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 2022 Heirloom Seed Catalogue

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  • An exceptional pea, winning the RHS Award of Garden Merit in 1993. A reliably producer of very heavy crops. Grower Matt Dwyer comments “One of the best peas I have grown”. Unusually long (10cm) pods grow atop 1m tall vines, with the pods containing a bounty of 9-11 peas. Growing over an extended season, a prolific producer of sweet, tasty peas that are wrinkled at maturity. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 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
  • Stenu Pea

    3.50
    This is a tall variety, up to 2m in height, so the plants will need good support. the word ‘Stenu’ itself means wall or rock in several Eastern European languages, perhaps referring to what it was grown on. Gorgeous pink-purple flowers produce pods of up to 8 peas. Lovely eaten raw when young, and they sweeten up even more when cooked. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 50
  • A unique Dutch heritage pea, ‘Blauwshokker’ translates as ‘blue pod’, referencing the stunning indigo-blue pods of this variety. The vines reach 1.8m in height, with striking bi-coloured purple/blue flowers that add great ornamental value to the garden. The sweet, green pods can be eaten young as mangetout, but this pea is especially wonderful in soups and stews, as was the tradition in Holland and Germany. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 50
  • This is a lovely, reasonably compact variety, reaching a little under 1m in height. A fast-growing early cropper, suitable for either autumn or spring sowings, though may need additional protection when temperatures are cold. The tasty peas are sweet, delicious eaten fresh, cooked or frozen. Certified Organic Average Seeds Per Pack: 50
  • 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
  • As the name suggests, this lovely snap pea was originally grown and developed in an Amish community. The vines grow to a tallish 1.5-2m in height, so support will be needed. A very good producer throughout the season, providing plenty of tasty pods. The 4 to 8cm long pods contain between 4 to 8 peas, and are sweet and crunchy picked right off the vine. Certified Organic Average seeds per pack 65
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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