Heirloom Seeds

Heirloom seeds are those which have been saved by farmers and gardeners for generations, sometimes hundreds or even thousands of years and often passed down through families.

They come from a time when there was huge diversity of the plants which were grown for human consumption, before the modern monoculture which is prevalent on most modern farms today where farmers tend to use commercial hybrid seeds selected for such traits as high yields, the ease with which it may be picked mechanically and how long it will remain in good condition between being harvested and reaching it's market.

Many gardeners think a heirloom pre-dates 1951, others think 1945 and others still suggest it must be at least fifty to one hundred years old. 

There is a general agreement that all heirlooms must be open pollinated, that is pollinated by natural methods such as wind, insects or birds.  They must also breed true, that is produce other plants which are more or less identical to the parent. 

 Below : The Scarlet Runner is a heirloom bean which has been grown from at least 1750.   These photos from our Canterbury garden show some Scarlet Runners growing on a fence with another bean.  The bumblebees have a deep appreciation for the bean's flowers too.