| Ever since the first gardener made the connection | | | | You will need: |
| between his lunch and those hard brown lumps buried | | | | A paper bag or large envelopes |
| in the ground, seed harvesting has been at the heart | | | | Sharp scissor |
| of farming, gardening and growing your own. Not | | | | A pencil |
| only are they a source of free food, but collecting | | | | Labels |
| and sharing seeds with your neighbours protects | | | | Collecting seeds |
| plant diversity and produces varieties suited to your | | | | 1. Write the plant's name and the harvest date on |
| exact location. | | | | the label first to avoid confusion later. |
| With more people growing their own fruit and | | | | 2. Only harvest ripe seeds from healthy looking plants. |
| vegetables, the seed sharing community has regained | | | | The seeds should look hard and brown or have split |
| its pre-war popularity with local events hosted all | | | | and opened up. Seeds from fruit are usually ripe at |
| over the country. Companies such as Seedy Sunday | | | | the same time as the fruits. |
| runs a regular swap shop in Brighton and offers lots | | | | 3. Snip the seed head off and place the whole thing |
| of practical advice on organising your own or you can | | | | in the envelope with the label. |
| talk to other home-grown enthusiasts at Allotments | | | | 4. When ready, tip the contents onto a large tray, let |
| UK where you will find forums and advice on finding | | | | them dry completely and then gently remove any |
| an allotment for you or your friends and family to | | | | chaff. |
| start growing your own produce in/ | | | | 5. Tip the seeds and label into another envelope and |
| Getting started | | | | attach another label. |
| Harvesting your own seeds is a satisfying task that is | | | | 6. Store in a seed container or biscuit tin and swap |
| best done in the middle of a sunny day when the | | | | with your friends and neighbours! |
| moisture levels are at their lowest. | | | | |