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The 2024-2025 Seed Exchange is setting up to be exciting!
Since the fall and winter of 1993-94, the Seed Exchange has been one of the activities that makes HPS/MAG stand out from all of the other plant societies in the Mid-Atlantic region. Each year, as the fruiting season for a plant comes to an end, dedicated Society members collect the seeds and forward them, along with a description of the plant, to the Seed Exchange Team. The information is then used to create the Seed Exchange Catalog. This year’s annual edition (see link below) of the Catalog includes 798 seed donations generously contributed by 59 gardeners, from beginners to professionals and included approximately 100 new seed varieties never before offered in our catalog.
Promised seed donations have ended. Please remember that all promised seeds must be mailed by January 10, 2025 to:
Carole Maher
774 Church Road
Elkins Park, PA 19027
Seed Exchange Catalog
The 2024-2025 catalog is available! Click here to view this year's catalog.
To order online please visit https://www.hardyplantseedshop.org. Sign in using your HPS username and password. Instructions are available on the home page.
Seed Exchange volunteering at the Tyler Arboretum workshops
Later in January and February, dozens of volunteers meet at Tyler Arboretum in Media, PA to sort and divide seed into packets to satisfy the orders. Thousands of work hours and volumes of gardening knowledge go into providing this valuable exchange of seeds.
Any member or non-member can volunteer to clean and sort seeds. To order seeds, one must be a member of HPS-MAG. Click here for the membership form.
To learn more about the Exchange, read "A Seed of an Idea and How it Grew" and "The Power of Seed" from past HPS Newsletters. Also visit the Avant Gardens Blog,Garden Foreplay, for their 2014 posting titled "Collecting Seed for Seed Exchanges.”
Working with the Seed Exchange is a fun way to meet fellow plant lovers in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. This year we will have volunteers sign-up via Sign-up Genius in early January. Look for information about signing up then!
Seed Sorting and Packaging of Seeds Workshops (held Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10:00am to 3:00pm). Click here to sign up for a day.
The dates are:
January 29 February 11
January 30 February 12
February 4 February 13
February 5 February 18
February 6 February 19
February 20
Sign-ups will begin in early January using Sign-up Genius. If there is inclement weather, then a message will be sent to all volunteers signed up and we will post a message on the Hardy Plant Society website by 8:00am. Please remember to dress warmly as we are in the basement of the barn. Also, bring snacks and a lunch if you are volunteering for the full day.
If you have questions or want to know how you can participate, please contact Susan Doblmaier, [email protected] or 215-542-7865.
2024-2025 Seed Exchange Calendar
More dates will be added as the schedule is finalized. Check back for updates.
Late December. The catalog is e-mailed to all members and mailed to those who have requested a copy. The Seed Exchange committee would like to mail as few catalogs as possible so that we minimize costs and do not waste paper.
Late December to mid-January. Ordering from the catalog will be available. The online ordering site will be open. Mail-in ordering will still be an option.
Early January 2025. Sign-up for the volunteer workshops at Tyler Arboretum in late January and early February. Dates for the workshops are not finalized yet.
January 10, 2025. Mail donations: Seed may be submitted by mail by January 10, 2025 to:
Carole Maher
774 Church Road
Elkins Park, PA 19027
January 22, 2025. Winter sowing workshop. 11AM to 12:30PM at the Montgomery Farm, Home & Youth Foundation, Collegeville, PA
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