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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Lebanese Salad Rocket

€3.50

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

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Lipstick Pepper

€3.50

These fruits ripen to a beautiful, glossy, deep red, and are delicious both raw and cooked. A very dependable cropper, rich and sweet even in cool summers. The plants are compact but productive (equal to or better than many F1 hybrid types). Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 20

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Luccullus Chard

€3.50

This variety is of Italian heritage and was named after the Roman General ‘Lucius Luccullus’, renowned for his splendid banquets and vast gardens some 2000 years ago. It was introduced in 1914 and won the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Quite hardy through the winter, with heavily ‘crimped’, bright, lush green leaves and white stalks that are almost like asparagus when cooked. Young flowering stalks in spring can be eaten like sprouting broccoli. It has the seal of approval from ‘Scoil Chroi’, in Galway who shared that “Lucullus was a big hit with students of all ages, they loved it, devouring it raw”.

Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 200

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Major Doon Swede

€3.50

This Northern Irish heritage variety is a superb, purple-topped globe swede, with an excellent sweet flavour. It’s great raw and stores well – if you don’t eat them all straight away of course! Probably the same cultivar as Major Dunne, based on observation trials. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 450

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Malselvnepe Turnip

€3.50

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

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Manpuku-Ji Onaga Carrot

€3.50

Manpuku-Ji is a temple located in Uji, Kyoto-Japan, and Onaga translates from Japanese as ‘having a long tail’. This striking, long-rooted orange carrot prefers good deep soil to grow at its best. Good for late sowings up to end of June. Very sweet flavour, especially good in Japanese miso soup. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 700

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Martock Broad Bean

€3.50

This robust landrace bean has references as far back as 1293 in English manorial account rolls. It is an attractive plant, with lovely purple/maroon mottled flowers. The pods of the beans are small but extremely numerous, containing small, brown, meaty, delicious beans, used fresh or kept for drying. Average seeds per pack 20

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Matador Spinach

€3.50

An old variety, with medium-to-dark green smooth leaves that have a distinctively spear-shaped appearance. Very productive and can be sown nearly all year round, ours overwintered very well in the polytunnel. The tasty leaves can be eaten fresh or cooked. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 250

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Mayo Common Cabbage

€3.50

The seed for this cabbage came from a project in the 1980s that involved collecting ‘on-farm saved’ seed crop varieties. This particular ‘common’ or large headed Dutch-type came from farms in Knocknakillew, near Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo. Sown in late spring it produces mighty heads, light green in colour. It over-wintered well, in fact some heads were still compact and harvestable well into the following season! Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 250

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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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Midnight Madness Chard

€3.50

This visually stunning and delicious chard is from an organic seed company in 'Ontario, Canada'. Gorgeous deep burgundy leaves and deep purple and orange stalks are plentiful throughout the growing season. A lovely addition to salads and soups. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 200

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Mizuna

€3.50

A Japanese green that grows as a large rosette of finely lobed leaves, crisp with a characteristic peppery flavour. To have a continuous supply of young leaves keep cutting regularly. Can be used to spice up a salad or be used in stir fry. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 500

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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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Mr Ferns Climbing French Bean

€3.50

This variety has impressed market gardeners, as it thrives and is a prolific producer even in a poor summer. Originally donated by a supporter as one of his favourites, this easy-to-grow variety has beautiful pink flowers and tender green pods that contain bean seeds that turn dark purple/black when mature. Average seeds per pack 30

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Muesboni Runner Bean

€3.50

This heritage German runner bean is a vigorous, reliable, early cropper. It produces bright red flowers followed by reasonably stringless beans. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 15

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Northern Princess Linseed/Flax

€3.50

An Irish Flax cultivar presumed from the North of Ireland, repatriated from the Vavilov Institute for Plant Genetic Resources in Russia c2000. This variety has been successfully regenerated four-fold since it arrived in our care; Here at Capparoe, and also grown as part of an on-farm trial in Kilkenny, at Airfield Estate in Dundrum, Dublin and by Helen Keys and Charlie Mallon as part of their regenerative farming practices at Mallon Farm where they have grown, processed and woven the flax (with other varieties) by hand to create precious pieces of history. Flax is part of our deep cultural heritage and is so giving, flowers, fiber and food. Grows to 80cm, 5 seed heads per plant. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 300

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Old Homestead Climbing French Bean

€3.50

Given to us by Jean Goldberry who claims it is ‘the best bean’ she’s ever grown. The variety has a long history, going back to the 1800s when it was described in a garden journal as ‘unsurpassable’. Long stringless pods are produced in clusters over an extended season. Delicious while young and good for freezing. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 30

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Oldamster Wierdeboon Broad Bean

€3.50

A Dutch heritage variety from the Groningen province. It produces unusual pure-white fragrant flowers, followed by medium-sized pods containing tender beans that grow up the whole stem. Unusual pure-white fragrant flowers, followed by medium-sized pods. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 20

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Oregon Homestead Sweetmeat Pumpkin

€3.50

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

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Pam’s Speckled Climbing French Bean

€3.50

Originally from China, this variety was donated to us by supporter Pam from Wales, who has saved this beautiful bean for 20 years. The pods are streaked dark purple-red against light green, making them a highly decorative plant as well as being delicious to eat. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 30

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