HISTORY IN THE SOWING

For Ben Thornton, the Young Grower it’s not just about the seed, it’s also the story behind the seed that inspires him

- Ben Thornton

My growing journey started with a standard pack of seed off a shelf at a local garden center. If I'm honest, I wasn’t connected or inspired to grow many of them. Where were their stories? What was interesting about them? Where did the seeds come from? Maybe I’m strange but I want to feel connected with what I grow. I set out to change that and find out more

about growing from seed, and I soon discovered heirloom seeds. My whole outlook on growing change. It wasn’t about planting a seed - it was about growing a piece of history, and having a connection with my food that I didn’t get in any supermarket.

WHAT ARE HEIRLOOM SEEDS?

Heirloom varieties are a specific type of old open-pollinated variety of a plant grown and passed down through generations and communities for a least 50 years. There are some plant experts who only classify seeds grown before the SecondWorl War as heirlooms. By definition then, heirloom seeds have been around for a while. If isolated from other varieties in the same plant species, they will produce a seed that is genetically ‘true’. This means that the seed will result in a plant very similar or identical to its parent plant. Seeds from a hybrid variety (F1) can be saved, but will not be true if you grow those seeds.

For me, growing heirloom seeds means having the opportunity to save your own seed that will grow little clones of the parent plants the following year. It’s so simple to save your own seed, and with a little bit of planning ahead you could be growing free food the following year. It will also help to improve your overall yield.

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