• Home
  • Meet Mary Schier
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Contact
  • Northern Gardener Book

My Northern Garden

June 24, 2010 · 4 Comments

Where Heirloom Seeds Got Started

Plants· Why We Garden

It’s hard to imagine more than 40 years back when saving seeds was something only misers and old folks did, and heirlooms were special serving platters and diamond jewelry, not tomatoes and peppers. But it was in 1975 that Diane Ott Whealy and Kent Whealy founded Seed Savers Exchange with two types of heirloom seeds passed on to Diane by her grandfather.

garden and fence

A portion of the Seed Savers Exchange display gardens.

Today Seed Savers Exchange maintains a 890-acre heritage farm and warehouses more than 25,000 varieties of potentially endangered vegetable varieties. It also sits at the center of a movement to preserve and plant vegetables that might otherwise be lost, resulting in a narrower, less diverse food supply.

purple morning glory

Grandpa Otts morning glory may be the most famous plant Seed Savers Exchange offers.

While on my way to a Garden Writers Association meeting in the Quad Cities in Iowa Thursday, I took the scenic route through northeastern Iowa and visited the Seed Savers farm outside of Decorah. I was surprised how much the farm is set up for visitors, and what a fun place it was to stop. It has several display gardens to test the heirloom seeds, barns full of heritage chickens and cattle, an orchard of heirloom fruit, a specialty library, as well as hiking trails, a gift shop with a nice selection of books, hundreds of seeds and lots of knick-knacks. There is a play area for children, picnic spots, and peaceful views of the rolling Iowa countryside.

In mid-July, Seed Savers will be celebrating its 35th anniversary with a 3-day conference filled with speakers, workshops on cooking and gardening, and an heirloom seed swap for home gardeners who save seed.

Related posts:

  1. Thoughts on Seeds for Survival and Garden Skills This morning’s Minneapolis Star-Tribune brings news of the latest must-have...
  2. Saving Seed or Saved from Seed? A week or so ago, I pulled down a large...
  3. Seed Starting Basics Over the years, I’ve tried a number of techniques for...
« When Do “Volunteer” Plants Become Weeds?
Three Great Garden Design Ideas »

Comments

  1. meemsnyc says

    June 24, 2010 at 11:03 pm

    It would be so much fun to visit Seed Savers Exchange! That chicken looks adorable!

  2. Bill McDorman says

    June 25, 2010 at 6:14 pm

    Heirloom seeds are the result of an estimated 10,000 years of intense work. Growing, selecting and saving them is THE human tribal ritual that made civilization possible. It hardly started 35 years ago.

    While Seed Savers Exchange has done great work in saving our own continent’s disappearing heirlooms, like all human institutions, it has a more questionable side. SSE now depends upon sales from its million dollar color catalog seed business. This “big” business actually competes with and puts stress on small regional heirloom companies trying to keep alive heirlooms adapted to their own regions. Kent Whealy was fired after 30 years without adequate explanation. He claims the current board is no longer legitimate. Keeping up their heritage farm and gift shop is actually what SSE does best, but this is hardly the core of their stated mission. Deeper discussions about how SSE could more effectively save regionally adapted heirlooms in each region of the country does not seem to be one of their priorities.

  3. Mary Schier says

    June 28, 2010 at 11:25 am

    Bill — thanks for stopping by and providing some information on the complexities of heirloom seeds. What regional heirloom companies would you suggest for gardeners in the north central region of the US?

Trackbacks

  1. Old is New Again: Choosing Heirloom Seeds | My Northern Garden says:
    February 22, 2011 at 1:07 pm

    […] purveyors of older varieties and heirlooms — Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa, which I visited last summer, and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds from Mansfield, Mo.  I also picked up some seeds from […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Connect

  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed for Posts

Grow it, Minnesota Podcast

Now Available!

My Northern Garden book

Follow on Instagram

mynortherngarden_mary

Rows and rows of daffodils 🌼. I had a chance to Rows and rows of daffodils 🌼. I had a chance to take some photos of a grow field in western Wisconsin, where an amateur grower is developing new, early varieties for the north. 

Tip for home gardeners: if you want to move daffodils, dig them and move them foliage and all two weeks after they bloom. The foliage will flop and look bad, but no worries, they’ll come back next year as good as ever. As always when moving plants, water well! #daffodil #bulbgarden #northerngardening #gardentips
Quick report on my seed starting experiments with Quick report on my seed starting experiments with coco coir vs peat as the base of a soil-less mix. Not a lot of difference: coco pot germinated a day ahead of the peat. 
.
.
.
#peatfree #seedstarting #gardenexperiment #mngardener #growingherbs
A break from the usual garden content: Lola has NE A break from the usual garden content: Lola has NEVER been allowed on our bed and we were sure she could not get up on it, since she is short and the bed is not. A recent increase in her arthritis meds seems to have created an athlete. Never underestimate a 15 year old dog in pursuit of sun.
.
.
.
#olddognewtricks #sundog #hernameislola #mndogs #dachshundmix
It is definitely spring at the Galleria where the It is definitely spring at the Galleria where the annual Floral Experience by Bachman’s is underway. The scent of the hyacinth is intoxicating and the plants and whimsical art pieces make for a sweet stroll indoors during our relentless March. 

It is so much more than bulbs, too—ots of trees, topiary, shrubs and two knockout weeping larches, annuals, perennials and just tons of color and fun. Highly recommended, and it runs through April 9 (Easter Sunday).

