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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Tibet Apple Tomato

€3.50

An extremely rare heritage tomato from Tibet. Pinkish red in colour, a medium beefsteak type with fleshy. Certified Organic

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Red Campion

€3.75 (€3.75 incl VAT)

This lovely tall flower likes shadier conditions such as hedgerows, woods and grassy banks. The attractive, pink-red, 5-petalled flowers are 2-3cm across and bloom from May to September. The plants themselves can grow quite large – from 30cm to 1m in height. Seeds are best started in pots, left to overwinter outside, and planted out in plugs in the spring. As this species is dioecious (with male and female flowers on separate plants) it is important to grow out both males and females if you want the plants to self-seed (which they do readily!), or otherwise select only males to limit the spread. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 100

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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

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Haldenstein Spinach

€3.50

Named for Haldenstein: the Swiss town where people have been growing this heirloom variety since before WWI. Our original seed source came from True Love Seeds in Philadelphia and we concur that the leaves are large and mild with a wonderful nutty flavor. The seeds are quite distinctive in that they are almost triangular and pointed compared with the clusters of round seeds one would expect. Spinach is rich in iron, vitamin C and E, potassium, and magnesium. It's no wonder Popeye ate so much! Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 250

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Lambs Lettuce

€3.50

This hardy salad crop, also known as field salad or mache, has been cultivated and eaten for hundreds of years. The small green leaves have a soft texture and a mild, gentle flavour, invaluable in winter salads. Average Seeds Per Pack: 300

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Sunnybrook Pepper

€3.50

An early ripening bell pepper. Small plants producing an abundance of beautiful medium-sized fruits that ripen to a stunning deep scarlet red from August onwards, even in a cool overcast summer. Deliciously crisp with sweet and fruity flavour. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 25

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Lady’s Slipper Achocha

€3.50

A very vigorous vining plant, related distantly to cucumbers, but much easier to cultivate. It thrives in cool summers, and can be grown outdoors or indoors. The vines should be given supports and planted about 1m apart to provide plenty of growing space. Its abundant little green fruits grow in pairs, and picked young, taste similar to cucumbers and young French beans. The fruit can be eaten fresh, pickled in brine or vinegar, stir-fried in oil, or stuffed and braised. Pick fruits while young; if left to mature they will eventually burst open to reveal a spine of black woody seeds within. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 4

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Haskoy Cucumber

€3.50

This unusual variety comes from a village in the Pontic mountains of Turkey. The cucumbers are perfect for salads or pickling. Approximately 10cm long, and green with slight white striping. Compact plants, not as tall or sprawling as other varieties. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 16

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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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Peperone Friarello Pepper

€3.50

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

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Painted Mountain Corn

€3.50

This variety carries a wide range of genetic diversity, thus adapting well to different climates and soils. The cobs are multicoloured with reds, yellows, creams, browns and purples to delight the senses. The corn can be eaten young and fresh as cobs or used to grind corn meal when mature. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 26

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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

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