Swap Seeds This Season

Enlarge Image Image Gallery At local seed exchanges, you may get lucky and find rare seeds that are not available through national seed companies. And they're likely to be better adapted to your gardening region.  CRAIG ELEVITCH

If you’re getting eager to start your garden, you’re probably already stockpiling seed catalogs and making wish lists. But before you order a long list of seeds from the catalogs, you might want to try acquiring seeds through fun and easy seed swaps. You can save a little money this way, and it’s a great excuse to get together with other local gardeners. Plus you’ll be joining the efforts of gardeners worldwide to preserve plant diversity and keep many heirloom garden plants around for generations to come.

The traditional model of a seed swap is an informal local get-together, usually in early spring, where gardening neighbors all bring extra seeds saved from previous seasons — along with any surplus seedlings they won’t be able to use that year — and trade these valuable goods among themselves. Who had the juiciest tomatoes last year? You’ll want a few seeds from those plants. You started too many broccoli seedlings in your backyard greenhouse? Why not spread the love around?

The most valuable aspect of attending a seed swap may actually be the chance to glean local wisdom about what works — or doesn’t work — in your shared gardening microclimate. To find a seed swap near you, check with local gardening clubs and food co-ops. If you decide to organize a local seed swap this year (check out this guide on how to do that), think about inviting an expert who can talk to your community about how important the efforts of gardeners are in preserving our global biodiversity.