Enjoy! 
.
.
.
#floralexperience #bachmansflowershow #galleriaedina #springflowers #twincitiesevents #minnesotaspring
Glass and gardens, you bet! We’re heading home Glass and gardens, you bet! We’re heading  home after spending a few weeks in Sarasota, Florida. A highlight of our time there was seeing the Tiffany exhibit at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. It was creative and fun and the plant-themed art glass really did shine a light on this tropical garden. So worth a visit if you’re ever in the area!
.
.
.
#sarasota #tropicalgardens #gardensofinstagram #artingardens #mngardenwriter #gardentravel #snowbird
Has your garden been transformed in the last year Has your garden been transformed in the last year or two? I'd love to see it! I'm back to editing Northern Gardener for a bit and one of the new features in the magazine highlights garden or yard transformations. We need help finding some great ones!

The spring issue "Before and After" features a vegetable garden created out of a blank backyard in Bloomington, MN. The homeowner worked with Rustic Hills Garden Co. to add raised beds, fencing, paths and trellises. It's incredibly productive and really nice looking, too! 

I'm looking for more transformations to feature in upcoming issues. They can be DIY or something you worked on with a garden pro. The goal is to give our readers ideas and inspiration. 

Send me a DM with details. Don't worry about writing the piece yourself. We've got a bunch of great writers available to help with that. But you need to have photos of both before and after. I can't wait to see your gardens! 

PC: @rustichillsgardenco 

#coldclimategardens #gardendiy #gardentransformation #beforeandafter #showmeyourgarden
Are you trying winter sowing this year? Now is a g Are you trying winter sowing this year? Now is a good time to sow perennials. Winter sowing is a way to get more plants at less cost by sowing seeds outdoors in mini-greenhouses in winter. The best greenhouse is a one-gallon milk jug. (Edit: leave the caps off! This was my first attempt at winter sowing and I did it wrong. The podcast episode explains why.) 

For advice on how to do it from an expert, check out a podcast episode from 2021 where Michelle Mero Riedel explains her process. Great info! Link in bio and in stories. #wintersowing #mnpodcast #mngardening
#gardenpodcast
#growyourownflowers
What’s new in 2023? My winter break in Florida c What’s new in 2023? My winter break in Florida coincided with the Tropical Plant International Expo so I had to attend. Research! So many cool houseplants. And pots! And roses with scent. And new ideas about everything from pest control to house plants as decor and gifts. Enjoy! 
.
.
.
#tpie #tpie2023 #houseplants #gardentrends
When you’re up to your knees in new snow, it’s When you’re up to your knees in new snow, it’s time to dig out your lists of favorite plants and start planning ✍️ this year’s garden.

My January newsletter includes lists of best annuals for pollinators (of course zinnias are on the list), best herbs for beginners and a link to a slightly older blog post about best trees for urban gardens in our current and future climate. Check it out and start making your own list of go-to plants! 

Link to the newsletter is in bio and stories. Please subscribe for occasional tips for Northern gardeners. 
.
.
.
#gardeningtips #annualflowers #pollinatorfriendly #urbantrees
2022 — uff-da — what a year! A few photos al 2022 — uff-da — what a year! 

A few photos all reeled together that mostly weren’t on instagram. Wishing you all a Happy New Year and a bloom-filled, homegrown 2023. 

Highlights include: Garden shots from Florida, England, my home garden, St. Cloud and Washington County, Minnesota, plus the Minnesota State Fair dahlia garden. Steve and I at Hadrian’s wall, then being escorted off the cruise ship after we got Covid (do NOT recommend!), harvest dinner at my brother’s farm in Wisconsin, my friend, Julie’s, indoor ripening set up for the Aleppo peppers she helped me trial, a bit of garden philosophy and @resawithoutherspoon’s amazing Christmas cookies. 
.
.
.
#gardenforlife #gardenyear #mynortherngarden #zone4gardening #happynewyear
Poinsettias are nice but kind of tough to keep goi Poinsettias are nice but kind of tough to keep going with the heat running 24/7. So how about some holiday plants that are not poinsettias. Norfolk Island pine, rosemary, paperwhites, amaryllis or any houseplant with red veining add that holiday cheer and are easier to keep alive or are not meant to last, so no need for guilt when they are gone. 

I have a post over on the @mnhort website with info about great holiday plant gifts that are NOT poinsettias. Link in bio and stories. 
.
.
.
#holidaydecor #holidayhouseplants #amaryllis #norfolkislandpine #paperwhites
My new favorite holiday plant is lemon cypress. Co My new favorite holiday plant is lemon cypress. Cool color. Interesting form. Not too hard to take care of. Put this on your houseplant must-have list! 
.
.
.
#lemoncypress #holidayhouseplants #houseplantslover #coldclimategardening #mngardener
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Top Posts & Pages

  • Growing Lilies in Containers
  • Four Peony Problems and Solutions
  • How to Grow Lemons in the North (Plus a Recipe)
  • Mushrooms Growing in Straw Bales
  • How to Pollinate a Meyer Lemon Tree
  • Northern Plants Deer Don't Like
  • How to Build a Vegetable Garden Box for Your Deck
  • Big Changes in Minnesota Hardiness Zone Map
  • An Easy Way to Protect Plants from Rabbits and Deer
  • Growing Peppers in Pots in the North

Post Categories

  • Books/Writing
  • Climate
  • How to
  • Plants
  • Recipes
  • Uncategorized
  • Why We Garden

Copyright © 2023 · captivating theme by Restored 316