed down with plentiful fruits throughout the season. This variety produces lots of bright green fruits developing a deep red colour as they ripen. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 35
  • A Pumpkin for cool conditions. A stunning variety with sweet, thick, delicious flesh and beautiful slate blue-grey skin. Kindly donated to us by supporter Cora Hanley, and wow, what a find! Originally bred by the Gill Brothers seed company of Portland, Oregon, this variety was reselected by Oregon breeder and author of ‘The Tao of Vegetable Gardening’ Carol Deppe for cool soil emergence, large seeds, thick flesh, long storability, and vigorous growth. Average Seeds Per Pack: 10
  • 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
  • These rocket seeds were brought back to Mud Island Community Garden by garden member Mark Kawa from the Lebanon. They nick-named it Lebanese Rocket when planting the seeds with little hope for such a hot climate plant, but it has thrived in winter and summer. If not regularly picked it quickly goes to seed but the leaves do not go as bitter as others. The delicate champagne coloured flowers are equally delicious and mild. If properly managed it can grow to a mass of about 30cm and planted as edible filler in the flower garden. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 700
  • Originating in Virginia, in the USA, this delicious curled spinach has the added benefit of being resistant to blight. As with most spinach, you’ll get better results if you sow in autumn as this crop tends to bolt in warm weather. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 250
  • This Danish variety produces plenty of medium-sized dark-purple roots. It is very high-yielding - during variety trials carried out by Teagasc in the 1960s, Bangholm had an 8% higher yield than the control crop. We found them a great all-round swede. If you try them do let us know what you think! Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 450
  • Bred in the 1960s by Paul Vogel and Dr. Rolf Bielau of the Julius Kühn-Institut in Quedlinburg, just north of the Harz mountains, this tomato variety of German heritage does not appear in any seed catalogue that we are aware of. We obtained the original seed from the Gaterslaben genebank, and Seed Guardian Nick Hill grew it out in Carlow in the spring of 2021. A tomato with medium sized red fruits, thin-skinned and with a sweet flavour. If you try this variety, please let us know what you think! Average seeds per pack 35
  • This Norwegian landrace is a hardy variety, well suited to growing in northern climates. The squat, medium-sized turnips are pale yellow in colour, and have an excellent flavour. Good for cooking as well as eating raw if you enjoy the strong flavour! Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 450
  • Out of Stock
    A selection made at the Department of Agriculture's research station at Backweston in Co. Kildare when breeding work on vegetables was still being undertaken there. Lovely purple-skinned roots with great flavour and hardiness in the field over winter. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 450
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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