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Seed Saving
The big sister of city seed swapping:
Here is a link to their wonderful booklet.
Wonderful, organic and Devon-based seed company
Lots of seed saving videos and a seed saving course online.
Website has loads for useful advice about seed saving including very useful FAQ sheets.
SW Seed saving co-op – lots of short films on seed saving.
The UK’s community owned organic seed company
A brilliant and accessible website with information about sustainable everything. Huge and useful section on seeds.
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Wildflower Meadow Making
Moor meadows, a Devon-based initiative provides excellent advice and information on cultivating wildflower meadows and is right on our doorstep:
A wonderful charity devoted to UK wild plant conservation.
‘It took around 6,000 years to create the species-rich grassland for which the UK is globally famous. Yet in less than a century we have lost. 97% and counting’.
Emorsgate are the specialist growers of British wild flower and wild grass seeds.
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Other Interesting Websites
A project exploring circular economy/barter around food preservation
A project aimed at aimed at changing our perception of urban plants growing on walls, pavement or tree pits.
Devon-based growers who sell rare varieties of perennial edibles and seeds.
A union of farmers, growers, foresters and land-based workers with a mission to improve the livelihoods of our members and create a better food and land-use system for everyone.
An innovative organization that aims to put nature at the heart of our decision making, recognizing its role in shaping a healthy future for all.
An accumulation of foraging knowledge for Exeter
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Video
Seeds for a better world project:
A lovely video which also features Julie Smith, head gardener at St Sidwell’s Community Centre in Exeter.
See also videos from Mandy’s Storied Seed Bank page.
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Books
Sue Stickland, (2014), Back Garden Seed Saving: Keeping our vegetable heritage alive.
Lee Buttala and Shanyn Siegel(eds). (2015). The Seed Garden: the art and Practice of Seed Saving. Seed Savers Exchange. USA
Other important books we like
Thor Hanson, (2016), The Triumph of Seeds: How Grains, Nuts, Kernels, Pulses, and Pips Conquered the Plant Kingdom and Shaped Human History.
Robin Wall Kimmerer, (2013), Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and Teachings of Plants. London: Penguin Books
Merlin Sheldrake, (2020), Entangled Life: How Fungi make our worlds, change our minds, and shape our futures. London: Penguin Books
Simran Sethi, (2015), Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The slow loss of foods we love. New York: Harper Collins
Lia Leendertz, The Almanac, A seasonal Guide. (comes out yearly)
Children’s Books
Tove Jansson, Finn Family Moomintroll. Puffin Books.
Macfarlane R., and Morris J.(illustrations), (2017). The Lost Words. UK: Penguin.
Barnes Simon, (2018). Rewild Yourself, 23 spellbinding ways to make nature more visible. London: Simon & Schuster
Hoare B., Illustrations by Angela Rizza and Daniel Long. (2019) The Wonders of Nature.
Simon James, (2008) The Wild Woods: Jess and Grandad’s woodland adventure. London: Walker Books
Cicely Mary Barker. (1996). The Complete Book of Flower Fairies. Frederick Warne Publishers.
You can find some of the smaller books in secondhand shops. The flowers are drawn from nature and botanically correct.
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Art
Interesting farm arts collective founded by artist Fitz Haeg; website features a limited edition ‘Field Guide’ compiled and made by the artists.
‘We are inspired by: a call to stand up for the natural world; the energy of a living and life-giving network connecting women Earth Protectors on our doorstep and those around the world.’
An interdisciplinary arts collective. ‘We deconstruct systems such as food policies, public transportation, campus design and rural farming networks to visualize and understand their intrinsic logic.’
Creating community around a creative cycle from the earth (clay) to plants (garden) and to plates (food).
Founded in 1983, Common Ground seeks imaginative ways to engage people with their local environment. The idea of Local Distinctiveness is at the heart of everything they do. Their important and substantial archive is housed at the University of Exeter.
Created through an arts residency with Anne-Marie Culhane, Flow Orchard is a new fruit & foraging route for insects, animals & humans along the River Exe that runs through Exeter. Seasonal events and activities are organised to continue the care and maintenance of the orchards.
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Politics
Exeter XR Biodiversity Group – see their FB page
‘We are a growing international movement of individuals and organisations in the cultural sector declaring climate and ecological emergency. This means telling the truth, taking action and seeking justice.’
The COP26 summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021.
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Music
Anything that makes you want to dance outside.